For those of you who could not make the recent meditation conference in Melbourne (Australia), or asked to hear the presentation again, here is a shortened version of the talk recorded recently. I must apologize for the quality of the audio at the beginning. But it does come good about 2 minutes in.

You may also like to know that the content in the video is being developed into course material for future retreats. Retreats that will include (1) foundational theory that will give participants an understanding of traditional Buddhist psychology and epistemology recast into modern secular language. (2) Practical applications of said theory, in order to begin recognising patterns of dysfunction. And (3) meditation, (as outlined in the video) as a means of refining one’s attentional skills so as to better serve (1) and (2), as well as begin to cut through the cognitive hyperactivity that reifies the mere-I.

Now, someone might ask, why do others and indeed myself not put this into practice? Why is it that we continue to do the things we do? “I mean, I know that I should not (insert your own problem here) but, I just can’t seem to stop”, I hear you say. The answer is, in fact, quite simple. The answer is that we do not see the psychological connections between our actions, attachment-narrative or anger-narrative, and the mental imbalance out of which these stories arise.

Now, in Buddhist psychology we list six main types of mental factors that afflict the mind—attachment, anger, pride (the bad kind) and so on. These six are said to be the main source of life’s problems. Yet, when these afflictions arise, they do so within a narrative, not in isolation. Tiger Woods, for instance, probably believed that he was going to find some kind of lasting happiness, all the while knowing that he was harming himself and his family. When attachment came calling it did so embedded in an elaborate ruse. Just like Descartes’ “evil demon”, Tiger was deceived by his attachment-stories.

If we can begin to tease out these patterns of dysfunction, we can begin to isolate the various mental imbalances from which they arise. We can begin to draw connections between how we act, the stories we’re told, and the underlying causes.

Therefore, a combination of theory (learning the meanings and definitions of various psychological imbalances), practical application (how to recognise patterns of dysfunction) and mental training in order to refine introspective skills, if done properly, is what will allow for a paradigm shift in one life.

The following notice is in response to several requests I have had from readers.
For those in the U.S and Europe: the possibility of retreats in your country is currently being looked into. Whether or not these retreats go ahead, however, is largely dependent on finding enough time and people interested in making it happen. And therefore, if you or your organisation would like to host a retreat please contact me directly for details. Also, please note that no dates or venues have been set at this time.

If you cannot see the video, click here: http://vimeo.com/14373748

Here are the results to the question: what is your preferred retreat length?

7 days = 11 vote or 52% of the vote
10 days = 4 vote or 19% of the vote
14 days = 4 vote or 19% of the vote
21 days = 1 vote or 5% of the vote
30 days = 1 vote or 5% of the vote

With 52% of the vote, seven day retreats is the clear winner. Not unexpected I might add. Although, I did expect the result to be closer.

Then, continuing on the theme of meditation and retreats,  you may be interested to know that I have been speaking to a retreat centre regarding AICS retreats with the first to be scheduled for later in the year—probably October/November—should everything go to plan.

In other news: I have been working hard on the essay for this years Australian Meditation Conference http://www.australianmeditationconference.com.au. Tickets are still available, as they are for the one-day seminar on Mental Dysfunction and Meditation to be presented the following day.

I will be extending the material from the conference and seminar into course content for week-long AICS retreats moving forward. Thus far, I have written over 3,000 words of guided meditations; more than 5,000 words on the various cognitive, conative and affective imbalances that engender an unhealthy personal narrative—that is, the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves. Here is an unedited sample randomly copied from one of the sections of the conference paper:

