Living with Integrity - Steven Tierney

In this talk, Steven Tierney emphasizes living with integrity as the core of Buddhist practice.He helps us reflect on living a meaningful and compassionate practice that is responsive to our unique life situations while benefitting both ourselves and others.Steven defines integrity as aligning thoughts, words, and actions with core values while living for the benefit of others.Integrity means wholeness and completeness, derived from Latin meaning "whole"Encourages self-reflection and internal alignment with personal valuesMoves us beyond intellectual understanding to embodied practicePractical ApplicationsReplacing to-do lists with "to-feel" lists (focusing on desired feelings rather than tasks)Reducing doom scrolling and social media consumptionPracticing "We Care" - balancing self-care with caring for othersBuddhist Practice in Daily LifeEmphasizing that Buddhist teachings should be verified through lived experiencePromoting engaged Buddhism that flows from contemplative practiceLiving the Bodhisattva vows through everyday interactionsKey ConceptsUpaya (skillful means) - teaching in multiple ways to reach different peopleNimbleness of spirit - knowing when to speak up versus when to listenBeing present and compassionate rather than getting overwhelmed by external eventsSteven concludes by referencing the Buddha's belief in the innate nobility and compassion of all beings, suggesting that negative qualities are learned rather than inherent.______________Steven Tierney (Kai Po Koshin) is a Dharma transmitted teacher in the lineage of Suzuki Roshi. Steven has a new Sangha: Oceans Compassion Sangha and also practices with Gay Buddhist Fellowship, Meditation in Recovery at SFZC, Great Spirit Sangha, SFLGBTQA Sangha, and the Hartford Street Zen Center.Steven believes that we can find wisdom, compassion and awakening wherever good people come together for practice, healing, service and joy. Dr. Tierney is a psychotherapist in private practice and Professor Emeritus in Counseling Psychology at CIIS.He is a Certified Addiction Specialist and has been named a Diplomate in Clinical Mental Health by the American Mental Health Counselors Association. He is also a certified suicide prevention and intervention trainer, providing workshops, classes, and consultations. Steven can be reached at 415-235-1061 or [email protected] ______________  To support our efforts to share these talks with LGBTQIA audiences worldwide, please visit https://gaybuddhist.org/There you can:   Donate  Learn how to participate live  Find our schedule of upcoming speakers  Join our mailing list or discussion forum Enjoy over 900 recorded talks dating back to 1995CREDITSAudio Production: George HubbardProducer: Tom BrueinMusic/Logo/Artwork: Derek Lassiter