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Greetings!
We're ready to start dharma study in a small way under the auspices of this new project, Luminous Mind. We'll gather this Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at my home, 1716A Linden Avenue in the Belmont/Hillsboro neighborhood of Nashville. It's the door on the right and it will be open... no need to knock. For a map to my house, click here: Map to Rita'sSometime this summer we'll have a larger public event and will meet many new folks. At that time, we'll begin studying the dharma from the beginning, starting with the Four Noble Truths. The intent is to study systematically and thoroughly, building our knowledge step by step toward liberation. So before we invite the world, I thought it might be good to study a series that several of us have been looking forward to. It's a little more Tibetan-oriented and more advanced than we'll start with after the grand opening. The title is Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness by the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. See article below. |
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Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness
 In this teaching, the Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche presents the main schools of Buddhist philosophy with their progressively more subtle and refined views of reality. However, it is not just a teaching on the view, but a presentation providing the student the means to realize it through meditation practice.
The idea of a series of meditation practices on a particular aspect of the Buddha's teachings is that by beginning with one's first rather coarse commonsense understanding, one progresses through increasingly subtle and more refined stages until one arrives at complete and perfect understanding. Each stage in the process prepares the mind for the next insofar as each step is fully integrated into one's understanding through the meditation process.
Based on the text by the great modern-day yogi Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. Book available... click the photo above to link to the book on Amazon.com.
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Kriya Yoga Master Coming to Nashville
Learn methods of Kriya Yoga, a non-sectarian method of meditating with the chakra system in the lineage of Yogananda. Public talk Saturday, June 6, 2009, 2-4 pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, 1808 Woodmont Blvd., Nashville. Sponsored by Kriya Joga.
Paramahansa Atmanandaji is a highly qualified Doctor of Medicine. His specialization in Neurology, the science of the brain and the nervous system, has proved to be a great help in the understanding and teaching of Kriya Yoga as a scientific and ageless technique to good health, peace, happiness, and eventually to self-realization.
To go to the website where you may download a pdf flyer, click the photo above.
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Take the Harmless Speech Agreement!
 Luminous Mind is founded on the principle of Harmless Speech, with the intention of creating a peaceful, safe environment free of gossip, slander, harsh speech, and lying.
Though Buddha taught 10 Unwholesome Actions, most people wouldn't walk into a spiritual gathering and kill or steal from someone. However, the four unwholesome actions of speech are very sneaky and creep in when we're not noticing, wreaking havoc in their wake.
To read about the agreement, click on the photo at right. While you're there, browse through all the articles in the blog. They're there to support us in our practice of Harmless Speech.
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The Inspiration Behind Luminous Mind
There are two motivating factors behind the creation of Luminous Mind.
The first were the events surrounding the passing of my nephew,
described on the website: Inspiration.
The
second was my lifelong interest in the nature of experience... the
wisdom teachings regarding emptiness and luminosity. It was what drew
me to Buddhism to begin with and continues to be the guiding force in
my study and practice. And yet it is hard to find regular, systematic
teachings on this topic locally, even though it is at the core of
realization.
When I visited the teachers this spring, I was
able to thoroughly articulate both motivating factors for creating this
project, and when I described the wish to provide the opportunity to
study the nature of reality, they energetically said, "You should do
this!"
"Really?" I said.
"Yes," they answered, "Outside the center, right?"
"Right."
"And this will make you happy?"
"Yes, Rinpoches."
"Oh, then you should definitely do it."
That
was our conversation, word for word. I do not take this as any kind of
lineage authorization or teaching credentials, not at all. Rather, I
felt that they lovingly liberated me to follow my purpose.
So
it seems appropriate that the very first study of Luminous Mind
addresses emptiness head on. if the wisdom teachings are of interest to
you as well, I hope you'll join me in studying Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness.
It's pretty dense material so if this series is too academic for you,
stand by for one of our future studies that are a little easier entry.
We'll circle back to emptiness again and again over the course of our
study.
I hope it will make us all happy. : )
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With love,
Rita Frizzell
Luminous Mind
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