Book Selection
Oct. River of Fire, River
of Water by Taitetsu Unno
Nov. River of Fire, River of Water by Taitetsu
Unno
(2nd half of book)
Dec. Dharma Breeze by
Nobuo Haneda
The Course
Education: Participants must read all of the required
books and are expected to do all homework assignments. Homework is sent via e-mal
and the 1st assignment is due on the 1st class.
Practice: Buddhism
should not be approached just on an intellectual basis but must be applied in daily life, which, through committed and diligent
practice, will transform the mind and heart. To get most out of the course, participants
should try to practice deep hearing, voicing the nembutsu, sitting or walking meditation
and attend sangha gatherings to hear the dharma on a regular basis.
Commitment: All participants are required to have a 75%
Sunday morning attendance record from Oct. 27 to December 22, 2009. All participants
are allowed just one absence from a class but homework must be delivered via e-mail before the missed class.
Attendance will
be taken.
Discipline: All homework must be completed and handed
in at the time of the class.
Donation: $95 for non-members and $76 for BFF members.
The first book is included as a gift (a $17 value).
Time & Place: The course will meet once a month,
on a Sunday afternoon, after regular sangha gathering in Middletown,
from 12:45 p.m. to approx. 3 p.m. Classes will be 3 hours each.
Dates of Classes:
10/25, 11/29, 12/20
What Will Be Studied?
Some of the topics to be learned include the following:
- How to Live the Nembutsu Way
- Shinran Shonin and the Spirit of Buddhism
- The Revolutionary Character of the Pure Land teaching
- Enlightenment and Salvation
- Nembutsu: the Name-that-calls
- Amida Buddha and the Primal Vow
- The Spiritual Quest
- Our True and Real Life
- When a Person Dies
- Interdependence and Non-duality
- The Pure Land
- Attainment without a Guru
- Faith, Joy and Gratitude
