The Art of Being Human - Learn meditation practice

BRUNSWICK — Aspiring and experienced meditators are invited to attend events offered at the Brunswick Shambhala Meditation Center in the month of October that will guide participants to begin or reinvigorate a meditation practice. A weekend program is being offered along with a five-week class introducing the practice of sitting meditation are being offered.

“The Art of Being Human” is a weekend program October 19-21 that will introduce participants to the practice of meditation and the principles of the Shambhala path of warriorship. Under the guidance of senior teacher Andrea Darby, participants will spend the weekend learning how meditation can lead to the development of genuine confidence, humor, and personal dignity within the complexity of daily life. The Shambhala teachings were introduced in the West in the book "Shambhala: Sacred Path of the Warrior," by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, a Tibetan meditation master. He taught that there is a fundamental basic goodness present in all experience, and this energy is innate to the way things are, inherent and unconditional.

The program will begin with a free public talk Friday evening, October 19 at 7:30 p.m., and continue Saturday and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Preregistration is required for the weekend, though the Friday evening talk is open to all. The fee for the weekend program is $140. Student or need-based discounts are available for all Shambhala Center programs. Register on-line at www.shambhalabp.org. For more information, contact Karen Simpson at ksimpson1953@gmail.com or 251-3437.

“Meditation in Everyday Life” is a five-week class that follows the Shambhala Training Level 1 at the Brunswick Centers. The classes will be on Mondays beginning October 29 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The courses will offer new students the opportunity to deepen their experience and understanding of meditation. Classes will include discussions on how to utilize and maintain a medication practice in the midst of a busy life and how daily meditation relates to the Shambhala vision of an enlightened society. Preregistration is encouraged.

All are welcome to attend. The fee for the five week class is $40. Register on-line at www.shambhalabp.org. For more information, contact Bill Barry at billbarry51@gmail.com or 975-2405.

The Brunswick/Portland Shambhala Meditation Center is a nonprofit organization affiliated with Shambhala International, a worldwide nonprofit association of meditation centers founded by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. www.shambhala.org