Teaching Tuesdays

Series of teachings involving mindfulness, buddhist practices and traditions, inclusive of all levels and open to everyone. Teachings are held the first and third Tuesdays of every month, and we have three series a year.

Online and in person at 4803 San Felipe St. Houston Tx 77056

Upcoming Series

Please note that the Summer series has moved from Tuesdays to Sunday

Joy Attention & Love

First and Third Sundays June 1- August 3

Join us this summer on the first and third Sundays of the month for a series of standalone classes exploring themes such as joy, attention, and love, putting traditional Buddhist teachings in conversation with contemporary psychology and the budding field of contemplative studies. 

June 1st: “A Place for Joy.” Often overlooked in both traditional and modern depictions of the Buddhist path of spiritual practice is the importance of joy. Over the centuries, down to our own time, people have often approached the practice of meditation to develop within themselves qualities such as calm, focus, and discernment, but the Buddha often emphasized the importance of cultivating joy in our practice, too. And he emphasized that joy is one of the fruits that sustained spiritual practice can yield. Off the cushion, it hardly needs to be said that joy is a crucial ingredient in life and relationships. But many of us often find joy lacking both in our lives and in our attempts at practice. How can we cultivate joy? How can we welcome joy when it comes to us? What makes it difficult for us to cultivate or welcome joy? Join Renée Ford, who currently serves on the Board of Directors of the International Society of Contemplative Research, and Nathaniel Rich/Rigzin Sherab Gyatso to explore these questions with teaching and space for conversation. 

June 15th: “Can I Have Your Attention, Please?” We live in what’s called the “attention economy.” The digital technology that now dominates every aspect of our lives is fundamentally a means for monopolizing our attention, in ways we’re often barely aware of. Our attention has become the most valuable commodity in the world, and successfully capturing it is the primary goal of the most powerful actors in society, from political leaders to tech companies. We’re encouraged to give it away for free, and often for purposes that are opposed to our most deeply held values and aspirations. The Buddha taught that our attention is, in a sense, everything, and what we do with it is a choice. Join Nathaniel Rich/Rigzin Sherab Gyatso in this session to explore the importance of attention and what the Buddha taught about the possibility of cultivating it for the purpose of finding joy and meaning.

July 6th: “Real Love Includes Yourself.” Love is a core human experience – rich, rewarding, and mysterious, often difficult to describe. Spiritual traditions emphasize love for one another or “our neighbor,” which is tremendously powerful and significant. What often gets left out is the common cold of spiritual life, which is a posture that ranges from self-criticism up to self-hatred. This presentation with Lama Namgyal Dorje will feature a conversation about acknowledging the pain of self-criticism and ways of enhancing healthy self-love.

July 20th and August 3rd: “Buddhism and Modern Psychotherapy on Love.” Join Lama Namgyal Dorje for an exploration of love. This two-part class will review core Buddhist teachings on love, including teachings from the Theravāda tradition (in which the modern mindfulness movement is rooted) and teachings from the Mahāyāna tradition on the altruistic aspiration for awakening and the practice of “taking and sending” (tonglen). These will be considered in the light of modern psychotherapy’s perspective on codependency and healthy attachment. We will also look at negative and optimal relationship patterns through a Buddhist lens.

Current Series

Truths that Set Us Free

First and Third Tuesday January 21 – May 6, 2025