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7 Jul : Meditation evening |
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July marks the start of the rains retreat for monastries in SE Asia. Here in Cape Town, the Hout Bay Centre enters into a month long focus on the core teachings of Buddhism. This week is focussed on meditation - looking at how the mind creates distractions and noise that limit our focus.
The fault finding mind is the aspect of ourselves which focuses on difficult situations that arise in our lives and inflates them out of proportion. If left unchecked, these tendencies can result in Anxiety, Anger and Depression. This talk discusses the fault finding mind, touching on how it fits as a process in the Contact, Feeling and Craving parts in the cycle of Dependent Origination. During the meditation session, we will focus on how developing Equanimity, or Upekkha, towards these situations can ease our response to them, reducing our suffering and clearing the way to deal with situations in a more skillful manner.
Based on the unpleasant feeling, craving arises (in the ''I don't want life to be this way'' sense). Then there's this tussle between reality and what the mind wants reality to be, which give rise to these unpleasant cycles.
Simon gives a dhamma talk on mental formations and guides a group meditation. Beginners welcome.
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14 Jul : Dana - Generosity |
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Generosity is a core value in Buddhism. The Pali name, Dana, is sometimes associated with giving gifts to monasteries, but in its wider application it embraces all acts of generosity and open-handedness which help define Buddhist character development. Evan gives this week's dhamma talk.
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21 Jul : Anicca - impermanence & letting life happen |
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Anicca is one of the three Buddhist characteristics of existence. Anicca, or impermanence is at the core of Buddhist philosophy. All things which are created will also come apart again. All worldly things are temporary and change is constant. Trying to stop the sands of time, or deny impermance can bring us great sadness, frustration and suffering. Learning to flow with life's changes is part of the Buddhist way to enlightenment. Dé gives this week's dhamma talk.
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28 Jul : Asalha Puja - Sangha Day |
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Join us for a special ceremony and celebration of Asalha Puja, one of the Buddhist high holidays. This day commemorates the first sermon of the Buddha after his enlightenment. He spoke on this first day to his five former comrades who had foresaken him and laid out for them the basis of the Four Noble Truths. The truth was so clear and so strong that the five became enlightened and formed the first members of the Buddhist holy orders, the Sangha. Phra Kitsakol of Dhammakaya mission will guide us in the ceremony to mark Asalha Puja.
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