- Metta – tisdagar med Venerable Sungrab WoeserContinue reading →
The power of kindness (Metta)
View, meditation and Practice
Metta (in Pali) means unbiased kindness, friendliness, goodwill. It is a peaceful state of mind, because it is based on opennes, strength, independency, goodness, freedom.
Through Metta we change our negative thinking and feelings into kindness, free from attachment and aversion. It creates a spontaneous attitude of wholesome intentions, not only towards ourselves, but towards our loved ones, neutral persons, those whom we dislike, and to those in all directions of the universe.
Due to past experiences, many of us do not trust our capacity to kindness towards all.
Usually we are friendly and benevolent to those people whom we like. Or to those who are kind to us. But to those who are unknown or unsymphatetic it is more difficult to be of goodwill.
Basically this attitude comes from attachment and aversion. From prejudice, fear, uncertainty, mistrust, resistance, self interest.
With such an attitude we are in fact very unfriendly towards ourselves, because we are unfree, unprotected, dependent.
These are the inner enemies.
During metta practice, people are amazed to find out that they have a capacity for kindness and goodwill, both for themselves and for others.
The attitude of Metta involves a tremendous confidence and strength of our intentions. Metta meditation subdues the disturbing attitudes we have created in our mind.
When we express goodwill, it does not mean that we are going to be there for others all the time. But we are wishing that all beings will know how to find true happiness.
The armour of the bodhisattva is bodhicitta: the vast mind, the altruistic intention to strive for the benefit of all beings.
May they all be happy, may they be free from suffering.
Metta is the prelude to boundless compassion, love and equanimity. These are the qualities of the inner buddhanature.
During the online sessions we will enhance our insight in metta. And through continuous meditations we will experience the power of Metta.
TIME AND DATES
Tuesdays, from 20.00 – 21.30
1, 15, 29 September
13, 27 October
10, 24 November
8, 15 December
TWO WAYS OF PARTICIPATING
A. You want to join all 9 online meetings.
In that case please send an email to Åsa and you will receive a Zoom-link before every meeting. And pay the fee ahead. You will now and then receive a short written summary of the teachings, sutra texts and metta meditations, which were explained and practised during the programme.
You join all or nearly all of the meetings (will be registered), and you take your homework seriously.
Fee : 650 kr for members / 750 kr for non-members
B. You want to join a single meeting whenever it fits you. In that case please send an e-mail just before the chosen meeting and you will receive an entrycode. Please pay the fee each time you join. You will not receive any written material. No homework.
Fee : 80 kr for members / 100 kr for non-members
Pay to Plusgiro: 831 87 20-3 ( Föreningen för tibetansk buddhism )
About Venerable Sungrab Woeser
Sungrab Woeser is buddhist Sakya monk living in the Netherlands. He has been a buddhist since 1993. He was ordained as a monk in 2009 in the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. His root teachers are HH Dalai Lama, HH Sakya Trizin and sons, and Khenpo Sherab Gyaltsen Amipa. He accomplished retreats on metta, samatha and tantra. Venerable Sungrab studied buddhist philosophy for several years at the International Buddhist Academy in Kathmandu, Nepal. Currently Venerable Sungrab is leading an ‘open monastery’ in the northern region of the Netherlands.
- Approaching the Buddhist Path 2
September 18-20
Weekend course with Stephan Pende Wormland
Welcome to the second weekend course in a series of teachings with Stephan Pende Wormland. The series is based on a multi-volume collection (see below) presenting the Dalai Lama’s comprehensive explanation of the Buddhist path.
The course is suitable for everyone, independent of your background, and it is not necessary to sign up for the whole series in advance.
During this weekend Stephan Pende will continue to teach from the first volume: “Approaching the Buddhist Path” www.wisdompubs.org/book/approaching-buddhist-path
TIME
Friday, September 18, 18:30–21:00 (introduction)
Saturday, September 19, 10:00–17:00 (lunch break 13:00–14:30)
Sunday, September 20, 10:00–17:00 (lunch break 13:00–14:30)LOCATION
You can choose between two ways to take part in this course:1. Follow the course online. You will receive detailed instructions on how to follow the teachings after your registration.
The price for this alternative is SEK 600 for members and SEK 700 for non-members.
Register by e-mail to: Helen
Pay to: Föreningen för tibetansk buddhism i Göteborg, plusgiro 831 87 20-3.Students, unemployed and pensioners may have a further discount of SEK 100. Please state in the payment form which course and alternative (online/in person) you are paying for and if you are eligible for a discount. Make a separate payment of SEK 250 if you want to become a member.
2. There will be a limited number of spots available at the Association of Tibetan Buddhism in Gothenburg, Linnégatan 21.
