Deepening your connection with yourself through deepening your connection with others

led by Shantigarbha

shantigarbha book cover

Would you like to live in a different kind of world?

A world in which people relate compassionately to one another?

A world in which our communication with one another goes beyond simply blame and criticism?

Shantigarbha is a senior member of the Triratna Buddhist Order visiting New Zealand. And we are fortunate to have him offering a weekend of skills development on empathy and listening. Such communication skills can transform our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with others. In particular, we can learn to creatively transform what we might hear as blame or criticism into something more constructive and less degrading. And we can learn to get in touch with what gives our life meaning, allowing this to serve as a point of connection rather than separation.

We get connected with each other in the space that opens up when we let go of our ideas of good and bad, right and wrong. When we feel safe and connected to ourselves, we don’t need to use these labels. When we are connected to ourselves, we are also connected to the people around us. It’s hard to find words to describe this field. In a sense it is beyond words. We are connected in such a way that it hardly makes sense to talk about us as separate beings. There’s just a sense of compassionate presence, intense closeness, and empathy. Through empathy we can find a way to stay connected to our humanity and to contribute to a more peaceful world.

I’ll meet you there. – Shantigarbha, from the Introduction of his book I'll Meet You There: a practical guide to empathy, mindfulness and communication, published by Windhorse Publications. Read the first chapter and order the paperback and e-book here

Not everyone will be able to make the longer New Year's retreat that Shantigarbha is leading at Sudarshanaloka. And this non-residential is an opportunity to explore the same theme with him, either again or for the first time. It is open to all 'levels' of experience.

When

10 January 2020  7:00pm-9:00pm
11 January 2020  9:00am-1:00pm
12 January 2020  9:00am-1:00pm

Cost

$120 waged or $80 low or unwaged

Caring for each other's health

Before attending, please read our current Covid Guidelines. This is part of how we practice together.

Location

Image of The Auckland Buddhist Centre
The Auckland Buddhist Centre

45b Normanby Rd, Mt Eden

Led by

Portrait of Shantigarbha
Shantigarbha

Shantigarbha is an activist, mediator and author of I'll Meet You There: a practical guide to empathy, mindfulness and communication. Read the first…

Bookings for this event are now closed