This class is for anyone who is contemplating on taking the refuge vows. Taking the refuge vows is generally considered to be the doorway to the learning and incorporating the Buddhist tenets into one’s life. The aim is to provide the student with the understanding the what, why and how before making the commitment to take the refuge vows.

Instructor: Dr. Teri Brody (Özer Chenmo)
Dates & Times: Two Sessions; beginning on Wednesday, Nov 30th 7:45 – 9:00 p.m.
Class Fee: $30 Class fee;
Text: None, Handouts will be given.

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This challenge will be practice intensive for practitioners who want to apply their understanding of Bodhicitta with daily practice. The main topic for the challenge will be The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas.

We will have senior teacher led Dharma talks, weekly readings, and group discussions. Discussions will also be online so you can connect to this practice from home. Weekly topics from the challenge will also be taught in the Dharma School, allowing this challenge to be engaged by the whole family. Continue reading →

Meditation has been proven to: lower blood pressure, relieve stress, and help you cope with anxiety. It has also been shown to be very effective with chronic pain, insomnia, and panic disorder. The wonderful thing about meditation is that it can be used anywhere, even on the way to work and has no dangerous side effects. In this one session class you will learn this simple technique that can change your life. This class is based upon the work of Jon Kabat-Zin of the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Continue reading →

Have you always wanted to understand Buddhism? Buddhism is a 2,500 year old tradition that teach us how to end pain and suffering in ourselves and others. This 12 week course will cover: (1) Meditation instruction, (2) Life of the Buddha, (3) Basic Buddhist teachings, (4) Three schools of Buddhism and much more. Continue reading →

Around one hundred Mahāyāna sūtras survive in Sanskrit or Tibetan translations. Mahāyāna sūtras are passed down as the legacy of Gautama Buddha: early versions were not written documents but orally preserved teachings said to be verses that were committed to memory and recited by his disciples, in particular Ananda, which were viewed as a substitute for the actual speech of the Buddha following his death. We will study these rich Buddhist teachings. Continue reading →

All sentient beings are ultimately searching for happiness.  But, what exactly is that—lack of suffering, intense joy, or long lasting contentment?  Are we born with the traits that allow us to be happy or can we learn to allow happiness to be a dominant characteristic?  If the later, how do we learn to be happy and is the effort of doing so worth while?  The new field of positive psychology is exciting to explore especially through the perspective of neuroscience.  Plus, there are remarkable correlations with Buddhist philosophy. Continue reading →

This class is for Anyone who is contemplating on making the refuge vows, in learning more about Buddhist practice and/or simply deepening their meditation practice.  Taking the refuge vows is generally considered to be the doorway to the learning and incorporation of Buddhist tenets into one’s life.  The aim is to provide the student with the understanding the what, why and how before making the commitment to take the refuge vows. The student will be asked to have a dedicated meditation practice during the 4 weeks which will include walking meditation as well as a period of mindfulness during his daily activities.  The aim is to incorporate mindfulness in seated, walking and daily life practice. Continue reading →