Celebrating Goodness and Wisdom is an in-depth exploration of the core elements of feast practice. This pre-recorded Vajrayana course will be of interest to new and not-so-new practitioners alike. The course is divided into six classes. The first two classes cover issues related to food and dining from the perspective of the three yanas and Shambhala culture. This lays the ground for the rest of the course, where we will look at the structure of the feast, roles involved in a feast, the basic themes in feast practice, etiquette, samayas, and tantric symbolism.
Course Suggestions
- If you are doing the course at a center, schedule the classes a few days before each feast and have a brief conversation before the feast itself, and some discussion about your feast experience during the next class.
- Individuals taking the course are encouraged to contact a friend or a group of vajra companions to sign up for the class, to schedule online discussions and feasts together, or to keep in touch by email.
- Whether taking the course in a group or individually, conclude the series with a feast.
Recommended Schedule
This program consists of six recorded classes, which can be completed on your own time. There are no live events in this course. You may view the talks at your convenience. The suggested schedule is to complete one class each week and do the associated readings and exercises.
You could spend 2 to 3 hours on each class. The video teachings in each class average 45 minutes in length and are divided into several shorter sections. Allow yourself time to do the readings, meditation practices and other assignments. It’s a good idea to schedule your sessions on your calendar as you would for a face-to-face class. Plan on doing feasts online, at your center or on your own.
