Servants of Peace
This Sunday, we recognize the many opportunities in our lives to become servants of Peace regardless of our religious or spiritual background. Following Pema Chödrön's considerations in "When Things Fall Apart," we will learn more about the relevance of service in everyone's lives as well as our own.
Join us Sunday for great fellowship, inspiring music, and a deeply heart-felt message.
Watch & Listen
Sermon Notes
Book Talk Series
“When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times” by Pema Chödrön
Sunday, May 23, read chapters 1–4
Sunday, May 30, read chapters 5–8
Sunday, June 6, read chapters 9–12
Sunday, June 13, read chapters 13–16
Sunday, July 4, read chapters 17–20
Sunday, July 11, read chapters 21–22
Basic Concepts
Bodhisattva → “…those who have committed themselves to the path of compassion.” (97)
Bodhi → enlightenment; the knowledge or wisdom, or awakened intellect, of a Buddha.
Sattva → goodness, positivity, truth, serenity, balance, peacefulness, and virtuousness
Bodhichitta → “Bodhichitta is a Sanskrit word that means ‘noble or awakened heart.’” (87)
Chitta → the emotive side of mind
Chapter 13 – Widening the Circle of Compassion
“In working with the teachings on how to awaken compassion and in trying to help others, we might come to realize that compassionate action involves working with ourselves as much as working with others. Compassionate action is a practice, one of the most advanced.” (79)
Chapter 14 – The Love That Will Not Die
“The practice of tonglen—sending and receiving—is designed to awaken bodhichitta, to put us in touch with genuine noble heart. It is a practice of taking in pain and sending out pleasure and therefore completely turns around our well-established habit of doing just the opposite.” (89)
Chapter 15 – Go Against the Grain
“Tonglen reverses the usual logic of avoiding suffering and seeking pleasure. In the process, we become liberated from very ancient patterns of selfishness. We begin to feel love for both ourselves and others; we begin to take care of ourselves and others. Tonglen awakens our compassion and introduces us to a far bigger view of reality.” (93)
Chapter 16 – Servants of Peace
“This is the training of the bodhisattva, the training of the servants of peace. The world needs people who are trained like this—bodhisattva politicians, bodhisattva police, bodhisattva parents, bodhisattva bus drivers, bodhisattvas at the bank and the grocery store. In all levels of society we are needed. We are needed to transform our minds and actions for the sake of other people and for the future of the world.” (106)…
