Excellent Audio for the Exchange of Self and Other:

Dear dharma friends,

These audio lectures are an excellent complement to our study of the Exchange of Self and Other (Chapter 8, Meditation).  They are from 2004 and focus entirely on the end of the chapter.  The first time I was exposed to this book, the lectures were similar in topic and style.  I highly recommend these and look forward to hearing your thoughts.

On transparency:

"From what I have been saying, I trust it is clear that when I can permit realness in myself or sense it or permit it in another, I am very satisfied.  When I cannot permit it in myself or fail to permit it in another, I am very distressed.  When I am able to let myself be congruent and genuine, I often help the other person.  When the other person is transparently real and congruent, he often helps me.  In those rare moments when a deep realness in one meets a realness in the other, a memorable "I-thou relationship," as Martin Buber would call it, occurs.  Such a deep and mutual personal encounter does not happen often, but I am convinced that unless it happens occasionally, we are not living as human beings." - Carl Rogers, A Way of Being.  

Many thanks to Laura Hasenstein for sharing this quote during her class! 

Chapter 8: Worksheet 8.4

For classes on February 19 and 21, 2014.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B20QPR_lUz-Lci1DMmkyMnM4Ujg/edit?usp=sharing

Chapter 8: Worksheet 3

For classes beginning 1/29/14

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B20QPR_lUz-LVkpKTUtSdzU4Rjg/edit?usp=sharing

A bodhisattva's job description:

"If you're an artist, you make paintings

If you're a sculptor, you make sculptures.

If you are a carpenter, you make beautiful tables.

But if you are a bodhisattva, you make happiness in other people.  And that's what you do for a living.  That's your product. What you produce is happiness in other people's hearts.  And that's your job.  That's what you do.  People say, what's your product?  What do you make in your factory?  You say, we make happiness, happiness in other people's hearts." - Geshe Michael Roach, ACI Course 11, Meditation chapter recording #3, 1997, NYC.  

Re: Martin Luther King, Jr

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/29/1011562/-Most-of-you-have-no-idea-what-Martin-Luther-King-actually-did#

Liberation Upon Hearing (by Robert Thurman)

"Suffering is false, bliss is truth, and truth is more powerful than bliss." - Robert Thurman

A free 2 min audio sample, touching on many themes from Master Shantideva:

http://www.soundstrue.com/shop/Liberation-Upon-Hearing-in-the-Between/208.pd