The Way of Shamatha: Soothing the Body, Settling the Mind, and Illuminating Awareness with B. Alan Wallace

Discover the power of shamatha meditation to soothe the body and calm the discursive mind. We will then apply this mind of stillness to cultivate the qualities of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity.

During this retreat, we will explore in theory and practice three methods for developing meditative quiescence, or shamatha: mindfulness of the breath as taught in the Theravada tradition, an effective approach to soothing the body and calming the discursive mind; “settling the mind in its natural state,” an approach pertinent to Dzogchen practice; and “shamatha without signs,” as taught by Padmasambhava. The achievement of shamatha is widely regarded in Buddhism as an indispensable foundation for the cultivation of contemplative insight (vipassana). We will also engage in the practice of the Four Immeasurables: lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity.

B. Alan Wallace is the founder and president of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. Combining 16 years of training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk with degrees in physics, the philosophy of science and religious studies, he is currently seeking ways to integrate Buddhist contemplative practices and Western science to advance the study of the mind. He is the author of numerous books, including Embracing Mind: The Common Ground of Science & Spirituality.