Better health through meditation

Posted on 1 Nov 2018

Kagyu Samye Dzong London

November Newsletter

Welcome to the November newsletter. As if we didn't have enough going on, another event has sneaked in under the wire as Norma Levine talks about "The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi" on Saturday 24th November. To find out about this and all the other events taking place at the Centre this month, read on....

News in Brief

Ngondro and prostrations - Lama Zangmo will be available on Saturday 3rd November, 10.00-1.00, for questions and answers for those people who are just starting the Ngondro and the prostrations.
Dates for your diary
Death Cafes - on the 2018 Day of the Dead (Friday 2nd November), we will be hosting two "Death Cafes" at which you will have the opportunity to have tea, cake and a chat about death! These tend to be popular, so you will need to book in advance for either the 3.00-4.30 pm cafe, or the later 6.30-8.00 pm
event. We'll be going back to having a full Embracing Death and Dying Day next year on Saturday 23rd November 2019.
Winter Closure - the Centre will close at 9.00 pm on Sunday 16th December and re-open at 2.00 pm on Wednesday 9th January 2019.
Kagyu Samye Dzong London is looking for a part-time or full-time cook.Whether you can do just one day a week, or more, if you're interested in this opportunity, please contact the office for more information.

1 - Better health through meditation - with Clive Holmes

We invite you to join Clive Holmes on the 10th-11th November for a weekend of learning about "Better health through meditation - ancient wisdom for modern living". Clive writes:

"Meditation can help us both care for our health and improve our quality of life. The teachings will be based on the Tibetan forms of therapy ("tso-wa" meaning to heal wounds already there and trying to prevent future wounds occurring). The weekend will incorporate visualisation, breathing methods and meditation exercises."

Clive will also be sharing the "Four Healing Powers" which have been taught for hundreds of years in Tibet but are not so well known in the West.

For full details of "Better health through meditation", please visit the course page on our website.

2 - An introduction to Buddhism, with Lama Zangmo

On Wednesday 15th November, Lama Zangmo will start teaching a three week course, An Introduction to Buddhism.

Over three evenings Lama will teaching the fundamentals and framework for the Buddhist path, including:

The Four Noble Truths, which were the very first teaching the Buddha gave after he attained enlightenment.

Also, the Noble Eightfold path which is the essence of the Middle Way, the path between the extremes of self indulgence and denial. It contains eight interrelated aspects that make up the "skilful living" that the Buddha taught is necessary to uproot suffering and its causes.

An introduction to Buddhism with Lama Zangmo runs over three Wednesday evenings from 15th-29th November, 7.00-8.30 pm. Full details of the course can be found on the website.

3 - Lineage, devotion and the three roots

Join Gelong Thubten on the weekend of 24th-25th November to learn about some of the principal points of the practice of Vajrayana, which is the most profound aspect of Lord Buddha's teachings and the heart of Tibetan Buddhism.

In Vajrayana we take refuge in six supports: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, which are the Three Jewels, and the Three Roots are the Lamas - the source of blessing, the Yidams - the source of accomplishment, and the Protectors and Dakinis - the source of activity.

Through studying the significance of these Six Refuges, we will come to understand the key elements of the Vajrayana path, in particular the importance of devotion and the transmission of lineage.

For full details of this weekend, please visit the course page on our website.

4 - The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi

Norma Levine, author of 'The Miraculous 16th Karmpa', will present a talk based on her new book 'The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi'.

Freda Bedi (nee Houlston 1911-1977) was from a working class family, born in Derby. At Oxford she met her soulmate BPL Bedi and began a new life in India. A mother of three, an investigative journalist, a social worker, a college lecturer, and Gandhi Satyagraha, she continued her activity in the dharma when she became the first Gelongma. A heart disciple of the 16th Karmapa, she was the only woman allowed to live at his monastery at Rumtek in Sikkim.

In 1968 her Oxford friend Olive Shapley - originator of Radio 4 Women's Hour - journeyed to Rumtek and recorded an interview with Freda in which she describes her spiritual odyssey in her own words.

This rare tape of Freda's enchanting voice will be played while images of her life are shown on a screen.

Naomi will introduce Freda's journey until 1968 and answer questions.

Norma Levine's talk "The Spiritual Odyssey of Freda Bedi" will take place at the Centre on Saturday 24th November, 5.00 - 6.00 pm. £5 entry.