Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/1/16 1:25 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/2/16 5:23 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/2/16 6:07 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/3/16 8:02 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/2/16 6:35 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman damien stockard 5/20/16 7:34 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman -- Timus -- 5/21/16 5:50 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman damien stockard 5/21/16 6:28 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman -- Timus -- 5/21/16 6:45 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 5/21/16 7:28 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman bernd the broter 3/3/16 5:11 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman CJMacie 3/7/16 4:27 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/7/16 1:20 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman : ladyfrog : 3/7/16 2:13 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/7/16 5:43 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman . Jake . 3/8/16 9:41 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/8/16 11:23 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman CJMacie 3/9/16 6:00 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/9/16 2:01 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dream Walker 3/3/16 8:35 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/3/16 11:03 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dream Walker 3/3/16 11:33 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/4/16 12:05 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/4/16 7:14 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/4/16 10:44 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/5/16 5:39 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman CJMacie 3/9/16 6:18 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/9/16 7:43 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Psi 3/9/16 8:10 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/9/16 1:59 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman bernd the broter 3/9/16 2:33 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Maedhros 3/10/16 4:30 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/10/16 5:31 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Maedhros 7/7/16 7:36 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dream Walker 7/11/16 10:55 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Noah 7/13/16 5:27 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Maedhros 7/21/16 10:23 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 7/12/16 4:38 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Maedhros 7/20/16 3:54 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Daniel M. Ingram 7/22/16 6:39 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Alan Chapman 7/22/16 1:39 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 7/22/16 6:12 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Maedhros 11/1/16 4:13 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 11/2/16 3:52 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Psi 3/10/16 10:51 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/10/16 11:32 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman . Jake . 3/11/16 10:09 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/11/16 10:20 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/5/16 5:49 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/5/16 6:03 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Chris M 3/6/16 10:55 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 3/6/16 8:43 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Eva Nie 3/5/16 10:35 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dream Walker 3/5/16 9:21 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman James 3/5/16 10:35 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman CJMacie 3/7/16 4:23 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Psi 3/9/16 12:53 AM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dada Kind 7/11/16 8:36 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Dream Walker 7/11/16 10:59 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman synelg 11/2/16 3:59 PM
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman Mark 11/2/16 4:33 PM
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/1/16 1:25 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/1/16 1:18 PM

Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Fountainhead School

Fountainhead School Whitepaper

There are no credits given on the paper but I think it's safe to say it's Alan.

The first half indicts the failures of modern spirituality and the second half outlines a solution. I'll include the structural outline of the first to save space for the whole second half. See the pdf for the entirety.

Stepping Out of the Shadow

Anti-rationalism
Corruption
Injustice
Advancement of Causes
Moral Superiority

TOWARD A MODERN WISDOM

I propose the creation of a modern approach to wisdom, not by dealing directly with the old institution but simply by rendering it irrelevant. The next step consists of five elements:

A Free, Online, World Class Education and Training in Wisdom Practice, for Everyone,
Forever.


As an antidote to the passive consumption of an all-you-can eat buffet of incoherent talks about wisdom or the endless tales of other people’s realisations, and the bubble of dummy meditation apps that pretend to do the practice for you, we should take lessons from the success of the new breed of online academies and leverage the internet to create a community of wisdom practitioners that support each other through an interactive, gamified educational website, where mastery is both expected and demonstrable.

And then make it free, for everyone, forever.

A Professional Class of Wisdom Counsellors

Any vocation that can actually demonstrate real value in our society is a profession: doctors, architects, scientists, carpenters, school teachers, lawyers, engineers, scholars, psychotherapists, plumbers, astronauts, gardeners. This is even true in sports. But not in wisdom?

The modern innovation of professionalism is what allows our society to flourish as it does; individuals devote their lives to excellence in a given field so that our culture as a whole can benefit from results unobtainable through amateurism. Where appropriate the professional governing bodies aim to filter out the unethical and dangerous, promote best practice, and support ongoing research to improve the profession in question. Clients and the market allocate resources to the professional based on demonstrable ability: the incompetent die off.

The best professionals are rewarded with a good income in recognition of the training, commitment and development of expertise required to be a professional. As a result, money is taken off the table as an ongoing concern. This is the best way we know for a human being to remain incorruptible and remain true to a pursuit of excellence in a given practice.

Professionalism is an example of rationalism in the marketplace. This means the argument for a professional class of wisdom practitioners is not an argument aimed to persuade; by its very nature, either the establishment of the profession works or it doesn’t based on demonstrable value with clients and a corroborated consensus based on research.

Secular professionalism is the antidote to the danger and ineptitude of state-sponsored amateurism, and without even needing to tackle the problem of charitable law facilitating the advancement of belief, we can simply render such organisations irrelevant with a publicly visible and regulated alternative. With their current anti-rationalism, most of today’s state-sponsored teachers, practices and institutions wouldn’t come close to meeting a professional standard: I take this as a good indication of their impending improvement or inevitable extinction.

Structure and Purpose: Open Wisdom Research

The idea of ‘Chinese wisdom’ or ‘American spirituality’ should sound as illiterate as ‘African physics’ or ‘Russian chemistry’.

We don’t find ‘poststructural’, ‘hermeneutic' or ‘speculative’ interpretations of physics, and yet the ‘soft sciences’ are bloated with the latest fashionable ‘modalities’.

We look to the brain, the environment, evolutionary biology, religious beliefs, pseudo-philosophy and pop psychology to explain away the mind if it means we don’t have to look at the mind on its own terms. In the study of the mind, we have done everything we can to avoid simply describing its structure - how it is - and its purpose - what it does; everything we think we know about the mind is the fruit of an anti-study informed by a persistent psychophobia.

Research that eschews prior beliefs to instead take as its subject the structure and purpose of the mind through contemplation - both to resolve particular problems and realise what is personally meaningful - is required to create a genuine science of the mind: hard laws as indisputable as anything found in physics and a demonstrable, beneficial and complete understanding of wisdom based on an overwhelming and irrefutable mountain of evidence.

Due to the politics based on the prevalent paranoia of the mind in academia, we need a program that doesn’t depend upon someone retaining tenure, securing future funding or protecting a school yard reputation to keep the bullies at bay. And yet the program needs to be designed and executed with the highest academic rigour, and run in tandem with the development of a professional class of wisdom practitioners to provide extensive access to study participants and bootstrap a mutual validation.

As a result, the wisdom counsellor will be to the 21st century what the psychotherapist and amateur ‘nondual’ teacher was to the 20th.

The Cascade Retreat: An Ideal Training Environment

Renunciation and indiscriminate presentation of belief to as large an audience as possible - hangovers from state-sponsored religion - is a spectacularly inappropriate learning environment for dealing with particular personal problems or engagement with a personally meaningful activity.

Maintaining the architectural hangovers from state-sponsored religion contributes to the extortionate retreat prices, membership fees and yearly donation cycles that already give a very poor return on value.

If we discount the customary focus of promoting the star teacher and his spiritual beliefs, we can maintain the ideal ratio of 1 wisdom counsellor to 9 students (for 9-12 hours of personally appropriate training per day) and scale up a retreat to 91 participants by following the same ratio of trainee counsellors to head of school. Honouring the participatory nature of wisdom, this organisational model can act as a ‘cascade’ of contemplation training with no sacrifice of ideal face-to-face time with a wisdom counsellor, and where everyone is an equal participant within the training hierarchy.

A self-sustaining, fully recyclable, purpose made modular retreat centre constructed of modern materials would cost the fraction of the price - financially, ecologically and experientially - of inhabiting the remnants of a dead religious institution.

The Cascade Retreat is the first retreat of ‘equal participation’ with an ideal ratio of wisdom counsellor to student, and can be executed more cheaply and with a significantly greater return on value for the student than anything currently available.

Sustainable Wisdom: A Plan, Not a Cause

Every attempt at improving the world through wisdom practice has been sabotaged by the very teachers and organisations tasked with doing so. The state of spirituality as it currently stands is unsustainable, and this means ultimately so is human civilisation.

If we want to create a wise civilisation, we should make sense of what wisdom is and then come up with a plan as to how we go about creating such a culture, instead of indulging the latest spiritual delusion of an event that promises progress happening all by itself.How many fully trained, registered wisdom counsellors would need to be in the world to significantly impact the culture itself?

How many would be required before the current inappropriate and detrimental organisational structures die of irrelevancy?

What type, quality and amount of evidence would be required for scientific consensus to inform a common understanding of what wisdom is and what it does?

How many students, trainees, retreats per year and retreat centres would be required to make this happen within the next 20 years?

As a first step toward a modern wisdom, an organisation is required that will generate and train a new professional class, create a new marketplace, spawn independent copies of itself, build a free ideal online training community and educational resource, pioneer a new kind of retreat environment, inaugurate an extensive and unparalleled research program, develop best practice and registration criteria, and construct an independent professional regulatory body (possibly changing the law at the same time), with the end result being both founder and organisation eventually becoming irrelevant.

As the source of modern wisdom, this organisation will be the Fountainhead School.

The bolding at the end is mine.

