The Buddha’s core insight was that we suffer because we cling — we cling to possessions, we cling to habits, we cling to opinions, we cling to ideas of who we think we are. Thus, we can decrease our suffering to the extent that we can relax our grasp on these things, and see them for what they are — impermanent, unsatisfactory, and not constitutive of our true selves. Any time in daily life that we notice ourselves grasping or clinging, we can let go, or at least start to loosen our grip. This does not come naturally at first, though, and so a good training ground for the practice of letting go is mindfulness meditation: setting aside time to just sit (or walk) quietly and be kindly and nonjudgmentally aware of our own mind and body. In this program, we will co-create just such a space in which we learn to let go and simply be aware. The day will combine reflection, guided and silent meditation periods, and time for discussion at the end. All levels of experience are welcome.
Adam Groff is the manager of NSIMC. He has been practicing Buddhist meditation since the 2000s, beginning at the Insight Meditation of Newburyport under Matthew Daniell. Read more at Adam’s teacher page.
The fee for this program is $45 for members and $50 for nonmembers (become a member here). To register and pay online, click below; if paying by cash or check, send an email to northshoreimc@gmail.com.