Bhāvanā Learning Group honors the Buddhist psychology that instills our mission to bring wisdom to learning.
Our Concern for and Commitment to Foundations of Buddhist Psychology
Definition.
Buddhist psychology is primarily about awakening via self-knowledge: understanding our decisions, actions, thoughts, feelings, and so forth. It aims to challenge our worldview by addressing the root of our psychological functioning, our sense of who we are, and our relationships with others and the world.
The primary concern of Buddhist psychology is alleviating human suffering, distress, and dissatisfaction. Our psychological state depends not so much on particular things or circumstances but more on how we relate to what life brings our way.
- We examine the relationship between suffering, ego-clinging, impermanence, and liberation with study, contemplative practice, and meditation.
- We cultivate an interdependent awareness for inquiry into the nature of reality and self.
Commitment.
Our commitment involves acknowledging the potential innate wisdom in conscious beings to “realize” or “awaken” above and beyond the power of greed, aggression, and delusion, which are acted upon out of ignorance.
To discern and prevent “opportunistic or reductionist views” of the dharma, we affirm our commitment to the ethical and educational foundations of these practices, following these tenets:
- Experience. Our practitioners study for a minimum of 3 years with Buddhist guides rooted in the ethical foundations of Buddhist Psychology.
- View. Our practitioners honor an interdependent, impermanent, and complex view of reality.
- Learning. Our work honors the Three Gems: the Buddha (as an example or teacher), Dharma (as teachings, path, or truth of reality), and Sangha (as companions on the path).
- Self. Our practices bring awareness to the ignorance and clinging that views self as separate, solid, and fixed to cultivate self as fluid, impermanent, and interdependent.
- Dharma. Our teachings stem from the Four Noble Truths and Eightfold Path with practices rooted in samādhi (mental discipline) maitrī or mettā (loving-kindness), karuṇā (compassion), dāna (gratitude and generosity), sīla (moral discipline), and prajñā (wisdom).
- Services. We offer contemplative learning, meditation awareness, and mindfulness methods rooted in Buddhist psychology and wisdom to support meditation and post-meditation practices.
Many of our programs include a practitioner who has taken their refuge vow and is practicing the dharma as a gift to our community.
We have programs for those interested in studying Buddhist Psychology.
