Essential Buddhist Teachings on Awakening: The Path of Buddhist Tantra and Mahamudra

Transform anger, depression and lack of motivation, grasping, greed and pride, anxiety, and jealousy into love, clarity, understanding, contentment, and courage.

In Tibetan Buddhism, emotions are engaged with in order to experience and realize their true nature — primordial purity and wisdom, part of the five female Buddhas. Rather than ignoring, suppressing, or pushing our emotions to the side, we can turn them to the path of liberation, love, and awakening.

We will use the meditations of Buddhist Tantra and Mahamudra to meet our emotions with kindness and allow them to transform and liberate into their corresponding wisdoms. Special guest Rolf Gates will offer yoga movement as an experiential learning process to practice the principles of yoga and experience how mindful movement can help support awakening.

This workshop is part of Esalen’s property-wide Essential Buddhist Teachings on Awakening silent retreat. On Saturday evening, the group will come together with the other Buddhist workshops in order to discuss and explore the differing and complementary perspectives of Buddhist teachings from different traditions.

Note: Outside of class sessions, the community will remain in social silence in order to allow a deepening relationship to self, to one another, and to nature.