Brahmavihāras and Emptiness

Building on the practices developed in both Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation program and Mindfulness of Breathing–Brahmavihāras and Emptiness offers eight weeks of focused study and practice guided by the teachings of renowned scholar and monastic, Bhikkhu Anālayo.

Program Dates: April 5 - May 31, 2025
Applications Open: January 13 - February 24, 2025

Program Overview

Program Dates

April 5 - May 31, 2025

Application Deadline

February 24, 2025 (5:00 PM EST)

Duration

8 weeks

Time Commitment

10-12 hours per week

Participation Expectation

Intensive

Prerequisites

1) Having an established mindfulness practice
2) Having either earned a certificate of completion from our Online Immersive Program, Mindfulness of Breathing, with Bhikkhu Anālayo at BCBS or another center.

Self-Paced Components

• Video lectures
• Audio guided meditations
• Reading assignments
• Sutta study
• Discussion forums
• Review questions

Interactive Components

• Weekly 90 minute live small group meetings, including:
• Break-out practice and sutta study discussions
• Moderated weekly written discussion forums

Program
Description

Brahmavihāras and Emptiness is an eight-week, in-depth study of brahmavihāra, or immeasurable, meditation and the gradual entry into emptiness as described in the Shorter Discourse on Emptiness (Cūḷasuññata-sutta, MN 121) and its Chinese parallel, relating both of these modes of practice to progress to awakening.The course thereby builds on the meditative skills developed in the first two courses, Satipaṭṭhāna Meditation and Mindfulness of Breathing.

Each week students will engage with recorded guided meditations and video lectures by Bhikkhu Anālayo, complete reading assignments from Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation, attend the 90-minute weekly group meeting, and contribute to a written online forum.

Timeline:

Applications Open: January 13, 2025

Applications Close: February 24, 2025 (5:00 PM EST)

Initial Acceptance Notification: March 3, 2025

Registration: March 3-21, 2025

Orientation Week: March 31 – April 5, 2025

Program Dates: April 5 – May 31, 2025

What a wonderful, holistic experience it was to take the BCBS program on Ānāpānasati. The program is so well designed, from the seeds of breathing bloom the Awakening Factors. And while I understand this comes from over 2500 years of the Dharma, it is in this program that I found the opportunity for an integrated learning experience where the cognitive and immediate application in embodied practice is followed each week with reflection, investigation, and support from the teachers and sangha. Wow!

The program materials and structured approach to the practice, along with the weekly Zoom meetings and being in virtual sangha with a small group, were very supportive of going deeper with study and practice in a very special sangha environment.

Thank you very much for continuing to make these precious and profound practices available online. Both my partner and I have found them to be life-changing... Our hearts overflow with gratitude to all who make it possible for us to learn from your teachers - especially Bhikkhu Anālayo.

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Program Information

Pre-Course	Welcome Module, Orientation, and Access to Week 1 (Brahmavihāra 1)
Week 1	Brahmavihāra 1
Week 2	Brahmavihāra 2
Week 3	Emptiness 1
Week 4	Emptiness 2
Week 5	Emptiness 3
Week 6	Emptiness 4
Week 7	Emptiness 4
Week 8	Conclusion

This program requires considerable commitment from participants and is not a self-study program. We require attendance at weekly virtual meetings as well as completion of writing prompts and program assessments. The required time commitment is roughly 10-12* hours per week.

Weekly individual participation includes:

90 minutes of a small group video meeting**
watching/listening to a 20-minute video lecture by Bhikkhu Anālayo
daily personal Brahmavihāras and Emptiness practice (Bhikkhu Anālayo’s recorded guided meditations will be provided)
completing study activities
contributing to the group discussion forum
reading one chapter per week in the core text, Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation by Bhikkhu Anālayo

*Participants are strongly encouraged to read Compassion and Emptiness in Early Buddhist Meditation in advance of the program (later referring back to the book as a reference/refresher for each weekly topic). Otherwise, participants should anticipate an additional 2-3 hours per week for reading during the program.

**The small group meeting is the only program component that happens at a fixed time, and meetings will occur on the same day/time each week.

Click here to view the Small Group Meeting Times. Applicants will select their available times on the application. Attendance is mandatory.

In early Buddhist thought, tranquility and insight are complementary dimensions of meditative cultivation, traditionally based on a solid foundation in moral conduct and part of a gradual process of training. This online program will follow the Buddha’s principle of ethics as the foundation for Satipaṭṭhāna practice. Participation in this program is supported by group commitment to respect and non-harming, applying to both communication with others and also to one’s personal relationship with the practice.

Program Fee and
Teacher Dāna

The program fee is $450. In keeping with the tradition of teachers offering the Buddhadharma out of a spirit of generosity, program fees do not include compensation for teachers. There will be an opportunity to support your teacher(s) at the end of the program.

We understand that personal circumstances may require you to cancel your registration. In these cases, please contact us right away. If you cancel before the program starts, you are eligible for a full refund minus a $100 administrative fee. Registration fees are nonrefundable after the program starts.

Applications

In an effort to foster meaningful connection, enrollment in this program is limited and all applications are processed on a lottery basis.

You must have an established mindfulness practice and have completed a Mindfulness of Breathing program with Bhikkhu Anālayo to be accepted into this program.

Some spaces are reserved for people of color and young adults who meet this prerequisite.

Financial
Assistance

We are committed to making this program accessible to all. Financial assistance is available to help supplement the program fee. Requests for financial assistance can be made during the registration process. If accepted into the program, financial assistance of 30%, 40% or 50% of the program fee can be selected and immediately applied during registration. If the need for financial assistance is greater than 50% of the program fee, please indicate what amount of the program fee feels affordable to you and we will do what we can to accommodate your request.

DEI

We are committed to providing a spiritual home and resource for all on the path to awakening. We do our best to ensure that everyone who comes here feels truly welcome, respected, and safe, whatever their age, race, ethnicity, sex (including gender identity and expression), sexual orientation, body type, disability, religion, or political viewpoint. We recognize this is ongoing work and invite you to reach out to us at contact@buddhistinquiry.org with suggestions and feedback as to how we can more fully embody our aspiration to be a refuge for all.

Guiding Teacher

Bhikkhu Anālayo

He is a scholar-monk and the author of numerous books on meditation and early Buddhism, such as Satipatthāna: The Direct Path to Realization, Perspectives on Satipatthāna, and Satipatthāna Meditation: A Practice Guide. He is a Faculty Member at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, having retired from being a professor at the Numata Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of Hamburg. His main area of academic research is early Buddhism, with a special interest in the topics of meditation and women in Buddhism. At the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, he regularly participates in online programs and undertakes research into meditation-related themes.

Bhikkhu Anālayo offers his teaching for this program through the video lectures, guided meditations, and readings. There will be no live contact with Bhikkhu Anālayo.

Facilitating Teachers

Deepening Practice,
Building Community.

Deepening Practice,
Building Community.

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