lotusinthemud

Buddhist Psychology Conference - October 2024 in Spain

4th ITZI INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

COLLOQUIUM ON BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY

 

A unique meeting to develop skills and knowledge and to contribute to the on-going development of applied Buddhist psychology.

Theme: Buddhist Psychology has been developing over the past 2500 years. We are aiming to bring together fifty people with an interest in Buddhist Psychology, its nature, development & application. You may attend and participate or present your work & ideas. If you would like to attend and make a presentation we would like to hear from you now as this will assist us in planning the event. It will be a residential conference held in northern Spain in an excellent venue, secluded in the mountains, that we have used before and know well. This is a good place for a colloquium. Previous conferences in this series in Spain, Belgium and Netherlands have been very enjoyable gatherings and have included a wide variety of presentations on aspects of Buddhist psychology and its applications in various forms of therapy, personal development, spiritual practice, organisation and social life. The event will be limited to fifty places, so early booking is advisable.

 

Colloquium: We wish that the majority of people attending will make a presentation of their work, ideas or experience. Presentations may be fifteen, forty-five or ninety minutes. There will also be plenary discussion periods. Presentations may be in the form of papers, led discussion, or experiential workshops. Bring and contribute your approach and experience. This is a time for sharing, creativity, exploration and mutual learning.

 

:: link for more details

 

Booking Information

Early Booking: The cost for early booking is 320€ fully residential. You can pay in other currencies (£300 or $350). To book, please reserve your place at

https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha/1067240#
and follow the instructions for payment.

The Vitakka Santhana Sutta

The Vitakka Santhana Sutta could be seen as a way of marrying self-power and other power practice or of prioritising them such that the former is in the service of the latter rather than the other way round. The basic philosophy of other power rests upon the fact that one does not have the ability to enlighten the mind by one's own power even though the mind intrinsically has the capacity to be enlightened. The efforts of a deluded mind will always be, in varying degrees, deluded. The ego's desire to be an enlightened person is still egotistical. Therefore one entrusts oneself to the transfer of merit from the Buddha and, to this end, one adverts the mind toward that source of grace. However, inevitably, even when doing so, deluded thoughts creep in and one then may have a struggle with oneself. This is described in the sutra. Of course, the stronger one's faith the less this happens and the easier it is to overcome the difficulties that arise.

Namo Amida Bu.

~ Dharmavidya

Journey Work

Dharmavidya David Brazier:

Modern people often think that they can control their feelings and moods independently of their lifestyle and life events. Commonly they attempt to do so by taking medicines and this often leads to a deterioration in health.

 

This attitude is a result of the medicalisation of psychology. The psyche (chitta) responds to experience. Different people do respond to similar experiences differently, but this is not a manifestation of illness, it is mostly a difference of character. There is a basal temperament that a person is born with and then there are the cumulative effects of how they deal with the miscellaneous circumstances that come along. We have a tendency to repeat. If I have been a coward once, I am likely to be a coward again. If I have been brave once, I am likely to be brave again. 

 

In life one is tested by events and the results of one's responses tend to be cumulative.. Things happen. When something happens one has to respond. This means that one exercises one’s will. Intentional action has consequences in the world and in the mind. In every moment of life something new is possible, but the drag of habit is strong. Rather than living out our creative possibilities we tend to go round in circles.

The State Of The World At The Start Of 2024

Dharmavidya David Brazier - a reflection:

 

We all, of course, hope for good things in the year to come, but I think that most will agree that the state of the world is currently on the slide. One surely has to start from the fact that we face a serious ecological problem. All the time it is creeping up on us. We all see the signs. We read about  extreme weather events and natural disasters, the fires, floods, desertification, droughts, melting ice, rising sea levels, loss of biodiversity, storms, pollution, extinctions and so on. One would think that faced with such a challenge people would pull together, cooperate and act decisively, but we all know that this is not happening - at least not to a degree likely to be effective. There are innumerable good projects, but they are too little in the face of the scale of the problem.

 

So what is happening. Well, again, I am not saying anything that is not obvious to everybody in pointing out that the world is currently becoming more and more divided and bogged down in conflict. Rather than uniting, we are dividing. At the end of the twentieth century some people were talking about "the end of history". The fall of the iron curtain had left Russia weak, humiliated and dismembered. Most countries welcomed the end of the Cold War and they reduced military spending. There was a sense of hope around. At that juncture the USA took advantage of the situation, increased its military spending and  positioned itself as the sole super-power. Were we at the beginning of the "American Century"?

