Wednesdays, February 5 – 19

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm PST

Online only (recordings available for all sessions)

How to achieve authentic happiness, how to effectively help the ones we love, and how to become part of the solution to global problems: Discover Buddhist answers to real-world dilemmas for an authentic and safe direction in life.

This course presents the core teachings of the Buddhist path presented in bite-size pieces we can easily digest. It is based on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path, a teaching from the Buddha that shows us how to deal with negative emotions so they don’t overwhelm us, how to develop a natural sense of compassion, and how to develop a realistic (and optimistic!) view of ourselves and the world.

These three are known as Renunciation, Bodhicitta and the Unmistaken View. Although they may be familiar Buddhist terms, what do they mean for our day-to-day life? How can we practice this philosophy as “applied Buddhism” to change our own life and help all those around us?

With practical examples from daily life, discover the profound benefit these three principal aspects can have on your own spiritual journey as well as your everyday life. You do not have to be a Buddhist, or even religious, to benefit from this simple yet profound approach.

Week 1: Wisdom—Discovering Our True Nature (February 5)

Wisdom shows us an authentic view of ourselves based on a world view of interdependence. It’s not a magic ingredient that changes everything or a dogma to believe in, but deconstructing our unconscious and often alienating attitudes to reveal a harmonious and clear-sighted vision of ourselves and all living beings.

Week 2: Renunciation—Emerging From Dissatisfaction (February 12)

Learn how to become free of the endless cycle of craving and disappointment, how to not get distracted from following your dreams and doing the things you truly love, and how to make sure that all your good intentions don’t get corrupted.

Week 3: Bodhicitta—Helping Without Burning Out (February 19)

Develop a compassion that is unbiased and that naturally takes responsibility for the welfare of others. Compassion is both an intention and an activity, and it is certainly much deeper than emotion. Once we know where to go with this feeling, we don’t get overloaded and we won’t burn out.