Eastbay Dhamma 2024
Deepening our Meditation

This year we will read The Art of Disappearing by Ajahn Brahm and sections that focus on meditation practice in Stillness Flowing: The Life and Teachings of Ajahn Chah by Ajahn Jayasāro.
We will meet monthly on Saturday afternoons from 3:00 to 5:00 pm

in person:
1438 Neilson St, Berkeley, CA 94702

When you come in person, please remove your shoes.

​If you're feeling unwell, please stay home and join online instead of coming in person.


on-line:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89713120971

Meeting ID:
897 1312 0971
We will discuss and practice together.

Here are the dates:
January 12
February 17
March 9
April 13
May 18
(no meeting in June)
July 13
(no meetings August - October)
November 9
December 14

Readings for January 12
Chapter 1 of The Art of Disappearing

Readings for February 17
Chapter 2 of The Art of Disappearing and the beginning of "The Heart of the Matter" in Stillness Flowing (pages 315-326).

Readings for March 9
Chapter 3 of The Art of Disappearing and starting with "A Meditation Instruction" in Stillness Flowing (pages 326-336).

Readings for April 13
Chapter 4 of The Art of Disappearing and "II. Thorns and Prickles" in Stillness Flowing (pages 336-347) .

Readings for May 18
Chapter 5 of The Art of Disappearing, "Wisdom Power," and "III. Ways and Means" in Stillness Flowing,  (pages 347-360) .
Here are some questions to use for reflection in preparation for our meeting:
  • What problems with meditation have you solved by using wisdom?
  • What are one or two of your methods of escape when you encounter suffering?
  • Do you believe that "a change in circumstances never eliminates the suffering"? Why or why not?
  • What causes an obstacle like frustration or boredom to appear again and again?
  • Try using the driverless bus simile (from pg 55) when you experience an obstacle in your meditation.
  • When meditation isn't going as well as you would like, try asking yourself, "Do I want to be here or do I want to be somewhere else?
  • What similar themes do you see in the passage in Stillness Flowing to those in Chapter 5 of The Art of Disappearing?

Readings for July 13
Chapter 6 of The Art of Disappearing, "Pacification and the Insights that Follow" and "IV. Calm and Insight" in Stillness Flowing (pages 360-379).

Readings for November 9
Chapters 7 and 8 of The Art of Disappearing and "A Snake in the House" in Stillness Flowing (pages 533-536).

Readings for December 14
Chapters 9, 10 and 11 of The Art of Disappearing and in Stillness Flowing (TBD).