It's a bold program. An interesting confluence -- pragmatic dharma, Pierre Grimes, Khan Academy?, Scientific Illuminism (Crowley), Vinay Gupta, etc?

The site is taking sign-ups for students, and already has some written materials. Gonna peruse those now.
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:23 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 5:23 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Hmm, interesting concept.  Free training by those who know what they are doing, yay!  Now just have to sort out what constitutes 'those who know what they are doing!'  ;-P  I don't know much about that Chapman guy either, does anyone?
-Eva 
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 6:07 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 6:07 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Alan Chapman was a pretty high volume poster here in DhO in its first incarnation. He's created and managed a number of websites devoted to awakening practices, including The Baptist's Head and Open Enlightenment, with his friend Duncan Barford. Both are/were dedicated devotees of Magick. He has taught a few of my friends.

Just Google "Alan Chapman Enlightenment" and you'll find plenty of material online.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 6:35 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/2/16 6:34 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Some of Alan's old posts can be found here too. He also has a few books out about part of his meditative/magickal journey with Duncan Barford (recent Fire Kasina Retreat participant).

There's a blog post on the site with at least one portion of interest to this site (bolding mine).

I've wanted to build this school for a long time. As a boy, I could only look to a dead western esoteric tradition if I wanted to realise the truth about reality on my own cultural terms. So I dreamed of a future in which there was a recognisable place for me in my society, and people like me; except I had never met any.

As my search for wisdom unfolded, I never once met a person who seemed to want what I did; instead, they had chosen traditions and teachers from other cultures, or settled for seemingly related roles within our society, which although I respected I could not accept.

Over time I became a teacher, and with this title an awareness I was treading a well worn and usually disastrous path. After 6 years of teaching - observing myself, my students, the effects of belief and organisational structure - I came to identify what I consider to be the problem, and what we can do about it. And with it, the realisation I was wrong about the people I had met and their choices: the desire for a recognisable and appropriate place in our society isn’t missing at all; rather, there just hasn’t been any means of achieving it that people could see before.

Now I want to build this school so everyone like me can see a different path is possible.

I want to build this school for the veteran of 20th century spirituality, who saw first hand the disaster of the guru phenomenon and came out the other side unable to forget both the reality of awakening and the absurd horrors of submitting to such an institution.

I want to build this school for the best of the online vocal critics of the guru institution who isn’t afraid to dig up the dirt and name names, who appreciates rationality plays a role in making sense of non-duality; but in seeing no credible social alternative to the institutions of belief, must bear up under the weight of a crushing cynicism with no apparent end.

I want to build this school for the western Buddhist disillusioned with teachers on a moral crusade against scientific research into awakening, and happy to deny training to anyone even associated with a movement of honesty about the Buddha’s teaching.

I want to build this school for those students failed by the practical dharma movement, exhausted with being told they must be doing it wrong if it hurts or it hasn’t worked yet; and growing weary of receiving instructions with prescribed dosages, a general map of stages with strategies appropriate for each, but no understanding whatsoever should they simply ask why reality must be this way.

I want to build this school for my friend whose profound realisation inspired him to explore advaita vedanta, only to be met with derision from online 'pure nondualists' (for whom it is forbidden to speak of awakening); and after having a family, found his only socially viable option for helping others was to settle for becoming a mindfulness teacher: a practice whose divorce from awakening is complete.

I want to build this school for the Zen Master I once met in London, sorry for his encounter with the many ‘damaged people’ enabled by a religion simultaneously ill-equipped to help. Despite the reality of his awakening (of which he was forbidden to speak by his tradition), I left him losing out to his pessimism at the thought of continuing to preach.

I want to build this school for all those psychotherapists who secretly play a role in uncounted realisations, including the awakening of a number of people mentioned above; but lacking no credible avenue to offer the most profound service one human being can offer another, must settle for a close approximation in the career of the psychological counsellor: a vocation in which awakening is neither recognised nor provided for.   

I want to build this school for everyone out there who is tired of compromise and ready to finally come home to a modern wisdom institution.

More: I want to build this school with everyone who wants to build it with me.
thumbnail
bernd the broter, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 5:11 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 5:11 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 376 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
Creating an institutition that makes all the other institutions relying on belief (Hello religion) unnecessary.
This seems to be a bit... ambitious. But hey, good idea. I agree, we need wisdom, not more ridiculous traditions with funny languages and quirky hats. So, what is their proposed solution? Let's see...
Sit comfortably with your eyes closed for 30 minutes.Begin by repeating the four lines to yourself to establish ‘just burn’:

Awakening is a fire
With no choosing between appearances
AND reality already chosen
Just burn

When
you realise you have forgotten to ‘just burn’ by getting caught up in
appearance, repeat the four lines to re-establish ‘just burn’.
Ah, so I have to repeat those 4 funky lines forever. This will magically make all the other methods superfluous.

...
Your favourite bread is not completely convinced.
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 8:02 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 8:02 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Hm well wil take a LOT of dedication, time and effort over the long haul to really develop it well.  I hope he is up to it.  Even many that are very accomplished might not be able to do it.  One thing I do like is the splitting of the 'fixing your baggage' from the stage of really growing your enlightenment (my way of seeing it anyway), and that both are probably needed.  IMO, direct focus on enlightenment without also working on fixing baggage may only work if you don't have too much baggage to start with or have already worked a lot of it out.  (I am aware that others may well disagree on that point though)
thumbnail
Dream Walker, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 8:35 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 8:35 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Droll Dedekind:
There are no credits given on the paper but I think it's safe to say it's Alan.

Yep, safe
Available Wisdom Counsellors
With the new vocation under development, there is currently only one wisdom counsellor listed here, and that is the founder and head of the Fountainhead School, Alan Chapman.
Not exactly free, not that I have a problem with charging for services rendered between consenting adults.
 A Free, Online, World Class Education and Training in Wisdom Practice, for Everyone,
Forever.

2. Book a session that lasts one hour for a fee of £75 (or 3 sessions for £200).(You can learn contemplation for free with community support and mentorship, or even train to become a wisdom counsellor yourself, by becoming a student.) Fees need to be paid upfront before a session can take place.

I like the principal but would welcome more nitty gritty and less multilevel marketing.
~D
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 11:03 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 11:03 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Dream Walker:
Not exactly free, not that I have a problem with charging for services rendered between consenting adults.
 A Free, Online, World Class Education and Training in Wisdom Practice, for Everyone,
Forever.

2. Book a session that lasts one hour for a fee of £75 (or 3 sessions for £200).(You can learn contemplation for free with community support and mentorship, or even train to become a wisdom counsellor yourself, by becoming a student.) Fees need to be paid upfront before a session can take place.

I like the principal but would welcome more nitty gritty and less multilevel marketing.
~D

Are you saying that after all that 'white paper' yammer of a dream of free education, it's not actually free!!?!  If so, then it's sounding a bit scammy (yes, does have a bit of an MLM flavor doesn't it!).  I wonder if you finally 'graduate' after paying a lot of money, then  you supposedly get to teach yourself and keep part of your teachings fees, that could be the worm that keeps the students on the line.  I also am not specifically against charging but I do have an issue if someone is being less than upfront about it.  Reminds me of when I used to go into some stores like Radio Shack and they were always trying to offer me a 'free' cell phone.  Free is such a great marketing scam and is very popular as such, but something is not really so 'free' if the good parts, like access to the cellular network, are not actually free.    
thumbnail
Dream Walker, modified 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 11:33 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/3/16 11:33 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Eva Nie:

Are you saying that after all that 'white paper' yammer of a dream of free education, it's not actually free!!?! 

Reading the website and docs there are free, one on one and retreats are apparently not.
What you would expect actually.
~D
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 12:05 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 12:03 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Yes. It appears that most of the website will be free. The intention, I believe, is for there to be a strong community that will suffice for most people. But, the 'wisdom counselors' need to eat and their time is limited, after all.

At the skepticism towards the fire poem I recommend the following passage from a book some may recognize,
People have noticed a decrease in the importance of poetry to our society. It has been said that our desire for more information, faster images and quick sound bites is increasing. We are searching faster and faster, perhaps at the expense of looking more deeply.

Rather than sitting with a Shakespeare sonnet for a few minutes, just pondering the beauty and meaning of it, we might read ten of them quickly and then feel a bit befuddled. Similarly, one might read though a dense little work like this one without stopping to ponder each paragraph along the way and thus perhaps get little out of it. Just so, we may be constantly trying to find the next teacher, book, spiritual scene, technique, incense, mantra, costume, or doctrine that will get us the Big E. Quick results are actually possible, though there are no promises about the speed of progress that can be given. Real progress will only come when we settle into the basics, into this moment, and go deep.
Prescient for 2007~, imo.

It's my guess that the site will have much more content in the future anyway. I have no particular stake in defending Alan Chapman but I think he's proven he's a sincere enough practitioner to deserve our benefit of the doubt.
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 7:14 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 7:14 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
It's my guess that the site will have much more content in the future anyway. I have no particular stake in defending Alan Chapman but I think he's proven he's a sincere enough practitioner to deserve our benefit of the doubt.


