Radiant Mind Course

We invite you to explore this innovative experiential eight month course in which you will...
discover the Ultimate Medicine the final goal of all human endeavors access the full transformative power of Asias spiritual wisdom in a Western form experience nondual presence in your daily life through workshops, dialogues, telephone contemplations, readings and individual coaching sessions
Endorsed By: Ken Wilber, Integral Institute Robert Thurman, Tibetan Scholar, President of Tibet House in NY Isaac Shapiro, International Advaita teacher John Welwood, Author, Toward a Psychology of Awakening Lama Palden Drolma, Founder, Sukhasiddhi Foundation Allan Combs, Author, The Radiance of Being Chuck Hillig - Author, series of enlightening books Stuart Sovatsky, President, Association of Transpersonal Psychology
Radiant Mind is a brilliant postmodern implementation of Buddhist nondual wisdom. Peter Fenner has taken the refined deconstructive practices that have liberated ten of thousands of Asian contemplatives and adapted them for effective Western use. This course brings the ultimately liberating experience of selfless engagement within the reach of Western spiritual discoverers. I highly recommend it. Robert Thurman, Tibetan Scholar, President of Tibet House in New York Peter Fenner has been working hard for many years on translating essential Dharma teachings into a modern secular language and format, and his course is an innovative and creative distillation that offers useful exercises for integrating the teachings into everyday life. John Welwood Author, Toward a Psychology of Awakening
Copyright 2004 by Peter Fenner. All rights reserved.
CONTENTS
The Unconditioned Mind The Ultimate Goal of All Human Endeavors
The unconditioned mind is the most powerful healing agent in existence: In Buddhism it is called the ultimate medicine......................................................1 You will access a state of consciousness in which it is impossible to create lack or deficiency............................................................................................................ 2 The unconditioned mind activates natural self-healing mechanisms deep within you.............................................................................................................. 2 The Radiant Mind Course is delivered at the results level: you do nothing more and nothing less than what is needed for you to become more and more familiar with the unconditioned mind............................................................. 3 Unlike many paths and therapies, the Radiant Mind course doesnt assume that anything is wrong or missing with you ............................................... 3 This Course is based upon the embodied presence of nondual masters............... 4 The Course is called Radiant Mind but you talk a lot about the unconditioned mind. Whats the difference between them?.................................. 4 Why do you focus on the unconditioned mind rather than change beliefs and behavior?..................................................................................................... 5 Experience a transcendence that enhances your aliveness and engagement in physical life!......................................................................................... 6 The experience of the unconditioned mind is a unique and identifiable state that means you can learn when you are and are not in this state.................. 7
We Structured This 8-Month Course to Have The Greatest Experiential Impact on Your Life
Structure of the course at a glance............................................................................... 8 Over the duration of the Course you will have numerous opportunities to enter and rest in the space of unconditioned awareness..................................... 9 Three dynamic workshops give you a unique opportunity to work directly with Peter.......................................................................................................... 9 Twelve transformational essays to ground you in the distinctions and practices of the Course................................................................................................ 10 Hands-on practices through 48 experiential exercises designed to lead you directly to the unconditioned mind .................................................................. 10 You will be assigned a coach to guide you in learning to meditate, or to enhance or reinvigorate your existing practice so that it points more directly to unconditioned mind..................................................................................11 Koan practicequestions that let you enter the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness by dismantling fixed ideas about who you are and what youre doing ...............................................................................................12
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Individual sessions personalize the Course material and make it 100% relevant to your life ..................................................................................................... 12 Conference calls every two weeks create experiential continuity between the workshops and reinforce your experience of community................................12 You will join a warm community of like-minded people who support each other in a very natural and non-egocentric way............................................. 13 Discussion forum and nondual therapy: you will have access to a restricted area of the Radiant Mind web site that contains additional resources and a bulletin board....................................................................................14 Why design the Course over an eight-month period of time? ............................. 14 Why does the Course take eight months when the unconditioned mind is always present?.........................................................................................................15 Instruction is directed towards your immediate experience, which makes it more relevant and powerful for you..........................................................15 The high level of interactivity in the course translates into high retention for participantsthis means you learn to rest in the unconditioned mind with more depth, clarity and duration...................................................................... 16 This Course is for anyone who wants to learn the effortless way of nondual presence, and therapists can gain great benefits for their practice....................... 16 This Course is non-confrontational so you dont need to worry about being embarrassed by the teacher in front of a group............................................ 17
Outline of The Dynamic Content That Will Lead You to Experience The Unconditioned Mind
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Five obstacles that keep you identified with your conditioned existence and prevent you from experiencing the freedom of the unconditioned mind.... 18 Whether youre an experienced meditator, or a beginner, this Course will help you create a contemplative practice that points directly to the unconditioned mind.....................................................................................................19 By enhancing the quality of your experience in this and every moment, you predispose yourself to more bliss and contentment in the future.................20 Youll learn how to release fixations by simply observing their presence in real time .................................................................................................................... 20 Intimate yet detached: discover desirelessness as one of the most effective ways to de-condition your experience and open you to new levels of intimacy...... 21 Feel complete with the past and fearless of the future........................................... 21 Learn a new way of listening called pure listening that relieves people of the burden of heavy emotions and negative thoughts....................................... 22 Experience natural release: the practice of non-interference that transforms conflict into harmony by letting things be just as they are................................ 22 Learn to radiate an inner peace that soothes and nourishes others...................... 23
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Lift an oppressive weight from your spiritual path by releasing the perpetual need to know and be busy......................................................................... 23 Work with natural koans to allow your fixed ideas about who you are and what youre doing dissolve into the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness....... 24 Learn the art of deconstructive conversations a way to dismantle conceptuality................................................................................................................. 24 Broaden the river of lifelearn to expand your capacity to remain present and fully functional in the face of intensely pleasurable and unpleasant experiences....... 25 Explore and enjoy the natural side effects of resting in the unconditioned mind: healing-bliss, joy and rapture..........................................................................25 You will learn to work with checking questions so you can verify, for yourself and others, the quality and purity of the unconditioned mind experience........26 Dance in the paradoxes of nondual logic that lead you directly into the unconditioned mind and release the energy thats tied up in the imperative that you need to be logical and rational................................................................... 26
Is Peter Fenner Qualified to Transmit and Teach You About Unconditioned Presence?
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Why is a teachers presence important?................................................................... 28 Experiencing Peter in a workshop or experiencing Peters work directly.......... 28 Just because teachers can rest in the unconditioned mind doesnt mean they can teach this to others....................................................................................... 29 Peter says, This course is not just another intellectual project!......................... 30 Peters reasons for creating the Radiant Mind Course........................................... 30 Where did Peter get the material for this course?................................................... 31 The Radiant Mind course links you directly into a lineage of illustrious spiritual masters going back to the Buddha............................................................ 31 As a post-monastic, Peter integrated Eastern wisdom with Western psychological practices: The result is the Radiant Mind Course......................... 32 The scholarly side of Peterthe solid theoretical underpinnings of the experiential Radiant Mind Course............................................................................ 33 Ive done the spiritual group thing and feel Im past that stage, is this course for me or will I be wasting my time?............................................................ 33 The Radiant Mind course is not culturally specific nor is it part of a spiritual tradition ........................................................................................................ 34 Not everyone qualifies for taking this Course! Check to see if you qualify........ 34 Tuition for the Course.................................................................................................. 34 Dates and registration form for the Course............................................................. 35
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The unconditioned mind the ultimate goal of all human endeavors
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As the darkness of the night, even were it to last a thousand years, could not conceal the rising sun, so countless ages of conflict and suffering cannot conceal the innate radiance of mind. Tilopa (988-1069 CE)
hether you realize it or not, the unconditioned mind is the ultimate goal of all human endeavors. Why? Because when you rest in the unconditioned mind, there is absolutely nothing more that you need. Theres nowhere further to go. Its the only experience that is totally satisfying. The Radiant Mind Course directs you to the experience of the unconditioned mind as a way of transcending suffering by healing the psychological wounds of the past and giving you the innate confidence and courage to embrace an ultimately unknown future.
The experience of the unconditioned mind is a very precise experience. Its the only experience that is totally open and without any structure. This is why its sometimes called contentless wisdom. This experience is the ultimate aim of all nondual spiritual traditions and has been called by many names, including enlightenment, liberation, buddha-nature, egolessness, pure awareness, our natural condition, and pure being. The experience of the unconditioned mind can be measured in terms of its purity, depth and duration. By purity, we mean the extent to which the experience is completely unstructured and free of labels and interpretations. By the depth of the experience, we mean the extent to which the unconditioned pervades or infuses our conditioned existence. By duration, we mean how long we can rest in that state. The Radiant Mind Course has been developed for the specific purpose of increasing your capacity to rest in the experience of nondual presence. As one participant said; [The course] made available to me an experience that seemed very elusive before I met Peter, which I had no way of even evaluating. What Peter offered is a way of experiencing this, sustaining it, and deepening it in practice with himself and others. The course also allowed me to get a very clear sense of the criteria for discovering what it is and what it isnt. Now Im in a position to continue cultivating it.
The experience of the unconditioned mind can be measured in terms of its purity, depth and duration.
The unconditioned mind is the most powerful healing agent in existence: In Buddhism it is called the ultimate medicine
In Buddhism the unconditioned mind is called, the ultimate medicine. Why? As a healing agent, nothing will ever surpass it, since no amount of research or innovation will ever discover anything as powerful as the unconditioned mind. When you rest in the unconditioned mind nothingabsolutely nothingis missing. It doesnt matter if youve just lost a million dollars or are suffering a terminal illness and only have a few weeks to live. If you are rooted in
Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net
the unconditioned mind, nothing is missing! Theres nothing more you need. If a lifesaving cure comes along, this is well and good, but if it doesnt, it makes no difference. If you suddenly recover lost wealth, well and good. But, if you are resting in the unconditioned mind, you dont need a cent of it. You are complete and content with exactly what you have. The experience of the unconditioned mind is not at all dependent upon your conditions. Everyone has access to it. Its an experience that sets you free no matter where you are or what youre experiencing.
You will access a state of consciousness in which it is impossible to create lack or deficiency
Every mind touched by the awareness of its unconditioned nature moves closer to the experience of real freedom and liberation.
The experience of the unconditioned mind heals you in two different ways. First, it relieves you of the need to fix things up by offering you a profound experience of clarity and contentmentan experience of being in total harmony with yourself and the world. In Buddhism this is called going beyond loss or gain. In this state of consciousness everything is present exactly as it is, and you find it impossible to construe that anything is missing. Youve moved beyond the familiar cycle of having problems and finding solutions. Theres nothing to remove and nothing to hang on to. The experience is priceless, not because youre attached to its value or reality, but because nothing in the realm of conditioned experiences can increase or enhance your fulfillment.
The unconditioned mind activates natural self-healing mechanisms deep within you
Friends! The mind is like an obstinate camel. If you hold onto it, it wants to escape, but if you let it loose it just sits there. If you relax into your natural condition this is the genuine experience of natural freedom. Longchenpa, 14 century Tibetan Dzogchen master
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The other way in which awareness of the unconditioned mind heals is by restructuring your thought-patterns so that you become more available to the experience of happiness and freedom. Every mind touched by the awareness of its unconditioned nature moves closer to the experience of real freedom and liberation. The experience attenuates the need to have fixed ideas about yourself and others. You become less reactive and defensiveand hence better able to release your fears and insecurities. In this way, the effects of the experience percolate through the layers of your conditioned experiences long after youve finished resting in the awareness itself. The Yoga Tradition of Buddhism describes this process as the transformation of the structural foundations of our being. Through contact with an unstained stream of pure being, the energies and mechanisms that condition your present and future experience lose their power to distort your experience and thereby to cause suffering. Other nondual traditions describe how the experience of the unconditioned mind infuses the conditioned body-mind like a sweet perfume or a soothing breeze. No matter how your healing unfolds, the more time you spend resting in the experience of nondual presence, the more familiar you become with your primordial, invincible nature. When opportunities arise to let go of your preoccupations and daily concerns, you find yourself moving effortlessly and without resistance into a more open and accepting way of being.
The Radiant Mind Course is delivered at the results level: you do nothing more and nothing less than what is needed for you to become more and more familiar with the unconditioned mind
The Radiant Mind Course combines the most advanced principles of Asias nondual contemplative traditions and the finely honed skills of Western psychology. It blends the liberating power of nondual wisdom with intimacy and focuses on outcomes that we find in Western counseling and therapy. It is genuinely nondual, but not in the naive sense of rigidly proclaiming that theres nothing you can do to abide in the unconditioned mind. While its true that the unconditioned mind stands outside all causes and conditions, the Course correctly recognizes that when were confused or suffering, doing nothing often simply doesnt make sense. It rarely transports us to the experience of nondual presence. Radiant Mind is not about mechanically completing a set of exercises or reading a set of essays. Its about doing nothing more and nothing less than what is required to rest confidently in the radiance of your being. The Course addresses this challenge through a set of core processes that dissolve through their very application, leading you into an experience of spontaneously arising nondual presence. You will see shortly that the Course has a sophisticated structure, in which everything you do is linked to the experience of nondual awareness. You will work at both the conditioned and unconditioned levels of experience. But everything you do is always in the service of cultivating the unconditioned mind. The Course has an absolutely clear focus. It is structured in a way that reveals your own attachment or aversion to structure, and lets you release this.
Nothing can obstruct this teaching, which is as all-embracing and ungraspable as space, no trace of which can ever be found, crystallized, isolated, divided, tested or analyzed. Subhuti, a disciple of the Buddha
...the unconditioned mind infuses the conditioned bodymind like a sweet perfume or a soothing breeze
As Peter tells participants The aim of the Course is to bring you to the end of the spiritual pathto a place where theres nowhere further to goan awareness that cant be enhanced or degraded. In different ways, everything that we do gives people an opportunity to enjoy this state. The aim isnt to keep you busy. We dont feed your fixations about getting it done or doing it right. Some of the processes in the course are simply excuses for you to share with others the space of nondual awareness! Radiant Mind is not a Course! Its a structure for you to engage with over several months, that will lead you into the unconditioned mind on dozens of occasions, and help make this a more constant experience in your life.
Unlike many paths and therapies, the Radiant Mind course doesnt assume that anything is wrong or missing with you ...
In contrast to many workshops and Courses, which assume that your inner or outer reality must change in order for you to achieve real fulfillment, the Radiant Mind Course dissolves your habitual tendency to construct that something is wrong or missing. The experience of the unconditioned mind takes you outside the cycle of reactive responses and emotions by connecting you with the nature of your mind as pure unstructured awareness. You are at home with yourself in a totally natural and uncontrived way. When you rest in this experience, you connect inti-
mately with everything within and around you, yet youre beyond being disturbed in any way. In the Vajrayana tradition of Buddhism this experience is called invincibility, or indestructibility. At the same time, we acknowledge that the circumstances of your inner and outer life can make you more or less predisposed toward the experience of unconditioned presence. Consequently, therapy and counseling can complement the Radiant Mind course.
All activitiesthe graceful, heroic, terrifying, compassionate, furious, and peaceful and all (emotions) passion, anger, greed, pride, and envyare, without exception, perfect and pure manifestations of selfilluminating wisdom. Sahajayoginichinta, 8th century female master
This Course is based upon the embodied presence of nondual masters

