[updated 2/15/95; expires 7/21/95] To get the latest version of this file via Internet, send a message to "ftpmail@metta.ci.net" with the words GET SKEDBCBS.TXT in the message body. Send corrections & updates to "listkeeper@metta.ci.net". -------------------------------------------------------------------- BARRE CENTER FOR BUDDHIST STUDIES Lockwood Road Barre, MA 01005 (508) 355-2347 -------------------------------------------------------------------- 1995 Schedule of Courses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feb 24-26 (Weekend) METTA (LOVING KINDNESS) Daeja Napier (95DNI $120) Metta is the first of the Brahma Viharas (Sublime States of Mind) taught by the Buddha. It is a concentration practice which softens the experience of life, enhancing a loving. compassionate, joyful and balanced relationship with oneself and others. This workshop will explore the teaching and practice of Metta to restore a sense of loving connection with ourselves and the world around us. Mar 3-5 (Weekend) SCIENTIFIC INQUIRY/BUDDHIST INSIGHT Perrin Cohen (95PC $120) Scientific inquiry can be a powerful tool for understanding human nature and for helping people. The use of scientific research and clinical methods, however. is not always grounded in ethics or compassion This course is designed for science students, researchers, physicians, nurses, engineers and other practitioners of science to explore the practical ways of bringing Buddhist insight and ethical mindfulness into routine laboratory, clinical and field settings. Mar 25 (Saturday) WOMEN IN BUDDHISM: ANCIENT INDIA AND CONTEMPORARY WEST Susan Murcott (95MUR $45) Using //Therigatha: The Poems of Early Buddhist Nuns// as a text, this course will explore the lives of first Buddhist women and whether their life and practice is ours. Were these women dependent or independent, conventional or radical, liberated or bonded? How have we, as the first generation of Buddhist women in the West, followed in or departed from their path? We will also compare these poems with the poems of other ancient religious women poets. Mar 31-Apr 2 SPIRITUAL FRIENDSHIP (kalyana-mitta) Ajahn Sucitto and Amaravati sangha monks (95AMR $120) According to the Buddha, association with spiritually-minded friends (kalyana-mitta) leads one naturally to cultivate the noble eightfold-path. This course will focus on the factors involved in this naturally evolving process, viewed from the perspective of letting go. Apr 13-16 (3 days) DZOG CHEN: AWAKENING THE BUDDHA WITHIN Lama Surya Das (95SD1 $180) Dzog Chen (Tibetan for "The Natural Great Perfection") teaches awareness techniques for awakening to inner freedom, and directly introduces the inherent freedom, purity and perfection of the innate BuddhaMind, and the interconnectedness of all beings. Apr 21-23 (Weekend) APPLICATION OF MINDFULNESS IN EVERYDAY LIFE Thynn Thynn (95TT $120) The teaching of Dependent Origination (Paticcasamuppada) is the core of Buddha's teaching; it is about living a full human life in the world. Through lectures, discussion, practical training in mindfulness, this course will examine ways of understanding and applying knowledge of the cycle of Dependent Origination in everyday life. Apr 29 (Saturday) VIMALAKIRTI SUTRA George Bowman (95GB $45) The teachings of Vlmalakirti, the householder, are held in great reverence in the Mahayana tradition as a clear guide to living an awakened life as a lay practitioner. Vlmalakirti, a contemporary of the Buddha and a married man, was said to be second only to the Buddha in spiritual development. We will take his teachings as our own inspiration for a day of practicing unconditioned openness. May 5-7 (Weekend) MONEY AND BUDDHIST SPIRITUALITY Jose Reissig (95JR $120) This course will explore the split which exists between the world of morality and the world of money. As medium of exchange, money connects us. Yet, at another level, it creates distance and disconnection. Is that split inevitable? What are its consequences? Through dharma talks, sitting meditation, periods of sharing and inquiry, and a money game, we will connect with the teaching of anatta (not-self) and explore how we can bring new insights into this troubled area. Jun 3 (Saturday) EQUANIMITY Daeja Napier (95DN2 $45) Equanimity, or mental equilibrium, is the king or queen of the four Brahma-Viharas (Sublime States of Mind). In this course, we will examine, through traditional Buddhist literature, the means for development and application of this attitude of mind--remaining balanced in the midst of the ever-changing tide of human events--in relationship to ourselves and others. Jun 10 (Saturday) HEART SUTRA: FORM IS EMPTINESS, EMPTINESS IS FORM Mu Soeng (95MS1 $45) Using this seminal text of Mahayana Buddhism, this course will explore the teaching of Emptiness in the traditions of Zen Buddhism, Madhyamika dialectic, Yogacara idealism, and the findings of quantum physics. Through talks, discussions, meditation and chanting, we will investigate the ever-embracing interplay of form and emptiness. Jun 16-18 (Weekend) BUDDHA, DHAMMA, SANGHA: THE TRIPLE REFUGE Thanissaro Bhikkhu (95TJ $120) To take refuge in the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha is to make a firm commitment to a life of awareness. This course will explore--through readings, talks, discussions, and meditation--the what, the why, and the how of this step: What exactly is the Triple Refuge? Why does one need refuge? How does refuge function in one's daily practice? Jun 23-25 (non-residential weekend) THERAVADA-THERAVADA CONFERENCE This pioneering conference will explore issues critical to the development of Theravada Buddhism in the West. There are many branches of Theravada Buddhism in the West now, especially in America; but what does it mean to teach Theravada Buddhism when many of its teachers are laypeople? Are monastic teachers critical to the development of Theravada in the West? What is the role and possibilities of monastic form in the West? Is the West ready for Theravada Buddhism? What form will the monastic/lay relationship take in America? A partial list of presenters includes: Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi, Ven. Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Ven. Bhante Gunaratana, Ven. Sumedho or Ven. Sucitto from the Amaravati Sangha in England, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg, Steven Smith, Michele McDonald, Larry Rosenberg, Christina Feldman. Andy Olendzki will be the moderator for the conference. Jul 9-21 INTENSIVE PROGRAM IN BUDDHIST STUDIES In its ever-expanding programmatic vision, the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies will offer, in addition to its winter offering, its first summer intensive program in Buddhist Studies. It provides an in-depth academic introduction to the doctrinal and historical background within a contemplative environment. The objective of the program is to explore Buddhist thought and practice as a living tradition, to provide a bridge between study and practice, between scholarly understanding and meditative insight. [end]