"If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; without rain the trees cannot grow; and without trees, we cannot make paper. The cloud is essential for the paper to exist. If the cloud is not here, the sheet of paper cannot be here either. So we can say that the cloud and the paper “inter-are.” Thich Nhat Hahn 

The twelve links of interdependent origination is a description of how things originate and how, because of various causes and conditions, proceed through twelve linked steps that lead back to a starting point.  

On one level, the twelve links show us how our habitual patterns keep us stuck in “. . . a world of birth, of not getting what we want, getting what we don’t want, seeking but not finding, of sickness, aging and death.” The twelve links are like a map showing us how to find the gap that can lead us to liberate ourselves from this wheel of dissatisfaction. 

What:  This class will be a closed study group for all levels led by Bettina Escudero that will study, contemplate, and meditate the Twelve Links of interdependent Origination. You will probably enjoy this class if you are curious about:

• how our actions (karma) — our choices — affect outcomes in the future;
• how we perceive the world and how those perceptions are usually distorted by our notions of self, by our perceived needs and desires, by our judgements, and aversions;
• how each choice we make leads us through the 12 links and back again like a revolving  door, like hamsters continually running around a circular wheel and getting nowhere;
• how to find the gap in the wheel that leads to liberation and lightenment; And most  importantly, it can help you build a strong base that will inform and  encourage you, energizing your spiritual practice. 

When: Mondays, 6:00 - 8:00 for 6 weeks. Starts September 16th, 2019 Cost and commitment: 6 weeks: $35/$45 according to your means  + text (we will sell at CTBCC's bookstore for about $17). 

*No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

To register or for more information contact Bettina Escudero (360) 969-0611. You can pay by check made out to CTBCC. Class size is limited

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Bettina Escudero, M.A., M.F.A., is a senior disciple of His Holiness Holiness Gongma Rinpoche, the 41st Sakya Trichen. She has practiced Buddhism for 23 years and has received empowerments and teachings from all traditions. Bettina lived in India for 12 years, where she spent most of her time in retreat under the direct guidance of His Holiness Sakya Trichen, and she is also happy to be back home in El Paso.