Archived Events

 

Spring 2016

Contemplative Minds:  The Mary Interlandi '05 Lecture Fund Presents:
Alan Godlas, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Religion
University of Georgia
  

Workshop
Contemplative Practice and Contemplative Engagement with Life in Islamic Sufism
Sunday, April 10th from 11 am - 5 pm 
Winnick Chapel, The Glenn and Darcy Weiner Center
80 Brown St., Providence, R.I.  02906

Lecture
Reviving the Contemplative Heart of Islam
Monday, April 11th from 5:30 - 7 pm
Salomon Center, Rm.  001

The lecture and workshop are free and open to the public.
For more information visit brown.edu/ocrl or email [email protected]

The Workshop is made possible by the generosity of the Hershey Family Foundation and the Lecture is made possible by the generosity of Elizabeth and John Interlandi in memory of their daughter, Mary.  Both events are co-hosted by the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life and the Contemplative Studies Initiative at Brown University. 

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Join us for the DUG/Contemplative Studies Concentration Information Session!

Monday, March 21st, Horace Mann Building, 
47 George St., Room 103 from 6 - 8 pm. 

 

Freshman, Sophomores and Undeclared Juniors!  Meet Contemplative Studies Faculty and Students to learn more about this new, growing, interdisciplinary concentration.  We have recenetly teamed with the Engaged Scholars Program -- so come and speak with an ESP Representative, our ESP Interns and Contemplative Studies Concentrators. 

Questions:  Contact [email protected] or at 401-863-1798

 

Integrative Contemplative PedagogyProgram for Educators

July 10 - July 16, 2016

Sponsored by the Contemplative Studies Initiative, Brown University

In our program you will be able to observe our summer courses, including Univ. 540 "An Introduction to Contemplative Studies" and PHP 1880 "Meditation, Mindfulness and Health."  In addition, you will:

  • Participate in workshops to discuss and apply contemplative pedagogy with our research and teaching team.
  • Receive practical training in our unique first-person pedagogies
  • Learn about faculty's research into the oucomes of contemplative pedagogy
  • Design your own contemplative studies course or incorporate contemplative pedaogy into an existing course
    Receive a selection of relevant published scholarly works on contemplative 
    pedagogy

Regular Tuition for the Program :  $600 (stipends for travel and housing-related expenses may become available.)  Brown/RISD Faculty, Post-Doctoral Fellow and Graduate Students:  $150

ENROLLMENT IS LIMITED to 12 people.  Please apply by sending a 250 - 
500 word application, including 
Name and Address
Academic Position and Institution
Description and/or Draft Syllabus of proposed course in which you would like 
to introduce contemplative pedagogy. 

DEADLINE:  May 1st, 2016 or until slots are filled

For more information, or to apply by EMAIL:  [email protected] or 401-863-1798

Mailing Address:  Brown Contemplative Studies| CP Summer Program| c/o Brown Contemplative Studies| Box 1927| Brown University| Providence, R.I. 02912| Attention:  Anne Heryman-Hart

 

Brown Contemplative Studies Presents a Lecture by Professor Norman Farb: 

Contemplative Neuroscience and the Pursuit of the Modern Western Wisdom Tradition

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 from 5:30 - 7 pm at 85 Waterman St., Rm. 130 (Formerly BERT, Rm. 130)

For more information, please contact [email protected] or at 401-863-1798

 

Brown Contemplative Studies and the Engaged Scholars Program Present:  

Community-Engagement Internships Information Session

Monday, February 15, 2016 at List Art Building, Rm. 120, 5:30 - 7 pm 

For more information, please contact [email protected] or at 401-863-1798

 

Brown Contemplative Studies and Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Present:

 RASA IN YOGA AND YOGA IN PERFORMANCE WITH PRIYADARSHINI SHOME

Friday, February 5, 2016, 3 - 5 pm at Ashamu Dance Studio, 83 Waterman St. 

For more information, please contact [email protected] or at 401-863-1798

 

Fall 2015

BROWN UNIVERSITY CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES INITIATIVE PRESENTS:  AN EVENING OF CLASSICAL SITAR MUSIC WITH SRINIVAS REDDY AND AJIT ACHARYA


Thursday, December 3rd, 2015 from 7:30 - 9 PM in the Metcalf Research Building, Friedman Auditorium

 

Srinivas Reddy '97 (South Asian Studies) rigorously trained in the traditional guru-shishya style with Sri Partha Chatterjee, a direct disciple of the late sitar maestro Pandit Nikhil Banerjee. He received the Ph.D. in South Asian Literature at UC Berkeley in 2011 and is currently Assistant Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Gandhinagar. Srinivas has given numerous recitals in the US and India and has three albums to his credit: “GITA,” (1999), “Sitar & Tabla,” (2001) and “Hemant & Jog ,”(2008). He is also the author of “Giver of the Worn Garland,” (2010).

This lecture is co-sponsored by Brown American Studies, East Asian Studies, Religious Studies
and Contemplative Studies.  It is made possible, in part, by a generous donation from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors. 

CAMP DHARMA:  BUDDHISM AND THE JAPANESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II INCARCERATION EXPERIENCE

Monday, November 9th 2015, 12 pm – 1:30 pm, Crystal Room, Alumnae Hall

Duncan Ryuken Williams is the Director of the USC Shinso Ito Center for Japanese Religions and Culture. He received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and previously held the Shinjo Ito Distinguished Chair of Japanese Buddhism at University of California at Berkeley and served as the Director of Berkeley's Center for Japanese Studies. He is the author of a monograph entitled The Other Side of Zen: A Social History of Sôtô Zen Buddhism in Tokugawa Japan (Princeton, 2005) and co-editor of a number of volumes including Issei Buddhism in the Americas (Illinois, 2010), American Buddhism (Routledge, 1998), and Buddhism and Ecology (Harvard, 1997). He has also translated four books from Japanese into English including Putting Buddhism to Work: A New Theory of Economics and Business Management (Kodansha, 1997). He is currently completing a monograph entitled, Camp Dharma: Buddhism and the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II (forthcoming, UC Press) and writing a manifesto for Japan in the 21st-century titled Hybrid Japan (in Japanese).

This lecture is co-sponsored by Brown American Studies, East Asian Studies, Religious Studies and Contemplative Studies.  It is made possible, in part, by a generous donation from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors. 


