Date(s) - November 5, 2015 - December 17, 2015
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
The Life and Teachings of the Buddha
A Six-Week Seminar on Thursday Evening
With Abby Lindemann and Kasumi Kato
Madison, Wisconsin, USA
Though the Buddha lived roughly 2,500 years ago, his life and teachings are as relevant today as ever. The Buddha was born into a life of luxury and privilege, but saw that material prosperity alone cannot solve all of life’s problems. Acutely aware of the chronic dissatisfaction that often plagues the human mind, he devoted his life to understanding the causes of suffering and how to uproot these causes through meditation, insight, and leading a life of non-violence. This class explores the Buddha’s life and his core teachings, showing the relevance of his timeless teachings to the fast-paced lifestyle of the modern world.
The detailed outline for this course is as follows:
- Awakening to the Truth of Suffering: The Buddha’s Birth and Early Years
- Looking for the Causes of Suffering: The Buddha’s Pursuit of Insight
- The Dawn of Enlightenment: The Buddha’s Discovery of the Liberated Mind
- A Lamp for the Path to Freedom: The Buddha Turns the Wheel of Dharma
- The Truth of Impermanence: The Buddha’s Parinirvana
- Going for Refuge and the Three Jewels
Classes will include video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche, as well as short presentations, guided meditations, and discussions led by Abby and Kasumi.
This series is the first of four core seminars in Tergar’s Exploring Buddhism program. It is suitable for those who are new to Buddhism as well as those wish to deepen their study and practice.
Abby Lindemann first discovered Buddhism as a teenager while living with a Tibetan Buddhist family during a service trip in Nepal. She received her BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA from Naropa University in Contemplative Psychotherapy. She was a Research Coordinator and Clinician at the University of Colorado-Boulder on National Institute of Mental Health funded research of Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy, which introduced mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation to women during pregnancy. Abby is pursuing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently is a Clinical Psychology Intern in the Department of Psychiatry at Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute and Clinics. She enjoys being outdoors, listening to live music, exploring new places, and spending time with her nephews and niece.
Kasumi Kato grew up in northern Japan, where she learned to meditate from a young age. For the last fifteen years, she has studied yoga, meditation, massage, and other healing arts throughout the world. She has received extensive training in mindfulness and other forms of meditation, including participation in numerous meditation retreats, workshops, seminars, and solitary retreats. In addition to her spiritual practice, Kasumi has received two Master’s degrees and currently teaches Japanese at University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and volunteering for the causes she is passionate about.
When:
Six Thursday evenings, November 5, 12, 19, December 3, 10, 17, 7pm-8:30pm
Cost:
Base fee: $90
Sponsor fee: $120*
Student/Senior (65+): $60
Work-study: (prior permission required) $45
* Those who pay the sponsor fee help support those who cannot afford to pay the full workshop fee.
Contact:
Tergar Meditation Community – Madison
[email protected]
608 616-5429
Location
First Unitarian Society, Madison WI, United States