Strategies for Supporting Our Compassionate Action (Modules 7 & 8)

When we see suffering we all want to do something about it, and many of us are called to the path of service including service in our jobs, as family members, as volunteers as well to our friends and our community. This calling is often a long journey; it is easy to get lost or tired. Joy and inspiration can give way to frustration and depletion, and the overwhelm that comes when we feel that there’s so much at stake.

We all need support to shore up our commitment and strengths, to persevere and sustain our compassionate action. The goal of this course is to provide tools for your path of compassionate action. Everyone is welcome to participate – each half-day module stands on its own while it contributes to the overall theme of Sustainable Service. You may attend either the morning or afternoon session, or the entire day. The Program includes lecture, interactive discussion and meditation.

The Program has eight topics presented in individual modules, and these modules will be offered in quarterly day-longs over the coming year. For each training date, one module will be offered in the morning and one in the afternoon. You can find a complete description of the Program at lionsroardharmacenter.org.

March 7, 2026

Morning module: Managing Emotions Mindfully – 9:30 am – 12:30 pm.

Our emotions can lead us to our greatest joys and most painful sorrows. In their most creative capacity, they are guides pointing us towards who we truly are and what is most meaningful in our lives. However, most of us struggle with disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, jealousy, resentment, etc. At their most destructive, we are caught by them: lost in the grip of anger, sadness, fear, or overwhelm. This suffering is something we have all felt, but we can create more space, choice, and ease in the face of it.

In this module, we will explore approaches to dealing with disturbing emotions, including understanding the function of emotions, recognizing and working with emotional triggers and cultivating constructive emotional responses.

Afternoon module: Reclaiming Joy – 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

What is the role of joy on the spiritual path? The bodhisattva path and the path of compassion require us to have an awareness of the suffering of beings – are joy and compassion contradictory? Or can joy be used to sustain our spiritual path and practice?

Join us for an exploration of the theme of joy on the spiritual path. To support our exploration of joy, we will draw from sources as diverse as 8th Century Indian master Shantideva, research psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and poet Ross Gay.

Lunch will be on your own with water and coffee supplied at the temple. Parking available in the adjacent parking lot and on the street.

For questions, please contact Susan Farrar at [email protected].

Tenzin Chogkyi (she/her/hers) is a teacher of workshops and programs that bridge the worlds of Buddhist thought, contemplative practice, mental and emotional cultivation, and the latest research in the field of positive psychology. Tenzin first became interested in meditation in the early 1970s and then started practicing Tibetan Buddhism in early 1991 during a year she spent studying in India and Nepal. She completed several long meditation retreats over a six-year period and took monastic ordination with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, practicing as a monastic for nearly 20 years. Since 2006 she has been teaching in Buddhist centers around the world and taught in prisons for 15 years.

She is currently based in Santa Cruz, California. You can find more about her at unlockingtruehappiness.org.

Info: Our emotions can lead us to our greatest joys and most painful sorrows. In their most creative capacity, they are guides pointing us towards who we truly are and what is most meaningful in our lives. However, most of us struggle with disturbing emotions such as anger, attachment, jealousy, resentment, etc. At their most destructive, we are caught by them: lost in the grip of anger, sadness, fear, or overwhelm. This suffering is something we have all felt, but we can create more space, choice, and ease in the face of it.
In this module, we will explore approaches to dealing with disturbing emotions, including understanding the function of emotions, recognizing and working with emotional triggers and cultivating constructive emotional responses.

Info: What is the role of joy on the spiritual path? The bodhisattva path and the path of compassion require us to have an awareness of the suffering of beings – are joy and compassion contradictory? Or can joy be used to sustain our spiritual path and practice?
Join us for an exploration of the theme of joy on the spiritual path. To support our exploration of joy, we will draw from sources as diverse as 8th Century Indian master Shantideva, research psychologist Jonathan Haidt, and poet Ross Gay.

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher Lion's Roar Dharma Center