About this Retreat
Ron Thomas, PhD, is the Vajrayana Study Coordinator and a mentor for Natural Dharma Fellowship. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College and Harvard University, where he received degrees in social anthropology and clinical psychology. He practiced psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy in the Harvard Medical School system.
For many years, he has explored the spiritual traditions of contemplatives and mystics such as Hildegard of Bingen, lbn al-Arabi, Meister Eckhart and the psychological alchemy of Carl Jung. He formally entered the joyous Vajrayahomna path in the early 2000s, practicing in the Sakya and Kagyu traditions. He has received teachings and empowerments from HH the Dalai Lama, HH the Sakya Trizin, HE Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, Lama Willa Blythe Baker, Khenpo Migmar Tseten and others.
The insights and guidance of past masters Padmasambhava, Yeshe Tsogyal, Jigme Lingpa, Longchenpa and Dudjom Lingpa have been especially important to him. He has completed both multi-year Six Yogas of Naropa and Dzogchen trainings under the guidance of Lama Willa Blythe Baker. His deep love for the Vajrayana is expressed in his primary wisdom energy practices of Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara and Vajrakilaya. A Drupon (Master of the Practice) in the Kagyu lineage, he has organized and led online study courses on classic Buddhist scriptures. He was a long-time member of the International Business and Strategy faculty at Northeastern University. He lives in Cambridge, MA.
Details of this retreat
Live online!
10:00 am - 12:00 pm ET
What if imagination isn't mere fantasy, but a doorway into profound spiritual reality? Join us for an exploration of how three great wisdom traditions—Jungian depth psychology, Sufi mysticism, and Vajrayana Buddhism—understand the transformative power of visionary experience.
We'll journey through Carl Jung's discovery of archetypes of the collective unconscious during his personal crisis, Ibn al-Arabi's teachings on the alam al-mithal (the imaginal realm between spirit and matter), and the Vajrayana understanding of sambhogakaya—the dimension of luminous appearance where deities arise. Through stories of these masters' own visionary breakthroughs and guided contemplative exercises, we'll discover how imagination serves as a genuine organ of spiritual perception.
Whether you're new to meditation or an experienced practitioner, this talk offers practical insights for deepening your own contemplative life. Discover how archetypes, imaginal forms, and deity visualization point toward the same profound truth: mind and reality are not separate, and imagination is the bridge that reveals their unity.
Please note: The Dharma talk will begin around 10:15am ET. Throughout the talk, there will be several guided meditations to get a taste of these three masters’ approaches to the imagination.
Natural Dharma Fellowship’s Dharma Sundays are donation-based gatherings open to all, offering a wide range of topics. Led by highly trained NDF Dharma and guest teachers, these live, interactive sessions include guided meditation, teachings, and time for questions and discussion. Please join us to settle into the support of sangha and the joy of practicing together.
Zoom link —The Zoom meeting link will be emailed separately two days before the session or following registration if closer to the event time. Please put this address in your Contacts to ensure you receive our emails: register@naturaldharma.org. If you haven’t received the link, please first check your spam folder and then contact the email above by the prior Saturday or zoomsupport@natualdharma.org the morning of the session if you still need assistance.
Important: Please put these this email address in your Contact or Safe-Send list to make sure you receive our emails:
register@naturaldharma.org
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