Yes, Alan Chapman deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his earnestness and level of realization and skill. Based on on history, however, Alan has gone from one effort to another with some frequency. Dharma wisdom and level of awakeing doesn't seem to correlate all that well with the ability to stick with a project and manage it successfully.
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 10:44 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/4/16 10:44 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Chris Marti:


Yes, Alan Chapman deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his earnestness and level of realization and skill. Based on on history, however, Alan has gone from one effort to another with some frequency. Dharma wisdom and level of awakeing doesn't seem to correlate all that well with the ability to stick with a project and manage it successfully.


I'm going to stick with my skepticism unless further data to the contrary comes along.  The sentences I have read imply that to become a teacher, you must pay a lot of money.  It also implies that IF you pay a lot of money, you can become a teacher. I am thinking there are a lot of wealthy people who can pay but should not be teachers.  In fact, I'd say that most people would not be qualified to be teachers even after a year or more.  So the scenario as stated, IMO, does not correspond to my personal concept of high level highly qualified teachers.  Such teachers would mostly have already started years and years ago and if they were that good, I would not be charging them money to come on board, I'd be inviting them politely.  However, if viewed from the angle of a multilevel marketing system, this all makes perfect sense.  MLMs do often promise other 'free' stuff as well, but the delivery of such is generally weak.  And although the part where he charges you money is already up, I didn't see any other educational materials so far.  I tend to go by people's actions rather than words and just because someone is knowledgeable does not mean their intent is pure.  Anyway, I will be happy to be proven wrong though and time will tell!  ;-P 
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 5:39 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 5:39 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
I'm not sure what you read to give you the impression that one could become a teacher from money alone. That would be absurd.

Yes, Chris I've noticed he's gone through a lot of projects. I was defending only his intentions. Although, [parable about failure as a necessary ingredient to success here]. Maybe.
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 5:49 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 5:49 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
I'm going to stick with my skepticism unless further data to the contrary comes along. 


Eva, that's fair. I just happen to have more information about Alan Chapman and have friends who know him very, very well and who have been students of his. You and I have a different base of knowledge, leading to your skepticism and my willingness to give him the benfit of the doubt. I've seen all of his previous attempts to bring awkening to more people and have been an online participant in several of them. I have never detected a desire on Alan's part to enrich himself at the expense of others to to play the guru game. I think he has interesting ideas that don't libne up with traditional sources of spiritual wisdom, but that's perfectly fine in my book. I think experimentation is a good thing as long as folks know what it is they're getting into.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 6:03 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 6:03 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Chris Marti:
I think he has interesting ideas that don't libne up with traditional sources of spiritual wisdom, but that's perfectly fine in my book. I think experimentation is a good thing as long as folks know what it is they're getting into.

Are you willing to go into details on this part?
thumbnail
Dream Walker, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 9:21 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 8:51 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Chris Marti:
It's my guess that the site will have much more content in the future anyway. I have no particular stake in defending Alan Chapman but I think he's proven he's a sincere enough practitioner to deserve our benefit of the doubt.


Yes, Alan Chapman deserves the benefit of the doubt based on his earnestness and level of realization and skill. Based on on history, however, Alan has gone from one effort to another with some frequency. Dharma wisdom and level of awakeing doesn't seem to correlate all that well with the ability to stick with a project and manage it successfully.

I'm a big fan of Alans work from reading his books and various websites and even his old youtube videos. He has a great alternative take on a lot of the awakening stuff and I always like an independent take on things. He has done the work and shares a lot. I'm gonna assume the website will continue to get filled up with more stuff as he goes along though I must say there is quite a bit there already if you dig.
Thanks for posting it Droll.
~D

Edit: Some links -
http://www.amazon.com/Alan-Chapman/e/B001KC9TLI/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

https://soundcloud.com/fraterblue/sets/the-baptist-head-podcast

http://www.buddhistgeeks.com/2009/05/bg-121-the-great-work-of-western-magick/

Goodness their old websites dont exist, dont worry all internet sins are forever -
https://web.archive.org/web/20130606235024/http://thebaptistshead.co.uk/author/alanchapman666/
https://web.archive.org/web/20101129085353/http://openenlightenment.org/?
https://web.archive.org/web/20150811133635/http://oeith.co.uk/
James, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 10:35 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 10:19 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 3 Join Date: 3/5/16 Recent Posts
I personally find it kind of sad, that someone who experiences a minor (yet genuine) form of awakening, can immediately entrench themselves in their own shitty pre-awakening mentality; set themselves up as an arbiter (or teacher and instructor, in this case); and determine that there is no further to go (solely because “not many” have gotten as far as they had).

It’s like digging yourself out of a trench, only to set up shop outside the trench, I don’t get it.

Anyways here’s a quote from the Qur’an:

“And believe in what I reveal, confirming the revelation which is with you, and be not the first to reject Faith therein, nor sell My Signs for a small price; and fear Me, and Me alone.”

— The Qur’an (2.41)

Why would you, wake up from Plato’s Cave (hypothetically), only to camp outside the cave? Why do that? And fail to explore the world outside, that you hadn’t even imagined, existed.

Sleep is for the weak, don’t succumb!

It seems that people who make the “transition,” are themselves not exempt from the forces they fought before the transition, and can just as easily succumb to them once they “get over the hump.”

Don’t take any consolation prizes, or any “middling, trifling gains/attainments.” Do not settle for anything that’s not the full thing.

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.”

— 1 Corinthians 9.24

“And, there being something further to be done, he nevertheless stopped halfway with a lower modicum of distinctive attainment.”

— Itivutakka (3.40)
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 10:35 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/5/16 10:35 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Chris Marti:
I'm going to stick with my skepticism unless further data to the contrary comes along. 


Eva, that's fair. I just happen to have more information about Alan Chapman and have friends who know him very, very well and who have been students of his. You and I have a different base of knowledge, leading to your skepticism and my willingness to give him the benfit of the doubt. I've seen all of his previous attempts to bring awkening to more people and have been an online participant in several of them. I have never detected a desire on Alan's part to enrich himself at the expense of others to to play the guru game. I think he has interesting ideas that don't libne up with traditional sources of spiritual wisdom, but that's perfectly fine in my book. I think experimentation is a good thing as long as folks know what it is they're getting into.
Fair enough!  Could well be you are right then!  But I was not the only one that got an MLM vibe from what I saw so he might want to revise things a tad so some of that info is more clearly laid out and does not look so much like the oh so classic bait and switch technique.  Or it is also possible he is using classic persuasion techniques on purpose but IMO he does so at the risk of looking scammy at first glance. 
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 10:55 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 10:55 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Are you willing to go into details on this part?


Which part? I'm not sure what it was I posted that has piqued your interest.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 8:43 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/6/16 8:43 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
I thought I had quoted it. I was referring to the bit about Alan's ideas being non-traditional.
thumbnail
CJMacie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 4:23 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 4:20 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 856 Join Date: 8/17/14 Recent Posts
RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

"Stream Alpha… Stream Omega…"?

Free, except when used (discount already offered)?

The institution to end all institutions, a catalog of state-of-the-art buzz-words, and 8 pages of terms-of-service legalese?

Maybe Alan Chapman is being used here by others with different motivations?

Anyone else here old enough to remember one Werner Erhard?  -- as in "EST Training" and subsequent schemes to entertain the new-age intelligentsia in the 1970s-1980s. (There's a Wikipedia article that looks every much as if he wrote it himself.)

With this thread, and other goings-on recently on DhO, I'm led to speculate that William Hamilton could well have added a third section to his book -- on charismatic personages not so distinctly malevolent, but so full-of-self (and delusion) that they feel compelled to market delusional schemes to the rest of us ... to help save the world.
thumbnail
CJMacie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 4:27 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 4:26 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 856 Join Date: 8/17/14 Recent Posts
bernd the broter::
...
Your favourite bread is not completely convinced.

And using that recommended process ("just burn"), it just might get toasted in the process!

btw: There appear references to Buddha / Buddhism in the material quoted along this thread -- wasn't His "unbinding"/"awakening" supposed to have something to do with quenching fire?
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 1:20 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 1:20 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
I really didn't expect this thread to get these reactions. I thought maybe balking at the balls of it all but not this.

With respect to the issue of money or accusations of manipulation at some level or multilevel marketing I can only say read the Whitepaper more closely. He makes a viable argument why a professional class of teachers is ideal. I find the argument plausible.

The legalese would seem to be a requirement for what he's trying to do. Nothing inherently suspicious there.

Again, the site is nascent so there isn't much to do for free there. That presumably will change. The pdf of the Dialectic is free though, and interesting.

