Discussion Group. BEGINNING IN NOVEMBER ...

The Discussion Group dates which we have designated on the schedule to happen roughly once a month are an attempt to talk about fairly specific Buddhist topics where there can be more of an exchange of thinking. I have decided not to attempt what we tried years ago where people were expected to read a whole book and we tried to discuss this over a few meetings. This formula is usually quite cumbersome and undependable because in our Sangha in this busy urban environment we found that very few people could make all (or even much of a part) of a series of meetings.

So, spinning out of the discussions held at the last Devotional and work I'm now doing at LSTC, I thought I would prepare SMALL reading packets and we could try holding topic-specific instead of book specific talks. These can better function as which may be stand-alone events. I'm pretty settled that the first will be on the Precept, “I vow to refrain from taking substances that impair the mind, and I vow not to cause others to do so.”
This is coming up a lot for people right now. I have read that Chicago has the highest percentage of binge drinkers in the country, so this seems to be part of a kind of community karma we are working with. But our intent here will be to go much deeper with this precept that a “just say no” approach to drugs and alcohol.

Around the first of the month reading materials should be available. If members wish to bring friends or family members to these discussion groups, please feel free. However please keep in mind that these will be adult discussions both in vocabulary and tone.

-Sensei