 

We all know that things have shifted a bit since then. In particular we have seen the rise of China which looks likely to continue. Most commentators think that China poses the biggest challenge to US domination. Responding to this, the USA has tried hard to encircle China in the same way as it used to encircle Russia, but China keeps growing and increasing its military strength. It is nowhere near equal to the USA yet, but the gap narrows. In the first decade of this century we thought that this process would continue, but that it would be a long time before China caught up. Since then, however, two big developments have tipped the scales a bit faster than we were expecting.

 

Firstly, Ukraine. The USA since Clinton has kept pushing NATO's eastward expansion. Russia protested endlessly, but the West was so used to the idea that Russia was now a spent force that nobody listened. However, under Putin, Russia has regrouped and got back onto its feet. The breaking point came when it was proposed that Ukraine become part of NATO & of the EU. Russia could not stand by and let this happen. War broke out and continues. Initially the Ukrainians, with American backing, did much better than anybody expected, but the Russians have learnt how to fight this kind of war and the tables are turning. The war will probably go on for several more years and Ukraine will be devastated. The most significant effect, however, has been that it has driven Russia into an alliance with China. In terms of the primary world conflict this strengthens the Chinese side considerably. 

 

Secondly, Gaza. The USA, already committed to major expenditure to shore up Ukraine, is now suddenly also committed to another major conflict. How long will this one go on for? How much American resources will it drain away? There is plenty of reason to think that this conflict is not going to be over in a few weeks as was originally thought. Not only that, but the ferocity of the Israeli response is causing much disquiet all around the globe. This is costing America a lot in lost  goodwill. In the Global South (what we used to call The third World), sympathy is largely with the Palestinians. This is all very good news to China which has been courting support in those non-aligned countries for some time.

The Tree of Life Sangha

 

This is our sangha's website :: here

*****

I am currently writing Bodhi Day ceremonies, to be held on Zoom, for the morning and evening of Bodhi Day, Friday 8th December. The morning's ceremony will be held with members of

:: Global Sangha

only love

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it...”

~ Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

"Practice until you see yourself in the cruelest person on Earth, in the child starving, in the political prisoner. Continue until you recognize yourself in everyone in the supermarket, on the street corner, in a concentration camp, on a leaf, in a dewdrop. Meditate until you see yourself in a speck of dust in a distant galaxy. See and listen with the whole of your being. If you are fully present, the rain of Dharma will water the deepest seeds in your consciousness, and tomorrow, while you are washing the dishes or looking at the blue sky, that seed will spring forth, and love and understanding will appear as a beautiful flower."

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

Update to the Third of the Five Mindfulness Trainings: Plum Village Tradition

 

"As many of you know, the third of the five mindfulness trainings has been undergoing revision to support our inclusiveness and support our communities. We should be using the new version in our recitations, and it will appear on future transmission certificates. Here, then, is the updated training with main modifications in bold.

 

Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society. Knowing that sexual desire is not love, and that sexual activity motivated by craving always harms myself as well as others, I am determined not to engage in sexual relations without mutual consent, true love, and a deep, long-term commitment. I resolve to find spiritual support for the integrity of my relationship from family members, friends, and sangha with whom there is support and trust. I will do everything in my power to protect children from sexual abuse and to prevent couples and families from being broken by sexual misconduct. Seeing that body and mind are interrelated, I am committed to learning appropriate ways to take care of my sexual energy and to cultivating the four basic elements of true love – loving kindness, compassion, joy, and inclusiveness – for the greater happiness of myself and others. Recognizing the diversity of human experience, I am committed not to discriminate against any form of gender identity or sexual orientation. Practicing true love, we know that we will continue beautifully into the future."

the great bell chant

 

 

May the Sound of this Bell

Penetrate deep into the Cosmos

Even in the darkest spots

Living Beings are able to hear it clearly

So that all suffering in them cease

Understanding come to their hearts

And they transcend the path

Of Sorrow and Death

The Universal Dharma Door Is already open

The Sound of the Rising Tide is heard clearly

The miracle happens

A beautiful child appears in the heart of a Lotus flower

One single drop of this Compassionate Water

Is enough to bring back the refreshing Spring

To our Mountains and Rivers

Listening to the Bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve

My mind calm, my body relaxed

A smile is born on my lips

Following the Sound of the Bell

My breath brings me back to the safe Island of Mindfulness

In the Garden of my Heart

The flowers of Peace

Bloom beautifully

buddha's dogs

                              Buddha's Dogs

I'm at a day-long meditation retreat, eight hours of watching my mind with my mind,
and I already fell asleep twice and nearly fell out of my chair, and it's not even noon yet.

