Introduction
August 25, 2026
Topics Include: 1) The purpose of our discussion of God from the perspective of different faith traditions; 2) How faith traditions differ or are similar in terms of their dualistic or non-dualistic aspects; 3) What is sacred and what is profane? 4) What transcends my ego based self and extends to all of nature and the universe? 5) Is this reality separate and apart from me or is it something of which I am a manifestation? 6) If it is something different from me, then what is it? Could it be a projection, a product of my mind? 7) Types of positive and negative projections; 8) Paul Tillich and the Ground of Being; 9) How is God seen from a Buddhist perspective? 10) How is Buddhist pure awareness or rigpa similar to the Christian Ground of Being?
God from a Christian Perspective
August 30, 2025
Topics Include: 1) What is God? Defining a dualistic and non-dualistiic relationship; 2) Is the concept of God a mental projection? 3) Types of projections; 4) Paul Tillich and the concept of the Ground of Being; 5) God from a Buddhist perspective; 6) How is the Buddhist perspective similar to the Christian Ground of Being? 7) Examples of Christian contemplatives who embraced Buddhism; 8) Quotations from Buddhist and Christian masters; 9) Trying to find what unites as opposed to what divides the faith traditions of the world.
What is God: Buddhism and Judaism
September 13, 2025
Topics Include: 1) What is the relationship between the sacred and the profane in Buddhism and the faith traditions of the world? 2) Dualism and non-dualism in the faith traditions; 3) Paul Tillich and the concept of the ground of being; 4) How is rigpa or pure awareness in Buddhism similar to the Christian concept of the ground of being? 5) How is rigpa or pure awareness in Buddhism smilar to the Kabbalah in Judaism? 6) The sacred is already within us and within all sentient life.
What is God: Buddhism and Islam
September 20, 2025
Topics Include: 1) The basic premise: What is it that is sacred vs profane, that transcends our sense of egoic self: 2) Dualism and non-dualism within all faith traditions; 3) Mindfulness and non-dualism; 5) The relationship between Buddhism and Islam: Sufism; 6) Similarities expressed through the expression of ultimate reality, the overcoming of the egoic self; the attainment of liberation, and the expression of wisdom as love and compassion; 7) The writings of the Sufi poet Rumi; 8) Experiencing sacred presence in our moment to moment lives.
What is God: Buddhism and Hinduism
September 27, 2025
Topics Include: 1) What is sacred and what is profane? 2) Is this sacred reality separate from me or something of which I am a manifestation. Is it a dual or non-dual relationship? 3) How mindfulness is a sacred practice; 4) How our sense of self is created; 5) How is Buddhism similar to the non-dual traditions of Hinduism? 6) What is awareness? 7) How are form and emptiness inseparable; 8) Seeing the ultimate nature of reality as pure awareness; 9) Why sacred reality has always been within us and why we forgot; 10) What is the process of awakening?
The Nature of Ultimate Reality
October 11, 2025
Topics Include: 1) Definition of the sacred and the profane, dualism and non-dualism; 2) What does mindfulness mean? 3) What is ultimate reality ? 4) How is it non-dualistic? 5) What is the result of this awakening? 6) Quotations from the five faith traditions; 7) What is it that is deathless and unconditioned, the final Nibanna? 8) What do these faith traditions share? 9) How is compassion inseparable from awareness? 10) A closing poem.
The Permanent Witness State
October 18, 2025
Topics Include: 1) Basic premise of the series: what is sacred and what is profane: dualism and non-dualism; 2) Introductory poem: the sacred reality tht resides within every sentient being; 3) Definition of the permanent witness state; 4) What is the opposite of the permanent witness state? 5) Life after the collapse of the ego: what happens when we become the permanent witness? 6) We are the Ground; 7) What is the reality of truth?