Eve is a long time student of the dharma. She began practicing Vipassana in the early 1990s, trained in mindfulness-based social action through the two-year Path of Engagement program at Spirit Rock. and is a certified meditation teacher through the Community Dharma Leader Program. Eve is also a performing artist and co-founded the feminist folk trio Rebecca Riots(1993-2009). They were dubbed “Best Band with a Conscience” by the SF Bay Guardian, toured nationally, and released five CDs. In 2006 Eve released a solo CD, “Commentary on the Perfections of the Heart”, ten original songs based on a Buddhist list of qualities that promote a contented heart. A review of the CD in Tricycle magazine said, “Decker’s melodies, and her luscious, inventive phrasing, give her songs the power of a transmission”. Here's what James Baraz has to say, "Listening to Eve’s songs are often just what I need to remind myself of the truth inside. They’ve been a big part of my daily life practice to inspire and open my heart. I love Eve Decker’s music!"
This talk is an exploration of the Anattalakkhana Sutta (Teaching on No Separate Self); one of the Buddha's first teachings after awakening. How can this teaching support our ease, insight, and compassion?
This talk explores the "two truths" doctrine in Buddhism. This teaching defines reality through two concurrent perspectives: conventional truth (relative, everyday experience) and ultimate truth (absolute, empty nature). While we move toward accessing the freedom of ultimate truth, we are always human with human lives. Wisdom and compassion guide us to bring love to the mundane as well as experience the love inherent in the ultimate.
Eve has been offering reflections on the Buddha's teaching - MN 20 - on dis-identifying from non-useful thoughts. After a quick review of the Buddha's five suggestions, we'll take a deep dive into #4 - 'Focusing on stilling the formation of non-useful thoughts', which means bringing awareness directly, with curiosity and respect, to the physical tension or emotional reactivity that is typically there with negative judgment of self or other. To do this, we will look at work local Buddhist teacher Donald Rothberg has developed which can help us to transform the judgmental mind.
Eve has been offering reflections on the Buddha's teaching - MN 20 - on dis-identifying from non-useful thoughts. Some of these practices are straightforward, like simply ignoring difficult thoughts. And, we all know that some challenging thoughts will not just be ignored. One of the more complex but deeply rewarding practices, particularly for overcoming habituated thoughts of resentment or self-criticism, is the practice of (what we call in English) forgiveness. This can be understood as choosing compassion over aversion, for our own sakes. This talk reflects on this concept and practice.
Thoughts driven by greed, hatred, or delusion lead us farther and farther from both inner and outer peace, and yet they are rampant. How do we work with them when they arise? One way the Buddha taught was to deliberately substitute spinning painful thoughts with thoughts that incline toward peace. These sorts of thoughts are often connected to the Brahma Viharas, "divine abodes" of lovingkindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity. This talk looks at cultivating these energies and using them pragmatically as substitutes when we are lost in negative thinking.
Thoughts driven by greed, hatred, or delusion lead us farther and farther from peace, and yet they are rampant. How do we work with them when they arise? In this talk we'll look at some Buddhist teachings that offer a framework for dis-identifying from and working skillfully with thoughts that don't serve us or others.
Compassion - turning toward suffering with care and wise responsiveness - is a familiar tenet of Buddhism. Renunciation is also a central teaching. What does that mean for lay practitioners and how does it relate to compassion?
