Lesson 1 of The Paramis: Dana

We engage in a spiritual journey, explore various kinds of deep teachings, practice mindfulness or other forms of meditation, live with awareness, and then the question arises: how does it all affect my personality? How do I act in life from that place? How have I changed? What are the qualities and potentials which develop as a result of my practice? The 10 paramis are qualities of being and potentials that grow gradually as a result of our practice taking the place of conventional qualities and abilities. These qualities, such as generosity, love, authenticity, simplicity, steadiness, energy, equanimity and wisdom become the qualities of the awakened personality. The ancient teachings on the paramis are extremely helpful in mapping the effect of spiritual practice and teachings on our psychological make-up. They are often described as the characteristics of the 'Bodhisattva'.

In this course we will explore how we are changed by Buddhist dharma practice in ways we may not have noticed. We will investigate each of the paramis as expressions of a our deepest freedom as well as explore how they allow us to respond wisely to ordinary daily life experiences. It will consist of talks, guided meditations and texts.