nbmc

The Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center

A Tale of Two Mustard Seeds: Suffering, Faith, and the Spiritual Life by Lisa Ebert

May 2, 2010
10:00 am	to	11:00 am

Sunday, May 2, 10 a.m.
Dharma talk: A Tale of Two Mustard Seeds:
Suffering, Faith, and the Spiritual Life
by Lisa Ebert

The very small and very common mustard seed plays a leading role in important teachings within both the Buddhist and Christian traditions.  In one teaching, the Buddha asks a grieving mother to bring him a mustard seed, and in the process of doing this task she finds peace and comes to see things as they really are.  In the New Testament, Jesus tells his disciples that “if you have faith the size of a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you,” including the ability to move mountains.  In this talk, Lisa will discuss what these stories have to teach us about these two religious traditions.  Moreover, we’ll explore what these teachings can tell us about the role of suffering and faith in our own lives, and how it might be possible to find both peace and confidence in our spiritual practice.

Lisa Ebert is an artist, woodworker, and teacher who lives and works in Northfield.  She practices and studies within the Theravadan Buddhist or Vipassana/Insight meditation tradition, and has served as Practice Advisor at the Northfield Buddhist Meditation Center.  In 2009, he completed the Integrated Study and Practice Program at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies.  She received her M.Div. and S.T.M. degrees from Yale University. Previously, she has led congregations in the United Church of Christ, served as a college chaplain, and taught college and graduate courses in Christian theology, history of Christian thought, and science and religion.

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