Awakening of Faith in Mahayana: Retreat with Bhante Dhammadipa

Study and Meditation Retreat with Bhante Dhammadipa

Mahayana is the philosophy of understanding the beginning and the end simultaneously.
This course is meant to be an introduction to understanding Buddhist Philosophy and Practice. The non-dualistic tradition is concerned with developing awareness of the mind itself. The mind can be studied at many levels.

For this course, the two treatises we will be studying are by Ashvaghosa, (one of the most prominent personalities of the Buddhist tradition in India and by Nanyue Hui-si (the third patriarch of the Tiantai school). Both texts discuss the Buddhist practice and understanding from beginning to the end and from the end to the beginning just as dependent origination must be understood as suffering to impermanence and impermanence to suffering.

The process is explained as different functions of the mind. The study of the function of the mind is the study of awareness, from gross to subtle function of the mind and understanding subtle from the base to the gross.
Non-duality is the traditional realisation of the mind-only. this tradition of mind-only means the State of Buddha. The objects and mind form just one reality.

We will try and connect the two approaches of sudden realisation and gradual realisation into one coherent whole. Studying from beginning to end and end to beginning; the middle being mastery into Insight. This insight leads to the mastery of emotions.

About the Teacher:
Bhante Dhammadipa was born in the Czech Republic, where he studied Chinese literature and philosophy. He later pursued his studies in Jerusalem, Berlin and Paris, before enrolling at the Nalanda University in India to study Sanskrit and Buddhist philosophy. He then lived in Japan, Sri Lanka and Burma, studying and practising as a Buddhist monk under renowned contemporary masters of Buddhism. One of his principal teachers was the Burmese meditation master Pa Auk Sayadaw, who recognised him as his first Western disciple qualified to teach meditation. Today, he is one of the foremost teachers of Shamatha meditation. He has taught the Dharma extensively, in both theory and practice, and led students in meditation retreats in Europe, North and South America, India, China, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.

Bhante Dhammadipa was instrumental in developing the outreach project, Jetavan, in collaboration with Godavari Biorefineries Ltd and the Centre for Buddhist Studies at KJSIDS, Mumbai.

There will be an introduction on Saturday, September 28 in the evening. Retreat begins on September 29. A detailed schedule will be posted soon.