Revoked

Monday, June 30, 2025

Via GBF \\ "Bringing Our Practice to These Difficult Times" with Donald Rothberg

Our latest dharma talk is now on the GBF website, podcast and YouTube channel:

Bringing Our Practice to These Difficult Times – Donald Rothberg

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How can our Buddhist practice make a difference in the face of all the challenges of the modern world?

Drawing on his decades of experience as a teacher, activist, and meditator, Donald Rothberg issues an urgent call to integrate the deepest aspects of Buddhist practice with the pressing needs of our time. By uniting meditation, ethics, emotional work, joy, and conscious action, he maps out a path that combines inner development with outward action.

The Five Themes of Practice

Donald structures his talk around five essential themes that support a holistic Buddhist path:

Bridging Inner and Outer Transformation:
Buddhist practice is often internal, but Donald emphasizes its potential to transform society as well. He reminds practitioners that meditation and activism need not be separate and that cycles of inner and outer focus are natural.
Ethics as Foundational:
Ethics (sila) is a cornerstone of Buddhist training, often overlooked in the West. Donald reimagines ethics as a “commitment to care” and encourages practitioners to see ethical precepts not only as personal guidelines but as vehicles for social justice.
Working with Difficult Emotions:
Emotions such as fear, anger, and despair are not barriers to practice but rich material for growth. Donald introduces practices like the “truth mandala” to help individuals and communities process collective grief and rage.
Nurturing Joy:
Amid crises, joy becomes an act of resistance and resilience. Donald illustrates how joy is part of our inner nature and can be cultivated through song, ritual, and community—citing Emma Goldman and Rabbi Nachman as examples.
Listening for What Calls You:
Rather than trying to solve all the world’s problems, Donald advises identifying one issue that deeply resonates. From there, he suggests taking concrete, manageable steps to become involved, guided by what enlivens us.

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Via Dhamma Wheel | Right View: Understanding the Noble Truth of the Way to the Cessation of Suffering

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RIGHT VIEW
Understanding the Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

And what is the way leading to the cessation of suffering? It is just this noble eightfold path: that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right living, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration. (MN 9)

One perfects their ethical behavior by abandoning intoxication . . . (DN 2)

Reflection

Once again the importance of ethical behavior is emphasized, as the heart of walking the path toward the cessation of suffering, and so too is the particular value of keeping the mind clear and alert. Intoxication leads to a muddling of the mind, and the negligence that ensues can be the source of a lot of trouble. Sobriety in its many forms is a skill that can be learned, developed, strengthened, and ultimately perfected.

Daily Practice

Look at the many ways your diligence of mind is diminished throughout the day and becomes negligent. We get distracted by petty things, interrupted by random circumstances, confused by stray thoughts, or addled by any number of befuddling substances. The path to awakening winds its way among these obstacles. See if the image of gradually perfecting your ethical behavior can be useful in countering this.

Tomorrow: Cultivating Equanimity
One week from today: Understanding the Noble Truth of Suffering

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Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, “All Heavens Bite”

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Lama John Makransky in conversation with James Shaheen and Sharon Salzberg

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