Buddhist History - Week 4

This week's teaching and discussion (Sunday 12th July) can be downloaded here (Hit the blue "Download Now" button). In a lively conversation with a large group, topics we covered included:

• Path and view: What's the difference between path and view in the Theravada and the Mahayana? How can we bring our practice more into our everyday lives?
• The nature and meaning of compassion: what's the connection between everyday "touchy-feeling" notions of being a "good person" and the Buddhist understanding of compassion? How can compassion become a trap and turn into just another manifestation of ego-clinging? What does it mean to practice compassion?
• "All emotions are pain": Rinpoche uses these words to convey the essential meaning of the second of the four Dharma seals. But does he really mean it? How are we to interpret this? What does this mean in the light of all the current interest in emotional intelligence, positive psychology and therapeutic interventions?
• Can we consider "Fight Club" to be a Buddhist movie? It deconstructs eternalism in the guise of salvation through consumerism, but it falls short of Buddhist view. Why?