Part Three — The Wild and Crazy Mind
January 13-February 3 - Four Weeks
Thursday Mornings 10 AM ET - Noon ET
(This is the third installment of the Unapologetically Buddhist Approach to Mindfulness course but it is not necessary to have attended the prior two installments to register for this class)

Hard to hold back, flighty, alighting where it will; it’s good to tame the mind; a tamed mind leads to bliss. (from the Dhammapada)

These four weeks will center on the mindfulness practices related to observing our mind- the third foundation of mindfulness.  It is this mind- Citta—which is both the blessing and the curse of being human.   As we explore and begin to understand the workings of this mind, we start to see our habits—helpful and unhelpful—and to observe tendencies of mind which lead toward dukkha (suffering) or freedom (Nibbana).  

This course is part of a larger series on the the Satipatthana Sutta. See full description below. Registration is available here

An Unapologetically Buddhist Approach to Mindfulness: the Satipatthana Sutta
A 20-week journey through core Buddhist teachings on meditation and living
September 30th 2021 - March 17th 2022 (4 parts)
Hybrid: on Zoom or in person.
Practice Days: dates pending.

The Four Establishments or Foundations of Mindfulness are the core of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and most other “mainstream” mindfulness programs.  This 2600-year-old set of teachings offers an incredibly powerful path of practice as well as diverse ways of looking at, and working with, our lived experience, on and off the cushion. There is far more to the Satipatthana Sutta than is apparent, or ever explicit, in most secular mindfulness courses or apps. This will be an opportunity to explore the teachings in the fuller context of the Buddha’s presentation, unimpeded.

Though all Four Satipatthanas overlap, each section will dive into one while relating to the others. You may register for all 20 weeks, or to any of the parts, which can stand alone.

Each 2-Hour class includes a periods of practice, inquiry, a Dharma talk and discussion.  There will also be two full-days of practice associated with the course.

This course will be appropriate for anyone who has completed an MBSR Class, Insight 101 or other mindfulness meditation class as well as those who have advanced practices.  If you have questions about whether this is the right course for you, please write to me.

Part One — Coming Back to the Body, with Love!
September 30-November 4 - Six weeks  
Exploring the key teachings in the First Establishment: Mindfulness of the Body.

Part Two — The Tonality of Experience
November 11-December 9  - Four Weeks
Working through the Second Establishment of Mindfulness: Vedana or how the mind receives experience.

Part Three — The Wild and Crazy Mind
January 13-February 3 - Four Weeks
Contemplating the Third Establishment of Mindfulness: Mindfulness of Mind, or how experience is influenced by the habitual responses and how mindful awareness creates the capacity to see beyond this.

Part Four — Mapping Experience
February 10-March 17 - Six Weeks
Mindfulness of Mind Objects (Dharmas): The Fourth and last of the Satipatthana teachings incorporates many other teachings which are primarily different ways of looking at our moment to moment experience including the obstacles and signs of progress toward one’s awakening and a deeper understanding of Dukkha and the end of Dukkha 

This course will use many resources in its exploration including the writings of Bhikkhu Analayo, Bhante Gunaratana and Bhante Sujato and of course the various translations of the sutta.