Being with Death and Dying Workshop Part III: The Bardo

Friday, October 21, 7 PM until 9 PM; Saturday, October 22, 9:30 AM until 5:00 PM; and Sunday, October 23, 10:00 AM until 1:00 PM

Venue: Olmo Ling Center, 1101 Greenfield Ave, Pittsburgh PA 15217

Co-sponsored by the C.G. Jung Institute of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh School of Social Work

To attend this Workshop, it is not necessary to have attended any previous workshops in the Olmo Ling Being with Death and Dying series.

About the Workshop

For thousands of years, the Tibetan spiritual traditions have cultivated practices to offer spiritual support to the dying and to prepare for a peaceful and conscious death.

This third Workshop on Being with Death and Dying will focus on the process of dying and the different stages of Bardo – the after-death experience. ‘Bardo’ is a Tibetan word, made up of “Bar” – the “between state” where the consciousness has left this body and not yet taken another body; and “Do”– the consciousness that is without the physical support of a body.

Participants will learn about the different stages of the dying process and the Bardo, including the psychological, mental, emotional and physical shifts that take place during the dying process and in the time after death. Participants will be instructed on how to help the dying person as a compassionate and spiritual friend based on his or her needs.

This Workshop is for all who are interested in the dying process, in conscious dying, or who would like to offer psychological and spiritual assistance to the dying, including family members. It is for those who are ill and for anyone who would like to look deeply into the meaning of death and dying within the framework of a spiritual path. It is suited for medical professionals, psychologists, counselors, and social workers working with dying and illness.

Tempa Lama will teach on the Bardo process and on contemplative practices that we can utilize to help and guide the dying person. Dr. Stan Perelman will provide applications to clinical practice. Dr. Jon Spiegel will present a guest lecture on cross-cultural perspectives on Bardo states, including 1) Religion and the recognition of mortality – from prehistory to present day, 2) Jewish practices of mourning and Bardo states, and 3) Research on teaching meditation to terminally ill cancer patients.

Educational Objectives

By the conclusion of the Workshop, participants will be able to:

• Recognize cross cultural perspectives on religion, mortality, and Bardo states.

• Utilize the contemplative guided meditation on the dissolution of the elements to help the dying person face the reality of the death process.

• Introduce the dying person to the nature of the mind based on the threefold inner, outer and secret visions that the dying person experiences.

• Read and chant prayers from the Tibetan Bardo Thodal, the ‘Instructions for liberation through hearing’ (also called the Tibetan Book of the Dead) to guide the dying person and help him or her attain liberation or find a good rebirth.

Workshop Faculty

Tempa Dukte Lama is an ordained Tibetan Bon lama. He is the founder and spiritual director of Olmo Ling Bon Center, a Tibetan Bon Center affiliated with Menri Monastery, and the founder of Olmo Ling Publications. He is an artist, poet, and the author of “The Intimate Mind: Illuminating Emotion and Transformation” and “Inexhaustible Miracles: The Ten Perfections on the Path of Compassionate Beings”.

Tempa Lama trained in Menri Monastery, India, from the age of six under the close guidance of H.H. 33rd Menri Trizin, the world-wide spiritual leader of Bon. He has lived in the US since 2000 and teaches regular retreats and workshops on contemplative healing practice and other Bon practices, being with dying, the stages of meditation, and living a spiritual path informed by compassion.

Jon Spiegel, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice since 1976 and the Clinical Director of Spiegel/Freedman Psychological Associates. Dr. Spiegel has been teaching and supervising psychotherapists for the past 30 years. Since early adulthood he has been a dedicated student of religion and culture. His post-doctoral work was in mythology and comparative religion. He is the co-founder of the Program in Spirituality and Psychology at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. Dr. Spiegel is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Stanley Perelman, Ph.D. is a psychologist and Jungian Analyst with a private practice in Pittsburgh. He also consults with the Chatham University Counseling Center. Dr. Perelman is a member of the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association in New York and an affiliate member of the Pittsburgh Psychoanalytic Institute. He has a long time meditation practice and has been a student of Bon Buddhism for the last fifteen years.

Continuing Education Credits

This program is offered for 11 hours of social work continuing education (CE) through co-sponsorship of the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Social Work, a Council on Social Work Education-accredited school, and, therefore, a PA pre-approved provider of social continuing education. These credits satisfy requirements for LSW/LCSW, LPC and LMFT biennial license renewal. For information on social work continuing education call (412) 624-3711.

This program is offered for 11 hours of psychology CE credits through co-sponsorship of the C.G. Jung Institute of Pittsburgh. The C.G. Jung Institute is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor CE credits for psychologists. The C.G. Jung Institute maintains responsibility for the program and its content. Questions or grievances can be directed to Stan Perelman, Ph.D., 4609 Winthrop St., #202, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, (412) 682-8172.

Registration

Registration for this workshop is open through Monday, October 10. The cost is $125 without continuing education (CE) credits, or $150 with 11 CE credits. The fee for members is $110 without CEs and $135 with CEs (if you are a member AND require CE credits, please pay by check or call us to pay by credit card on the phone). Please contact us regarding scholarships.

If there is space available after October 10, registrations will be accepted. The cost will be $150 without CE credits, and $175 with 11 CE credits (members: $135 without CEs, $160 with CEs).

If you have questions, please contact Trish at 412-904-1112, bon@olmoling.org

Cancellation Policy

Olmo Ling will refund the cost of the workshop less a $25 processing fee for cancellations prior to 24 hours before the workshop begins. No refunds for cancellations within 24 hours before the workshop.