Confucian Role Ethics and the "Casting" of Persons


A Lecture by Professor Rogers Ames on Friday, November 6th, 4 - 5:30 PM at the Faculty Club, 1 Magee St., Providence, RI.   Reception to Follow. 

Roger Ames is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Hawaii and editor of Philosophy East and West and the China Review International.  He has authored several interpretative studies of Chinee philosophy and culture, most recently, Confucian Role Ethics:  A Vocabulary.  His publications include translations of Chinese Classics:  Sun-tzu:  Art of Warfare; Sun Pin:  The Art of Warfare and the Tracing the Dao ot its Source and the Confucian Analects and the Classic of Family Reverence:  A Philosophical Translation of the Xiaoijing, Focusing on the Familiar:  A Translation and Philosophical Interpretation of the Zhongyong, andA Philosophical Translation of the Daodejing:  Making This Life Significant.  Recently, he has undertaken several projects that entail the interection of contemporary issues and cultural understanding. His Democracy of the Dead:  Dewey, Confucius, and the hope for Democracy in China and Confucian Role Ethics:  Doing Justice to Justice (forthcoming) are a product of this effort. 

This lecture is co-sponsored by Brown Contemplative Studies, Relgious Studies and East Asian Studies in addition to a generous grant from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors. 

 

CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES:  A TEN YEAR   CELEBRATION!!!!

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS?
WHAT IS MEDITATION?
WHAT IS CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES?

MEET OUR CONCENTRATORS, PAST + PRESENT
MEET OUR PROFS
JOIN US FOR KABOB AND CURRY!

Contemplative Studies and the Contemplative Studies DUG invite YOU to join us for this informative celebration!

The Past:  How did Brown develop the country's first Contemplative Concentration?  Who are the graduates and what are they doing today?
The Present:  Learn how to concentrate in Contemplative Studies.  Hear from our Concentrators and learn about their interests.  
The Future:  Answer the inevitable question:  WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR CONTEMPLATIVE STUDIES DEGREE?

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 6:30 - 8:30 PM, SMITH-BUONANNO 201

Made possible, in part, by a generous grant from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.

 

A Lecture and Workshop with Sufi Scholar and Teacher Pir Zia Inayat-Khan

A Lecture and Workshop with Sufi Scholar and Teacher Pir Zia Inayat-KhanA Lecture and Workshop with Sufi Scholar and Teacher Pir Zia Inayat-KhanLecture:  Sufi Chivalry
This lecture will explore Futuwwah, or Sufi Chivalry, a tradition of spiritual and ethical practice based on the values of wisdom, courage, temperance and generosity.  
Friday, October 2nd, 6 - 7:30 pm in Smith-Buonanno 106 
This lecture is free and open to the public

Workshop:  Sufi Meditation
The workshop explores how the Sufi is sahib al-anfas or "one who breathes well."  We will examine how the awareness of breath leads to an awareness of the subtle faculties of perception tht transcend the five outer senses. 
Book signing to follow immediately
 Saturday, October 3rd, 10 am - 4 pm in the Crystal Room, Alumnae Hall
Tickets for the workshop are $30 for the General Public and $15 with a Brown or RISD I.D.
To purchase tickets please go tohttps://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=1669&SINGLESTORE=true

Pir Zia Inayat-Khan is a scholar and teacher of Sufism in the lineage of his grandfather, Hazrat Inayat-Khan.  He received his B.A. (Hons.) in Persian Literature from the London School of Oriental and African Studies, and his Ph.D. in Religion from Duke University.  Pir Zia is president of the Sufi Order International and founder of the Suluk Academy, a school of contemplative study with branches in the United States and Europe.  He is founder of the interspiritual institute Seven Pillars of the House of Wisdom.

This program is made possible through a generous contribution from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.

Please email [email protected] with questions or for assistance.

 

Introduction to Shambhala Meditation with Dr. Mitchell Levy

Introduction to Shambhala Meditation with Dr. Mitchell LevyIntroduction to Shambhala Meditation with Dr. Mitchell Levy

Dr. Mitchell Levy will offer teachings on Shambhala Meditation for experienced and new meditators, and those interested in knowing about mindfulness practices.  The Workshop will include talks, guided meditations , and large and small group discussions on the view, techniques, and experience of sitting meditation.  

Dr. Levy has studied Buddhism since 1971, when he became a student of Vidyadhara, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.  He later became the personal physician of the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa.  He is currently a student of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and in 2004 was appointed Acharya, or senior teacher in the Shambhala meditation tradition and has taught extensively to adults and youth.  He currently teaches Buddhism worldwide.  

Date:    9/12/2015
Time:   11 am - 5 pm 
Location:  Alumnae Hall Auditorium

This Workshop is made possible by a generous grant from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.
For more information please contact [email protected] 

 

Summer 2015

A Concert of Classical Indian Music with Srinivas Reddy and Dayashila Carrie Grossman.

July 15, 2015
7 - 8:30 pm 
Smith-Buonanno 106


Free with a Brown or RISD ID.  $5.00 for the general public.  To order tickets please go to:

https://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=44&SINGLESTORE=true

 

Spring 2015

An Evening of Kirtan Devotional Music with Dayashila Carrie Grossman

Monday, Feb. 23, 2015
5:30-7:30pm
List 120

Dayashila Carrie Grossman is a devotional singer, recording artist, and Brown alumna, who weaves together Sanskrit and English chants, vedic mantras and the teachings of great sages and saints.

*This event is made possible the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.

A Lecture and Workshop with Joseph Goldstein, Co-Founder, Insight Meditation.

"Why Mindfulness"
Lecture: March 13, 2015
5:30-7:00pm
Smith Buonanno 106

From the comments of a second grader, who just finished a mindfulness program in school -Mindfulness is the best thing that ever happened in my life - to the Buddha's declaration that mindfulness is the direct path to awakening, we are seeing a renaissance of interest in mindfulness as a clear and straightforward way of understanding ourselves and the world around us.

"Insight Meditation Workshop"
Workshop: March 14, 2015
11am-5pm
Book signing to immediately follow.
Crystal Room, Alumnae Hall
Tickets Available: https://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=44&SINGLESTORE=true 
General Admission: $75
Brown/RISD ID: $25 
*The deadline for ordering tickets is March 9th at 11pm. 

 The workshop will introduce the progressive instructions in practicing Insight Meditation.  We will discuss and practice mindfulness of the body, thoughts, emotions, and awareness itself as a way of deepening our understanding of ourselves and each other.  There will be time both for practice and discussion of the meditative experience.

