Date & Time: 5 Thursdays; September 15, 22, 29, October 6, 13; 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. US Pacific Time
Sliding Scale: Dana Day (By Donation) $0-$108. Code SF2G22.

Please Note: This retreat is offered online only. We invite you to try this creative form of practice as we take care of one another and respond skillfully to COVID-19.

Description: The discourses of the Buddha, called suttas, are one of the world’s most majestic collections of spiritual teaching. They include inspiring poetry, psychological guidance, social theory, and philosophical masterpieces that address the deepest human fears, hopes, and potential.

In this class, part of our sutta study series, “The Refuge of Dhamma,” we’ll read discourses on the path to liberation.We’ll see him in conversation with both monastics and laypeople, feeling the skill and compassion he brought to every encounter. Texts include the Shorter Elephant’s Foot Simile (MN 27), the Mettā Sutta (Snp 1.8), and others, which teach us how the foundational training in generosity and ethics prepares the heart for meditation, insight, and liberation.

While beginners are welcome, this class may be most engaging for practitioners with some experience in meditation. With extensive supplementary material, this class aims to make the discourses of the Buddha an accessible, inspiring support for practice.

Please Note: Though the classes in the series will build on each other, attendance at all classes is not required.