At the fire stuff,
HS: Three Characteristics are presented in Japanese as netsu which means fire.
DI: Huh.
HS: Like the experience of … I think the Indians say tapas?
DI: Mm hm. Heat.
HS: Heat. So three characteristics are presented in the context of heat.
DI: Like energy.
HS: No, like intensity.
DI: Oh.
HS: Like when practice generates intensity, that’s when the three characteristics show up. Naturally. They become self-apparent in a way. The obstacles drop. That’s the measure of heat.
VH: Which seems to line up with how being in the three characteristics actually feels, heat being—
HS: Like burning away.
VH: I mean, that’s more of the ñana, the third and fourth—
TG: That’s the definition of jhana. Not just absorption but also burning. Burning away. It comes from India. Where he’s talking about vipassana jhana here.
HS: Like burning the defilements?
TG: Burning the hindrances.
HS: Burning the hindrances. Yeah.
TG: The “hindrances”, in quotation marks, gone. Perception of three characteristics, right there.
HS: Clear.
TG: Of its own accord.
HS: Of its own accord.
VH: I’m just gonna say, in the Shambala practice, which is the Trongyam Trungpa thing, they had a really weird vipassana practice. You just kind of contemplate, you just say to yourself after each samatha, “impermanence” And that’s pretty much it. You don’t really do anything. It’s not an active thing. You kind of just drop in a thought about impermanence.
DI: Maybe they do some serious samatha. If you’re got your samatha stuff really together—
Not to mention
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heraclitus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homa_%28ritual%29#In_Japanese_Esoteric_Buddhism
and all the fire symbolism in Western esotericism.
: ladyfrog :, modified 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 2:13 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 2:11 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 38 Join Date: 8/6/13 Recent Posts
interestingly when i read the overarching plan i did not see it in the MLM kind of way (i tend to have a short fuse for that).  I kind of took it as a required part of the challenge (i.e. if you’re going to say the current structures for spiritual teaching/learning are complete failures, you’re going to have to at least articulate a somewhat fleshed-out alternative in order to not just be a whiner).

partially my view may come from a high degree of agreement with what’s contained in the whitepaper, as well as generally being impressed by what i’ve read by him.

yeah sure i think it’s ballsy, and i’m not going to wager on it’s success, etc...  but for myself i’m making a distinction between someone saying “i’m the one who holds your key to enlightnement, pay me my due” (again) and someone looking at the currently bizarrely convoluted and disempowering methods of distribution for liberating practices and saying “let’s try something else, here's my stab at it”.
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 5:43 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/7/16 5:43 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
: ladyfrog ::
interestingly when i read the overarching plan i did not see it in the MLM kind of way (i tend to have a short fuse for that). 
The MLM structure is in place, you pay him money and once you've paid enough, then he will make you a teacher and then you can charge others through  his system.  WOuld not be surprised if there turns out to be a portion of the new teacher's fees that go back to Chapman.  The product would be knowledge and power instead of Mary K products or essential oils, but the structure is the same (especially if assuming I am guessing correctly that Chapman or the business will get get a portion of all future teaching fees).  Of course, even is so, that does not prove all by itself that intent is corrupted.  Chapman may have good plans for that money to further the good of humanity, I don't personally know myself.  Just because one sets up a system of gaining money and using classic persuastion and marketing techniquies does not mean that the money will be used for ill or selfish reasons.  Successful powerful nonprofits need to bring in income.  The system is a tool, how it is used is a matter of intent and at this point, I don't know intent, but i've seen a heck of a lot of these kinds of things with selfish intent and none with clean intent so that's enough reason for me to not accept things at face value without much evidence.     

I kind of took it as a required part of the challenge (i.e. if you’re going to say the current structures for spiritual teaching/learning are complete failures, you’re going to have to at least articulate a somewhat fleshed-out alternative in order to not just be a whiner).
There have been a million people coming forward over the years and arguing the current system is not working and here is my new system that will work better.  It doesn't mean much to me.  Other than most schemes start with telling people what they want to hear, know your market and tell them stuff that sounds good so they will want to believe and will let their guard down.  That is how it is typically done. 

partially my view may come from a high degree of agreement with what’s contained in the whitepaper, as well as generally being impressed by what i’ve read by him.
Yes of course, one starts any good con with telling people good stuff they want to hear, just like the Madoff scheme.  I am not saying I know for sure that is what is happening here, just trying to explain to people that all successful schemes start with very good sounding uplifting words.  Again it is classic persuasion techniques, they work on large segments of the population and that is why it is done that way.  You read something and you WANT it to be true, so your skepticism lowers.  You are arguing for something you want to be true because believing in it makes you feel good.  Believing in it makes me feel good too but having researched persuasion techniques, I can't easily ignore the classic patterns of their use. 

yeah sure i think it’s ballsy, and i’m not going to wager on it’s success, etc...  but for myself i’m making a distinction between someone saying “i’m the one who holds your key to enlightnement, pay me my due” (again)
Successful persuasion techniques do not ask for money in the front of the game ever.  First they draw you in, then later, they tantalize you with something that you have come to want and then in order to get that, you realize you have to pay.  It generally starts soft though, offering you great things for free, change the world, etc.  Just like Scientology.  And using methods ripped off from other existing sources and then slightly modified and using fancy sounding words (dialectic, etc) Notice the pattern yet?  

and someone looking at the currently bizarrely convoluted and disempowering methods of distribution for liberating practices and saying “let’s try something else, here's my stab at it”.
Well sure, it COULD be that, but the guy clearly has a very firm grasp of persuasion techniques and profit methods and is using them.  At least it is good to recognize when one is being manipulated even if in the end you choose to allow it anyway.  Also good to consider that the Magick field does not have a great record of self sacrificing kindness and benevolence for world good either. 

I have seen these same patterns over and over in many MLM and cult and profit making ventures.  Therefore when another is set up in the same structure with those oh so similar hallmarks, such as this one, it immediately sets off warning bells. Sure it could be that he is just setting things up so the venture will be self supporting and using his marketing knowledge to good effect.  I don't feel the need to make a decision either way especially with minimal data.  But since the thing is set up like a classic MLM scheme, I will not be blindly trusting.  Just because something sounds good with pretty words and feels uplifting does not mean that is its true intent or how it will be in final form.  
thumbnail
Jake , modified 8 Years ago at 3/8/16 9:41 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/8/16 9:33 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 695 Join Date: 5/22/10 Recent Posts
Hmm, guys I'd like to throw another word of caution in here against running with the negative reaction here, as someone with some familiarity with Alan from the OE site. Those who have this familiarity with him-- and many of us are wont to hit hard at posers and attempts to market without contributing much value to this group, ourselves-- are saying, his sincerity is worth the benefit of the doubt based on our past experience.

No one's saying simply 'take our word for it' but again, these negative reactions seem a bit disconnected from the evidence we have in front of us (even limiting that evidence to this current site). I took a quick look at the site and what stood out to me, in contrast to some of these nagative reactions, is that it seemed incredibly clear what Chapman is trying to set up here. My knee jerk impression based on reading what is available on the site:

1) There will be free material and free participation in peer coaching via some kind of forum setup.

2) There will be oportunities for professional interactions with wisdom counsellors one on one and in retreat format.

3) There will be an attempt to create a culture of peer review whereby professional standards are set and mutually enforced so that these paid professionals (and please note, being paid is part of the definition of being a professional), and this culture of peer reviewed professionalism will be in contrast to the medieval social structures for conferring authority on traditional Wisdom Counsellors. (<--- not saying there is nothing of value in those structures. This appears to be an atempt to pilot an alternative that is based in the realities of modern and post modern culture, society and economy. It's inevitable that people try this. And this attempt appears to be trying to correct for many of the errors in 20th century attempts to promote awakening.)

    3.a --- as part of this effort there will be a process whereby someone can become colegially recognized as a colleague by the professional class of Wisdom Counsellors so that they too can become professional Wisdom Counsellors. Chapman specifically spells out several possibilities for such a 'graduate', but generally involving the new professional taking responsibility to offer counselling and/or training to a new group of folks. He explicitly bases this on an ideal ratio of teachers to students, and this ratio is part of his critique of much of dharma teaching as it exists today. He specifically lays out the possibility that such a graduate do their own thing, restart the whole process as it were, with no connection to the original group or their former mentors. This completely negates the possibility of multi-level marketing pyramid schemes as i understand them, wherein the hierarchy keeps growing and the lower levels constantly feed a portion of their revenue 'up the chain'.

Given that most of the objections I am seeing here appear to be on the one hand refuted by a cursory reading of the material so far offered or on the other hand  appear to express understandable wariness around novelty, I'd just like to put in my two cents that folks withhold judgment and try not to get whipped up into a self-perpetuating spiral of criticism for criticisms sake.

I have a lot of respect for the intelligence, compassion and good will of Chris, Eva et al and in no way intend this post to add to any contention. I'm just trying to add a dose of caution around reactivity in the hopes that what many may welcome as a worthy and interesting social experiment be given a fair hearing on this forum.

-Jake
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/8/16 11:23 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/8/16 11:23 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
Those who have this familiarity with him-- and many of us are wont to hit hard at posers and attempts to market without contributing much value to this group, ourselves-- are saying, his sincerity is worth the benefit of the doubt based on our past experience. 

Yes. Thanks for posting your comment, Jake.
thumbnail
Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 12:53 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 12:52 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
The Fountainhead School project sounds like a lot of work. 

Should start a Nibbana class, and teach the Angels.  



