Nagarjuna despre schimbare

Dacă ceva are o esență -
cum s-ar putea schimba vreodată
în altceva?

Un lucru nu se schimbă în altceva -
tineri nu îmbătrânesc,
vârsta nu  îmbătrânește.

Dacă ceva s-a schimbat în altceva -
lapte ar fi unt,
sau untul nu ar fi lapte.

Acolo unde ar fi o urmă de ceva,
ar fi şi o urmă de vid.
Acolo unde nu este nici o urmă de nimic,
nu va exista nici urma vidului.

Buddha spune [că] vidul
este renunțarea la opinii.
Cei care cred în vid
sunt incurabili. 

Nagajuna.

Matthieu Ricard despre fericire

Cum dobândim fericirea şi cum o păstrăm? Din ce se constituie ea? Aceste întrebări, fundamentale umanităţii, sunt începutul, rădăcina filozofiei, religiei şi psihologiei buddhiste. Matthieu Ricard este unul dintre cei mai competenţi în a traduce această gândire orientală pe înţelesul şi simţirea occidentalilor, fiindcă a trăit din plin în ambele lumi. Fiu al unui filozof proamerican şi al unei artiste plastice avangardiste, Matthieu Ricard ar fi putut deveni un reputat om de ştiinţă în domeniul biologiei. La 26 de ani, era deţinătorul unei diplome de doctor în genetică moleculară, îndrumat fiind de François Jacob, laureat al Premiului Nobel în medicină. Totuşi, la această vârstă, se retrage într-o mănăstire buddhistă din Nepal, dedicându-şi viaţa meditaţiei. Nici viaţa sa de călugăr nu a fost una mediocră, devenind discipolul apropiat al lui Dilgo Khyentse, ce avea să devină conducătorul şcolii Nyigma, o importantă sectă a buddhismului tibetan. În 2003 a scris cartea Plaidoyer pour le bonheur, tradusă şi în limba română cu titlul Fericirea. Un drept cu care ne naştem, o cale de a-l valorifica. Prelegerea de faţa, ţinuta cu un an mai târziu la conferinţele TED, prezintă liniile de forţă ale cărţii dar şi a psihologiei buddhiste.

Mind and Life XXVI, January 2013 - Conference topics

(Depending on your browser some links will not return bookmarks inside the film)

Day 1 - January 17 - Introduction

Morning: Exploring the Nature of Reality: Buddhist and Scientific Perspectives

(0) Mantra.

(00:04:51) Word of Khen Rinpoche Jangchup Choeden, Gaden Shartse Monastery abbot.

(00:09:57) Opening word of Arthur Zajonc, Arthur Zajonc, President Mind & Life Institute.

(00:21:63) Word of Richard Davidson, Founder and Chair Centre for Investigating Healthy Minds University of Wisconsin-Madison. He emphasis the contribution and the results of 25 years of the Mind & Life Institute in increasing interest in meditation techniques in the West.

(00:30:08) Word of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama.

(01:20:21) Diana Chapman Walsh about the week schedule.

(01:33:88) Arthur Zajonc.

(01:50:22) Richard Davidson: Why Neuron science?

(02:04:99) Intentional blink test. Results on vipassana practicants. (02:07:59) Change blindness influenced by meditation. (02:09:95) Subliminal image of the face. (02:11:86) The brain is a source of both disillusion an insight. (02:34:81) Dalai Lama' intervention: Difference between conceptual and nonconceptual conscience. Realm of thoughts. (02:38:20) State of sleep (discussion).

Afternoon: Session: The Sweep of Science: Knowledge and the Nature of Reality

(0) Introduction by Diana Chapman.

(00:02:68) Thupten Jinpa: Classical Buddhist Thought and Modern Science: Methods of Enquiry and Philosophical Outlook.

(00:02:68) Teaching science to Buddhists. (00:13:31) Difference Between Science an Philosophy. (00:17:43) Important features of the scientific method. (00:21:03) Four Principle of Reality. (00:25:22) Types of relations between two things. (00:27:50) Forms of inferences relevant in science. (00:28:33) Means of knowing contingent about the type of facts. (00:31:92) Science and truth.

