The goal of the Buddhist path is sometimes defined as “liberation through non-clinging.” But what is meant by clinging? In the First Noble Truth, the Buddha proclaimed that there is dukkha (suffering, stress, distress, unsatisfactoriness), and he defined dukkha in short as “the five clinging-aggregates” of form, feeling-tone, perception, formations, and consciousness.
To have any possibility of experiencing the freedom of non-clinging, we first need to understand the nature of our clinging more fully. In this six-week online program, we will explore the five clinging-aggregates through weekly two-hour meetings on Zoom, comprising short talks, guided meditations, and interpersonal practice in pairs and small groups using the guidelines of Insight Dialogue. Our group practice will be complemented by home study and practice of at least two hours per week, using the Canvas platform to access supplementary readings and dharma talks, and to contribute to an online discussion board. Practicing in solitude and together, we can directly experience not only the dukkha of clinging, but the possibility of its release.