Samsara – or How to Stop Going Around in Circles

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Description

 

Price: £99

The course consists of four sessions on consecutive Thursday evenings: 3, 10, 17, 24 March 2022 from 7-9pm CET.

Missed sessions will be available via recordings. 

‘Samsara’ is a key concept in Indian and Buddhist thought, which broadly means ‘going round in circles’. This rich and evocative idea can be understood cosmologically — as a beginningless cycle of birth, death and rebirth over aeons; psychologically — as repetitive patterns of neurotic thought and behaviour that prevent one from flourishing; and spiritually — as the opposite pole to the liberation, peace and enlightenment of nirvana.

Over four weeks, we will explore the meaning and implications of Samsara from these and other perspectives through talks, dialogues, breakout groups, open discussions and periods of silent reflection. How does this concept still speak to us today? How can we skilfully apply it to understand our own situation in life?

Each of the four sessions will be jointly led by two teachers from Bodhi College, and we are honoured to be joined by Professor Andy Rotman of Smith College, Massachusetts.

Event Details

Schedule:

Four consecutive Thursday evenings from 7-9pm CET:

3 March will be taught by Stephen Batchelor and Akincano Weber

10 March will be taught by Yuka Nakamura and Stephen Batchelor

17 March will be taught by Yuka Nakamura and Akincano Weber

24 March will be taught by Akincano Weber and Andy Rotman

 

Suitability:

Open to all - new and experienced practitioners alike.

 

Cost:

  • The price includes a fee for the teachers, no additional dana will be requested. 
  • If you are unable to afford the rate please let us know. We will make sure that no one is turned away because of lack of funds

 

Teachers:

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.

YUKA NAKAMURA has practised Buddhist meditation in different traditions since 1993, has a PhD in Developmental Psychology and is a certified MBSR-teacher. Trained as a Buddhist meditation teacher by Fred von Allmen she teaches meditation at Beatenberg (Switzerland), Gaia House (UK), Insight Meditation Society (Barre, MA) and other places. Yuka offers MBSR-courses and MBI-trainings at the CFM Zentrum für Achtsamkeit (CH).

AKINCANO M. WEBER is a European Buddhist teacher and psychotherapist (MA). A former monk, he has lived and practised for 20 years in European and Thai Forest monasteries. His particular interests are early Buddhist texts, stillness and contemplative psychology. He is the guiding teacher of Atammaya Cologne, Germany, part of the CPP programme and of several Mindfulness teacher training courses, and teaches meditation and Buddhist Psychology in secular and traditional contexts in Europe and overseas. 

ANDY ROTMAN is the Sydenham Clark Parsons professor of Religion, Buddhism, and South Asian Studies at Smith College. His research focuses on Buddhist narratives and ethics, and teaching is one of his greatest pleasures. His publications include Hungry Ghosts; Divine Stories: Translations from the Divyāvadāna, part 1 and part 2; and Thus Have I Seen: Visualizing Faith in Early Indian Buddhism.