Biological Mind and Transcendent Awareness: Different Paths to Compassion - A Personal Practice Retreat

In this retreat, we will explore the nature of consciousness from an evolutionary and biopsychosocial perspective as well as from a traditional Buddhist contemplative approach. During the retreat we will engage in practices to deepen insight and stimulate compassion. We have a retreat brochure available here.

Background

All life forms are built by DNA to come into existence for a short time, survive and reproduce, then decay and die. Prince Siddhartha (the Buddha to be) was keenly aware of this stark reality and it inspired him to leave his life of privilege and embark on a spiritual quest using deep meditation techniques. In his moment of awakening under the Bodhi tree he uncovered a deeper dimension of being that sits behind the biological forms of life. He touched on the very nature of consciousness itself and saw clearly how it was the ground of all experience.

In the last 20 years, scientists too have begun to put forward the idea that consciousness gives rise to the material world, not the other way round. Crucial then is our ability to see through the fears, thought constructs and passions of our biological mind to experience the nature of our consciousness itself that exists outside of time and space and is not bound by them.

We can put it this way: as human beings we are encased in our biology, which powerfully shapes and determines what arises in our consciousness, namely our motives, emotions, and thoughts. Yet all these are transient, and in the service of survival and reproduction. However, we are a species who also have the capacity for self-awareness: the ability to mindfully observe the mind and i its contents and become aware of the nature of consciousness itself. We can be aware of being aware. Honing this competency gives rise to penetrating insight that transcends our fearful striving minds. This insight is powerfully liberating and it allows us to touch a dimension of being that it timeless. This requires that us to approach our minds in two very different but complementary ways as expressed below.

Retreat

This retreat will guide participants to consider how our minds and bodies have evolved over millennia and how we can settle our nervous system and intentionally choose compassion as a response to the life we find ourselves in.In Buddhism this is described as relative bodhicitta (or awakening mind). In this approach the practices help to create an internal secure base and safe haven that creates th e conditions for an opening of heart and mind.

With this as a foundation we can access a deeper level of practice that is described as ultimate bodhicitta. This enables us to recognise and come to rest in the ground of our consciousness that is described in Buddhism as rigpa, or nondual awareness. It is that part of our nature that is always at peace, free and complete in and of itself – called ‘Buddha Nature’. This nature is empty of any specific forms but it is also the ground or originator of all forms. It is the deeper truth lying behind biological life. When we recognise this nature in ourselves we see it in everyone else and in life at large. This is the basis for a different type of compassion that is not dependent on biology, but one that arises from the experience of interconnectedness.

As part of our exploration of relative and ultimate bodhicitta, we will be discussing this recently published diagram on how best to apply this understanding to our life and practice.

Paul, Choden and William will guide you step by step through this process. The relative bodhicitta will focus on the insights and practices of CFT and the ultimate bodhicitta will focus on the insights and practices of Mahayana Buddhism. Relative and ultimate will be contextualised within the principle of mandala which is a symbol of wholeness and integration.

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Additional Information - Accommodation

Please note that there is a limited availability of bedrooms at the venue.

There are multiple options less than 2 miles away from Colwick Hall such as:

• Premiere Inn Nottingham Arena (London Road)
• Leonardo Hotel Nottingham - Formerly Jurys Inn

and many more in the city centre. Please do contact hotels directly to book.

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