Dependent Arising and Emptiness

Mei Elliott continues with a theme that we began speaking about in December: emptiness.  This week in particular, we will be focusing on emptiness and dependent arising.  

During this meeting we will explore the relationship between dependent arising, emptiness and freedom from suffering.  We'll investigate how dependent arising can help us navigate difficult relationships, work with challenging emotions, and deepen our understanding of the emptiness of self.

As emptiness can be a perplexing topic, I plan to explore different teachings on this theme over the course of several meetings.  This is the second talk in the series.

Dependent Arising and Emptiness
Mei Elliott

Emptiness

Mei Elliott speaks about the Heart Sutra, perhaps the most well-known text in the Mahayana tradition, which states that "form is emptiness and emptiness is form.”

Most of us are well acquainted with the realm of form: this is the normal, conventional world— the world we live, work, and interact in. Given this, what is emptiness? How could that possibly be the same as form? And how is this relevant in daily life?

During this talk, we will explore the relationship between form and emptiness, and investigate how realizing emptiness can provide freedom from stress and suffering. This theme will be continued in the coming months as we explore additional facets of emptiness.

Emptiness
Mei Elliott

Taking Refuge during a Time of Crisis

Mei Elliott speaks about climate change and taking refuge. Taking refuge is one of the foundational practices in Buddhism. During this talk, we will be exploring what it means to take refuge in the triple treasure, and how doing so provides a direct response to suffering, both internally and externally. This conversation will allow us to understand how meditation provides a powerful response to climate change and the impending crisis of extinction. To fully explore this theme, the talk will include teachings on emptiness, mindfulness, and the three poisons.

Taking Refuge during a Time of Crisis
Mei Elliott

Concentration and Zazen

Mei Elliott explores many questions related to concentration practice. Is it possible to cultivate concentration without gaining mind? Do both shamata and shikantaza develop concentration? What does focusing on the breath have to do with freedom from suffering?

To answer these questions we will be exploring Zen teachings as well as material from the early Buddhist canon, including information about the jhanic factors.

A follow-up class to Meditation and the Thinking Mind.

Concentration and Zazen
Mei Elliott

Meditation and the Thinking Mind

Mei Elliott explores how to work skillfully with thinking in meditation. For many practitioners, it can be easy to relate to thoughts as "the problem" in our meditation, and yet, the thinking mind is imperative for communication, work, survival, and for understanding the very teachings that allow us to practice. Given this, it can be difficult to know how to relate to thoughts, and what to do when they arise in meditation: do we drop them, ignore, reject, chase, or allow them? During this YUZ session we will explore how to skillfully relate to thoughts through traditional meditation instruction from the Zen and early Buddhist traditions. Learning how to see our thoughts clearly, frees us from compulsive reactivity, providing us with insight into the nature of not-self and greater freedom in daily life.

Mei will be focusing on this curriculum for a two part series. Both classes on this theme will gravitate around practical meditation training, and will provide opportunities for you to ask questions about your practice. The date for part two in this series will be announced shortly, and will likely occur in the coming month.

Meditation and the Thinking Mind
Mei Elliott

Thanks for the Feedback

Mei Elliott explores the theme of feedback. We are surrounded by feedback. A high five, a promotion, not being invited to a friend's wedding, getting an A or an F, a thank you note from a neighbor, the expression on your bosses face when you show up late, again. Feedback is everywhere, and yet most people find constructive feedback extremely difficult to receive. Together, we'll explore the way that our struggles with feedback are linked to truth, relationship, and identity. This will include an investigation of the way the Buddhist teachings of not-self, or anatta, support us in meeting feedback with openness and ease.

This talked is inspired by the brilliant book of the same title by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone.

Thanks for the Feedback
Mei Elliott

Work and Right Livelihood

Me Elliott speaks: An exploration of our personal stories regarding work, the intentions behind them, and the moment-to-moment practice of liberation through our livelihood.  We'll also investigate the tension between seeking our true vocation, and finding the possibility of awakening in any work, no matter how mundane.

Work and Right Livelihood
Mei Elliott

What Matters Most

Mei Elliott discusses what matters most. Knowing that many of us can easily get consumed by the minutiae of daily life, how do we connect to what really matters? How can meditation practice support us in finding and living with a larger vision? 

What Matters Most
Mei Elliott

Living with Loss

Mei Elliott speaks about loss. From lost house keys to lost loves, losing is an innate part of being human. How can we learn to live, lose, and grieve wisely?  


Living with Loss
Mei Elliott

Authenticity and Right Speech

Mei Elliott speaks on the topic of skillful communication and right speech grounded in the Buddhist teachings of not-self. How can we cultivate freedom in our relationships with others through honest and authentic dialogue? We investigate how zazen practice supports us in speaking with authenticity and ease, as well as different tools for knowing when and what to express.

Authenticity and Right Speech
Mei Elliott

Intimacy with Intimacy: Exploring Love, Relationships and Attraction

Mei Elliott explores intimacy with intimacy. How can we be free in the midst of love, romance, dating, commitment, and attraction? What is the relationship between practice and sexuality? American culture has a notable dearth of education on what authentic and awake relationship and sexuality can look like. With Valentine's Day rapidly encroaching, we'll have a chance to explore the way self-study, this process of becoming intimate with ourselves, provides a gateway to liberated love.

Intimacy with Intimacy: Exploring Love, Relationships, and Attraction
Mei Elliott

Perceptions and Fixed Views #2

Mei Elliott continues the theme that we picked up last week, perception and mental formations. This week we will investigate the relationship between perception, not-knowing, and freedom from fixed-views.  At the heart of this topic is the question how do we learn to love our life?

Perception and Fixed Views #2
Mei Elliott

Right use of Power #4: Dual Role Relationships

Mei Elliott discusses dual role relationships. Dual role relationships occur when there is a power differential in a relationship (e.g., employee/employee, teacher/student, doctor/patient) as well as another form of relationship within the same pairing (e.g., a boss and employee who are also friends or roommates). Dual role relationship highlight a complex and challenging example of power that calls for a skillful use of boundaries.

Right Use of Power #4: Dual Role Relationships
Mei Elliott

Right use of Power #1: Three Types of Power

Mei Elliott introduces this six-week series called Conflict, Power, and Practice.  In this first class, she discusses how our personal power, role power, and status power supports us in following the Zen precepts.

Details about the Conflict, Power and Practice series:

In spiritual communities, power can often be seen as an unwelcome source of inequity which can trump the spiritual value for humility, equality, and selflessness.  However, this view fails to acknowledge that we all have power, whether we know it or not, and to live with it without recognizing our influence can itself be a misuse of power.

In a time of significant abuses of power, this series will help us identify our power and explore how it can be used ethically and compassionately.  Throughout the series we will integrate Zen teachings on the precepts, while investigating themes such as conflict resolution, dual-role relationships, power differentials, boundaries, and skillful feedback.  The series is designed to help participants find greater freedom and ease in relationship to power, and in doing so, to support the well-being of others.

This curriculum is largely inspired by the book Right Use of Power: The Heart of Ethics by Cedar Barstow, which is an innovative and comprehensive resource.  The reading is not required, though the book is recommended for anyone interested in the theme.

Right Use of Power #1: Three Types of Power
Mei Elliott