Exploring Buddhism - The Path to Peace (Week 3)

Description

About the course

On this course, week by week, Gen Kelsang Leksang will guide us through a series of 15 Lamrim meditations, taught by Buddha.  These meditations are a scientific method to heal the states of mind that are the actual causes of all our pain and suffering and to develop true happiness within our own minds.

Lamrim means the stages of the path to enlightenment. It is a special set of instructions that includes all the essential teachings of Buddha, structured in a comprehensive way that is easy to understand and put into practice.

The Lamrim presentation lies at the very heart of Kadampa Buddhism. The Lamrim instructions were compiled by the great Buddhist Master Atisha, an Indian scholar, and meditator who was invited to Tibet by King Jangchub Ö in AD 1042 and became one of the main figures in bringing Buddhism to Tibet. There is a completely unbroken lineage of these Lamrim instructions from Buddha Shakyamuni down to our present-day Spiritual Guides.

The instructions of Lamrim are easy to understand and practice, and can readily be applied to solving the problems of daily life.

If we gain deep experience of Lamrim there will be no basis for these problems; we shall be able to solve them through the power of our inner peace. First, we must understand the benefits that Lamrim offers, and develop a strong desire to practice it.

Then by joyfully and patiently doing these meditations, we shall gradually experience the fruits of Lamrim practice.

Eventually, we shall attain freedom from all suffering and the unchanging peace and happiness of enlightenment.

These meditations, along with instructions on how to practice can be found in The Mirror of Dharma with Additions by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

An extensive presentation of Lamrim can be found in Geshe Kelsang’s book (available at tharpa.co.uk) Joyful Path of Good Fortune and Modern Buddhism.

The course will introduce and guide us through a particularly concise and powerful presentation of Lamrim as presented in ‘Mirror of Dharma with Additions’ by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This book is available to purchase for those who wish to study further at home.

You can drop in week by week or book for the whole course.

£10 per session or book 7 weeks for £45. This course is included in the weekly membership.

Everyone welcome

These classes are taught by Buddhist nun Gen Kelsang Leksang. A teacher with 20 years of experience of teaching meditation. The course will be based on the teachings of Buddha that provide powerful and liberating insights into the nature of the human mind.

The teacher

The teacher of this class is Gen Kelsang Leksang, she has been an ordained Buddhist nun for 16 years. she has been studying under the guidance of the meditation master Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso for over 20 years and was first appointed as resident teacher at KMC Birmingham in 2007.

Known for her caring and positive manner, she has the ability to inspire people to improve their own lives by showing how Buddha’s teachings are relevant to the experiences of modern-day people.

When is it?

6 week course April – May – starts 14th April

This course can be attended as a single class or as a whole course.

Sundays 2 pm-3.30 pm

Where is it?

Kadampa Meditation Centre Birmingham – 44 Blucher Street, Birmingham. B1 1QJ

• KMC Birmingham is located next to The Mailbox. Only around 8 minutes walk from New Street station. Free parking on nearby streets on Sundays and evenings after 6pm

What does it cost?

• Discount for the whole course: £45 
• Single classes: £10
• Or why not consider a membership that includes multiple weekly classes and weekend workshops for only £35/month?

Programme

WHOLE COURSE (£45) (free for members)

Week 1 – 14th April – Finding peace and purpose – The Preciousness of our Human Life (£10)  – 

Week 2 – 21st April – Letting go of attachment – contemplating death and impermanence (£10)

Week 3 – 28th April – Preparing for future lives  (£10)

Week 4 – 5th May – The path to happiness – Karma (£10)

Week 5 – 12th May – Seeing the bigger picture – the Four Noble Truths (£10)

Week 6 – 19th May – The path to liberation – True Paths and True Cessations (£10)