The Radiant Mind course content is inspired by the example of masters and sages from nondual spiritual traditions. These traditions are mainly found in India and Asia. They include various traditions of Mahayana Buddhism: Zen, Dzogchen, Mahamudra and Madhyamaka. Outside of Buddhism, nonduality is found in the Advaita form of Hinduism and Chinese Taoism. The masters in these traditions show that what we all strive fora state of real and lasting fulfillmentis achievable. Furthermore, through their teachings and relationships they provide a model for how to manage our own evolution and make a powerful healing contribution to others. The Radiant Mind Course uses the embodied presence of nondual masters as a model for creating a new paradigm for an experiential Course. This paradigm is based on the healing power of the unconditioned mind, rather than on giving advice, making recommendations, or proffering interpretations. This is not to say these have no place in other practices. They do. But they arent the most essential ingredients here. The most essential ingredient is the introduction and cultivation of an awareness of the unconditioned mind and the effect that has on our experience of our everyday life.
The Course is called Radiant Mind but you talk a lot about the unconditioned mind. Whats the difference between them?
In the Course we talk about the conditioned body-mind, the unconditioned mind and radiant mind. The conditioned body-mind is the conceptual mind that thinks, gets confused, has preferences and experiences pleasure and pain. Its the mind that creates our problems. Its the mind that both creates and searches for a way out of our difficulties. The unconditioned mind is pure, unlimited awareness, beyond all egoidentification. In different traditions it has been called, nondual presence, the Self, witness consciousness, non-self, pure awareness, buddha-nature, emptiness, nomind, contentless wisdom, and natural mind. The Radiant Mind arises when the unconditioned mind radiates through the totality of our conditioned existence, bringing peace, wisdom and love to everything we experience. When the unconditioned refracts through and perfumes the flavor and quality of our everyday existence we experience the radiant mind. In the nondual Dzogchen tradition the experience of radiance (dang) is likened to
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way that transparent light (the unconditioned) refracts through a prism (the radiant mind) bringing forth and illuminating the infinite richness and diversity of the conditioned or manifest universe. When you live in the radiant mind you experience yourself as a unique human being, and at the same time you rest in a unified expanse of unconditioned-bliss-awareness.
When the unconditioned refracts through and perfumes the flavor and quality of our everyday existence we experience the radiant mind.
CONDITIONED BODY-MIND
RADIANT MIND
UNCONDITIONED MIND
This Course
Why do you focus on the unconditioned mind rather than change beliefs and behavior? In this Course you will cultivate the experience of radiant mind. Most people are very aware of their conditioning. If anything, we are excessively concerned with getting what we want and looking good. Most people are unaware of the unconditioned mind. Even if people know about the unconditioned mind, and have experienced it, they still find it difficult to infuse their lives with the liberating power of nondual presence. So the focus of the Radiant Mind Course is to give you access to the unconditioned mind in the midst of your conditioned existence. The Course guides you through a set of carefully presented interventions and processes that reveal the unconditioned nature of your mind, without needing to drastically change your lifestyle or who you are.
CONDITIONED MIND
Success/Failure Pleasure/Pain Ignorance/Knowledge Loss/Gain Freedom/Bondage Struggle/Relief Past/Future Forwards/Backwards Easy/Difficult
UNCONDITIONED MIND
TRANSITION
Natural Release Deconstruction Koans Contemplation Healing-bliss Reconditioning
Ongoingly complete Beyond pain and pleasure Here and now Invincible Beyond creation and destruction Beyond improvement or degradation Contentless Transpersonal Trans-cultural
This Course
The sublime purity of transcendent insight is identical with the natural spontaneous purity of the countless configurations that present themselves as the universe in all its multidimensionality. Buddha, Perfect Wisdom Scripture
The Radiant Mind Course gives you the techniques and experiences that are needed in order to expand your awareness so it includes the experience of the unconditioned dimension of your existence. The course helps you to make the transition from being mainly preoccupied with what you want and dont want, to experiencing life free from the constraints of your habits and limited preferences. On some spiritual paths, the unconditioned mind is cultivated with very little reference to our conditioned existence. The unconditioned is experienced only in deep states of solitary meditation. There is little overlap between the conditioned and unconditioned dimensions of being. In the Radiant Mind Course we reveal the unconditioned mind, in the midst of our conditioning. You will cultivate the experience of nondual presence in a natural way, that doesnt require you to avoid or retreat from the complexities of daily life. You become aware of the unconditioned mind in a way that it naturally reveals the radiance of your being.
Experience a transcendence that enhances your aliveness and engagement in physical life!
There are different types of nondual approaches. Mahayana Buddhism is the inspiration behind this Course. In this tradition the experience of the unconditioned mind is cultivated in the midst of your everyday experiences. Its an experience of embodied transcendence. It isnt an experience of being spacedout, up in the clouds or disconnected from other people. The wisdom of Mahayana Buddhism deeply penetrates the complexities of the human drama and permeates all structures of relationship. At the very same time that this insight lets you transcend the slightest traces of human suffering, it expands your capacity to identify and release other peoples suffering. The experience of the unconditioned mind in this Course isnt disconnected from our bodies, feelings, network of relationships and physical environment. The Course gives you an experience of radiant mind: an experience in which unconditioned presence exists simultaneously with its working on an experiential level, working to cultivate the nondual awareness in the midst of your everyday life. In the Radiant Mind Course, the unconditioned mind is experienced through and within the structures of our finite, personal existence. In the Radiant Mind Course the structure of your personality reveals the transpersonal nature of being itself. There is absolutely no effort, struggle, or need to escape who you are, since this is your unique expression of transcendence. Every aspect and dimension of your experience is an exquisite expression of freedom and transcendence. In this way, the Radiant Mind Course closes the traditional rift between physical embodiment and spiritual transcendence. This integrated approach removes the possibility of producing spiritual experiences that put you at risk. Unconditioned presence isnt an experience at all, in the ordinary sense of the word, but merely an ever-present awareness of a level of consciousness that is already complete and natural. It doesnt fall into the realm of the so-called spiritual experiences that have been known to leave unprepared seekers open to damaging experiences.
There is absolutely no effort, struggle, or need to escape who you are, since this is your unique expression of transcendence. Every aspect and dimension of your experience is an exquisite expression of freedom and transcendence.
The experience of the unconditioned mind is a unique and identifiable state that means you can learn when you are and are not in this state
...when you rest in the unconditioned mind, youre enjoying the same experience as the great masters and sages.
The unconditioned mind is a state of consciousness that contains, yet goes beyond all forms or structures of experience. Its sometimes called the source consciousness because its that from which everything appears to arise and return. The unconditioned mind is called contentless wisdom because its an awareness thats completely open, unstructured, and without content. Because this awareness is so precise and identifiable, you can know for certain that, when you rest in the unconditioned mind, youre enjoying the same experience as the great masters and sages who talk about self-knowledge, egolessness, pure awareness, or perfect wisdom. To this extent this Course communicates the very same awareness that is at the heart of the direct introduction and pointing out instructions of Dzogchen, the whispered lineage of Zen, and the transmission of selfknowledge in Advaita Vedanta. One participant commenting on changes he has seen after taking the Course said, Id say that I have a deeper and broader understanding of the unconditioned mind now. Im much more aware of when Im identified with my conditioning, and when Im not identified with it, because [I] realize that there is nothing missing and [I] am resting in just what is. I feel that difference in everyday life. [Im] much more aware and mindful of when Im identifying with my conditioning and with the unconditioned mind.
Since effortwhich creates causes and effects, whether positive or negative is unnecessary, immerse yourself in genuine being, resting naturally with nothing needing to be done. Longchenpa, 14th century Tibetan Dzogchen master
We structured this 8-month Course to have the greatest experiential impact on your life
he Radiant Mind Course is designed to be incorporated into your daily life in order to maximize the benefits of your time and energy. The primary focus of the Course is to help you experience the liberating power of the unconditioned mind in your daily life. The Course is based on a very comprehensive set of transformational tools. The various components of the Course are carefully designed to work synergistically and accommodate the preferred learning style of all participants. We know what does and does not work, which sequences and combinations work, and which dont.
STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

