This talk explores meditative compassion and its relationship to compassionate action.

How are we called to transmit and receive Buddhist wisdom and practice today? This is an especially important question for contemporary students and those who themselves are training to become dharma teachers and their mentors. What is the significance of the mentor-mentee relationship? In what ways might American-convert Buddhism be transformed as the community of students and dharma teachers becomes more diverse? From its beginning, Buddhism has emphasized that impermanence is a mark of all existence; it is not surprising that as it has been transmitted to different cultures, across vast geographical regions over more than two millennia, Buddhism itself has been constantly changing. As Buddhadharma is transmitted and transformed by a new generation, how do we remain grounded in the liberating wisdom and practices of the traditions we have inherited even as we directly address the turbulence and urgency of our times, and share these teachings with an ever-growing and changing community of practitioners? An evening of meditation and conversation as we explore these questions with BCBS co-founder Joseph Goldstein, BCBS teacher Dawn Scott, and BCBS Director of Studies William Edelglass.

The turbulence of our times is asking us to discover for ourselves how to love. The word love has many associations. However, the love of compassion and equanimity is vigorous and peaceful, open to pain yet free of suffering, urgent with a vision of freedom yet patient. It reveals a vast and immense heart that can look on and immediately be in touch with beauty and horror and stay steady, loving no matter what. During our time together--respecting our reactivity, overwhelm, and other afflictive states--we'll explore the heart's wide and deep capacity for compassion and equanimity.