The tendency towards an ongoing narrative—arising out of the mental imbalances of craving, conceit and views, to which the phrase proliferating tendencies (papañca) is traditionally used to describe the entire process—has been aptly characterized as “the tendency of the worldling’s, that is, an ordinary person’s imagination to break loose and run riot”. However, the tendency of conceptual proliferation is more than simply letting the imagination or discursive thought run free. It is perhaps better understood as a narrative, albeit one in which we are unaware that we are both the central character and its author. This dispositional narrative is, therefore, the tendency to misconstrue the nature of the narrative, following from an initial refracted cognition of the central character of that narrative. However, it is important to notice that underpinning this process of narration is the reified bifurcation of a subject of experience and the experienced object. For even if what is being experienced is merely a thought or mental image broken loosed from reality, it has only done so in the mistaken belief that the narration and its characters are really real, as aposed to merely conventionally real. This, in the Buddhist tradition, is what is known as reification (samāropa, sgro btags). Reification or superimposition is a cognitive process of imposing onto reality a mode of existence that is not really there viz. intrinsic existence. One may ask: what is the cause of this narrative? And the answer would be: the phenomenal structure of consciousness is embedded with an appearance of intrinsic nature, such that we believe in the givenness of these appearances. It is the givenness of these appearances, which in turn, color an ongoing narrative and thereby lead us to grasp at the central character of that narrative so tightly that it is in a sense dispositional. By strongly adhering to these appearances—and the subsequent narrative—we are bound to this obsessive-compulsive delusional disorder we call Saṃsāra. However, there is good news, and that is, this narrative is not inherently innate. We therefore have the potential of overcoming this simple cognitive mistake, and thereby—as the Buddha stated 2600 years ago—obtaining freedom from it.

While this is all quite technical, most of the course material is not. I am, however, trying to balance traditional ideas and ways of expression with those of contemplative science; deep philosophical ideas with simple meditations. Not to mention catering for new comers and old-hands (from all traditions) alike. I do think however that learning to think outside of your comfort zone is part of the process of expanding your mind. Therefore I see no harm in having some technical information in the course content.

While we would all like to do longer retreats, this is not always possible. So, please give a realistic answer taking into consideration your own personal circumstances.

Thank you,
Clarke Scott

** NOTE: if you are having trouble voting, or cannot see the results of the poll you may need to go to the website to view it. Click here.

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Here is the abstract:

The stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, often lead to dysfunctional cognitive states that may lead to misunderstanding our place in the world. Because this dispositional narrative is rooted in a misconception, the question may be raised: can meditation effect dispositional narrative in such a way as to lead to a flourishing life? Clarke’s talk will present current research that suggests this is indeed the case, and details the efficacy of meditation as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used to extirpate dysfunctional cognitive states that obstruct genuine happiness.

Places for the workshop are limited.

Workshop Details:

Sunday August 1st, 10:00am — 5:00pm
Cost: $90.00
Tickets: http://www.meditationevents.com.au/
Venue: Yoga Concepts, Level 1, 458 Bridge Road, Richmond
(Blue door next to Kanzaman Lebanese Restaurant)

Workshop Schedule:
Session One: 10.00 am—12.00: Lecture, 1 meditation session and Q &A.
Session Two: 1.00 pm—2.30: Lecture, 2 meditation sessions and Q&A.
Session Three: 3.00pm —5.00 Lecture, 2 meditation sessions and Q & A.

notes: each meditation session is 24 minutes in length.

In a recent meditation class here in Hobart I was asked about taking dharma into daily life; how can we integrate that learnt in these sessions into our daily activities. That is, how can we take the insight found whilst our minds are still, and use this in our day to day activities. Good question, I thought. And shows that the inquirer is indeed interested in dharma, over and above the positive affect meditation may have for the hour or so he or she spend meditating. Such questions suggest that this person is likely to be a long-term practitioner simply because he or she sees the connection between what happens on the cushion, and normal walking around. Such people see meditation—or classes thereof—not simply as social events or a time in the week in which they get to chill out with nice people. No. They see the link between meditation and life.

I think the best way to answer the question, “how can I integrate my meditation practice into daily life,” is to reply: you tell me. Seriously, if you are interested in understanding the causal relation between meditation and daily life, you need to see the link for yourself. Such insights arise from critical reflection, not by someone telling you how to think.

