October Newsletter 2025
- KSD London
- Sep 27
- 6 min read
Dear All,
Welcome to the October newsletter.
This is a month when, each year, we remember the passing of Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche - a man who achieved in one lifetime what would take most of us several lifetimes: the founding of Samye Ling; ROKPA with all the projects it has around the world; the creation of Tara Rokpa therapy; the preservation of Tibetan medicine....and a lot more besides. My first contact with him was in April 1998 on the occasion of the opening of the London Centre's first site at Carlisle Lane, and where I was able to take refuge.
Whether you knew Rinpoche or not, you are invited to join us on Wednesday the 8th of October at 7.00 pm, when we will mark the 12th Anniversary since Akong Rinpoche’s passing with a light offering in the courtyard garden, followed by a Chenrezig puja.
Wake up to sleep with Charlie Morley - you may recall my advice in the last newsletter to book sooner rather than later for this workshop if you wanted to attend. And what excellent advice that was, because this event is now fully booked up. If this leaves you disappointed, let me say that I'm sure Charlie will be leading further events at the Centre, so keep an eye out, and book quickly when you see one!
Coming up:
Simply Meditation Day - Sunday 5th October. An opportunity to spend time in silent meditation practice. You can either come for the day, or join in one or more sessions. Getting together with fellow practitioners gives strength and is an ideal environment where those who would like to sit more than they currently do.
Death Cafe - Thursday, 16th October. At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to discuss death. On this occasion we will be hosted in the Centre's Tibetan Tearoom and sit in small groups around a pot of tea, with five people on each table facilitated by a member of the KSDL Bardo Group.
The Death cafe is an opportunity to explore your unheard views on death and to listen and delight in the views of others on the same subject. The objective is 'to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives'.
The Tibetan Doctor will next be available in KSDL on the weekend of the 18th - 19th October. To make an appointment for a consultation please contact Doctor Soktsang directly. If you want to check Dr Soktsang's availability in 2025, the dates of his attendance at the Centre are available on the website.
Vajrasattva Practice Day - Sunday 19th October. We will spend the day reciting the Vajrasattva (Dorje Sempa) 100 syllable mantra as requested by His Holiness 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje. You are welcome to join in as many sessions as you wish.
The Three Marks with Alistair Appleton, 25th - 26th October. According to Buddhist teaching, most of our suffering comes from a fatal misapprehension about the nature of things. And this weekend course aims to clear things up!
Death and Dying; A Celebration of Life through Reflection on Death. You are invited to join us on Saturday 1st November, for our annual event, organised by the Kagyu Samye Dzong London (KSDL) Bardo Group. A full schedule for the day is available on the website.
Taming the Wild Elephant Mind - Sunday 2nd November. This is a day of meditation instruction especially suited for beginners and those who would like to get more meditation experience.
Online meditations and pujas - finally, if it's not so easy, or even possible, for you to attend the Centre in-person, you've not been forgotten! The Centre's morning meditations and Chenrezig and Medicine Buddha pujas are all streamed live on our YouTube channel. And if you can't join us at the time, recordings are available.
In other news:
Speaking of social media - links to our social media pages can be found at the top right hand corner of every page on the website. While this newsletter is the longest-lived of our electronic communications, you can also keep up with activities at the Centre on Instagram and Facebook. Obviously, this newsletter is the best way of staying fully informed (no editorial ego there whatsoever!), but other channels have other content. Why not take a look if you haven't already.
Right, that's me done for another month. As I write this, we've just passed the September Equinox which means the days are now more dark than light - increasingly so up until the Winter Solstice. In the meantime, I hope you have a fruitful autumn both pratice-wise and culinary (British apples are back in season!).
Best wishes,
David Bates
Newsletter Editor
A Letter To A Friend with Lama Zangmo
Lama Zangmo's new long-term course, on Nagarjuna's text "A Letter To A Friend", starts on Saturday 4th October.
A Letter To A Friend is essentially a long poem, written as a personal friendly advice to a South Indian king. While the specifics of the king’s identity remain a mystery, what we can deduce is that the ruler in question took Buddhist practice very seriously. This is confirmed by the fact that Nāgārjuna does not limit his advice to a few general statements on royal conduct or ethical behavior; instead, he outlines the entire Mahayana path.
A Letter To A Friend is a wonderfully rich, and yet extremely practical, composition; it can be explored and explained in any number of ways (and any number of times), but it can also be applied right now—as soon as we start reading the root verses and receiving a competent commentary on them. Each verse can bring about positive shifts; we just need to start somewhere.
The course is suitable for anyone who wishes to study Buddhism in more depth, and runs one day a month on the following dates: 4th Oct, 8th Nov; 6th Dec; 17th Jan 2026; 14th Feb; 14th March.
Please Note: It is a requirement to commit to attend the full course apart from very exceptional circumstances. For full details, and to book your place, please visit the course page on the website.
Transforming the Emotions Through Meditation
Over four Thursday evenings, starting on 23rd October, Lama Zangmo will be teaching on transforming the emotions through meditation.
This course is suitable for anyone wanting to become more familiar with working with the emotions. It is a good follow-up for someone who already attended an introduction to meditation course.
To apply an antidote we need to be able to recognise the emotion, reflect on the negative impact it has, and then apply the appropriate remedy. With time and practice we gradually become able to pacify and transform them.
Lama Zangmo will give meditation instructions and will especially focus on how we can deal with painful emotions such as anger, attachment, stress, fear and confusion. There will be time for actual meditation during each session.
For full details and to book your place on this course, please visit the website.
Tibetan Medicine and Medical Consultations
We are fortunate to have a monthly visit in Samye Dzong London from Doctor Lobsang Soktsang, who holds a First Class General Medicine Degree from the Central Medical Institute for Traditional Tibetan Medicine in Lhasa.
Doctor Soktsang was a friend of Akong Rinpoche, and is continuing Rinpoche's work in making Tibetan medicine available in the West. Below is a summary of the principles of Tibetan Medicine.
Tibetan medicine, or Sowa Rigpa in Tibetan, is an ancient holistic healing system dating back over 2,500 years that integrates physical, mental and spiritual aspects of health by balancing three core energies: wind, bile and phlegm.
Diagnosis is done through methods like pulse diagnosis and urine analysis, while treatments involve herbal medicines, diet adjustments, and lifestyle changes to address imbalances and restore harmony between the body and mind.
Core Principles
An Holistic Approach: Tibetan medicine views health as a balance of the body and mind, considering them interconnected.
Energy System: It focuses on balancing the three principal energies: wind, bile, and phlegm, which are responsible for all bodily functions.
Buddhist Influence: The practice is deeply rooted in Buddhist philosophical principles, emphasizing the importance of mental and spiritual well-being.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis: Practitioners use traditional methods such as observing the pulses and analyzing urine to understand the root causes of illness.
Herbal Medicine: A wide range of natural ingredients, often sourced from the Himalayas, are used to create remedies for various ailments.
Lifestyle and Diet: Adjustments to diet and daily habits are crucial components of treatment to promote health and prevent recurrence of illness.
History and Influences
Ancient Origins: Tibetan medicine developed over centuries from the accumulated wisdom of the Tibetan people.
Multiple Influences: It draws on a foundation from Indian Ayurvedic medicine, as well as spiritual and psychological systems like those taught by the Buddha.
Historical Collaboration: In the 7th and 8th centuries, the Tibetan government sponsored conferences where physicians from China, Persia, India, and Greece shared their medical knowledge, contributing to the development of Tibetan medical theory.
Anyone interested in booking an appointment with Doctor Soktsang should contact him directly. His next London visit will be on the weekend of 18th - 19th October.
