Texas Dharma For A Fulfilling Life Meetup Group

Hi, our Dharma friends!
Welcome to the gateway to Buddhism 101 for all! Our Karma Lab meeting is a friendly get-together of like-minded people to learn about karma in Buddhism.
Our weekly “intro to Buddhism” meetup group is open to all! No experience in Buddhism is necessary. Each week we prepare a Dharma presentation for you all on that week’s Buddhism topic, followed by Q&A. We kick off each meeting with some introductions and short ice-breaking so that you get to know the other members of our sangha community! We have a good mix of regulars and newbies each meeting.
The first 20 minutes I'd like to get to know who is joining our zoom session so please have your camera on. To ensure a smooth entrance to my zoom room, your camera must be on when you come in.
Our classes are free for the first 3 sessions . After 3 sessions, if you see value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at **bitadharma22@gmail.com**
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
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To better explain the philosophy behind Karma Lab (our weekly Wednesday events, focusing on Karma):
It is not unusual for people to ask themselves;

• Why do bad things happen to me?
• Or simply, "why me?"

Often these questions come up when things are not going well, or when they fall apart. In these moments we may feel like we're confined to a small bubble, and it feels like there's no solution to our problems.
Buddhism does not state that there's some supernatural being that causes bad things to happen or some ancestral curse that shapes it. Rather Buddhism says to practice good deeds and refrain from bad. This does seem like common sense but there's a difference there.
There are two reasons why this applies to our lives.
One reason is that karma has energy. Not only is it invisible, somewhat like a virus which can't be seen, but it also has strength, and it shapes our future. This strength or power has an influence on our daily lives. Buddha said: "Bad karma creates bad consequences and good karma creates good consequences."
Also, when bad things are happening to us, it's an opportunity for us to practice self-reflection and make extra effort to practice simple good deeds such as cleaning, showing a smile to people, and giving gifts to our friends and family.
It's human nature for most people to blame others at times for our unfavorable outcomes or difficulties in life. It's harder to stop and look more closely at ourselves.
So, it is therefore important to regulate our minds because they are the parent, our speech and actions being the children. That is why the Buddha taught us about the Six Paramitas – six types of daily practices.
With patience and practice of these teachings, we will undergo a complete transformation. In addition, our lives will improve. We are all encouraged to practice kindness and compassion, the act of which is always at the top of the list.
Stay well and let's go forward towards the light of unconditional goodness together! We have about 10-20 people join us each week, including the regulars, so hope you don't get discouraged by seeing the few RSVPs here on this page. See you soon too!!!
If you're interested in learning Buddhism but have a schedule conflict, please write to me for a one on one session!

1. Also please note that we're going to record this zoom session on zoom for later access by our premium members. There will be an announcement from the Zoom app when recording starts.
2. We would appreciate it if you use the same name as your Meetup account so that the host of the meeting will easily recognize the participants.
3. Please make sure you RSVP 30 minutes prior to the start of the meeting.

4. Our classes are free for the first 3 sessions. After 3 sessions, if you see value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at **bitadharma22@gmail.com**
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
Check out our YouTube channel at
https://www.youtube.com/@right-view-lab!
Last but not least– the Zoom passcode is 426646.
We’re looking forward to meeting you!

What is the purpose of life?
This weekly book club is a space to explore that fundamental question through the book The Purpose of Life (author: Takamori Kentetsu), which presents a clear and direct Buddhist perspective on the meaning of human existence and the root cause of suffering as taught by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni in the Parables Sutra.
As time allows, we will couple the awareness of the impermanence of life with the reading and understanding of the best selling book Atomic Habits. It will provide a good balance of finding the answer to why we live and how we live.
You can find the two books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Purpose-Life-Happiness-transcends-sickness/dp/0960120750

