History
The Shamatha Project, launched in Spring of 2007, brought together a diverse group of scientists and laypersons to study and measure the long term effects of practicing shamatha, or meditative quiescence, for 8 to 12 hours per day. Although the training at Shambhala Mountain Center lasted three months, nearly one in five of the participants (12 out of 60) in these retreats elected to continue on in full-time practice. So moved were they by their experiences that they immediately sought out the support and environments that could sustain them in the long-term pursuit of shamatha. Read Yogis Story, an account of two Shamatha Project participants who chose the path of a yogi.
This unexpected response required quick action, and temporary accommodations were found for all of the continuing shamatha yogis. Now, more permanent accommodations and funding are required to sustain dedicated meditators from the Shamatha Project and from the 8-week shamatha retreats that Alan Wallace is leading at the Phuket International Academy Mind Centre in Thailand. (Out of 36 participants in the first 2 month retreat, 24 have expressed an intention to continue). Fortunately, their needs are as modest as their goals are great. They have much work ahead and it is our hope and intention to support them all the way.
These yogis have now adopted the radically simplified life of contemplative monks and nuns, living in quiet solitude and meditating 8 to 12 hours each day, in homemade huts, tents, and unused cabins in rural areas from Washington State to Mexico. They are the avant-garde of what may become a revolution in our understanding of the mind, consciousness, and the path of spiritual development.
As the yogis spend hours every day training in shamatha, scientists from UC Davis Mind and Brain and elsewhere are spending countless hours analyzing enormous amounts of data collected throughout the course of the Shamatha Project. As these top-rate neuroscientists and psychologists begin to publish their results, they may contribute significantly to a better scientific understanding of the mind, and motivate further studies on the effects of shamatha practice. [See an overview of preliminary findings].
Supporting Transformation
Throughout the ages, civilizations that have fostered contemplative traditions have supported those who have been willing to sacrifice worldly goals and ambitions in order to devote themselves single-pointedly to cultivating their hearts and minds through meditative practice. Once such individuals have beneficially transformed their lives through such practice, they have commonly returned to society and enriched the lives of others with their wisdom and compassion. Through supporting aspiring yogis in the modern world, we aspire to bless their lives so that they may in return bless those around them.
Over the past four hundred years, contemplative practice has declined in the West as scientific inquiry has become the dominant means for understanding ourselves and the world at large. Especially during the past century, scientific knowledge and technological advances have progressed like never before. This unprecedented progress has occurred due to the confluence of various factors: the establishment of institutions of learning and of research facilities, the training of qualified teachers and researchers, and the support of students who wish to devote themselves to a life of scientific exploration. If contemplative inquiry is to flourish in the modern world, it will do so only with the creation of circumstances like those that have supported the rise of modern science. In this way, the outer sciences of the physical world may finally be complemented through the rise of the inner sciences of the mind.
This is a first-person account of two Shamatha Project participants who chose to devote themselves entirely to practicing shamatha.
"We finished the Shamatha Project fall retreat in December of 2007. The three months in retreat had been an incredibly meaningful time for each of us. Training our minds to be more brightly present and less perturbed, more introspectively in-tune, and nurturing deeper altruistic tendencies, had brought forth a deeper sense of connection with our own being and with that of all others, and, naturally, a greater overall sense of well-being. All the while, we had additionally contributed data that could potentially enhance the scientific understanding of such mental training. We were all a very happy bunch and primed to apply the skills we had developed. Many of us would be returning to families, continuing on in our careers, caring for loved ones, and engaging in other activities now with a more balanced mind and with abundant opportunities for practicing the four immeasurables.
There were also some of us at the time who had minimal, if any, external obligations and an aspiration to continue in retreat. We saw our situation as a rare and beautiful opportunity to further our spiritual development by devoting ourselves wholly to contemplative practice and, in particular, to practicing shamatha. We each felt that, given our situation in life, staying in retreat would bring about the greatest benefit for ourselves and for others, and were thus set on our path.
Our circumstances at Shambhala Mountain Center, where the Shamatha Project took place, were sufficiently conducive for practicing shamatha full-time and single-pointedly; we had an experienced and knowledgeable teacher, the presence of each other to provide support as fellow practitioners, food and shelter all taken care of, and a quiet, peaceful environment. Such conditions are typically found when one pays to participate in an organized group retreat. But we now found ourselves wishing to engage in contemplative practice as a long-term pursuit and without any definite lattice of support for doing so. As we embarked on, we found that the conducive conditions necessary for practicing shamatha single-pointedly were very difficult to find. We still had Alan fully supporting us as our teacher, as well as each other practicing together. Finding an environment that was relatively free from sounds of human activity, however, was elusive. We moved twice in Colorado, living in rented houses, and then spent a summer building kutis in rural Washington, where we lived next. Other significant challenges for yogis, such as engagements with landlords and prohibitive local building regulations, were also present.
In June of 2009, we made a fortuitous connection with someone who offered to support us in building hermitages in the mountains of New Mexico, a place so remote that the nearest neighbor would be two miles away. Over the summer, we began building the first hermitage, and now plan to finish building this summer. The whole process of ordering materials and finding a way to transport them to the land turned out to be an adventure in itself. The buildings themselves were designed to be sturdy and beautiful, and hopefully will be around for many generations of practitioners to enjoy. With plans in place for completing the hermitages, it now seems like just the right place to be. We hope that others who aspire to live in retreat will also see it as a feasible option."
Construction of an Hermitage
These photos were taken during the summer of 2009 while building hermitages in northern New Mexico.
In the valley at the hermitage
Reviewing the blueprints
Getting the roof in shape
Another view of the spacious land
Finished hermitage
Modest Needs of a Yogi
In traditional Asian cultures, there is a long history of support for yogis, who are considered to practice for the benefit of all sentient beings. It is our goal to establish such a culture of support in the modern world. Our yogis need very modest financial support, primarily to ease the distractions that are historically identified as obstacles to meditative practice. Traditionally, a conducive environment provides safety, sustenance, shelter, solitude, and a suitable teacher. They now have a teacher: asking for no compensation, B. Alan Wallace has offered to guide these yogis through regular contact by phone, email, and video conferencing, which he has found to be adequate for this purpose. Your financial donations will help provide the other essential elements of a conducive environment for the achievement of shamatha and beyond. While the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies has offered modest financial support to those unable to cover their own expenses, the financial resources of the Santa Barbara Institute are limited.
The yogis live on just $15 per day, which covers food, supplies, and shelter. That’s a little more than $5,000 per year.
Please consider assisting these yogis in the pursuit of this worthy goal, for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Donate
Your fully tax-deductible donation can be made through the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. Please donate by clicking on the button below.
In the text box menu directly under "Purpose" type Support-A-Yogi.