Pointing Out The Great Way

Dr Nitya Khemka, affiliate lecturer at Cambridge University has a lively conversation with psychotherapist and meditation leader from Harvard Medical School, Dr Dan Brown, on how meditation can save not only our souls, but transform the mental ecology of the race

- Sanghita Singh

Nitya Khemka, affiliate lecturer at the Cambridge University recently undertook a Level 1 Retreat to explore the foundations of meditation in the Indo-Tibetan tradition with Dr Dan Brown, Director at the Center for Integrative Psychotherapy in Newton MA and Associate Clinical Professor of Psychology, Harvard Medical School. “The experience had a profound impact on me and now helps me explore the openness of being. Establishing a daily practice helps me grapple with the vicissitudes of the mind,” says Nitya. Daniel Brown, a teacher and mentor to scores of people around the world, studied meditation for about 47 years, beginning with reading and practicing Patanjali’s Yogasutras. Nitya spoke to Dr Brown while he was conducting an intensive retreat in Melbourne, Australia. “What is extraordinary about him is that as a Western psychologist, he has been conducting outcomes research on beginning and advanced meditators. Not only has he taught meditation retreats for 40 years, he is the author of 18 books, including Pointing Out the Great Way: The Mahamudra Tradition of Tibetan Meditation-Stages and two books on public dialogues with HH The Dalai Lama. Apart from teaching meditation, Dr Brown has been on the Harvard Medical School faculty for 37 years,” explains Nitya. Dr Brown also spent 10 years translating meditation texts from Tibetan and Sanskrit, including translating most of the important Mahamudra meditation practice texts found in the great collection of meditation texts, The Treasury of Instructions.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

What is meditation? Is there a scientific basis to meditation?