This book is about loving-kindness and compassion, forgiveness, generosity, equanimity, what we call the ‘brahmaviharas’ or ‘the heart practices’ of Buddhism.

Week by week I'm going to take the different chapters and I'm going to give Dharma talks based on the structure of this book and focus in on this revolutionary practice of learning to love ourselves and each other, learning to forgive and to have more of a sense of joy – not only joy in our own lives but what we call ‘appreciative joy’ which means developing this attitude of taking pleasure in the happiness and success of others, enjoying and focusing on the beauty and all the goodness in the world as well as compassion.

And, we’ll be focusing on developing more mercy and friendliness, forgiveness and compassion for all of the pain, ignorance and confusion in the world.

I invite you to read the book these next couple of months, as I’ll do a kind of like Monday night study practice course, and you can follow along.

My sense is that it's the Dharma is timeless. It's always appropriate no matter what's happening in the world, and with what's happening in the world right now the need for compassion, the need for forgiveness, the need for more loving-kindness is so obvious. It's so urgent now. I kind of hate to say that because it always feels urgent, and it always has been, and it always will be…but right now, especially with all of us stuck at home more, and the financial stresses, and the emotional difficulties that people are going through with the pandemic, with the politics, with reality, with the world…It seems like a really good way to start this calendar year by focusing on uncovering, developing and re-committing to kindness.

I invite you all to join me.

https://www.againstthestream.com/dharma-punx-merch/the-heart-of-the-revolution-book

https://youtu.be/2JQc0EW1llo

The link to purchase a copy of ‘Heart of the Revolution’ is in the episode notes below.