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• Sitting Meditition - 20-30 minutes

• Welcome and Introductions

 
• Review of The Noble Eightfold Path (Replacing "Skillful" for "Right")

 
There are three components of The Noble Eightfold Path: Virtue (Skillful Speech, Skillful Action & Skillful Livelihood), Concentration (Skillful Effort, Skillful Mindfulness & Skillful Concentration) & Wisdom (Skillful Understanding & Skillful Thinking)
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There are Eight Steps (They are not linear, rather they are mutually dependent and supportive). We begin with Skillful Understanding and Skillful Thinking, on a mundane level, and then return to them again on a transcendental level when the other path factors are developed, which results in insights - the direct experience of things as they truly are -- recognizing the three characteristics of phenomena: impermanence, unsatisfactoriness, and selflessness.
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• Before we can be motivated to seek a way out of Suffering, we must be convinced that Suffering is present in our lives. Last week we explored Dukkha - the First Noble Truth - and its cause: craving - the Second Noble Truth. We took special note of these Truths in our daily lives and noted them in our journals.

 
• Sharing of Experiences (have class help me delineate the nature of Dukkha in their own experience).

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• Until we attain enlightenment, many kinds of experiences cause powerful dissatisfaction for us all. For example, the life cycle (birth, aging, sickness and death); change (separation from what we want: relationships, possessions, job -- things we are attached to); and lack of control of our lives: we don't get what we want and we get what we don't want).

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• We can't prevent unpleasant experiences from occurring. But we can train the mind to respond skillfully to all experiences, whether pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.

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• By understanding the Law of Cause and Effect (aka The Law of Karma), we realize that what occurs in our experience is due in part to thoughts, words and deeds we have expressed in the past; and that thoughts, words and deeds we express now will affect not only the quality of our distant future experiences, but also the quality of our immediate future experiences (i.e., the next moment).

• The intentions are like seeds.
• The results they bring forth are like fruits.

• Actions have consequences (tell kids)
• What goes around comes around
• You reap what you sew

• By body: (1) killing, (2) stealing, (3) sexual misconduct.
• By speech: (4) lying, (5) slander, (6) rude speech, (7) vain talk or gossip.
• By mind: (8) covetousness, (9) ill-will, (10) wrong views.

• Your mind get weak
• The world turns ugly
• You say stupid things
• Your body experiences contraction

 
Watch your mind when you do something spontaneously wholesome
• You feel good
• Your heart opens
• You feel connected with others

• Dyadic or small group exercise.--15 minutes

• Ways in which you have you experienced for yourself unskillful cause and effect in your life recently?
• Ways in which you have you experienced for yourself skillful cause and effect in your life recently?

• When you are speaking, speak from your center, speak mindfully.

• When listening, please give your entire attention to the person speaking. Simply notice and let go of any mental commentary that arises in the mind or any desire to add to what the person is saying.

 
• Please notice the feeling tone in the body as you participate in both of these sharings. Notice if there is a difference in the body when you share about unskillful episodes and skillful ones.

• Group Sharing, Reports -- we can see for ourselves the truth of cause and effect.

 
• Assignment for next week:

• Homework Schedule (Review Exercises)
• Read/Review Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness - Step 1: Skillful Understanding
• Read Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness - Step 2: Skillful Thinking
• Suggested Additional Reading: Dvedhavitakka Sutta - Two Sorts of Thinking (MN19)

• Qualities to be developed:

• Concentration
• Discernment - directed thought, evaluation, and mental singleness.
• Equanimity -- develops from our understanding of the Law of Cause and Effect.

• Closing Meditation - Equanimity Practice

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