Building Inner Strength graphic by Zoe Butler.

In January 2020, Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW), an international FPMT project, published its Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide, a new free resource designed to help more people around the world learn about and benefit from their 16 Guidelines for Life program. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide gives its readers tools that can be used to facilitate a weekly discussion group for a period of sixteen weeks, with participants exploring one of the 16 Guidelines each week.

Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom is one of FPMT’s five pillars of service, and FDCW creates programs based on this system of sharing the essence of Buddhism within a secular context. Victoria Coleman, FDCW director, gives an update about this new free publication.

The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is an easy-to-follow weekly outline for anyone in the world who is interested in exploring universal values such as humility, kindness, compassion, aspiration, service, and courage in discussion with others. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is based on our 16 Guidelines for Life program and draws inspiration from the 16 Guidelines for Life book.

The purpose of the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is to help those who would like to facilitate weekly discussion groups exploring the 16 Guidelines for Life. Each weekly discussion group session lasts ninety minutes and explores one universal value. Participants reflect deeply on the value, then discuss questions that help draw out their own wisdom and their individual experience of that value. The focus is on experiential learning, coming not just from an intellectual perspective but from the heart. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide includes suggested questions to spark discussions, guided meditations, and notes for the discussion leader.

No prior experience of the 16 Guidelines for Life program, training, or certification is needed. The Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide is offered by FDCW as a free resource available to anyone with an interest in exploring these values with others and how they can be applied in daily life. Discussion groups can be formed with a circle of friends, colleagues in the workplace, drawn from the local community, or a mix.

Our aspiration is that this Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide will help to globalize the 16 Guidelines for Life program by sharing the values much more widely and encourage the habit of applying the values to challenges in daily life.

We have already received a big response to the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide. People have shared ideas for using the discussion guide not only for a sixteen-week series, but also for beginner retreats, evening meditation classes, weekend workshops, and social outreach to the community.

Ven. Carolyn Lawler in New Zealand said, “Many thanks for the information you sent. I think you’ve solved a problem for me. The material Building Inner Strength seems to be what I’ve need for a new class. In the past we had classes on The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and A Fearless Heart: How the Courage to Be Compassionate Can Transform Our Lives by Dr. Thupten Jinpa. These were very successful, but I couldn’t find a follow-on, which was wanted. I think the material you sent could work very well.”

Mikkel Bjelke Kristiansen, SEE Learning Coordinator, Europe, wrote, “Thank you very much for sharing this updated and upgraded version of the discussion guide. I like everything about it: the simplicity, visual appearance, emphasis on personal practice, practical applications in everyday life, and the critical reflections arising from the discussions.”

Lynne Knight in England shared, “Thanks so much to you and all involved for this wonderful resource. I was just looking for something like this to take our fortnightly meditation group forward by opening up the leading of the group to others. This looks to be perfect, and perfect timing! Thanks for making it so freely available. I’ll let you know how we get on with it at the Jamyang Bath Study Group.”

Maureen McIntyre, Langri Tangpa Centre director in Queensland, Australia, said, “I think that I will introduce these discussions to some of my family and friends. They often ask me about Buddhist principles but aren’t interested in studying. Discussing this over coffee would be ‘skillful means.'”

Many thanks to Rasmus Hougaard, Keith Halford, Wendy Ridley, Angela Sanchez, and Michaela Kirchem for their skills and care in creating this.

We welcome feedback from discussion leaders and participants so that we can improve the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide. May thousands and thousands of beings benefit from this free resource!

To receive a free copy of the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide please contact admin@compassionandwisdom.org. No training from FPMT, Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, or familiarity with Buddhism is necessary in order to receive a copy or make use of the free discussion guide. Please share this invitation with anyone you feel would be interested in reading the Building Inner Strength Discussion Guide.

To learn more about the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom, visit their website:
https://www.compassionandwisdom.org 

FPMT.org and Mandala Publications brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from over 160 FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.