Opening workshop Mid-course workshop Completing workshop A set of proprietary essays distributed every two or three weeks 48 specially designed experiential projects Designing (or enhancing) a contemplative practice Koan practice
30 min telephone conversation every 2 weeks with a Radiant Mind coach
A one hour conference call every two weeks with Peter in a small group Ongoing internet discussion forum for participants
Eight months
The Course begins with a three-day workshop. We meet again for a midCourse and a completing workshop. 80% of the Course is implemented in the context of your daily life. The phone calls can be taken in the privacy of your own home, or when you are on the road. The exercises are integrated into your daily commitments. This is radically different from most spiritual retreat Courses that extract you from your everyday life. The result is a high impact total life-immersion learning situation! The many forms of interaction and learning range of practices allow you to emphasize the forms that work best for you and fit more smoothly into your daily life. As one participant says; The Course was supportive, it was perplexing, was intense at times, really helpful, reassuring, empowering, expanding and refining... I tend to want to move on to other things at a point and the [variety of activities] kept me focused over that 8-month period.
The many forms of interaction and learning range of practices allow you to emphasize the forms that work best for you and fit more smoothly into your daily life.
In commenting on the various components of the course another participant said; [Peter] is an exceptional facilitator and compassionate and knowledgeable teacher and leader. The Course material is exceptionally good and relevant to western thinkers; the weekend sessions and the phone interaction are revelatory and unique ... highest marks!
The Course material is exceptionally good and relevant to western thinkers; the weekend sessions and the phone interaction are revelatory and unique ... highest marks!
Over the duration of the Course you will have numerous opportunities to enter and rest in the space of unconditioned awareness
The Radiant Mind Course fully acknowledges the challenges and difficulties for people to engage in profound psycho-spiritual work in the midst of daily work and domestic activities. This is one of the reasons behind creating so many different modalities through which to deliver the Course. Not only do these various modalities combine synergistically, they create many intersections through which to connect with the unconditioned mind, at home, at work, and on the road. The many modes of communication: real-time and asynchronous, individual and group, in person, by phone and on-line, create frequent opportunities to explore and experience nondual presence. Over the duration of the Course you will have numerous opportunities to enter and rest in the space of unconditioned awareness. We dont expect you to engage in each modality with the same level of application. The relatively adaptable structure of the Course lets you create routines and practices that are optimized to your needs.
Three dynamic workshops give you a unique opportunity to work directly with Peter
There are three three-day workshops: one at the beginning of the Course, another half way through, and a final completing workshop. These workshops are offered in San Francisco. In the opening workshop you will:
Create a sense of community with other participants and develop a common focus. Such supportive collaborative communities have proven beneficial in the acceleration of learning and awareness. Be guided to the experience of the nature of the unconditioned mind. We consider that it is exceedingly important to have a clear and experiential understanding of the unconditioned mind. Gain a direct experience of the liberating effect of deconstructing conceptuality through Peters unique skills.
To dialog about the uncreated reality is just to play with words. Yet from this coherent, playful dialog, lightening bolts flash forth as spiritual intuition totally insubstantial, not coming into being even for an instant, yet diamond sharp and clear. Subhuti, a disciple of the Buddha
In the mid-Course workshop you will:
Deepen your familiarity with the unconditioned mind by building upon what you have explored and experienced over the few months of practice. Continue to gain skills in resting in the unconditioned mind and sharing this with others. Be supported and support others experiences. Be given opportunities to facilitate this work under Peters guidance, especially in opening up the space of natural contemplationthe state of quite contemplative space in which you are fully connected with everyone around you.
In the completing workshop you will:
Continue to enhance your ability to introduce others to the unconditioned mind, especially using the more proactive deconstructive methods. Peter teaches in second half of the Course. Be able to invite partners, friends, relatives, etc. on the third day in order for them to experience Peter and others (possibly yourself) facilitating this work. Create opportunities and structures with other participants, and in your daily life, for continuing to cultivate the unconditioned mind beyond the completion of the Course.
These transformational readings directly open up new possibilities for living fully in the moment...
12 transformational essays to ground you in the distinctions and practices of the Course
Every two or three weeks you will receive a very focused essay written specifically for this Course. The essays introduce you to the distinctions and practices that youll work with over the next weeks. These transformational readings directly open up new possibilities for living fully in the moment and resting in the unconditioned mind. They also give you a set of reference materials through which you can refresh your experience of the unconditioned mind. The themes of the essays follow the curriculum of the Course.
Hands-on practices through 48 experiential exercises designed to lead you directly to the unconditioned mind
Every two or three weeks you will also receive a set of experiential exercises to complete over the next weeks. There are 48 exercises. Some are designed to deepen your understanding of your conditioning (desires, needs, preferences, and so on). Other exercises work on your fixations and patterns, and make your mind more pliant and receptive to nondual presence. Another set will lead you
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The Great Teaching ... is easy to enter for those with sharp faculties and quick wits and broad penetration who dont use their intellectual brilliance to try to comprehend it! Yuanwu, Chinese Zen master
directly into the unconditioned mind and help you to refine the experience. Many of the exercises will be completed with Course participants, partners, colleagues and friends. As one participant said, [The Course has] concrete tools, a whole lot of exercises and practices offered over a long enough period of time so that you can translate it into daily lifes ordinary situationswe practice it in discrete daily life situations and interactions. There are tools and practices here that really work...Im amazed that there actually are tools to learn what I learned. Another added, The many different exercises were all methods to show us our obstacles, the blocks, and any concepts that would keep us from the unconditioned mind.
You will be assigned a coach to guide you in learning to meditate, or to enhance or reinvigorate your existing practice so that it points more directly to unconditioned mind
This course is designed for people with varying degrees of experience in meditation or contemplation, from beginners through to teachers of meditation. If you are new to contemplation, we can help you design a contemplative practiceone that suits your lifestyle and commitments. It isnt a requirement that you meditate to do the course, but people find that a contemplative practice supports their participation. In the course we will introduce a simple contemplative practice called simply sitting. This practice will allow you to:
Im amazed that there actually are tools to learn what I learned.
Increase your capacity to be present to what is, without attachment or aversion. Connect with your conditioning and be more accepting of your strengths and vulnerabilities. Better understand the consequences of what you do and dont do. Directly experience the unconditioned mind.
the contemplative practice created an effortless radiance that rippled positively into all of life..
Your practice of simply sitting will be empowered and strengthened by shared meditation in which you meditate on the phone with other people. You will learn how to deconstruct other peoples identification with the content of their thinking process during the practice of shared meditation. The practice of contemplation continues throughout the course. One participant found that, the contemplative practice created an effortless radiance that rippled positively into all of life and supported a natural emergence of compassion and understanding for the human condition ... making way for the possibility of wisdom and well-being.
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Show me nothing? Zen koan
If youre an experienced meditator, we will help you to refine, enhance or reinvigorate your practice, so that it leads more directly to the experience of the unconditioned mind. If you wish youll also be supported in exploring how you can share your meditative experience with others. The practice we introduce is very simple and doesnt conflict with other practices.
Koans can unlock the conceptual mind and take us into the unconditioned mind.
Koan practicequestions that let you enter the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness by dismantling fixed ideas about who you are and what youre doing
Koan practice is usually associated with Zen Buddhism, but there are also natural koans that arise in the journey from a structured (knowing) to an unstructured (not knowing) state of consciousness. These are questions like: What is this? Where am I? Am I moving forwards or backwards? Am I moving at all? Is there something special I should be doing? Who am I? These questions are all koans because each one of them is a key that can unlock the conceptual mind and take us into the unconditioned mind. In the second semester of the Course you will explore how natural koans can be used to enter and stabilize the experience of unstructured awareness. Youll learn how to place your mind on these questions in a way that lets your thoughts dissolve into the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness.
Grasp this paradox my sons and daughters! There is not so much as a mote of dust upon which to meditate, but it is crucial to sustain unwavering attention with presence of mind. Shabkar, a Tibetan master
Individual sessions personalize the Course material and make it 100% relevant to your life
The most effective form of spiritual instruction meets the student on their own turfin the context of the challenges they are experiencing in the reality of their lives. Every second week you will have a private 30-minute session with your coach. In these sessions youll receive personalized and focused coaching on the issues youre dealing with in daily life and in the practices of the Course. The individual sessions give you opportunities to work with concerns of a more personal nature. The coach will track these concerns and help you move past any stubborn fixations. Any misunderstandings or misapplication of the exercises can be addressed in these individual sessions. The coach may also ask checking questions to determine the depth of your experience of the unconditioned mind. This personalized feedback is very powerful. In some of these calls you will gain skills in sharing or facilitating this work through role-playing.
The individual sessions give you opportunities to work with concerns of a more personal nature.
To realize the inexpressible truth, do not manipulate mind or body but simply open into transparency with relaxed, natural graceintellect at ease in silence, limbs at rest in stillness like hollow bamboos. Tilopa, 10th century Indian yogi
Conference calls every two weeks create experiential continuity between the workshops and reinforce your experience of community
Every two weeks you will also participate in a conference call with other members of your learning group. Peter will participate in all of these calls. The conference calls are made through a toll-free hub using the highest quality telephone technology available. These calls give you an opportunity to:
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To perpetually talk and think about it only leads you further away from harmony with the primordial reality. Nagarjuna, 2nd century Buddhist philosopher
Continue the work we opened up in the workshops that reinforces the application in daily life. Clarify questions and queries that arise in the experiential exercises. Create a shared and nourishing contemplative environment. Experience the unconditioned mind in a globally dispersed setting. Give you opportunities to explore nondual deconstruction.
When two or more people who have received training in nondual awareness link together through high-quality, hands-free telephony, they create a morphogenic field. The boundary between yourself and others dissolves. People enter each others mind streams and gently reveal and dismantle each others egofixations. You participate in a contemplative dialogue that is neither individual nor localizable and that works in the here and now to gently deconstruct the conditioned mind. In the same way that nondual spiritual inquiry deconstructs our fixed egocentric point of reference, the technology of telecommunications automatically deconstructs the experience of distance and physical location. Paradoxically, the technologies of the information age provide an ideal conduit for transmitting and sharing the information-free experience of the unconditioned mind. They can support the cultivation of very subtle levels of nondual awareness without the conditional limitations of location and distance. Radiant Mind is at the forefront in using telecommunications to directly sharpen, deepen and enhance your experience of nondual wisdom. One participant described the conference calls as having that quality I would call communion through silencea quality that was so intimate that the distinction between self and others became really questionable. Another participant said that the telephone work with Peter and in the small groups had a really magical quality. The contentless element always entered into the calls. Though they would have speech and questions and answersback and forththey would usually go to a speechless and thoughtless place... The quality that I treasured about these calls was present in all varieties of them. Another participant said; [The conference] calls kept us in touch with each otherit was our regular meetingthere was this ongoing movement that kept everything very alive and very present... Peter worked with us exactly as he did in the workshops.
When two or more people link together through high-quality, hands-free telephony, they create a morphogenic field
People enter each others mind streams and gently reveal and dismantle each others ego-fixations
...the telephone work with Peter had a really magical quality. The contentless element always entered into the calls
You will join a warm community of like-minded people who support each other in a very natural and non-egocentric way By enrolling in the Radiant Mind Course you will join a community of mature people who bring a wealth of spiritual and life experiences to the course, together with a common intention to deepen their experience of nondual presContact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net
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ence. By the end of the opening workshop participants have created a wonderfully warm, relaxed and natural sense of community and partnership.
theres no pressure to conform, since, with our emphasis on the unconditioned mind, there is nothing to conform to!
Unlike some communities, theres no pressure to conform, since, with our emphasis on the unconditioned mind, there is nothing to conform to! Yet, at the same time, the course is experienced as a precious opportunity to share in the lineage of nondual wisdom that has flourished in India and Asia and which is now streaming into America. The Course itself becomes a laboratory, or training ground, for seeing how the experience of nonduality shapes and influences our personal relationships. As one participant says; I made new friendsa couple of really good new friends, and deepened relationship with somebody that I knew already. It changed my life in terms of my workthe language I use and the presence I bring when Im teaching... I enjoy an intimacy with a broader number of people that I can take to my relations across the board. The feedback Ive had from my family and friendswho actually dont know what Ive been doingis that people really appreciating the silence, and space, and the quality of peacefulness that I am embodyingfor which they, and I, are grateful.
a precious opportunity to share in the lineage of nondual wisdom that has flourished in India and Asia and which is now streaming into America.
Discussion forum and nondual therapy: you will have access to a restricted area of the Radiant Mind web site that contains additional resources and a bulletin board
As a course participant you will have access to a restricted area of the Radiant Mind web site. Copies of the course essays and exercises will be posted to this area. This is where you will share your debriefings and experiences of the exercises with others in the course. This is where you will find a discussion forum, additional resources, recommended books, and links to relevant web sites, etc. There will also be a discussion area set aside for participants who are professional caregivers such as therapists and psychologists so that you can explore issues and experiences that arise in the application of nondual methods and perspectives in therapeutic relationships.
Why design the course over an eight-month period of time?

