Sravasti Abbey, a Buddhist monastery near Newport, Washington, will host a four-day Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) program from 25–28 April. The course will be open to the public and will offer secular guidance on the Buddhist virtues of compassion, awareness, and resilience.

CBCT is a secular program developed at Emory University. Sravasti Abbey has described the course as part of its wider educational offerings.

“The teaching environment will be very welcoming and comfortable for those who are not of the Buddhist faith,” said Ven. Thubten Lamsel, a monastic and long-time resident at the abbey. (FaVS News)

CBCT was created in 2004 by Geshe Lobsang Tenzin Negi, executive director of Emory University’s Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics, also known as the Emory Compassion Center. The associate director of the university’s Social, Emotional and Ethical Learning Program, Ryder Delaloye, said the training arose in response to a mental health crisis among students and to the Dalai Lama’s call for a secular method of cultivating basic human values.

The course will be led by Emory-certified CBCT instructor Myriam Martinez, who has taught in Colombia and worked with K–12 educators through Emory’s SEE Learning initiative. Juan Garzon Vergara, a CBCT teacher-in-training and longtime Sravasti Abbey practitioner, will support the program.

Delaloye said the program had reached thousands of participants in more than a dozen countries, explaining that the course combined ancient contemplative traditions with modern science through eight modules designed to strengthen emotional awareness and interpersonal concern. He noted that CBCT was among the more research-based compassion training programs available because, going beyond self-reported surveys to take in data on stress-related biomarkers, including adrenaline, cortisol, and interleukin-6.

“The problem is that a sustained and extended immune response can be a little harmful for the body and can start to break down and tear down things as we respond,” Delaloye said. “So managing stress is a key determinant of managing one’s well-being.” (FaVS News)

He defined compassion as “the intention to alleviate the suffering of another with tenderness and care,” adding that the understanding aligned with the Dalai Lama’s long-standing advocacy of universal secular ethics—the view that compassion and care for others can be cultivated by people of any or no religious background. (FaVS News)

Although the training has roots in Tibetan Buddhist thought, the program organizers said its structure was designed to be accessible across traditions and communities. “The Buddhist teachings can be distilled down into compassion and wisdom, kind of like two wings of the bird. You need both wings to fly to buddhahood,” said Ven. Thubten Lamsel. (FaVS News)

Delaloye remarked that the training was aimed at helping participants to develop empathy, expand their circle of concern for others, and improve attention management. Previous participants also reported lower levels of stress, loneliness, and depressive symptoms, along with feeling more focused and grounded.

“When we’re regulated, when we have the qualities and components of resilience, it is much easier to fall into our natural mammalian habit of extending kindness and compassion to others,” said Delaloye. (FaVS News)

Founded in 2003 by Ven. Thubten Chodron, Sravasti Abbey is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery near Newport, Washington, established as a training community for Western monastics and lay practitioners. The abbey has since grown into a well-known center for Buddhist study and practice in North America, with its mission emphasizing monastic training, community life, and the preservation and sharing of the Dharma in a contemporary Western context.

See more

Sravasti Abbey to host compassion training program open to non-Buddhists (FaVS News)
Cognitively Based Compassion Training (Sravasti Abbey)
CBCT® (Cognitively-Based Compassion Training) – Overview – Omega Inst Presentation Oct 2018 (YouTube)

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