Registration is open through Friday, January 15.
Beginning the week of February 1, Fred will offer a four-week on-line class to FCM members on The Profound Psychology of Yogacara. Many consider Yogacara to be the pinnacle in the development of Buddhist philosophical and psychological thought in India and is the basis of the Mahayana Buddhist meditative traditions, and the teachings on karma, consciousness and liberation. It posits that it is our mind or consciousness that constructs our reality, and not the events of the ‘external world’. Although the meaning we give to events and our emotional responses to life are all arising in our minds, we mistakenly believe that our thoughts and beliefs about life are the same as life itself.
The depth psychology of Yogacara is based on viewing the mind as having eight levels. It clearly portrays the inner processes that lead to our fundamental misperception of the true reality of life and explains why the sense of a separate self constantly contaminates our life experience. It shows why through ignorance we continually water unwholesome historical seeds of suffering in our storehouse consciousness, and teaches us the way to transform our lives at the base.
In this four-week on-line class, Fred will offer teachings and analytical meditations to help participants understand Yogacarin psychology of mind and to apply it to their own experience. Transformation and freedom are the heart of Yogacara. This class will meet the needs for both laypeople and professionals to deepen their understanding of the basic tenets of Buddhist psychology.
The class will meet on zoom twice weekly, Mondays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 pm for four weeks. During each class, Fred will be primarily providing direct teachings explaining the core tenets of Yogacara to help participants understand and integrate what is being read in the assigned readings. There will also be an open forum with Fred each week on Saturday morning from 8-9 am, which is recommended but not required, and will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions about the text and practices recommended within it.
The only required reading will be Living Yogacara by Tagawa Shun'ei. In addition, there are several no-cost translations of Yogacara texts to be found online, as well as several commentaries by modern Buddhist teachers. Thich Nhat Hanh’s, Understanding Our Mind, is his commentary on the great Indian Yogararin Vasubandhu’s Thirty Verses.
The fee for this four-week class is $40 and teacher Dana is at the discretion of each student.
Classes: 5:30-6:30 pm
Week 1: February 1 and 4
Week 2: February 8 and 11
Week 3. February 15 and 18
Week 4: February 22 and 25
Forums: 8:00-9:00 am
Week 1: February 6
Week 2: February 13
Week 3: February 20
Week 4: February 27
