Sunday, 11:30am - 1:00pm

Jersey City Buddhist Meditation Class

Being a Bodhisattva for the Holidays

$10 per class, free for supporting members

Whatever holiday traditions we observe, if any, the final weeks of each year can be challenging. We may be facing year-end work demands, disappointment in the year that’s passed or anxiety about the year to come, difficult family dynamics, loneliness, or even the stress of travel and celebrations that are supposed to be fun but leave us feeling unfulfilled or even tapped-out.

It seems like we could all use some tools for navigating the season with more actual comfort and joy.

While we can’t do much to change the conditions around seemingly external sources of stress, we can change how we approach this time of year—or, rather, who we are as we enter this season.

When we identify ourselves as a Bodhisattva—one who is going for enlightenment out of a compassionate wish to benefit all livings beings—we can do so much more than merely cope with the holidays. We can transform every challenge into a meaningful spiritual opportunity and head into the new year with a fresh sense of possibility.

December 15: Beyond Gifting: Giving from the Heart, with Kelly Goedert
December 22: Practicing Kindness and Patience Acceptance, with Deepika Bagchee
December 29: No Class

NEXT SERIES

Begin the New Year with a New Perspective on your Precious Human Life - The Meditation on Realizing Your Potential and Purpose

Because "our world" is really only our personal experience of what we perceive and how we perceive it, Buddha has explained that if we change our mind we change our world. Our experience of the world depends on our state of mind.

A New Way of Being: The Meditation on Realizing Your Potential and Purpose. The first meditation in the Lamrim is the meditation on our Precious Human Life. The purpose of this contemplation is to lead us to recognizing the incredible potential and purpose of our present human life, giving rise to an abiding experience of joy, gratitude, a powerful motivation to make the most of every day.

For this meditation to succeed, we need to actually engage in it! In this series we will explore how to do more than just occasionally ‘dip our toe’ in the wisdom of the teaching on our Precious Human Life. We will learn how to immerse ourselves in this liberating and joy-inducing wisdom, both in meditation and, even more importantly, during the meditation break, in our daily life.

January 5: A New Way of Being, with Jessica Rispoli
January 12: The Key to Increasing Your Happiness, with Jessica Rispoli
January 19: The Wonder of Our Human Life, with Jessica Rispoli
January 26: Igniting Energy and Purpose, with Jessica Rispoli
February 2: The Actual Meditation on Precious Human Life, with Jessica Rispoli
February 9: Finding Enjoyment and Meaning in All You Do, with Jessica Rispoli

DETAILS

Classes include Dharma teachings and guided meditations
They are suitable for both beginners and more advanced practitioners
Each class is self-contained and is also presented as part of a series over 5-6 weeks. Drop into any class you like
No special clothing is required
No pre-registration is necessary
Chairs are supplied
Everyone welcome!