Awakening the Heart
Welcome! The intention of this course is to support Awakening. It is not a study course designed to furnish knowledge - rather it presents some of the many tools offered by the Buddha to liberate the heart. Our approach follows the encouragement of our primary teacher Ajahn Chah, which is "Read the book of the Heart." This approach which informs how we present the material and how you are encouraged to study and practice with it.
The course, designed and taught by Kittisaro & Thanissara, is open to all and runs over three modules. Participants will work in small groups with regular support from mentors guided by updated, pre-recorded teachings. The course also provides an excellent preparation for the Dharmapala Training (DPT), which will be offered in the near future.
Dates
Module 1: January 16-April 17, 2022
Module 2: May 15-August 14, 2022
Module 3: September 18-December 18, 2022
(note: each module requires separate fees & registration)
Example Curriculum
- A Different Way of Learning
- Dhamma Talk: Return to the Sacred Mountain
- Dhamma Talk: Establishing Mindfulness
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Simile of the Mountain
- Contemplative Inquiry: Samvega - Urgency
- Contemplative Practices: Samvega - Urgency
- Meditation Practice
- Jack Vajrapani Numzaam Weinberg
- Extra Material: Chanting Book + Recordings
- Urgency & Faith
- Dhamma Talk: Samvega (urgency) & Saddha (faith-trust) - Kittisaro
- Dhamma Talk: Renunciation - Releasing the Burden - Thanissara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Abhisanda(Rewards)Sutta -The 8 Streams of Blessing (3 Refuges, 5 Precepts)
- Contemplative Reflection on Saddha – Faith/Confidence
- Contemplative Inquiry: Saddha - Faith
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: Explanation of Triple Jewel + Chant (audio & text)
- Guardians of the World: Ethics & Samadhi as the Foundations of Peace
- Dhamma Talk. Foundation of Path: Guardians of Mind - Sila, Ethics, Precepts, Karma - Thanissara
- Dhamma Talk: Foundations for Cultivating Samadhi - a pleasing abiiding here and now. Kittisaro. (ed 22)
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: The Vicissitudes of Life
- Contemplative Inquiry: Sila – Virtuous Restraint/Ethical Living (2nd Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Exercise: Sila - Virtuous Restraint/Ethical Living
- Meditation Practice
- Karma & Observance Days
- Dhamma Talk: Review + Observance (Uposatha moon) Days) - Kittisaro (ed '22)
- Dhamma Talk: Removing the second dart: Mindful contemplation of feeling - Thanissara (ed 22)
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: The Dart of Painful Feeling
- Contemplative Exercise: Dana – Generosity (1st Paramita/ Spiritual Perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Dana - Generosity
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: Sutta Reading: The Perfection of Giving
- Extra Material: Moon Calendar + Uposatha Sutta.
- Foundations of Mindfulness
- Dhamma Talk: Entering the Satipatthana Sutta - Foundations of Mindfulness, Kittisaro
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness
- Dhamma Talk: Guiding Attention in Support of Calm - Thanissara (ed '22)
- Contemplative Exercise: Nekkhama – Renunciation (3rd Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Nekkhama - Renunciation & Contentment
- Meditation Practice
- Further Reflection from the Suttas
- Extra Material: Guided Meditation: 1st Foundation of Mindfulness (Body Awareness) - Thanissara
- Unified Heart & Peace
- Dhamma Talk: Unified Heart: Cultivation of Samadhi & the 5 Jhana Factors - Kittisaro
- Dhamma Talk: Two Kinds of Peace: Samadhi & Wisdom - Thanissara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (continued)
- Contemplative Exercise: Pañña - Wisdom (4th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Pañña - Wisdom
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material
- Mastery with Thought
- Dhamma Talk: Hindrances & Mastery Over Thought, Vitakkasantana Sutta. Kittisaro
- Dhamma Talk: Skill with Thinking: A Doable Path of Transformation, Thanissara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Vitakkasantana Sutta: The Removal of Distracting Thoughts
- Contemplative Exercise: Viriya – Effort, the 5th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection.
- Contemplative Inquiry: Viriya - Effort
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: Notes on Mindfulness, Samadhi, Jhana Factors, Hindrances and Précis of 'Removal of Distracting Thoughts'
- What Hinders & Power of Awareness
- Dhamma Talk: What Hinders Awakens - Thanissara
- Dhamma Talk: The Blessing Power of Awareness - Kittisaro
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Satipatthana Sutta (Establishment of the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness
- Contemplative Exercise: Khanti - Patience (6th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Khanti - Patience - Where does impatience arise in my daily life?
- Meditation Practice
- Five Spiritual Powers
- Dhamma Talk: The Five Indriyas (Spiritual Faculties) - Thanissara
- Dhamma Talk: Blessing Powers of Samadhi - Kittisaro
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Simile for Hindrances & Abandoning the Hindrances
- Contemplative Exercise: Sacca – Honesty - Truthfulness (7th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Sacca - Truth
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: The Five Indriyas (Spiritual Faculties)
- Entering Meditation - Calm & Insight
- Dhamma Talk: The Jewel Within: Entering Meditation - Kittisaro
- Dhamma Talk: Balance of Calm (samatha) and Insight (vipassana) - Thanissara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: The Kalama Sutta - No Dogmas or Blind Belief
- Contemplative Exercise: Adhitthāna - Determination (8th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Adhitthāna – Determination
- Meditation Practice
- The Power of Kindness
- Dhamma Talk: The Guesthouse - Reflection on Metta - Kittisaro
- Guided Meditation: Loving Kindness - Thanissara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Metta Sutta
- Contemplative Inquiry: Metta - Loving Kindness (9th Paramita/ Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Exercise: Metta - Loving Kindness
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: Further notes on Metta Practice
- Engine of Samsara & Eight Streams of Blessing
- Dhamma Talk: Eight Streams of Blessing
- Dhamma Talk: Undermining the Engine of Samsara
- Contemplative Sutta Reading: Present Welfare, Future Welfare
- Contemplative Exercise: Upekkhā – Equanimity, Serenity (10th Paramita/Spiritual perfection)
- Contemplative Inquiry: Upekkhā - Equanimity
- Meditation Practice
- Extra Material: 10 Dharma talks by Ajahn Sucitto on the Paramitas