Of course, questions, are ways of gaining fresh insights; new perspectives that may lead to new realizations and methods for engaging our practice. Questions are important. There is no doubt about that. But, if they are left at that, then we are simply adopting another persons perspective. This approach, to my mind at least, is a kind of anti-dharma, for the Buddha told his students, “do not adopt what I have taught merely out of respect.”

As I have said before, it is not as if we need to re-invent the dharma-wheel but, it is something we need to experience for ourselves. Critical reflection, therefore, is a genuine type of practice, and moreover, of fundamental importance along the path to enlightenment.

Take this to heart but, do not believe it to be true. Check it out for yourself, by way of critical reflection. As it is this process along that will yield profound insight.

Well, it has been a week since I got back from the Alan Wallace Shamatha retreat in Sydney. The retreat was great, of course, we were all well looked after and the teachings were wonderful.

Below is a photo of the meditation hall taken between sessions. The retreat was held at a Catholic conference/convent in Sydney hence the crucifix. But what was extraordinary so my Catholic friends tell me is to see statues of Buddha and other Buddhist images along side those of Jesus. There we were, Buddhist, Christian and scientist types all together, all investigating the nature of the mind by employing the contemplative investigatory method we call meditation. Now, that is extraordinary!

Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace—Sydney 2010

Since getting back to Hobart, I have been in contact with Alan to discuss both my future and the future of the Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies (hereafter AICS). I suggested to Alan that AICS offer regular weekend seminars and meditation retreats based on his style of presentation. For I believe his style is ideally suited to a Western audience which mainly consists of people from a secular background, and because these teachings on mental balance and training can be listened to without the need to believe in anything metaphysical. Moreover, this style brings together all schools of Buddhism from the Theravada and Zen, through to the Indo-Tibetan forms into one developmental approach. He agreed saying:”excellent idea!” as well as providing me with some of his own material for AICS to use.

And so, I will be leading retreats on meditation here in Tasmania four times a year—three weekend retreats and one week long retreat—into the future or until the time I go into long-term retreat myself. When this will happen is dependent on many factors which I will not go into right now. Suffice it to say, the Ph.D is only one of many impediments, and so I can say with certainty, it will not be for several years at least.

However , in order to start offering retreats I still need to find a good retreat centre which is not too expensive, and can accommodate up to several dozen people—this is actually not so easy. If you know of such a place could you please let me know. And so by offering regular retreats—with the week-long retreat in the warmer months to allow people from the main land to attend—I hope we can begin to build and promote the good work of AICS and the Phuket International Academy.

Phuket International Academy Mind Center

Above is a photo of the newly build Phuket International Academy Mind Center and here is a little snippet about the center taken from the website:

Phuket Mind Centre at PIA, offers training in the cultivation of cognitive and emotional balance. Phuket International Academy Mind Centre (PIAMC) provides a blend of contemporary psychology and neuroscience alongside ancient Asian contemplative practices. Delivered through residential retreats and weekend seminars PIAMC is open to all. Working in close interaction with the PIA Day School and the PIA Sports and Leisure Club, the programmes offered through PIAMC will contribute to everyone’s enhanced mental balance and wellbeing.

Although the full details are not yet available, I am hoping to post something about the dates for the first retreat soon…so keep an eye out. Until then you may also want to sign up for the AICS newsletter which you can do over at the AICS website.

Well AICS —Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies continues to move forward rapidly. I have four new board member appointments to report. But over and above the highly accomplished board we are developing, there has also been an incredible amount of public and media interest.

