Buddha at Sanchi

About this image – BJ Jakala

The statue of Buddha brings a feeling of tranquility and peace. There are particular kinds of stillness inside of me as I witness his image: a stillness that notices the value of all life, a respect for internal harmony, and the awareness of the travel on the bridge between the two of them.

Context: This carving is outside the stupa at Sanchi

About this image – Ashok Bedi

We live at two planes of consciousness; Ego and the Soul. The Ego is the center of our conscious personality and the Soul is the deeper center of our total personality. We project this Soul onto Self Symbols like Christ, Buddha, Krishna, Moses etc. depending upon our cultural context. These Self Symbols are our Soul Guides and light our path to our deeper and higher Self. Buddha is one such Path. He symbolizes contemplative life, quieting our Monkey mind and making room for a reflective and Symbolic life. He teaches that to be human is to suffer, the cause of suffering is attachment, the way out of suffering is Detachment and the path to detachment is contemplative and reflective life that maintains compassionate detachment. May you connect with your inner Buddha on your path to Enlightenment.

JUNGIAN ENCOUNTER WITH THE SOUL OF INDIAʼS HEARTLAND

Sponsored by the C.G. Jung Foundation of New York; Guest Faculty – Ashok Bedi M.D., Jungian Psychoanalyst

January 31 to February 11, 2016

Ashok Bedi, M.D. & B.J. Jakala, PH.D.

This is the 11th study tour of India to explore the archetypal soul of India from a Jungian, Analytical lens. For the next several days, the faculty member of the group, Jungian Analyst Ashok Bedi and a Depth Psychotherapist Dr. Robert J. Jakala will compose a daily blog of their reflections about the experience. B.J. is the blog photographer and will display a photograph of the day and share personal reflections. Ashok Bedi will amplify the image with an archetypal lens. Share your brief reflections on our blog comment section.

Ashok Bedi, M.D. is a Jungian psychoanalyst and a board certified psychiatrist. He is a member of the Royal College of psychiatrists of Great Britain, a diplomat in Psychological Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of England, a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He is a Clinical Professor in Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and a training analyst at the Carl G. Jung Institute of Chicago. He is in private practice in Milwaukee and is the author of several books which may be previewed at his website www.pathtothesoul.com. He is the liaison for the IAAP for developing Jungian training programs in India and travels annually to India to teach, train the consult with the Jungian Developing groups at several centers in India including Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Robert “BJ” Jakala, PhD is a depth psychotherapist in private practice for twenty-eight years. He is a graduate of Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpentaria, CA. He is also licensed as a Registered Nurse and has worked at UCLA Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital for thirty-three years. He has taught Stress Management to the Nurse Residents at the UCLA Ronald Regan Medical Center for the last ten years. He may be reached at his website www.secretologist.com