Finding the mind

exploring buddhist maps of our inner worlds

Suppose, bhikkhus, a man wandering through a forest would see an ancient path, an ancient road travelled upon by people in the past. He would follow it and would see an ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhabited by people in the past, with parks, groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delightful place. Then the man would inform the king or a royal minister: ‘Sire, know that while wandering through the forest I saw an ancient path, an ancient road travelled upon by people in the past. I followed it and saw an ancient city, an ancient capital that had been inhabited by people in the past, with parks, groves, ponds, and ramparts, a delightful place. Renovate that city, sire!’

Contemporary neuroscience is only now catching up to what Buddhists have known for millennia: we are not who we think we are. This course asks us to employ practices to investigate the nature of our experience and see just where this elusive ‘thing’ called Mind may reside, if it is anywhere at all. In so doing, we may even discover that in finding the mind we open up to something boundless.

This course is an opportunity to examine and to follow a number of 'maps' of the ancient city referred to in
the quotation above from an ancient Buddhist teaching (Saṃyutta Nikāya 12.65). The term map is used to denote a framework or system of practice that enables one to 'rediscover and excavate' your own mind. Each map leads to a similar if not the same hidden treasure - greater awareness of self, other and the world. Over six weeks you will be exposed to some familiar maps and charts as well as some that may seem mysterious and strange. Like the old seafaring maps painted by hand on vellum, one will need to be vigilant on the journey as one may encounter alluring mer-people or be entangled in the tense coils of sea-serpents. The bottom line is that over the next six weeks, you will have a variety of new ways of investigating and understanding the ancient city of the Dharma which manifests in your own mind.

This course is best suited for people who have already completed our Buddhist Meditation course and who already have an understanding of basic Buddhism.