The Buddhist Background to Mindfulness-Based Courses

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Buddhist Background to Mindfulness

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This training is primarily for teachers of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) who would like to know more about the Buddhist teaching that underlies these courses. It would also be appropriate for anyone who is interested in finding out more about the Buddhist teaching that underlies the use of mindfulness in clinical practice. Although MBCT and MBSR are specifically secular trainings in mindfulness meditation, knowledge of the early Buddhist teachings and their relationship to the courses can lead to a more profound understanding of the full power and depth of this work for ourselves and our clients. It can help us gain more insight into the processes of mindfulness, and of our own minds. The teaching will focus on fundamental early Buddhist teachings such as the ‘Four Noble Truths’, and the ‘Foundations of Mindfulness’, and others from the Pali canon in translation.

‘Buddhist background’ is taught at Master’s level, but is now also open to those who are interested in this learning as a Continuing Professional Development module (in which case there is no requirement for assignments, and an attendance certificate is gained, instead of a postgraduate qualification). Students are required to have participated in an MBCT or MBSR 8-week mindfulness course as an entry requirement, and will be accepted onto the module after a telephone interview with Michael Chaskalson. Previous knowledge of Buddhist teaching is not required.

The teaching will be part experiential, part didactic, with opportunities for discussions and work within a small group (maximum 16 participants) with two teachers. Michael Chaskalson is a mindfulness instructor and Buddhist author, under the name Kulananda.

For practical information and an application form, please contact Sue Griffiths on 01248 382510. If you want to discuss the teaching and learning on the module, please contact Michael Chaskalson, on 01223 365057.