I always have wished I applied myself a little bit more in college than I did but I do not have too many regrets. In the classes that I was really interested in and stimulated by, I actually did do pretty well. One in particular was a class I took my senior year called Sleeping, Dreaming & Dying in Tibetan Buddhism. Clearly this class was the most interesting class I took while in school and by the look of most people who were in it with me, I would bet they would say the same thing. Just to give you and example, It was a Monday, Wednesday, Friday class at 5pm and I don't know many U.C.S.B. students who go to class on Friday at 5pm and this one was always full. The reason for this is because the professor is probably the most amazing professor anyone has ever had. I consider this man the most intelligent lecturer I have ever heard and I have personally heard over educated professionals give him the same credit. I actually heard a rumor that a faculty member was fired for criticizing this man but that is all hearsay. I want to promote his podcast for the Santa Barbara Institute of Consciousness Studies for anyone out there who is interested in Buddhism, Spirituality or just another view on Life in general. This is Living the BeatLife and I will occasionally include some 'Life" aspects as options for people to study and possibly improve their own lives. Below I am going to include the wikipedia first paragraph on B. Alan Wallace, if you want to learn more about him you can go there, click on his website or 'like' him on facebook.
http://www.sbinstitute.com/
http://www.alanwallace.org/
B. Alan Wallace (born 1950) is an American author, translator, teacher, researcher, interpreter, and Buddhist practitioner interested in the intersections of consciousness studies and scientific disciplines such as psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and physics. He endeavors to chart relationships and commonalities between Eastern and Western scientific, philosophical, and contemplative modes of inquiry.
Since 1976, Wallace has taught Buddhism, philosophy, and meditation in Asia, Europe, North and South America, and Australia. Wallace grew up in America and Switzerland but left college after three years to study Buddhism in India. He has served as interpreter for many Buddhist contemplatives and scholars, including the Dalai Lama. He is a prolific author of numerous books and essays and has translated dozens of Sanskrit and Tibetan texts into English. Wallace has a bachelor's degree in physics and philosophy of science from Amherst College and a Ph.D. in religious studies from Stanford. He also founded and is President of the Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies. In 2010 Wallace became the Director and Chairman of the Phuket International Academy Mind Centre, which provides a blend of contemporary psychology and neuroscience alongside ancient Asian contemplative practices. He is currently leading two 8-week, residential, intensive meditation retreats there each year, which are open to all who are interested in developing exceptional mental balance and well-being. In addition, together with Paul Ekman he is leading a 6-week course to train instructors in "Cultivating Emotional Balance," a 42-hour program developed by Dr. Wallace and Dr. Ekman, which was scientifically studied at the University of California, San Francisco. All these retreats and courses are organized in collaboration with the Santa Barbara Institute. His life's work focuses on a deep engagement between Buddhist philosophical and contemplative inquiry and modern science and philosophy, with a special emphasis on exploring the nature and potentials of the mind in a radically empirical manner, as free as possible from the dogmas of religion and materialism.
Watch these clips to get an idea of what I'm getting at here:
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