Psi
thumbnail
CJMacie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 6:00 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 6:00 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 856 Join Date: 8/17/14 Recent Posts
Where does the "fire poem" appear in the Fountainhead website? (I didn't see it).
thumbnail
CJMacie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 6:18 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 6:02 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 856 Join Date: 8/17/14 Recent Posts
re:  Droll Dedekind (3/5/16 5:39 PM as a reply to Eva Nie)

"Yes, Chris [ Marti ] I've noticed he's gone through a lot of projects. I was defending only his intentions. Although, [parable about failure as a necessary ingredient to success here]. Maybe."

Two takes on that:
1) Wall Street Journal article some time ago: candidates for really major CEO jobs must, in their resume, demonstrate experience handling failure – presumably handling it "successfully", and also along side documentation of notable successes.
2) Bob Dylan: "Failure's no success at all".


re:
Droll Dedekind (3/7/16 1:20 PM as a reply to Chris J Macie)

Seriously though… The "Fountainhead" name seemed peculiar, so, researching it (wikipedia):

"The Fountainhead is a 1943 novel by Ayn Rand…
Main themes
Individualism
Rand indicated that the primary theme of The Fountainhead was "individualism versus collectivism, not in politics but within a man's soul.""


That seems to fit the material here,and what I've seen of Chapman's writings before. So I assume that's the connotation of the naming.

The individualism notion certainly fits, and goes along with the support expressed among people here onDhO, where the notion of "pragmatism" is often tinged with a strong sense of individualism.

In reading some of his writings, I found a tendency to uncritically accept modern historical interpretations that are long on polemic and short on depth of sources and thoroughness.

On the other hand, a hopeful sign was that he noted, at one point, that, after some critique or further research, he admitted that some earlier position or belief of his was incorrect.

Anyway, as to the ideas presented… Some are rather bold but vague, perhaps dangerously so; others seem possibly context-dependent, i.e. to social/political situations peculiar to the UK?

"He makes a viable argument why a professional class of teachers is
ideal."
Overall clearly very idealistic.

The vague-type as well as idealistic,even simplisitic notions: notably "modern wisdom", and "The state of spirituality as it currently stands is unsustainable, and this means ultimately so is human civilisation." Saving the world?

"state-sponsored teachers, practices and institutions"

Maybe something about how things are done in the UK? Along the lines of European forms of liberal socialism? Doesn't fit the situation in the USA that well.

"Medival theocracy – state-sponsored religion"
A tendency, not just here, of rather blanket vilification of anything traditional, coupled with an obsessively simplisitic view of history?

"The modern innovation of professionalism"
Nothing uniquely "modern" about transmitting well-trained skills. In fact, the "medival" guild-craft system arguably evolved the backbone of Western technology. As also in:
"fully trained, registered wisdom counsellors"
This anti-traditionalism becomes paradoxical here. How is the implementation of this to differ from, say the lineage-passing models as in Socrates-Plato-Aristotle, Bach-Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven, or Ajahns Mun-Lee-Fuang-Thanissaro, Sayadaws Mahasi-Pandita-Ingram, Hamilton-Folk-Ingram, or even AynRand-AlanChapman?

Is it to be implemented, sans traditional lineage-transmission, via (using . Jake .'s words) some form of "… social experiment…"; a purely "rationally" derived new system, as, for instance, attempted by the French Revolution? Idealistic iconoclasm becoming revolutionary becoming yet another institutionalized (sooner or later corrupted) system? The historical precedents abound.

That brings up another point: The idealism seems to ignore the well-demonstrated (i.e. all of human history) tendency that well-meaning new social/political/religious structures somehow always still fall-victim to human foibles, the rather unidealistic nature of human behavior. (Think samsara.) Or are we here to witness the first truly "enlightened" world order?

Finally, this scenario provides a case study in the cultural worldview of German/European "Romanticism" (as in Than-Geoff's Buddhist Romanticism): individually creative, rationalistic, yet culture-bound idealism. Admittedly, Than-Geoff's targeting Western new-agey Buddhist interpretations may in fact parallel Chapman's targeting similar cultural phenomena. Than-Geoff (Thanissaro Bhikkhu), however, does a much better job at historical documentation.
thumbnail
Chris M, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 7:43 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 7:43 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5117 Join Date: 1/26/13 Recent Posts
I see nothing wring with aiming high  emoticon 
thumbnail
Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 8:10 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 8:04 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Hi everyone, 

Soooo....   What is the Fountainhead School going to teach?  Is the subject just plain Wisdom?  That is kind of vague to sign up for as a student on a waitin list, much less dish out $106 for an hour long session talking about......  What exactly?

For example if I sign up for a class in Algebra, I pretty much know what I am signing up for, what is taught, etc.  And $106 gets one a whole semester of Algebra and transferrable credits at a community college.  Granted, maybe no wisdom, but I will know how to figure out what x is.

Disclaimer, I probably would not sign up for any classes free or not, and I am actually not all that curious.  Just bringing up what looks like a valid point.  Maybe I am missing that it is assumed to be some esoteric definition of Wisdom? as in Mystery Schools or Perennial Philosophy? 

But the main point I am bringing up is, What  exactly is to be taught and passed along?  What is the core curriculum?

Psi
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 1:59 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 1:57 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
The name of one of Alan's previous projects was Baptist's Head. The origin of that is explained in his books with Duncan. Here's an excerpt that suggests the Fountainhead name is related,
DUNCAN: We just kept at it, though, until he gave in and started to talk with us. There were some interesting results from the part where you asked him: 'Who is Alan? Who is Duncan?' He stated that you were 'a head on a platter made of a fountain of white light' (i. e. The Baptist's Head). Me, I was: 'The wand. The snake. The eye in the pyramid'. In March this year, after I'd heard about your enlightenment, I received a spontaneous vision whilst I was meditating in which I saw a vast eye staring at me, and then my soul was transferred into the inside of a pyramid where your soul was already waiting. This was quite clearly a prophecy that my enlightenment would occur after yours. Yet again, Tempe is not predicting a specific event or giving an 'answer' to questions, but throwing out a kind of synchronistic marker—i. e. I'm not 'the eye in the pyramid' in any specific sense, but his provision of this symbol loaded my subsequent vision of the eye and the pyramid with a huge whack of synchronistic meaning that it wouldn't have had otherwise.

As to what exactly he'll be teaching I'm not totally sure. Adds to the curiosity. For a guess I'd assume it's some confluence of the spiritual interpretation of the Platonic tradition (via Pierre Grimes), Buddhism, and Western magick. Judging from what I remember from his Twitter (down?) and his feature in Ona Kiser's book, he was (is?) also interested in Christian mysticism. Whether he's totally supplanted his Buddhist and Western magick interests with the Platonic stuff remains to be seen. Even if so, I don't know of anyone else teaching the Platonic stuff in a spiritual way so it'll be interesting anyway. Judging from the site right now it's the heaviest influence.

I recently digitized one of my Grimes books so maybe I'll post some excerpts in another thread. He has Youtube videos for anyone curious.

Thanks Jake. I don't think I could have said it as coherently and maturely.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 2:01 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 2:01 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
http://fountainheadschool.org/esoteric-contemplation

Fire poem here
thumbnail
bernd the broter, modified 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 2:33 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/9/16 2:33 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 376 Join Date: 6/13/12 Recent Posts
Droll Dedekind:
[...]
As to what exactly he'll be teaching I'm not totally sure. Adds to the curiosity. For a guess I'd assume it's some confluence of the spiritual interpretation of the Platonic tradition (via Pierre Grimes), Buddhism, and Western magick. Judging from what I remember from his Twitter (down?) and his feature in Ona Kiser's book, he was (is?) also interested in Christian mysticism. Whether he's totally supplanted his Buddhist and Western magick interests with the Platonic stuff remains to be seen. Even if so, I don't know of anyone else teaching the Platonic stuff in a spiritual way so it'll be interesting anyway. Judging from the site right now it's the heaviest influence.

To sum up:
He's the only wisdom councellor right now.
The main teaching is not the one which he himself used to get awakened.

...
I could imitate your behaviour and copy&paste a paragraph from MCTB about teachers, but I guess even without that someone might agree that this could be a problem.
Maedhros, modified 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 4:30 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 4:28 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5 Join Date: 2/13/13 Recent Posts
Hi all, 
I've been involved together with Alan in what he has been putting together here for sometime. Happy to see that the website is sparking some healthy debate around certain corners of the web.


 As
to what exactly he'll be teaching I'm not totally sure. Adds to the curiosity.
For a guess I'd assume it's some confluence of the spiritual interpretation of
the Platonic tradition (via Pierre Grimes), Buddhism, and Western magick.
Judging from what I remember from his Twitter (down?) and his feature in Ona
Kiser's book, he was (is?) also interested in Christian mysticism. Whether he's
totally supplanted his Buddhist and Western magick interests with the Platonic
stuff remains to be seen. Even if so, I don't know of anyone else teaching
the Platonic stuff in a spiritual way so it'll be interesting anyway. Judging
from the site right now it's the heaviest influence.


