Meditation and Modern Buddhism

Freedom From Painful Emotions

Painful emotions such as stress, anxiety, depression and loneliness cause us much unhappiness and stop us from being able to truly enjoy our life. This once–a-month, four-part series will let us investigate these painful feelings and learn the simple techniques employed in Buddhist meditation and mindfulness to let go of negative emotions, past pain and bad habits, and to cultivate positive states of mind. Through applying these instructions to our daily life, we can all learn to live a happier and more fulfilling life.

In each class, we will focus on how to deal with a particular painful emotion, learning practical methods to reduce its hold on us and in this way allowing us to experience a deep and satisfying emotional freedom. As our delusions diminish, we draw closer to the person we wish to be, a joyful, confident and loving person.

Don’t Worry: Overcoming Anxiety

In these busy times it is common to experience fear and anxiety, and as a result we often seek solutions but don’t address the real problem. We may take refuge in denial, distractions, or self-medication, or we may try to control the circumstances of our life. Since we can never have complete control of what happens to us, these responses don’t address the real problem: our unpeaceful, disturbed states of mind.

Buddha taught what we can rely upon. According to Buddha’s teachings it is possible to transcend our fears and attain a state of fearlessness. But this can only be accomplished through investigating them and uncovering their source in our own uncontrolled and painful minds.

In this class Gen Wangpo will guide us in the process of learning to transform our fears and anxieties into an energizing force that takes us towards a state of fearlessness. In particular, through transforming our fears into joyful, positive minds we will learn to create excellent conditions that are the opposite to those we fear!

You can join any or all of these classes. They are scheduled as follows:

A Life Without Stress – Friday, Sept 18
Don’t Worry: Overcoming Anxiety – Friday, Oct 16
Dealing with Depression – Friday, Nov 13
Working Through Feelings of Loneliness and Loss – Friday, Dec 11

You will have access to the teaching for 7 days.