What is it that we all are pursuing? Do we succeed in it? Should we explore more carefully and wisely how to fulfill our deepest yearnings? How could we contribute to others’ happiness as well?

We will explore these from an experiential point of view, using both scientific and Buddhist knowledge of the mind and meditation, in a journey that may translate into increasing lasting happiness and a positive impact on oneself, others, and the world.

The Journey

The course “Cultivating lasting happiness: What Buddhism and science have to say about it” focuses on an exploration of what leads to dissatisfaction and suffering, and what contributes to happiness for oneself and others.

The fundamentals of meditation and mind training are introduced, especially in the areas of establishing a meaningful direction in life, balancing the mind with equanimity and a caring attitude, and nurturing warmheartedness and wisdom drawn from the Buddhist tradition.

It is complemented by references to current scientific understanding on our nervous system, values, subjective well-being, neuroplasticity and altruism.

The course gradually unfolds as a journey along different topics:

1. A universal need explores the common ground that we all want to find happiness and overcome suffering, and presents initial techniques to balance body and mind.
2. Are we pursuing happiness in the best way? is an initial exploration of the Buddhist Four Truths and a suggestion to probe into common ways to pursue happiness—are we succeeding?
3. Following the scent of lasting happiness encourages us to establish meaningful directions and to find ways to cultivate lasting happiness and activate our potential.
4. Meditation and mind training presents tools for doing so.
5. Wisdom and warmheartedness as a source of lasting happiness presents tools to cultivate the fundamental qualities of warmheartedness and wisdom and invites us to explore their contribution to our own and others’ happiness.
6. Enhancing wisdom and warmheartedness further explores these fundamental qualities.

Buddhist Mind Science

“Cultivating Lasting Happiness” is the first in a series of courses under the name “Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential”, offering practical knowledge and techniques on meditation, the mechanisms of suffering and happiness, how to find inner balance and how to discover and develop our potential as a person. The presentation includes references to scientific research. The different courses in the series can be taken separately. Read more.

Who is it addressed to?

The course is suitable for anyone.

Structure

The course will combine theoretical sessions, exercises and meditations into a practical toolkit for daily life.

Language

The course will be conducted in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish.

Co-Hosting Centers

• Centre de meditació Tushita
• Shantideva, New York

• Land of Joy, UK

See an introduction to the series in the video above

Marina Brucet Vinyals was born in Barcelona, Spain. She has completed a six-year full-time study program Masters Program of Advanced Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute, Italy. She studied with great Tibetan lamas such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Jampa Monlam and Khensur Jampa Tegchok, amongst others. She has also completed a one-year individual meditation retreat, amongst others.

She holds a BA and a MA in Biochemistry and a PhD in Molecular Biology in Immunology from the University of Barcelona, where she also performed postdoctoral studies.

Presently, she combines continual development and meditation retreats with teaching meditation and Buddhist philosophy, at both general and specialized levels, with an approach that always takes into account the context and circumstances of Western life.