Sacred Text Reading Group
A weekly online sacred text reading group with Reverend Amy
Using a spiritual-practice approach, in each session we will explore a different brief scriptural text in depth. The aims of the sessions are educational (learning something about the texts and traditions), spiritual/moral (discovering what the texts ask of us), and community-building (getting to know each other better). I’ll have a version of the text available to share; “bring” your own if you like. All are welcome, as are your suggestions of future texts.
Our text for Saturday, September 5 is from the connected discourses, 12.65:
“Suppose, bhikkhus, a man wandering through a forest would see an ancient path, an ancient road travelled upon by people in the past. He would follow it and would see an ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhabited by people in the past, with parks, groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delightful place. Then the man would inform the king or a royal minister: ‘Sire, know that while wandering through the forest I saw an ancient path, an ancient road travelled upon by people in the past. I followed it and saw an ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhabited by people in the past, with parks, groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delightful place. Renovate that city, sire!’ Then the king or the royal minister would renovate the city, and some time later that city would become successful and prosperous, well populated, filled with people, attained to growth and expansion.”
Although we will focus on this paragraph and the many ways it may speak to us, you may also want to read it in the context of the sutta (sutra) where it appears, Nagara Sutta: The City.
How to join:
- Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/578882781
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- Join this class by phone: 669 900 9128 US (San Jose), Meeting ID: 578 882 781
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