Foundations for Freedom: Introduction to Buddhist Teachings on Working with Suffering
with Lora Wiggins & Ron Wilcox
This course is second in a series of five courses exploring the foundational Hinayana teachings of the Buddha.
Open to all, no previous course work is required. Each class will have guided meditation, live discussion facilitated by Madison Shambhala Center Director Lora Wiggins and Ron Wilcox, and a recorded talk by either Acharya Dale Asrael or Acharya John Rockwell.
Course Overview:
Having recognized the truth of suffering and the confusion that is pervasive in our life, we naturally have questions. How does this state of suffering arise? Where does confusion come from? Our innate intelligence begins to explore the subtle layers of experience, going deeper and deeper until we come to the heart of our being. In this in-depth exploration of the Five Skandhas, we will touch these layers or constellations of experience one by one, starting from the unconditioned, innate ground of open space, and see how we fabricate our own world of projections. The focus will be on the fundamental teachings of the five skandhas (aggregates of clinging): form, feeling, perception, formation/mental arisings/concepts, and consciousness.
The course includes:
- Recorded talks by Shambhala Senior Teachers Dale Asrael and John Rockwell
- Live discussions led by the facilitator, Lora Wiggins
- Readings and book suggestions
- Contemplation exercises
This class is online and each session will be recorded for students to use during the length of the course. A link for the class will be sent shortly before the first class to students who have registered.
Books: The optional readings are from these books by Chögyam Trungpa:Glimpses of Abhidharma and Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism
The Teachers:
Dale Asrael became a student of Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche in 1973, and has continued to practice and teach within his lineage, leading programs and retreats internationally. She is a Professor at Naropa University, and leads the Naropa University Mindfulness Instructor Training, a year-long program for people teaching meditation in transitional environments.
John Rockwell has been on the Shambhala and Buddhist path for 40 years, studying with Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. His main interests are in opening the heart and senses through meditation and qigong and in bringing awareness to everyday life and the natural world.