Your understanding is pretty much correct here. Pierre Grimes is a primary influence for the Fountainhead - the teaching is based pretty much entirely in the Platonic tradition. A key idea in Platonic thought is that understanding of reality can be achieved through reason alone. This exercise of reason can be applied to any subject, through a process called the dialectic - I encourage any of you to read through the dialectic contemplation section on the website, it really is the heart and soul of the school. 

Once the website gets going, there'll be people available to guide anyone who's interested through the process of understanding that the dialectic provides, as it's only in the practice that the teaching really comes to life. Once you start to understand how it all operates, than its really up to you how you choose to apply it in your life. Assistance will always be available free of charge, as is professional guidance and participation in retreats.
 

I acknowledge that it's perfectly healthy to be skeptical. However I've found what we've been engaged in to be so simple and powerful that I can't help but want to share it with others - it is simply through describing reality that we become liberated. Very interested to see where the coming months take us. I assure you that this is a very earnest effort we are involved in with all the best intentions in mind, we are in this for the long haul.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 5:31 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 5:27 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Hi, thanks for coming to clear things up. I appreciate the willingness to engage.

This idea:
A key idea in Platonic thought is that understanding of reality can be achieved through reason alone.
fascinates me but I've yet to read Grimes closely enough to understand how he justifies it. I'm not sure if you're able to answer questions about it, but I have some. If not I can just route them to Alan in the future.

How does Grimes' method or the Fountainhead School's method differentiate itself from:
Berne
Weiss & Sampson

Obviously what I linked above doesn't mention anything about awakening. How does Grimes dialectic method apply both to personal/psychological problems and awakening? What is the relation between personal/psychological problems and awakening? Does Grimes have any evidence that his spiritual interpretation of the Platonic tradition is correct?

Some strands of Buddhism use analytic rational methods that don't seem (to me) to be popular in the pragmatic dharma movement. How does Grimes' method differ form these and why is it worthwhile contrasted with pragmatic dharma style vipassana?

Has Alan significantly diverged from Grimes in any respects?

Does the Fountainhead School see seated meditation as necessary? How much, if so? What does the Fountainhead School provide that the pragmatic dharma movement is missing?

To partially address bernd's concern above: Does the Fountainhead School have any evidence that their method is effective in achieving awakening? Of course, it seems one of its goals is to get a hold of that evidence. But, can we get some anecdotes or conjectures for now?

I realize this is a barrage of questions but I would assume many on this forum are wondering some of the same. Perhaps any answers from you, or Alan, etc could be repurposed for an FAQ somewhere.

Thanks for any answers.
thumbnail
Psi, modified 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 10:51 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 10:47 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1099 Join Date: 11/22/13 Recent Posts
Maedhros:
 I encourage any of you to read through the dialectic contemplation section on the website, it really is the heart and soul of the school. 

Hi everyone, and hello Maedhros, 

Aha, missed that whole section, when the page it is linked to from comes up, one has to scroll down.  From the Student page I had scrolled down and it just said take a number, one has to scroll even farther to see the Contemplation link.  Easily overlooked to a casual observer, or maybe my screen size is just small... Might want to make a Contemplation section on Main Page, or have a site map, or leave it the way it is, like a magical doorway...  emoticon  Anyway, thanks for chiming in, this clears up alot of questions.  Initially the website just gave a first glance impression of a sign up sheet, with nothing else to offer....

But, alas, Here is a direct link to the contemplation stuff, just FYI

http://fountainheadschool.org/learn-contemplation

Psi

Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 11:32 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/10/16 11:32 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
Chris J Macie:


The vague-type as well as idealistic,even simplisitic notions: notably "modern wisdom", and "The state of spirituality as it currently stands is unsustainable, and this means ultimately so is human civilisation." Saving the world?
You make some good points.  Unsustainable?  Spirituality continues to sustain itself and probably that won't change.  Such an assumption of unsustainability is not exactly a proven fact.  However, from a more moderate perspective, few would argue there is no room for improvement. 


"Medival theocracy – state-sponsored religion"
A tendency, not just here, of rather blanket vilification of anything traditional, coupled with an obsessively simplisitic view of history?
Yeah, I was confused by some of that too.  What state sponsored religion is being talked about? 

"The modern innovation of professionalism"
Nothing uniquely "modern" about transmitting well-trained skills. In fact, the "medival" guild-craft system arguably evolved the backbone of Western technology. As also in:
"fully trained, registered wisdom counsellors"
This anti-traditionalism becomes paradoxical here. How is the implementation of this to differ from, say the lineage-passing models as in Socrates-Plato-Aristotle, Bach-Haydn-Mozart-Beethoven, or Ajahns Mun-Lee-Fuang-Thanissaro, Sayadaws Mahasi-Pandita-Ingram, Hamilton-Folk-Ingram, or even AynRand-AlanChapman?
Yeah I was also confused.  One of the biggest issues I can see here is who decides what is right and what is wrong?  What criteria are used to decide who is ready or enlightened or whateveer?  It's not like those things are much agreed on in other circles to start with. 

Is it to be implemented, sans traditional lineage-transmission, via (using . Jake .'s words) some form of "… social experiment…"; a purely "rationally" derived new system, as, for instance, attempted by the French Revolution? Idealistic iconoclasm becoming revolutionary becoming yet another institutionalized (sooner or later corrupted) system? The historical precedents abound.

That brings up another point: The idealism seems to ignore the well-demonstrated (i.e. all of human history) tendency that well-meaning new social/political/religious structures somehow always still fall-victim to human foibles, the rather unidealistic nature of human behavior. (Think samsara.) Or are we here to witness the first truly "enlightened" world order?
Yeah, it's a big problem, we can see many flaws in the current systems which yields a desire among some to fix the current system or invent a new system without the flaws.  But the flaws are due to humans and human nature so the flaws seem to perpetually reinfect every new system quite diligently.  However, could be conceivable to at least have a system with a weaker level of flaws at least!  ;-P
-Eva 


thumbnail
Jake , modified 8 Years ago at 3/11/16 10:09 AM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/11/16 10:09 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 695 Join Date: 5/22/10 Recent Posts
Hmm, I read the reference to state sponsered religion as the obvious: tax free status. Basically all official religions are subsidized in a way that professional organizations or most other entities are not, at least in the USA.
Eva Nie, modified 8 Years ago at 3/11/16 10:20 PM
Created 8 Years ago at 3/11/16 10:20 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 831 Join Date: 3/23/14 Recent Posts
. Jake .:
Hmm, I read the reference to state sponsered religion as the obvious: tax free status. Basically all official religions are subsidized in a way that professional organizations or most other entities are not, at least in the USA.

Definition of state sponsored is: "encouraged by the government and backed by government money."  So I guess if you streeeeettttched it a bit, yoyou could say that tax free status means that (kinda), but it would then be equally true that every nonprofit group in the entire country is also 'state sponsored' and I don't think that reay fits as true.  In fact, Fountain Head school could also become a nonprofit if they wanted, then they could be 'state sponsored' too!  ;-P  Also lots of 'professional' groups are nonprofits, the status does not preclude drawing large salaries, collecting lots of money, etc.  Some nonprofits pay more than equivelant private sector jobs. The Monroe Institute https://www.monroeinstitute.org/ has been a nonprofit for 30 years and has employed many professionals in the area of consciousness research during that time. That standards for becoming a legal nonprofit are not huge, most of it is just hassle and paying fees for the paperwork getting done. 
-Eva 
thumbnail
damien stockard, modified 7 Years ago at 5/20/16 7:34 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 5/20/16 7:34 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 2 Join Date: 5/19/16 Recent Posts
Does anyone happen to still have access to/copies of all of those great videos Alan did on Vimeo for Open Enlightenment? I didn't get them from there prior to their removal years ago, and it would be great to watch them again.
thumbnail
-- Timus --, modified 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 5:50 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 5:49 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 47 Join Date: 5/17/10 Recent Posts
I have a few. Here's a link. Let me know when you're done downloading.
thumbnail
damien stockard, modified 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 6:28 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 6:26 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 2 Join Date: 5/19/16 Recent Posts
Thanks a lot Timus! Got them.

Bill & Opus '16
thumbnail
-- Timus --, modified 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 6:45 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 6:45 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 47 Join Date: 5/17/10 Recent Posts
damien stockard:
... Bill & Opus ...

My real gurus. emoticon
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 7:28 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 5/21/16 7:28 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
If you have it, can you PM me the vid with Vinay and Alan talking
Maedhros, modified 7 Years ago at 7/7/16 7:36 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/7/16 7:18 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5 Join Date: 2/13/13 Recent Posts
Hello Droll and everyone else,

I owed you an answer a few months back but I didn't have much time back then to get involved into a whole debate around the merits of the Fountainhead. And to be frank I didn't really want to, I am not here to change anyone's mind. I'll answer your questions very briefly, and am happy to answer any further ones on the condition that discussion remains respectful:

Your questions in order in which I answer them:
Does the Fountainhead School see seated meditation as necessary?
What is the relation between personal/psychological problems and awakening?
- How does Grimes dialectic method apply both to personal/psychological problems and awakening? 
- How does Grimes' method differ form these and why is it worthwhile contrasted with pragmatic dharma style vipassana?
- What does the Fountainhead School provide that the pragmatic dharma movement is missing?
- Does the Fountainhead School have any evidence that their method is effective in achieving awakening?
- Can we get some anecdotes or conjectures for now?