Joseph Goldstein is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society and the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, both in Barre, Massachusetts; and he leads Insight Meditation retreats around the world.  He is the author of Mindfulness: A Practical Guide to Awakening; A Heart Full of Peace; One Dharma: The Emerging Western Buddhism; Insight Meditation; and The Experience of Insight.  He has also co-authored books with Sharon Salsberg and Jack Kornfield.

Contemplative Studies Community - Engagement Internships
Information Session with Inward Bound Mindfulness Education and the PrisonMindfulness Institute.  
Wednesday, March 18. 2015
5:30-7:30pm
Wilson Hall, Room 301

Contemplative Studies is offering students internship opportunities at organizations that bring contemplative practices to bear on real world issues.  These are full time summer internships ($3000 stipend) that ential a ear's commitment to establish an ongoing collaboration between Brown and either the Prison Mindfulness Institute in Providence, RI or Inward Bound Mindfulness Education in Northampton, MA.

Feel free to simply come and hear about the work that these organizations do!  For more information, email Anne Heyrman-Hart.   

Events with Louis Komjathy, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions & Comparative Religious Studies, University of San Diego:
 

"Taming the Wild Horse: Religious Practice According to Daoist Horse Taming"
Lecture: Friday,  April 10, 2015
5:30-7:00pm
Smith Buonnano 201

During the Yuan dynasty (1260-1368), Quanzhen (Complete Perfection) Daoists created a uniquely Daoist (Taoist) adaptation of the Chan (Jpn.: Zen) Buddhist Oxherding Pictures.  This centered on a series of illustrations depciting religious practice and experience through the metaphor of "taming a wild horse." Largely unknown outside of a few specialists, the "Daoist Horse Taming Pictures" were composed by the Quanzhen monk Gao Daokuan (Yuanming [Complete Illumination]; 1195-1277).  This lecture examines Gao's illustrated poems in terms of religious practice and experience.  Specific attention will be given to the technical details of the associated methods and stages.  The Daoist Horse Taming Pictures represent a sophisticated map of psychological transformation that results from intensive and prolonged meditation.

"Daoist Contemplative Practice Workshop"
Sunday, April 12, 2015
11am-4:30pm
Winnick Chapel
Tickets Available:  https://payment.brown.edu/C20460_ustores/web/store_main.jsp?STOREID=44&SINGLESTORE=true 
General Admission: $30
Brown/RISD ID: $10
*Registration will close at 11pm on April 9th.  No requests for refunds will be honored after this time.  Space is limited.

 This workshop explores important Daoist (Taoist) contemplative practices, including standing, walking and seated meditation.  The workshop will begin with Daoist standing meditation and Yangsheng (health and longevity) practice.  This will be followed by Daoist walking meditation.  After lunch, we will examine and discuss important Daoist contemplative views, with particular attention to major principles and classical precedents.  The workshop will close with a session on Daoist seated meditation and self-massage as well as culminating open conversation.  Along the way, participants will explore the possibility of a contemplative way of being rooted in clarity and stillness.  While informed by a Daoist perspective, the workshop is offered in a spirit of open inquiry and all are welcome.

Interlandi Lecture: "Critial Subjectivity: On Being (and Not Being) a Scholar of Religion."
Monday, April 13, 2015
5:30-7:00pm
List 120

In the field of Religious Studies, there often is anxiety about religious adherence, subjectivity, and appeals to personal experience.  Related to issues of identity, position, and authority, this has been conventionally referred to as the "insider-outsider problem."  The practitioner/scholar division and associated concerns come into high relief in the emerging interdisciplinary field of Contemplative Studies, especially when considered in terms tradition-based and religiously-committed forms of contemplative practice.  In this lecture, I consider the possibility of a post-colonial and post-modern critical subjectivity, including the potential contribution of scholar-practitioners and what I refer to as "critical adherents."  In the process, I use my own identity to critically investigate conventional notions of "scholarship" and offer a new (old?) model for understanding religion. 

"Conscious Computing: Essential Self-Skills, Practices and Technologies that Tap into the Wisdom of the Body," a lecture with Linda Stone and Kelly Dobson.

Monday, April 20, 2015
5:30-7:00pm
List 120 

Linda Stone has worked in high tech since 1986, first at Apple, then at Microsoft, and now independently.  Her work has been covered by The Economist, Wired,The New York Times, and The Boston Globe.  Stone serves on the Advisory Council for MIT Media Lab and the TED BrainTrust.  She has coined a number of phrases including: continuous partial attention; email apnea; screen apnea; and conscious computing.

Professor Kelly Dobson earned three advanced degrees from MIT where she trained in Art, Media Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Anthropology.  She is currently an Associate Professor at RISD and Founder/Director of the Data Visceralization Research Group.  Dobson designed and bulit the machines that contributed to inspiring Essential Self Technologies, and is a driving force behind transformation in the fields of Medical Device Design and Critical Care Medicine.  


"Well-Being is a Skill:  Perspectives from Contemplative Neuroscience," a lecture withRichard Davidson, William James and Vilas Research Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry, Director of the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, Founder of the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds, Waisman Center University of Wisconsin- Madison.

April 29, 2015
6-8pm
Metcalf Research Building, Metcalf Auditorium
190 Thayer Street, Providence, 02912 

Professor Richard Davidson, one of the world's foremost Cognitive Neuroscientists, received his Ph.D. from Harvard University and has been at the University of Wisconsin-Madison since 1984.  He has published more than 320 articles, numerous chapters and reviews, and has edited 14 books.  He is the author (with Sharon Begley) of The Emotional Life of Your Brain (2012).  He is the recipient of numerous awards for his research including the William James Fellow Award from the American Psychological Society-the Distinguished Scientific Contribution Award.  He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine in 2006.  He was recipient of the MacLean Award for Outstanding Neuroscience Research in Psychosomatic Medicine in 2011.  He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences (2011-2017) and is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council for Mental Health (2014-2016).

This lecture is made possible by the School of Public Health and a generous grant from the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.

*Please note more information about these events will be added soon.  Check back frequently for the most up to date information.

