Upper West Side Buddhist Meditation Class

Open Eyes, Open Heart: Training in Compassion

There is such strength in our hearts, strength that doesn’t collapse in the face of suffering, but grows stronger. That is our compassion. It is not a soppy feeling. It is the fiercest, most energizing mind we can develop. It shatters complacency and dissolves anxiety. It delivers a peace that changing circumstances can’t shake.

We sometimes think that if we really look at suffering, it will just make us sad and weak. Buddha taught the opposite: real compassion makes us fearless. It wakes us up from the lonely nightmare of orbiting on our own little ego planets—where no one ever wants to come to tea!—and gives us the courage to open our eyes. It fills us with joy!

It’s nothing we have to force. It’s already within us, part of our deepest potential, a steady, solution-oriented mind that naturally wants to jump in and help because it knows that real freedom is possible.

If you’ve ever wondered how to live with a more open heart in this complicated world, this series will show you how.

April 27: Compassion and Our Human Potential
May 4: Is Universal Compassion Possible?
May 11: Compassion-with guest teacher Justine Volesko
May 18: The Actual Meditation on Compassion with guest teacher Tim Cockey
May 25: no class, Memorial Day
June 1: How Compassion Empowers Our Life

NEXT SERIES

How Lucky We Are: Our Precious Human Life

This series explores the first meditation Buddha taught in the stages of the path to enlightenment, on how precious is our human life. It is wonderfully simple. All it requires is opening our eyes to our great good fortune, the awesomeness of the life we’re already living.

Beneath the worry and busyness, a natural source of peace glows delightedly away inside of us. This is the gold we hold in our hearts. But a nugget of gold, however priceless, can’t shine when it is buried and hidden away. We need to know we have it. And we need the right conditions to dig it out and polish it up.

Amazingly, we have these conditions—these indescribably rare, impossibly lucky conditions. Everything has come together. Our sincerest dreams for real happiness are in the palm of our hand.

The only problem: we forget to notice.

In this four-part series, our last before summer break, we’ll practice noticing. And tapping into it, morning, noon, and night: our radiant inner wealth. Let’s trade the habit of judging ourselves for an unstoppable gratitude!

June 8: Waking Up to Wonder
June 15: The Ultimate Life Hack
June 22: The Blind Turtle & The Golden Yoke
June 29: The Here & Now

DETAILS

Our general program classes include Dharma teachings along with guided meditations
These classes are suitable for both beginners and more advanced meditation practitioners
General meditation classes are given as a series, but can also be taken individually
No special clothing is required
No pre-registration is necessary
Chairs are supplied
Everyone welcome!