7:00-8:30 pm EST
Tuesdays: Apr 2 / 9 / 16 / 23 / 30 & May 7

About the Book Group

Explore the profundity and wisdom of Practicing Peace in Times of War by Pema Chödrön in this guided book-group experience. Together, participants will learn about Buddhist teachings on ethics, hatred, aggression, and navigating difficult and intense emotions. We will learn how to harness the energy of our experience to practice true peace with great courage and an open heart.

This book group is open to all levels of experience. No previous understanding of meditation or Buddhism is required.

Group Sessions Breakdown

April 2—Chapter 1: Practicing Peace in Times of War

April 9—Chapter 2: The Courage to Wait

April 16—Chapter 3: Not Biting the Hook

April 23—Chapter 4: Changing Our Attitude Toward Pain

April 30—Chapter 5: Compassionate Abiding

May 7—Chapter 6: Positive Insecurity 

What You Will Receive

• A virtual safe space to practice mindful communication, emotional intelligence, courage, bravery and tenderness
• An opportunity to look at Buddhist ethics, non-violence and our attitude toward war, pain and suffering
• An opportunity to practice mediation in community from the comfort of your home/practice space
• An opportunity to practice Tonglen—a traditional Buddhist practice where we “take in” and acknowledge the suffering of ourselves and others and “send out” compassion and ease
• Discussions on how to cultivate internal and external equanimity

Required Reading Material

Practicing Peace in Times of War by Pema Chödrön—Please purchase the text from your preferred vendor. The text will not be screen-shared.

Prerequisites

Open to all levels of experience. No previous understanding of meditation or Buddhism is required.

About the Teacher

Alley Smith is an ordained (Upadhyaya) Buddhist Chaplain in the Shambhala Lineage at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, USA. She also holds precepts in Zen Buddhism. Alley is a US military war veteran. During her military career, she was a member of the Honor Guard and Military Funeral Honors programs in the Marine Corps and Navy Reserve. She has been a student of Shambhala Buddhism and Zen since 1999. She currently hosts, Making Friends with Death & Dying: Support Group with Shambhala Online. 

Alley’s email: [email protected]