The price for this alternative is SEK 800 for members and SEK 900 for non-members
Register by e-mail to: Maria
Pay to: Föreningen för tibetansk buddhism i Göteborg, plusgiro 831 87 20-3.Students, unemployed and pensioners may have a further discount of SEK 200. Please state in the payment form which course and alternative (online/in person) you are paying for and if you are eligible for a discount. Make a separate payment of SEK 250 if you want to become a member.
Since it is important that we keep track of the number of people coming to the Association, you need to receive a confirmation e-mail from us before your arrival.
If you need to cancel your participation on short notice you will be refunded.
ABOUT THE SERIES
We will cover and complete one volume at a time. So far four volumes have been published, with more awaiting. Stephan Pende will teach two weekends a year. In between visits he will offer online group meetings with meditations and lectures.ABOUT THE BOOKS
“His Holiness the Dalai Lama https://www.dalailama.com/ has been publicly teaching Buddhism for decades. The Library of Wisdom and Compassion collects his presentations of every step of the path to enlightenment, compiled and coauthored by one of his chief Western disciples, the American nun Thubten Chodron https://thubtenchodron.org/The Buddha wanted his students to investigate, to see for themselves whether what he said were true. As a student of the Buddha, the Dalai Lama promotes the same spirit of investigation, and as the rich tradition of the Buddha makes its way into new lands and cultures, His Holiness has recognized that new approaches are needed to allow seekers in the West to experience the relevance of the liberating message in their own lives. Such an approach cannot assume listeners are free from doubt and already have faith in Buddhism’s basic tenets. The Library of Wisdom and Compassion series, therefore, starts from the universal human wish for happiness and presents the dynamic nature of the mind. This first volume also provides a wealth of reflections on Buddhist history and fundamentals, contemporary issues, and the Dalai Lama’s own personal experiences. It stands alone as an introduction to Buddhism, but it also provides a foundation for the systematic illumination of the path in the volumes to come.”
Vol 1: Approaching the Buddhist Path
www.wisdompubs.org/book/approaching-buddhist-path/Vol 2: The Foundation of Buddhist Practice
www.wisdompubs.org/book/foundation-buddhist-practice/Vol 3: Samsara, Nirvana and Buddha Nature
www.wisdompubs.org/book/samsara-nirvana-and-buddha-nature/Vol 4: Following in the Buddha’s Footsteps
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/following-in-the-buddhas-footsteps/Vol 5: In Praise of Great Compassion
https://wisdomexperience.org/product/in-praise-of-great-compassion/ABOUT STEPHAN PENDE WORMLAND
Continue reading →
Stephan Pende Wormland has an MA in clinical psychology and is trained in Gestalt therapy. He has studied and practiced meditation in multiple Buddhist traditions for over 30 years. Stephan was a monk in the Tibetan tradition for 11 years, spent 5 years in meditation retreats, and teaches meditation in Buddhist centers in Europe. Stephan has been teaching regularly at FFTB 3 to 5 times a year since 2008. www.stephanpende.com/ - How to Develop Compassion
20-22 november
The Eight Verses of Mind Training
Helgkurs med Venerable Michael Yeshe
When we take a few moments from our busy lives to reflect on the plight of other fellow living beings, who are suffering to a much greater extent, it help us to put our own problems and difficult situations into perspective. Thus generating compassion has an immediate benefit of calming our own mind. The great Tibetan master Langri Tangpa composed a very concise text known as The Eight Verses of Training the Mind, which present very effective methods for developing compassion. We will explore these eight verses, based on a commentary by H.H. the Dalai Lama. The sessions will begin with few minutes of silent meditation, followed by the presentation and discussions.
Venerable Michael föddes i London 1966 till en grekisk far och en belgisk mor. Han växte upp på Kopan-klostret i Nepal och har varit munk i den tibetanska buddhistiska traditionen sedan han var 7 år. Vid 13 års ålder började han studera vid Sera Jey Monastic University i södra Indien och där han tillbringade de kommande 18 åren med att studera buddhistisk filosofi. Sedan 1996 har Venerable Michael bjudits in till buddhistcenter i Amerika, Singapore, Malaysia och Holland som översättare och lärare. Under 11 var han varit på Tara-institutet i Melbourne där han tjänade som översättare för Venerable Geshe Doga.
DATUM
Fredag 20 nov, 18:30–21:00 (introduktion)
Lördag 21 nov, 10:00–17:00 (lunch 13:00–14:30)
Söndag 22 nov, 10:00–16:30 (lunch 13:00–14:30)PRIS
Delta på plats: 800:- för medlem, 900:- för ej medlem
Delta online via Zoom: 600:- för medlem, 700:- för ej medlemAnmälan till: Åsa
Betala till: Föreningen för tibetansk buddhism i Göteborg, plusgiro 831 87 20-3Mycket välkomna!
Continue reading →