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Radiant Mind
Teachings & Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness

by Peter Fenner, Ph.D.



      Peter Fenner has conducted a highly popular and successful eight-month program called Radiant Mind for some time. Now Dr. Fenner has created an audio course based on that program, Radiant Mind : Teachings & Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness. This seven-CD course is an invaluable gift to those who are not able to be present for the original program or for graduates of that program who want a refresher option.

Fenner’s impressive credentials include study with Lama Thubten Yeshe and Sogyal Rimpoche, among others. For nine years, Fenner was an ordained monk, but gave up his ordination and delved into study of Eastern and Western healing modalities. He holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies, is the founder of the Center for Timeless Wisdom, has authored several books, and teaches workshops at Naropa University, California Institute for Integral Studies, and the Omega Institute.

Given all those credits and experiences, it would surely seem that teaching is his spiritual calling. Throughout the nine sessions in this course, Fenner speaks naturally, conversationally, and with the smooth cadence of a man who knows exactly what he wants to convey and exactly how to present his teaching for the greatest impact. Just listening is a meditation practice in this case! The rhythm of this content-packed audio course is flowing and elegantly structured. Fenner alternates the lectures, exercises, and guided meditation with blissful moments of silence to encourage "just sitting." ("Sitting," he says, "is a litmus test of our capacity to live our lives skillfully.")

Focused on helping us to understand unconditioned awareness, Fenner addresses the absurdity of conditioning our minds to achieve unconditioned mind and explains why such absurdity is necessary. He asks questions for us to answer, ponder, or ignore. He reminds us that we all encounter similar obstacles in our attempts to grasp non-duality: attachment to suffering, demands for answers and assurances, guilt when we do not sit, numerous fixations, and universal fears.

Radiant Mind : Teachings & Practices to Awaken Unconditioned Awareness is a rare example of a course that truly does hold something for everyone. For beginners in the game of presence, Radiant Mind can be a friendly, non-intimidating introduction to the simple yet not-so-simple act of sitting. For those who have been sitting for years, Radiant Mind can bring renewed vigor to practice. And for those who have no interest at all in meditation or Eastern philosophies, Fenner’s thoughtful comments and provocative queries can be the impetus for deepening the exploration of joy and understanding.

The Book

Sounds True
October 2007
Audiobook / 7 CDs, 7 3/4 Hrs & 23-page study guide
978-1591796077
Spirituality / Meditation / Buddhism
More at Amazon.com
Excerpt
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The Reviewer

Deborah Adams
Reviewed 2008
NOTE: Reviewer Deborah Adams is the Flair and Macavity Award winning author of the Jesus Creek Mystery Series: All The Great Pretenders, All The Crazy Winters, All The Dark Disguises, All The Hungry Mothers, All The Deadly Beloved, All The Blood Relations, and All The Dirty Cowards. She was also an Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel.
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