A new dharma talk is now available on the GBF website and podcast:
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Donald Rothberg helps us lean into dharma wisdom to navigate the difficult realities of our world without becoming numb, overwhelmed, or cynical.
We often focus our Buddhist practice solely on personal meditation, but Donald reminds us that true path-walking spans wisdom, meditation, and ethical care for the broader world. Looking back to early Buddhist history and figures like Emperor Ashoka, Donald shows us that spiritual practice has always held a vital social dimension alongside individual awakening. He offers a practical eight-part framework for modern times, guiding us to bring clarity, deep heart, and active care to today's complex landscape.
Donald outlines eight key principles to help us weave our spiritual practice into daily life and social action:
- Grounding in Vision: We stay connected to our core vision of wisdom, love, and awakening so we don't lose our direction during challenging times.
- Connecting Inner and Outer: We unite our personal meditation practice with outward care, integrating self-transformation with active service to others.
- Applying Wisdom to Society: We recognize how greed, hatred, and delusion operate not just within our own minds, but also as institutionalized forces in the wider world.
- Practicing with Difficult Emotions: Instead of turning numb to troubling news, we use mindfulness and group connection to process accumulated grief, anger, and fear.
- Maintaining Joy: We keep contact with wonder, music, and delight, remembering that joy is an inherent part of our being that sustains us through hardship.
- Grounding in Ethics: We practice non-harming in our personal relationships while taking active steps to address larger harms in our society.
- Grounding in Community: We cultivate meaningful, in-person connections to support one another and create a beloved community.
- Listening for Our Calling: We discover our own unique way to respond, focusing on what makes us come alive to meet the needs of the world.
Enjoy 900+ free recorded dharma talks at https://gaybuddhist.org/
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