January 16 - 25, 2012 
Experience Buddhism at the Root
An Introduction to Buddhism
with Andy Wistreich (assisted by Charlotte Elliot)
Explore the Four Noble Truths, the Three Principle Aspects of the Path and the Three Higher Trainings at the very places where Shakyamuni Buddha achieved Enlightenment and taught Transcendental Wisdom.
This course serves as both an introduction to Buddhism for beginners and also as an intermediate level course for those who are not complete beginners. It covers the entire Mahayana Buddhist path, with the special feature of including teachings and meditations at sacred locations in the Bodhgaya area (Bodhi tree, Rajgir, Sujata, Mahakala cave...).
Thus this course is unique to Root Institute.
The course is designed to be highly interactive. To support this, the students will be seated in a circle, with the teacher taking his or her place within the circle, at the same level as the students. This modern-style arrangement is proven to enhance the immediacy and engagement of the student experience. The teacher’s role is to facilitate the learning of the students, through discourse and through creating structures within which the students learn from experience. Pairs exercises should enable students to move around the group gradually getting to work with all or most of the rest of the group. Where there is an odd number of students, either one group of three may be permitted, or the teacher or meditation leader may join in.
Integrating the visits to sacred places poses particular challenges. For example the students may have a more powerful experience of the Bihar environment en route, or of the beggars at the location, than they do of the teachings, meditations and Dharma energy of the place. The course is carefully structured around the Four Noble Truths, the Three Principle Aspects and the Three Higher Trainings.
Day 1.- Introduction.
Day 2.- The Four Noble Truths.
Day 3.- The Four Noble Truths, (cont.). Go to Mahabodhi Stupa.
Day 4.- Renunciation. Go to Sujata Temple.
Day 5.- Compassion. Go to Shakyamuni Buddha Community Health Centre.
Day 6.- Bodhicitta. Go to Mahakala Cave.
Day 7.- The Three Higher Trainings.
Day 8.- Wisdom realising Emptiness.
Day 9.- Emptiness and the Six Perfections. Go to Rajgir, Vulture's Peak and Nalanda.
Day 10.- Conclusions.
Andy is 61 years old, married and living in England. He has been studying, practising and teaching Buddhism for thirty years and is registered as an FPMT teacher. He used to work as a drama teacher in further education before becoming a college manager, and finally a civil servant supporting the use of the Internet in education across the UK. Now retired, he concentrates on buddhist study and practice, and is also working to create a retreat community in the UK to be called Land of Joy.
Assisting Andy with the meditation practices is Charlotte Elliott, a mum, wife and householder. Being engaged in a practice that supports one's daily life is very important and Charlotte will be working with the participants to help develop their own meditational practices. Charlotte is based in the UK and used to work in multi-media computing and corporate training. Semi-retired, she enjoys a full and varied life with two older children and a husband - developing her spiritual practice at home, where she and her husband have established an old-fashioned fruit orchard. Charlotte also volunteers as a Treasurer for a national environmental group and is generally active working for family and others
Next:
January, 30 - February, 8, 2012
Chenrezig / Tong Leng Retreat and a Short Introduction to Tantra
with Jimi Neal
