Let's Face It. Life Can Hurt.
You've Tried A Few Spiritual Practices To Fix It.
Maybe even some other things you'd rather not mention.
Are You Happy With The Results?
Get to the Bottom and Fix it
A step by step, logical, and clear set of classes
on the causes and cures of suffering and misery. Without understanding the basics
you'll never get anywhere.​
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Yes, the topics we cover are based on the Buddha's insights and realizations, but our classes are not spiritual, religious, or psychological. They are a deep dive into the logical, rational, and verifiable principles that address the problem of suffering and misery rationally, and in plain English.
The Problem of Suffering and Misery
Let's face it, life can be full of suffering and misery. It can hurt in so many ways, physically, emotionally, psychologically. Nobody likes it, and everyone tries to fix it. We try all kinds of ways and nothing seems to work for very long. Lots of things people do actually make it worse, like self medicating with drugs and alcohol, and whatever else we latch on to. We've all been there. It sucks.
The Buddha's entire mission in life wasn't to get enlightened, it was to address the problem of suffering. Through his study and realizations he discovered the root causes of our misery, and saw that there was a solution. He then laid out a clear method, a path, for anyone to achieve this solution.
True cessation of suffering is possible, and the Buddha’s teachings show the way. The problem for many Westerners is that a lot of the commonly available Buddhist teaching systems get bogged down in uncomfortable religious language, dress, and rituals, or sidetracked into psychology and metaphysics.
At All Rivers we specialize in explaining the core principles in a logical step by step order, in plain English, so that you can really understand them. You will easily connect the dots to your own day to day life, and relieve the suffering you feel.
Yes, it takes some effort, some focus and commitment, but you can do it. Lots of people have over many centuries. It can be done and we'll be there to guide you and help you. Why? Because it's worth it for you, for us, and for everyone.
What we offer...
"Creating the Causes and Conditions for Awakening"
Four consecutive 6 Week Courses. (Two week break in between)
Classes are 1.5 hours long starting at 7:30 pm on Wednesday evenings. On Zoom. Series 1 begins on Wednesday January 8, 2025.
Series 1: Getting Started
A deep dive into the Four Noble Truths.
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1. The Fact of Suffering
Laying out the Problem
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2. The Fact of the Cause of Suffering
The root causes of why we suffer
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3. The Fact of the Cessation of Suffering
Yes, we can fix the problem
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4. The Fact of the method for the
Cessation of Suffering
There's a way out, and it's under our control
Series 3: Deeper & Deeper
The Most Profound Insights of the Buddha.
Series 3 is an in-depth study of the logic and reasoning behind this 2500 year old wisdom tradition and why it's stood the test of time. Here's the Key topics.
1. Impermanence (it's a good thing!)
2. Cause & Effect (different than Karma?)
3. Dependent Arising (the most profound)
4. Oneness (see why and how it's true)
5. Emptiness (this is not nothingness)
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They all fit together in a beautiful way and we will clearly and methodically go through them so you can see how they work in our lives.
Series 2: Going Further
An exploration of the Noble Eightfold Path
Going Further builds on the work we did in Series 1. We focus on the specific methods of the Eightfold Path and how and why following these guidelines sets up the causes and conditions for awakening to a new way of life that is under your control.
A life that is fulfilling and based on a true view of reality that inspires confidence, no matter what your personal circumstances. Work, school, home life, young or old, the Eightfold Path will benefit you!
Series 4: All Done!
Flying On Your Own
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We’ll discuss obstacles that may arise in your practice, answer questions that have come up, and offer practical tips for taking control of your things when you have ups and downs, or hit plateaus.
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Creating the Causes and Conditions for Awakening to your life is not a quick fix. It's a life long practice that we hope we've laid the foundation for here. You don't need to be a monk or priest in Buddhism. There are literally millions of regular people in many countries who've benefited from the Buddha's insights and realizations. Now you'll see them for yourself.​ Time to fly wherever you want!
Private Tutoring
1 hour long appointments with our main teacher, Bruce Hogen Lambson, are available for those who want to go deeper into these topics and terms. He can also help catch you up if you miss a class for whatever reason. Click the button below to see the available tutoring times and days.
$85 / hour.
About Bruce Hogen Lambson
I was born and raised in Seattle. I worked for companies there in the areas of industrial machinery and engineering and then had my own related businesses. I became interested in and began my Buddhist studies in 1994, primarily in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In my extensive business travels around the West Coast I was able to visit many different Buddhist centers. In 1998 I met Genpo Merzel Roshi, the Abbot and resident Zen Master of the Kanzeon Zen Center in Salt Lake City.
I began attending retreats there over the next few years until, in 2003, I moved to Salt Lake City and entered training under Genpo Roshi as a full time student/resident of the Zen Center. I was ordained a Monk in 2005 and also served as Executive Director for Kanzeon Zen Center until 2010. During that time I traveled extensively throughout the United State and Europe with Genpo Roshi as he conducted Retreats, Workshops, and Seminars for literally thousands of people. I currently live in Sandy, Utah with my wife and daughter and have seen and felt the benefits of solid Buddhist study and practice in my own day-today life with family, friends, and coworkers. I have continued my training with Genpo Roshi and have his permission to teach others. I founded All Rivers in 2018 as a way to gratefully carry on the tradition and do my part to pass along my experience to others. It's my hope that I can be of benefit to my community by sharing my experience and knowledge of Buddhism, drawing on my study and practice of both Tibetan and Zen traditions.
