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Dear friends of Bodhi Berlin,

Here's the newsletter for this week. Upcoming on Tuesday the 13th of May, we'll be having a special sitting celebrating Vesak. Read on:


Quote of the Week

Time and again the Buddha has stressed the need for effort, for diligence, exertion, and unflagging perseverance. The reason why effort is so crucial is that each person has to work out his or her own deliverance. The Buddha does what he can by pointing out the path to liberation; the rest involves putting the path into practice, a task that demands energy. This energy is to be applied to the cultivation of the mind, which forms the focus of the entire path. The starting point is the defiled mind, afflicted and deluded; the goal is the liberated mind, purified and illuminated by wisdom. What comes in between is the unremitting effort to transform the defiled mind into the liberated mind. The work of self-cultivation is not easy—there is no one who can do it for us but ourselves—but it is not impossible. The Buddha himself and his accomplished disciples provide the living proof that the task is not beyond our reach. They assure us, too, that anyone who follows the path can accomplish the same goal. But what is needed is effort, the work of practice taken up with the determination: “I shall not give up my efforts until I have attained whatever is attainable by manly perseverance, energy, and endeavour.”
The nature of the mental process effects a division of right effort into four “great endeavours”:
(1) to prevent the arising of unarisen unwholesome states;
(2) to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen;
(3) to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen;
(4) to maintain and perfect wholesome states already arisen.
―Bhikkhu Bodhi, The Noble Eightfold Path, pp. 62–63

Schedule

Tuesday Night Meditation

The next four Tuesday night meditation sessions are:

Our Tuesday drop-in, peer-led gatherings include meditation, listening to a recording or reading, and discussion. Experience the benefits of meditating together in a warm and accepting setting—we encourage people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and experience levels to attend!

Vesak Celebration

Vesak is a holiday celebrated mostly in the Theravāda tradition which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing on of Gotama Buddha, all of which are traditionally said to have occurred on the day of the full moon of the same lunar month. The official date nowadays varies between traditions; we'll be celebrating on Tuesday, May 13th because it falls just after the full moon in May and is roughly in the middle of the official dates. We'll be meeting at the same time and place as we usually do on Tuesday evenings for our celebration and will spend the evening chanting, meditating, and reflecting together upon the Buddha's role in our lives.

Afterwards, we’ll share some tea and snacks together. So, we invite all of you to bring along either your favorite tea, snack or baked goods (or just what’s on hand), if you are so moved.


Further information, updates, and resources can be found on our website: https://bodhiberlin.org/

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Henrik, Jeff, & Josh