(00:40:08) Discussions.

(00:57:25) Arthur Zajonc About Quantic Physics.

(00:59:44) Galileo's experiment. (01:05:17) Galileo's experiment on the Moon. Discussion about the air on the Moon. Differences between Buddhist and western thinking on movement. (01:17:43) Results of Galileo's experiment. Einstein thinking. (01:19:77) Elements an structure of the Reality. The Greek four elements in the Table of the Elements. (01:32:21) Universe.

(01:35:48) John Durant for Anne Harington: History of Neuroscience.

(01:40:45) Human body as an object. William Harvey's experiment. (01:42:79) Extention. Understanding through extension of the observation apparatus. (01:47:55) Brain investigation in the evolution of science. Dualism. (01:54:87) The mechanic model. Pineal gland, the place of immaterial spirit. (01:57:26) 1600-1800: Two centuries of science that is not including mind. What is achieved and what is lost? (01:59:76) Forms of dualism: Introspection (Wundt). (02:02:30) Forms of dualism: Tests and tasks. (02:03:20) Forms of dualism: Brain mapping.

(02:08:92) Wendy Hasenkamp: Contemporary Neuroscience.

(02:14:41) Neuroplastics. Shifting functions form degraded to healthy cerebral regions.

(00:00:3) John Durant, moderator: Announcements.

Day 2 - January 18 - Physics

Morning: Quantum Physics, Relativity, and Cosmology

(00:04:92) Arthur Zajonc: The Implications of Quantum Mechanic for Our View on Reality.

(00:08:80) Why is the candle light yellow? (00:09:43) Why light can pass even is no air? (00:13:00) A Brief Introduction to Principles of Quantum Mechanics. (00:13:00) Identity Principle. (00:22:74) Indistiguishability. (00:27:69) Superposition. (00:30:05) Quantum Holism. Indras's Net. (00:42:56) Ambiguity. (00:54:46) Interaction and ambiguity have major consequences.

(01:07:49) Michel Bitbol: Differences between Classic and Quantum Physics.

(01:07:49) Changing the idea of understanding the world worth the idea of understanding our relation with the world. (01:24:98) Example 1: Schrodinger's cat. (01:34:47) Intersubjective truth. Intersubiective knowledge. (01:37:57) Example2: Wave-Corpuscle duality without ontology. (01:51:83) The Guided Wave Theory. (01:57:36) Clarification 4: Particles with no intrinsic existence. Comparation with a rainbow (LeBlanc, Espagna). (02:01:66) Rindler box experiment. Discussion about the absolute cool. Quantum vacuum. (02:14:43) Clarification 5: Indeterminism. Disturbance in observation is uncontrollable. Causality is not applicable to quantum mechanics (Heisenberg). Indivisibility of quantum phenomena (Bohr). (02:20:43) Conclusions: Similitudes to Buddhist philosophy. Danger of physics to absolutise materialism. Buddhist perspective on truth in relation to science.

Afternoon: The Nature of Reality

(00:00:2) John Durant, moderator:

(00:00:44) Arhur Zajonc about the Relativithy Theory.

(00:01:82) Context or relationship in the Thory of Relativity. (00:03:03) Watch as archetype of classic phisycs. (00:05:25) Einstein's realism. (00:06:66) Initrinsic Propreties. (00:07:57) Galileo on primary and secondary qualities. (00:11:61) Tibetan epystemology view on proprieties. (00:18:81) World as Intrinsically Intersubjective: experience is subjective. (00:19:97) Relativity: Lenght contraction and relativity of simultaneity. Pole in barn experiment. (00:27:35) Every primary proprety is affected by the relativity.(00:30:34) Crucial significance of the viewpoint. (00:32:25) Events and processes instead of objects.(00:35:39) Implications. (00:41:64) Circling reality.