It changed my life in terms of my work the language I use and the presence I bring when Im teaching... I enjoy an intimacy with a broader number of people
Before answering this question, ask yourself: How many weekend or weeklong retreats have you attended where you experienced the loosening of your conditioning? Where you felt the vital support of a community of likehearted people? Perhaps you opened up emotionally like you never had before. Maybe you experienced a transcendent state that left you awestruck and excited. Perhaps you had some or all of these experiences only to have all of them fade and subside in the subsequent days after the retreat. You know, where the real world of your everyday life takes over, and you feel like what you experienced at the retreat was a dream and your daily life was the rude awakening from that dream.
Most committed seekers, in one form or another, have experienced this let down. There is nothing wrong with these retreats or their teachers, theyre doing a great job of helping us become acquainted with the unconditioned mind. And there is nothing wrong with the let down afterwards, it is an expression of our
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If your mind is settledabiding in the unified state of the unmoving, ultimate dimension of being then everything is spontaneously and automatically fulfilled without any change or transformation. Longchenpa, 14th century Tibetan Dzogchen master
conditioned existence. What regularly happens is that after experiencing an expansion, and then returning to the demands of everyday life, peoples habits and conditioning takes over, once again, and the freedom of nondual presence is unavailable. In this contracted state people can even invalidate the experience of expanded awareness. This is why it is also important to work at the conditioned level by changing the circumstances of our lives so that your relationships, work and lifestyle support the cultivation of the unconditioned mind. In the course, especially in the individual sessions, you will be guided in making the changes needed to support your spiritual path. In commenting on the transformation of daily life as the field of practice one participant said that she, liked the way [the Course] really did become a part of every aspect of my life. The many interactions with people became a chance for homework... Most of the Courses that Im used to taking now are the workshop varietyshort and intense workshopsor weekend retreats. This one lasted a long time. I liked that about it. It really did blend in with my life.
Why does the course take eight months when the unconditioned mind is always present?
Even though the unconditioned mind is timeless and unceasing, most people require time to experience what is beyond conditioning. It might seem paradoxical, but there is a cultivation process that helps us to experience what is always already available to us. The Course works at two different levelsthe conditioned and the unconditioned. We introduce a set of concepts and practices that work at the conditioned level of being and another set that are more explicitly focused on revealing the unconditioned mind. It takes time to let go of our habits and our need to project into the future. It takes time to increase our capacity to rest in objectless awareness. Peter says, The spiritual path is essentially a lifelong patha path of gaining more and more familiarity with the unconditioned mind, so that we can continue to abide in this state even in the midst of strange, disturbing and threatening experiences. The ideal is to be able to both live and die while presencing the unconditioned mind! By working quite intensely over an 8- month period, we are able to make a very significant advance in peoples capacity to presence the unconditioned mind. Becoming aware of the conditioned and unconditioned mind over an eightmonth period affords the opportunity of the unconditioned mind to be present within conditioned existence; it allows the unconditioned mind to deepen and become more stable where it counts the mostyour daily life. There is no artificial spiritual retreat environment to go to and from, to get pumped up and then let down... it all happens in daily life. This is truly the cutting edge of psychospiritual instruction.
By working quite intensely over an 8month period, we are able to make a very significant advance in peoples capacity to presence the unconditioned mind.
Instruction is directed towards your immediate experience, which makes it more relevant and powerful for you
Whatever is coming up for you during the weekend workshops is what is used for instruction. Whatever comes up for you in private calls or group interactions is what is used to instruct and learn. Why? Because whatever is coming up
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The focus of the Course is always to improve the quality of the present moment. This is the way we change the future.
in the present is a window to the unconditioned mind. Whatever is arising in the present moment is usually representative of deep structured beliefs that play out in other aspects of your life. What is happening now, is always the most relevant experience. In fact its the only experience we can ever really work with. Working with present time expressions of these deep structured beliefs as they live within you is much more powerful and transformational than processing your stories or talking about what you may or may not do in the future. The focus of the Course is always to improve the quality of the present moment. This is the way we change the future. Most forms of therapy and psycho-spiritual instruction encourage people to construct stories and interpretations, but in the Radiant Mind Course the creation of meaning becomes less significant. You will experience, first-hand, how your attachment to stories blocks access to the unconditioned. The unconditioned mind is neither meaningful, nor meaningless. It just is. Instead of making everything meaningful, we can just be with what is, without needing to understand or interpret it. Rather than superimposing some meaning fabricated by our minds, we can gently enter a space of unconditioned presence.
The course is very gentle and your participation in all aspects is voluntary.
The high level of interactivity in the Course translates into high retention for participantsthis means you learn to rest in the unconditioned mind with more depth, clarity and duration
A study conducted by the National Training Institute, reports that the three highest modes of learning are discussion group, practice by doing, and teaching others/immediate use. These are the bulk of the Radiant Mind Course! For centuries, the challenge for spiritual teachers who rest in the unconditioned mind has been how to convey their knowledge and experience to their students. The Radiant Mind Course is answering this challenge. The interactive structure of the Course helps participants to have an experiential understanding of the unconditioned mind. Such understanding is then effortlessly and naturally expressed in their daily life in an uncontrived way.
This Course is for anyone who wants to learn the effortless way of nondual presence, and therapists can gain great benefits for their practice
The Course and workshops have transformational gradient that allows you to find your own proximity or distance from the core nondual experience.
We use the context of teaching others as a powerful method of learning. Many people get the mistaken impression that this Course may be designed for therapists who will use what they learn to work with their clients. There is a component of the Course that teaches participants to teach others what they are learning. This doesnt mean you have to be a therapist to teach others what you learn. This means you can teach family members or friends what you have learned through example and specific techniques. Even if you have no desire to teach others, the orientation towards sharing it with, and teaching, others is a powerful modality of learning and serves its purpose in developing your own understanding and practice of the Course content.
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This course is non-confrontational so you dont need to worry about being embarrassed by the teacher in front of a group Some potential participants have expressed concerns about whether Peter uses confrontational methods in the Course. When reading about Peter using deconstructive conversations they can mistakenly interpret these conversations as confrontational ego bashing and imagine themselves potentially being embarrassed or even put into a humiliating position. In fact, the opposite is the case. Peter is highly respectful. The Course is very gentle and your participation in all aspects is voluntary. Whether you speak up or not is your choice. Nobody forces you to do anything you dont want to do, nor is there any belief you must espouse. The course and workshops have transformational gradient that allows you to find your own proximity or distance from the core nondual experience. Rather than employing force, Peter actually does the opposite: He creates the space of unconditional acceptance for participants to express whatever is going on with them in the present. Once these present time concerns are on the table, he guides participants to deconstruct their own expressions of their conditioning. Peter acts as a catalyst via questions and gentle guidance and the participants end up deconstructing their own conceptuality or fixations.
Peter creates the space of unconditional acceptance for participants to express whatever is going on with them in the present.
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Outline of the dynamic content that will lead you to experience the unconditioned mind
he Course begins where you are: by helping you to develop a profile of your relationship to, and experience of, the unconditioned mind. Everyone has a different familiarity with the unconditioned mind, and people use different names for the same experience. Perhaps you are quite familiar with the experience, and are looking to make your experience deeper, clearer and more continuous. Perhaps you had an experience some years ago, and wish to recover the experience, and create the conditions in your life that make it more accessible. Perhaps the experience is available to you on retreats or in mediation, but not when youre interacting with people. Maybe it is easy for you to experience real peace and serenity, but more difficult to breakthrough to a pure experience of nondual presence. Alternatively, your experience of the unconditioned mind may be very pure, but also very fragile. Or, maybe youve heard about the unconditioned mind for years, but still havent had an anchoring experience. In order get to get to know you and address your specific needs well help you explore the history and contours of your experience of the unconditioned mind, particularly in terms of the purity, depth and duration of your experience.
Dont keep searching for the truth, just let go of your opinions. Buddha
Five obstacles that keep you identified with your conditioned existence and prevent you from experiencing the freedom of the unconditioned mind
Next you will actively explore what hinders you in accessing the unconditioned mind. For example, youll identify the behaviors that keep you busy. In doing so youll also open up the possibility of simply being present to what is, without needing to move incessantly towards a self-prescribed goal. You will become a skillful observer of how you create and recreate fixed points of reference. You will explore the experience of living from a more open and fluid identity. Through his work in the course, one participant he said that he was able to just be without effort in a state in which nothing needs to be done. Just the other day I was really surprisedthere was nothing I needed to do. It occurred to me to do some pleasant distracting things like reading or taking a napbut I thought I dont really need to do that. And so I just sat therewithout boredom, without restlessness feeling strangely content for quite a long time.
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When you are deeply identified with your conditioned way of beinginitial access to the unconditioned mind can be obscure and obstructed. The most common psychological phenomena that hinder access to the unconditioned mind are:
Attachment to suffering The habitual need to be doing something The need to know what is happening and where we are The need to create meaning Fearful projections about the unconditioned mind
In observing what blocks access to the unconditioned mind you will also realize that paradoxically there is nothing to block the experience!
Whether youre an experienced meditator, or a beginner, this Course will help you create a contemplative practice that points directly to the unconditioned mind
Even though awareness of the unconditioned mind potentially exists continuouslywithin and throughout every experienceat least initially it can be easier to presence the unconditioned when we are in a quiet, contemplative mood. The capacity to feel at home and comfortable with contemplative experience is an important part of this Course. Contemplation covers a wide range of practices and experiences. It includes deeply inspecting the nature of your experience, going beyond identification with thoughts and feelings, and sharing your inner peace and clarity with others. You can contemplate with your eyes open or closed, by yourself or in a group. You can be in a state of contemplation even when you are relating with other people. For participants who are new to contemplation, a coach will help you to design and maintain a regular contemplative practice that is suited to your lifestyle and commitments. You will learn how to anticipate the obstacles that may arise, and gain support for your practice from your family and co-participants in the Course. If youre already an experienced meditator this Module will give you the opportunity to identify where your contemplation has become sporadic, flat, uninspired, habitual or obligatory. You will design ways to reinvigorate and enhance your practice. We can also help you design and implement opportunities to share your experience in meditation with communities that are important to you. The development and refinement of a contemplative practice will continue in the background throughout the Course. We will offer ongoing guidance and coaching in this area.
We can help you design and implement opportunities to share your experience in meditation with communities that are important to you.
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By enhancing the quality of your experience in this and every moment, you predispose yourself to more bliss and contentment in the future
This module offers various exercises that will root you more deeply in the immediacy of the moment. The practices will connect you with feelings and thoughts as they arise and transpire. You will become more interested in increasing the quality of the present moment, rather than processing problems. Youll learn how to cut through your stories about what should have happened, or what might happen, and let go of what is missing in the present moment.
Real awareness of now is better than any future enlightenment. Hogen Yamahata, contemporary Zen master
Your attention will be directed to the felt-quality of your experience in the present moment. The most significant question for you is whether or not you are suffering right now. This Course will increase your awareness of what is happening in the here-and-now and show you how to increase the quality of your experience by transcending the projections that throw you into the past and future. You will also engage the paradox that the here and now is all there ever is. You dont have to do anything to be in the here and now. You can never be anywhere else! Yet, you keep struggling to be where you already are!
Youll learn how to release fixations by simply observing their presence in real time
This Module gives you the vital skill of observing the presence of attachment and aversion, as they arise in real-time. Observing your fixations can be as simple as seeing what is in front of you. Once we know how to recognize them, fixations become apparent just as effortlessly as the sights and sounds that present themselves to your senses. We offer you a simple set of lenses through which to observe your own and others fixations. You will explore your attachment to, and rejection of different feelings and sensations, and different thoughts, beliefs and values. Fixations also manifest in your body and nervous system. They determine where you move and how you hold your body. Your preferences draw you into some situations, and hold you there, and repel you from others. In this course you learn how to:
Use your own body as a sensitive instrument for detecting the presence of cognitive, emotional and behavioral reactions . Feel the presence of fixations by tuning into the movement of subtle energies in your body. Read the physical expression of moods and emotions such as embarrassment, pride, fear, excitement and boredom.
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Silence is not turning off the tap of communication but turning it full on. Ramana Maharshi
Intimate yet detached: discover desirelessness as one of the most effective ways to de-condition your experience and open you to new levels of intimacy
Desirelessness is one of the most effective ways to de-condition your experience. Far from being boring or bland, the experience of desirelessness opens you to far deeper levels of intimacy, trust and confidence than can be built upon on attraction and aversion. In Hinduism this is called the practice of desire-less action (nishkama-karma). We prefer to speak about discovering the place in your experience that is free of strong desire and learning to acknowledge and respect this place as a powerful source for effective action. In this Module we create opportunities for you to discover a desireless way of being and explore what its like to speak and act from this experience. As one participant said, [Im] more spacious both at work and in my intimate relationships what is happening is more okay than ever. Im more at ease with what is in myself, both when I react from habit and when I respond from the choice of unity. I dont space out as much; I enjoy the living of this life more.
Thoughts are no different from ultimate reality, so dont find fault with them. Remain at ease. Whatever arises, whatever occurs, dont grasp release it on the spot. Niguma, 11th century Indian female master
Feel complete with the past and fearless of the future

