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During this week-long retreat, Alan Wallace teaches insight meditation drawn from the Dzogchen tradition of Tibetan Buddhism which probes the nature of the mind. He discusses the relation between lucid dreaming and dream yoga, including areas of complementarity and divergence. In addition, throughout the week, retreatants are taught how to engage in the daytime and nighttime practices of dream yoga. Guided meditations and groups discussions are included as well as teaching by Alan Wallace. Modern scientific research into lucid dreaming draws a sharp distinction between the waking state and dreaming, and it has developed practical methods for inducing lucidity, namely, recognizing that we are dreaming while we are dreaming. The common theories and practices of lucid dreaming do not deeply challenge our conventional assumptions regarding the nature of waking reality, but rather help us to become more mindfully engaged with daytime experience, and can be remarkably effective in helping us to start having lucid dreams. These practices include keeping a dream journal, recognizing recurrent "dream signs," conducting "state checks" throughout the day to confirm whether we are awake or dreaming, and cultivating "prospective memory," that is, remembering to do things in the future. The ancient Buddhist contemplative tradition of dream yoga emphasizes the deep similarities between the waking state and dreaming, while also acknowledging significant differences. Dream yoga begins with the recognition that we are dreaming while in the dream state, which is common to the modern discipline of lucid dreaming. But after recognizing the dream for what it is, dream yoga shows how to explore the nature of dream reality by transforming the contents of the dream. Latter stages of this practice leads to a fearlessness in the dream state and the experiential exploration of the "substrate consciousness," out of which all dreams emerge. The ultimate aim of dream yoga is to fully awaken to the nature of experienced reality as a Buddha, an "Awakened One." During this retreat, Alan Wallace discusses the relation between lucid dreaming and dream yoga, their areas of complementarity and divergence, and daytime vs. nighttime practices of dream yoga. Please select the media type you would like to receive: DVD video discs, or downloadable MP3 audio files and PDFs. -
During this retreat, Lama Alan Wallace introduces the theory and practice of three methods of developing meditative quiescence or shamatha. He begins with the practice of mindfulness of breathing as taught in the Theravada tradition, which is especially effective for soothing the body and calming the discursive mind. He then explores an approach to shamatha that is particularly pertinent for Dzogchen practice, called "settling the mind in its natural state," as taught by the 19th century Dzogchen master Lerab Lingpa in his commentary to the "Heart Essence of Vimalamitra." Finally, he engages the practices of "shamatha without a sign" as taught by Padmasambhava in his classic treatise Natural Liberation. Although this subtle practice is taught explicitly as a means of achieving shamatha, Padmasambhava comments that it may even result in a realization of rigpa, or pristine awareness. The achievement of shamatha is widely regarded in the Buddhist tradition as an indispensable foundation for the cultivation of contemplative insight (vipashyana). The retreat consists of lectures, guided meditations and discussions. The retreat was recorded in January 2010, in Santa Barbara, CA and is available via DVD, Audio or Video Recordings. -
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This MP3 Audio disc set chronicles the seven-day Meditation Seminar for Neuroscientists & Mental Healthcare Professionals recorded March 22 - 29, 2009 at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, CA. -
The 19th-century classic Dzogchen treatise, The Vajra Essence, by the eminent master Düdjom Lingpa concludes with a concise lucid account of the Six Bardos, namely the Bardos of Living, Dreaming, Meditative Stabilization, Dying, Reality itself, and Becoming. The teachings on these Bardos show how each of these transitional phases of cyclic existence can provide a platform for achieving enlightenment, particularly by way of the practices of shamatha, vipashyana, and Dzogchen. Lama Alan Wallace offers an explanation of Düdjom Lingpa's teachings, with guided meditations for putting them into practice. This seven-day retreat was recorded March 2011, at the Old Mission in Santa Barbara, CA The retreat is available via streaming video, streaming or downloadable audio recordings or DVD. -
