5
Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel & Michelle Levey Monday evenings May 3-24, June 7-21 7 to 9:30 at our home near GreenLake At the heart of the world’s great Wisdom Traditions is an inner core of profound transformational teachings and subtle psycho-energetic- physical practices. These sacred, esoteric, transformational teachings offer guidance on how to recognize and transform our limiting and confused, distorted and ignorant views/stories of self and reality, and how to awaken more fully to a sacred identity of wholeness that is universal and divine in proportion. In particular, the Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) tradition of the Tibetan Buddhist lineages offers a unique treasury of profoundly transformational teachings for realizing our True Universal identity and highest potentials. While many of these teachings are highly esoteric, symbolic, and reserved for those with the proper initiations, it is helpful for people interested in spiritual studies, depth psychology, dramatic arts, mind science, and extraordinary human potential, to have a basic understanding, introduction, and orientation to the themes, foundations, and principles that bring these remarkable teachings to life. Utilizing Lama Thubten Yeshe’s classic guidebook, Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality, as our main text, Joel & Michelle Levey will guide this exciting exploration and elucidation of these precious, highly symbolic, and profound practices. (Note: We both studied closely with Lama Yeshe). We will also use Romio Shrestha’s brilliant book, Celestial Gallery, and Alex Grey’s books Sacred Mirrors and Transfigurations as sources of inspiration for understanding the profound archetypal symbolism and omnidimensionality of these practices, which reflect the integration and wholeness of the many dimensions of our own True Nature & highest potentials.

Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

Embed Size (px)

Citation preview

Page 1: Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

Introduction To Buddhist Tantra:A Vision of Wholeness & Radical TransformationA special course of studyWithDr. Joel & Michelle LeveyMonday evenings May 3-24, June 7-217 to 9:30at our home near GreenLake

At the heart of the world’s great Wisdom Traditions is an inner core ofprofound transformational teachings and subtle psycho-energetic-physical practices. These sacred, esoteric, transformational teachingsoffer guidance on how to recognize and transform our limiting andconfused, distorted and ignorant views/stories of self and reality, andhow to awaken more fully to a sacred identity of wholeness that isuniversal and divine in proportion.

In particular, the Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle) tradition of the TibetanBuddhist lineages offers a unique treasury of profoundly transformationalteachings for realizing our True Universal identity and highest potentials.While many of these teachings are highly esoteric, symbolic, and reservedfor those with the proper initiations, it is helpful for people interested inspiritual studies, depth psychology, dramatic arts, mind science, andextraordinary human potential, to have a basic understanding, introduction,and orientation to the themes, foundations, and principles that bring theseremarkable teachings to life.

Utilizing Lama Thubten Yeshe’s classic guidebook, Introduction to Tantra: AVision of Totality, as our main text, Joel & Michelle Levey will guide thisexciting exploration and elucidation of these precious, highly symbolic, andprofound practices. (Note: We both studied closely with Lama Yeshe). Wewill also use Romio Shrestha’s brilliant book, Celestial Gallery, and AlexGrey’s books Sacred Mirrors and Transfigurations as sources of inspirationfor understanding the profound archetypal symbolism and omnidimensionalityof these practices, which reflect the integration and wholeness of the manydimensions of our own True Nature & highest potentials.

Page 2: Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

Among the themes that we will explore are:- Recognizing, questioning, and revisioning our story of self-identity- Sacred Dignity & “Divine Pride”- Transforming emotional turbulence- Weaving a sacred vision of wholeness into the heart of our lives, work, andrelationships- The Bodhisattva Path of Universal Love & Compassion- The transformative power of motivation, desire, and heartfelt aspiration- Creative meditation and multidimensional consciousness- The “emptiness of self” as our wholeness & “inter-being” with all creation- The power of refuge- Awakening a “fierce determination” to be free- Intimacy with Mystery- The Balance of Feminine & Masculine Energies- The powers of reverence, devotion, & faith- The inseparability of Wisdom and Compassion

Our intention is to provide a foundation of understanding for studentsinterested in pursuing deeper studies in Buddhist Vajrayana/Tantra, and inrelated shamanistic and symbolic traditions that work with archetypal andsymbolic energies and demonstrate our potentials for radically transforminghow we constellate and construct our identity and story of self. Our hopesare that this course will shed light on many of the subtle and profoundpoints of these teachings and lay a foundation for serious practitioners todeepen their faith, clarify their understanding and motivation, and intensifytheir dedication to exploring these precious sacred traditions and torealizing the sweet fruits of such practice.

Registration:If this invitation calls to you we welcome you in joining us. Enrollment forthis course will be limited. We would like to have at least 10 and no morethan 20 participants for the Spring course. To help us with our planning,please register as soon as possible-ideally no later than Sunday April 25th.

Tuition: These teachings if taken to heart and fully realized, are priceless.And… in the spirit of reciprocity, we have set the tuition for this course on asliding scale of $108 to $420. (Yes, these are metaphysically sacrednumbers!) We understand that each of us has varying resources available,

Page 3: Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

and with this understanding we encourage you to be as generous as possibleto help support others in participating.

To register:1- Send us an email stating your intention to participate, and a brief writtenstatement of your aspirations and hopes for this course.2- Mail a $50 deposit (non-refundable) to:Joel & Michelle Levey5536 Woodlawn Ave. N.Seattle, WA 981033-The balance of your tuition is due by the first class. No refunds will begiven after the course begins.

Ordering Books:Once you have registered, we suggest that you get a copy of our main textfor this course ~~Lama Thubten Yeshe’s book Introduction to Tantra(Wisdom Publications). If you can also find a copy of Romio Shrestha’sexquisite book Celestial Gallery, it is a real treasure of inspiration, but it isnot “required” reading. (Note: It retailed for $125, but was available atCostco over Christmas for $30! If you can obtain an affordable copy –Costco on line…. Froogle….Amazon…- we encourage you to get one.)  We alsohighly recommend Alex Grey’s two incredible books Sacred Mirrors andTransfigurations. These are optional but highly recommended and we willuse these in class for inspiration. We encourage you to order these directlyfrom Alexgrey.com (Note: This is a fascinating site to explore.) Let Alexand Allyson know you are taking a class from us and request a signed copy ifyou like.

For more information, please contact us at:Phone: (206) 632-3551Email: [email protected]: http://www.wisdomatwork.com

Invite Your Friends Who May Be Interested:We invite and encourage you to share this invitation with friends, colleagues,and kindred souls with whom you would enjoy sharing this exploration inconsciousness. If they are unfamiliar with us you may wish to include thefollowing biographical sketch.

Page 4: Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

Biographical Sketch: An Integrative Approach

Joel & Michelle Levey have devoted their lives to theexploration and integration of the modern and ancient mindsciences and wisdom traditions. Their pioneering work spansmany disciplines including: mindbody medicine; noetic

sciences; cyberphysiology, neurofeedback & clinical biofeedback training;peak performance training; leadership development, and developing healthyhigh performing organizational teams and culture. They are co-founders of:WisdomatWork.com; InnerWork Technologies, Inc.; SportsMind, Inc.; TheInternational Center for Corporate Culture & Organizational Health; and theInternational Center for Contemplative Inquiry.   The Leveys have been fortunate to study with many of the greatcontemplative masters & consciousness researchers of our times including:The Dalai Lama; Krishnamurti; Brother David Steindl-Rast; Reb SchlomoCarlbach; Reb Zalman Schacter Shalomi; Thich Nhat Hahn; Ram Dass; KaluRinpoche; Karmapa; DipaMa; S.N. Goenka; Jack Kornfield; Rina Sircar;Sharon Salzberg; Robert Thurman; Dan Goleman; Jon Kabat-Zinn; LarryDossey; Jean Houston; Andrew Weil; and William Tiller. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has blessed and encouraged Joel & Michelle’swork and teachings, and once wrote in a letter to them:“You are presently engaged in work that has great prospects for bringing theDharma (the inner sciences and technologies of human development andtransformation) to a very wide section of people who may not under ordinarycircumstances come into contact with the Dharma.”Many of their other teachers have also blessed and encouraged them to passtheir teachings along to others. Joel and Michelle have been fortunate to devote a number of years oftheir lives to intensive silent contemplative retreat, including a one-yearsilent meditation retreat in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. They have alsobeen intensively involved with psychophysiological research on meditation,consciousness, and extraordinary human performance and were identified bythe Institute of Noetic Sciences--for whom they have participated innumerous research colloquiums--as leading contemporary "teachers oftransformation."Their work in the world has lead them to work with leaders and teams inover 200 leading organizations around the globe including: NASA, World

Page 5: Introduction To Buddhist Tantra - Home - Wisdom at … · Introduction To Buddhist Tantra: A Vision of Wholeness & Radical Transformation A special course of study With Dr. Joel &

Bank, Intel, Intuit, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Washington Mutual Bank,Group Health, Swedish Medical Center, Weyerhaueser, MenningerFoundation, Boeing, The Seattle Center, and with many professionalorganizations. They have directed clinical programs for Group Health andChildren’s Medical Center in Seattle, lectured at dozens of Universities andmedical schools, served as faculty at Antioch & Bastyr Universities, and theIndian Institute of Management (IIM) in Ahmedabad India, and as corefaculty for International Center for Organization Design and the WorldBusiness Academy. They have coached a number of Olympic and World Class champions anddesigned & directed biocybernautic training for the US Army Green Berets’acclaimed “Jedi Warrior Program” which was described by West Pointleaders as, “The most exquisite orchestration of human technology that wehave ever seen.”  Joel & Michelle Levey live in Seattle, where they have guided weeklymeditation sittings & ongoing programs in Dharma study together for thepast twenty-two years. Over the past 30 years they have been activelyinvolved in beginning many of Seattle’s most established meditation groups.They also steward The Sanctuary at Kohala Potala, a learning center,gathering place, and organic permaculture farm in North Kohala on theIsland of Hawaii (http://www.wisdomatwork.com/sanctuary). Their published works have been translated into 9 languages and include:Living in Balance: A Dynamic Approach for Creating Harmony & Wholeness ina Chaotic World; Wisdom at Work; A Moment to Relax; The Fine Arts ofRelaxation, Concentration, and Meditation: Ancient Skills for Modern Minds;Simple Meditation & Relaxation, and Corporate Culture & OrganizationalHealth: A Critical Analysis of How Workplace Culture Influences BusinessSuccess.. They have contributed chapters to many anthologies including:Buddhism Through American Women’s Eyes, Voices on the Threshold ofTomorrow; Intuition at Work; Community Building in Business; and The NewBottom Line. See also:http://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/files_people/Levey_Joel.htmhttp://www.collectivewisdominitiative.org/files_people/Levey_Michelle.htmFor more information on Joel & Michelle's work, please visit:http://www.wisdomatwork.comFor information on their published works, visit: http://www.selfguided.comJoel & Michelle can be contacted directly at: Tel: 206.632.3551 Email: [email protected]