Hi everyone,

In case any of you are in the Durham NC area, here are some upcoming events that I learned about via the Duke University meditation listserv. The details below are shamelessly copied directly from their email.

Becky

1) Sharon Salzberg will be speaking this Friday (9/7/2012) and leading a retreat on Saturday:

Afternoon Talk for Students: The Power of the Present Moment – Using Mindfulness to Make the Most of the Year Ahead
A free talk for students only: don't miss your chance to hear Sharon in a small audience setting!
Friday, Sept 7th, 4:00pm
Old Trinity Room, West Union
Free. Start the year off learning to live life with less stress and greater authenticity.

Evening Talk on Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation
Friday, Sept 7th, 7:30pm talk
Reynolds Theater, Bryan Center
100 *free* tickets available to Duke students. Reserve your ticket with the Duke Box Office.
Non-students: $15 ($20 day of event)
Happiness that is not shaken by conditions begins with imagining that such stable and open happiness exists, and could exist for us. We also need wisdom in order to know how to make such happiness real. This implies patience, perspective, and an ability to see things as they are. During this evening we will explore our notions of happiness, strength, aloneness and possibility. We'll practice meditation along with dialogue and discourse. Suitable for both beginning and more experienced meditators.

Daylong Retreat: Equanimity
Saturday, Sept 8th, 9:30am -- 4:00pm
Von Canon Hall, Bryan Center
100 *free* tickets available to Duke students. Reserve your ticket with the Duke Box Office.
Non-students: $75 ($80 day of event)
Equanimity is a spacious stillness of mind that allows us to be with things as they simply are. It does not imply indifference, however. Rather, when equanimity is present, it is the ground out of which sustained transformation can occur. It is also the foundation for the boundless arising of other qualities of the mind and heart, such as lovingkindness and compassion. There will be guided meditation as well as discussion and Q&A. Suitable for experienced meditators as well as new students.

Events brought to you by the Buddhist Community at Duke, CAPS, Wellness, and Student Health

Seeking Ushers: We are in huge need of about 15-18 ushers for Sharon Salzberg's 7:30pm talk in Reynold's Theater. Please volunteer! Great way to hear the talk as well as help out. If interested, please email the Buddhist chaplain at Duke at sumi.kim@duke.edu.

2) Lodro Rinzler will be leading a two-day retreat at the Shambala center:

Level I, entitled “The Art of Being Human,” will be held from 8:30am – 5:30pm (more or less) on Saturday and Sunday, 9/29-9/30/12. More information and registration is provided on the website. Generosity policy applies.
http://durham.shambhala.org/

3) The Eno River Buddhist Community (ERBC) will continue to offer a sutta study group (initiated previously with the Buddhist Community at Duke) this coming fall. The group will be reading the Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, and meeting twice monthly starting in mid-September.

A principal aim of the group is to understand the teachings given by the Buddha as found in the Sutta Piṭaka (Collection of Discourses) of Theravāda Buddhism. We also encourage participants to reflect critically on these teachings, to investigate their meaning, and to consider how they can be put into practice in one’s life. The group is peer-led, with opportunities for all participants who wish, to facilitate the discussion.

If this is of interest to you, and you have some previous experience reading the suttas, please consider joining us. (For those who are newer to Buddhist teachings, please consider visiting ERBC's weekly Monday night activities or other practice groups in the area.)

Here are the specifics of the study group:
Meeting schedule: 2nd and 4th Thursdays of every month (not meeting on Nov. 22 or Dec. 27), starting September 13, 2012, through May 9, 2013.
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
Place: Not yet decided, but likely to be in Durham near Duke's west campus.
Text: Numerical Discourses of the Buddha: An Anthology of Suttas from the Aṅguttara Nikāya, translated and edited by Nyanaponika Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi.
Main goal: Cultivating further understanding of the Buddha's teachings as found in the Sutta Piṭaka.
If you would like to join the group, or would like more information, please contact Steve Seiberling at sseiber@email.unc.edu or (919) 968-4445. The size of the group will be limited in order to facilitate discussion. Please contact Steve by Sunday, September 9, if you are interested in joining the group.