The birds have vanished down the sky;
Now the last cloud drains away.
We sit together, the mountain and me;
Until only the mountain remains.
Li Po

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We invite you to join our Facebook group. For a complete calendar of retreats and workshops, see the Event Calendar. Upcoming events (scroll down for details): Buddhist Community Welcome Dinner, September 23 at 6:30pm Meditations on Dependent Origination, October 3 at 10:30am Regular activities (scroll down for details): Weekly Meditation and Discussion, every Wednesday at 7pm Silent Meditation Sessions, every Thursday at 6pm ----------------------------------------- His Holiness the Dalai Lama blesses the Sand Mandala at MIT, April 29, 2009: ----------------------------------------- Meditations on Dependent Origination October 3, 2009, 10:30am - 4:30pm Venue: MIT Student Center, Twenty Chimneys (room W20-306) This central concept of Buddhist thought is concerned with the inter- connectedness of all things and the effects of consciousness on what happens to us daily both inwardly and outwardly. The realization of Dependent Origination (or Interdependence) gives one a wonderful insight into the intricacies of how we operate within the domain of cyclical existence. This retreat, open to all, will include teachings, meditations, and discussion. Please join us! Click here to register. Open to: the general public Cost: $40 (Free for MIT students) ----------------------------------------- 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 ----------------------------------------- Cultivating Emotional Balance A two-day workshop with Alan Wallace Saturday & Sunday, September 12 & 13, 2009 (10AM-5PM) 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. ----------------------------------------- Buddhist Community Welcome Dinner Wednesday, September 23, 2009 at 6:30PM Venue: MIT W11-155 Come meet members of the Buddhist Community. Learn more about what we do. Bring a friend. Feel free to bring a dish, dessert, or a drink. ----------------------------------------- Weekly Meditation Meetings Wednesdays at 7PM (except Institute holidays) Venue: MIT Chapel, Lower Rotunda Join us for our weekly Dharma & Chai: Meditation, Discussion, & Tea. ----------------------------------------- Silent Meditation Sessions Thursdays 6pm-7pm (except Institute holidays). Venue: MIT Chapel An hour of quiet meditation. Instructions will be provided at the beginning. Open to MIT Community members. ----------------------------------------- Awakening Enlightened Mind One-Day Retreat Saturday, May 30, 2009, 10:30am-4:30pm Location: Simmons Hall MPR The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will lead us into Awakening Enlightened Mind during this one day retreat. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn about and experience the compassion and surpassing intention of bodhichitta as expounded upon and embodied by Buddhists down through the ages. Our retreat will include teachings, discussion, and practice. ----------------------------------------- Retreat: Introduction to the Mind-Only School Saturday, February 21, 2009 (10:30am-4pm) Venue: 60 Hartwell Rd., Carlisle, MA See the calendar for details.