https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break-ebook/dp/B07D23CFGR/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.aVjxsZgNHJ6wfgiZ01PPLJpA8gqTTPrXgQL_hnQMlWVpcTMgi-NSu4_ojRNf_2ANAdIhYY3XJqfy4QYcYbiBveLmprLtxNldNwi2JVz97LPkT5OTgmDrRPMGWBU0sqKHQbuGuUQ1UA6qioznUVCy_grHgVrFyL0dXHwXwoKvE0S7dPxxGwQlhngE9f5ieZFzHU3Ap03CPBUCKzj8v1Crr7ZZ9dKez3T_tjZd5ZSbdoQ.16TX2S9jWhLcBooD2Xx9fA5rnWa6MbFsgHYFj6I5kWM&qid=1769699082&sr=8-1
Together, we read slowly and reflect deeply, allowing time for honest questions, personal insight, and shared understanding. The atmosphere is calm, respectful, and dialogue-based. No prior background in Buddhism is required—only a sincere interest in understanding life more deeply. We might make references to the book You Were Born For a Reason (million seller in Japan) as we reflect deeply on the fleeting nature of life and its monumental purpose.
Participation & Donations
The first three sessions are free, so you can experience the group and the study if it's something that can support your spiritual endeavors.
After attending three sessions, participants who wish to continue are expected to support the group through offering a contribution. While contributions are not a fixed fee and are offered according to one’s means, they are an important part of sustaining this ongoing study group. No one will be excluded for financial hardship—please reach out privately by emailing Bita at bitadharma22@gmail.com if this applies as one can donate their time if donating money is challenging.
Zoom passcode is 426646
Your camera needs to be on when you first come in and please be punctual so we get to know each other. If your camera is not functioning well, please fix the issue before joining our zoom group. I really appreciate your understanding as we all can maintain our mental health when we see each other on zoom as if it's an in-person event.
It's OK if you don't have the book for the first 3 sessions. I can share my Kindle book until you see if this book is in alignment with your spiritual objectives or not. Stay well my friends and hope to make your acquaintance soon!

Either me or a good Dharma friend is going to share the teachings with people new to Buddhism. Once our life is transformed through the Dharma, we can't keep it to ourselves. Hopefully other Dharma friends too will volunteer to share their wisdom too! Join us and study together! We will have Q&As at the end of the presentation too!
The password for zoom is 426646.
We will record this session and upload to our YouTube channel for access by our premium Right View YouTube channel members. Thank you for your understanding.
If you're interested in learning Buddhism but have a schedule conflict, please email Bita at bitadharma22@gmail.com
Below is the self-introduction of one of our presenters:
My name is Pam and I am from Nepal. I have been listening to Buddhist teachings, reading books about Buddhism from the sources of what ever was available in my country , I used to listen to Buddhist monks , gurus . In the beginning of 2020 my husband met one sensei through facebook who was teaching Buddhism online so from there we started listening to Buddhism . We listened in daily basis , we had at least one hour session every day where we learned much more than what we had just learned within my country. Listening to dharma has motivated me in many ways specifically if I could share then it would be being a better person every day . no matter what the world throws at you , no matter how people treat you , no matter what you go through but you make sure that you become a better person . and listening to dharma /Buddhism has really helped me a lot , understanding life, relationships and more. It is just the beginning I feel there’s much more to go , so the best thing is you listen to dharma and feel more deep. Be kind have compassion.
And one more best thing you can do is sharing it. So that many people can benefit in many ways.
Before I was just growing by age but after listening to dharma I am sincerely grown up now , I have learned how to communicate, apologize, be truthful and accept accountability of my deeds / karma without blaming someone else. I'll be happy if I can share that with you too.
Our classes are free for the first 3 sessions. After 3 sessions, if you see the value in joining, please consider offering a contribution.
Our classes & sangha are sustained completely by the dana gratitude contributions of people like you!
Dana gratitude donations for our classes are gratefully accepted on Venmo @Bita-Enayati If you don't have Venmo, please email me at bitadharma22@gmail.com
so you can offer your contribution through PayPal or Zelle
Suggested donation for the event is $5 - $20.
Also please make sure your camera is on upon entering our zoom room. And be on time. If your camera is not functioning, please try another time when you're ready to listen and hear the Dharma. I appreciate your understanding.