Past Events: Dr Julia Sagebien Say No to Nihilism

MARCH 10TH, 2024

1PM - 2PM - Guided Meditation 
2PM - 3PM - Lecture

WHERE:

SMAC
at Art Avenue Gallery
Siesta Key Mall
3501 S Tamiami Trail #107
Sarasota, FL 34239

“The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.”
― Albert Camus

Dystopian times foster nihilism, the belief that everything is meaningless. They also foster eternalism, the belief that everything has a true meaning and that adherence to a particular set of beliefs can deliver one from assured damnation. Existentialists, like Camus, fresh out of the ashes of WWII, posited that it was possible to find meaning in the absurd, and that some form of freedom was possible. But what is freedom? How can it be achieved and sustained? How can it be of any benefit to oneself or others?

In this lecture, we will examine Buddha Shakyamuni’s answer to these questions. We will explore the notion of Buddhism as providing a Middle Way between extremes, as well as the The Four Noble Truths as path towards such freedom.

Dr. Julia Sagebien became a student of the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1973. She subsequently studied with the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche. At the request of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, Julia worked closely with Spanish-speaking dharma centers worldwide and helped pioneer Queer Dharma. Dr. Sagebien is a retired university professor. She was born in Cuba and now resides in Halifax, Chicago, and San Juan.