Buddhist Psychology. Discussion Group: Causes of Suffering
“Buddhist Psychology” is a series of events consisting of 7 teaching sessions and 6 corresponding discussion group meetings.
Last week, Ven. Losang Tenzin, the spiritual program coordinator (SPC) at Nalanda Monastery in France, gave us the first teaching on the causes of suffering. We will meet again this week to share and discuss insights. If you missed the teachings, we will go through a summary before starting the discussion.
All the questions that will emerge from the discussion group, will receive an answer from Ven. Tenzin in the next teaching session. It will be a great opportunity to ask and discuss really your thoughts on buddhist psychology!
Everyone is welcome!
Klesha is a Sanskrit term that translates as obstacle, affliction, poison, pain, and distress. Kleshas are internal obstacles that arise in our minds and cause us suffering. They can create powerful disturbances in our inner world and act like poison in our lives.
Buddhist teachings describe kleshas as the source of all individual and worldly problems and as hurdles that we find and have to overcome on our spiritual path. It is said to have 84,000 different forms but they can be simplified into three main categories (sometimes five) known as the Three Poisons in the Mahayana tradition, from which the others come or in which the others are included: attachment, aversion, and ignorance (+ pride & jealousy).
These obstacles or obscurations make life difficult, but that doesn’t mean that there is no way around them. We are, after all, wholly complete beings that already have everything we need within us. It’s just a matter of tapping into our true nature and liberating it from the heavy burdens that kleshas and all earthly obstacles place on us when we encounter them.
Here is our task – Eliminate our ignorance on how we live our lives! Cease to live on auto-pilot. It’s easier said than done, but it is possible. How do we go about doing this, though? How do we gain awareness of the kleshas and let go of our ignorance of them? What kind of practices and forms of guidance can we welcome into our lives to make peace with the kleshas?
The course will consist of 7 teaching session, each linked with a discussion group which will give you the chance to ask questions and share your insights on the subject approached during the teaching sessions:
April 15/Session 1: Causes of Suffering
April 22/Discussion Group.
April 29/Session 2: Affliction 1 – Attachment
May 6/Discussion Group.
May 13/Session 3: Affliction 2 – Aversion
May 20/Discussion Group.
May 27/Session 4: Affliction 3 – Ignorance
June 3/Discussion Group.
June 10/Session 5: Affliction 4 – Pride (as a combination of ignorance and attachment)
June 17/Discussion Group.
June 24/Session 6: Affliction 5 – Jelousy (as a combination of attachment and aversion)
July 1/Discussion Group.
July 8/Session 7: Final conclusion
ABOUT THE SPEAKER:
Ven. Losang Tenzin is the spiritual program coordinator (SPC) at Nalanda Monastery, France and a monk from 2016.. His main motivation for becoming a monk is “that the teachings are very precious and need to be upheld. Someone has to do that. Seeing the opportunities you have to engage with the Dharma you also get stronger compassion for those who do not have these conditions. Hopefully, I can be someone who helps to pass on the tradition.”
LOCATION: ONLINE ON ZOOM
The event will take place on the Zoom online platform – you can access it directly in your Chrome browser or you can download the app on your computer, phone or tablet.
Please register using the enrollment form:
https://forms.gle/UE6391pBPoYPAs489
You will receive the link in the day of the event, on the e-mail address provided in the registration form.
SUGGESTED DONATION:
The suggested donation per teaching session is at your own choice:
20 lei (4 Euros) – Support type
50 lei (10 Euros) – Resources type
100 lei ((20 Euros) – Generosity type
…or FREE FOR MEMBERS.
Let us know if you have financial difficulties and we will offer you a discount.
We welcome you all of any faiths and backgrounds!!