Upcoming Weekly Discussion Topics

Our weekly service starts with a 30 minute talk or discussion led by Reverend Shingaku. After the discussion we perform the Tendai daily service and then engage in 2 periods of meditation. If this is your first time for attending, please arrive 15 minutes early for an orientation.

Monday, October 1

Sangemon

We recite this repentance each week during our daily service. But, repentance in Buddhism has an unexpected meaning. Repentance has nothing to do with regret. It has to do with recognizing habits and setting ourselves up for right action in the future. The sangemon contains a recognition of the human condition.

Monday, October 8

Columbus and Indigenous People’s Day

Columbus Day began to be celebrated as a federal holiday in 1937 and was established by Congress to be the second Monday in October in 1971. Since that time a number of states and cities have shifted to celebrating Indigenous People’s Day instead of Columbus Day. The roots of this holiday are controversial. During this evening’s talk we will explore different perspectives on what this holiday is commemorating. And we will consider how the conditions of our society shape our understanding of reality. If you would like to do a bit of advanced reading on this topic, consider this article in the Washington Post and this article by Howard Zinn

Monday, October 15

Survey of Buddhism Part 2 : The Teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha

Over time and across cultures, Buddhism has taken on different shapes and forms. This evening’s class will got back to the roots of Buddhism, the teachings that scholars generally agree were presented by the historic Buddha. After an overview of these teachings, we will dialogue about which of them are most compelling to us today.

Monday, October 22

Cooking Like A Buddhist

Last month we talked about Buddhist teachings connected to what we eat--specifically the idea of eating or not eating a vegetarian diet. This month we will continue our exploration of how Buddhism and food. This evening’s talk will focus on some key teachings and practices related to cooking like a Buddhist.

Monday, October 29

Standing at the Edge: Book Discussion

We will discuss Joan Halifax Roshi’s new book Standing at the Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet. Here’s a link to a short video of the author explaining the gist of the book. Read this book over the month of October, and come prepared to share your favorite passage. If you don’t have access to the whole book yet, try to at least read the excerpt here. If you haven’t read any of the book in advance, you are still welcome to join our discussion.