Buddhism is perhaps unique among world religions in not identifying any true self or eternal soul as the essence of who we are. Rather, the Buddha taught that clinging to a fixed sense of self is the very source of our suffering in life, and that easing our grip on this “self-view” (sakkāya-ditthi in Pali) is the path to ever greater levels of freedom. At its logical conclusion, this teaching points to a state of full enlightenment when every last trace of a sense of self has been let go of. However, we find that any level of engagement with this teaching can yield benefits in our lives. To some extent, this is intuitively clear: we all know that “self-centered” people are unpleasant to be around, and often make their own lives needlessly difficult. On the other hand, acts of kindness and generosity gladden the heart and act as antidotes to the pains of self-view. In this program, which will include a reflection, periods of sitting and walking meditation, and discussion, we will explore various aspects of the teachings on self-view and their implications both in our meditation practice and in our daily lives.
This program is open to beginner and experienced meditators. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend.