THE BUDDHIST HEART
Reawakening the Four Immeasurables (brahmavihāras)
Loving-Kindness (mettā) • Compassion (karunā) • Appreciative Joy (muditā) • Equanimity (upekkhā)
An Intensive with Whit Hornsberger (4 x 2.25 hour workshops)
The landscape of ancient India was a melting pot of spiritual aspirants and their myriad methods for the emancipation from suffering. When the newly awakened Buddha arrived upon the scene he discerned wisely, through experience, those teachings conducive to his newly discovered “Middle Path” (majjihimāpatipadā) towards spiritual liberation.
One of the ancient practices the Buddha deemed pertinent, and that he thus incorporated into his Dhamma (teachings), were the Brahmanic practices known as the Brahmavihāras. Oft translated as the ‘Divine Abodes’, it was traditionally believed that through the development of these four immeasurable qualities of the human heart - loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy and equanimity - one would be gifted an auspicious rebirth within the heavenly realms of existence.
Although the Buddha did not adhere to this model of karmic reincarnation, he empirically saw that these boundless qualities of the heart were vital ingredients towards liberation in this very life, elevating the brahmavihāras to a primary role within his Buddhadhamma (teachings).
In this intensive, through the cultivation and integration of these four boundless qualities of the heart (mettā, karunā, muditā and upekkhā), we will reawaken The Buddhist Heart that resides within each of us - a heart characterized by boundless and unconditional love, kindness, compassion, empathy, gratitude, joy, forgiveness and equanimity.
Our time together will entail the intellectual discussion of suffering and causes of suffering according to Buddhist science, Western neuroscience, psychology and primatology and how the reawakening of these innate qualities of the human heart are imperative for the arising of mindfulness (satipatthāna) and in turn insight meditation (vipassanā) to gift us what it was designed to deliver - deliverance (vimutti) from suffering (dukkha).
This intensive is accessible to all levels of experience (including none) and is an essential undertaking for anyone interested in developing their mindfulness (sati) / vipassanā (insight) meditation practice, those experiencing physical, mental and emotional injuries, those interested in embodied and societal well-being and anyone curious about accessing the limitless potential and the utmost benefit from their human heart (citta).
Each session includes a Dhamma (philosophy) talk and meditation practice (mettā, karunā, muditā, upekkhā).
To register for this weekend intensive, please visit: The Yoga Loft Hamburg