New Year, New Beginnings at Kagyu Samye Dzong London

Posted on 7 Jan 2018

Kagyu Samye Dzong London News

January 2018

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2018 and, after an incredibly busy year, we don't really seem to be slowing up. Lama Zangmo starts teaching her first course of the year on Thursday 11th January and there's a lot to look forward to in the months ahead. To find out more, read on....

News in Brief

A video New Year message from His Holiness the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa can be found on Facebook. Of course following on quickly from the Western New Year we have...
Losar, the Tibetan New Year, is coming soon. We will be celebrating the Year of the Earth Dog on Friday 16th February between 7.00 - 9.00 pm with an evening of auspicious prayers for peace and happiness to bring in the New Year. We will offer a kata (white scarf) to the shrine, followed by food to share. The order of service can be found on the website.
Losar Mahakala at Samye Ling - Prayers are traditionally offered to the Dharma Protector Mahakala before each Tibetan New Year begins. This intensive 5 day practice is aimed at clearing away any obstacles remaining from the old year so that the New Year will bring peace and harmony and abundance both on a personal level and to the world in general. It is an effective way of letting go of negativity of body, speech and mind for the year ahead.Full details can be found on the Samye Ling website.
Simply Meditation day on Sunday 21st January could be a good time to get some respite from the busy-ness of the Christmas / New Year period and ease your way into 2018 a little more gently. Although of course once we've reopened there's nothing to stop you from using the Shrine Room before then.
The first UK Kagyu Monlam, 22nd-29th May 2019. The Monlam will begin on the auspicious date of the anniversary of Lord Buddha's Birth on 22nd May and will finish on 29^th May 2018, the anniversary of Lord Buddha's Enlightenment and Parinirvana. For more information please click here.
If you are interested in joining a group to travel up by coach from London, let us know soon. If enough peolpe want to join, we will hire a coach and travel up together.
The monthly Bodhicharyavatara teachings with Lama Zangmo are continuing again in the new year for those already on the course. The course runs on the third Sat of the month, starting again on Sat 20 Jan, and is expected to run throughout 2018.
The Qualities of the Spiritual Teacher and Student, with Lama Zangmo, is a new five week course which commences on Thursday 22nd February. More details can be found on the website.
We will celebrate Earth Day on 22nd April with speakers on topics such as: Buddhist Ethics for the benefit of our planet; Veganism and the environmental impact of food ; Mindfully reducing our environmental footprint; Green Energy; Bees ; and much more to come. A special date for your diary.

1 - A Precious Garland, with Lama Zangmo

Lama Zangmo will start her Thursday evening teachings this Thursday, 11th January with the first of four weekly classes on "The Precious Garland" by Gampopoa.

She will go through some of the chapters in this text and explain them in more detail. Each chapter is divided into ten or more points, all around a specific topic which acts as a mirror and helps us to see where our focus should be on our own path.

This course can be attended on its own, and is suitable for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of Buddhism and their meditation practice. It is a good follow-on for those who have done an introductory meditation course and would like to know more about Buddhism. People are however asked to attend all 4 sessions.

The course will cover the following verses:

The Marks of a Holy Person
The Ten Things of No Benefit
The Ways of Accomplishing Your Own Ruin
The Ten Ways to Do Yourself a Great Kindness

Gampopa, also known as Dhakpo Rinpoche, is one of the most important figures in the Kagyu lineage and the founder of the monastic order of the Kagyu School.

"A Precious Garland" with Lama Zangmo takes place on four Thursday evenings from 11th Jan - 1st Feb, 7.00-8.30 pm. You can book your place now by using the Donate button at the bottom of the course page on our website.

2 - New Year, New Beginnings, with Clive Holmes

"Changing habits of a lifetime"

Every time we give in to a harmful habit from our past, we reinforce our limitations. Maybe we could be more adventurous and be a pioneer of our own future instead. Once we truly see, and accept, our habits, we can then embrace the ones that are helpful and let go of the ones that are not. This is what we will do over this weekend. Of course, this is not so simple. So together we will encourage one another to make our meditation practice more authentic, more kind.