(00:43:07) Michel Bitbol: Quantum mechanics: A Theory With no View of the World?

(00:46:62) What is science [in ralation with nature]? (00:49:71) What is a sciencific theory? (00:55:12) What is a interpretation of a physical theory? (01:01:63) What is quantum theory? (01:05:28) Some interpratations of the QT. (01:13:28) QT, aproblem with the Western culture.

(01:19:96) Dalai Lama about existence from the Buddhist perspective.

(01:30:21) John Durant: Science is open fo everyone.

(01:32:44) Thupten Jinpa:

(01:35:51) Early Budhist theory of atom: Early Abhidharma, (01:39:73) Sautrantika revision, (01:42:71) Critique of indivisible particles. (01:46:98) Madhiamaka critique of essentialism. (01:53:27) Theory of the Two Truths.

(02:06:84) Questions to Dalai Lama.

(02:06:84) Brain body related to mind in Buddhist Thought. (02:14:94) Subtile and coarse energy. The Subtile Mind does not depend on brain. (02:18:92) The ultimate purpose of Buddhism is transformation of one self. (02:21:16) Can we develop so Quantum and Madhiamaka theories to be coomon understand?(02:26:00) Respect between religions. (02:28:88) God in Buddhis theory. (02:29:74) There is a way in wich science can be a foundation to secular ethic?

Day 3 - January 19 - Neuroscience

Morning: Changing the Brain

(00:00:2) Arthur Zajonc, moderator.

(00:04:47) Richard Davidson: Impact of Contemplative Training on Emotion and Attention.

(00:08:30) William James and the importance of muscular reaction in emotions. (00:18:17) James Papez model of emotions. (00:21:03) Discussion: Is capacity to regulate emotions possible only to humans? Patience test to children. Development of child brain. (00:37:73) Neuroplastics. (00:45:41) Networks in the brain that are important to attention. Types of attention. (00:51:80) Thungten Jimpa about attention in Abidharma. (00:52:47) Connection between attention and emotion. (00:53:39) Example of how we can study the impact of meditation on emotion and attentions.

(01:03:93) Tania Singer: Training Compassion and Empathy

(01:05:56) Training compassion. (01:08:11) Metacognition. (01:09:71) Basic model of training. (01:11:61) Different Routes in Understanding Others. (01:17:46) The Neuroscience of Empathy and Compassion. (01:22:38) Empathy, Compassion, Emphatic Distress. (01:24:73) One Week Training. (01:26:07) Discussion: How positive and negative emotions are defined in Western and Buddhist view? (01:43:05) Dalai Lama' intervention: Empathy can not extend to your enemy but compassion can go. Empathy is related to the subject attitude, compassion no. (01:53:20) Discussion about physicians getting no training in dealing emphatic distress. (01:56:71) Does Buddhism know a Middle Way between empathic and distress? (02:00:19) Compassion qualities are lost through living and have to be discovered through meditation.

Afternoon: Exploring Neuroplasticity

(00:00:0) Arthur Zajonc, moderator.

(00:01:73) Richard Davidson about intelligence.

(00:01:88) Intelligence is measured by the IQ test. (00:07:60) Influence of trained intelligence. Working memory. (00:13:34) Crystallised and fluid intelligence. Clear intelligence and Penetrating intelligence (Buddhism). (00:17:32) Persistence of negative emotions and recovery through meditation. (00:31:98) Relation between Amygdala and some Buddhist mental states. (00:34:40) The heart of compassion. (00:43:25) New methods, new questions.

(00:51:06) Tania Singer: Social Neuroscience: Understanding Human Social Behaviour

(00:51:06) Levels of understanding on cognition. (00:57:39) Motivational Systems: Seeking system, Threat System, Caring System. (01:07:76) Amygdala, Oxytocin, Trust. (01:18:87) Mental Training and Compassion.

(01:23:26) Geshe Dadul Namgyal: Neuroscience and Neuroplasticity.