New board members: Peter Boord Ph.D in neuroscience—director of the World Happiness Forum joins AICS as a director. While Robert Thurman Professor of Buddhist philosophy from Columbia university,  Shaun Gallagher Professor of Philosophy and Cognitive Sciences from the University of Central Florida, as well as Joan Halifax Roshi is a Buddhist teacher, medical anthropologist, social activist, and author with a Ph.D in Medical Anthropology have all joined the AICS advisory board. You can see more of the board here http://australianinstitute.org/board-of-directors/

Mark your calendars! July 31st is this years date for the Australian Meditation conference. The conference, I believe, has been running for two or perhaps even three years now, and focuses on bringing teachers of meditation together to discuss and present their work. From their website we get the following information:

The Conference brings together some of Australia’s leading meditation teachers, meditation researchers and performing artists in the field of contemplative/intuitive music.
The event provides practitioner-oriented education for wellness professionals. Our commitment is to bring together leaders in the field of meditation, presenting the latest information and approaches.
Storey Hall is in the heart of the city and offers a fully integrated venue, combining a great auditorium, exhibition space and an area for networking, refreshments and a vegetarian lunch.
This event promises to be a wonderful opportunity for anyone with a personal or professional interest in meditation to explore this marvellous practice in its many diverse forms.

http://www.australianmeditationconference.com.au

I was invited to present at this years conference—thanks to the recommendation of a reader—which of course I accepted. However, I never did find out who this person is, and so if you are reading this, please email me so that I may thank you.

I hope to weave the story of the Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies into the talk, as it is the institutes work which will give meaning to much of what I will present. However, speaking with the organizers after submitting my abstract, I subsequently found out that the conference attendees are mainly non-academics (somehow I was under the impression this was an academic conference), so I might in the end change the talk, making the content a little lighter. Regardless of the style of the conference, I am more than happy to be invited to events such as this, for it helps to promote AICS, and of course, the Institute will only succeed if people know about our work. So, if you feel inclined and you are in the position to do so, please do recommend the AICS as a possible guest speaker. Given our affiliation with the Santa Barbara Institute, this goes for conferences outside of Australia as well.

Then, given, I am coming to Melbourne I wonder if it would be worth arranging a day of meditation—perhaps the day after the conference as this is a Sunday. This would give us 4 or 5 months to arrange the event. If you would like to discuss this please contact me.  With all that said here are the details for the conference…

Australian Meditation Conference

Date: 31 July 2010
Place: RMIT
Time: 8.30am—6.00pm. My talk is at 2.30pm
Presentation title: Dispositional Narrative, Dysfunction and Mental Training.

Abstract: The stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves, can often lead to dysfunctional cognitive states, which in turn lead to misunderstanding our place in the world. This dispositional narrative is based on fundamentally misunderstanding our own ontology—who we really are. This, then, begs the question: can mental training affect dispositional narrative in such a way as to lead to a flourishing life? Clarke’s talk will present current research that suggests this is indeed the case—thus detailing the efficacy of meditation as both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used to explicate these dysfunctional cognitive states.

please note this is a draft version: 23/2/2010

1. Introduction

Does Buddhism need science? That is to say, does Buddhism need the validation of science? Perhaps not, however, in order to lift the essence of Buddhism out of the cultural setting from which we as practitioners have learnt this science of the mind we call Buddhism, we need to test the claims presented. In this article, I want to explore the possibility that science and Buddhism need each other.

Most would agree I think when I say that calling Buddhism a religion is really a misnomer. For the Buddha himself urged his students not to believe what he taught merely out of respect. Like a philosopher he asked his students to test his claims as a gold smith would test the quality of gold before making a purchase. To put his claims to the blowtorch of empirical inquiry—direct experience. These were not clever tricks employed by a charismatic religious leader. He really did mean it. And it is, therefore, our responsibility as followers of this great philosopher, to do just that: think and investigate these claims for ourselves. It is not as if we have to reinvent the dharma-wheel, however we need to experience it for ourselves. After all, if something is worth believing in—the Four Noble Truths for instance—is it not worthy of critical, objective (in the sense of being free of bias) and rigorous investigation? So, let me ask you the question again: does Buddhism need science?

