Wednesday Reading Group

(Zoom Only)

The Reading Group has been meeting for well over a decade and continues to bring forward and discuss books expressing an extremely wide range of Buddhist views and interests (intentionally texts representing diverse traditions, races, gender orientations, etc). The conversation is about making the dharma real in our lives. We meet on our regular Zoom link (click here) at 8:00 on Wednesday evenings and sit together for 30 minutes, after which our book discussion runs for an hour from 8:30 to 9:30.

Many join the group at 8:30 after the sitting period, and it is common for attendees to not have read (and even not to own!) the book we're reading, so please don't let this be a barrier to your own attendance. The book serves as a point of departure...and if the conversation interests you in the text, you can buy it and start to catch up before the next week's conversation.

The discussion is facilitated by one of the regular senior attendees, often Gareth, to help keep the conversation smooth and ensure that all are included and heard as they wish.

Currently Reading

Noble Truths, Noble Path: The Heart Essence of the Buddha's Original Teaching by Bhikkhu Bodhi (2023).  Katie Rhodes is leading the discussions for this book.

          Brilliantly translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, this anthology of suttas from the Saṃyutta Nikāya of the Pali Canon takes us straight to the heart of the Buddha’s teaching on liberation through the four noble truths and the noble eightfold path—the two mainstays of Buddhist doctrine that illuminate the nature of things by generating direct insight into the teachings. These suttas all pertain to the ultimate good, the attainment of nibbāna or liberation. They illuminate the Buddha’s radical diagnosis of the human condition—and more broadly, the condition of all sentient existence—in light of the four noble truths. They underscore the pervasive flaws inherent in the round of rebirths, trace our existential predicament to its deepest roots, and lay out the path to unraveling our bondage and winning irreversible release.

        Ven. Bodhi arranged the chapters, each with its own introduction, to provide an overview of the Dhamma that mirrors the four noble truths, thus enabling students of Early Buddhism to see into the heart of the Buddha’s teachings as directly and clearly as possible.

Befriending the Suttas: Tips on Reading the Pali Discourses is a short reading on thoughts about how to approach reading suttas.  https://www.accesstoinsight.org/befriending.html

Barre Center for Buddhist Study has developed resources focused on Women in the Buddha's life. Click on any of the Women in the Buddha's Life stories and scroll down to Resources for Reflection for a list of ideas for contemplation that invite a personal connection with any sutta.

Special Note:  Insight Dialogue Teacher Marsha Lawson is joining us on November 20th to introduce one way to approach contemplation with suttas.

Future Books

The group periodically undertakes a selection process of identifying future books of interest and submitting for a group vote to identify those of broad interest. Books currently selected and to be read and discussed by the group, in upcoming order, are:

• Daughters of the Buddha: Teachings by Ancient Indian Women by Bhikkhu Analayo (2022)
• The Mind Illuminated: Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science for Greater Mindfulness by Yates, Graves & Immergut (2017)
• Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master by Amy Schmidt (2005)
• Food for the Heart: The Collected Teachings of Ajahn Chah by Ajahn Chah (2002)
• Boundless Heart: The Buddha's Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity by Christina Feldman (2017)
• Casting Indra's Net: Fostering Spiritual Kinship and Community by Pamela Ayo Yetunde (2023)