In order for you to rest in the unconditioned mind and remain fully open to the ever-changing modulations of the here-and-now, you need to be free of the burdens of guilt, regret, worry and anxiety. You need to be complete with the past and fearless about the future. You need to live in a state of on-going completion, in which the past lives in the past, and not in the present. When an action is complete, youre free to move on and fully encounter the next moment. In this way you keep the present moment fresh and alive. You dont need to go back and rectify situations where you have left yourself or others incomplete. At the end of each day theres nothing to process or mull over.
Student: Babaji, I meditate and practice kriya yoga, but still Im suffering. What else can I do! Swami Haidakhan Baba: Tell the truth faster.
There are different ways to achieve completion and be in the here and now. In this Module you will complete various exercises that will root you more deeply in the immediacy of the moment. You learn how to:
Transcend your conditioning by connecting with the unconditioned mind. Clean up the past, in the present. Discover a desireless way of being. Tune into the future consequences of your actions as youre doing them, and adjust your actions accordingly. Design your conversations so that you remain complete in the present moment.
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Learn a new way of listening called pure listening that relieves people of the burden of heavy emotions and negative thoughts
In pure listening theres no static. You get things exactly as they are. Youre like a clear mirror, receiving exactly what is communicatednothing more and nothing less.
When you listen through a screen of judgments and assessments you distort the natural flow of peoples experience. Pure listening is a quality of being that your nondual presence will bring to your interpersonal relationships. Its a type of listening that neither adds to nor takes away from what is being communicated. This listening is pure because you hear without any interference. In pure listening theres no static. You get things exactly as they are. When you listen with this purity, you listen from nothing. Youre like a clear mirror, receiving exactly what is communicatednothing more and nothing less. When you listen from nothing, you hear everything. You are in an equal and intimate contact with yourself and the people with whom you are in communication. Communication arises as a beautifully coordinated display of non-manipulative speaking and listening. This is the only form of communication that can take you beyond your conditioned identity, into an experience of the unconditioned mind. In this Module, you develop the skill of pure listening in two phases. In the first phase you learn how to listen in silence, without judging and assessingyou just listen. You will complete a set of exercises designed to refine your listening by filtering out the tendencies to positively and negatively judge what people are saying or doing. In the second phase you learn how to introduce speech from your own side. You learn how to listen and speak from nothing. One participant commenting on this aspect of the course said, Its had a profound effect on my comfort around silence in daily life situations. It lets me find silence within the conversations I have in my life, with my family... Another participant said of Peter, He demonstrates the power of stillness and of non-action in interactions with people. This reinforced something that I was already developing, a type of listening attitude that holds a conversation within the container of still awareness.
Communication arises as a beautifully coordinated display of non-manipulative speaking and listening.
In this course youll learn to tune into the points where problems and heavy emotions begin to dissolve on their own. Youll recognize the seed of harmony that lies at the heart of every conflict.
Experience natural release: the practice of non-interference that transforms conflict into harmony by letting things be just as they are
When you let things be, as they are, contracted emotions can often dissipate more quickly than if you meddle and interfere. The ability to let things be, without judgment or reflection, is an important component of nondual presence. It is a highly respectful and expeditious way of working with people. You simply create space around a problem, let it run its course and dissipate of its own accord. In nature everything moves through a natural cycle of growth and dissolution. This is also true of feelings and emotions. In this course youll learn to tune into the points where problems and heavy emotions begin to dissolve on their own. By recognizing this process you can assist others in returning to a point of equilibrium and balance. Youll recognize the seed of harmony that lies at the heart of every conflict. In many Asian spiritual traditions healing occurs through
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the practice of non-interference. This Module introduces you to the power of non-interference: the practice of just letting things be. In this Module youll also learn a process called natural release. This process releases conflict at a deep, inner level. It mirrors the intra-psychic process that happens in the minds of nondual yogis. The procedure introduces you to undifferentiated awareness by blending the energy of attraction and aversion thats embedded in the structure of your emotional reactions. The procedure also creates pathways within the conditioned mind that make the release of reactive emotions easier in the future.
Learn to radiate an inner peace that soothes and nourishes others