2. Asking Questions

To me the answer is an unequivocal, yes. For if Buddhism is to make a lasting contribution it must engage the predominate paradigm of its time. This is science. No question; no doubt. Science pervades the minds of ordinary people, so much so that marketers now use the term “scientific fact” to sell their products. Science is the religion of the non-religious. Yet, has anyone seen these magical products marketed under the guise of scientism, solve the problems of the world—stress, anxiety or loneliness? In a recent study, for instance, it was shown that the average age of patients being treated for clinical depression for the first time has dropped to the age of 15. The modern world needs something over and above the current pills it is being administered.

Buddhism as it spread from India engaged each new culture at the highest level of discourse. As it comes to the West, it must engage this culture fully—which of course includes the scientific tradition—if it is to find acceptance. For its part, science could play a role in helping the contemplatives to weed out untenable claims and ineffective practices (Wallace, p.146).

Some Buddhists may think: if science were to test the efficacy of Buddhist practice, there is the chance that the teaching of this ancient and refined tradition may be sullied. I say to those people: you are correct. This in fact is possible. However, most scientists—being well read people—already have some understanding of the Buddhadharma. Often their understanding is based on misinformation or even just plain wrong information, and it is for this very reason that it is vitally important that those trained in Buddhist theory and practice engage scientists and do so fully. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has called such people hybrids. These hybrids are people trained in traditional Buddhist theory and practice, and moreover, have gained—to some extent—rigorous training in one or more of the following Western disciplines: science, philosophy or psychology.

While I cannot speak for His Holiness, I can imagine the reason why it is important for these people to be trained in both traditions. It is because the knowledge garnered from meditation is direct, immediate, perceptual and therefore only accessible via first-person inquiry. This knowledge must then be translated into information readily accessible to science. If it is not, it will remain the domain of those trained in the Buddhist tradition, period. For that reason, we need to learn their language, their theories, and their paradigms in order to accurately articulate the phenomenology of meditation. What’s more as Alan Wallace points out:

Tibetan Buddhism’s own Dalai Lama has stated firmly that if science can prove any Buddhist theory to be false, then that belief should be dropped (Wallace, p.147).

His Holiness is not joking. If science was to prove beyond at doubt that a particular doctrine is false, then we must drop that tenet. I, therefore, fully support this call to action. But it does beg the question: false for whom? If science is working off the wrong page, then this ancient and refined tradition could potentially be refuted without proper investigation. Being refuted is one thing; being refuted by simply believing Buddhist theory of mind and its methodologies of first-person inquiry must be wrong by virtue that it is not the same as current science, then setting out to prove just this, strikes me as rather unscientific. However, I did not become a monk simply to belong to a creed. I can say with certainty that in my case at least it was a search for truth—wherever that led. And it is this same spirit of inquiry, which drives science. In that regard in 1963 the physicists Richard Feynman lecturing on the scientific method had the following to say:

Experimenters search most diligently, and with the greatest effort, in exactly those places where it seems most likely that we can prove our theories wrong. In other words we are trying to prove ourselves wrong as quickly as possible, because only in that way can we find progress.

Anyone who has studied and meditated on the deconstructionist methodologies of such Madhyamaka philosophers as Nāgārjuna, Śāntideva or Candrakīrti, will see striking similarities here. Because our dispositional narratives—the stories we tell ourselves, about ourselves—are such that we naturally reify our own existence, we in fact believe our on theories. Through this reification, the bifurcation of subject and object, us and them, ensues. The effect of which is the First Noble Truth—suffering. By applying the Madhyamaka dialectic, the explication of this root cause of dysfunctional states of mind—mental afflictions—can be stripped from our way of engaging the world. We, therefore, must “search most diligently, and with the greatest effort, in exactly those places where it seems most likely that we can prove our theories wrong”. Simply believing there is no inherently existent self will get you nowhere. It is only through critical analysis, which strips away our naive conceptions of ourselves, our tradition, our way of doing things that we can continue to move forward in our project of understanding the human condition.

