This weekly drop-in class is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. The class includes a gentle, relaxing meditation followed by a practical teaching on some aspect of Buddhist meditation and practice. The session ends with a guided meditation to help us take the teachings into our hearts to improve our lives and relationships with others. With Meditation Teacher, Monica Heiser.
Freedom from Craving
We often feel that it is someone else who is making us unhappy, and we can become quite resentful. If we look at the situation carefully, however, we will find that it is always our own mental attitude that is responsible for our unhappiness. Another person’s actions make us unhappy only if we allow them to stimulate a negative response in us.
- July 3 The Dangers of Uncontrolled Desire
- July 10 Differentiating Love from Attachment
- July 17 Stop Craving, Start Living
- July 24 Equanimity in Daily Life
Undoing the Critical Mind
Since we all have within us our own source of peace and happiness, we may wonder why it is so hard to maintain a continually peaceful and joyful mind. This is because of the delusions that so often crowd our mind. Delusions are distorted ways of looking at ourself, other people and the world around us—like a distorted mirror they reflect a distorted world. We do not need to blame ourself for the many delusions we have inherited from our previous life, but, if we wish for our future self to enjoy peace and happiness, it is our responsibility to remove these delusions from our mind.
- Aug 14 Give Yourself a Break
- Aug 21 Don’t Go There
- Aug 28 The Dangers of Blaming and Finding Fault
- Sept 4 Being in Someone Else’s Shoes
Class Time: Wednesdays 7:30 – 8:30 PM
Cost: $12/person ($8 students, seniors 60+, unemployed)
Location: Indiginal Wellness Studio, 213 W. Read Street, Baltimore, MD 21201
Monica Heiser is a student and teacher at KMC Maryland who has been practicing Kadampa Buddhism for the past 8 years. While in high school, she became interested in world religions and took a comparative religion class. A senior Buddhist monk spoke to her class, and inspired by his peaceful presence, she decided to go to her local Kadampa Buddhist Center. Since that time, practicing Buddhist teachings have brought Monica incredible joy, inspiration, and meaning to her life and relationships. She is the branch class teacher in Mt. Vernon on Wednesdays as well as the Dharma for Kids Teacher at the temple on Sunday mornings.