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The 19th-century classic Dzogchen treatise, The Vajra Essence, by the eminent master Dudjom Lingpa concludes with a concise lucid account of the Six Bardos, namely the Bardos of Living, Dreaming, Meditative Stabilization, Dying, Reality-itself, and Becoming. The teachings on these Bardos show how each of these trasitional phases of cyclic existence can provide a platform for achieving enlightenment, particularly by way of the practices of shamatha, Vipashyana, and Dzogchen. During this retreat, B. Alan Wallace offers an explanation of Dujom Lingpas teachings, together with guided meditations for putting them into practice. All seven days of this retreat are reproduced in full in this two CD set, conveniently divided into teachings, meditations, and discussions. PDF files on the first disk include explanatory notes on the audio files, retreat handouts, and other pertinent information. This audio MP3 CD set chronicles the seven-day retreat held at Santa Barbara's historical Old Mission. Recorded March 21-28,2010. MP3 CDs suitable for use in computers and MP3 players. -
The one-disc MP3 chronicales the weekend retreat held in September 2010 at Santa Barbara's historical Old Mission. The Heart Sutra is perhaps the most popular text in the Buddhist world. Known both for its profundity and brevity, this work quickly made its way from India to China, Japan, Korea and Tibet. It is recited daily in an array of languages around the world. The principle theme of the Heart Sutra is "sunyata" or emptiness. This retreat, led by Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi, focuses on the study and practices that emerge from this profound discourse on sunyata delivered by the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to Venerable Shariputra at Vulture Peak. What insights rise from this text? How can this text help us to transform our minds and hearts, recognize our potential for enlightenment, and help us liberate ourselves from samsara? In this retreat, goddess Prajnaparamita beckons us to engage on these reflections. The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi is the founding director of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He has a graduate degree in Comparative Philosophy of Religion from Harvard University and is an Integral Honors Scholar in Philosophy and Science. At the age of ten, he entered a Buddhist Monastery in Rajgir and was subsequently ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who is his spiritual Mentor. Venerable Tenzin lectures internationally and is also President of The Prajnopaya Foundation, a worldwide humanitarian organization. For more information on him and his work, vist www.iMonk.org. -
In this meditation seminar, Alan Wallace teaches a sequence of meditations for cultivation of the "Four Immeasurables," namely loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and impartiality. These are followed by the teachings and practice of Buddhist Mind-Training, or "Lojong." While many teachings on Buddhist meditation fill us with a longing to spend more time in quiet, solitary meditation, these practies bring us back to life, to the active world of living with others. The optimal situation to apply these teachings on cultivating a good heart is active life, socially engaged with other people at home and about town, moving away from habitual self-centeredness to greater empathy and loving concern for the welfare for those around us. Regardless of whether we hold to any religious beliefs, these practices can be of benefit to everyone seeking to explore their own capacity to experience unconditional love and compassion. Recorded in November 2009 at the historic Santa Barbara Mission. Please select from the DVD video, MP3 CD disc, or the download audio files -
In this weekend retreat held in Santa Barbara, California, B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D. explores methods of cultivating genuine happiness. The retreat consists of meditation, lecture, and discussion periods focusing on the themes found in Wallace's book "Genuine Happiness." These include methods for cultivating attentional stability and vividness, contemplative insight, and the Four Immeasurables of loving kindness, equanimity, compassion and sympathetic joy. The teachings are designed to help us integrate practice into our everyday life in the world through mind training. The downloadable MP3 audio files, and the four-disc DVD video set, chronicles the weekend retreat "The Cultivation of Genuine Happiness Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment" held at Santa Barbara's historical Old Mission July 24-26, 2009.Please select either the DVD video collection, or the download MP3 audio files and PDF.
