Pema Karen Schaefer on ‘Applying Wisdom and Compassion in our Pursuit of Happiness’

Pema Karen Schaefer’s teachings on the 10th March, 2018 titled ‘Applying Wisdom and Compassion in our Pursuit of Happiness’ took us on a journey of self-reflection, contemplation and interactive sharing.

Our work with inclusion was epitomised beautifully by Ven. Ani Pema’s presence in her teachings on Applying Wisdom and Compassion in our pursuit of happiness. Her teachings brought a sense of togetherness to a diverse crowd of people from varied spaces. In the midst of the verdant setting, interspersed with vivid flowers, where the twitter of birds and the rustle of the breeze added to the spiritual ambience; each person carried that morsel from the teachings which inspired and revived their thoughts and feelings the most. What was beautiful was that the content seemed accessible to all, each person could relate to the examples that emerged from her own life.

Some reflected on whether acknowledging and accepting our mortality make us appreciate our life more; if we knew that time was limited, would our responses to situations be different, would there be more compassion? Others pondered upon the quintessential “Who am I? What am I here for? How do I find the path that leads me to the purpose of my life?”The question of Happiness was linked by some to the purity of childhood and its connections while others sought to look at the sharing in the joys and sorrows of another.

About the teacher

Ven. Pema (Karen Schaefer) has been a Buddhist monastic for 16 years, ordained and trained in Bhutan and Taiwan. After being qualified in Transpersonal Psychology from California, she practiced as a counsellor and human resource trainer in major corporations in the US and Australia. Her teachings emphasize on an integration of physical, psychological and spiritual well-being practices and inspire others to seek a holistic approach to their personal practice and work.