Skip to content

September 9th meeting of Dharma Readers

Photo of genevieve
Hosted By
genevieve and Vindya
September 9th meeting of Dharma Readers

Details

Hi all

Please join us for the next Dharma Readers book club, Sunday September 9th. We will be discussing part 3 & 4 of "The Diamond That Cuts Through Illusion" by Thich Nhat Hanh. If you are new to the group, or have not been to a meeting before and you do not have the book, please feel free to join us if you would like to check it out.

It's time to vote on a new book! Here's the link to the polls:

https://www.meetup.com/DharmaReaders/polls/621662/

You can also find the page from the Dharma Readers home page of the meetup site, go to the "More" tab and select "Polls."

The books to choose from are:

The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation (http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Buddhas-Teaching-Transforming-Liberation/dp/0767903692/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346033430&sr=1-1&keywords=the+heart+of+the+buddha%27s+teaching+by+thich+nhat+hanh) by Thich Nhat Hanh (http://www.amazon.com/Thich-Nhat-Hanh/e/B000AP5YRY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1346033430&sr=1-1)

http://photos1.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/8/5/4/event_89642132.jpeg

In The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching, Thich Nhat Hanh introduces us to the core teachings of Buddhism and shows us that the Buddha's teachings are accessible and applicable to our daily lives. With poetry and clarity, Nhat Hanh imparts comforting wisdom about the nature of suffering and its role in creating compassion, love, and joy--all qualities of enlightenment. Covering such significant teachings as the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Three Doors of Liberation, the Three Dharma Seals, and the Seven Factors of Awakening, The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching is a radiant beacon on Buddhist thought for the initiated and uninitiated alike.

The Path of Serenity and Insight (http://www.amazon.com/Serenity-Insight-Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/dp/8120808711/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1346033275&sr=1-1&keywords=The+path+of+serenity+and+insight+by+henepola+gunaratana) by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana (https://www.meetup.com/Bhante-Henepola-Gunaratana/e/B002LADY6O/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1346033275&sr=1-1)

http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/b/3/6/c/event_140625932.jpeg

In the oldest scriptures of Theravada Buddhism much attention is given to the jhanas, high levels of meditative attainment distinguished by powerful concentration and purity of mind. Ven. Dr. Gunaratana examines these jhanas within the context of Buddhist teaching as a whole and particularly within the meditation disciplines taught by the Buddha. Beginning with the ethical foundation for meditation, the role of the teacher, the classical subjects of meditation, and the appropriateness of these subjects to individual practitioners, the author traces the practice of meditation to the higher reaches of realization. The eight stages of jhana are individually analyzed and explained in terms of their relation to one another and to the ultimate goal of the teaching.

The author makes the critical distinction between the mundane jhanas and supermundane jhanas, pointing out that the lower four, while leading to various mental powers and psychic attainments, are not necessary to full enlightenment and may be developed or bypassed as the meditator wishes. The author goes on to explain the place of the jhanas among the accomplishments of an arahat and elucidate their usefulness for a dedicated meditator.

Photo of "Dharma Readers" - Minneapolis Buddhist Book Club group
"Dharma Readers" - Minneapolis Buddhist Book Club
See more events