The Fountainhead offers a route to realizing our heart's desire through appreciating reality for what it is and looking past what it appears to be - this is done through meditation. The Fountainhead also teaches that appearances that arise repeatedly during meditation, and indeed through dreams and dramas in real life, reveal to us the wrong beliefs that hold us back from realizing our heart's desire (these generally take the form of personal problems) - we understand these beliefs through the employment of the dialectic. Therefore the use of the dialectic and meditation is intimately related. A sitting practice of no more than 30 minutes a day is required.

The Fountainhead provides a fuller understanding of awakening that is not offered in common current understanding of spirituality, including the pragmatic dharma movement. When I talked previously about our 'heart's desire', what comes under that umbrella is movement towards awakening, but is really much broader than that. Our real aim in the Fountainhead is movement towards a greater engagement in reality, and awakening is simply a byproduct of this whole process. This relates to Alan's extension on Grimes, moving past the dialectic as simply a method to solving personal problems, but connecting it all to awakening as well.

If I were to offer you an anecdote like you requested, I can tell you I have personally achieved a number of awakenings beyond '4th path', as have many others in the Fountainhead. This was achieved with ease, because in my opinion the Fountainhead is far more effective than anything else I know of in the western dharma movment, simply because it makes far more sense. There is a tendency in current spiritual understanding to treat the mind as the enemy (all thought is illusion, 'stories' to be ignored etc) and to engage in goal orienatated thinking around awakening. Instead our understanding around reality is that any appearance our mind presents to us is for our own benefit -  dreams, repetitive thoughts, addictions, 'dramas' repeatedly show up in our life such that we can understand the beliefs involved and move past them towards a greater understanding of reality. You ask is the Fountainhead more effective at achieving awakening, but really, goal orientated thinking is really a wrong-headed approach to practice. What is often not understood is that deeper spiritual understanding can only be made through moving past trying 'to get something' out of our practice (and by extension life), and instead engage in reality for it's own sake.

Hope this helps. Alan really explains this better than I ever could through a five-part series he's sending out to anyone that's subscribed to our newsletter here: http://iamfountainhead.com/sign-up/

Look past the headings, he's just doing that for a laugh really, there really is some great stuff in there. There has been updates to the site, I would encourage you to all to look at the stories section to get an idea of who we are personally. http://iamfountainhead.com/student-stories/

For anyone who cares, I'm the dude in the red blazer! haha. Updates to the website continue slowly, we'll add more stories to the section over time, and will very soon (!!) have the most interesting part of the website online - the interactive community. For now, if you really want to get engaged and find out more, look into our upcoming retreat. Cheers!
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 8:36 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 8:36 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
It looks like Maedhros replied to this thread but I can't view it from here. I see the post from my email alert, though.

Can a mod help here?
thumbnail
Dream Walker, modified 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 10:55 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 10:55 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Hey droll, is this the post you were refering to from your email subscribe list?
Maedhros:
Hello Droll and everyone else,

I owed you an answer a few months back but I didn't have much time back then to get involved into a whole debate around the merits of the Fountainhead. And to be frank I didn't really want to, I am not here to change anyone's mind. I'll answer your questions very briefly, and am happy to answer any further ones on the condition that discussion remains respectful:

Your questions in order in which I answer them:
Does the Fountainhead School see seated meditation as necessary?
What is the relation between personal/psychological problems and awakening?
- How does Grimes dialectic method apply both to personal/psychological problems and awakening? 
- How does Grimes' method differ form these and why is it worthwhile contrasted with pragmatic dharma style vipassana?
- What does the Fountainhead School provide that the pragmatic dharma movement is missing?
- Does the Fountainhead School have any evidence that their method is effective in achieving awakening?
- Can we get some anecdotes or conjectures for now?


The Fountainhead offers a route to realizing our heart's desire through appreciating reality for what it is and looking past what it appears to be - this is done through meditation. The Fountainhead also teaches that appearances that arise repeatedly during meditation, and indeed through dreams and dramas in real life, reveal to us the wrong beliefs that hold us back from realizing our heart's desire (these generally take the form of personal problems) - we understand these beliefs through the employment of the dialectic. Therefore the use of the dialectic and meditation is intimately related. A sitting practice of no more than 30 minutes a day is required.

The Fountainhead provides a fuller understanding of awakening that is not offered in common current understanding of spirituality, including the pragmatic dharma movement. When I talked previously about our 'heart's desire', what comes under that umbrella is movement towards awakening, but is really much broader than that. Our real aim in the Fountainhead is movement towards a greater engagement in reality, and awakening is simply a byproduct of this whole process. This relates to Alan's extension on Grimes, moving past the dialectic as simply a method to solving personal problems, but connecting it all to awakening as well.

If I were to offer you an anecdote like you requested, I can tell you I have personally achieved a number of awakenings beyond '4th path', as have many others in the Fountainhead. This was achieved with ease, because in my opinion the Fountainhead is far more effective than anything else I know of in the western dharma movment, simply because it makes far more sense. There is a tendency in current spiritual understanding to treat the mind as the enemy (all thought is illusion, 'stories' to be ignored etc) and to engage in goal orienatated thinking around awakening. Instead our understanding around reality is that any appearance our mind presents to us is for our own benefit -  dreams, repetitive thoughts, addictions, 'dramas' repeatedly show up in our life such that we can understand the beliefs involved and move past them towards a greater understanding of reality. You ask is the Fountainhead more effective at achieving awakening, but really, goal orientated thinking is really a wrong-headed approach to practice. What is often not understood is that deeper spiritual understanding can only be made through moving past trying 'to get something' out of our practice (and by extension life), and instead engage in reality for it's own sake.

Hope this helps. Alan really explains this better than I ever could through a five-part series he's sending out to anyone that's subscribed to our newsletter here: http://iamfountainhead.com/sign-up/

Look past the headings, he's just doing that for a laugh really, there really is some great stuff in there. There has been updates to the site, I would encourage you to all to look at the stories section to get an idea of who we are personally. http://iamfountainhead.com/student-stories/

For anyone who cares, I'm the dude in the red blazer! haha. Updates to the website continue slowly, we'll add more stories to the section over time, and will very soon (!!) have the most interesting part of the website online - the interactive community. For now, if you really want to get engaged and find out more, look into our upcoming retreat. Cheers!
thumbnail
Dream Walker, modified 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 10:59 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/11/16 10:59 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1657 Join Date: 1/18/12 Recent Posts
Droll Dedekind:
It looks like Maedhros replied to this thread but I can't view it from here. I see the post from my email alert, though.

Can a mod help here?
I changed the permissions to include "guest" as other posts have...if all is well now then good. If not post again here whats not working yet.
~D ( Moderator)
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 7 Years ago at 7/12/16 4:38 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/12/16 4:18 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
The Fountainhead offers a route to realizing our heart's desire through appreciating reality for what it is and looking past what it appears to be - this is done through meditation.
...
When I talked previously about our 'heart's desire', what comes under that umbrella is movement towards awakening, but is really much broader than that. Our real aim in the Fountainhead is movement towards a greater engagement in reality, and awakening is simply a byproduct of this whole process.
...
You ask is the Fountainhead more effective at achieving awakening, but really, goal orientated thinking is really a wrong-headed approach to practice. What is often not understood is that deeper spiritual understanding can only be made through moving past trying 'to get something' out of our practice (and by extension life), and instead engage in reality for it's own sake.

Is our "heart's desire" unique for the individual? If not it seems you're saying it's always a desire for "greater engagement in reality". Then you say "moving past trying 'to get something' out of our practice". Is a desire for "greater engagement in reality" not trying to get something out of our practice? That would seem to be the definition of desire.

If by "heart's desire" you mean something even partially unique to the individual, why the emphasis on individual desires? Why should I or anyone care what I want?

You didn't reply to
How does Grimes' method or the Fountainhead School's method differentiate itself from:
Berne
Weiss & Sampson

Which is understandable considering you'd need to develop a background in those. Can I get an answer to that question from anyone?

I expect a come-to-the-retreat-and-see or subscribe-to-the-emails or wait-for-more-content-and-features or have-a-private-session-with-Alan response. I can't afford the retreat. I signed up with two different emails, confirmed the subscription, and have received none of the installments. I've been waiting for more content and features for months already (some have been waiting for years). I can't afford a session with Alan nor do I particularly want one at this time.
The modern innovation of professionalism is what allows our society to flourish as it does; individuals devote their lives to excellence in a given field so that our culture as a whole can benefit from results unobtainable through amateurism. Where appropriate the professional governing bodies aim to filter out the unethical and dangerous, promote best practice, and support ongoing research to improve the profession in question. Clients and the market allocate resources to the professional based on demonstrable ability: the incompetent die off.
I frankly don't see much competence or professionalism from Fountainhead so far, despite being sympathetic.

edit:
Yes, I checked my cocksucking spam folders
thumbnail
Noah, modified 7 Years ago at 7/13/16 5:27 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/13/16 5:27 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 1467 Join Date: 7/6/13 Recent Posts
Maedhros:
If I were to offer you an anecdote like you requested, I can tell you I have personally achieved a number of awakenings beyond '4th path', as have many others in the Fountainhead. 

If Hami/Maedhros is reading this, I would love to hear more about this!  Please feel free to PM me if you feel that that would be a more appropriate means of communication.
Maedhros, modified 7 Years ago at 7/20/16 3:54 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/20/16 3:54 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5 Join Date: 2/13/13 Recent Posts
Hi Droll,

Yes, one heart's desire is unique to the individual. Everyone has their own life narrative that the Fountainhead is able to engage with in a very personal way. It is through working with dreams and dramas that we are able to engage with the specifics and particulars of our life circumstances. Such circumstances are a reflection of our internal understanding of reality - painful dramas that recur in our life point to false beliefs about reality, and therefore by understanding the root of such beliefs we resolve these dramas and develop spiritually. I would posit that the teaching engaging on a personalized level is important - a teaching that speaks only in generalities is little more than dead words and concepts.

In broader terms, however, what we want is the same as what everyone else wants - essentially our psyche is in love with reality and yearns for greater engagement with it. This is always already the case, it is effortless, it is always happening. However our normal experience of life is to settle for an appearance that looks like what we actually want. When we look to co-opt our practice for our personal gain and in the pursuit of selfish goals - though it *looks like* a desire for greater engagement it is really the opposite. It is a turning away from reality as it is a dissatisfaction with what is already the case. It is subtle but there is a difference.

By the way I am familiar with Berne's work, I have read 'Games People Play'. All his ideas essentially agree with what we present through the Fountainhead. The 'life scripts' or 'games' that he talks about are essentially a playing out of the false beliefs we hold about reality that I have already mentioned.

One further point: I can only communicate so much through words. If one decides to be cynical, than of course it's simple to take what I've said, pick it apart and we can start playing a game of semantics. At the end of the day, yes its true that real understanding of what we are presenting here will only come through putting it into practice and in sharing with others. I'm sorry that you have not received the emails yet. There is quite a lot going on behind the scenes, and anything new and worth doing always takes time. I can only advise more patience!
Maedhros, modified 7 Years ago at 7/21/16 10:23 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/21/16 10:23 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5 Join Date: 2/13/13 Recent Posts
Noah I  PM'ed you on the other site in case you didn't see it
thumbnail
Daniel M Ingram, modified 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 6:39 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 6:39 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 3268 Join Date: 4/20/09 Recent Posts
I think that the critiques of Pragmatic Dharma as a movement are narrow, as what this movement represents is broad, variable, complex, and very individualistic, as mentioned above. From a Pragmatic Dharma point of view, if Fountainhead dialetics produce personal benefit and utility, then they would fall within that umbrella. There is not strictly speaking something called Pragmatic Dharma Vipassana, just lots of various techniques that people who value efficacy might emply to various ends.

As to Berne, I very much like his stuff, and so reference TA Today in my own work. I very much benefitted from the heavy TA work I did about 15 years ago, and still apply numerous theories and concepts to him to my daily life and interactions.

As to Meaning and Pragmatic Dharma, the notion that meaning, thought, analysis, stories, and the like are not meaningful to some straw man Pragmatic Dharma is obviously absurd. I spend 95% of my life focused on the specifics and meaning, and about 5% focused on ultimate aspects. This is likely similar to the lives of most Pragmatic Dharma practitioners except when pursuing various specific utilitarian insight practices in retreat settings. Meaning is obviously very important, as are the relative causes of our delusional thought patterns and maladaptive coping strategies.

I look forward to hearing more about what Alan is up to, and will try to talk with him at some point if he will do me the honor at reasonable cost. My last attempts to reach out to him met with polite dismissal, but I think he had just had a child then, so perhaps he was just up to his ears in nappies.

Interesting discussion which, like many discussions of people in their absence, is mostly speculative and projective rather than grounded in sound and specific information about the person themselves. Perhaps, if someone knows Alan better than I, they will invite his commentary here, as that might clear up numerous false inferenes and fantasies.
Alan Chapman, modified 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 1:39 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 1:39 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Post: 1 Join Date: 7/22/16 Recent Posts
Hello Droll,

Some email services are dragging their feet in updating their authentication protocols, and this causes a particular problem for emails sent from a gmail address, as the series was until I became aware of the problem. If you sign up now it should be fine. 

Apologies for my incompetence.

Hello Everyone,

What I’m trying to do is build something that’s very difficult. Not least of which is the interactive site with mentoring and video tutorials - that will be totally free and is being built voluntarily - that unfortunately has hit many roadblocks this year, from requiring a totally new rebuild to my diminished involvement from having to care for both a sick parent and then my newborn baby who spent an extended time in hospital. It’s not classy to mention these details, nor do I do so to win your sympathy, understanding or patience; the cynicism, pedantry and snide comments are expected, along with my willingness to be misunderstood until people can use the platform and join the community.

The only reason I mention what has been happening is so perhaps some of you can appreciate why I sadly have no time to engage with this forum in a productive way.

I apologise if I’ve hurt anyone’s feelings, but I’m certainly not shunning anyone, being divisive or dismissive; it really isn’t about anyone other than myself and my family. (Thanks for your email Dan, I appreciate the reach out. Of course my comments fall way short from what you proposed, and I apologise again, but hopefully you can forgive my poor performance.)

Finally, everything I’m trying to do I’m not doing alone, nor could I; everyone is always welcome over at Fountainhead, should you wish to offer your support.

Best wishes,

Alan.
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 6:12 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 7/22/16 5:55 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Alan and Maedhros,

Thanks for replying. I'm sorry to hear about the personal problems. I hope everything smooths out. I'll be waiting as a devotee or cynic as the case may be.

With respect to cynicism, pedantry, and "game of semantics", from my POV I'm partially playing devil's advocate for clarity, etc. Again addressing the eventual goal of Fountainhead according to the white paper, the basic presentation would seem to require defensibility. Even putting devil's advocate aside I had and have sincere questions.


Daniel,

This is off-topic. I've noticed that a lot of your interactions on the DhO seem to be of this form,

Person A, B, etc: Posts about perceived failings of perceived "pragmatic dharma movement"
Daniel: Post explaining that the pragmatic dharma movement isn't well-defined. Explanation for how Daniel's perceived version doesn't have perceived failings anyway.

Perhaps a sticky, short essay, or MCTB2 chapter "Responses to common criticism of 'pragmatic dharma movement'" would save a lot of time and energy. You've written so much on this topic the posts could just be compiled. A single thread would maybe contain the cancer. Just a suggestion.
Maedhros, modified 7 Years ago at 11/1/16 4:13 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 11/1/16 4:10 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 5 Join Date: 2/13/13 Recent Posts
Good evening all,

The new iteration of the Fountainhead has launched today. The interactive app at iamfountainhead.com includes video content that will introduce you to wisdom practice. By joining you'll be participating in an active community with the option to receive live support with any issues you may encounter at your leisure.

Enjoy, and let me know if you have any further questions 
thumbnail
Dada Kind, modified 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 3:52 AM
Created 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 3:48 AM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 633 Join Date: 11/15/13 Recent Posts
Neat.

The videos are unlisted for some reason. Here are the available ones in sequence. If someone wants me to take them down I will, or a mod can delete this, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq07mFsdg3s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XakcPP5J5Qs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZxuUV3VgPc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPkaZ26pd8 o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6Vte4RK6Js

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEOG7ktrjdk

I put a space in the fourth one cuz it's defaulting to an emoji. Just remove the space.

edit:
No "Fire Walk With Me" joke?
thumbnail
synelg, modified 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 3:59 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 3:59 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Posts: 63 Join Date: 9/26/16 Recent Posts
Dream Walker:
Droll Dedekind:
It looks like Maedhros replied to this thread but I can't view it from here. I see the post from my email alert, though.

Can a mod help here?
I changed the permissions to include "guest" as other posts have...if all is well now then good. If not post again here whats not working yet.
~D ( Moderator)

I can only view this thread up to this post.  Nothing after this post.   This has happened to me on another thread also.  Can a moderator help?  THANKYOU!
Mark, modified 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 4:33 PM
Created 7 Years ago at 11/2/16 4:33 PM

RE: Fountainhead School Whitepaper by Alan Chapman

Post: 1 Join Date: 6/26/16 Recent Posts
synelg:
Dream Walker:
Droll Dedekind:
It looks like Maedhros replied to this thread but I can't view it from here. I see the post from my email alert, though.

Can a mod help here?
I changed the permissions to include "guest" as other posts have...if all is well now then good. If not post again here whats not working yet.
~D ( Moderator)

I can only view this thread up to this post.  Nothing after this post.   This has happened to me on another thread also.  Can a moderator help?  THANKYOU!

In the meantime, here's a fresh archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20161102213057/http://www.dharmaoverground.org/discussion/-/message_boards/message/5829504

Breadcrumb