 

Events Fall 2014

Compassion Meditation: Perspectives from Affective Science and Brain Imaging with Gaelle Desbordes, Ph.D., Harvard Medical School

Tuesday, December 2, 2014
5:30-7:30pm
Smith Buonannon 106

Gaelle DesbordesGaelle DesbordesGaelle Desbordes, Ph.D., is an instructor at Harvard Medical School conducting research at the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging within the Massachusetts General Hospital.  Trained as a neuroscientist and with a background in engineering and computer science, her current research focuses on the neuroscientific investigation of meditative practices using magnetic resonance imaging.  She is particularly interested in contemplative methods of cultivating loving-kindness and compassion.  Dr. Desbordes is the receipient of a K01 Career Development Award from the U.S. National Institutes of Health and a Francisco J. Varela Research Award from the Mind and Life Institute.  She is also an active contributor to the Emory-Tibet Science Initiative -- an ongoing effort overseen by the Dalai Lama aimed at implementing a comprehensive and sustainable science curriculum for Tibetan monks and nuns. 

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation and other donors.

Contemplative Studies Open House
Join faculty and students to learn more about the new concentration,Contemplative Studies Initative, events, programming and more.

Monday, October 27, 2014
7:00-9:00pm
Shirley Miller House, Seminar Room (Rm 101)
59 George Street 

 


"Painting Enlgihtenment: The Art & Science of the Heart Sutra" a slide presentation and contemplative meditation with Paula Arai, Lousiana State University.

Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014
7:00pm in LIST 110: Slide Presentation
8:30pm in LIST 120: Contemplative Meditation on“Big Bang: E = mc2” (17' - wide scroll painting)

Paula Arai, Ph.D., is the author of women Living Zen and Bringing Zen Home and is currently Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies at Louisana State University.

  "Kundalini Yoga (as taught by Yogi Bhajan) & the Healing Art of Sat NamRasayan®" led by Sat Siri Kaur (Beth Kiley Kinder), Founder of Mount Hope Community Yoga.

yoga posteryoga posterSunday, Oct. 5, 2014
11am-5pm
Alumnae Hall Auditorium (194 Meeting Street)
Tickets: $40 General|$20 Brown/RISD ID
Tickets Available at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/878102

ONLINE TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED.
TICKETS WILL BE AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR.

*NOTE: Some meditation cushions and yoga mats will be available. However, participants are encouraged to bring their own cushions and mats.

 In the late 1960s, a man who came to be known as Yogi Bhajan broke with 5,000 years of tradition and began to teach Kundalini Yoga openly in the West.  This workshop is an introduction to Kundalini Yoga and meditation as taught by Yogi Bhajan.

Sat Nam Rasayan® is an ancient healing art in the tradition of Kundalini Yoga.  The lineage of Sat Nam Rasayan® allows a deep experience of meditation, healing, and relaxation and an expereice beyond language, time and space.  During part of this workshop we will work in pairs under the guidance of Sat Siri for an introduction to the experience of Sat Nam Rasayan® to relieve our stress, stabilize our minds, and achieve a deep state of healing.  No prior experience is necesary.

Sat Siri Kaur (Beth Kiley Kinder) is the Founder of Mount Hope Community Yoga and an Instructor and Teacher at Santosha Yoga Studio (Cranston, RI) and the Motion Center Yoga Collaborative (Pawtucket, RI).  She teaches Sat Nam Rasayan® and Kundalini Yog at various studios in New England and elsewhere in the United States.

She is an KRI/IKYTA-certified Kundalini Yoga Instructor with over ten years of teaching experience. She is a Level III Sat Nam Rasayan® Candidate and Sat Nam Rasayan® Instructor who learned Sat Nam Rasayan® directly from Guru Dev Singh Khalsa, the Living Master of Sat Nam Rasayan®. She continues to study directly with him. She maintains a private client practice. Sat Siri is certified as a Facilitator for the Amrit Method® of Yoga Nidra and is a Reiki Master in the Usui lineage. Her previous career was in book publishing and she was Copyright and Permissions Manager for Harvard University Press before her early retirement. She is also a beekeeper and lives in Providence, RI.

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation.

 "The Scope for Wisdom: Early Buddhism on Reasons and Persons" a lecture with Jake Davis, Ph.D.

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014
5:30pm
BERT 015 (85 Waterman Street) 

The idea that meditation leads to the realization that there is no self, and that this realization motivates selfless action for the welfare of all beings is widely understood to be a central feature of Buddhist doctrine.  Charles Goodman's (2009) recent interpretation of Buddhist ethics moves in this way from a reductionist metaphysical stance regarding persons to a consequentialist theory of ethics moves in this way from a reductionist metaphysical stance regarding persons to a consequentialist theory of ethics.  Goodman draws from Derek Parfit's influential arguments in Reasons and Persons (1984) in support of such a move; Parfit in turn explicitly claims that, "Buddha would have agreed" with his reductionist view about persons.  One strand of early Buddhist thought, however, suggests that meditation could not in principle show that there is no self, and that ethical evaluation should focus on emotional motivations for action rather than on consequences of action.  This approach addresses ethical disputes over how to be, as well as metaphysical disputes over what there is, by appealing to the judgements we ourselves would make if we were aware of the changing flow of experience in an alert and unbiased way.  Jake Davis develops this early Buddhist line of thought to bring out the novel contributions it has to make to contemporary philosophical discussions in ethics and metaphysics.  

Jake DavisJake DavisJake Davis received his doctorate in Philosophy from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, with an Interdisciplinary Concentration in Cognitive Science.  His research focuses on contemporary philosophical debates about mind and value, drawing both from recent psychological research and also from his expertise in Buddhist philosophy.  Jake's studies in the early Buddhist texts and Buddhist philosophical psychology were complemented by years of training as a monk in the Theravada Buddhist tradition of Burma (Myanmar), long periods of intensive meditation practice, and a decade of work interpreting between Burmese and English for meditation masters.  

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation.

Summer 2014

Contemplative Studies Summer Intensive Film & Concert Series

  • 7/01 Video: "The Heart of the Dragon: Believing" 7pm, Smith-Buonanno 201 (BBC Heart of the Dragon Series).
  • 7/08 Video: "The Footprint of the Buddha" 7pm, Smith-Buonanno 201 (BBC Long Search Series)
  • 7/10 Concert: "An Evening of Classical South Asian Contemplative Music" 6pm, Smith Buonanno 106 (See listing below for more details)
  • 7/15 Video: "Monte Grande" 7pm, Smith Buonanno 201
  • 7/22 Video: "The Land of the Disappearing Buddha" 7pm, Smith Buonanno 201 (BBC Long Search Series)
  • 7/29 Video: "Enlightenment Guaranteed" 7pm, Smith Buonanno 201

These events are free and open to the public. 