Science, on the other hand, is a growing body of knowledge with practical applications. Applications such as quantum bits are so advanced that those working in these fields are the only people able to understand them. Yet, it seems to me that the real discovery of this scientific paradigm remains concealed to the very people who discovered them:

The most revealing characteristic of quantum physics is the role of the observer in measurement: it is the act of observation, intimately wrapped up in the point of view of the scientist—his or her beliefs—that determine outcomes such as wave or particle and other physical states. It seems that at the subatomic level, the level that supposedly underlies all physical reality, the mind acts as a potent, cooperative force in the creation of reality as we know it. Subatomic particles, the instruments that detect them, laws concerning their existence and expression, mathematics, and the mind all exist in dependence upon one another (Wallace, p.115).

Scientists, I believe, are yet to fully appreciate the possibilities their discoveries yield. Because mind is inextricably linked to the “role of the observer” and is a “potent, cooperative force in the creation of reality”, perhaps the question should be rephrased to: does science need Buddhism?

3. Does Buddhism Need Science?

Although physicists understand the observer plays a role in measurement, still they believe in an underlying reality beyond the mind—for them, there is still something out there. The quantum world—even for these scientists—is fuzzy, difficult to understand and has little direct relevance to the world of people, yet it is still really real. The most important discovery of the quantum world—to use Buddhist parlance—all phenomena are merely dependently arisen, existing in dependence on causes and conditions, parts and an imputing consciousness. This shows that the mind is inextricably linked to the creation of our world. Still, this fact remains somewhat in the domain of those working in the field of quantum physics. While these discoveries have provided the modern world with many benefits—I am writing on one such benefit—science has yet to find a way to integrate these discoveries into our own lives. Science has made the modern world an easier place to live; yet life has not become easier. Clearly, there is something lacking to modernity. Something beyond what is currently known to science.

This, I believe, is where contemplative traditions such as Buddhism can lend a guiding hand. By participating in research projects investigating such phenomena as consciousness, contemplatives can provide information that science does not have access to—albeit from a first-person point of view. That is, contemplatives can provide science with qualitative descriptions of various states of consciousness. Not just what is it like to experience non-referential compassion, but perhaps even non-dual awareness, and the cognition of phenomena as merely dependent-arising. Thus providing science with a motherly push in the right direction and perhaps even providing science with methods for integrating often, abstruse scientific findings, back into the lives of ordinary people.

We need a better understanding of the mind. That goes for those of us who follow a spiritual tradition as well as those with no such interest…[for] a mind made clear by self-knowledge will be better able to understand the message than one immersed in confusion (Wallace, p.164).

Such research has in fact already begun. In the 1960′s doctors from Harvard studied the effects of meditation on metabolism—showing that meditation may decrease the consumption of oxygen by up to 18%. In the 1970′s Jon Kabat-Zinn who has a Ph.D in molecular biology studied the effects of meditation on stress—as a result creating the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program. In the 1970′s and 80′s Professor Herbert Benson—again from Harvard—studied tummo meditation—one tummo practitioner studied was able to reduce his oxygen consumption by up to 64%. Studies of the effects of meditation are not new. What is new is the concept of the hybrid. Someone educated in Buddhist theory and practice directly involved in the research project. Being trained in both traditions these hybrids can act as interpreters. By drawing knowledge of phenomenal structures of consciousness directly from their own mind, they can articulate this directly to scientists, and in their own language. Thus giving science—for the first time—ongoing access to new data and from here—new discoveries.

One such discovery is neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability for the brain to restructure itself from experience. Previously it was believed that neuron connections were fixed in adult humans, degenerating over time. Now we know through study of meditation that the brain can in fact continue to grow even in later life. It is through mind training that enables these neuronal features to reconnect—all this from collaborative projects between meditators and scientists.

