As part of the ‘Approaching the Dark’ speaker series at The Field, Michael Sheehy presents on the Jonang Kālacakra tradition’s distinctive practices of dark retreat. Drawing on his lifetime of work with the Jonang, and broader research at the intersection of historical scholarship, phenomenology, and cognitive science, he discusses contemplative exercises used for preparing Kālacakra practitioners for darkness.
0:00 Welcome & Introduction of Dr. Sheehy
4:41 Dr. Sheehy’s Opening Remarks 9:03
Darkness Practices Across World Traditions
12:03 Referential vs. Self-Emergent Meditation
22:23 The Spectrum of Contemplative Experience
37:21 Darkness Practices in Tibet: Historical Overview
49:54 The Jonang Kalachakra Curriculum
1:04:04 Taranatha’s Instructions for Dark Retreat
1:13:39 Closing Reflections: Darkness in the Modern World
1:15:27 Q&A
