Awaken the Altruist

Course Five of the Contemplative Studies Immersion

Having reached the milestone of renunciation we continue our journey along the Gradual Path (lam rim) to awakening by following the next steps and stages common to practitioners of thegreatest capacity. Driven by our unbiased concern for all life forms and a sense of universal responsibility for our planet in peril, we enter into the Universal Vehicle (Mahayana) of wise compassion and aspire to awaken for the benefit of all.

This course focuses on the development of stress resilience, altruism, and interpersonal effectiveness developed through two distinct meditation practices as well as the first five of the six altruist’s (bodhisattva) trainings: generosity, ethics, patience, perseverance, and concentration.

Becoming an Altruist

You Will Learn

A compassion meditation practice called giving-and-taking.
Review current theories on social stress and developmental trauma.
The latest neuroscience of stress resilience and interpersonal effectiveness.
The cultural and historical context for the rise of the Greater Vehicle (Mahayana) Buddhism of love and compassion
How to awaken your natural capacity for altruism and reorient your life’s purpose
Three types of generosity and how they can be cultivated to create a sense of abundance.
About the noble Bodhisattva vows and how they help adhere you to the spiritual path.
To explore your shadow and work with toxic social emotions such as anger, shame, jealously, and pride.
How to convert hardship and everyday challenges into spiritual progress.
How to work with laziness.
How the Tibetans reframed their exile and what can be gleaned from the suffering of the Great Depression.

You Will Experience

The generation of a strong altruistic intention (bodhichitta) as a result of the ancient seven-step cause and effect method.
A marked increase in your tolerance for social stress and decrease in self-absorption as a result of the practice of giving-and-taking.
The ripening of past negative karmas with much greater awareness, self-compassion and nonreactivity.
A greater sense of sustainable confidence and worthiness as a result of reorienting your life towards the Bodhisattva ideal.
A much greater ability to transform challenging social interaction and circumstances into opportunities for spiritual maturity.

Class Titles & Subjects

Workshop: Compassion

Class 1: Resilience

Class 2: Universal Vehicle

Class 3: Generosity

Class 4: Ethics

Class 5: Patience

Class 6: Perseverance

Class 7: Concentration

PLUS

Time to Align
Crisis & Compassion with Geshe Tenzin Zopa
Advice from Geshe Tenzin Zopa on Coronavirus
Chanting the Prayers with Kathryn

Over Twenty Hours of High Quality Video Includes:

Meditation Workshop: COMPASSION | 4 hours

Course: ALTRUISM | 6 x 2.5 hr classes

Bonus talks with Geshe Tenzin Zopa & Miles Neale

Readings, Study Suite & Guided Meditations

Beautiful Workbook