Secular Theme:

In this workshop Dr. Alan Wallace will present methods drawn from the Buddhist contemplative tradition and modern psychology for cultivating emotional balance. Such practices are based on the distinction between hedonic pleasure, which is aroused by pleasant stimuli, and genuine happiness, which stems from what we bring to the world rather than what we get from it. In Buddhist practice, mental balance is cultivated on the basis of an ethical way of life, and it is developed within the broader context of conative, attentional, and cognitive balance. Central to such mental training is the development of attentional and metacognitive skills, which are indispensable for cultivating emotional balance.


Buddhist Theme:

In this weekend workshop Alan Wallace will focus on two methods for cultivating meditative quiescence, or shamatha. He will teach the practice of "mindfulness of breathing", which is an effective approach to soothing the body and calming the discursive mind. He will also introduce a method that is both a shamatha practice and a preliminary to Dzogchen, called "settling the mind in its natural state." The attainment of shamatha is widely regarded in the Buddhist tradition as an indispensable foundation for the cultivation of contemplative insight (vipashyana), and this retreat is designed to provide participants with a sufficient theoretical understanding and a basis in experience to enable them to proceed effectively toward this extraordinary state of mental and physical balance.

In addition, instruction will be offered on the cultivation of the four immeasurables: loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These qualities of the heart are so powerful that they can break down all the barriers that are created by attachment and aversion, opening our hearts boundlessly to all beings, which brings peace and happiness. Lectures and guided meditations will be interspersed with periods for group discussions and will focus on the practical applications of these practices in daily life. Participants are welcome to practice meditation in both the sitting (cross-legged or on a chair) position or in the supine position.

Biosketch of B. Alan Wallace

B. Alan Wallace began his studies of Tibetan Buddhism in 1970 in Germany and was ordained as a Buddhist monk by H. H. the Dalai Lama in 1975. He has taught Buddhist meditation and philosophy worldwide since 1976 and has served as interpreter for numerous Tibetan scholars and contemplatives, including the Dalai Lama. After earning his undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at from Amherst College in 1987, he went on to earn his Ph.D. in religious studies at Stanford University. He is now the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies (http://sbinstitute.com).