Meditation Class Notes
Introducing Buddhist meditation techniques to Westerners (in this quietly desperate land of I, Me, Mine) is particularly challenging, I think.
I recently was privileged to attend a six-week meditation course at my local Insight Center (mtstream.org) presented by one of our dedicated lay-sangha members, Bruce Pardoe (bpardoe@heartfluency.com). It was definitely well received, and I know I benefited from it.
Bruce was kind enough to make the notes he wrote for the classes available to all. Thanks for that, Bruce, as you know Dhamma dāna is precious beyond the telling and profoundly needed these days.
As Bruce and I sincerely hope, may any merit that accrues from the sharing of this information be for the benefit of all beings.
Introduction to Meditation
A six-week class presented by Bruce Pardoe at Mountain Stream Meditation's Nevada City Insight Center from March 9 to April 13, 2017.
Gratitude
In gratitude for all who undertake to travel this ancient path, let us reflect on the Kariniya Sutta:
This is what should be done
By one who is skilled in goodness,
And who knows the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech,
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied,
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm and wise and skillful,
Not proud or demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: In gladness and in safety,
May all beings be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small,
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to-be-born —
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views,
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again into this world.
SN 1.8