In the morning session, I learned to count my thoughts, ten in one minute, and the longest
was to leave and go to San Anselmo and shop, then find an outdoor cafe and order a glass

of Sancerre, smoked trout with roasted potatoes and baby carrots and a bowl of
      gazpacho.
But I stayed and learned to name my thoughts; so far they are: wanting, wanting, wanting,

wanting, wanting, wanting, wanting, wanting, judgment, sadness. Don't identify with your
thoughts, the teacher says, you are not your personality, not your ego-identification,

then he bangs the gong for lunch. Whoever, whatever I am is given instruction
in the walking meditation and the eating meditation and walks outside with the other

meditators, and we wobble across the lawn like The Night of the Living Dead.
I meditate slowly, falling over a few times because I kept my foot in the air too long,

towards a bench, sit slowly down, and slowly eat my sandwich, noticing the bread,
(sourdough), noticing the taste, (tuna, sourdough), noticing the smell, (sourdough, tuna),

thanking the sourdough, the tuna, the ocean, the boat, the fisherman, the field, the grain,
the farmer, the Saran Wrap that kept this food fresh for this body made of food and desire

and the hope of getting through the rest of this day without dying of boredom.
Sun then cloud then sun. I notice a maple leaf on my sandwich. It seems awfully large.

Slowly brushing it away, I feel so sad I can hardly stand it, so I name my thoughts; they
      are:
sadness about my mother, judgment about my father, wanting the child I never had.

I notice I've been chasing the same thoughts like dogs around the same park most of my
      life,
notice the leaf tumbling gold to the grass. The gong sounds, and back in the hall,

I decide to try lying down meditation, and let myself sleep. The Buddha in my dream is me,
surrounded by dogs wagging their tails, licking my hands. I wake up

for the forgiveness meditation, the teacher saying, never put anyone out of your heart,
and the heart opens and knows it won't last and will have to open again and again,

chasing those dogs around and around in the sun then cloud then sun.

~ Susan Browne

on spiritual bypassing and relationship

:: by John Welwood

Spiritual bypassing is a term I coined to describe a process I saw happening in the Buddhist community I was in, and also in myself. Although most of us were sincerely trying to work on ourselves, I noticed a widespread tendency to use spiritual ideas and practices to sidestep or avoid facing unresolved emotional issues, psychological wounds, and unfinished developmental tasks.

When we are spiritually bypassing, we often use the goal of awakening or liberation to rationalize what I call premature transcendence: trying to rise above the raw and messy side of our humanness before we have fully faced and made peace with it. And then we tend to use absolute truth to disparage or dismiss relative human needs, feelings, psychological problems, relational difficulties, and developmental deficits. I see this as an “occupational hazard” of the spiritual path, in that spirituality does involve a vision of going beyond our current karmic situation.

Trying to move beyond our psychological and emotional issues by sidestepping them is dangerous. It sets up a debilitating split between the buddha and the human within us. And it leads to a conceptual, one-sided kind of spirituality where one pole of life is elevated at the expense of its opposite: Absolute truth is favored over relative truth, the impersonal over the personal, emptiness over form, transcendence over embodiment, and detachment over feeling. One might, for example, try to practice nonattachment by dismissing one’s need for love, but this only drives the need underground, so that it often becomes unconsciously acted out in covert and possibly harmful ways instead.

I’m interested in how spiritual bypassing plays out in relationships, where it often wreaks its worst havoc. If you were a yogi in a cave doing years of solo retreat, your psychological wounding might not show up so much because your focus would be entirely on your practice, in an environment that may not aggravate your relational wounds. It’s in relationships that our unresolved psychological issues tend to show up most intensely. That’s because psychological wounds are always relational — they form in and through our relationships with our early caretakers.