[updated 2/15/95; expires 7/21/95]
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                   BARRE CENTER FOR BUDDHIST STUDIES

                             Lockwood Road
                            Barre, MA 01005
                             (508) 355-2347

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                        1995 Schedule of Courses
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  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.
  
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