Real Dharma is honored to present an evening with Kenny Johnson, author of The Last Hustle.
THE LAST HUSTLE
AN EVENING WITH KENNY JOHNSON
Tuesday, January 24, 7:30 p.m.
The Common Well
85 Bolinas Rd., Suite 8
Fairfax, CA 94930
Hustler, pimp, thief. Kenny Johnson was a career criminal who spent 20 years in prison, when he was transformed by a profound spiritual experience. Now he proclaims the availability of grace, redemption and liberation for all. Kenny is the author of The Last Hustle, his story of crime and spiritual liberation, and is the founder of This Sacred Space, a program for currently and previously incarcerated individuals.
For Tuesday, November 8 ONLY: The weekly class will begin with meditation at 7:15 p.m. (instead of the usual time of 7:30).
We will have a discussion on the Buddhist teaching of dependent origination (pratitya samutpada or the 12 nidanas). Dependent origination is one of the earliest teaching of Sakyamuni Buddha and is a central teaching in all schools of Buddhism.
The path of nondual awakening is the discovery of innate present awareness as your own true nature and the ground of all. In that awareness there is unconditional fulfillment, compassion and peace.
My approach to nondual awakening presents the essence of the great nondual traditions of Buddhism (particularly the Prajnaparamita, Mahamudra and Dzogchen fruition approaches) and Advaita Vedanta, streamlined and stripped as far as possible of cultural and archaic metaphysical artifacts. This approach is simple and direct, and suitable for modern, especially modern Western, seekers of liberation.
One of the primary methods used in Advaita Vedanta to directly see one’s true nature is the Seer/Seen discrimination. Similar methods are used in Buddhist direct transmission schools. In this method, one begins from the obvious proposition that awareness, “the Seer”, the one who sees, is not the seen. So, what can be seen as an object cannot be the Seer itself. For example, you would obviously not say that my car, my house, or my clothes are “me.” Then one goes through all the objectifiable aspects of what most people usually assume is the self–starting with the body, and progressing through the sense organs, thoughts, feelings, and finally even the “I” thought–seeing that, as they are all objects of awareness, they can not be the Seer, the one who is aware. This contemplation, when done seriously, can lead to the direct knowing of object-less awareness, awareness itself, the formless yet awake true nature.
To listen to a talk on the path of nondual awakening, and the Seer/Seen discrimination, given at the Real Dharma group on October 4, 2011, use the flash driver below
Please support Real Dharma by joining our Meetup group! It’s free, there is no obligation, and you will received updates and reminders of our meetings and events.
The four seals (also known as the four emblems or marks) is a fundamental Buddhist teaching–some would say it is the view that defines Buddhist dharma, or teaching. The four seals, or emblems are:
1. All composite things are impermanent.
2. All defiled emotions are suffering.
3. All phenomena lack a self or inherent existence.
4. Nirvana is peace and beyond conceptuality.
To listen to a talk by Hal Blacker on the four seals, or emblems, follow the links below. This talk was given at the Real Dharma group in Fairfax, California on June 28, 2011.
If you are unable to use the flash player, listen or download here.
[The talk begins with a short discussion of meditation].
[Errata: There is a reference in the talk to the Buddhist teaching on the smallest unit of time, the kshana, said to constitute 1/65th of a finger-snap in duration. This unit was mispronounced ekasana in the talk.]
You who are the way of view, meditation, and action,
Grant your blessings so that I may dwell within the self-existing nature.
~Milarepa
Listen to part 2 in a series of talks by Hal Blacker, on The Song of View, Meditation & Action at Yolmo Kangra, by Milarepa. This talk continues to discuss the view of Mahamudra. Given at Real Dharma Sangha on February 1, 2011:
If you are unable to use the flash player, listen or download here.
What joy!
With the ways of the intellect, you won’t see beyond intellect.
With the ways of action you won’t know non-action.
If you want to know what is beyond intellect and action,
Cut your mind at its root and rest in naked awareness.
~Tilopa, Ganges Mahamudra (trans. Ken McLeod)
Listen to part 7, the concluding talk in a series of talks by Hal Blacker, on Ganges Mahamudra (Mahamudra Upadesha) by Tilopa. (Covering verses 21-28). Given at Real Dharma Sangha on January 11, 2011:
If you are unable to use the flash player, listen or download here.
When you are free from ambition and don’t hold any position,
You will see all that the scriptures teach.
When you open to this, you are free from samsara’s prison.
When you settle in this, all evil and distortion burn up.
This is called “The Light of the Teaching.”
~Tilopa, Ganges Mahamudra (trans. Ken McLeod)
Listen to part 5 in a series of talks by Hal Blacker on Ganges Mahamudra (Mahamudra Upadesha) by Tilopa. (Covering verses 12-14). Given at Real Dharma Sangha on December 28, 2010:
If you are unable to use the flash player, listen or download here.
