Miksang workshops

MIKSANG JOURNEY

The Path of Miksang Workshops

From The Miksang Institute for Contemplative Photography

Opening the Good Eye: An Introduction to Miksang

Level One
Three-Day Workshop
Pre-Requisite: None

Opening the Good Eye is an introduction to the discipline and delight of direct seeing and perception- based photography. We begin to develop the ability to synchronize our mind and eye so that our habitual patterns of seeing and labeling dissolve in a moment of stunning, vivid perception. Through visual exercises and assignments we develop confidence in our ability to connect directly with what we see, stay full present with the perception as we fully understand its qualities, and then express our experience precisely with our cameras.

Making Contact: Discovering THAT

Level 2a
Three Day Workshop
Pre-Requisite: Opening the Good Eye

In 'Opening the Good Eye', we taste the mind of equanimity or eveness about what we see. Because of this, we begin to develop certainty in the view that 'there is such a thing as unconditional perception that does not come from self of other'. We start having certainty that we can experience the world directly and joyfully. Once we have developed some openness beyond what 'this', or 'I' think about what I see, it is possible to engage with the 'thatness' of the objects of perception. As part of this course we will be introduced to the study and practice of 'Deep Noticing'

Beyond the Elements of Form: The Heart of Perception:

Level 2b
Three Day Workshop
Pre-Requisites:

Opening the Good Eye
Making Contact: Discovering THAT

Having developed confidence in our ability to recognize when we are being stopped by a flash of perception and having stabilized our experience of the flash, we find that as we look at and appreciate what stops us, we begin to resonate and connect to the object of our perception. We explore this resonance and its qualities—It is the heart of our perception.

Space: Further Dimensions of Perception:

Level 3
Three Day Workshop
Pre-Requisites:

Opening the Good Eye
The Heart of Perception
Making Contact: Discovering THAT

In order to further refine our relationship with our visual world, it is very helpful to clarify and deepen our awareness of the aspect of perception which we call space. As part of our conventional way of looking at the world, there is a tendency to look at objects, which we usually fix into place through thinking, labeling and associating. We tend to move from one object to the next as we navigate our experience. Seldom do we notice the visual space in which objects appear—the space around or between things. This workshop introduces methods of relaxing our gaze and our fixation on things so that we can actually experience, notice and express the qualities of space in our world. Through exercises and assignments, our images begin to express our experience of visual dimensionality rather than our customary emphasis on form and its qualities.

Master Class: The Essential Instructions on Looking and Seeing

Four or Three Day Workshop:
Pre-Requisite: Opening the Good Eye

The basis of the Miksang journey is to have a relationship with the actual practice of clear seeing. This involves understanding and working with three aspects:
•The Flash of Perception
•Visual Discernment
•Forming the Equivalent

We are calling this a Master class because it will guide you so that you can become a master of your ability to express your experience. This is not an introductory course. In order to be able to collapse our discipline into a single moment so that shooting is completely free and spontaneous, we have to be firmly balanced on the two legs of genuineness and confidence. Without these, we can become confused by uncertainty, self doubt, and external reference points. We can slip into the conventional trap of negotiating our direct experience.

This intensive helps us refine our ability to move through these seemingly separate moments seamlessly with confidence and genuineness. Each day of the workshop we will explore as a group one of the above aspects in more detail than is possible during normal Miksang Levels. For example, on day three, there will be much emphasis on technical instruction so that our expression of each perception could be more accurate and powerful. We highly recommend this workshop after Opening the Good Eye, however it is a pre-requisite for Cutting Loose.

Cutting Loose

Level 4
Five Day Workshop:
Pre-Requisites:

Opening the Good Eye
The Heart of Perception
Making Contact: Discovering THAT
Space: Further Dimensions of Perception
Essential Instructions on Looking and Seeing

Having incorporated the discipline of seeing clearly and forming the equivalent of our perception with our camera, we can begin to play freely in the visual world without self-doubt or hesitation. The assignments in this course allow us to further let go of our habits and patterns involved in seeing— even those associated with our Miksang training.

Master Class: The Five Styles of Creative Expression

Five Day Workshop
Pre-Requisite: All previous Miksang classes

As we become free of concept in our visual experience and we can spontaneously form the equivalent of our perception, the whole world is our playground. The world presents itself to us in its own unique way, and we choose to resonate or not, depending on our unique predilections which are basic to our makeup, our basic style. This style becomes manifest when our relative filters and cultural bias become transparent.

The five styles of creative expression presents the view of the unconditional energy of reality manifesting as five distinct yet perceivable styles. We explore how these styles express themselves in our being and in our experience of the perceptual world.

In his book, Dharma Art, Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche provides this introduction:

"We are trying to get at some basic understanding of seeing things in their absolute essence, their own innate nature. We can use this knowledge in regard to painting or poetry or arranging flowers or making films or composing music. It is also connected with the relationships between people. These five Buddha principles seem to cover a whole area of new dimensions of perception. They are very important at all levels and in all creative situations."

In the past this course has been quite interesting—using photography as our base medium, we will expand our study of the five families into other areas of expression such as music, dress, food, objects, etc.