Can “Art” play a part in your study circle?

People have different ways of expressing their feelings and their thoughts. There’s a range from concrete to abstract… some people love ”gettin’ down” and working with their hands, and others prefer verbally exploring lofty concepts and talking endlessly about them.

Although Ethics for the New Millennium is not ”about Buddhism” there are many core Buddhist principles that play a part in the development of His Holiness’ thought and the evolution of the “argument” on behalf of ethical behavior that emerges in this book.√Ǭ† And Buddhism, also, ranges from quite concrete to extremely abstract—there’s a reason it is sometimes jokingly referred to as “the religion of lists!” So there is plenty of room for lots of different types of expression. This is true for almost any religious or secular foundations of thought and living that you might encounter (that’s a topic to be explored another day, isn’t it?…)

You might find that some of your study circle members participate less than others in discussion and conversation. Try something new with these folks—ask whether they would be more comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings in the form of artistic representations! (Keep reading for examples and suggestions…) [Read more...]

Augment your study circle with Dalai Lama videos

DalaiLama.com, the official web site of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, has recently been revamped and is offering a page of Dalai Lama ”videos” many of which are current, and some of which reach back a few years into history. You can find his public talks, interviews, and Buddhist teachings.

You could use these as “homework” assignments or even play one or two (appropriately selected) during your study circle meetings to illustrate points you’re covering in a meeting.

[Photo courtesy of Sheldon Wolfe]

Keeping track of the Dalai Lama

For study circle coordinators who want to keep track of current activities of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, there are several new ways to keep in touch.

First, you can track the Dalai Lama on Twitter and Facebook. This gives you a great way to get the most recent “news” on upcoming public talks, religious teachings and other activities of His Holiness. On Twitter, you can follow @DalaiLama and on Facebook, you can find the Dalai Lama “fan page” at facebook.com/DalaiLama. These are primarily places where you can find information, and not opportunities to chat or interact, though that may be expanded in the future.

To view online video, there are two sources. First, DalaiLama.com (the authoritative source for all things Dalai Lama) has a video and audio page where you can view recent videos. And The Dalai Lama Foundation has a video page that includes video from non-religious appearances, going back several years.

Studying Ethics for the New Millennium is great on its own, but you can make it more “present” by viewing video and discovering how His Holiness explains and expresses the thoughts and messages that are contained within the book.

[Photo courtesy of Sheldon Wolfe]