Saturday & Sunday
December 6 & 7, 2008
Miller Ranch Community Center
Free Public Talk for Teenages and Young Adults
Friday, December 5, 2008 – 7:00PM – 8:30PM
Miller Ranch Community Center
Public Talk Topic:
Many of us are slaves to our minds. Random thoughts and emotions rob us of our freedom and our happiness. But what if you don’t have to believe everything you think and feel? Learn how meditation can help you find the happiness and success you really want. Taught by M.I.T. chaplain, Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi, this basic introduction to meditation is intended for teenagers and young adults of any or no religious affiliation.
Retreat Topic:
The fundamental core of Buddhist teachings rests upon the Four Noble Truths–no matter what Buddhist practice one is engaged in. As Ven. Sariputta once said, they encompass the entire teaching, just as the footprint of an elephant can encompass the footprints of all other footed beings on earth. The Four Noble Truths were the first teachings given by the Buddha and are viewed as Buddhism’s fundamental doctrine.
The answers to all your questions are found within the framework of the Four Noble Truths because the Four Noble Truths explain causation, or, “Why does my life look like it looks right now?”
Often misunderstood by the uninitiated as “dwelling in the negative,” the Four Noble Truths are actually the way out of pain through first recognizing which factors are causing the pain and then giving nuts and bolts, nitty-gritty ways to rid oneself of troublesome dilemmas. The Forth Noble Truth–The Eight Fold Path–is a bit like a maintenance manual on how to repair current problems, as well as prevent future mistakes. Providing clear, concrete instructions on how to fill your life with joy, peace and insight, the Eight Fold Path precisely states what will work and what will not.