 

"An Evening of Classical South Asian Contemplative Music" featuring Srinivas Reddy on the sitar and Ajit Acharyaon the tabla.

Thursday, July 10, 2014 
6:00-7:30pm
Smith Buonanno 106

This event is free and open to the public.  It is made possible by the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation.   

 

Spring 2014

"A Call to Care," a lecture with Brooke Dodson-Lavelle, Mind & Life Institute

Wednesday, April 30, 2014
5:30pm
Smith Buonanno 201

In 2012, the Mind & Life Institute launched its Ethics, Education, and Human Development Initiative to advance the cause promoting human flourishing around the globe.  Inspired by His Holiness the Dalai Lama's call to design a curriculum of pedagogy in "secular ethics," we identified an opportunity to join the growing movement of educators, scientists, and contemplatives engaged in this work.  Over the course of the past year, we assembled an interdisciplinary team of educators, contemplatives, and developmental psychologists to develop a framework for comprehensive Pre-K-12 curriculum and pedagogy for students and teachers titled, "A Call to Care."  In this talk, Brooke will share the overarching framework that grounds the program and explore questions regarding the integration of so-called secular contemplative practices in educational settings.

Brooke Dodson-LavelleBrooke Dodson-LavelleBrooke Dodson-Lavelle is the senior program officer for the Mind & Life Institute's new compassion and secular ethics initiative.  She is also completing her PhD in the graduate division of religion at Emory University.  Her work focuses on the confluence of Buddhist conteplative theory and cognitive science, as well as the cultural contexts that shape the  transmission, reception, and "secularization" of Buddhist contemplative practices.   

 

 

Two events with Dr. Andrew Dreicter, Ph.D.:

Practicing Radical Compassion: A Workshop

Sunday, March 2, 2014, 11:00am-4:30pm
Winnick Chapel, Glenn and Darcy Weiner Center
Brown/RISD Hillel
80 Brown Street
Tickets: $5 with Brown/RISD ID; $15 General Admission
Tickets are available at  http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/575121

This event is made possible by the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation.  Proceeds will go towards the continued programming of the Contemplative Studies Initiative.

Loving Our Enemies: A Contemplative Christian Approach to Compassion The 2014 Mary Interlandi '05 Lecture

Monday, March 3, 2014, 5:30-7:00pm 
Petteruti Lounge, Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center
75 Waterman Street

The Mary Interlandi'05 Lecture Fund on Contemplative Studies is made possible by the generosity of Elizabeth and John Interlandi in memory of their daughter.  

Andrew Dreicter, Ph.D.Andrew Dreicter, Ph.D.Andrew Dreicter, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Spirituality at the Claremont School of Theology. Dr. Dreitcer has been the co-founding director of a seminary program in spiritual direction and served 15 years as a Presbyterian pastor. A year spent at the ecumenical monastic community of Taizé significantly shaped his own spiritual life and his perspective on both the role of spiritual formation in theological studies and the value of contemplative studies in academia.

Dr. Dreitcer's current research and teaching interests lie in the exploration of the nature and experience of contemplative practices across religious traditions, the relationship between spiritual practices and neuroscientific understandings (http://neurospirituality.blogspot.com), the ways in which contemplative practices form compassionate actions and attitudes of living, and Christianity as a spiritual path of engaged compassion (http://www.triptykos.com). He is also Director of Spiritual Formation at Claremont School of Theology and co-director of the Center for Engaged Compassion. 

 

"The Impact of Meditation on Emotions" a lecture with Sara Lazar, Harvard Medical School

Wednesday, February 12, 2014
5:30pm in Smith Buonanno 201

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction has been shown to be highly effective for reducing stress as well as for lessening symptoms associated with numerous psychopathologies.  In this talk Sara Lazar will present data concerning the impact of meditation on amygdala structure and function, both in healthy individuals and in patients with anxiety disorders.  She will then present data on the impact of meditation on the insula in relation to pain and depression.

Sara LazarSara LazarSara W. Lazar, Ph.D. is an Associate Researcher in the Psychiatry Department at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Harvard Medical School.  The focus of her research is to elucidate the neural mechanism underlying the beneficial effects of yoga and meditation, both in clinical settings and in healthy individuals.  She is a board member of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies and also the Insititute for Meditation and Psychotherapy, and is a contributing author to meditation and Psychotherapy (Guilford Press).  She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness meditation since 1994.  Her research has been covered by numerous news outlets including The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, and WebMD, and her work is featured in a display at the Boston Museum of Science.  

This event is made possible with the generous support of the Hershey Family Foundation. 

Friday, Feb. 7, 2014
11:00am-12:00pm
Joukowsky Auditorium, Watson Institute
Register at: https://sheridan.brown.edu/index.php?eventID=7504 

Every act we undertake cultivates something -- essentially there is no such category as "extra-curricular."  Each opportunity, each action forms our character, while affecting all of those around us. Higher education, through the use of modes like contemplative pedagogy, can create the environments for us to inquire and challenge what is most deeply meaningful so that we integrate our learning into meaningful action.

This session will explain what we mean by "contemplative pedagogies."  We will discover the ways in which first-person critical inquiry can cultivate better discernment and attention in students, provide the means for deepening their understanding of the material they are studying, and foster environments to inquire about and live meaningfully.  We will see how contemplative pedaogy can be a powerful way in which we can work together to reclaim the transformative nature of education.  

Dr. Daniel P. Barbezat is Professor of Economics at Amherst College.  He

Daniel BarbezatDaniel Barbezat is also Executive Director of the Center for Contemplative Mind in Society, which serves as the national hub for contemplative teaching and learning in higher education.  The Center is committed to the positive transformation of the higher education system by supporting the use of contemplative/introspective practices to create engaged learning environments.  Dr. Barbezat has lectured and led workshops on contemplative learning and pedagogy throughout the United States and Canada.  His latest book (co-written with Mirabai Bush), Contemplative Practices in Higher Education: Powerful Methods to Transform Teaching and Learning, will be released this winter by Jossey-Bass.

