Online: The Potential of Human Relatedness on a Whole-Life Path
with Gregory Kramer and Peace Twesigye
Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 | 11:00am – 5:00pm ET
We humans are relational, and yet have been living in relative isolation during the pandemic. Even as many of us remain sheltering in place, we see the undeniable impact of our contact with nature, animals, and other humans.
The Buddha’s teachings, too, are profoundly relational. They stress spiritual friendship as central to life and community, or sangha, as an essential refuge. Somehow, though, individuality, separation, and heroic meditation have seeped from mainstream Western culture into our Dhamma practice.
During our time together in this daylong retreat, we will look at balancing our effort. The Buddha’s teachings describe practice individually, relationally, and socially, opening a whole life path of Dhamma and practice in a heartful and authentic way. This is a matter of right view – as the Buddha described, and as we feel in our hearts, spiritual friendship is essential to joy, human decency, and awakening.
Join us in a day of relational meditation using Insight Dialogue practice to contemplate how we might meet each moment as embodied beings in relationship to a whole. How are we separate? How are we connected? Turning toward our shared human experience, what is our responsibility to each other and the world as we engage a wholesome path of practice?
Registration:
Please register at the highest level that your generosity offers.
Explanations of levels follow below.
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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.
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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.
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Teacher(s)
Peace Twesigye
Peace Twesigye is the Assisting Program Director of Buddhist Studies at Union Theological Seminary. Peace assists in designing and overseeing curriculum in Buddhist Studies, working directly with the Senior Director. Peace supports and creates spaces for contemplative practice that serve as a basis for students’ active engagement and service in community as well as supporting academic advisement of Buddhist students. Peace Twesigye organizes and manages public and private conversations and events as part of the Thích Nhất Hạnh Program for Engaged Buddhism at Union Theological Seminary to further expand its public offerings in understanding applied Buddhism. Peace also serves on the board of Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and serves as a practice leader and teacher at New York Insight Meditation Center as well as enjoying the opportunity of offering programs in other spaces when invited. Peace Twesigye has two master’s degrees; the first in violin performance, and the second in education, with a specialization in students with disabilities, and is committed to the path of being a lifelong student.
Gregory Kramer
Gregory Kramer teaches meditation, writes, and is the founding teacher of the Insight Dialogue Community. He is the author of Insight Dialogue: The Interpersonal Path to Freedom, from Shambhala Publications; Dharma Contemplation: Meditating Together with Wisdom Texts; Seeding the Heart: Practicing Lovingkindness with Children; and other books and articles. Gregory has practiced meditation since 1974 and studied with esteemed monastics, including Anagarika Dhammadinna, Ven. Balangoda Ananda Maitreya Mahanayaka Thero, Achan Sobin Namto, Ven. Punnaji Mahathero, and others. Since he began teaching meditation worldwide in 1980, he has pioneered online meditation and contemplation practices. His primary focus since 1995 has been developing and sharing a relational study of the Dhamma and Insight Dialogue, an interpersonal form of Buddhist insight meditation, and groups are now active worldwide. He also developed Dharma Contemplation, a text-based contemplation practice. For more, visit gregorykramer.org