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This retreat provides an overview of the central themes of the 42-hour training program called "Cultivating Emotional Balance" devised by the eminent psychologist Paul Ekman, Ph.D. and B. Alan Wallace, Ph.D. at the request of HH the Dalai Lama. Focusing on both theory and practice, Alan Wallace explains four aspects of mental balance: conative, attentional, cognitive, and emotional. Conative balance has to do with cultivating meaningful desires and aspirations that truly contribute to one's own and others' wellbeing. Attentional balance focuses on overcoming attention deficit and hyperactivity, replacing these imbalances with a sense of inner calm, centeredness, and clarity. Cognitive balance is achieved through the cultivation of mindfulness so that we can experience the world without cognitive distortions. Finally, emotional balance maybe achieved through enhancing the positive emotions of loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity while bringing afflictive emotional states under control through understanding and meditation. The weekend included guided meditations, lectures and open discussion. This audio stream/download via Dropbox (no account is needed), chronicles the weekend retreat held in Santa Barba's historical Old Mission from Feb 3rd-5th, 2012. Available on DVD, or Audio Stream/download. Select the type of media that you want. The DVD will be shipped via the US Postal Service. The audio files will be downloadable - you will receive an email with details. -
This audio stream and download contains 26 meditations from retreats with Alan Wallace in Santa Barbara, CA in 2009 . You will receive a Dropbox link to listen to these guided meditations. -
Stage of Generation, Shamatha, Vipashyana and Mahamudra
B. Alan Wallace 30 Jul 2015 – 24 Sep 2015 Araluen Retreat Center, Queensland, Australia This eight-week retreat will focus on stage of generation, shamatha, vipashyana and mahamudra. -
Fall 2014 Shamatha, Vipashyana, Dream Yoga, and the Experience of Pristine Awareness in the Great Perfection Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism B. Alan Wallace 21 Aug 2014 – 16 Oct 2014 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand This eight-week retreat will focus on three of the six transitional processes, namely: the Transitional Process of Living, with teachings on śamatha and vipaśyanā, the Transitional Process of Dreaming, with teachings on dream yoga, and the Transitional Process of Meditation with teachings on Dzogchen meditation. All these teachings will be based on the text The Profound Dharma of The Natural Emergence of the Peaceful and Wrathful from Enlightened Awareness Stage of Completion Instructions on the Six Transitional Processes, an “earth terma” of teachings by Padmasambhava, revealed by Karma Lingpa in the fourteen century. The English translation of this text has been published under the title Natural Liberation: Padmasambhava’s Teachings on the Six Bardos, with commentary by Gyatrul Rinpoche and translated by B. Alan Wallace. -
Fall 2013 8-week retreat with Lama Alan 03 Sep 2013 – 25 Oct 2013 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Lama Alan Wallace Fall 2013 8-Week retreat on Shamatha and the Seven-Point Mind-Training. This retreat was held at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, from September 2nd- October 28th, 2013 -
B. Alan Wallace 25 Aug 2012 – 17 Oct 2012 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Teachings from the eight-week retreat at Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand -
B. Alan Wallace 08 Apr 2012 – 30 May 2012 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Spring 2012 shamatha retreat audio teachings with Alan Wallace. Live from the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand. -
B. Alan Wallace 10 Apr 2011 – 04 Jun 2011 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Dharma talks and guided meditations given six days per week during the Spring, 2011 eight-week Shamatha retreat at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, with B. Alan Wallace. Podcasts will be posted daily during the retreat. -
B. Alan Wallace 02 Sep 2011 – 21 Oct 2011 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Dharma talks and guided meditations given six days per week during the Fall, 2011 eight-week Shamatha retreat at the Thanyapura Mind Centre in Phuket, Thailand, with B. Alan Wallace. Podcasts will be posted daily during the retreat. -
B. Alan Wallace 15 Nov 2010 – 30 Dec 2010 Thanyapura Mind Centre, Phuket, Thailand Welcome! On this site you’ll find downloadable podcasts from the Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat led by B. Alan Wallace in Phuket, Thailand. Follow along with the retreat as Wallace gives daily meditation instructions to help one cultivate attention and awareness as well as the qualities of love, compassion, joy and equanimity. We hope you will enjoy and benefit from these beautiful teachings! We are offering this item free.
