Greetings from Bodhi College
We have lots of exciting news to share this month, including details of our first ever Bodhi College day in London this December - where all our core teachers will be coming together to share their experiences, debate with each other and engage with you - our Sangha - all to raise funds for the college. We are looking for volunteers to help with the planning and running of this unique event so if that interests you, please see below for how you can sign up.
If you live further afield do not fear, as Stephen and Martine Batchelor will also be running our ever-popular online course this Autumn in collaboration with Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. This year's topic for exploration is Secular Dharma - Stephen explains more below.
If you'd like to do some reading over the summer we've also included some book reviews from our teachers as well as their most recent publications.
Wherever this summer takes you - in your practice, reading, or to pastures new, we wish you well.
From all at Bodhi College
Upcoming courses
Secular Dharma online course - starting November 2019
Stephen and Martine Batchelor will be teaching this course in collaboration with Tricyle: The Buddhist Review.
Stephen tells us more:
"Secular Dharma is a novel way of rethinking the dharma in an age of global modernity. The project of Secular Dharma starts by replacing the classical Buddhist doctrine of the four noble truths with an invitation to practice four great tasks. On this foundation, it then seeks to elaborate, step by step, a comprehensive philosophical, contemplative and ethical way of life that dispenses with the Indian metaphysical framework common to the schools of Buddhism. The aim of Secular Dharma is human flourishing rather than the attainment of “enlightenment.”
Over a six week period, Martine and Stephen Batchelor will present their understanding of Secular Dharma as they have been practising it themselves and teaching it at Bodhi College. Each week they will offer meditations, talks, reflections and parables to illuminate their approach.
This is the first time they will provide a systematic understanding of Secular Dharma in a distance-learning format. The course will be addressed to committed Buddhists, mindfulness practitioners, and complete beginners alike.
Bookings open in August - check our website and Facebook page for details
Buddhist Foundations of Mindfulness 2020-22
We are now taking bookings for the first retreat on the upcoming BFM programme. This popular three year programme looks at the origins, practice and liberating possibilities of mindfulness, comprising of three, seven day residential retreats with our teachers.
Retreat 1: Contextualizing Mindfulness will take place on 22-28 Feb 2020, at Beatenburg, Switzerland
To book click here
Note - all retreats are bookable separately or together to form the longer course.
Also coming up...
Philosophy as a Way of Life: The Buddha, Sceptics, Epicureans and Stoics, with John Peacock and Stephen Batchelor: 26-27 October, Amsterdam
A Cure for the Soul: Early Buddhism and the Philosophy of Epicurus, with John Peacock and Stephen Batchelor: 2-3 November, London
Summer reading
Recent book reviews from our teachers as well as details of their latest offerings
The Buddha’s Middle Way: Experiential Judgement in His Life
and Teaching Robert M. Ellis
'A provocative and original presentation of the Buddha’s core idea of the Middle
Way.'
Stephen Batchelor (SB)
Robert Ellis will be teaching a workshop at Bodhi College next year.
The Religion of the Future Roberto Mangabeira Unger
'Founded on an
unflinching acceptance of our mortality, groundlessness and insatiability,
Unger’s “religion of the future” bears striking parallels with a secular iteration of
early Buddhism'.
SB
Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Søren Kierkegaard Clare Carlisle
'A wonderful biography that brings the Danish philosopher vividly and fully alive as an uncompromising practitioner of his radical understanding of Christianity, who sought to imitate Jesus in 19th century Copenhagen'.
SB
I will Never See this World Again Ahmet Altan
'Imprisoned for life without parole in 2016 for political crimes, Turkish author
Ahmet Altan describes his arrest, trial and incarceration in short, deeply moving
and courageous essays smuggled out of prison.'
SB
(Read all four reviews from Stephen in full here)
Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness David Treleaven
'A valuable resource for those who have suffered trauma and those who teach mindfulness. I feel it should almost be required reading for meditation teachers'.
Christina Feldman
What is this? Ancient questions for modern minds Martine & Stephen Batchelor
Leading us through the practice of radical questioning at the heart of the Sŏn (Chan/Zen) Buddhist tradition, the authors show how anyone at all can benefit from this form of radical inquiry today.
Opportunity for practice
'The first day or two of a retreat (or 15 years of your practice!) is usually spent primarily cultivating two key aspects of mindfulness: knowing (...) and protective awareness.'
Listen to this talk by Christina Feldman: The 1st Satipatthana: mindfulness of body, walking meditation Also featuring Chris Cullen.
