Spotlight on Buddhism
The following is a list of courses related to Buddhism which have been offered in the past at ITP. Courses are offered based upon the interests of the current student body and faculty availability. Please consult the current academic course schedule for each program of interest for classes offered at this time.
Buddhism and Meditation
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the central concepts of Buddhism, such as suffering and liberation from suffering, impermanence, self/no-self, emptiness, and enlightenment. These concepts are studied through discussion as well as experiential inquiry. The major Buddhist schools of thought and practice—Theravada, Zen, and Tibetan Buddhism—are taken up for detailed study. The unique forms of inquiry and meditative practice of each school are explored through guided meditation exercises.
The course is divided into three segments of 3-4 weeks. The first is focused on Theravada (text: What the Buddha Taught), with an emphasis on the basic teachings of the Buddha in the Pali Canon. The second explores Zen (text: The Zen Teaching of Master Lin-Chi, and Dissolving the Self: Zen Training in an American Monastery), and the last segment introduces Tibetan Buddhism (text: The Tantric Distinction).
Tibetan Buddhist Qigong
With over five thousand years of history, Qigong is one of the oldest and most tested of medical practices. The documented benefits of emitted chi include reversal of disorders affecting all major systems of the body. The Tibetan Buddhist Qigong system focuses on quieting the body, speech, and mind, dissolving the barriers of relative perception. Through simple resonance of movement, sound and intention, every person has the ability to access healing energy to develop health and reach full potential.
Mindfulness Meditation
Mindfulness meditation, also known as Insight meditation, or Vipassana, is one of the central teachings of the Buddha and has continued as a living practice for the past 2500 years. While mindfulness practice is highly effective in helping bring calm and clarity to the pressures of daily life, it is also a spiritual path that gradually dissolves barriers toward the full development of wisdom and compassion. Mindfulness relies on an important characteristic which everyone has: awareness. Awareness by itself does not judge, resist, or cling to anything. By focusing on being aware we learn to disentangle ourselves from our habitual reactions and begin having a friendlier and more compassionate relationship with ourselves and others.
In this course, students will gain experience with self-awareness through the practice of mindfulness meditation and cultivation of mature, non-judgmental attitudes towards themselves and others. They will also be exposed to the basic teachings of the Buddha that underlie the practice of mindfulness meditation.
Five Wisdom Energies
The five wisdom energies are a way of understanding our personality and how we perceive and interact with others and our world. Discovering our place within these five styles of being can yield enormous insight into our own patterns of behavior and become a way to celebrate our strengths and work with our weaknesses. We can use the energies in any situation to cultivate self-awareness, improve communication, and work with others.
The work of the five wisdom energies is designed for those who are inspired to engage in the challenging personal work that prepares them to be fully present and available in working with people. It is helpful to people working in education, the health professions—including body centered therapies such as somatic psychology—leadership, creative expression, and organizational development as well as for personal growth and to improve relationships.
The concepts of the five wisdom energies are founded in Buddhist psychology and contemplative practice that together bring a highly sophisticated understanding of the function of mind. Specific postures and colored glasses are utilized in class to invoke each of the energies and familiarize oneself with the sane and neurotic aspects of each.
