The Australian Association of Buddhist studies will hold its next event on Thursday 2 May, 2024. The topic will address Reimagining Meditation through Indo-Tibetan Tantric Practices. This will be a hybrid session.
Beyond Calm: Reimagining Meditation through Indo-Tibetan Tantric Practices
Meditation, as commonly perceived, often involves serene contemplation in quiet, controlled environments. However, my research into Indo-Tibetan tantric practices reveals a vastly different dimension of meditation that includes intense, often extreme, techniques. These practices range from the engagement in ritualistic violence and sexuality to enduring long periods of sensory deprivation in utter darkness, as well as more serene activities such as mindful walking in nature, attuned to the subtle sounds of the forest.
In this talk, I propose a new paradigm of meditation that integrates these diverse practices into a cohesive framework, redefining meditation as a dynamic technology of the self. This paradigm offers three crucial benefits:
1) It elucidates the complexity of these ancient techniques, honouring their true function as transformative tools for self-transformation;
2) It grounds the practices within a scientific framework drawn from cognitive sciences, particularly through theories like 4E cognition and predictive coding, which explore the dynamic relationship between the self and its environment; and
3) This new framework promises to make meditation techniques highly relevant to our contemporary world, especially valuable in managing transitions and crises.
Flavio A. Geisshuesler is the Khyentse Foundation Lynne Macready Senior Lecturer in Tibetan Buddhism within the Discipline of Asian Studies at the University of Sydney, where he specializes in Buddhist meditation. Originally trained in Western intellectual history and the philosophy of religion across the 19th and 20th centuries (The Life and Work of Ernesto de Martino, Brill, 2021), his research later pivoted to Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, with a particular focus on the contemplative systems of tantric traditions (The Tibetan Sky-Gazing Meditation and the Pre-History of Great Perfection Buddhism, Bloomsbury, 2024). His current work aims to establish a new paradigm for meditation research by exploring a broad range of tantric meditation techniques. This work is profoundly interdisciplinary, integrating cutting-edge insights from cognitive sciences with practical applications in soft-skills training, leadership development, and change management. Through his research, Flavio seeks to bridge ancient wisdom and modern science to address contemporary challenges.
Gold leaf covered schist reliquary in the form of a stupa. Kusana period, North Western India. National Museum, Karachi, Pakistan. Copyright: Huntington, John C. and Susan L.Huntington Archive
