NoHo Buddhist Meditation Class

In times of difficulty, where do we look for the wisdom and insight we need to move forward peacefully, beneficially, and even happily?

If we look to the profound teachings offered in the thousand-year-old Buddhist poem, Eight Verses of Training the Mind by Geshe Langri Tangpa and the modern commentary offered by Geshe Kelang Gyatso in his beautiful book, Eight Steps to Happiness, we will find exactly what we need. By putting the words of these verses into practice, we will come to realize that far beyond merely ‘hanging in there’ and moving through adversity, we can actually transform all of life’s difficulties into fuel for spiritual growth and lasting happiness.

At first glance, the language of these verses may seem challenging. What these words are asking us to do is, in fact, pretty radical: accept any and all adversities in our lives as spiritual opportunities to move from a tight, self-centered perspective —which causes us pain— towards an expansive, compassionate view—which brings us profound peace and happiness. These practices push us to shift our mental habits. But training the mind is a lot like training the body (though even more rewarding!) It requires some effort but it feels great.

In this course, we’ll use this beautiful text as the basis for weekly meditations and discussions, helping us all to train together in this liberating and joyful transformation.