7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Naikan expands our vision of reality. It’s as though, standing on the summit of a mountain, we shift from a zoom lens to a wide-angle lens. Now we can be aware of the broader vista - our previous perspective still included, but accompanied by much of what had been concealed. That which was concealed makes the view extraordinary.Naikan as a method of self-reflection, was developed in Japan by Yoshimoto Ishin. Its structure uses our relationships with other as the mirror in which we can see ourselves. We reflect on what we have received from others, what we have given, and what troubles we have caused. Genuine self-reflection affects so many aspects of our life: the presence of gratitude, our relationships with our loved ones, the degree of judgment we have about others’ faults, our mental health, lifestyle choices, investment decisions, even our spiritual faith.
As human beings we possess the genuine desire to know ourselves and find meaning in our lives. We have the ability to do so. We may be the only creatures in the universe who can reflect on ourselves. We can observe our own thoughts and feelings and recall the actions and events of the past as if observing ourselves in a mirror. This capacity for self-reflection holds the key to our freedom, while, at the same time, residing in the roots of our own suffering.
So let us embark on a voyage of self-reflection. On this voyage we’ll destroy deceptive myths, do battle with ego-centred dragons, get caught in traps of pride, swim in calming ponds of gratitude, and get stuck in the bog of selfishness. Yet even as we travel, we may become aware that the pathway, and the ability, even desire, to travel, are gifts themselves.
Suggested Dana: $20
PLEASE REGISTER by January 25.
