Dharma Topics

Prior to each Thursday evening gathering in Silver Spring for meditation and Dharma sharing we send out an announcement of the topic. The announcement is includes a short essay that focuses on a way of bringing mindfulness into our lives, families, work, and society. Below are topics that we've discussed in the past.

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Cultivating Equanimity Amid the Eight Worldly Winds

Facilitated by: Connie Anderson| in: Dharma Topics

Discussion Date: Thu, Jan 26, 2023

Thursday Evening Online Program January 26, 2023 7:00 to 8:45 pm Eastern time

Dear Still Water Friends,

Lately I’ve been reflecting on equanimity, mainly in the context of being aware that I don’t have it. For example, early in December I volunteered to help plan an event that would take place at the end of January. As soon as I put that future event on my calendar, my habit energy of anxiety arose – worrying about how the event would unfold, wanting it to be successful, attaching to this outcome of success so that no one would have anything critical to say about it – or about me. I lay awake at night ruminating on an event that was more than a month away! Where was my equanimity then?

While there are many definitions of equanimity, in Buddhist writings two meanings are usually... Continued