Tuesday Friends' Evenings

We are now hybrid on Tuesday evenings, meaning you can come in person or join on Zoom! This is a great opportunity to stay connected and find some inspiration. Led meditation, Dharma talks, and engaged discussion. All are welcome, even if you have zero experience! By donation, $5-$15 suggested (you can donate online here).

To join us on Zoom, Click here.
 

Our Current Series:

Dharma Summer Camp: Kindness is the Way

Meditation, Dharma, Community — Every Tuesday 6:45-8:45pm ET in-person or on Zoom. All are welcome and by donation! No need to register.

“Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.” 
From the Karaniya Metta Sutta

“Love where there is no reason to love.”  Sangharakshita

Like a garden, kindness needs to be cultivated; kindness needs the right conditions to grow and flourish. What are those conditions and how do we find or create them? Every Tuesday we’ll be exploring practices that create the best conditions within ourselves and our communities for kindness to take root, thrive and bear fruit.

Metta, or universal loving-kindness, is known as an immeasurable, in that it has limitless application and leads to a heart and mind free of constriction. The every-day practice of kindness leads to a freer, more expansive heart. How big can your heart grow?

The cultivation of meditative calm with radiant positive emotion is a central dynamic of Buddhist spiritual life. The heart and mind are changeable — painful states of hatred and craving can be let go of as we cultivate the qualities we wish to embody, such as kindness or contentment. This process is deeply healing and integrating; it can ‘burn up’ the karmic residue of unskillful habits, and create momentums of inspiration and love that transform us and our communities.

The Brahma Viharas (Sublime Abodes or Immeasurables) are a collection of meditation practices based in the development and embodiment of metta or loving-kindness. They are kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. We will explore each of these practices, learning to be with whatever we feel, finding freedom from the constriction of ill-will, and showing us the way to deeper expressions of positive emotion.

All are welcome to our weekly gathering which includes led meditation, a short talk and discussion. These supportive and friendly community evenings are perfect for getting started with meditation and Buddhism, or for going deeper in your practice. This is a wonderful way to make friends and to explore deeper meaning in one’s life.

June
11 The Buddha’s Teaching on Kindness
18 Mitra Ceremonies
25 (online only) Exploring Metta (Unconditional Kindness) Meditation
July
2 Kindness in Daily Life
9 Kindness for Ourselves
16 Exploring Karuna (Compassion) Meditation
23 Compassion in Daily Life
30 Exploring Mudita (Sympathetic Joy) Meditation
Aug
6  Sympathetic Joy in Daily Life
13 Exploring Upekkha (Equanimity) Meditation
20 Equanimity in Daily Life
27 Cafe Evening
Sept
3 (online only) The Worldly Winds: Pleasure and Pain
10 (online only) The Worldly Winds: Gain and Loss
17 The Worldly Winds: Praise and Blame
24 (online only) The Worldly Winds: Fame and Disrepute

If you'd like to make a donation for the evening click here.
 

How are we coming together safely?

• If you know you have been exposed to Covid-19 or if you have had Covid-19 within a five day period of the event’s start-time, we ask that you not attend in-person.
• Masks are optional unless otherwise stated. Please wear a mask if you have recovered from Covid-19 and are still between days 6 and 10 from your first positive test.
• If you have cold or flu symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person.
• We have installed new air purifiers with virus-destroying technology! 

Zoom options are available for some events. Transfer of fees or refunds are also available for illness or illness-preventative related absence. Please email info@aryaloka.org if you have any questions about our safety protocols.