Workshop led by Tejal Shah
All phenomena arise by depending on other phenomena, they exist interdependently i.e. they lack independent existence – if you agree with this statement then it follows that upon closer examination the duality of subject and object is rendered baseless, since such discreet, dual entities are not found ultimately. If the reality is non-dual and our usual, habitual perception of it is dual, there is clearly a schism between what is and what we think or experience it as. This dissonance is at the root of our (existential) sense of dissatisfactoriness.
For the scholar-practitioners who embody the wisdom tradition of (Nalanda) Buddhist philosophy and practice, non-duality is not something to be merely consented to and discussed intellectually but it is a subtle reality, which can be experienced directly by anyone. There are clear pathways to arrive at the ‘union of appearance and emptiness’, which create a profound shift in our cognition, affect and ethics. This supermundane paradigm is unconventional, radical, revolutionary, nonconformist and needless to say, very queer.
Given the present state of the world, it’s endless wars, ecological destruction, inequalities and greed – it is easy to feel hopeless and helpless. This precious wisdom-knowledge equips us with fearless courage, expansive love and a steadfast hope which is sure in knowing that we can both help ourselves and also help innumerable other beings out of the mess we have co-created and rather contribute to nurturing life.
This workshop will give an intense theoretical introduction to the two main strands of this system – wisdom and method (compassion). We will practically go through some key mind training techniques which one can easily take forward into one’s daily life. Throughout my presentation, I will use the support of photos, videos, poetry, textual quotes and somatic exercises to go deeper into the topics of discussion. We will also touch upon the particular ways in which this wisdom-knowledge overlaps with and contributes to the work of art/ists and activists and those interested in the fields of queerecologies, affect, consciousness and interspecies.
Part of Tejal Shah's residency at Mimosa House with Anne Nora Fischer, Jaya Ramchandani and Mo Maja Moesgaard.
Please click here to RSVP.
Icon image: Painting of Tibetan Buddhist protector deities, Citapati, provenance unknown