Over two thousand years ago, Buddhist meditators mapped the ways that matter, mind, and concepts function in processes of cognition, and developed their theories into a psychological system known as the Abhidhamma. Many contemporary mindfulness and insight meditation practices are structured by principles rooted in Abhidhamma theories. This course is designed for meditators who want to apply these principles to a practical study of their experience of body and mind. We will analyze the interactions of materiality and mentality, examine processes of cognition, and gain insight into the nature of perception. We will consider distinctions between concepts and reality, and discuss ways that contemporary meditation systems have applied these ancient understandings to promote direct, practical, and liberating meditative insights.
Our primary course text is Wisdom Wide and Deep, by Shaila Catherine, published by Wisdom Publications. Participants are asked to purchase this book prior to the start of the course. The course focus will be on chapters 11, 12, and 13.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES: Participants in this course will
- offer an overview of Abhidhamma theories
- clarify the practical applications of Abhidhamma models to contemporary meditative experiences
- provide a detailed map for understanding the mind, body and perception
- ease meditators into a potentially revelatory study of the mind
- strengthen mindfulness and insight meditation practice
- cultivate skill with the object of attention
- carefully discern subtle differences in wholesome and unwholesome states
WHAT TO EXPECT
This online course includes:
- recorded lectures
- reading assignments
- sutta study
- guided meditations
- peer led discussion forums
- optional online video meetings with Shaila Catherine
- online video meetings are recorded as audio files
ONLINE MEETING DATES
Dates and times subject to change.
PREREQUISITE FOR ENROLLMENT
There are no prerequisites to attend this course; however, it is designed with the assumption that participants will already have an established mindfulness meditation practice.
Please refer to the FAQ tab for more information.
Required Text
Wisdom Wide and Deep: A Practical Handbook for Mastering Jhāna and Vipassanā
by Shaila Catherine
Wisdom Publications, 2011
The course is entirely online, and includes recorded lectures and guided meditation instructions, readings, sutta study, discussion forums, a library of resources, and optional live audio or video conferences with Shaila Catherine.
Bodhi Courses is planned and designed for people with busy schedules and every-day demands. The self-paced learning modules offer flexibility for completing assignments. Internet access is needed, but if you have a mobile device or internet access while traveling, your participation can continue without interruption. Audio talks are streamed, not downloadable.
Yes, both. Shaila Catherine will offer several opportunities for optional live audio conferences. These sessions are optional and open to all class participants, and recordings are later made available within the course. These large group conference calls may include reflections on the lesson topic, questions and answers about applying course topics to your meditation practice, or the study of a sutta. Practical questions and comments related to meditation and the course materials are invited. However, Shaila is not available outside these large group calls for individual inquiries or practice guidance.
Students will also interact through the written discussion forums. Shaila reviews the written forums to draw out themes for the audio conferences, but she will rarely add a post directly. The written forums are intended to be a space for peer-to-peer discussions; they are moderated by a team of wise, skilled discussion leaders who help guide the forum discussions toward in-depth and practical explorations of the course themes.
A computer with dependable internet access and a browser, and standard (freely available) software for listening to audio files and viewing PDF documents.
A mobile app for Moodle courseware is also available for those who prefer to access the course via a mobile device.
No. The course is hosted on Moodle, which is courseware widely used by schools, universities, and various learning programs worldwide. Moodle is compatible with both PC and Mac. Moodle is browser-based, requiring no downloads or installations. For mobile devices, the Moodle moblie app is available for (free) download.
Optional live audio or video conferences with Shaila Catherine may be accessed by either computer or phone. Details will be provided in the course.
The registration fee covers participation in the course, but does not include books. Additional donations (dana) for the teacher are welcome and encouraged.
Donations may be offered through our Teacher Support Page.
Registration fees are non-refundable. In the case of cancellations that occur at least 14 days prior to the course start date, Bodhi Courses will credit the amount above half the low end of the sliding scale towards a future course. Voucher credits expire in one year.
Contact: bcregistration
The assignments will likely require about 3 hours per week, depending on your level of interest and inquiry. Each learning module will span 7-14 days, and during that designated period, you may work at your own pace. Daily meditation practice is strongly encouraged.
The sliding scale registration fee is the only payment made to Bodhi Courses. In addition you will need to purchase the required course book(s) from your favorite book supplier or borrow from a library.
Our lectures and guided meditations are streamed, not downloadable. Depending upon the service contract with your internet provider you may incur data charges to listen to the lectures.
We design our recorded lectures, guided meditations, and conference calls to function within the context of a structured course, and therefore we do not make them available for downloading or use outside the course. We envision this to be a classroom experience that is limited in time to the specified course period. We do not offer permanent access or personal possession of the talks, guided meditations, or recordings.
We do, however, provide the following support for enrolled participants: during each 2-3 month course period, the completed course modules remain available and students can review material from earlier modules throughout the duration of the course. We also keep our courses available for a few weeks after the closing date. The number of weeks varies and depends upon how much time our volunteers need to prepare for the next Bodhi Course. Usually the material is available for 3-4 weeks after the course ends, and we announce the final date within the course. This extension offers extra time for students to review the material or catch up if they fell behind. After this period for review, the material will no longer be available and access to the course will be denied.
COST: Sliding Scale $xxx – $xxx
Please consider offering generously within your means. The lower end of the scale is intended for those with very limited means. If additional scholarship assistance is needed, please contact us. The deadline for scholarship applications is 14 days prior to the date registration closes.
WATCH THE VIDEO INTRO
MEET THE TEACHER
Shaila Catherine
Shaila Catherine