 

Fall 2013

Sitar & Tabla Recital
with Srinivas Reddy|Ajit Acharya|Indrayudh Shome
December 3, 2013 @ 7:30pm
Smith Buonanno 106


Srinivas Reddy (Brown '98) met his guru and menot Sri Parth Chatterjee and has dedicated himself to Indian classical music.  He has 3 albums to his credit: GITA (1999); Sitar & Tabla (2001); and Hemant & Jog (2008).  He received his Ph.D. from U.C. Berkeley  in South Asian Studies and is the author of Giver of the Worn Garland: Krishnadevaraya's Amuktomalyda.  He is currently Assistant Professor of South Asian Studies at ITT Gandhinagar.  

Ajit Acharya is a New England based tabla player, who has studied with Sri Sheshagiri Rao of Bangalore, India; Dr. Rajan Sachdeva; and Pandit Saar Saha.  Ajit has given workshops all over the country and performed extensively with jazz, fuision, and experimental musicians.  

Indrayudh Shome graduated from Brown in 2012 with a concentration in Music with a Contemplative focus.  He is a musician who's been active in various music scenes around the world, including the "metal" scene in Hong Kong, where he was very prominent with his band Queen Elephantine.  He currently resides in the Providence area teaching music in elementary and middle schools, and tours with his band on the weekends.

 

Harold RothHarold RothMindful Brown: The History and Philosophy of Contemplative Studies at Brown University a lecture by Harold Roth, Director of the Contemplative Studies Initiative and Co-founder of the Alpert Medical School Scholarly Concentration in Contemplative Studies; and Professor of Religious Studies

Monday, 11/18/13
5:30-7:00pm 
The Purple Palace
Room 202 in BioMed Center 

Contemplative Studies Open House
A chance for Brown undergrads to learn more about the concentration. 

Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2013
6:00-7:30pm
Third World Center, Formal Lounge 1 & 2
(68 Brown Street) 

Join our faculty and students to learn the answers to the following burning questions:

  • What is "Contemplative Studies?"
  • What is "Contemplation?"
  • How do I concentrate in Contemplative Studies if there is no formal "concentration?"
  • Doesn't contemplation involve "concentration" anyhow?
  • What courses will the Contemplative Studies Initiative be teaching next semester?
  • How do I find out about CSI events?

"Refreshments of substance" will be served.    

Two Events with Sharon Salzberg, Friday, November 1, and Saturday, November 2, 2013

  • "Lovingkindness in the Face of Adversity" a lecture & book signing on Friday, November 1 @ 5:30pm in Smith Buonanno 106 
    Admission is free, and seating is first come, first served. 

    In this workshop we will explore the power of lovingkindness when we face our own physical challenge or illness, emotional upheaval, negativity from others, or unfairness in how we are being treated.  We will look at lovingkindness and compassion as strengths rather than as submissive states, and talk about joining them with discerning action, wisdom, and our often untapped capacity for resilence. Suitable for both new and experienced meditators, the workshop will consist of a few guided meditations, talks and time for questions and answers. 
     
  • "Lovingkindness" a meditation workshop on Saturday, November 2 from 11am-5pm in  Alumnae Hall Auditorium. Tickets are $60 General Admission; $30 Brown/RISD Faculty/Staff; $20 Brown/RISD students.  Tickets are available at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/477245  
    *****TICKET SALES ARE NOW CLOSED****** Tickets will not be available at the door.  

Information for Attendees:

  1. The Workshop starts at 11am promptly and ends at 5pm.  Please arrive 15 minutes early so that IDs and registrations can be checked.
  2. We will take a lunch break for 45 minutes at the midway point in the workshop.  In case you don't know the area, Alumnae Hall is on the "Pembroke" Campus at Brown, just off Meeting Street and only a hald block West of Thayer Street, which has many restaurants for eating in or taking out.
  3. We have about 50 sets of meditation cushions on which people may sit during the workshop.  We will also have chairs set up.  If you have your own favorite set of cushions, please bring them; we will make space for you on the floor. 

There is a small outside elevator for wheel chairs at the entrance to Alumnae Hall.  
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

  • Lovingkindness is a meditation that cultivates our natural capacity for an open and loving heart.  It is traditionally offered with meditations that enrich compassion, and joy in the happiness of others, and also deepen our own sense of peace.  These practices lead to the development of concentration, connection, fearlessness, and genuine happiness.  Sharon Salzberg will introduce these teachings and support us in our own experience and cultivation of these qualities through direct instruction and guided meditation using classical techniques in a modern idiom.  There will also be opportunities for questions. This workshop is suitable for both new and experienced meditators.   

Sharon SalzbergSharon SalzbergSharon Salzberg has been a student of meditation since 1971, and leading meditation retreats worldwide since 1974.  She teaches both intensive awareness practice (vipassana or insight meditation) and the profound cultivation of lovingkindness and compassion (the Brahma Viharas).

Sharon's latest book is Love Your Enemies: How to Break the Anger Habit & Be a Whole Lot Happier, co-authored with Robert Thurman.  She is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post and is also the author of several other books including the New York Times Best Seller, Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation: A 28-Day Program (2010), Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience(2002), and Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness(1995).  

Sharon Salzberg is co-founder of the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts.  She has played a cruicial role in bringing Asian meditation practices to the West.  The ancient Buddhist practices of vipassana (mindfulness) and metta (lovingkindness) are the foundations of her work.  "Each of us has a genuine capacity for love, forgiveness, wisdom and compassion.  Meditation awakens these qualities so that we can discover for ourselves the unique happiness that is our birthright."  For more information about Sharon, please visit: www.SharonSalzberg.com.  

"Painting as a Spiritual Odyssey: Confessions of an Itinerant Artist" with

Michael Hoffman, Wednesday, October 9 at 5:30pm in Wilson Hall 102

Painter Michael Hofmann reveals both the aesthetic technique and spiritual lessons learned from his long apprenticeship with Japanese master brush (sumi-e) painter and Zen priest Jikihara Gyokusei.  Through a combination of slides and video, Hofmann will share inspiring moments of his life and studies in Kyoto, including footage of his 91-year-old teacher painting a large mural in a Japanese temple.  

