Study Society Diary

The symbolism and iconography of Buddhist mandalas have evolved through centuries of social transformation in India and Tibet, and their depictions of interconnected worlds resonate with contemporary psychology, physics, and cosmology.

In this seminar, Ian Baker will explore the ways in which mandalas have developed within Buddhist cultures and yet point to dynamic truths about human existence and the nature of reality as an inter-dimensional whole.

Alan Wallace will then expand on this theme by introducing the perspective of the Great Perfection, or Dzogchen, regarded by many as the pinnacle of Buddhist contemplative inquiry into the nature of consciousness and its role in the natural world.

In this context, as opposed to the common view of a single universe composed of matter and energy in which consciousness plays only a marginal role, here every sentient being is presented as manifesting at the center of his or her mandala such that an integral totality arises relative to each sentient being in the universe, with consciousness fundamental to the whole of reality.

The theme of mandalas and the Great Perfection will then be related to insights from quantum cosmology, in which the role of the observer is fundamental to understanding the process of nature.

Given the current destruction of the ecosphere by societies dominated by materialism, hedonism, and consumerism, we are urgently in need of a paradigm of creative engagement that integrates the deepest insights from the world’s contemplative and scientific traditions.

This seminar will seek to address this challenge, both in theory and in practice.

• What can a path of genuine devotion to the guru look like in Buddhist practice?

• What is the basis for authentic refuge and faith in the Buddha?

• What are some of the benefits and pitfalls of devotional practice when applied to human teachers?

• How might a contemplative path of transformative devotion in Buddhism be fruitfully compared with the path of worship and divinisation (or theosis) described in both Eastern and Western Christian traditions?

  This intensive one-day workshop will combine talks and guided meditations in a spirit of inquiry and openness to interfaith questions as they arise today, while remaining deeply rooted in the ancient principles of both Buddhist and Christian Contemplative Practice.