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Pathways to Happiness

With Zohar Lavie recorded on November 10, 2019.

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Being human includes feeling great and feeling pain; given the changing nature of experience what kind of happiness is possible for us? Can we cultivate freedom, happiness and contentment that are less reliant on things ‘going our way’? The attitudes of goodwill, care and friendliness are some of our greatest allies in practice, and also in life. They are inherent within Dharma practice, but are also ways of relating to experience that we can emphasise and cultivate intentionally.

During this session we explore how the ways we relate to experience impact what we perceive, and the possibilities of nourishing attitudes that support the wellbeing of all.

Listen to the audio version below, or click here to download the mp3.

Discussion

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