Meditation Class in Port Jervis
Love is Stronger than Anger
October 20 - November 17
Tuesdays 6 - 7:15pm with Kadam Kyle Davis
We all know how quickly anger can take hold: a sharp word at home, a frustration at work, a grudge we carry for years. Yet anger is never who we really are. Beneath every irritation lies a far greater capacity for love, kindness, and compassion, and anyone can awaken it. Love is not soft or passive. It is the strongest force in our mind, able to heal our relationships, protect our peace, and bring out the best in ourselves and others. It steadies us too. When our heart turns towards other people's happiness, anxious thoughts about ourselves begin to lose their grip.
Most of us have tried to be more patient, only to find the old reactions coming back the next time someone gets under our skin. This course isn't about gritting your teeth. It offers down-to-earth ways of working with the mind that you can use anywhere, whether you're stuck in traffic, sitting at the dinner table, or halfway through a difficult conversation. A little practice each day begins to change how we meet people, and others notice. The atmosphere at home softens, worry loosens its hold, and we find we have more to give. Being at peace with the world, and being good for it, turns out to begin with something we already have.
Weekly Topics:
October 20: The Destructive Power of Anger, the Healing Power of Love
October 27: Protecting Your Peace
November 3: Seeing the World through Buddha’s Eyes
November 10: Loving the People Who Test Us
November 17: Growing a Heart as Big as the World
Next Series: Build a Better World
Watch the news for a few minutes and it's easy to conclude that building a better world is someone else's job, belonging to governments, institutions or people with power. Buddhism suggests otherwise. The world we actually live in is made, moment by moment, of how we treat one another: a gift freely given, a genuine "well done," a promise kept, a harsh reply held back. Each of these begins in the mind, and each one changes the day of the person who receives it, who then carries it on to someone else. We don't have to wait for the world to change. We can begin today, with the people right in front of us.
During this meditation series we'll explore four qualities that quietly transform any home, workplace or community: generosity, rejoicing, ethics and compassion. Each class begins with the joy and power of the positive quality. It then looks honestly at the four negative minds that hold them back: miserliness, jealousy, recklessness and harmfulness, and practical techniques to use the positive to diffuse the negative. It ends with simple, practical ways to express that quality in daily life to permanently begin to build a better world. Whether you're new to meditation or have practiced for years, you'll leave each class knowing what one person can really do, and have the confidence to start doing it.
Weekly Topics:
November 24: Generosity over Miserliness
December 1: Rejoicing over Jealousy
December 8: Ethics over Recklessness
December 15: Compassion over Harmfulness
Teacher: Kadam Kyle Davis
Kadam Kyle Davis is the Second Resident Teacher of KMC New York. He has engaged in in-depth study at both the Temple in New York and on the Special Teacher Training Program at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre. His joyful and sincere example in daily life, and his clear and practical approach to the teachings have inspired many people in their spiritual lives. Kadam Kyle is also the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center Brooklyn.
What to Expect in Class
Everyone is welcome! These classes are suitable for practitioners of all levels, including beginners. Our classes are presented as a monthly series, but you are welcome to drop in on any individual class.
Each class contains a teaching and two guided meditations. No special clothing or equipment is required. Chairs are provided.
Class: Tuesdays, 6 – 7:15pm | $10
Location: Foundry 42
42 Front Street | Port Jervis, NY
Please note that coffee and food will be available for purchase until the class begins. After class, coffee (no espresso or specialty drinks) will be offered for sale.
