Sravasti Abbey offers Mother’s Day gift of transforming anger into compassion
News Story by Rose Owens | FāVS News
Flowers and chocolate are Mother’s Day staples. But what if this year’s gift offered peace and freedom from anger – something the entire family could share?
On May 11, Sravasti Abbey will have a Mother’s Day teaching for Sharing the Dharma Day as part of their series on dealing with anger. The event is an opportunity for curious seekers to explore Buddhist ideas on managing difficult emotions such as anger, which can be especially challenging within families.
Sravasti Abbey is a Buddhist monastery founded by Ven. Thubten Chodron. It’s the first training monastery in the Tibetan tradition for Westerners and English-speaking monastics. There are 22 monks and nuns who live, train and practice in the abbey.
“We are dedicated to benefiting society, that’s our external work as we do our internal spiritual work,” Ven. Thubten Chonyi said.
Chonyi is a nun at Sravasti Abbey and has managed their communications almost since the beginning of its founding. She said that all people struggle with anger.
“Our society is rife with anger. If for a moment, just for a moment, we could all kind of quell our anger for 24 hours, all the way around the planet, can you even imagine?” Chonyi said. “Buddha’s teaching says that we actually can soften that habit and eventually, over a long time, eliminate it.”
Chodron has been a nun for almost 50 years. She recently returned from travels in Europe. She gave teachings in 11 centers in France, Switzerland, Germany and the Netherlands. Before she left, she gave a talk at Microsoft, then flew to New York to teach through four classes at Yale. She has also spent much time training with the His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She also has authored numerous books.
Chodron’s book, “Working with Anger,” is described as a variety of Buddhist methods for subduing anger, not by changing what is happening, but by working with our minds to frame situations differently. Once a month lessons from the book are taken and taught during Sharing the Dharma Days.
These sharing days are free and welcome to all. They include guided meditation, a dharma talk, often by Chodron, group discussion and a vegetarian garlic and onion free potluck. People come from all over the Inland Northwest for these events. The event on May 11 will be from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“You meet a lot of different people, hear different ideas, but everybody comes together with ways to culminate their own good qualities,” Chonyi said.
The teachings at Sravasti Abbey are open to people of all faiths and backgrounds, offering practical tools to cultivate greater love and compassion people can use for both their loved ones and the community around them.
“But what is common for all human beings is that everyone is seeking happiness, doesn’t want any pain or suffering and has genuine care and kindness in their heart, every single one of them,” Chonyi said. “So looking at that commonality of all human beings, all these teachings can be applied to fulfill those wishes.”
