Teacher: Christopher Ash
Weekly Conversations
When a specific course is not happening, I open up our Zoom venue each Sunday at 4:00 PM, Sydney-Melbourne time, for conversation. These weekly Kalyanamitta meetings are open to those who have done my courses or have made an arrangement with me personally.
If there is a topic designated for the Sunday meeting, it will be listed below in the events.
Courses
Any courses will be on Zoom; and all are held on Sundays at 4:00 PM, Sydney-Melbourne time. In between courses we enjoy our regular conversations.
Individual Sessions with Christopher
If you have any questions about the approach to the Dharma, or feel in need of support, I’m available for one-on-one sessions.
In case there is extra content, click on the heading-link for the particular course.
Christopher is taking a break for two months. We'll resume meetings on January 21, 2024. Our first two meetings will be open sessions. Any topic welcomed. On our third session (4th February) begins a five-week series on The Psychology of a Healthy Mind. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF A HEALTHY MIND With our third meeting in 2024 (4th February) we’ll begin a nine-week series on The Psychology of a Healthy Mind. In this course, I want to convey the value of Buddhist psychology to human flourishing, and to do that in very practical terms. For this course, we'll focus on the Buddha's vision of transformation as presented in the Nikayas. My contention is that, if we have a regular meditation practice and if we are already both awakening and growing in the light of the Buddhadharma, then we are already - in our own way - doing something of what the formal Buddhist psychologies are designed for. The question then is what can we apply from the Buddhist understanding which will have us practising more skilfully, joyfully, and effectively? We'll understand the meaning of the word 'Abhidharma' and the purpose of the special teachings of the early schools, and the historical development of this branch of Buddhist learning. The purpose of this exploration is to understand ourselves - as we are in our human situation. The topic for this week will be: "The Nature of Saying and Thinking, from a Spiritual Practice Point of View." The topic for the evening is: "Depersonalization and the Buddhist Teachings." We'll use Majjhima Nikaya 22 as a background; where the Buddha compares his teaching to a snake, because - like a snake - the teaching needs skillful handling, or it'll bite you. How can we understand the Buddhadharma's concept of 'not-self,' such that we avoid emotional by-passing and depersonalisation. In this conversation we'll explore the feeling of being oneself. Why is this important? I contend that, at least in the modern world, all wars are a result of mistaken notions of identity, and the 'othering' which follows from this confusion. What kind of process of experiencing gives us the feel of 'personal identity'? What's it based in? What is its reach and range? What function does it have for us? What's the relationship between 'identity' and 'self'? Is there an ultimate 'identity' of any sort? Why such a strong attachment to our 'identity'?
Selfishness & its Transformations in Self-Knowledge