We are excited to open registration for our new Deepening Dharma Series!
This series will bring in leading teachers to teach the dharma exclusively for MMTCP alumni with the goal being two-fold:
- deepening our own understanding and practice of the dharma
- learning how to bring the teachings to those we work with in both secular and non-secular settings.
We have access to many dharma teachings but this is the only place you can learn in community with fellow MMTCP alumni – the instant sangha that is created from our shared foundation will only enhance and support your learning.
Our first offering, in partnership with the Center for Mindul Living, is The Buddha’s Teachings on the Four Noble Truths. The series will be taught by Hugh Byrne and supported by Susan Beckman Reagan.
The Buddha’s teachings on the four noble truths are at the heart of all his teachings. They provide an understanding of the role suffering plays in our lives, the central cause for why we suffer – craving and clinging – the liberating potential for ending suffering, and a clear path of practice that leads to the end of suffering. He said, “One who understands clinging and non-clinging understands all the dharma.”
Hugh will take us on a deep dive into these central teachings through talks, meditation and hands-on investigation and practice on and off the cushion. In this four-session course you will be guided to the direct experience of where and how suffering arises and manifests. We also will explore approaches for sharing these transformative teachings most effectively with our students.
Hugh will lead each of the following sessions, each covering a noble truth:
- October 26, 12:00 – 2:15pm ET
- November 9, 12:00 – 2:15pm ET
- November 23, 12:00 – 2:15pm ET
- December 7, 12:00 – 2:15pm ET
Susan will facilitate relational integration sessions on:
- November 18, 5:00–6:15 pm ET
- December 2, 5:00–6:15 pm ET(with the option to extend until 6:30 pm if needed).
More about Hugh Byrne
Hugh Byrne, PhD, has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1990 and has taught meditation since 2000. He teaches with the Insight Meditation Community of Washington and is the founder and a guiding teacher with the DC Center for Mindful Living.Hugh is committed to bringing the wisdom of the Dharma into engagement with the suffering of the world and has co-led trainings for humanitarian aid workers in the Middle East and Africa. He is currently helping lead efforts to organize Buddhist and mindfulness practitioners to defend communities from the U.S. administration’s policies of detention, deportation, and discrimination against our immigrant neighbors.www.hugh-byrne.com; https://insighttimer.com/hughbyrne
More about Susan Beckman Reagan
Susan has had a dedicated meditation practice for over 30 years, experiencing how mindfulness fosters greater calm, clarity, and openness through life’s joys and challenges. Her early career in corporate America eventually led her to work in health and wellness, where she deepened her exploration of the connections between physical, emotional, and mental well-being.
Today, she integrates these experiences through mindfulness-based mentoring and coaching. Susan is a Board-Certified Health and Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC), Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher and Mentor, and holds a professional-level credential (CMT-P). She trained under Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach through the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program (MMTCP, 2021), offered in collaboration with UC Berkeley and The Awareness Training Institute. Learn more at susanbeckmanreagan.com.
Course Fee
This is the first time we are charging for any of our offerings, outside of membership fees, to help cover teaching fees and we appreciate your support. The cost for the whole four part series and the two integration sessions is $60; if you are able and have the means, please offer additional dana for those who are unable to pay as we don’t want to turn anyone away. If you do need help, please contact us at parudesai@mmtcpalumni.org for limited support offerings.