(01:24:87) Nature and Nurture. (01:33:80) Neuroplasticity: its discovery and possibility. (01:41:65) Happyness is a skill. (01:54:59) Neuroplasticity: a Buddhist's take. (02:04:89) Conscieusness vs 'mind and metal factors' in Buddism. (02:10:53) Consciencious', 'mind' and 'mental factors' attributed to Buddhism: points of comparison and clarification. (02:16:06) Composition of Sleep as a variable mental event.

Day 4 - January 20 - Consciousness

Morning: Consciousness in Western Science and Philosophy

(00:00:5) Arthur Zajonc's introduction.

(00:03:02) Christof Koch: Consciousness and the Brain.

(00:03:02) Qualia of red. First Peson Account vs Thirrth Person Account. (00:12:68) Forms of conscousness. (00:16:12) What do we know about counsousness? (00:18:04) Dalai Lama: At what level apears couscousness? (00:21:80) What do we know about counsousness? (00:24:66) Dabate: Can be consciusness without self-consceusness? (00:40:59) Counsciousness in bees. Panpsychism. (00:44:87) Counsciousness in mamals. (00:47:57) Looking for the footprins of consciousness in the brain. (00:50:49) A theory of Counsciousness. (00:53:33) The Integrated Information Theory of Giulio Tononi. (00:54:99) Mesure consciusness.

(00:56:06) Arthur Zajonc's conclusions.

(00:57:57) Matthieu Ricard.

(00:57:57) The context of Buddist condition. (01:01:66) Method of speech. (01:02:66) Cause and beginning. (01:15:00) Exploring consciounsnees from the perspective of consciouns. The pure experience. Chunyi (is there, primary phenomena). (01:15:00) Mesureable phenomena. Mesuring pure conscience. (01:22:53) Inexplicable facts about counscience: Memories from previos lifes, (01:26:96) clinical death experience, (01:28:05) knowing ohters thoughts (moshe).

(01:36:12) Dalai Lama's Coments. Using meditation to recolect memories from the previous lives.

(01:44:89) Discussions With Dalai Lama.

(01:48:27) Dalai Lama about the Subtile Mind and Subtile Matter. (01:55:37) Michael Davidson: Subtile mind is magic from the point of view of Western Science. (01:56:92) Mahtieu Ricard explains karma. (01:57:55) Dalai Lama : We must respect others schoolar or religions thought. (02:00:00) Tania Singer: Is pure mind related to energy? Rlung. (02:03:91) How memory information can be carried from a life to an other? (02:07:28) Phisical and neurogical sciences operates presoposing a material substrate for everything, while buddhist thinking cosider imaterial phenomena too. (02:09:76) Thupten Jinpa: What is the difference between counscesness and awareness? (02:14:53) Michael Davidson to Dalai Lama: Why science can not investigate subtile body? (02:18:93) The role of meditation and yogic exercise in developing the subtile mind.

Afternoon: Approaches to Consciousness

(00:00:1) Arthur Zajonc's introduction.

(00:00:37) Richard Davidson.

(00:01:71) Visual test: Masking. Footprins of te conscience in the brain. (00:05:26) Probing the unconscious. (00:14:69) Many brains inside your head. (00:22:59) Neuron response. (00:27:25) Dalai Lama: Which come first? Neuron activity or conscious thought?

(00:30:51) Rajesh Kasturirangan: Mathematical Approches to the Mind

(00:30:51) Introduction. (00:33:20) Pramana thories on mind. (00:34:96) "I can doubth everything but not the experience itself." (Descartes) (00:36:61) Thesis statement. (00:40:31) We are born with grammar capcities. (00:41:87) How our visual system is capable to recognise an infinite number of entities? (00:42:65) Computational model of brain principle. (00:43:38) If you can give an informational caracterisation than anything that has that caracterisation potentially had conscousness. (00:45:38) Reasons why we don't belive in computational model. (00:45:38) Concepts are not formal or mathematical, but they are grounded in perceptual and other bodyly capacitieas that are preconceptual. Bodily basis of conceptualisation. (00:50:34) The Gods and the moths view of the world. (00:53:84) Can we give a mathematical model of the Pramana theories? (00:54:72) Conclusions and comments.

