Class: Dependent Origination

Seattle Insight guiding teacher Rodney Smith has just started a new class on Dependent Origination. You may subscribe to these via his podcast, or download audios/videos individually from the website www.seattleinsight.org/

To supplement the course, Rodney has provided study materials that you can download here: www.seattleinsight.org/Resources/StudyMa...bid/155/Default.aspx

For anyone who is interested in an in-depth exploration of this topic, Rodney estimates that this course will be taught weekly for 1 year.

Hi Chris,

Will the classes include instruction on how to see it at work in real life?

It appears that there will be instruction to see D. O. in real life. I've downloaded the homework, and the assignments include ways to see how one creates different subjective roles based on activities and interactions with others. The teacher who wrote the lesson for week 2, gives examples from his own life of how different psychological selves are created contextually. <----is that even a correct sentence?!! ---->dummy self arose on feeling doubt about that last sentence!

Also, Rodney Smith has already started talking about the 12 links of D. O., and since he plans to teach this for 1 year, I'm certain he'll get pretty detailed. He has already emphasized the importance of understanding this core teaching.

I hope that answers your question!

Tina

Thanks for posting, this, Tina. I've glanced through the study materials for the course, and the optional readings look fairly interesting.

As for me, "The Shape of Suffering" by Thanissaro Bhikku gave me my first glimpse of practical examples of Dependent Origination as it might unfold in real time. Specifically, the two examples A, and B on pages 5-6 showed me that I already understood it in an intuitive and practical way for a number of year before I even started meditating. The rest of the book filled in gory details.

It really was a slap-the-forehead-with-the-palm kind of a moment.

I had read a fair amount about DO before, but had always gotten lost in the theory and quotes from ancient writings. Why actual examples had not been included is beyond me. Once I realized what I was looking for, it turned out to be everywhere.

Wow, thanks Andy! I will be sure to check out "The Shape of Suffering". Thank You for recommending this.