Free Your Mind: Reactivity to creativity

One of the Buddha’s key insights is that our state of mind conditions our thoughts, which in turn condition our actions, and thereby our world. This means we experience our world depending on our states of mind.

This course explores how the mind operates in two very different modes, and that the spiritual life is a conscious movement from one to the other. We have the choice of either reacting in established habitual patterns, or responding in innovative and creative ways. And we have this choice not just once, but in every moment. 

The Tibetan Wheel of Life is a wonderfully rich symbol which we'll use to investigate just what this means in our own lives, looking at ways in which we can become less reactive and more creative, with a combination of teaching, discussion, meditation and practical exercises.

The Buddha describes the journey to enlightenment as a sequence of increasingly creative states of mind, and in this course we have a chance to not only understand that process, but to live it out for ourselves.

Participants will receive the book Mind – Reactive and Creative by Sangharakshita as part of the course. 

Six Wednesday evenings starting Wednesday 27 May 

• Led by Shraddhamalini and Dharmasvara 
• 7.15-9.30pm
• At 21 Effra SW2 1PX (venue has step-free access throughout)
• By donation, booking essential

Donations

We don’t charge a fee to book our courses, but all donations are gratefully received. We are completely reliant on your gifts to run these events, and to keep them accessible for those without the means to give financially. We'd suggest a donation of £140/£100 for the whole 6-week course, depending on your income.

FAQ

• Can I come if I'm new or if I'm not a Buddhist? 

Yes! All of our courses are open to all, and newcomers are very welcome. There will be people with a range of experience on this course, including people who have been practicing Buddhism or meditation for many years, as well as many people who are completely new. We find that having a wide range of experiences gives the best opportunity for exploring the themes of the course.

• I can't make all the dates, can I still do the course? 

If you can’t attend the whole course, then it is ok to miss a week or two of the series. However, it is good to make as many as you can. The material in the courses develops over the weeks, and you may find it difficult to follow if you miss too many. We do ask that everyone is at least able to make the first week of the course, so that we can all start the course together.

• What if I can't afford to pay for the course?

This courses is course is by donation. We have recommended levels of donation, though you are fee to give what you feel you can. We do this so that anyone experiencing serious financial difficulties can book on without giving any donation at all if they cannot afford to do so.

Obviously our courses do require money to run, so we rely on the generous donations from those that can afford to pay the full cost in order to subsidise those who cannot afford to do so. This is in accordance with the Buddhist principle of open-handed generosity. We are pleased to say that in the many years we have offered courses in this way. Most people decide to give, and those that are unable to do so at the present time are very appreciative of still having the opportunity to attend.

• Can you claim Gift Aid on my donation?

Yes, we are able to claim Gift Aid on your course donation if you have made any Gift Aid eligible donations through our website in the past four years. This is a huge help to us, and is at no additional cost to you.

If you have not registered for Gift Aid with us before and would like to do so, you can do this by making a donation of any amount through our website and ticking the Gift Aid donation box. https://brixtonbuddhistmeditation.org/donate