(00:58:15) Michel Bitbol: Does Consciusnes Have a Material Basis?

(01:01:72) Is the view that coscious experience arises from a material basis imposed by the science? (01:07:28) Corelation is not causation. (01:14:40) Consciousness is the starting point of an inquiry. Experience. (01:18:10) The blindspot of the science. (01:20:55) The strange loop between the brain and consciousness. (01:24:79) Discussions. Validating meditative experience. Dilusion. The Zombie issue. (02:02:75) The regulating (of emotions) function of counsciousness. The ethic issue.

Day 5 - January 21 - Applications of Contemplative Practice

Morning: Clinical and Educational Applications of Contemplative Practice

(00:00:0) Introduction by Diana Chapman.

(00:10:12) Sona Dimidjian: The Science of Clinical Aplications of Contemplative Techniques.

(00:14:68) The Boulder Model. (00:15:09) Clinical approaches to psichic sufferings. (00:15:37) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. (00:18:31) Mindfullness vs. Cognitive Therapy. (00:20:59) Depression. (00:27:76) Mindfull Cognitive Therapy toolbox. (00:30:24) Levels of minfullness. Mind being hijacked by thee streem of automatic thoughts. (00:46:01) Efect of the course on pregnant women. (00:47:40) Clinical Reasearch Methods.

(00:55:33) Arthur Zajonc: Contemplative Pedagogy: The Heart of Education.

(00:58:90) Introduction. Historical background. (01:04:54) Purpuse of education. (01:09:66) Sustained attention. (01:10:29) Contemplative pedagogy today. Beholding. (01:13:27) Design Principles of Contemplative Pedagogy. (01:16:67) The Rationale for a Contemplative Pedagogy. (01:20:26) Minfullnes in the K-12 Education.

(01:30:38) Geshe Ngawang Samten: Secular Ethics and Understanding of Reality.

(01:45:21) Buddhist Approach to Ethics. (01:47:65) Buddhist Approach to the modes of encountering afflictive emotions. (01:57:77) Importantce of teaching on impermanence as reality.

(02:03:31) Dalai Lama's comment.

(02:03:31) There is a lot of suffering due to human behaviour. (02:08:97) Religions, not taken sicere, caused a lot of suffering. (02:10:12) Missunderstood education and missused sciance also caused suffering. (02:12:40) Only hope is proper education, not metter what religion. (02:14:85) There is not other choice but secular ethics. (02:15:59) We have to think at comming generations. (02:17:47) Ultimately, problems start from the heart.

Afternoon: Promoting Human Development

(00:00:1) Introduction by Diana Chapman.

(00:01:14) James R. Doty.

(00:01:14) Presentation by Diana Chapman. (00:03:33) Introduction. (00:06:04) Changing the brain with contemplative practices. (00:19:44) We have evolved to care… (00:25:44) Commpasionate behaviours activate de reward centres of the brain. (00:26:70) Standford Compation Cultivation Training Course (00:32:40) Opportunities of minfullness: in schools, (00:33:21) busyness, (00:35:46) in prison systems. (00:40:14) Post traumatic disorders in veterans. (00:42:29) En Group is limited. Can we enlarge it?

(00:45:43) Lobsang Tenzin Negi: Cognitive Based Compassion Training: An Emory Initiative for Education and Human Development.

(01:29:69) Aaron Stern

(01:29:69) Presentation by Diana Chapman. (01:31:91) Importance of context. Cultural ripple of the atomic bomb explosion. (01:38:19) Importance of unexpected creativity. (01:41:16) Teaching witout loosing originality. Leonard Bernstein. (01:47:26) Can human beings really be transformed? (01:50:43) Academy for The Love of Learning. Transformative learning. (01:53:11) The Learning Filed enquiry. (01:54:90) Somatic learning. (01:56:78) Basic Leaning Practice. Informing experience rather then writing prescriptions.

