I just came back. It was really interesting.
The lecture was very well attended (I d say probably around 50/60 people) and I really liked him. He is a plain spoken non assuming tattooed guy who would fit right in with a lot of my friends. Definitely not the Sifu or guru type.
We started with a fairly long mindfulness meditation then he took a couple of questions.
He talked a lot about compassion for oneself, one's mind, one's body and for others. He also steered the meditation toward compassion and feelings of kindness during the last half. This was a bit different for me since I generally go into a neutral empty state when I sit.
The way he led us in the meditation was also very different from my sifu at the temple (she is a Chinese Buddhist nun).
He also touched on the subject of pain vs suffering and how pain was unavoidable but we could pull the brakes on suffering by not feeding into it.
Last but not least, he talked about the importance of the sangha/community in Buddhist practice. I am not too sure how I feel about that since my own practice is mostly quite private (I go to the temple once every couple of months at most and I really don't talk to nobody, I just sit, listen and meditate).
He did not really speak about recovery. The lecture was attended by a mixed crowd of refuge recovery folks, members of the Vajra and members of the Rebels and Saints meditation society.
It really gave me food for thoughts when it comes to my meditation practice.
I d definitely suggest you attend if he comes in your area. He is an interesting yet laid back teacher who doesn't take himself too seriously. He's the kind of guy I d invite over for a barbecue. I did not feel that superior/inferior rift that one often gets when attending a lecture on spiritual matters and the people present were definitely no swooning sycophants just Dharma Punx LOL.