Because research has shown we are capable of changing and improving our cognitive capacities. We can, over time, change the way we relate to ourselves in order to reflect something closer to reality—thus becoming healthier people as a result. This ability to change is something that has been recognized by Buddhists for over two millennium—even if it was not under the label neuroplasticity. Yet it is science, which can help us deliver this message to the general community. Not to convert; simply to help. Perhaps then we can begin to recede the trend of 15 year olds being treated for clinical depression.

4. Conclusion

For these reasons collaborative projects such as the Shamatha Project are vitally important. It is also why I have begun, in affiliation with the Santa Barbra Institute for Consciousness Studies, a project to establish a similar institute in Australia. The aim of the Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies is to:

1. Establish collaborative research projects between scientists, psychologists, philosophers and contemplatives in order to investigate the nature of consciousness.
2. Establish facilities for people from around the world to learn meditation and engage in short and long term retreats.
3. Establish educational programs, which facilitate integration of the findings from the studies conducted by our research teams.

That is to say, the aim of the institute will be to serve others by way of arranging collaborative research projects, where contemplatives and scientists work together, in a combined effort to understand that which is the producer of human flourishing—the mind. As well as develop contemplative observatories for budding hybrids, allowing these people to refine their meditative skills in conducive and supportive environments. And most importantly to create educational programs whereby techniques for integration of this new information are developed.

Thus, we find ourselves on the cusp of a new era of human flourishing. As knowledge of the human condition is, for the first time, studied from the first, second and third person perspectives. This is something, which science and the world’s great contemplative traditions can only benefit. It is my hope, therefore, that institutions such as Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies and the Santa Barbra Institute will become templates for our future, a place for all people to learn to meditation and be well. I leave you to ponder this wonderful quote from one of the world’s great thinkers—Albert Einstein.

A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited by space and time. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separate from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few people nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty (Albert Einstein, 1921).

References:

Wallace, A.B. & Hodel, B., 2008. Embracing Mind: The Common Ground of Science and Spirituality, Shambhala.

The Australian Institute for Consciousness Studies provides ongoing meditation classes on attentional and emotional balance. Learn meditation in an open friendly environment, in which a balance of instruction, discussion and meditation is provided.

When: Every Thursday Night
Where: TBA
Time: 7.00pm – 8.30pm
Cost: Waged $10.00/ Cons $5.00

Why Learn Meditation?

Western culture is familiar to the notion of physical training but, not so familiar with the cultivation of the inner qualities that support genuine happiness. As the mind plays a major role in our determining experiences, it makes sense to spend at least some time developing the causes of mental fitness. Why? Because it is through training the mind that we can begin to develop genuine happiness. Rather than trying to squeeze genuine happiness out of the external world we can bring this mental state to everything we do. Meditation, therefore, is an integral part of a larger process of becoming healthy.

photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/90664717@N00/

While meditation is both a diagnostic and therapeutic tool used in the project of becoming healthy. This process begins with learning to relax. In classical mindfulness meditation one learns to pay deep attention to the minute processes of the breath while remaining undistracted by discursive thought. This ongoing recollection of a familiar object (the breath in this case) is the foundation of advanced contemplative practices, whereby minds such as friendliness, open-mindedness, humor, and integrity are developed. Why are these mind developed? Because they are the real causes of genuine happiness; the foundation of human flourishing.

The implication of developing positive states of mind, discordant with human flourishing; minds such as depression, stress, and anger, cannot manifest. It is difficult to be cheerful and relaxed; yet stressed all at the same time. Becoming aware of this potential, we can begin to develop these minds and thereby bring them into our everyday experience.

Meditation can help overcome our ingrained psychological assumptions about our potential that limits our human capacity for flourishing.

Learn the tools to develop your inner world; learn to meditate.

For more on what is meditation see this article