(01:58:84) Questions and comments

(01:58:84) James R. Doty: Inhibition by fear. (02:07:37) Aaron Stern: Problems in the public education. (02:09:73) Geshe Ngawang Samten: Benefits of Minfulness Training. (02:13:27) Rajesh Kasturirangan. (02:14:97) Tania Singer: What makes compassion 'softer' then intelect? (02:16:93) Matieu Ricard: Difference between compassion and empathy. (02:19:99) Aaron Stern: It taks great courage to give new ideas to the world.

Day 6 - January 22 - Future Directions

Morning: The Future of Monastic Science Education & Buddhism, Science and Modernity

(00:00:6) Introduction by Diana Chapman.

(00:01:15) Geshe Lhakdor: Teaching Science to Monastic Students.

(00:24:93) Lobsang Tenzin Negi: Implementation of the Emory - Tibet Science Innitiative.

(00:44:87) Dalai Lama's Word.

(01:19:50) Dalai Lama's Closing Word.

(01:20:49) Arhur Zajonc's Closing Word.

(01:38:11) Geshe Lhakdor Closing Word..

(01:43:26) Dalai Lama Prayer.

Baba Rampuri depre limitele noastre în a înţelege India

Am avut ocazia să văd zeci de feţe ale turiştilor occidentali după prima lor baie în "realităţile" Indiei - de regulă o plimbare pe străzile oraşului unde aterizau - New Delhi sau Calcutta. Deveneau brusc taciturni şi preocupaţi. Chiar dacă vizitaseră obiective turistice fermecătoare şi exotice, încântarea lor era umbrită. Entuziasmului de la urcarea în avion, îi lua locul stupoarea, indignarea, atât cât mai aveau energie, şi, nemărturisită, teama. Teama că şi lor li s-ar putea întâmpla să ajungă să trăiască aşa. "Când m-am culcat aseară, mi-a fost teamă să nu mă trezesc dimineaţă, în stradă, un ricşar care s-a visat profesor" mărturisea un important om de cultură român.

Opt strofe pentru transformarea gândului [cu explicaţiile] Sfinţiei Sale Dalai Lama (VIII)

Astfel, nepângărit de superstiţiile

Celor opt griji lumeşti [1],

Recunoscând toate fenomenele ca fiind iluzorii,

Fie ca să fiu eliberat de robia ataşamentelor.

Această strofă se referă la înţelepciune. Toate practicile descrise până aici trebuie ferite ca să nu fie pătate de superstiţiile celor opt dharme lumeşti. Aceste opt [dharme] pot fi descrise ca albe, negre sau gri.[2] Cred că e suficient să explic această strofă din punctul de vedere al practicilor efectuate, fără lăsa să fie pătate de concepţii greşite ale unui ataşament faţă de existenţa reală – superstiţiile celor opt dharme.[3]

Cum evităm să pătăm practica?

Mintea şi viaţa, ediţia XXVI: Minte, creier şi materie - o conversaţie critică între gândirea budhistă şi ştiinţă

De mai bine de un sfert de veac, Dalai Lama găzduieşte un ciclu de conferinţe având ca temă filozofia ştiinţelor şi a mentalului. Ediţia de anul acesta, a două zeci şi şase-a, s-a desfăşurat între 17 şi 22  ianuarie la mănăstirea Drepung din Karnataka, India, şi a avut titlul Minte, creier şi materie - o conversaţie critică între gândirea budhistă şi  ştiinţă. Douăzeci de oameni de ştinţă cu renume mondial  cărora li s-au alăturat erudiţi tibetani de anvergură au dezbătut despre schimbările în înţelegerea noastră asupra universului fizic şi despre natura minţii. S-au utilizat metode aparţinând filosofiei budhiste clasice dar şi cele ale ştiinţei occidentale moderne într-un dialog între viziunea budhistă şi cea occidentală asupra unor teme ca fizica cuantică şi neuroştiinţă.