Equanimity: Dancing with the Unpredictability of Life
with Dr. Stephen Fulder
Saturday, May 25th, 2019 | 10:00am to 4:30pm
The last words of the Buddha to his disciples gathered to say goodbye included: ‘Be an island to yourself’. This sense of autonomy, quiet and steadiness are certainly needed in times of uncertainty, anxiety, conflict, and difficulty. But how can we stay quiet and yet speak our voice and go out and make change in the world?
Isn’t an island also an image of separateness when we actually want to practice mindfulness in order to restore intimacy with life? But in that case, how do we avoid getting upset, and overwhelmed by circumstances, such as conflict, injustice, and suffering? How do we develop protection which is not an external armor and a thick skin? The answer is in the powerful and sublime teachings of equanimity. This is a core teaching: equanimity is one of the Brahman Viharas, the immeasurable powers of the heart, and the last and highest of the Factors of Awakening. It is our capacity to be light and free and dance with change. How can we practice it?
In this daylong program, we will explore what is equanimity, how to recognize and appreciate it, and how it can be developed. We will explore this theme through meditation and contemplation, a dharma talk and discussions, and verbal and silent exercises, using examples from our daily life such as conflict.
Registration:
Please register at the highest level that your generosity offers.
Explanations of levels follow below.
Registration Fees include Teacher Support:
New York Insight Meditation Center has streamlined the registration fee levels. Members of our Circle of Friends are eligible to receive 20% off of the Sustaining Rate via a code provided in the email confirming membership, which you can enter after clicking the Sustaining Level registration.
*Benefactor Level: Supports NYI’s ability to offer the Subsidized Base.
**Sustaining Level: This level reflects the actual costs to support this program. Circle of Friends members eligible for 20% discount with code. Click here to join.
***Subsidized Base: Made possible by the generosity of Benefactor Level above and other donations to ensure participation by those requiring financial assistance.
If you have questions about your registration (cancellation policy, membership discount, email confirmation, etc.), please read our FAQs. If your question is not addressed in the FAQs, please email registration@nyimc.org.
If you are unable to pay the Subsidized Base Fee, you can learn about volunteering to offer work exchange and letting us know how much you are able to pay for this program by emailing registration@nyimc.org.
Teacher(s)
Stephen Fulder
Born in 1946 in London, Stephen was closely involved in the 1960’s culture, studied at Oxford University and obtained a Ph.D. in medical research. He has published 14 books in the field of complementary medicine. He has been practicing largely within the Theravada Buddhist framework since 1976 together with long-term inspiration from Dzogchen and Advaita teachings. He has been teaching intensively for 25 years, mostly in Israel, with at least 15 retreats a year, plus annual courses and classes.
Stephen has been guiding Israeli dharma teachers and instructors as the founder and senior teacher of the Israel Insight Society which currently teaches around 2000 practitioners annually in 45 retreats and courses throughout the country. He runs national programs of practice in prisons, in-home visits to cancer patients, and in peace-making activities.
His new book, ‘What’s Beyond Mindfulness: Waking Up to This Precious Life’ is a deep exploration of the way the practical teachings of the dharma can help us deeply with ordinary daily life situations and yet take us all the way to awakening. It was the number 1 bestseller in the category of instructional books in Israel for 18 weeks. www.stephenfulder.com,