Dear All,
We really are at the back end of the year now. The clocks going back, the evenings getting darker, it's the time of year, traditionally, when people would gather around the fire and tell stories. The longer the nights, the longer the stories - check out those Viking sagas!
Winter Wanderings; reading, poetry and reflections - at Samye Dzong we're introducing our own version of the fireside gathering, albeit without any actual fire. You are invited to join us in the Tea Room at 7.00 pm on Thursday 7th November. Full details on the website.
The Tibetan Doctor will next be available in KSDL on the weekend of the 16th - 17th November. To make an appointment for a consultation please contact Doctor Soktsang directly.
The Medicine Buddha puja makes a welcome return on Sunday 3rd November at 7.00 pm, and again at the same time on Sunday 1st December.
The 3rd November is a busy day! Not only is there the aforementioned Medicine Buddha puja, but there's also a Green Tara puja at 10.00 am, with the remainder of the day being dedicated to Vajrasattva Practice.
On the weekly programme, we have regular Shamatha meditation on Wednesday and Friday evenings from 7.00 - 7.45 pm.
Finally, just in case you've not had your fill of death-related events (a little nod there to the forthcoming Embracing Death and Dying day), there will be aDeath Cafe in the Tea Room at 5.30 pm on Saturday 17th November, with more dates to come so keep an eye out.
As if all that wasn't enough, in November we can also look forward to teachings from Gelong Thubten on the Four Dharmas of Gampopa, Clive Holmes on Emotional Intelligence and of couse, Lama Zangmo who will be teaching on the Six Paramitas. To find out about all these, just keep on reading.
All the best,
David Bates
Newsletter Editor
Embracing Death and Dying: A Celebration of Life through Reflection on Death
On Saturday 2nd November, Kagyu Samye Dzong London will host another Death and Dying Event to bring more awareness around this important topic.
The day is organised by the Samye Dzong London Bardo Group and provides an opportunity to explore and reflect on death and dying through talks by a variety of professional speakers.
Topics that will be addressed by a range of speakers include:
Spiritual Care at the End of Life
Everything you need to know about funerals
What happens as we die?
The importance of reflecting on death
A Q&A session
There will also be a space set aside for contemplation, as well as a coffin exhibition, and we will be lighting butter lamps for the deceased and loved ones, with dedications and prayers in the Shrine Room to end the day.
A detailed programme of the day, including details of the speakers, is now available on the event page.
The Six Paramitas - with Lama Zangmo
You are invited to join Lama Zangmo over two Saturdays: 9th November and 7th December. to learn about the Six Paramitas.
The six paramitas are a way to live your life based on the principles of wisdom and compassion – these are mainstream Buddhist practices.
The paramitas lead into one another. They are generosity, ethical conduct, perseverance, forbearance, mental stability and wisdom.
Lama Zangmo will explain the Paramitas in detail over two Saturdays - the 9th November and the 7th December.
This day can be attended on its own or as a part of the monthly Introduction to Buddhism series, and is suitable for anyone wanting to gain more familiarity with Buddhist teachings.
You can see full details of the day and book your place on the event page.
Emotional Intelligence - with Clive Holmes
Love them or hate them, we all have emotions! Left unmastered they can cause a lot of trouble both internally and externally. Yet, “no mud, no lotus”-we can work with, or transform, all of them to improve our quality of life. In this course, we will cover the five basic features of how to make order out of chaos in our lives. They are self-awareness, self-mastery, compassion, motivation and social skills. The latter involves learning how to use meditation in a social context. Special attention will be given to “vedanas” highlighting the foundation of mindfulness to do with feeling. We can train our awareness to untie the knots of entanglement and be less reactive and more responsive. Help can be given where help is needed, both internally and to others. Clive Holmes has been teaching meditation for the last twenty five years all over the UK, as well as in Samye Dzong centres overseas. Join Clive on Saturday 16th November. For full details of the day, and to book your place, visit the event page on the website. |
The Four Dharmas of Gampopa deepening our meditation path - with Gelong Thubten
On the weekend of 30th November / 1st December, Gelong Thubten will be teaching on the Four Dharmas of Gampopa; an important Tibetan Buddhist text which contains key instructions for turning our practice into a path to liberation.
The main themes explained are how to deepen our commitment to our meditation practice, the cultivation of pure compassion and the journey to profound wisdom. The teachings include helpful instructions for maintaining a strong, daily meditation practice, the transformation of negative emotions and how to become of true benefit to others.
These teachings provide a grounding in some of the most essential points of Buddhist philosophy and practice, and are suitable for beginners and the more experienced, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
For full details of this weekend course. and to book your place, please visit the event page on the website.