Self and Not-self

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Description

Discussions of self in Buddhism invariably slip into metaphysical arguments about its existence or non-existence. Followers of the Buddha, it is often claimed, assert a doctrine of No-self, in which the self is an illusion and belief in it a source of suffering. This entirely misses the point of the Gotama’s teaching on Not-self (anattā).

Rather than denying the existence of self, Gotama understood it as a radically contingent and impermanent process. The self is thus a work-in-progress that is neither permanent nor illusory. By becoming aware of this everyday ‘self-ing’ process, we can undermine fixed notions of who we are and thus free ourselves to flourish as the ethical persons we aspire to be. 

Through seminars, meditation and discussion, we will offer a positive and dynamic view of self that is founded on a fresh reading of early Buddhist discourses as well as Western psychological and philosophical insights into what it means to be a person. 

This event is run in collaboration with the Centrum voor Mindfulness in Amsterdam

Event Details

Cost:

  • The price includes a fee for the teacher, no additional dana will be requested. 
  • Full Payment required on booking (Deposits cannot be taken for weekend courses)
  • A limited number of Bursary places are available for this course.

Additional Information:

  • Non-residential course
  • Accommodation must be booked independently by participants
  • Suitable for new and experienced Dharma practitioners 
  • A vegetarian lunch, and daytime tea and coffee, are included

Teachers:


JOHN PEACOCK is both an academic and a Buddhist practitioner of nearly fifty years. Trained initially in the Tibetan Gelugpa tradition in India, he subsequently spent time in Sri Lanka studying Theravada. After doing a doctorate in philosophy, he taught Buddhist and Western philosophy and then Buddhist Studies at the University of Bristol. He went on to be Associate Director of the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, co-direct the Master of Studies programme in MBCT(Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy) at Oxford University, and teach Buddhist psychology on the same course.  John is now retired from academia and continues to teach meditation, as he has done for more than thirty-five years.

 

STEPHEN BATCHELOR is a translator, teacher, artist and writer known for his secular approach to the Dharma. A co-founder of Bodhi College, his books include Buddhism Without Beliefs, Living with the Devil, Confession of a Buddhist Atheist and After Buddhism. His most recent publication, The Art of Solitude, was published by Yale University Press in 2020. He lives in southwest France with his wife Martine.

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