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Chuck is currently on one year long
“sealed”
retreat at Gampo
Abbey (since August) at a Buddhist monastery in Cape Breton, Canada. This is part
of a three year program.
The
Birmingham Shambhala Center (BSMC) was founded by Chuck Whetsell, Mary
Whetsell, and Janet Bronstein in 1998. BSMC emphasizes the practice of
meditation based on both the Buddhist and Shambhala teachings, and the
meditation-in-action of Nalanda Arts.
The BSMC follows in
the tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche who was a Tibetan Buddhist
meditation master and author of The Myth of Freedom, Cutting
Through Spiritual Materialism, and Shambhala: The Sacred Path
of the Warrior, among many other books.
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Professional Activities: http://www.psychosynthesis.bigstep.com/
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| This six hour long workshop mixes short didactic
presentations with longer experiential excercises to help illuminate
the nature of personal biases participants have towards others. The
process of prejudicial discrimination is viewed as a protective
mechanism enacted by an ego structure [subpersonalities] that sees
diversity in the world of humans and labels that which is different as
"not- self". Typically, one of the characteristic responses to
"not-self" is fear, based on perceiving the difference as a threat. If
solidified [identified], such an experience of fear creates a barrier
between self and other, which over time is woven into fixed defensive
patterns of prejudicial beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors towards
others. Rather than further solidifying these barriers, which arise as
part of our social conditioning, it is possible to renounce the barrier
of prejudice [disidentify], feel one's vulnerability, and take a fresh
look at the object of prejudice. The view taken in this workshop is
that we all have aspects of our conditioning which rely on stereotypes
regarding others, leading to habitual emotional responses, thoughts,
and actions which result in hiding our heart. We also have the tools to
open this protective cocoon and expose our heart. Towards this end we
know that we can tell the truth with gentleness when we are aligned
with our purpose. We also know that we can engage in the practice of
fearlessness, as when we take a step into the unknown world. |
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