Youll work with friends, partners and clients to lead them to a state of deep calm and acceptance by de-energizing the thinking process.
One of the greatest things you can offer others is the experience of your own grounding serenity. This is particularly precious when people are agitated or distressed. When youre unperturbed and totally at ease you radiate an inner peace and composure that soothes and nourishes. In this Module you will explore the practice of serenity inside and outside of your meditation practice. Youll work with friends, partners and clients to lead them to a state of deep calm and acceptance by de-energizing the thinking process. Youll learn how to calibrate the level of cognitive input you provide as you skillfully introduce people to inner peace. The time-honored wisdom of Asias contemplative traditions recommends that initial access to the unconditioned mind can be greatly enhanced by slowing your thinking down so that you feel peaceful and serene. You dont need to eliminate thoughts in order to feel calm and relaxed. This Module will show you how to discover the point where thoughts can move through your awareness without producing any disturbance. The most direct and effective way to slow down your thinking is to give yourself nothing to think about! This is logical. If you have nothing to think about you have fewer thoughts. And thinking about nothing also reveals the unconditioned mind.
Lift an oppressive weight from your spiritual path by releasing the perpetual need to know and be busy
Gazing with sheer awareness into sheer awareness, habitual, abstract structures melt into the fruitful springtime of buddhahood. Tilopa, 10th century Indian yogi
There are two types of not knowing. Theres the situation when you dont know what can be known, for example, a foreign language. And theres the situation where you dont know because youre in a space where there is nothing to know. And this is the unconditioned mind. The first type of not knowing produces feelings of frustration and inadequacy. Sometimes we can rectify the situation, through education and study, but still you need to put in time and effort. The second type of not knowing is liberating because it frees you from the need to know anything more, or less, than what you do know. You are fulfilled, integrated and complete. Nothing needs to be worked out, thought through, or acted on. Theres nothing you need to do. The experience of the unconditioned
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Empty yourself more and more until finally you reach no action. Where there is no action, nothing is left undone. Dao De Jing
mind is the same as the not knowing. No one has ever known the unconditioned mind. It has no structure: no shape or color. No matter how much mental effort or philosophical skill you apply to the task, youll never be able to understand or interpret the experience of unstructured awareness. In this Module you increase your capacity for not knowing.
Work with natural koans to allow your fixed ideas about who you are and what youre doing dissolve into the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness
This Module introduces you to natural koansthe questions that arise spontaneously by participating in this Course. You will learn how to leverage their capacity to reveal the unconditioned mind. Your contemplative practice will also be extended to include a dimension of koan work. Youll be guided in this work, through to the completion of the Course. Koan practice is usually associated with formal Zen Buddhist practice. But koans arise naturally in your mind when your experience of the conditioned mind expands to include unconditioned awareness. When your familiar points of reference dissolve, questions arise such as: What is this? Where am I? Am I moving forwards or backwards? Am I moving at all? Is there something special I should be doing? Who am I? These questions are all koans because each one of them is a key that can unlock the conceptual mind, and take you into the unknown. In the Effortless Way of Nondual Presence, you use these naturally arising koans as tools for deconstructing your habitual ways of thinking. The silences that punctuate this Course often give birth to a gentle cascade of natural koans. By letting your thoughts ride on these koan-type questions, fixed ideas about who you are, and what you are doing, can dissolve into the infinite expanse of unconditioned awareness.
The silences that punctuate this course give birth to a gentle cascade of natural koans.
Dear friends, you cannot understand Perfect Wisdom because there is absolutely nothing to understand. You are not lacking in refinement of intellect. There is simply nothing to which the intellect can be applied. Subhuti, a disciple of the Buddha
Learn the art of deconstructive conversations ... a way to dismantle conceptuality

Deconstructive conversations dismantle the foundations of your conceptual constructions, and thereby allow you to experience the unstructured mind. They penetrate the seeming reality of feelings, emotions and sensations in a way that dissolves their existence. A unique feature of the Radiant Mind Course is the use of conversations that directly reveal the unconditioned mind. These conversations are rarely encountered in daily discourse. We call them deconstructive conversations. They can be spoken and silent. This Module takes you inside the structure of deconstructive conversations. We begin by introducing you to the traditional methods for deconstructing rigid beliefs and frozen emotions. You will have an opportunity to introduce them in your own practice. You will then explore how they can be adapted for use in helping others. You will learn how to identify the core concept on which an emotional construction is built. Having identified the core concept, you will learn how to inquire into the existence of the reality behind the concept, and dissolve the painful feelings associated with fixed ways of thinking. You will understand
At an even more radical level youll experience that you have never suffered and never will! What we call suffering is a case of mistakenly identifying the unconditioned!
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Suffering is our greatest teacher because it invariably reveals the nature of our attachment and aversion. Lama Thubten Yeshe, 20th century Tibetan master
the wisdom of the Buddhist Heart Sutra, when it says, there is no suffering. Youll experience how suffering dissolves when its examined by the mind that rests in un-conditionality. At an even more radical level youll experience that you have never suffered and never will! What we call suffering is a case of mistakenly identifying the unconditioned! A participant expressed his appreciation for Peters skills in verbal deconstruction this way, Peter is able to very gently and precisely expose the contradictions in a persons fixated view of himself in the worldand watching him at work doing this was really wonderful, and what he was able to give us were the rudiments of this, the basic materials...
Peter is able to very gently and precisely expose the contradictions in a persons fixated view of himself in the world and watching him at work doing this was really wonderful.
Broaden the river of lifelearn to expand your capacity to remain present and fully functional in the face of intensely pleasurable and unpleasant experiences
This Module creates a focused opportunity to observe how you attempt to avoid or dilute different experiences of pain and pleasure. You will expand your capacity to remain present and functional in the face of intensely pleasurable and unpleasant experiences. You will be given guidance and opportunities to assist those around youfriends, partners, and clientsto expand their capacity to experience pleasure and pain, without resistance. In nondual traditions the nature of the spiritual path changes from one of avoiding suffering and pursuing pleasure to one of expanding your capacity to be present to everything that human life can produceopen to the full force and richness of your conditioned existence. You progressively increase your capacity to receive all experiences without fear or addiction. You dont automatically try to avoid difficult situations and seek out agreeable ones. You become more tolerant and more accepting. You discover how to face life with more balance and equanimity.
You progressively increase your capacity to receive all experiences without fear or addiction. You welcome what is as a gateway to the unconditioned mind.
You accept that suffering still happens for us at this point on your path. You cut through the fantasy that something is wrong when you suffer. You stop making a problem out of having problems! You accept the basic structure and patterns of your experience, your life circumstances, not in a defeatist way, but with dignity and grace. You welcome what is as a gateway to the unconditioned mind.
Explore and enjoy the natural side effects of resting in the unconditioned mind: healing-bliss, joy and rapture
This Module gives you an opportunity to explore the landscape and tonality of healing-bliss in your own and others experience. You will distinguish different types of bliss. Youll learn to support peoples immersion in healing-bliss, work with any attachment to these experiences, and smoothly move them into total openness. In Sanskrit there are many words for bliss. Most of them have a spiritual association. Why? Its very simple. In a culture that practices yoga and meditation there is a lot of bliss around.
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If you expect your life to be up and down, your mind will be much more peaceful. Lama Thubten Yeshe, 20th century Tibetan master
Experiences of deep bliss, joy and rapture arise like clockwork in the slipstream of the unconditioned mind.
The Radiant Mind Course also produces experiences of deep bliss, joy and rapture. They arise in the slipstream of the unconditioned mind. They occur like clockwork when your thinking slows down, and you move into more subtle states of consciousness. These experiences can be profoundly healing, especially for people who deprive themselves of pleasure. They are medicine for the mind and the soul. They soothe your mind and repair the damage done to your nervous system by pain and trauma. We recognized their healing power and let people rest in these experiences for as long as they arise.
You will learn to work with checking questions so you can verify, for yourself and others, the quality and purity of the unconditioned mind experience
Experiences of bliss soothe your mind and repair the damage done to your nervous system by pain and trauma.
The quality and purity of the unconditioned experience can be verified by asking checking questions. You can direct these questions to yourself, and to others. Normally you only ask these questions when someone is in a fairly open and spacious state of being. These questions reveal whether a person is resting in a structured or unstructured state. An example of a checking question is: Can you enhance this experience? If you discover the presence of conceptual residues within the experience of the unconditioned mind, you may choose to go one step further, into the fully unconditioned state or enjoy the feeling of peace and serenity that arises when your thoughts dissolve. In this Module you will learn to detect residual conceptual structures and dissolve these using checking questions.
When you look for it you become further from it, when you seek it you turn from it all the more. Linji, 9th century Chinese Zen master
Dance in the paradoxes of nondual logic that lead you directly into the unconditioned mind and release the energy thats tied up in the imperative that you need to be logical and rational
This Module will teach you how to dance in the paradoxical logic of nondual awareness. Many people think that this cant be taught, but it can be. You will learn how to use paradox as a springboard for entering the unconditioned mind. Youll become confident in knowing when (and when not) to use paradox and contradiction. In the West we have a long-standing habit of being very earnest and serious about our psychological and spiritual development. We feel compelled to communicate without any hint of inconsistency or inner contradiction. This habit comes from our Greek philosophical heritage. In contrast, Eastern sages move fluidly and confidently in the paradoxical domain without any trace of self-consciousness or distress. They know, from their experience, that paradox and contradiction are inevitable when we enter the space of unconditioned awareness. As such they welcome paradox because it points to the reality that cannot be captured by our thoughts. If you let go of your need for conceptual consistency these paradoxical thought-forms can lead you directly into the unconditioned mind. They can also produce an explosion of hilarity and laughter that shatters the seriousness and releases the energy that gets tied up in maintaining a rigid image of self and others.
The dance of nondual dialogue produces explosions of hilarity and laughter that can shatter our pretence of seriousness and knowledge.
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Is Peter Fenner qualified to transmit and teach you about unconditioned presence?
s a prospective participant of the Radiant Mind course, you want to know whether Peter has experienced the unconditioned mind states he talks about. This is important because you want to know if the teacher of a Course on unconditioned mind is genuinely familiar with this state, and whether she or he knows a variety of paths for accessing this experience. You want to be taught by a teacher who can teach from a state of nondual presence if he is offering you an eight-month course called Radiant Mind: The Effortless Way Of Nondual Presence.
Without doing what we didnt need to do, we wouldnt realize that we didnt need to do it! Peter Fenner
In the past people would usually experience Peter in an evening or weekend workshop before signing up for the Radiant Mind Course. They would have an opportunity to personally meet him, experience his presence, and watch the way he works with people in the here and now. They may have had an opportunity to directly engage their beliefs and experience with Peters methods of deconstructing all frames of reference. Such personal contact has lead many people to enroll in the Radiant Mind Course. So the question is: What can we say in this booklet to convey the quality of his understanding of unconditional presence? What can we do that will give you an exposure to Peter that parallels meeting him in person?
...he transmits it so effortlessly that I feel that I got continuously in contact with him every time in the group....that I dropped into it I got it the transmission was so full.
First off we recommend that you check out the sample dialogues on the Radiant Mind website. These dialogues give you an idea of how Peter introduces people to the unconditioned mind by dismantling fixations and how he uses silence and a special type of listening to induce an experience of natural meditation. Second, you can also learn something from what others say about Peter and his work. One participant put it this way, His ability to be in the unconditioned mind and to sit with what ishe walks his talk so fully he transmits it so effortlessly that I feel that I got continuously in contact with him every time in the group....that I dropped into it I got it the transmission was so full. Another course participant says, Invariably my work with Peter brings me back to mewhere I continue to tap into and further develop my essence and being, living my life with more joy, peace, and prosperity. Peter not only talks the talk of this work, but he also walks the walk, providing me with a living example of the work we do together. Finally, if it comes to a point in your decision making process where you feel you need to talk to Peter via phone to see if he is the person you can work
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with, then this can be arranged. Or if you would like to meet him when he is traveling in North America, then this can also be arranged. But we ask that this request be reserved for people who are seriously considering taking the course. Why is a teachers presence important?
If spiritual students wanted to learn strength, it would behoove them to be with a spiritual teacher who will embody the strength they want to learn. That makes sense, doesnt it? The same is true for students who want to learn to experience the unconditioned mind in a deeper way: it behooves them to be with a spiritual teacher who deeply embodies an unconditional mind presence that they want to experience. Peters unconditional presence resonates with the participants and is an experiential component of the Course. It is instrumental in participants identifying, learning and deepening the experience of the unconditioned mind. This same resonating dynamic is seen in everyday life with our interactions with people. The expression that ones enthusiasm is infectious, points to this dynamic. There is something that goes on that is deeper than just modeling a teachers behavior. The embodied qualities of the teacher wash over the participants to strike the same chord within them. One participant put it this way: This unconditioned mindthis pure spacious awarenessPeter is an embodiment of that. Just that silencethat is what its all about. Its kind of like a guitar string. If you have a piano in a room where there is a guitarthat guitar string will start vibrating to the same frequency as the note that was struck on the piano.... Sitting with Peterthis resonance was happening with me.
Experiencing Peter in a workshop or experiencing Peters work directly

