Dance Of Emptiness, Dhamma Talk Series

[sabaijai]

The Dance Of Emptiness

Dhamma Talk Series, in English

With the Dance Centre, School of Performing Arts

In honour of their 25th Anniversary

This ‘Buddhist Lent’, that runs to October, a special series of talks will be held on Thailand’s most precious jewel – Theravada Buddhism. Every Monday evening British monk Phra Cittasamvaro will be leading a Dhamma talk on Thailand’s Buddhism and meditation at the Dance Centre, Sukhumvit 24.

The towering multi-coloured rooves of Bangkok’s temples might suggest that Buddhism was easy to investigate in the Capitol. But in fact it is rare that the temples have much to offer the International visitors who might like to explore more about this peaceful teaching.

“It is not a case of conspiracy,” says Phra Cittasamvaro “but more of a cultural hurdle. Thai Buddhism is wrapped in many layers of tradition, which make it hard for the Thai monks to rethink and represent to non-Thais. There’s also the language thing too of course”

Buddhism is also approached by Thais from a standpoint of strong faith – a foundation that newcomers do not have.

“This peaceful teaching was originally a path of wisdom, and not a matter or religion or faith” adds Cittasamvaro. Even to his closest friends who had undertaken harsh ascetic practices with him, the Buddha taught a way of investigation, of learning and knowing for oneself rather than relying on any teacher.”

The idea is that instead of changing yourself through the ego – by setting goals or trying to be someone new – you let wisdom do the work for you. Through a process of gentle watching and accepting, with an emphasis of clear awareness, the heart learns what the brain finds hard to digest. It learns that the ‘self’ is part of the problem rather than the solution.

“As the ‘self’ dissolves you find you are still there, with a bright and pure awareness, but with a purity and happiness that arises spontaneously”

Sounds a little tricky.

Yet Buddhist principles have quietly been infiltrating many areas. The hospice movement owes more than a nod to Buddhist practices of acceptance in the dying process. General health practices, education and even art have similarly learned a lot from Asian ideas in the last couple of decades. Psychology especially has been embracing Buddhist ideas, albeit without the ‘Buddhsim’.

For instance, the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction study in the University of Massachusetts has run 8 week meditation courses for 30+ years documenting the effect of mindfulness meditation on a variety of physical stress indicators not limited to just the heart rate and blood pressure. The program has been used with HIV and cancer patients, and even together with treatments for skin conditions – all with good peer reviewed science.

“We need proper psychological research into meditation.” Said Dr Holly Dugan, adjunct psychology professor at ABAC University and the late co-founder of Bangkok’s English language Dhamma group. “Over the last 10 years this has been a growth area, especially as the watchword in psychology right now is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. This is an effective form of self awareness treatment that lies close to Mindfulness and the Buddhist outlook.”

Time magazine last year ran a piece on “ACT” or Acceptance and Commitment Theory, supposedly a new ‘third wave’ of psychology. It is based largely on the practice of Mindfulness, the cornerstone of Theravada Buddhim.

“Submitting Buddhist meditation to scientific review is good, but sometimes it is throwing the baby out with the bathwater” adds Phra Cittasamvaro. “The goal of enlightenment needs to be kept in mind. To this end there are lots of rites and rituals in the temples, which can be used effectively to dedicate and centre the mind. It’s true though, that sometimes the rituals end up replacing the development of character through meditation they are supposed to support. Then it becomes a matter of culture, and not of real growth.”

An article from AsiaNews seems to support this. “According to a recent survey conducted at the temple of Yannawa - in central Bangkok - 57% make food offerings to monks, 8.2% listen to sermons and just 3.2% practice meditation.”

The context of original Buddhism has changed, and the challenge is always to learn new lessons while maintaining the original teaching. How far can Buddhism grow and adapt to new situations? Like art, Buddhism changes with the times, finding news paradigms of expression, but it must maintain contact with its essential beauty. And ultimately that means emptying the mind out on the meditation cushion by a process of observation and letting go.

This year’s Dhamma Talk program is hosted by the Dance Centre, School of Performing Arts as part of their 25th Anniversary. The studio is on Sukhumvit 24. Program is free of charge, and there’s plenty of space, so no need for advance reservation. Details, talk topics and map/directions are on www.littlebang.org

Phra Cittasamvaro Bhikkhu is a British national who was ordained in 1996 in Thailand. He has a BA in Buddhist Psychology from Mahaculalonkorn Rajavidyalaya University and is a co-founder of the Little Bangkok Sangha (aka ‘littlebang’).

These and other all other Dhamma events in Bangkok in English are listed at www.littlebang.org

[Xangsamhua]

The hospice movement owes more than a nod to Buddhist practices of acceptance in the dying process.

At the risk of being sectarian (OK, smack me down if I am), can I ask if the Buddhist hospice movement owes much to the Theravada tradition that Phra Cittasamvaro is talking about ("Thailand's most precious jewel")? I understood this movement to have emerged in the West from the Tibetan tradition, though I see some in the US have been founded by indigenized (Western) Zen sanghas. I would be interested to know of any with a Theravada origin or outlook. The English one, perhaps? Quite a few non-sectarian places don't refer to their source of foundation.

[sabaijai]

It sounds like he was referring to Buddhism in general.

Stephen Levine, author of Meetings at the Edge Dialogues with the Grieving and the Dying, the Healing and the Healed, approached care of the dying from a mostly Theravadin approach. I believe he was one of the founders of The Living/Dying Project (originally The Dying Project), and many of the Buddhist teachers involved in the organisation are Theravadin.

http://www.livingdying.org/

At one time in the distant past most of the care administered to the infirm and dying here in Thailand and in neighbouring Theravada countries took place within temple walls.

Hospitals and nursing homes have all but displaced that function in Thailand (for good or bad). But nowadays there are also several hospice programs run by Thai monks.

I don't think the concept is owned by any one Buddhist school, even if some schools or sects do seem more involved. I can see why Tibetan Buddhists might be more keen on the hospice concept, with the tradition of guiding the dying through the bardos.

[Xangsamhua]

It sounds like he was referring to Buddhism in general.

Stephen Levine, author of Meetings at the Edge Dialogues with the Grieving and the Dying, the Healing and the Healed, approached care of the dying from a mostly Theravadin approach. I believe he was one of the founders of The Living/Dying Project (originally The Dying Project), and many of the Buddhist teachers involved in the organisation are Theravadin.

http://www.livingdying.org/

At one time in the distant past most of the care administered to the infirm and dying here in Thailand and in neighbouring Theravada countries took place within temple walls.

Hospitals and nursing homes have all but displaced that function in Thailand (for good or bad). But nowadays there are also several hospice programs run by Thai monks.

I don't think the concept is owned by any one Buddhist school, even if some schools or sects do seem more involved. I can see why Tibetan Buddhists might be more keen on the hospice concept, with the tradition of guiding the dying through the bardos.

Thanks Sabaijai. A mine of information, as usual. :jap: I'll check out the link.

My interest in the topic was sparked by there being a hospice (Karuna Centre) very close to my house in Brisbane. It was/is a Tibetan centre, written up by Vicki McKenzie in "Why Buddhism?" (2001), where she describes them helping a dying woman through the Bardo stages.

[Sarathi]

First part of this set of talks is on Monday (8th August 2011)

http://littlebang.org/2011/08/05/dhamma-talk-one-heros-journey/