 

"Zen Master Meets Contemporary Feminism: Reading Dōgen as resource for feminist philosophy" 
a lecture by Professor Erin McCarthy, St. Lawrence University 

 September 27, 2013 @ 5pm in Smith Buonanno 106

To view the work of a 13th century male Zen master as a resource for feminist philosophy in the 21st century is apt at first glance to seem revisionist.  However, careful reading of the work of  Dōgen reveals that his philosophy is rich with insight for contemporary feminists to draw on.  Dōgen's views on the equality of men and women were not only radical for his time but for ours.  What is more, his philosophy of practice-enlightenment, his notion of body-mind and his philosopy of nodualism can help us break down gender barriers and patriarchy without reducing difference sameness.  In particular, Erin analyzes resonances between  Dōgen contemporary feminist philosophers such as Luce Irigaray discussing how his work can support and amplify the nondualist frameworks these philosophers seek.    

Erin McCarthyErin McCarthyErin McCarthy is Professor of Philosophy and Asian Studies at St. Lawrence University.   In her work she compares Japanese philosophy, ethics, feminist and continental philosophy.  She is the author of Ethics Embodied: Rethinking Selfhood through Continental, Japanese and Feminist Philosophies (Lexington Books 2010), as well as several comparative philosophy articles that have appeared in both French and English journals and anthologies.  She has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of ASIANetwork and is currently co-editor of the ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts.  She is founding member of CoZen, a group dedicated to the cooperative integration of contemplative practice and academic study.  Currently, she is looking at ways in which Contemplative Education can be enriched by incorporating feminist philosophies, as well as pursuing her work on 13th Century Zen Master Dōgen and feminist philosophy.  

"Drawing Flowers in the Sky: Anecdotes of Tibetan Buddhism in China and Nepal" 

a lecture by Ani Sangye Chodron (Heather Daniels) 06'Ani Sangye ChodronAni Sangye Chodron

Thursday, September 19, 2013
7:00-9:00pm 
Metcalf Auditorium

Ani Sangye Chodron (Heather Daniels) graduated from Brown with an independent Contemplative Studies BA in Holistic Health Studies in 2006 and received an Arnold Fellowship to study meditation in Nepal, where she has lived ever since.  Now a nun, ordained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, she is currently completing a Master's in Buddhist Studies from Rangjung Yeshe Univeristy in Katmandu, Nepal.  By devoting this life to the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism, she hopes to help others find their own path to genuine health and happiness.  

 

Spring 2013

"Word and Sense: Contemplative Pedagogies in Academic Writing" by Naropa Professor Judith Simmer-Brown
Friday, April 26 @ 5pm, Wilson 309    Judith Simmer-BrownJudith Simmer-Brown

Judith teaches in Naropa's undergraduate and graduate programs.  Her courses cover history, texts, philosophy and practice of South and Central Asian Buddhism; religious studies; Buddhist theology; engaged Buddhism; and interreligious dialogue.  Her graduate seminars emphasize the Indian roots of Buddhism throuh the study of primary texts in translation as well as the cultural and historical context of India and its transmission of Buddhism to Tibet.  Judith also teaches first-year undergraudates in the Contemplative Leraning Seminar to introduce Naropa's unique approach to contemplative learning across the disciplines.  

Two Events with Roshi Joan Halifax, Founding Abbot of Upaya Center    Roshi JoanRoshi Joan

  • "Living Buddhism or Living Meditation: A Workshop"
    Sunday, April 21, 2013 from 11am-5pm in the Winnick Chapel, Hillel Center.  Tickets are available at   http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/356200

    This a daylong plunge into meditation practice will involve periods of exploration of focused attention and open presence.  Meditation has been used as well as a well-being practice.  In this day, we will explore meditation as a "ground of being" practice. 
  • The Mary Interlandi 05' Memorial Lecture
    "Principled Compassion: A New Model and Radical Vision"
    Monday, April 22, 2013 @ 5:30pm in Smith Buonanno Hall, Rm 106 
    This event is free and open to the public.  The Interlandi Fund and Lecture are made possible by the generous donation of John and Beth Interlandi in memory of their daughter, Mary. 

Roshi Joan is a Buddhist teacher, anthropologist, autho, and social activist.  She trains healthcare professionals in many parts of the world in compassionate care of the dying.   She has founded a renowed chaplaincy training program on a Buddhist perspective and systems theory.  She is the director of the Project on Being with Dying and founder and director of theUpaya Prison Project.  A founding teacher of the Zen Peacemaker Order, Roshi Joan's work and practice for more than 4 decades has focused on applied Buddhism.  Her books include: The Human Encounter with the Death(with Stanislav Grof); The Fruitful Darkness; Simplicity in the Complex: A Buddhist Life in America; and Being with Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Wisdom in the Presence of Death.  She is a Lindisfarne Fellow, and co-director of the Fellowship as well as Mind and Life board member.  

 

A Lecture by Amishi Jha, University of Miami
Tuesday, April 16 @ 5:30pm in List 120

Amishi Jha is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Contemplative Neuroscience, Mindfulness Research & Practice Initiative, University of Miami. She has a Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis, post-doctoral training in brain imaging at Duke University, and was a faculty member at the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania prior to her current post. Her research focuses on the brain bases of attention, working memory, and mindfulness-based training. With grants from the US Department of Defense and several private foundations, her current projects investigate how to best promote resilience in high stress cohorts using contemplative/mind training techniques that strengthen the brain's attention networks. She was selected as a Science and Public Leadership Fellow by PopTech, and serves on editorial review boards of Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, Frontiers in Cognitive Science, and Frontiers in Psychology. 

Two Events with Painter & Poet Kazuaki Tanahashi

Kazuaki Tanahashi, born in Japan and active in the United States since 1977, is an artist, Buddhist scholar, and peace worker.  As a painter and calligrapher, Kaz has had solo exhibitions of his brushwork worldwide.  His publications include Sky Above; Great Wind: The Life and Poetry of Zen Master Ryokan; Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen's Shobo Genzo; Brush Mind, Penetrating Laughter: Hakuin's Zen and Art, and Lotus.  Kaz is director of  A World Without Armies.  And you can visit his website atwww.brushmind.net.

  • Lecture on Zen Poet Ryokan
    Wednesday, April 3 @ 5:30pm in List 120 (64 College Street) 
  • Calligraphy Workshop 
    Tuesday, April 2 @ RISD 

Mindfulness Workshops with Shinzen Young

  •  Sat., Feb. 16 and Sun., Feb. 17, 9:30am-3:00pm
    Ashamu Dance Studio (77 Waterman Street) 

  • Saturday, Feb. 23, 10am-3pm and Sunday, Feb. 24, 11am-4pm
    Winnick Chapel, Hillel (80 Brown Street)

  • Sat,, March 2 and Sunday, March 3, 10am-4pm
    Crystal Room, Alumnae Hall (194-200 Meeting Street)

Tickets are $35 general admission/$5 with Brown/RISD ID and are available at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/335995

INTERNET TICKET SALES FOR MARCH 2-3 HAVE CLOSED. 

