Dear Community,
I am delighted to share that our fall theme is “Purification of the Motive” — the practice of harmonizing our thoughts, words, and actions with our deepest intentions. Phillip calls it “one of our journeys, requiring discovery, trial and error, sometimes under very difficult circumstances.”
At Dharma Ground, we are making a bold claim: that lay life, with all its relationships, ordinary obligations, and difficult circumstances, is a rich place for liberative practice to unfold. We intentionally organize around seasonal themes, so that every member of the sangha can be part of the exploration, regardless of which offerings they participate in.
Our fall season's exploration of “Purification of the Motive” will unfold in a variety of forms:
- Finding Forgiveness class series with Phillip, exploring practices that loosen the grip of painful memories and open a pathway toward compassion and inner freedom.
- Purification of the Motive: An Experienced Students Retreat, a deep dive into purifying the motive from which our thoughts, words, and actions spring.
- Flexible Practice Intensive, an intentional nine days of supported practice exploring purifying the motive, with the flexibility to engage in whatever way your life allows.
- What We Enact: Action and Its Consequences class series with Alex, investigating action in ordinary life through the lens of Dharma and contemporary science.
- Liberating the Ego: Humility, Dignity, and Integrity daylong with Phillip, discovering how humility, dignity, and integrity transform our daily lives into our monastery for practice.
- Purification of the Motive class series with Ying and Dana, practicing with the profound and poetic teachings of the Dhammapada on intention and action.
I invite you to join us in whatever ways call to you. This is a journey we take alone, and together as a practicing sangha.
With gratitude and delight,
Dana
