Seminar with various speakers
SAT 27 JUN 2015 | 12:00 — 16:00
Is that what we perceive as real truly the reality ? Or is this only our personnal perception of that reality ? Are our opinions and perceptions of events in our environment reliable ? Or does our consciousness play a game with us ? And if it is truly our own consciousness, can’t we then simply stop these games ?
Phuntsok Chö Ling, Tibetan Buddhist Centre in Rotterdam, organises Saturday 27 June 2015 a special seminar with the theme « consciousness unraveled ». During this event, three different speakers will shed a light on the functioning of our consciousness.
Speakers
- Lama Jigmé Namgyal (Buddhist teacher of Phuntsok Chö Ling)
- Dr. Linda van der Zwaan (Teacher and education coordinator)
- Joop Burgerhout (Psychologist and sociologist of religion)
- Dr. Berthe Jansen (Tibetan-Dutch translator)
Coloured perception
During our whole life we perceive reality by means of our eyes, ears, mouth and touch. These experiences are collected and stored during our life and determine how we look at the world that surrounds us and condition our judgements. Unbiased we are as a child, our perception gets more« coloured » in the course of our life.
Due to our limited consciousness, we create our own version of the reality. This process is selectif : most of the things that we perceive are « thrown away». Only that what matches our self-created version of reality is retained. Hence we react to situations in a way we tought ourselves.
In those moments, our impressions, recollections, feelings, perceptions, reactions and views contract rapidly. Without being aware, we look at what is happening around us with « coloured glasses».
Pure Consciousness
According to buddhism this « coloured consciousness » through its perceptions, experiences and memories is part of a greater consciousness. This universal or ground consciousness is a clear perception of how things really are. This fundamental consciousness can be best compared with a chest of drawers. There are many drawers but because of our perceptions, experiences and memories we always open the same ones. The fundamental consciousness is however much bigger that these same drawers we open each time: it is the consciousness of all living beings. In this fundamental consciousness so-called karmic seeds that can be positive, negative and neutral are stored until their final maturation. All our actions, words and thoughts leave an imprint in this fundamental consciousness.
Take distance
In order to reach pure consciousness, we must free ourselves from all impressions, perceptions and thoughts. Practising meditation is a very effecient way to learn how to take distance and view clearly. If we are only in the present moment, there is no room for « coloured vision », there is only «being».
Practical information
Program
12h00 Theater doors are open
13h00 Start of the seminar
14h30 Intermission
16h00 End of the seminar
Box office
Ticket price €20. Sales through Theater Witte de With. Sales start 6 June.
Venue
Theater Witte de With
William Boothlaan 8 Rotterdam
The Theater Witte de With (previously Ro Theater) is located in the centre of Rotterdam. With the help of map 9292OV of Google Maps you can select your route.
If you park your car in the Witte de Withstraat/William Boothlaan, please be aware that you can only pay with pin or credit card or via mobile phone parking (« 06-parkeren »). There is also a nearby car park on West Blaak (2 minutes on foot).