Practices for a Boundless Heart & Mind: A Four-Part Series on the Brahmaviharas (Mar/CC)

Practices for a Boundless Heart & Mind: A Four-Part Series on the Brahmaviharas
Saturdays, March 3, 10, 17, & 24 1:15 - 3:45 pm The Brahmaviharas—also known as the Heavenly Abodes or Immeasurable Minds—are fundamental benevolent practices in Buddhism and Zen. They are metta (lovingkindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (sympathetic joy), and upekkha (equanimity). In this four-part series, each of the Brahmaviharas will be presented in an accessible, engaging, and multi-faceted way, through creative presentations, meditation, individual and group exercises, and movement. Emphasis will be on addressing the challenges and practical applications of cultivating and integrating these practices in our daily life.
Discovering Lovingkindness
Saturday, March 3 1:15 - 4 pm with Myozen Joan Amaral Buddha Hall, 300 Page Street
"May all beings be happy, may they be joyous and live in safety, all living beings whether weak or strong, small or great, visible or invisible, may all beings be happy."  
Over the course of the afternoon we'll enter the teachings and practices of lovingkindness. We'll sit together, engage in movement/energy work, and reflect one-on-one and within the group how we relate to "lovingkindness" as well as its far enemy ill-will and its near enemy "clinging affection." We'll explore the biases we have, the unchallenged assumptions we've been carrying about "love" and "kindness," so as to move toward softening tension, making peace, and healing wounds as a means to re-encounter our natural joy. Through conversation, body work, and a guided meditation, we'll move toward our own natural and spontaneous path of lovingkindness, encouraging ourselves to become familiar with this sublime state within ourselves.
Exploring Compassion
Saturday, March 10 1:15 - 4 pm with Zesho Susan O’Connell Conference Center, 308 Page Street Compassion is not what we think it is. It comes in all shapes and styles—it is soft, it is hard, it is bright, it is dull. In our workshop we will look at some film clips that give examples of different applications of compassion, share our own stories of appropriate and inappropriate compassionate actions, and become more aware of the ways we can support the arising of truly helpful, heartfelt, fearless, healing compassion in our lives.
Dwelling in the Third Heavenly Abode: Cultivating Sympathetic Joy
Saturday, March 17 1:15 - 4 pm with Anshin Rosalie Curtis Conference Center, 308 Page Street The four Brahmaviharas, or four heavenly abodes, are our true home when we cultivate the four qualities of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. Through this effort we can change our minds, which in turn changes the world we live in to a happier, safer, more loving and peaceful place, where we can honestly feel our deep connection with all beings. These four aspects of the mind of true love are all interrelated: cultivating any one of them helps us to discover the others within ourselves. In this afternoon seminar we will learn how to cultivate sympathetic joy - mudita, which is happiness we feel for another’s happiness, gladness for someone else’s good fortune or wellbeing. It is unselfish joy, and it is possible for anyone to develop this rare and wonderful quality of love. Each of the abodes has a far enemy, which is its opposite. The far enemy of sympathetic joy is envy or jealousy. We are all familiar with these unwholesome states of mind, and they cause a lot of pain and suffering for everyone. With practice we can learn to share the happiness of others and, in the process, we will experience far more joy in our lives. Experiencing this kind of happiness and joy in our lives is taking up residence in a heavenly abode, dwelling comfortably in the mind of true love. It is possible to practice this and manifest it in our own lives. Please join us to learn how.
Equanimity: Fourth of the Heavenly Abodes
Saturday, March 24 1:15 - 4 pm with Shokan Jordan Thorn Conference Center, 308 Page Street The last of the Four Brahmaviharas, upekkha is a mind in balance. Equanimity has a special place within the list of Brahmaviharas, and is deeply embedded into the other three practices as a support. A mind of equanimity, a mind that is not favoring or rejecting anything, provides the stable foundation that allows lovingkindness - metta, compassion - karuna, and sympathetic joy - mudita, to deepen within our hearts. In this way equanimity is not a fourth practice; rather it is the full development of the other three Brahmaviharas. It really is possible to strengthen equanimity in our lives, so that we can have an active, loving, eyes-wide-open regard for all beings and circumstances. But it takes time, and we have to practice it, make the effort, and extend it step-by-step. In this class we will study the teaching of equanimity through the use of zazen practice, through guided meditation, and through group discussion.
Member Discount
Current Zen Center members receive a 10% discount. For more information about membership, visit  the  membership section of our web site  or email  membership@sfzc.org .
Zen Center Resident Discounts
Current San Francisco Zen Center residents attend at a discount.
To inquire, please email the City Center Front Office at  ccoffice@sfzc.org  or call them at 415.863.3136 during office hours: 9:30am- 4:00pm Monday-Friday.
More Information
For help completing registration, please call 888-743-9362 (toll free) or 415-475-9362
For more information,  please visit the  San Francisco Zen Center web site  or call:
888-743-9362 (toll free) or
415-475-9362 during the hours:
M-F: 8am to 5pm Sat: 9:30am to 3pm Closed for lunch 12:30 to 1:30pm (each day)
Cancellation Policy
Feedback
Starting with select events this fall at City Center, we're adding online registration. This is the first phase, an extended trial, and we'd like to hear from you. How well is it working and how we might improve it? Please let us know what you think!  
For comments and suggestions, please email  eventadmin@sfzc.org