Month: December 2022

Each month, with skill and her characteristic humor, Venerable Robina Courtin will unpack and discuss a key topic relating to how to apply practical Buddhism in our daily life, concepts, and fundamentals of Buddhist Psychology, and how to develop and train our minds in these principles. 

In the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Mahamudra (Great Seal) meditation is the practice of realising the great seal of reality, the empty and selfless nature of all things. With its unique starting point of meditating on the clear and knowing nature of the mind, we learn to settle back and meditate as spacious awareness. Within this extraordinary experience of clarity, spaciousness, bliss and absence of discursive thinking, we turn our introspective awareness to examine the nature of the subject, our habitual sense of self, in order to free ourselves from all our grasping, attachment and heartache.

Through Mahamudra meditation, we can connect with our own aware space and experience the bliss that comes from this effortless way of engaging in meditation.

The workshop will feature explanations, guided meditations and time for Q&A. All are welcome.

Each month, with skill and her characteristic humor, Venerable Robina Courtin will unpack and discuss a key topic relating to how to apply practical Buddhism in our daily life, concepts, and fundamentals of Buddhist Psychology, and how to develop and train our minds in these principles. 

Meditative concentration, also known as calm-abiding, is a state of mind where all the disturbances due to dysfunctional reactions of body and mind are pacified and we find our attention abiding blissfully on whatever object of meditation we focus on. Contrary to popular beliefs, great effort and willpower are not necessary to accomplish it. Rather, the skillful and wise application of our mindfulness, coupled with the attitude of kindness and letting go, transforms our usual effortful struggle in meditation to an effortless process of settling deeply into concentration.

Release from bodily tensions due to stress and calming of distressing ruminative thinking are just some of the benefits we can expect through such practice. The workshop will feature explanations, guided meditations and time for Q&A. All are welcome.

Each month, with skill and her characteristic humor, Venerable Robina Courtin will unpack and discuss a key topic relating to how to apply practical Buddhism in our daily life, concepts, and fundamentals of Buddhist Psychology, and how to develop and train our minds in these principles. 

Ven Chodron will discuss how we can develop a healthy sense of self that can aid us in our practice. She will discuss the concept of self-centered thought versus self-grasping ignorance and how we can use this knowledge to develop our Dharma practice.

The images of the vast iconography of Tibetan Buddhism can be confusing and it might take years, even decades to dis-cipher their symbolism and deeper meaning. BUT why are they helpful to us in our ordinary life and in our meditation practice? This talk will be on Lama Yeshe’s direct teachings given to Andy Weber, whose mind took decades to understand the meaning.  All images are “ten.pa” , objects of support. What is the support? and how is this support helpful in our daily life?

Private tuition sessions: Emphasis on canvas making: Andy’s assistant Anton will demonstrate an easy method; Gold preparation ; shading techniques and outlining. Useful hints to make a tangkha including designs on the robes.

All morning sessions will include a meditation. Please BYO lunch or a plate to share with the group.

NOT TO BE MISSED by budding artists and students.

By bringing awareness to this topic of death and being prepared for it, we can greatly reduce the distress and shock that often accompany our encounter with death. In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a wealth of knowledge and practices that can help us navigate the ending part of our life, transforming our relationship with death from one of suffering to one of appreciation, gratitude and fulfilment. 

Death can be an opportunity for discovering our valuable inner resources. In this workshop we will look at Buddhist teachings on death and rebirth, applying them through meditation and exploring practical steps we can take to be prepared for the inevitable. The workshop will feature explanations, guided meditations and time for Q&A. All are welcome.

Tibetan Medicine is one of the most ancient practices of healing known to humanity, dating back 4,000 years. Until quite recently this ancient wisdom was practiced throughout Tibet virtually without change, its knowledge handed down through generations of lay and monastic doctors. Today, carried with the Tibetan diaspora, practices of this ancient healing wisdom are being offered in the West as an alternative to mainstream health practices.

In this lecture Pema will introduce insights of healing principles and the health practice of Tibetan Medicine as applied to illnesses, diagnosis, and treatments.

These concepts will be introduced from a historical background to cultural aspect to demonstrate the uniqueness of medical system as an ancient wisdom, but modern science. The lecture will also provide useful information to stay healthy using basic methods in diet and behavioral practice in daily life.