lotusinthemud

the heart of zen therapy

Here's Dharmavidya on the course he has been teaching in Korea:

Day One: Qwan Shi Yin practises deeply

Introductory remarks about Buddhist psychology, Zen Therapy and about the sutra.
Introductions by individuals. Three particular themes emerged

• the challenge of living the Dharma life, whether as a person in the robe or as a layperson
• the question of all acceptance
• the matter of space and emptiness

Input:

• Do not criticise, but accept everything
• Do not be proud of oneself and devalue others
• Do not seek personal advantage
• Do not advertise one's own virtue, nor the faults and failings of others
• When one finds that one has done these things (as all of us do) tery to avoid becoming defensive or self-punishing and, instead, learn how it is to be a human being.

After lunch
Talk:

• Two main characters: Quan Shi Yin and Shariputra
• Two main concepts Prajna and Paramita

Quan Shi Yin and Shariputra as two different kinds of intelligence that need to be in communication with one another, the heart and the head. In helping others, the heart leads the head, but must not try to do without the head. Quan means to look deeply. Yin means tears, crying. Shi refers to generations of people. Quan Shi Yin looks deeply into the tears that have come down through the generations. The therapist attends carefully to the distress that has come to the client, knowing it as an instance of the suffering of all beings.

Prajna is cognate with “diagnosis”. There is a surface presentation and a deeper meaning. There is an immediate manifestation and a longer term process. Paramita refers to the other shore, beyond the rushing torrent of emotion and karma. The therapist has confidence that together they will reach the other shore, and that the way to get there will actually be revealed within the torrent itself.

Then the group divided into small groups to discuss the material presented.

Then we did an exercise: each person made a list of who they would choose from the group to represent different members of their family or other significant people in their life. After the break there were a series of pairings exploring the relationship between projection and reality.

:: continue reading here

Whispers from the Bamboo Grove - Amida Newsletter Number 14

Amida Academy Courses

It's the time of year when people are signing up for college courses and evening classes - so we are taking this opportunity to let you know about our Amida Academy* courses and to encourage you to join us.


Buddhist Psychology

This highly respected and well subscribed course covers the extensive theory that lies behind the Zen Therapy approach pioneered by Dharmavidya David Brazier. The course is tutored but is largely organised around peer learning exercises. It takes place over two years, equivalent to six modules each consisting of three units.

The year one course commences in January 2014.

 The course forms the theoretical component of a full training programme in counselling psychotherapy. However it can also be studied as a stand alone programme for those wishing to integrate a Buddhist approach into their work, whether this is therapeutic or some other helping profession.

There is a study break of a month after each module. Subjects covered include the history of psychology and Buddhism, the Buddhist model of the mind and Zen in a therapy context, its meaning and practice. The course costs €650 each year (€600 if paid before 1st December).

The course is available in both English and Spanish.
The Spanish version starts in the Spring of 2014 (date to be advised).


:: find out more here


Vow 22

Richard writes: "Although for the sake of convenience we tend to think of Vow 22's 'academic years' as running from January to December, in practice people can start whenever they want to. Indeed, we view flexibility as one of the course's chief strengths. So, if you'd like to deepen and broaden your knowledge and understanding of Pureland Buddhism in areas such as theology, the sutras, psychology, history, pastoral skills etc, this very reasonably priced, popular and friendly course could be just the thing for you ! If you enjoy the challenge of thinking things through in a supportive learning environment please do get in touch  - we'd love to hear from you".

Details of the Vow 22 course:

The Vow 22 Programme is named after the 22nd vow of Dharmakara Bodhisattva in the Larger Pureland Sutra. This vow establishes the bodhisattva ideal within the Pureland tradition. 

This programme aims to provide education in Buddhist thoughts from a Pureland Buddhist perspective. The programme is suitable for those intending to ordain, those offering lay ministry, and those seeking a systematic education in Buddhist principles. The course was created and set up by Dharmavidya David Brazier and was developed by members of the Amida Sangha.

Orientation

The Amida Trust Vow 22 Programme is offered from an Amida Buddhist perspective. This is an approach to Buddhism grounded in the Pureland tradition, especially Japanese Pureland, incorporating critical and socially engaged perspectives. This approach is self-consciously an evolving confession. Amida Buddha is at work. Western Buddhism is unfolding. While we centrally draw upon the Japanese Amidist tradition, this is a living faith that is an expression of the faith history of all mankind. Tradition here does not simply mean the transmission of something unchanged from the past. It means the continued life of the spirit in the world in an ever new revelation.

Cost: £20 per module, £200 for the full course

:: continue reading here


Introduction to Pureland Buddhism

The Introduction to Pureland Buddhism course is comprised of sixteen written lessons with quiz type questions at the end of each lesson, most of which are multiple choice or requiring short answers. All the material needed to complete the course is provided. In addition there are optional discussion questions which allow an online exploration of topics raised by the material and its relevance to our day to day lives.

 

The lessons guide you from Basic Buddhism to a deeper understanding of the Pureland Tradition. The course takes you step by step from broad concepts and simple practices toward more subtle points and more advanced methods. The lessons are appropriate for all  levels ofexperience - if you are new to Buddhism, you will find everything you need in order to get a quite thorough understanding of the basic teachings.  The Amida approach draws upon all the main writings and traditions of Buddhism, considering them from a Pureland perspective. Hence it encompasses much material that would be of interest to Buddhists experienced in different traditions.

Pureland is the most popular form of Buddhism in the far east. We offer this course to spread interest in Pureland Buddhism.