If you have an opportunity to see Peter at an evening dialogue or workshop this would certainly help you determine if you are interested in working with him over a longer period of time. To see him in action, deconstructing the different systems of belief and interpretation, is often impressive to longtime spiritual students, therapists and seekers. He operates on his feet, without a fixed agenda, sometimes engaging participants in highly dynamic and challenging dialogues and at other times inviting people to rest deeply in the serenity of pure awareness. In sharing her experience of Peter, one Course participant said; What I loved about Peter was the kind of freedom he was playing withthe energetic of the unconditioned mind. Sometimes there was structure and sometimes not. The unpredictability of what he teachesthe stylewas disconcerting in some ways and also really fun. Hes modeling nondualism. I really enjoyed that about him. Peters use of silence is innovative and exacting. Peter can be in a deeply intimate, yet silent conversation with a number of people at the same time. He is able to sense how people are responding differently to his work, and stay connected with a wide range of responsesexcitement, elation, confusion, angerat the same time. In this silent communication, your own momentum about what should be happening when sitting with Peter is brought forth and exposed for
Peter can be in a deeply intimate, yet silent conversation with a number of people at the same time.
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what it ispresuppositions about how to get somewhere with a default nonacceptance of what is happening now. The effects experienced by working with Peter by long-term seekers are often subtle. Many seekers have pronounced and well developed notions about where they are going and what they have to do to get there. These idealistic notions have been shaped, indulged and fortified by many teachings that make prescriptive pronouncements about what seekers need to do or not do, how they needed to be or not be. Even when presented with an open demonstration of positionlessness, seekers tend to interrupt such a demonstration as either confirming or rejecting their own practices and beliefs. People misinterpret such non-prescriptive demonstrations from their demand-laden cognitive context. Either way, people easily internalize injunctions about what they should and shouldnt do. Peter runs against that grain of these prescriptions. In fact Peters non-prescriptiveness is the context or space that draws out the internalized prescriptions in students. Peter gives people the opportunity to experience what is outside the endless loop of chasing ones tail. At some intuitive level people understand that what Peter is doing is fresh and authentic.
At some intuitive level people understand that what Peter is doing is fresh and authentic.
Just because teachers can rest in the unconditioned mind doesnt mean they can teach this to others
The awareness skills required to abide in the unconditioned mind are not the same skills that are required to teach someone else how to do this. Its necessary to be familiar with the territory in order to explain it to students, yet familiarity alone doesnt mean a teacher has the skills to explain it in a way that is useful to the student.
Peter will meet you at the level in which you come to the Course. He speaks in a way you can understand
Often teachers forget how frustrating it is to break free of conditioned existence since they have not experienced that frustration in many years. Some teachers end up speaking past their students because they are speaking from an unconditioned mind and the student is listening from a conditioned mind. They end up talking past each other. It is like a teacher who speaks French trying to teach a student who understands only English. Peter understands this challenge. He will meet you at the level in which you come to the Course. He speaks in a way you can understand. Hell use the context of your own conditioning as a means for you to experience first hand the conditioned and unconditioned mind. Hell connect deeply with your conditioned experience. At the same time, hell ease you out of your identification with your thoughts and feelings. One participant described it this way, [Peter] doesnt give people what they wantwhat they think they want. He stays with the unconditioned and deconstructs peoples questions... And they have a confused look on their face and then they have a poof! as they drop into the unconditioned.
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In short, Peter is pioneering innovative methods to teach you and others to directly experience what the nondual sages have been talking about for centuries. So he not only will teach you from a position of having direct experience with unconditioned mind, but he is on the cutting edge of instructional technologies.
Peter says, This Course is not just another intellectual project!

Theres a reason why Peter designed the Course to give you an experiential understanding of whatever concepts he introduces. He knows a common source of inefficiency and confusion in the psycho-spiritual instructions is the lack of establishing experiential anchors with the student. For example, a teacher might talk about the unconditioned mind, or pure awareness or egolessness, but until and unless you have an experiential understanding of what the teacher means, any cultivation that occurs will simply occur on the idea level. The unconditioned mind gets relegated to being just another ideal you put in the box of ideals to be attained. Peter is extremely careful that the concepts and models about unconditioned mind he uses are not made into something, are not made into an ideal that you need to attain. If he senses that you are making the unconditioned mind into something, he will help you deconstruct this as it arises. In fact, Peter is the only one we know of who deconstructs his own Course at the end of the Course! Peter is very meticulous in giving you an experiential understanding of the various concepts he introduces. For example, he introduces you to the concept of deconstructive conversations through a set of exercises that let you explore these conversations in interactive dialogs with Peter, other participants, and internal dialogs with yourself. You will have an experiential understanding of deconstructive contemplations that you can use to work through your conditioning. One participant commented on the experiential understanding she gained saying: The essence of [the unconditioned mind] is communicated not in ideas; its a direct transmission that we get in sitting with Peter over periods of time in which you gradually relax into the recognition of it... There is a gradual confirmation of the experience from Peter and also from sharing it with others and you begin to realize that yes, you know what it isand you know what it isnt, too.
Abiding nowhere yet everywhere, the totality of the universe is your very sphere of consciousness. Sosan Zenji, 3rd Patriarch of Zen
Peters reasons for creating the Radiant Mind Course

As a Westerner, who has received tremendous personal benefits from nondual teachings masters, Peter is committed sharing the timeless wisdom of India, Tibet and Asia in forms that are fully compatible with a contemporary, urban lifestyle. The Radiant Mind Course will:
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Introduce you to the experience of contentless awareness that dissolves all need and transcends all fears and fantasies. Show you how to recognize this experience and consciously participate in the lineage of contentless wisdom that has streamed through India and Asia and now entered America. Teach you how to remain in this experience by observing how you move out of it by making it into something which can then be lost and gained. This stage also includes showing you how to create the conditions in your personal and working life that support the experience of unconditioned mind.
Where did Peter get the material for this course?

