How do we perceive things? Is the way we perceive things accurate? Does the way we perceive things influence our experiences of happiness and suffering? What is the relationship between perception and wisdom? Could an accurate, wise, way of perceiving things be a source of well-being and freedom from suffering?

The Journey

The course “The nature of perception” focuses on wisdom. It reflects on its meaning, relevance, and how it counteracts the causes of suffering. It goes deeper into the most profound aspect of wisdom: understanding the nature of reality. It concludes with the nature of mind which makes full awakening possible and it is complemented by references to current scientific understanding on wisdom and well-being and the process of perception.

The course gradually unfolds as a journey along different topics:

Creating realities introduces perception and wisdom, by exploring what is meant by wisdom, its aspects and relevance, and the scientific view on how perception works.

• Perception and conditioning explores how our perception is conditioned by our actions and how in turn how such actions are also conditioned by the way we perceive things.
• The nature of reality moves into the most profound aspect of wisdom, the wisdom that understands the nature of reality. The concepts of emptiness and dependent arising are presented, together with the different levels of dependent arising.
• What about my”self”? then applies this understanding to the I, the sense of personal identity. It does so first from a more psychological point of view, and then moving into some meditations to explore the sense of self.
• Wisdom liberates us from suffering deepens on how wisdom counteracts delusion and all the true causes of suffering, by going further to see how “conditioned” existences becomes “cyclic” existence, how wisdom liberates us, and how another way of existing and experiencing is possible, that of liberation and full awakening.
• Living wisdom and compassion concludes the module by bringing this knowledge to our daily life, by means of exploring how to cultivate wisdom and compassion in life.

Buddhist Mind Science

This course belongs to the series of courses “Buddhist Mind Science: Activating Your Potential”, that offers practical knowledge and techniques about 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.

Structure

The course will combine theoretical sessions, exercises and meditations. The format will be eminently practical.

Language

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

Co-Hosting Centers

Centre de meditació Tushita
Land of Joy, UK
Shantideva Center, USA

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.

Hans Burghardt holds a BA and a MA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a PhD from the University of Barcelona, where he spent seven years doing research. Since 2002, he meditates and is a student of great Buddhist masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Lama Jampa Monlam, Khensur Jampa Tegchok amongst others. He has completed the Masters Program of Advanced Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (Italy) and has completed a one-year individual meditation retreat. He currently teaches meditation and Buddhism at Tushita Meditation Center Spain and other FPMT centers, and is co-founder and coordinator of the Initiative for an Emotional, Ethical, and Social Education, that promotes the establishment of Emory University’s SEE Learning in Spain.