Buddhist Courses

Spring/Summer 2008

MARCH

Easter weekend

We will not be holding out annual Easter Retreat this year as Rizong Rinpoche will be teaching at Lam Rim Bristol

THE ART OF BEING – An Introduction to Kum Nye - John Peacock
11th-13th (Friday – Sunday)

Kum Nye is open to anyone, no matter what their spiritual orientation, who is interested in enquiring into new possibilities of being in our increasingly turbulent and stress-filled world. Kum Nye aims at centring us in our being by exposing us to our strategies of evasion, repression and resistance. Kum Nye is a unique and ancient system of exercise, meditation, visualisation and chanting derived from the oldest of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. This week-end offers a complete introduction to this unique practice. SUITABLE FOR ALL

Cost:£137pp for 4 bedded shared room residential + £16 single room supplement.£90pp non-residential (incl. food)

CULTIVATING A GOOD HEART Ven Geshe Damcho Yonten
18 – 20 (Friday – Sunday)

The main function of Chenrezig, the embodiment of all of the Buddhas’ compassion is to develop this compassion in the hearts of oneself and all living beings. Compassion is the mind that is altruistic and cares for others. Each one of us has a responsibility to generate a good heart. By doing so we will achieve climate change, from negative environment to positive healthy place which spreads peace and loving kindness to all living beings. SUITABLE FOR ALL

Cost: £104pp for 4 bedded shared room residential + £16 single room supplement £70pp non-residential (inc.food) Plus an Offering Donation.

MAY

THE WAY OF MINDFULNESS RETREAT - John Peacock
2nd-5th (Friday to Bank Holiday Monday)

This long week-end will concentrate on the development of Mindfulness as a powerful way of paying attention to both one’s mind and the world. This retreat will be conducted in silence. Full teaching will be given, with discussion in the evening.

John Peacock has over 20 years experience teaching meditation and the practical dimensions of Buddhist at Centres in the UK. He also lectures in Indian religion at the University of Bristol.

Cost: £160pp for 4 bedded shared room residential + £24 single room supplement. £100pp non residential (incl. food).

PLEASE NOTE

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be giving Teachings from Sat 24th – Wednesday 28th May at Nottingham
Arena, Nottingham. UK visit www.dalailama2008.org.uk

JUNE

LETS ALL MEDITATE TOGETHER AND REJOICE - Geshe Damcho Yonten
14th Saturday only

Another opportunity to have guided instruction from Geshe-la on meditation, to sit with him and rejoice in our activity for the benefit
of all living beings.
This Day has very kindly been sponsored - no Charge.

2nd SPECIAL FESTIVAL DAY - Ven Geshe Damcho Yonten
18 Wednesday (Arrive Tues pm – Thurs am)

SAKA DAWA – The Anniversary of Buddha’s Enlightenment & Parinirvana. 24 hour precepts and chanting Guru Yoga Sadhana.

Cost £43 residential – Plus Offering Donation

SAMATHA - EXPLORING THE DEPTHS OF THE PSYCHE - Alan Wallace
A Shamatha Retreat in the Great Perfection Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism
23 – 29 June Monday-Sunday
Practical information and the Retreat timetable are available as a pdf file from here (51k).

The Vajra Essence by Dudjom Lingpa is a classic 19th century meditation manual in the Great Perfection(Dzogchen)tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Covering all stages of meditative practice up to the achievement of spiritual awakening, it begins with the extraordinary presentation of the shamatha practice of "setting the mind in its natural state." This entails the cultivation of discerning mindfulness of the space of the mind and all mental phenomena that arise from moment to moment.

The essence of this practice is to observe all these mental events without distraction and without grasping. In the process of sustained practice, the obsessive and compulsive activities of the mind gradually subside - like snowflakes settling in a snow globe - and one's awareness settles in the substrate consciousness((alayavijnana), characterized by bliss, luminosity and nonconceptuality. This is called the "relative ground state of the mind," not to be confused with nirvana, Buddha nature, or other transcendent states of awareness.

Although this practice is presented in the context of Tibetan Buddhism, it is strongly resonant with Zen and Vipassana meditations, so it may be inviting and enriching to Buddhists of all traditions, as well as anyone else who is interested to explore the depths of their own minds and consciousness.
In this six day retreat, B Alan Wallace will offer an oral commentary to the shamatha section of The Vajra Essence, which he received from his teacher, the Ven Gyatrul Rinpoche, who authorized him to teach this portion of the text to general audiences. The retreat will also consist of meditation sessions and periods of discussion.

EXPERIENCE IN MEDITATION IS RECOMMENDED.

JULY

Kum Nye Training - Maarten Vermaase
3rd-8th