TUESDAY EVENING

DAY:  Tuesday Evening

TIME:  6.30-7.30pm

TEACHER:  Gen Kelsang Zopa

COST:  $10 per class / Free for Members

WHERE:  970 Blanshard Street, Victoria

When our family or friends are suffering we easily develop compassion for them, but we find it far more difficult to feel sympathy for people we find unpleasant or for strangers.  If we genuinely want to be of benefit in this world, we need to lead with powerful compassion that embraces all living beings without exception. 

Week 1 ~ LETTING GO OF FAULT-FINDING

One reason why we find it so difficult to cherish others is that we pay attention to their faults whilst ignoring their good qualities.  By focusing exclusively on their faults and limitations we become angry and resentful, and rather than cherishing them we develop the wish to harm or discredit them. 

Week 2 ~ BLAME SELF-CENTREDNESS

All the problems of human society, such as war, crime , pollution, poverty, injustice, and disharmony are the results of self-cherishing.  If everyone were to practice cherishing others, many of the major problems of the world would soon be solved.

Week 3 ~ LOVE IS THE WAY

To increase our ability to cherish others, we think, “Just as my happiness is important, so is the happiness of everyone else.”  This way of thinking is called the practice of “equalizing self and others”.  It teaches us to cherish others as much as we cherish ourself.

Week 4 ~ HUMBLE CONFIDENCE

It is true that to make authentic spiritual progress we need to acknowledge our good qualities and develop confidence in our spiritual potential.  However, we need to recognize that at the moment our mind is  filled with anger, attachment and other delusions that will not go away just by our pretending that they do not exist. 

Week 5 ~ REJOICING

Through rejoicing in our own and others’ virtue we develop a mind that delights in applying ourself enthusiastically to Dharma study or meditation.  In this way we make continuous progress to accomplish spiritual realizations and put effort into helping others.

Week 6 ~ FIRST YOU, THEN ME

We need to train our mind in exchanging self with others because our selfish intentions interfere with our ability to benefit others.  When our intention is mixed with selfish concern, our ability to help others lacks power and we can never be sure that our actions are actually beneficial.