February 1st

Seeing into Our True Nature: It may be Easier than You Think

We may have read about those amazing and mystifying stories of spiritual awakening of past Buddhist masters, and may have learned (or been told and come to believe) that it will take a lot for an ordinary person like ourselves to see directly into our true nature of selflessness or emptiness. But what if there is another way of telling this tale — that such seeing is more common, much simpler, and less dramatic? Are you willing to give up your imagined lofty enlightenment experience and settle for one that is very real, quite funny, but of much lower standards? 

February 29th

How to Let Go: Releasing Our Attachments 

When we are gripped by the pain and heartache of love lost, many of us (Buddhists and non-Buddhists) know instinctively that if only we can let go of those images, words and feelings associated with them, we will be freed from that suffering. The challenge, however, is always about how to go about letting it go, and whether such renunciation will mean we have to stop loving and caring. In this talk we can explore the relationship between attachment and love, and try on a way of meditation to release our attachments so that we can be more present to love. 

April 4th

TakingInand Sending Out: Responding to Our Reality with Kind-Heartedness 

Tong-len (in English, taking-and-giving) meditation is a simple but extremely powerful meditation technique from Tibetan Buddhism that enables us to get in touch with our natural kind-heartedness. By encouraging us to breathe in to take on that which is bad, it helps to invoke our compassion. And to breathe out to send forth that which is good, it helps to actualize kindness. This talk will introduce us to this versatile method that can reconnect us with our innate goodness in response to the many difficult, challenging situations we encounter.  

May 2nd

Speech and Silence: Listening for Liberation from Suffering 

Mindful speech is a component of Buddhist ethical training while noble silence is often observed on a Buddhist meditation retreat. Balancing the two modes of speech and silence is the skillful art of listening, that is said to enable one to attain liberation from suffering in the in-between state (in Tibetan, bar.do) of death and rebirth in the famous Tibetan Book of the Dead (or more accurately as Liberation through Listening in the Bar.do state). How to listen differently and thereby respond in speech differently in our daily life is the theme of this talk. 

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You may also like to come to the Sunday morning ‘Practical Buddism Workshop’ the next day.