A Mind for Compassion

Join Paul and Choden for a 3-day retreat exploring the application of wisdom to the practice of compassion. Choden will draw on the ancient wisdom of Advaita Vedanta and Tibetan Buddhism to show how wisdom is the inseparable twin of compassion. He will lead people step by step through the practice of emptiness leading to non-dual awareness which lays the ground for the spontaneous arising of compassion like the sun that effortlessly shines in a cloudless sky. Paul will show how the biological drivers of compassion can be linked to a transformed view of consciousness evidenced by groundbreaking new scientific research. Both will show how the ancient wisdom of the East can be combined with the modern scienceof the West to chart a path to compassion and wisdom that is unique and transformative. The retreat will have a strong experiential focus with a combination of guided reflection, compassionate imagery, and wisdom practices.

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Further Details

This 3-day retreat will explore how compassion can be approached from both an Evolutionary and Buddhist perspective, and how wisdom is an integral part of compassion.

At the heart of CompassionFocused Therapy (CFT) - rooted in an evolutionary approach to mind - is the invitation to align oneself with a compassion motivation and draw on evolved cognitive and physiological capacities to respond to the difficult experiences of life. Research shows how this compassionate orientation transforms our mindand how this is reflected in altered brain states. Compassion literally changes our brain for the better.

In Buddhism compassionate motivation is expressed by the term bodhicitta that is a deep commitment to alleviate suffering and its causes and bring all living beings to a state of peerless freedom. Meditating without bodhicitta is seen as pointless and self-serving, while meditating in the service of bodhicitta changes everything – ourselves, those we are connected to and the world we live in.

Central to both the Evolutionary and Buddhist approaches is the importance of wisdom. In Buddhism compassion without wisdom is called ‘idiot compassion’. In CFT wisdom is a core element ofcompassion. It is the understanding that emerges from having lived through difficult times in life and coming through the other side with a wisdom of direct experience that can then help others in a similar situation.  

In Buddhism wisdom has a different meaning and refers to the complementary truths of emptiness and awareness. Emptiness points to the fact that all our struggles and suffering inlife are like being under a spell – one might say the spell cast by the evolutionary mechanisms that build our bodies and brains and have us at their mercy. They are not real yet they hurt. And because they hurt, compassion is very important. Awareness or rigpa refers to the ground of our being that is inherently free and at peace despite all the ups and downs of ourlives. In the Mahayana tradition it is called Buddha Nature. When we practice emptiness and compassion together this brings us home to the ground of our being which is like touching a place of sanity and peace in the midst of the complexity and confusion that life throws at us.

Paul and Choden will show how the Buddhist and CFT approaches to compassion can complement each other and enrich our lives. In particular, Paul will explore how groundbreaking new scientific studies showing that consciousness is the ground of our being (rather than being the product of highly evolved brain systems) brings the CFT approach to compassion into closer alignment with the ancient wisdom of Buddhism.

Paul and Choden will guide a series of compassion and wisdom practices that show how the approaches of Buddhism and CFT can complement and support each other. These will include somewisdom practices for opening the door to emptiness and touching the unchanging awareness within.

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