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Courage Because of the Holy Spirit Date: June 9, 2019 Scripture: Acts 3:11-26 Big Idea: The Holy Spirit will give us the courage so that He can get all the glory. Introduction: 1. Courageous believers should never try to hide the glory of God! (8-11) a. Telling your story catches the attention of unbelievers b. Telling your story emboldens other believers c. Telling your story makes the gospel more effective 2. Courageous believers speak the truth in love a. Peter knew that he first had to establish a spiritual need b. He lovingly told the Jews that they had sinned against the Christ c. Sometimes the most loving thing you can say to an unbeliever is the truth about where they are spiritually 3. Courageous believers point people to Jesus (16) a. Jesus is the object of our faith (16) i. Have you noticed that all world religions agree on one thing: You are responsible for saving yourself 1. Buddhism: You save yourself by ceasing all desire 2. Confucianism: You save yourself by education, reflection and moral living 3. Hinduism: You save yourself by living in unity with the divine 4. Islam: You save yourself by doing good works Simply, you become the object of your salvation: b. Jesus fulfilled prophecies (18) c. Jesus is the Christ (18) i. Peter courageously used some very bold titles for Jesus • “Jesus” (meant “God saves”) (13) • the “servant of God” (13) • the “Holy One” (14) • the “Righteous One” (15) • the “Author of Life” (15) • the “Christ” (18) ii. Peter boldly described the fact that they had killed the Messiah they had been looking for! 4. Courageous believers provide the spiritual answer to their problem (19) a. If you repent of your sins (complete change of mind)…and b. If you turn back to God c. Then your sins will be wiped out...and d. Then refreshment will come to your soul 5. Courageous believers always offer them Jesus a. The gospel of Jesus is very personal b. The gospel of Jesus reminds us that it is all about grace c. The gospel of Jesus is very effective Lessons: Speaking with Holy Boldness • Ask the Holy Spirit to give you boldness • Tell your story • Your faith is to be public, not private • Remember, it is the Holy Spirit that makes the gospel effective • Follow up the truth with a clear path to forgiveness and refreshment Conclusion
Our year long jaunt through the world of academic engagement with Buddhism continues. In this episode of the Imperfect Buddha Podcast, we talk to William Edelglass, professor of Philosophy, Environmental Studies, and Buddhist Studies at Marlboro College. William has been a teacher in a variety of settings, including a federal prison in New York, a Tibetan refugee settlement in Nepal, and for many years as a wilderness guide at Outward Bound. Before going to Marlboro, William taught Western philosophy at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala, India, to Tibetan monks, and Buddhist philosophy to American college students on a Tibetan studies program. William also teaches a range of fascinating courses at Barre Centre for Buddhist Studies. William and I cover quite a bit of ground in our 2-hour long conversation spanning Buddhism, Philosophy, and our current political climate. Here are just some of the questions we tackled; What stand out lessons have each phase of your professional life taught you? Which lessons continue to influence the way you work and think about what drives you? What philosophical challenges do the different Buddhisms present to Western Philosophical thought? What philosophical challenges does Western Philosophy present to Buddhist thought? How do you think Western practitioners might take a more critical and explorative approach to Buddhist thought? What are we to do with the challenges of nihilism as practitioners? What are we to make of mysticism? How can we renew philosophical thought for practitioners? Why is Shantideva such an important figure for you and what challenges do his work and thought raise? Why is Levinas an important figure for you what challenges do his work and thought raise for Buddhism? You can find out more about William’s work at the following site: https://www.marlboro.edu/academics/undergraduate/faculty#edelglass_william Music for this episode comes from George Glew and is called Higher. Listen to more of his music at https://soundcloud.com/georgeglew Links O'Connell Coaching: https://oconnellcoaching.com Post-Traditional Buddhism: https://posttraditionalbuddhism.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/imperfectbuddha Twitter: twitter.com/Imperfectbuddha
Chandra Easton and Michael Taft talk about gender and sexual misconduct in Buddhism, why compassion must be a part of spiritual practice, and the place of the guru in modern culture. Chandra shares her personal story of dealing with sexual misconduct at the hands of her teacher, tantric practices as a technology for awakening, internalized patriarchy, and how love and kindness is the whole point of spiritual practice. Also included are guidelines for choosing a teacher, reimagining Tantric practices in non-binary ways, and much more.Chandra Easton studied Buddhist philosophy, meditation, and Tibetan language at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives in Dharamsala, India, and translated Tibetan Buddhist texts on meditation with B. Alan Wallace. Chandra has taught meditation and yoga since 2001. She has studied with many Tibetan and Western Buddhist teachers such as H.H. Dalai Lama, H.H. Karmapa, Lama Tsultrim Allione, B. Alan Wallace,Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche, and Jennifer Welwood. She is currently the Assistant Spiritual Director & Head Teacher at the Tara Mandala Retreat Center. To learn more visit www.shunyatayoga.com and www.taramandala.org.LinksThe teachings of ChödNamkhai NorbuLama Tsultrim AllioneThe Alchemical BodyThe Anam Cara Show Notes2:57 - Chandra’s move to Colorado4:14 - The Tara Mandala retreat center6:35 - The Chöd practices11:33 - Namkhai Norbu and “self-secret”14:33 - The technology of Tantra20:38 - The motivation of compassion25:54 - Guru sexual misconduct and The Feminine in Buddhism34:04 - The Buddha’s views on women37:38 - The Tantra movement40:01 - Women in Buddhism and what needs to change44:41 - Women-run sanghas47:39 - Gender in Tantric practices52:16 - Sexual abuse and spiritual leaders59:05 - How to choose a teacher1:05:04 - Qualities to look for in a teacher1:10:11 - Is the guru still needed?1:13:05 - The Soul Friend1:15:40 - The story of the Grandma and the Dog’s Tooth1:19:54 - The teacher vs. the teachings1:28:35 - Education changing the female experience in Buddhism You can support the creation of future episodes of this podcast by contributing through Patreon.