(As part of an occasional “Faiths of Wallingford” series, this week we’re hearing a bit about the Nalanda West at 3902 Woodland Park Ave N, written by Ceci Miller)
New Perspectives on Living a Meaningful Life
A Warm Oasis of Contemplation at NalandaWest
In our modern world where speed-of-light technology brings both the beauty and the pain of the world literally into the palm of our hand, more and more of us recognize an equal increase in the demands on our ability to cope with the amount of information we’re exposed to and the rapid changes around us. Whether what we’re focused on is more world-wide; global warming, changing markets, and the war on terror, or more specific to our community and family; aging parents, growing kids, and sustainable lifestyles, many of us feel challenged to find time to integrate it all into a coherent, meaningful narrative that makes sense in the larger picture of our lives and cultivates our ability to be present with what is.
Luckily, in the heart of Seattle, we have a warm oasis of contemplative programming and classes for those wanting to explore deeper and more thoughtful ways of being in the world that go beyond the often handy, but surface, answers provided by Google search. For more than 10 years, NalandaWest, an event center run by the Nalandabodhi community of Buddhist practitioners in Seattle, has been hosting esteemed lamas and teachers from a variety of Buddhist lineages, from Tibetan, to Theravaden to Zen. But most recently, NalandaWest has begun new, expanded programming that brings teachers from a variety of wisdom traditions from both the East and West, creating the opportunity to delve deeply into the inquiry about what it means to live a meaningful life in an age of smartphones and instant access.
“We have so much information available to us, but how do we decide what’s truly important? How do we stay in touch with what is wise and enduring, and when do we take a break?” asks the center’s new event director, Elle McSharry. “No matter what religious tradition appeals to you, or whether your personal inquiry into what it means to live a meaningful life is based in social activism, science, or the arts, family or community life, NalandaWest has something to offer you. We recognize that people are hungry for experiences that help them take the time to feel more connected to themselves and the people around them. We want to create an environment where these types of experiences just naturally unfold.”
For their first program of 2013, NalandaWest hosted cancer survivor and eminent poet Mark Nepo. The program began with a Friday night poetry reading featuring local poets Elizabeth Austen, Jourdan Imani Keith, Peter Pereira, and Mr. Nepo reading to a full house. As the weekend progressed comments from participants came flooding in: “A heart opening experience….” ; “I now have tools to help me move forward…I take away new wonder and joy at being human….”
“Those responses reflect exactly the type of experience we’re hoping to facilitate for our community” says McSharry. “And that community is growing well beyond Seattle, as we’re webcasting all of our 2013 programming so that we can really live our commitment to bring great contemplative programming to anyone seeking a generative resource of warmth and wisdom.”
Drawing from the tradition of scholarship at the ancient Nalanda University (5th century – 1197 AD) in India, NalandaWest is offering programming inspired by “The Five Fields of Knowledge”: Creativity; Communication; Health & Well-Being; The Mind; and Direct Insight. Designed with the commitment to bring a practical direction to a contemplative life, the intention of each program is to meet participants where they are and give them a piece of heart-felt wisdom to go home with; a new perspective, a new set of tools, the radical “a-ha!” or even the let-go of “ahhhh” that refreshes and renews the spirit—reinvigorating a commitment to peace, social activism, creative or scientific pursuits, or the work of caring for family and community.
“One thing about the Five Fields is that they make you look at every aspect of life in a deeper way, a more thoughtful way. Not in the way you normally think of—it makes you re-think things like a child’s innocent question about what happened to her cat after it died, or how to approach the blank canvas as an artist, what healing is, or the experience of communication and conflict. With new ways to approach these and other important topics you have the chance to meet these moments with fresh eyes. It’s the cultivation of mindfulness as a way of transforming our society. Building a mindful community of people who come from various traditions and support each other on that common ground of inquiry is a powerful action for good in the world and very important right now”, says McSharry.
“We’re committed to expanding the conversation around that, so we all support each other in contemplating together so that we experience maximum benefit from what we’ve learned in the program, and support each other in taking it out into the world. It’s where contemplative life and social activism meet”.
For those out there who have always valued the traditional Buddhist teachers that NalandaWest is already known for don’t worry, you’ll still enjoy these programs. March 15-17th the center will host married lama and author Tsoknyi Rinpoche who will teach a program on compassion with a practical focus on applying Buddhist teachings in a too busy, modern world. The program, titled “Creativity and the Heart of Love”, will also be webcast.
September will feature the wisdom of meditation teacher and Yoga Journal columnist Sally Kempton who will lead a transformative workshop based on her latest book, “Awakening Shakti: A Celebration of the Divine Feminine”. And in October, thought leader Meg Wheatley will lead a weekend retreat that draws upon the archetype of the spiritual warrior. Participants will explore how this archetype can help them engage fearlessly with the problems of our society.
In ancient India, where scholars from many wisdom traditions gathered at Nalanda University to debate, study, and live together, could they have ever imagined that generations later, in a land named after a Native American chief half way across the world, the seed of their contemplation would be re-planted in new soil to bear new fruit?
To read Mark Nepo’s prose piece about the ancient Nalanda University, click here. For more information about NalandaWest and its programming, please visit: www.nalandawest.org.
(Photo credit: Scott Pownall)