From Our Teachers

Robert Brumet

The Nature of Spiritual Practice
by Robert Brumet

Spiritual practice has both active and passive elements. The passive element is to    deliberately refrain from activities that substantiate and reinforce an egocentric identity. We practice by not doing that which is familiar and habitual. … We do not indulge the ego’s demand for our attention. This is the practice of “not doing.”   

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Kindhearted Awareness
by Rebecca Bradshaw

Kindhearted awareness is what makes it possible for us to relax. Many of us come to practice, however, with a tendency to want to fix ourselves, or to “fix” experience, rather than with a sense of kindness toward ourselves. If we have this covert agenda of aggressiveness towards ourselves, towards our experience of life, this will color our ability to trust silence, stillness, and presence.   

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Overcoming Doubt through Direct Experience
by Shaila Catherine

In the Middle Length Discourses, there is a parable of a person born blind who could not see dark or light forms, colored forms, or the stars, sun, or moon, and so he says: “I do not know these. I do not see these. Therefore, these do not exist.” … This tendency—to doubt what has not yet been experienced—is relatively common in the Western Dhamma scene.  

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Philip Jones

The Practice of Acceptance
by Philip L. Jones

Like most meditators, I’ve often had the experience of noticing that I’ve become lost in thoughts about some incident in my life. …When I get caught in these stories, the mind, heart and body become more tense and cramped. There is suffering. How can we relate to these experiences so that we allow more freedom into our lives rather than creating more suffering?

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Lila Kate Wheeler

Can the Truly Humble Attain Greatness in World Affairs?
by Lila Kate Wheeler

The man who eventually became known as the Buddha, which simply means ‘awakened,’ was born into the ruling class in northern India about 2,600 years ago. Exceedingly well-educated, he is said to have mastered all the skills of warfare and politics as part of his leadership training. … The Buddha’s interest lay not in aggrandizing himself or enlarging his kingdom, but rather in finding the most effective approach to allaying human distress.

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Upcoming  Activities

2024

Reading The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha
An Online Sutta Study Course
with Philip Jones
Meeting Monthly: Nov. 20, Dec. 18, 2024
and Jan. 15, Mar. 19, 2025
6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Central Time
Registration is open, closes Nov. 10, 2024

2025

2025 Awakening Joy Course: 10 Steps to a Happier Life
Affiliate Event
Online with James Baraz
Meeting Times: see the course description
Registration is open

Connecting Heart and Mind
an Online Retreat
with James Baraz
January 17-19
Registration is open, closes January, 13, 2025

Cultivating a Wise Heart
A Residential Retreat
with Annie Nugent
March 6 -11
Mercy Center, St Louis
Registration Opens: December 15, 2024

Deepening Your Practice: A Retreat for Experienced Meditators
A Residential Retreat
with David Chernikoff
July 28 - August 3, 2025
Creighton University Retreat Center, Griswold, IA
Registration Opens: April 13, 2025

Mindfulness in Everyday Life
An Online Householder Retreat 
with Robert Brumet
and Joe McCormack
September 7, 9, 11 & 13, 2025
Registration opens June 7, 2025

The Happiness of a Well-trained Mind
A Residential Retreat
with Bridget Rolens
October 30 - November 2
Mercy Center St Louis
Registration Opens: July 15, 2025

Other Items of Interest