Bodhi Path Pasadena Meetup

Attention: Please note that RSVP is not necessary for you to attend. Although it is appreciated and helpful for new members on our Meetup page to see that folks will be attending so they won't feel like they will be the only attendees along with this bearded guy with the spectacles! 8-) Please feel free to always drop in...regardless of RSVP. Thanks!

We meet every Wednesday from 7pm - 9pm for Meditation, Teachings and Discussion, unless there is a special arrangement (please check our calendar for changes and updates). The class usually consists of 45 minutes guided meditation, 15 minutes break and 1 hour discussion. We are starting out the year studying Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend.

Nagarjuna (1st - 2nd chttp://photos4.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/1/0/6/a/event_83704202.jpegentury A.D.) wrote his celebrated poem as a letter of advice to his friend King Gautamiputra/Satavahana. This advice gives a concise and comprehensive introduction to the entire path and practice of Buddhism. It guides both householders and the ordained onto the path leading to liberation and enlightenment. The instructions are of special interest to those who wish to take up spiritual activity while continuing to live and work in society; they are meant to convey the whole meaning of the Dharma to the ordinary person in a language and style that are easy to understand. Despite its short length (only 123 verses), it covers the whole Mahayana path with unusual clarity and memorable imagery; thus it is widely quoted by Tibet's great masters and scholars in the many commentaries they have written on the Buddhist path. We will be using the teachings of Shamar Rinpoche and others as source material.

We will have copies of the verses in class but if you wish you can also purchase a book with commentary from these links:

http://www.mstp.us/Books/NagarjunasLetter.php

http://www.amazon.com/Nagarjunas-Letter-Friend-Kangyur-Rinpoche/dp/1559392274

I hope you will join us for this teaching cycle. Beginners are always welcomed. A $10 donation to help support Bodhi Path Pasadena is gratefully welcomed but not required - no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

"Of all the religious writings of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, it could be said that Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life and Nagarjuna's Precious Garland together remain the foundational texts outlining the noble, selfless career of the bodhisattva." Geshe Thubten Jinpa.