As Long as Space Remains;
And Living Beings Endure
May I too Remain
To Dispel the Miseries of this World
Shantideva, 7th Century Indian Buddhist Pandita
Contemplative Life Initiative @ MIT
The Attention Revolution
A multimethod inquiry into meditation, cognition, emotion, and motivation
Speakers: Cilfford Saron and B. Alan Wallace
September 11, 2009 at 6PM
Venue: Simmons Hall MPR (229 Vassar Street, Cambridge, MA 02139)
Clifford Saron, Ph.D. is currently an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California at Davis (http://mindbrain.ucdavis.edu), and faculty member of the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute.
Alan Wallace, Ph.D. a scholar and practitioner of Buddhism since 1970, has taught Buddhist theory and meditation throughout Europe and America since 1976. Having devoted fourteen years to training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by H. H. the Dalai Lama, he went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College and a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford.
Co-sponsor: Brain & Cognitive Science at MIT; The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT
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Cultivating Emotional Balance
A two-day workshop with Alan Wallace
Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13, 2009 (starting at 10AM)
Location: MIT (room W20-407)
Registration Fee: $150 (free for MIT students)
Registration Required. Register at http://thecenter.gigshowcase.com or call 413-24-UPAYA
In this workshop Dr. Alan Wallace will present methods drawn from the Buddhist contemplative tradition and modern psychology for cultivating emotional balance. Such practices are based on the distinction between hedonic pleasure, which is aroused by pleasant stimuli, and genuine happiness, which stems from what we bring to the world rather than what we get from it. In Buddhist practice, mental balance is cultivated on the basis of an ethical way of life, and it is developed within the broader context of conative, attentional, and cognitive balance. Central to such mental training is the development of attentional and metacognitive skills, which are indispensable for cultivating emotional balance.
Biosketch of B. Alan Wallace:
B. Alan Wallace began his studies of Tibetan Buddhism in 1970 in Germany and was ordained as a Buddhist monk by H. H. the Dalai Lama in 1975. He has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy worldwide since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including the Dalai Lama. After earning his undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at from Amherst College in 1987, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in religious studies at Stanford University. He is now the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies.
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A Retreat for Graduate Students and Researchers
Unleash the Power of Creativity with Silence, Clarity, and Insight…
June 2, 2007 (10AM-5PM)
Venue: E15-209 (Weisner Conference Room, MIT Media Lab)
Cost: Free (by donation)Contemplative Life Initiative @ MIT
Meditation is an intentional turning of our attention toward moment-to-moment awareness of our thoughts, emotions and feelings. It is a practice of awakening the heart, and a radical acceptance of what is revealed about our true selves. This awakening allows us to recognize the difference between "thinking" and "being", and thereby to consciously alter those aspects of our thinking that obstruct our personal growth.
The day-long retreat will consist of instructions and practice of various meditation techniques, yoga, and discussion.
Co-sponsored by MIT Prajnopaya, The Center for Health Promotion and Wellness at MIT Medical, & DSL
