Sunday Cyber Sangha: Meditation and Dharma

August 8 Guest Teacher: Elazar Aslan

Dharma Topic: Developing Bodhichitta By Understanding Self-Compassion

Bodhichitta is the said to be a supreme path to and fruit of enlightenment.  Yet, among the many challenges to developing bodhichitta, especially in the West, is our discomfort with and mis-understanding of self-compassion. Most of us feel more comfortable giving compassion to others than to ourselves, but expect our hearts to open fully while still rejecting parts of ourself. Clearly, unbiased empathy, at the root of bodhichitta, requires us to be equally compassionate to all beings and all parts of all beings.

Join us as we explore the obstacles and challenges to self-compassion and the importance of how to overcome them as we continue to be motivated to develop bodhichitta. This will be both a discussion based teaching as well as an experiential one with a Compassion Medley meditation that covers a Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana meditative tour of (self)compassion.

Elazar started his practice in Vipassana in 1995 and received teachings from Sharon Salzberg, Joseph Goldstein and their teacher U Pandita. He received his first Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerment in 2002 and has studied with various Tibetan Lamas since then. He has been a TBC Officer since 2011, President since 2017 and was asked by Lama Losang to be a senior teacher in 2016. Elazar is co-author of Boundless Leadership, to be released by Shambhala Press in November.  The book reflects his career of bringing buddhists principles to business practices.

Download TBC prayer book here. 

Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85696275749 

Meeting ID: 856 9627 5749 / Password: 912126 

To call in from your phone, dial the below number and use the meeting ID and password  above when prompted: (646) 558-8656

Schedule (subject to change):

-Opening prayers

-Guided Meditation (about 10 minutes) Short Break

-Dharma Talk

-Closing prayers/dedication of merit

ALL WELCOME!