Buddhist Basics: Internal Liberation and External Freedom

This session features a discussion about some basic concepts of Buddhism, especially those pertaining to the connections between internal liberation and external freedom and current world events, with input from people of various faiths and advice from Buddhist masters on regulating the mind. As the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua says, “The outside world reflects our inside nature, and we’re experiencing wars and conflict because our minds are afflicted.” As citizens of the world, calming the mind by meditation will help the way these issues are perceived. This session helps participants reflect inside themselves to find solutions to their own problems before branching out into society. In addition, there are several readings from famous Buddhist texts and commentary by Buddhist masters, such as the Venerable Master Hsuan Hua. Presenters also lead a guided meditation and breathing session and end with a few prompts for participants to think over.