The Path to Peace in Theravada Buddhism: Breaking Our Attachment to Wrong Ideas of Who We Are
Schedule
Sat Oct 05 2024 at 02:00 pm to 04:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N, Saint Petersburg, FL, United States, Florida 33701 | Saint Petersburg, FL
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Presented by: Steven MeigsInstructor of Religious Studies at the University of Tampa
Graduate and Former Instructor at the University of South Florida
Theravada Buddhism teaches that the greatest illusion is not just the world we live in—it is the idea of who we are. The self-image is an illusory identity that is the product of all the experiences of our lives. Nature versus Nurture? They're both out of our control. We didn't pick our inherited DNA traits any more than we chose when and where to be born, the temperaments and vocations of our parents, or the opportunities available in our place and time. We did not preordain and orchestrate the social relations and experiences that would form our ideas of who we are. The problem is that our deepest attachments are to ideas of who we are and how things should be affecting us. This creates a great deal of existential suffering in our lives. Once we begin to break free of this obsession with our self-image and how things affect it, we find much deeper peace, and all areas of our lives and our relationships improve.
About Steven Meigs
Steven Meigs teaches World Religions classes at the University of Tampa. He is a USF alumnus and previously taught various religious studies courses there. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, he also pastored a couple of very non-traditional churches. His life-long journey of healing and recovery from childhood trauma led him to study deeper concepts of identity in the major philosophies and religions and to explore the varieties of transformation experiences leading to a more peaceful and harmonious life.
Meeting Place:
Unitarian Universalist Church
100 Mirror Lake Drive N, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Parking: Street parking or in lot on north side of the church behind the condominiums
Entrance: South side through the gate at 719 N Arlington Ave. N, St Petersburg 33701
See maps in comments below
Please arrive by 2 pm so the meeting can start promptly at 2.
$5 - $10 Suggested Donation to cover room rental & Meetup.com costs
Feel free to bring snacks to share
About Theosophy
Theosophy exists to serve humanity, by encouraging open-minded inquiry into world religions, philosophy, science, and the arts
in order to understand the wisdom of the ages, respect the unity of all life and help people explore spiritual self-transformation.
The Theosophical Society of St. Petersburg lodge meetings are currently announced on Facebook and by email. If you would like to be added to the email list or have any questions, please email Leigh Allen, Lodge President at [email protected]
Bradenton/Sarasota Study Group online book studies are announced by email from Judith Snow [email protected] and Neela Chari with The Mitreya Center [email protected]
If you have any questions, please feel free to email Leigh Allen, President of the Theosophical Society Lodge of St. Petersburg, at [email protected]
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Where is it happening?
Unitarian Universalist Church of St. Petersburg, 100 Mirror Lake Dr. N, Saint Petersburg, FL, United States, Florida 33701Event Location & Nearby Stays:
