Cortland Dahl

media release: A Room of One's Own is thrilled to partner with Tergar Madison to welcome Cortland Dahl in conversation with Richard Davidson for a reading and conversation for Cortland's new book A Meditator's Guide to Buddhism: The Path of Awareness, Compassion, and Wisdom. Join us for the book launch and for a powerful conversation with two prominent researchers and practitioners in the field of mindfulness and meditation. 

This is a hybrid online and in person at Tergar Madison. 

Click here to register for the online experience via Zoom

About the Book

Though stress and anxiety abound, Buddhism offers a different way. Instead of struggling indefinitely, we can discover the spiritual treasures of awareness, compassion, and wisdom that are always with us.

Buddhism is rooted in the simple idea that you can train your mind to suffer less and flourish more. In this experiential guide, Cortland Dahl will take you on a journey through the core principles and meditation practices of the Buddhist tradition. The journey begins with teachings on the Four Noble Truths, practical observations that will help you understand the causes of unhappiness, and how you can access inner calm and deep insight through meditation. The journey continues with teachings on compassion, buddha nature, and the profound principle of emptiness, before culminating in a discussion of meditation practices that use common experiences like dreams and strong emotions to awaken. Through accessible teachings and relatable stories, you will learn simple methods to transform your mind and embrace true, unshakeable happiness.

Cortland Dahl is a scientist, Buddhist scholar and translator, and meditation teacher. Beginning in the early 1990s, his passion for training the mind led him on a journey to Buddhist centers across Asia, culminating in eight years living in Tibetan refugee settlements near Kathmandu, Nepal. He is actively involved in scientific research on meditation and human flourishing at the Center for Healthy Minds, and he cofounded Tergar, a network of meditation centers with activities on six continents, with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Cortland lives with his wife and son in Madison, Wisconsin.

Richard J. Davidson received his Ph.D. from Harvard University. Davidson’s research focuses on the neural bases of emotion and methods to promote human flourishing. He is co-author of The Emotional Life of Your Brain and Altered Traits. He was named one of the 100 most influential people by Time Magazine, elected to the National Academy of Medicine, and appointed to the Governing Board of UNESCO’s Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development. Davidson founded The Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations.

For questions about the event, please email madison.coordinator@tergar.or