Peters years of formal training have allowed him to integrate the experiential heart of these traditions and teach without any need to refer to them.
This Radiant Mind Course is a direct result of Peter Fenners wide and varied personal and professional history. This course has been developed as a direct result of his international teaching over the last fifteen years. He combined the best theories and practices of the East and West when he created the Radiant Mind Course. As you will see, Peter has a strong background in both theory and practice. Both are necessary elements for creating an effective Course about the unconditioned mind. A Zen teacher from Germany wrote: Peter has a unique capacity for observing and dismantling the conditioned mind. His work is a consistent and authentic synthesis of his immersion in the Buddhist Madhyamika and Dzogchen traditions, combined with his study of Western psychotherapy and depth psychology. His years of formal training have allowed him to integrate the experiential heart of these traditions and teach without any need to refer to them. His years of contemplative training as a Buddhist monk have brought him a deep inner stillness and utmost respect for the people with whom he works. Forgoing any fixed method or predetermined structure, he fully engages himself in his contemplative dialogueswith warmth, and a seriousness of intent that is juxtaposed with humor and absurdity. The foremost source, though, that accounts for the quality of his work, is his own extraordinary presence.
The Radiant Mind Course links you directly into a lineage of illustrious spiritual masters going back to the Buddha
Peters work is firmly rooted in a timeless spiritual lineage that in our era began with the profound awakening of the Buddha in India 2,500 years ago. In India this lineage was maintained and reenergized by great sages such as Nagarjuna, Saraha, Manjushrimitra and Tilopa. In Tibet it was transmitted and adapted to new cultural realities by philosophy-yogis such as Padmasambhava, Marpa, Gampopa, and Longchenpa. In China this wisdom was discovered and transmitted by sages such as Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Bodhidharma, and Hui Neng.
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No matter when or where someone awakens to the truth, this is the reality that they experience. Sosan Zenji, 3rd Patriarch of Zen
Sometimes this wisdom is handed down from a physical teacher to a student, like a baton in a relay race. At other times, it is discovered afresh, independently of any direct contact with earlier masters or traditions. The experience of nondual presence has been tapped into by mystics, philosophers, shamans and contemplatives in all cultures when, at a certain point in their deep reflections on the nature of reality and who they are, they arrive at a point where they directly experience that the state of real completion is actually nothing, and that they the person experiencing thisdoesnt exist either. Peter has discovered this lineage of contentless awareness as a result of over forty years of intense spiritual and philosophical searching, combined with the teachings and blessings of highly realized Tibetan and Indian masters. In 1974 Peter had the good fortune to meet the Tibetan lama Thubten Yeshe, the first Tibetan lama to visit Australia. Lama Yeshe accepted him as his student, and in 1978 he was ordained in India as a monk. He practiced as an ordained monk for nine years. His other teachers include Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Loden, Geshe Lhundup Sopa Rinpoche, Geshe Ngawang Legden Rinpoche, Geshe Tashibum, Geshe Trinley, Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche and Sogyal Rinpoche. He has also received teachings and transmissions from H.H. the Dalai Lama and the late Song Rinpoche.
As a post-monastic, Peter integrated Eastern wisdom with Western psychological practices: The result is the Radiant Mind Course
After nine years as a celibate monk, Peter handed back his ordination. As a post-monastic he embarked on an intensive exploration of Western forms of healing and therapy. In 1986 he began offering adaptations of Mahayana wisdom to mental health professionals. His workshops integrated Buddhist nondual wisdom with an understanding of group dynamics. He subsequently founded the Center for Timeless Wisdom (www.wisdom.org), a Californian nonprofit organization, which offers contemplative dialogues and retreats in Australia, USA, Europe and Israel. In response to requests from the many mental health professionals who attended his workshops, Peter has taught the principles and practices for a nondual psychotherapy. He also offers individual counseling sessions to clients in many countries. In 1998 he teamed up with Dr. Jean-Marc Mantel (President of the Association Internationale de Psychiatrie Spirituelle) to organize the first-ever conference focusing on the contribution of nondual spiritual experience to psychotherapy. This took place at Mt. Madonna, California. The Center for Timeless Wisdom continues to sponsor an annual conference on Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy, with the additional support of graduate schools such as Saybrook Institute, California Institute of Integral Studies, JFK University, the Association of Transpersonal Psychology and the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.
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The scholarly side of Peterthe solid theoretical underpinnings of the experiential Radiant Mind Course
Peter is an accomplished scholar and author as well. In 1983 he completed a Ph.D. in the philosophical psychology of the Madhyamika school of Mahayana Buddhism. His books below demonstrate his scholarship. Peter is quick to warn prospective participants that these books are highly intellectual and are not at all indicative of the experiential nature of the Radiant Mind Course. Peters books include The Ontology of the Middle Way (Kluwer, 1990), Reasoning into Reality (Wisdom Publications, 1994), Essential Wisdom Teachings (with Penny Fenner, Nicolas-Hays, 2001) and The Edge of Certainty: Paradoxes on the Buddhist Path (Nicolas-Hays, 2002). Even though these books emphasize philosophical theory and are directed at professionals, browsing them can help you feel secure that Peter has done his homework and the models and frameworks he utilizes in his experiential Course are some of the most advanced models in the nondual traditions. His psychological essays have appeared in journals such as the Journal of Contemplative Psychotherapy, Revision, Journal of the International Association for Spiritual Psychiatry, Psychologia (Tokyo), and 3e millenaire. Besides offering experiential workshops, Peter has given presentations of his work at Institutions such as Stanford Medical School, Columbia University, Saybrook College, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, University of Hawaii and California Institute of Integral Studies.
Peter is quick to warn prospective participants that his books are highly intellectual and are not at all indicative of the experiential nature of the Radiant Mind Course.
Ive done the spiritual group thing and feel Im past that stage, is this course for me or will I be wasting my time?
the Radiant Mind Course dispenses with the doctrines and rituals that can attach to spiritual traditions, and goes straight to the heart of their liberating intention.
Many experienced seekers have reached a level of sophistication and have advanced to a point where they want the essence of a teaching and dont want to waste time with group rituals or traditions. Theyre not looking for another group to join but are still truly interested in the essence or core of spiritual nondual teachings. Peter says, The Radiant Mind Course brings to bare the core teachings of nondual traditions (Buddhism, Advaita, Zen, Taoism) into American culture free of Asian spiritual motifs, rituals, trappings, and specialized language. Therefore, the Radiant Mind course dispenses with the doctrines and rituals that can attach to spiritual traditions, and goes straight to the heart of their liberating intention. It mirrors the direct and unencumbered teachings of the greatest nondual masters and sages, who transcend the religious structures of their times and speak directly to the hearts and minds of their disciples. The Radiant Mind Course challenges the conventional belief that people need to be on the path. The Course works at the result level. In Radiant Mind theres no need to take time out from worldly commitments or go into long-term retreat. The Course begins by giving people a direct experience of the ultimate goal of Buddhism. We do this as effortlessly and efficiently as possible. We then focus on creating the conditions that allow this experience to arise naturally in peoples daily lives.
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In other words, the Radiant Mind Course is a perfect fit for people ready to work experientially with the pure essence that lays at the core of all teachings and who know the value of doing so. And there are no obligations to become a member of an organization!
The Radiant Mind Course is not culturally specific nor is it part of a spiritual tradition
Often people see Peters Buddhist background and assume the Radiant Mind Course is just for Buddhists. The fact is, the Radiant Mind Course is nondenominational and people come from all paths and many religions. Since the Course deals with, as Peter says, the heart of liberating intention of all spiritual traditions, it should not conflict with what you are taught in the tradition you might follow. For example, in Israel he presents his work in a totally undiluted form to quite large groups, many of whom are observant Jews. Peter doesnt reject systems of belief or practice, though he does invite people to observe their relationship to their thoughts and actions. Only, a small percentage of his students are practicing Buddhists.
the Radiant Mind Course is nondenominational and people come from all paths and many religions.
Not everyone qualifies for taking this Course! Check to see if you qualify
The truth is the Radiant Mind Course is not for everyone. The people we have observed who have thrived in the course are people who exhibited some of the qualities listed below (not necessarily all). The Course should suit you if some of the following apply. You:
Have some meditative experience. Have outgrown your tradition or community and still want to take your practice deeper. Have experienced the unconditioned mind and want to deepen this experience. Have a desire to go beyond the mind but are frustrated through your trying. Can sit with strong emotions without trying to immediately relieve them. Have become disillusioned with seeking all together. Can tolerate a fair degree of not knowing, uncertainty, and ambiguity. Are an experienced meditator and want to go deeper into the nondual. Are well versed in spiritual theory and want the direct experience.
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People we found who have not thrived in the course are people who:
Suffer from or are in the middle of severe emotional or psychological problems. Are unwilling to accept personal feedback without getting deep into defensiveness. Are very attached to their theories and stories. Have ongoing dramas that get expressed as anger and blame.
We understand that we all experience emotional and mental crisis in our lives at some point or another and are not making judgments about people who may not be ready. We simply have found that it can be frustrating for some people to work at the level of manifesting the end-results of the spiritual path. If you are unsure as to whether you are ready, please make arrangements to speak to Peter personally so you can both decide if this Course is a good fit for you.
How to register for the course If you need to talk to Peter before registering, please contact Jerry at 800627-1455 to arrange a time. Otherwise, simply fill out the registration form on the next page, and decide which tuition payment schedule you want to use, and send in the deposit. Dates and cities are listed on the registration form. After receiving your registration you will be contacted with further instructions. We look forward to working with you! Tuition Course Tuition Fees: $2250 (in one installment) or $2750 (in two installments) a limited number of partial scholarships are available register early as there are a limited number of places A word about the tuition: Some people, when seeing the tuition amount, dont initially recognize the tremendous value they will be receive for their payment. So we feel compelled to remind them they will getting two coaching sessions each month with a Radiant Mind Coach, and two conference calls with Peter each month. Professional coaching and conference calls like this could cost at a minimum $300 a month. So thats $2400 in services there. Plus three 3day workshops at $400 each. Thats $1200. Between the two thats $3600. Not to mention the support participants receive from other participants as they collaborate in working through exercises over the phone and in a private online forum. And the fact that all of these components feed and support each other is priceless in terms of deepening your experience of the unconditioned mind so that it can infuse and transform every aspect of your life.
Radiant Mind PO Box 9121 Asheville, NC 28815, USA Tel: 800-627-1455 / 828-299-7942 jerry@radiantmind.net www.radiantmind.net
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Radiant Mind 2006 USA Registration

General Information (Please print legibly)
Name Address Phone _________________________________________________ Male Female
_______________________________________________________________ Day ____________________________________________ Evening _________________________________________ FAX ____________________________________________ Preferred Preferred
Email
_______________________________________________________________
Occupation_______________________________________________________________ Professional Qualifications___________________________________________________
Intention of payment schedule

I intend to pay the full fee in one payment of $2,250 before commencement of the Opening Workshop. I intend to pay the fee in two installments of $1,375, the first before commencement of the Opening Workshop and the second before the commencement of the Midcourse Workshop.
Where I intend participate in the workshop components of the course

Can you choose to attend in a different city if one of the dates below are not convenient. For example, if you can attend the SF opening workshop but cant attend the midcourse workshop in SF on those dates listed, you can attend the NY workshop and then attend the completing workshop in SF. Opening Workshop Midcourse Workshop Completing Workshop San Francisco San Francisco San Francisco (February 11 - 13) (June 10-12) (November 11 - 13) New York New York New York (February 4 - 6) (June 3 - 5) (November 4 - 6)
Deposit
$500 Included with this completed registration form.
Form of payment
Check or money order (please make the check out to Peter Fenner) Online via PayPal
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Practice and Retreat Experience

If you have participated in other Timeless Wisdom or Nondual Therapy programs, please indicate those below: ______________________________________________________________________________________ Please provide a brief summary of your past and present psychological, spiritual, meditative practice and experience: ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
Health/Special Needs or Requests
(Please answer all questions carefully and completely)
Do you have any current medical or mental health difficulties of which we should be aware? Yes No If yes, please specify _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Are you currently taking any medication? Yes No If yes, please specify_________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Have you had any major difficulties in retreats or personal development programs ? Yes No please specify: If yes,
______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Are you in therapy? Yes No

(If yes, please be sure to discuss your intention to participated in this course with
your therapist and obtain a note from your therapist that indicates her or his knowledge of your participation.)
I have discussed this course with my therapist.
Yes
No Yes No
I am including a note that she/he knows of my intention to participate.
Please list any other special needs or requests. ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ Any other comments?________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________
Please Sign
________________________________________
Date__________________
We will confirm your reservation and provide additional information upon receiving this form. Please return this form, with your deposit to: Radiant Mind PO Box 9121, Asheville, NC 28815
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We invite you to explore this innovative experiential eight month course in which you will...

The Unconditioned Mind The Ultimate Goal of All Human Endeavors

The unconditioned mind the ultimate goal of all human endeavors

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

This Course is based upon the embodied presence of nondual masters

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

STRUCTURE OF THE COURSE

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

In the mid-Course workshop you will:

In the completing workshop you will:

Im amazed that there actually are tools to learn what I learned.

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Show me nothing? Zen koan

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Why design the course over an eight-month period of time?

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Feel complete with the past and fearless of the future

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Communication arises as a beautifully coordinated display of non-manipulative speaking and listening.

Learn to radiate an inner peace that soothes and nourishes others

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Learn the art of deconstructive conversations ... a way to dismantle conceptuality

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Experiencing Peter in a workshop or experiencing Peters work directly

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Peter says, This Course is not just another intellectual project!

Peters reasons for creating the Radiant Mind Course

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Where did Peter get the material for this course?

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Radiant Mind 2006 USA Registration

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Intention of payment schedule

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Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

Practice and Retreat Experience

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I have discussed this course with my therapist.

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Contact: Jerry 800-627-1455 jerry@radiantmind.net

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_______________________________________ Day Evening _ FAX ________________________ Preferred Preferred

Occupation_____________ Professional Qualifications_

__ Are you in therapy? Yes No