Three-part series on Thursdays, 5 p.m. (Pacific) Feb. 2, 9 and 16
broadcast online from SŌTERIC in Boulder, Colo.
with Nalandabodhi Karunika Dan Hirshberg, PhD
Recordings available through March 1
Register
How is ritual in general and Vajrayana in particular still relevant and effective for modern meditators? This three-part series introduces the history and diversity of Vajrayana technologies in India and Tibet, defining what ritual is, exploring what ritual does, why it is practiced, and how it accomplishes its objectives –– even today.
The Tibetan term for Vajrayana is tek-chok (theg mchog), the “supreme vehicle,” which is defined in large part by the special meditative techniques that catalyze and accelerate realization. Since Vajrayana features highly refined and powerful methods, rituals, and liturgies that result in buddhahood, it can be understood as a soteric technology––one which strives towards transcendence.
- What Vajrayana? (Feb. 2)
Historical introduction to the diversity of Vajrayana practices in India and Tibet. - Why Vajrayana? (Feb. 9)
Investigation of the efficacy of Vajrayana’s special ritual technologies according to traditional presentations, critical discourse on the function of ritual in religion, and neuroscientific research on Vajrayana visualization practices. - How Vajrayana? (Feb. 16)
Exploration of guru yoga as a structural, devotional, and creative foundation for the evolution of individual practice and progress on the path.