Please note that registration is per weekend, whether you can attend both days or not.

 A copy of the flyer is available to download at the bottom of the page.

The Science of Enlightenment 
a lecture with Shinzen Young, Distinguished Scholar in Residence

Tuesday, February 12, 2013
RI Hall 108

Shinzen Young is known for innovative, "interactive, algorithmic approach" to minfulness, a system specifically designed for use in pain management, recovery support, and as an adjunct to psychotherapy.  He leads meditation retreats throughout North America and has helped establish numerous mindfulness centers and programs.  Please click below to download the flyer for this event.  

 

Fall 2012

Tuesday 9/25/12,   5:30 - 7:30 

Petteruti Lounge in the Stephen Roberts '62 Campus Center 

"The Good, the Bad and the Undetermined: Reflections on the  Abhidharma Listing and Classification of dharmas".

Dr. Rupert Gethin, Professor of Buddhist Studies
Director of the Centre for Buddhist Studies
University of Bristol

Professor Gethin’s main interest is in the origins and development of Buddhist thought in the Pali Nikayas and Abhidharma. He is the author of four books and many articles in these areas including  Sayings of the Buddha: New Translations from the Pali Nikayas (Oxford, 2008), Summary of Topics of Abdhidhamma and Expositions of the Topics of Abhidhamma (with R.P. Wijeratne) (PTS, 2002), and the very widely read The Foundations of Buddhism (Oxford, 1998). 

Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, 5:30-7:30pm
Religious Studies Seminar Room (101)
59 George Street

Contemplative Studies Open House

Join us for good food and conversation!  An excellent opportunity to meet faculty and concentrators, and learn more about what we do.  

 

Tuesday, Oct. 23, 2012, 5:30-7:30pm
Petteruti Lounge

"Meditating Selflessly: Practical Neural Zen"

Dr. James Austin, M.D., Emeritus Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine

(co-sponsored by the Alpert School of Medicine Scholarly Concentration Program)

Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012 5:30-7:30*
Wilson 301

"Buddha-recitation as Koan in Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhism"

Prof. Morten Schlütter,  University of Iowa

Dr.Schlütter holds an M.A. degree in Chinese Studies from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark.  He received his Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Yale University in 1998, and joined the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Iowa.

Dr.Schlütter's research interests center broadly on Chinese Buddhism and Chinese religions (especially Chan, [Japanese: Zen]).   He is the author of How Zen became Zen: The Dispute of Enlightenment and the Formation of Chan Buddhism in Song-Dynasty China (University of Hawaii Press, 2010) and many articles in these areas, and is the co-editor of Readingsof the Platform Sutra with Stephen F. Teiser (Columbia University Press, 2011).  

Co-sponsored with the Department of Religious Studies

**Please note this event was originally scheduled for Nov. 1, but due to travel complications because of Hurricane Sandy, the event has been postponed one week, and will occurr on Nov. 8.

 Saturday, November 3, 2012  10:30am-2:30pm

Winnick Chapel

"Rinzai Zen Practice: A Short Introduction"

Rinzai Zen Monk, Dokuro R. Jaeckel.

Rinzai Zen Monk Dokuro R. Jaeckel, ordained in the lineage of Zen Master Kyozan Joshu Sasaki-Roshi, will introduce the basic principles of practice.  The workshop will include sitting zen meditation (zazen), walking meditation (kinhin), chanting, and questions and answers with the teacher.

Tickets are $30, and $10 with Brown/RISD ID.  Tickets will go on sale at 12:oopm on Oct. 24, and availablehere: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/285927 

 Friday, Nov. 30, 2012 5:30-730pm
Smith Buonano 106

"Please Pay Attention Now, It May Change Your Brain: Neurobiological Mechanisms and he Clinical Utility of Mindfulness Meditation."

Dr. Judson Brewer, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine .

Recent evidence has suggested that mindfulness meditation may help treat a number of health-related problems, from anxiety to addictions to psoriasis.  However, little is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this training.  New research at Yale University has begun to unravel these mysteries in both clinical studies o addictions such as smoking, and more basic research involoving experienced meditation practioners.  Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, will discuss the latest findings from his laboratory at Yale, and how these might apply to our own daily lives.  

Judson Brewer, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine, and the Medical Director of the Yale Therapeutic Neuroscience Clinic.  His primary research interest is the elucidation of neurobilogical mechanisms underlying the interface between stress, mindfulness and the addictive process, and in developing effective means for the modulation of these processes to improve treatments for stress-related disorders.  

(Co-sponsored with the Alpert Medical School Scholarly Concentration in Contemplative Studies)

Our Contemplative Studies Spring Event Series, 2012, included the following:

On April 12-14, renowned contemplative composer and musician David Hykes, visited Brown to  give  a lecture and demonstration, a concert at AS 220 in Providence, and a seminar on Harmonic Music.  The events were c0-sponsored by the Department of Music and the Office of Campus Religious Life.

On March 20, Melissa Rinne, '89, Associate Curator of Japanese Art at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, gave an enthralling lecture on the meditative art of producing Japanese bamboo baskets and sculptures entitled "The Artist's Mind, the Artisan's Hand."

On March 4, Dr. Mitchell Levy MD, Professor of Medicine at the Brown University Medical School and Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, at Rhode Island Hospital, Acarya and Guiding Teacher of the Shambhala Meditation Center of Providence led a workshop introducing Tibetan Buddhist Meditation.  

On February 24, Dr. Jared Lindhal, visiting professor at Wesleyan University's Religious Studies department, presented a brillian and comprehensive lecture entitled "States of the Path: Buddhist Meditation from Humanistic and Scientific Perspectives."

"Still Point in a Turbulent World"
Saturday, May 25 @4pm in Winnick Chapel, Hillel 

Harold Roth, Professor of Religious Studies and Director of Brown's Contemplative Studies Initiative, and Diana Winston '88, director of mindfulness education at UCLA's Mindful Awareness Research Center, welcome graduating students, parents, alumni and friends to an hour of mindfulness and Zen meditation.