Jump to a specific program:

Integrated Study and Practice Program (ISPP)

Laboratory of Life

 

Self-Study Program

 

Bhavana Program

 

Buddhist Psychology Program

The study center in Barre offers a variety of programs from two resident scholars and a wide range of visiting faculty. A rich diversity of topics are covered for those interested in the Buddhist tradition and meditation practice. Programs range from one-day and weekend offerings, to five or seven days; some are as long as two weeks. Special programs include:

 Integrated Study and Practice Program (ISPP)

The Barre Center for Buddhist Studies offers one-year programs that seek to integrate meditation practice with the study of Buddhist thought. The programs provide experienced dharma students with the opportunity to delve more deeply into the meaning and significance of the Buddha’s teachings, and to creatively explore the relationship of these teachings to meditation practice. These programs are generally designed for students with an established vipassana meditation practice.

The programs are led by Andrew Olendzki, Executive Director and Senior Scholar at BCBS, and Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia, a dharma teacher and longtime member of BCBS’ visiting faculty.

Admission to the ISPP is by application only. The current program, which runs June 2009 to June 2010, is now full. The deadline for the 2010-2011 ISPP will be August 2010, with the program planned to start in October 2010.

Dates for the on-campus portions of the 2010-2011 program will be October 8-13, 2010; February 11-16, 2011; June 3-8, 2011; and October 7-12, 2011.

Please see the documents available for download below for more information on how the program works, or email us at bcbs@dharma.org.

Information about the 2010-2011 ISPP :

About the ISPP (pdf)

Addendum: Curriculum and Cost (pdf)

ISPP Application Form (pdf)

The Laboratory of Life:

   An Experiment in the

   Universality of Contemplation

led by Rajesh Kasturirangan

To most sensitive observers, the modern world seems to be going from one personal, communal and global crisis to another. Many of us also think our world needs to be radically reconceptualized for us to find a way out of this crisis. If done well, the current attempt to find an interface between contemplation and science will lead to a reconceptualization of the modern world. By necessity, this reconceptualization means taking a fresh, hard look at the human condition. If the contemplative traditions and traditions of scientific inquiry are going to be our guides in this process, we need to rethink what to keep in both of them, and what to discard.

This three-month-long online program attempts to do three things: 

1) find the best in the contemplative traditions and science and see their integration; 

2) to discard what’s not needed or is not helpful in either contemplation or science; 

3) to move beyond both contemplation and science in fashioning an integrated vision that gets inspired by them but is not beholden to them.

The three components of the program are:

  1. Study. We will base our exploration on pivotal classical and modern texts, from both the contemplative and scientific traditions, that have crystallized around the insights of contemplation.

  2. Practice. Without a commitment to sustained practice, there is no hope for genuine insight; participants will therefore agree to a regular contemplative practice.

  3. Community. In the spirit of genuine contemplative and scientific inquiry, we will create a community of like-minded individuals who will explore together and share their thoughts and insight with one another in an online forum.

The first version of the laboratory of life was launched on January 1st, 2010 and lasted until June 30th, 2010. The insights gleaned from the first trial will be used to ease entry into the laboratory this time around. The online program will start September 1, 2010 and run through November 30th, 2010. To help support the project, a final event will be held from December 9-12, 2010 at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts for those able to attend:

December 9-12  A three-day meeting of practice and discussion to share, assess and consolidate what has been learned over the quarterly investigations.

There is no cost to course participants except the standard fees for attending the programs at BCBS. These courses are listed in the regular BCBS course registration calendar at the dates above.

For more details about the teacher and program please go to www.laboratoryoflife.org

 
The Self-Study Program is for experienced students who may be looking for a quiet place to investigate the Buddhist tradition on their own through the integration of study and practice. We welcome scholars to come and experience the benefits of a contemplative environment for their work, and we invite meditators to explore the benefits of the academic inquiry into the Buddhist tradition. Applications must be submitted at least two weeks in advance, and space is only available when courses are not in session. Download Application (Word doc).
The Bhavana Program is a unique form of study and practice that integrates daily morning periods of textual study into an otherwise silent vipassana retreat schedule of sitting and walking meditation. A dharma talk is given each evening which relates the textual study to experiential practice, and interviews with the meditation teacher are also scheduled.

For a list of upcoming courses, click here.
The Buddhist Psychology Program investigates in depth the early Buddhist science of mind growing out of its profound contemplative practices, and explores the growing interface between Buddhist thought and modern psychology. Through an affiliation with the Institute of Meditation and Psychotherapy, CE credits are available for most mental health and other professionals.

For a list of upcoming courses, click here.


149 Lockwood Road, Barre, Massachusetts 01005 | (978) 355-2347 office | (978) 355-2798 fax | bcbs@dharma.org