CLASSICAL TEXTS AND AUTHENTIC PRACTICES OF EASTERN SPIRITUALITY

Course 5

The Problem, Cause, Goal, and Solution:
Four Worthy Steps towards Acceptance and Peace with David Simmons

Sundays, 20 September - 18 October 2020
4:30pm - 6:30pm PST

At a time when so much seems to be in disarray, there is possibly no better time to explore this foundational wisdom. It's certainly not that we have more problems now than any other time.  But since we are living NOW, now is in fact the PERFECT time to learn or be reminded of one of the most elegant and functional ways of dealing with our current circumstances. I hope you will join us for the adventure.

The “Four Noble Truths,” outline fundamental truths about reality.  They encapsulate the Buddha’s teaching, and offer a universally applicable structure for a profoundly practical way of living. 

1) Recognize the GROUND TRUTH of change.

2) Analyze the cause of our problems with change.

3) Recognize an alternative to how we experience suffering as a result of change.

4) Provide a method for navigating change with acceptance and peace.

Topics include: “What is Meant by ‘Life is Suffering,’” “Discontentment, Craving, and Attachment,” “The Goal of Contentment and Peace,” and “Methods for Attaining the Goal.”

Benefits of the Course:

• Establish a firm foundation for a spiritual practice that leads to freedom from suffering
• Identify areas of unhappiness and discontent in your life and learn how to transform them
• Uncover the real cause of all forms of suffering
• Recognize that there is an alternative to perpetual dissatisfaction
• Learn practical methods for defeating the “mental afflictions” and obtaining true peace and happiness
  
  

Based on selections from the Buddha’s Turning of the Wheel of Dharma Sutra (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta), Shantideva’s Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, the Bhagavad Gita, the Ashtavakra Gita, and the Bible, and many other sources.

This course is offered online through Mind Oasis. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Senior Teacher: David G. Simmons
Born in New Orleans, David Simmons grew up in a generally Christian household with an inspiring and eloquent local minister. But as many people with curious natures will recognize, more questions were arising in his youth, than answers appearing. An early run in with the mysteries of quantum theory led him to Taoism, which led to Zen Buddhism, which led to the western mystery schools, and started a lifelong spiritual and intellectual quest. David currently runs I.T. and operations for a 40 year old sales and marketing company. Before that he pursued a number of professional interests. Including investment management at Merrill Lynch, brand consulting with a firm from England, and hopping around the world running his own international sales and marketing company. Until a bout with cancer realigned his priorities. After about a year of recovering from his illness, a brief foray into filmmaking, though intriguing, did not satisfy that deep longing he had been nurturing since his youth. And so he returned in earnest to his early fascination with the spiritual life. David studied a wide array of philosophical and spiritual traditions both traditional and esoteric, in which he completed both retreats and initiations. In 2008 he found his heart teacher in Lama Sumati Marut and studied closely with him for many years, in both open and esoteric material. Under Lama Marut’s guidance and at his request, David taught Buddhism publicly for several years in Nashville, TN, where he lives with his lovely wife and two children. He now engages with a small group of students and personally focuses less on the acquisition of knowledge, and more on the application of wisdom, with a particular focus on how it may apply to and be preserved by people living the life of householders in the modern world.