Buddhism Made Easy
a Practical Introduction
Sundays, 11:15am – 1:00pm
June 28, 2015
August 2
August 23
September 20
A Series of Four Stand-alone Classes
Based on “Buddhism for Dummies”
presented by its author, Jon Landaw
Drawing from selected chapters of his popular introduction
to Buddhist thought and practice, Jon Landaw will present a
series of four Sunday morning talks at Ocean of Compassion
Buddhist Center during the summer of 2015.
Although they are designed to form a cohesive series, each
of the talks is complete in itself, and they are all open to
everyone: those who are completely new to Buddhism, advanced
students, and everyone in between. People who are interested
may attend any one, two, three or all four of these sessions
as they wish. Questions are welcome and encouraged.
Jon Landaw was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1944. He
received his A.B. degree in English Literature from
Dartmouth College in 1965 and spent three years teaching
English as a Second Language with the Peace Corps in Iran
(1966–69).
Jon worked as English editor for the Translation Bureau of
His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India at the
Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (1972–77) producing
numerous texts under the guidance of Geshe Ngawang
Dhargyey. As a student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa
Rinpoche since the mid-1970's, he has edited numerous
works for Wisdom Publications, including “Wisdom Energy”
and “Introduction to Tantra.” He is also the author of
“Prince Siddhartha,” a biography of Buddha for children,
“Images of Enlightenment,” published by Snow Lion in 1993
and “Buddhism for Dummies”. As an instructor of Buddhist
meditation, he has taught in numerous Dharma centers
throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, New
Zealand and elsewhere.
Jon is known for his ability to present traditional
Buddhist ideas in ways that are accessible and relevant
for everyday life. He and his wife currently live in
Capitola.
Class 1: Understanding Your Mind, the Creator of Your Experience
- In this session we will focus on the central role consciousness plays in shaping our experience
- Identifying those states of mind that keep us trapped in dissatisfaction, as well as those that free us from limitation and enable us to flourish
- Uncovering our fundamentally pure nature
- Cultivating love and compassion and opening our heart
Class 2: Practicing Meditation
- Dispelling misconceptions about meditation
- Identifying the three progressive wisdoms of meditative growth
- Calming and focusing the mind
- Setting up a daily meditation practice
Class 3: The Life and Essential Teachings of the Buddha
- What motivated Prince Siddhartha to find a solution to the riddle of unsatisfactory (cyclic) existence
- Buddha’s discovery of the middle way and the four noble truths
- The three trainings leading to liberation: following ethical behavior, developing single-pointed concentration, gaining insightful wisdom
- Integrating compassion and wisdom as the path to full spiritual awakening
Class 4: The Growth and Spread of Buddhism
- Surveying the development of Buddhist thought and practice in India
- How the different Buddhist traditions developed in response to the different cultures into which they spread
- East meets West: the dynamic encounter between ancient wisdom and the modern world
- Challenges that arise as we try to integrate the practice of Buddhism into our everyday life
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