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"BUDDHISM AND EVERYDAY LIFE" Enrollment will begin in May. Go to bn.com to enroll. (B&N University on the top menu). I was asked by Lama Surya Das to write a course for Barnes and Noble University, based on his books. The course,"Buddhism and Everyday Life," went on line for the first time in March, 2002, with 1800 students enrolled. After that first course, I downloaded all messages/questions posted by students and my responses, and they added up to almost 400 pages! The month-long course has run at least every other month, with a total of over 15,000 students. I had never taken or taught a course on line, and I had no idea that Buddhist practice could actually be taught that way. And I certainly had no idea of the depth of community that could form among people around the world who never saw each other - and how Buddhist values could be manifest among them through cyberspace. I'm converted to cyber community! It can't replace rubbing elbows and gazing into eyes, but it is profoundly real in its own way. After a number of months teaching the course, I asked my good friend, Bob Morrison, to teach it. He has been teaching the course with enthusiastic responses and evaluations from the students. (I will occasionally teach the course, too) Below is the basic information as provided on www.bn.com. Please note that one can do the basic work in the time suggested, but, because the course focuses on practice, it takes a while to do the practices. And becoming familiar and comfortable with the practices can take quite a bit of time. So, because the course goes deep and involves practice, quite a few students have repeated the course as much as five times! The happy reality is that each student can take it to his/her desired depth, and at her/his own pace. I am pleased that the feedback from students with a wide variety of motivation and commitment has been consistantly laudatory. Students who wish to follow-up with deeper discussions of topics in Buddhism and Pragmatic Spirituality can sign up and participate in the Cybersangha forums on this web site. *************************************************** Course Type: Online Instructor-led Course Estimated Completion Time: 16 hours Session Length: 4 weeks Prerequisites * All that is required is a sincere interest in investigating the potential practical benefits of spiritual practice, which include insight, joy, compassion, and equanimity. Description This course will introduce students to the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, with an emphasis on applying spiritual practice to the realities of everyday life. Buddhism provides innumerable practices to make spirituality an everyday experience. The genius of Lama Surya Das is to take ancient, esoteric, and even "secret" Tibetan wisdom and spiritual practices, previously accessible only to monastics and scholars, and make them understandable and usable to Western seekers. In this course we will examine the basic understandings of Buddhism, specifically the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and learn basic meditation practices (really experiments in living) that arise out of the understandings. The goal is for students to experience for themselves the possibility of greater happiness, compassion, and peace in everyday life because of a shift in understanding and perspective through the application of Buddhist spiritual techniques. Objectives * To learn the basic Buddhist principles -- the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path -- and how to recognize and apply these principles in your own life * To learn and experiment with Buddhist meditation techniques and other practices that you can integrate into your everyday life * To design at least three spiritual practices that fit your life and stimulate your spiritual growth Course Materials needed: Book: "Awakening the Buddha Within" by Lama Surya Das Book: "Awakening to the Sacred: Creating a Spiritual Life from Scratch" by Lama Surya Das Course Creator: Joel Baehr Joel Baehr is a senior student of Lama Surya Das, an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister, and a practicing psychotherapist and consultant. He applies Buddhist 'pragmatic spirituality' to issues of individual development, to relationships, and to work. |
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