Cost: £30/ $48/ €44

:: continue reading here

 

Psychotherapy by Karma Transformation


New for 2013/2014: A course based on the book of the same name by Prof. Maurits Kwee PhD. This is an advanced course for practicing psychologists and psychotherapists. It presents an in depth exploration of a therapeutic approach derived from canonical texts, the Abhidhamma, modern psychology and social construction theory.

Prof. Kwee presents a system rooted in what he calls "Relational Buddhism", an innovative set of ideas reflecting the post-modern landscape. He argues from this position that the way of Buddhism in modern Western countries is best practised as a psychology, rather than as a religion or philosophy.

Prof. Kwee is an independent thinker and this material is being hosted by Amida Academy.

The fee for the year is €675 if paid in full at the time you join the course and in advance of the programme starting (dates to be advised). You can however pay in installments, in which case the fee is €250 per module.


:: find out more here


*What is Amida Academy?

Amida Academy is an on-line academic platform which has been established to deliver distance learning programmes. The ITZI English language distance learning programme in Zen Therapy & Buddhist Psychology was the first programme to go live, quickly followed by the Amida Trust ministry training programme called Vow 22. In February 2013 a Spanish language version of the Zen Therapy & Buddhist Psychology programme commenced and the Introduction to Pureland Buddhism course has moved to this platform. A new course has been added: Psychotherapy by Karma Transformation. Other programmes are in preparation.
:: link

:: here is a contact form, should you wish to find out addition information in addition to that provided by following the links above.

As far as the costs indicated above are concerned, we would like as much as possible not to inhibit anyone who is interested in joining any of these courses because of financial constraints. Do use this link to contact us if you are on a low income and we can discuss the options with you.


Please forward this link to the newsletter
to any friends, contacts or groups that you think might be interested in these courses - thank you.


NAMO AMIDA BU

the latest itzi newsletter

Here's a link to the latest newsletter, Red Letter:

Red Letter is the Newsletter of ITZI, its affiliated groups and its departments, ITZI-Red and Amida Academy. ITZI (Instituto Terapia Zen Internacional) is a consortium of trainers and centres around the world dedicated to the development and dissemination of education in Buddhism, Buddhist Psychology and related approaches to spirituality, therapy and personal growth.

the latest izt (institute for zen therapy) newsletter - october 2012

You'll find the newsletter by following this link

You can subsribe, share, look at past issues or translate the newsletter from the top bar in the link.

whispers from the bamboo grove - amida newsletter no 5

Uniting Zen and Pureland

'The essence of Zen is big mind and big heart. The essence of Pureland is that there is nowhere where the Light does not shine. These two are sides of a coin. Nothing is outside of the compass of one's spiritual life. There is nowhere where one's spiritual life is not supported.'
~ Dharmavidya

News from Dharmavidya

Dharmavidya was in Seville at the beginning of April taking the first legal steps toward the setting up of the
Instituto Terapia
Zen Internacional

 

Dharmavidya led a
workshop in Milan
13-15 April for the Mindfulness Project and gave a talk to a dance therapy school on the Sunday afternoon. These were well received and he will be going again the same time next year.

 

As part of the setting up of ITZI, Dharmavidya is moving his base of operations to Belgium in early May.

ITZI  already has local reps in UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada and USA

ITZI facebook group

 

what is the most important thing to do in your life?

.....The most important thing is what you are doing right now. Whatever it is, if you do not live this moment fully, then an opportunity has been lost which will never return.  Lived fully, this is one moment of complete enlightenment. If it is passed by in a haze, then it is just one more moment of fog.

~ David Brazier (Dharmavidya): Zen Therapy

:: Institute for Zen Therapy

empathy

Empathy is the opposite of ego. When I am full of ego, it is my own importance which matters. When I am full of empathy it is the other person who matters. Egotism, self-preoccupation, is the commonest barrier to empathy. Empathy is the most effective remedy for egotism. 

~ David Brazier Empathy

izt - a new logo (and what it means)

What's the new IZT logo all about?

It brings together the traditional Zen enso, or circle, and elements from the logo of Amida Trust (which IZT is part of).

The enso is an image that's become reasonably well known in the West, although perhaps its meaning is less known. It represents the ultimate trancendent reality.

The Amida Trust logo is a sunset: the sun and clouds. The sun here represents Amida, which can be considered that aspect of ultimate reality which comes to us, and which we can relate to.

The clouds in this image represent the kleshas. A klesha is a mental state of mind which clouds judgment (anxiety, fear, anger, jealousy, desire and so on) and prevents us from seeing Amida clearly. This is the ordinary human reality, there is something which is perfect in love and wisdom, but so much of the time it is hidden from us by clouds which rise from our karma.

The new IZT logo introduces this element of humaness to the perfect Zen enso. The two horizontal lines are like the clouds which obscure the bright light of the sun. :: link

:: link to Institute of Zen Therapy website

to grow pearls.......

To grow pearls there has to be some grit in the oyster. Each of us also has our gritty question. All too often, however, we devote our lives to ignoring rather than working on it. According to Zen, it is this ignoring (avidya) which keeps us in the realm of suffering (samsara), but it is the grit (dukkha) which gives us the opportunity to liberate ourselves.......it is this very dukkha which is our best friend. Dukkha shows us that we need to do something about ourselves and shows us where, when and how to do it. By working with our own grit, we become a 'true being', a true pearl. We can be greatly helped in this process by 'good friends' (kalyanamitra).

~ Dharmavidya David Brazier, 'Zen Therapy'

:: link to Institute for Zen Therapy

to take refuge...

"To take refuge is to enter into a relationship with what is beyond the ordinary that opens us to truth and love beyond our personal limited selves."

~ Dharmavidya David Brazier
(from a forthcoming book... watch this space!)