Meaning of life self-inquiry group
Details
Quote for Oct 6: "Finding your purpose comes from disillusionment with what you feel will make you forever happy. When we are done with worldly games and realize that nothing is curing us of our inner angst, we start to get serious about finding what is eternal, if anything.
When we make a commitment, no matter to what, the universe will align itself to help fulfill that purpose. Without a commitment to finding Truth, we are simply piddling away our time and energy. Conflicting desires will keeps us away from becoming serious about our spiritual search. If Truth is what you seek, then love truth in all things. Starts with self-honesty about what you really desire.
The three D’s—Doubt your beliefs; Practice detachment from self; Be discerning about how you are using your energy and time.
Spiritual practices prepare the mind’s capacity to hold Truth. Loosens the sense of ‘self’.
The main obstacle, the ego, cannot be seen from the inside. One must look at it from the outside to see what we are not."
Questions for this week: Do you agree that "finding your purpose comes from disillusionment with what you feel will make you forever happy"?
What are your conflicting desires?
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"What will make me happy in life?" ... "Am I my thoughts?" ... "What is Enlightenment?" ... We meet every week to ask questions like these in the pursuit of Self-Knowledge and Truth.
We are interested in topics like: Zen, stoicism, spirituality, psychology, mindfulness, Nisargadatta, non-violent communication, Socrates, existential philosophy, Alan Watts, taoism, Eckhart Tolle, meditation, Ramana Maharshi, etc. But we are not affiliated with any dogma, philosophy, or religion.
Our goal each meeting is to serve as mirrors for one another using question-based inquiry in a safe environment. In a session, every participant takes turns discussing the week's question or topic, and the group asks reflective questions without any agenda besides trying to understand the person's beliefs.
A few other guiding principles of our group:
- No one is obligated to share
- Be honest with yourself and others
- Do not try to convince others to believe or think as you do
- Keep the focus on the person being questioned
We meet at the Bethesda Library every Monday. The library is a 5 minute walk from the Bethesda Metro on the Red Line, approx 25 minute Metro ride from Metro Center and Gallery Place stations. The library has a a parking lot with metered parking for $1/hour.
*** WE WILL BE IN MEETING ROOM 3 UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED ----- THE MEETING ROOM IS IN THE BACK OF THE LIBRARY ***
Please contact us with any questions!
“I am struck with how rare it is to find a few good friends on the path. It is easy to find people who simply want to sit and be entertained by teachers, or who want to sit and entertain by playing the role of teacher. In other words, the quest for affirmation often outweighs the quest for truth. Yet you may have one or two good friends, and definitely have one or two waiting to be discovered. Find them; be thankful.”
— Shawn Nevins