This course will be practice and experience based. Through mainstream exercises we will learn to how to develop an awakened attitude, fearless and mature. We will be learning how to appreciate the world around us and within us. Again and again the central message will be to simplify our ways of experience. We cannot change the world to fit in with our expectations but we can learn to accept things as they are.

"New Year, New Beginnings" with Clive Holmes takes place on 27th - 28th January, 10.00 - 4.00. You can book your place now by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the course page.

3 - Toward an understanding of spirituality, with Philippe Jacquet

During this workshop, the proceeds from which will go to the Akong Memorial Foundation, we use Art Therapy to explore what " Spirituality" means for you and what does it mean to be spiritual in your daily life....

This workshop will consist of group talks, drawing, body movement, mindfulness exercises .... There is no need to be skilled in arts to participate in the workshop, art is used as a medium to get in touch on a deeper level.

All funds raised from this workshop will go to the Akong Memorial Foundation. Following the untimely death of Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche in 2013, the AMF was set up to further his humanitarian work in the Tsawa Gang region of Tibet and supporting local families in need.

Please note that there is a charge of £50 per person for this workshop.

"Toward an Understanding of Spirituality" with Philippe Jacquet takes place on Saturday 3rd February, 9.30 - 4.30 pm - priced at £50. You can book your place now by clicking on the Donate button at the bottom of the course page.

4 - Forthcoming Events

To see the full programme of activities at the Centre, please visit the website.

There is a separate page listing all the meditation sessions each week.

JANUARY 2018

Introduction to Meditation - a 4 week course with Bernard Mordan from 10th January
Wed, Jan. 10, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Meditation and Mindfulness for Beginners - a 4 week course with Gelong Trinley from 11th January
Thu, Jan. 11, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

A Precious Garland, with Lama Zangmo
Thu, Jan. 11, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Transforming the Emotions Through Meditation with Lama Zangmo
Sat, Jan 13, 10.00 - 4.00 pm

Tara and Chenrezig Practice Day - with the Samye Dzong Sangha
Sun, Jan 14, 9.30 - 5.00 pm

Medicine Buddha Puja
Sun, Jan. 14, 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Bodhicharyavatara with Lama Zangmo
Sat, Jan. 20, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Level One Mindfulness Training: Being Present (Nov-Jan-Mar-May)
Sat - Sun, Jan. 20 - 21, 10:00 - 5:00 pm

Simply Meditation Day
Sun, Jan. 21, 9:30 - 5:00 pm

New Year, New Beginnings with Clive Holmes
Sat - Sun, Jan 27 - 28, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Guru Rinpoche Tsok Puja
Sun, Jan. 28, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

FEBRUARY 2018

Toward an Understanding of Spirituality - with Philippe Jacquet
Sat, 3rd Feb , 9:30 - 4:30 pm £50-

Tara and Chenrezig Practice Day - with the Samye Dzong Sangha
Sun. 4th Feb, 9:30 - 5:00 pm

Introduction to Meditation - a 4 week course with Bernard Mordan from 7th - 28th February
Wednesdays, from 7th - 28th Feb, 7:00PM - 8:30PM

Meditation and Mindfulness for Beginners - a 4 week course with Gelong Trinley from 8th February
Thursdays from 8th Feb - 1 Mar, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

Tara Practice - with the Kagyu Samye Dzong Sangha
Thurs. 8th Feb, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Level One Mindfulness Training: Being Present (Apr-July-Sep-Feb)
Sat - Sun. 10th - 11th Feb, 10:00 - 5:00 pm

Medicine Buddha Puja
Sun, 11th Feb, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Tara Practice - with the Kagyu Samye Dzong Sangha
Thurs, 15th Feb, 7:00 - 8:00 pm

Losar Celebration - Losar Tashi Deleg - Year of the Earth Dog
Fri, 16th Feb, 7:00 - 9:00 pm

Bodhicharyavatara with Lama Zangmo
Sat, 17th Feb, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Simply Meditation Day
Sun, 18th Feb, 9:30 - 5:00 pm

The Qualities of the Spiritual Teacher and Student, with Lama Zangmo
Thursdays from 22nd Feb - 22nd March, 7:00 - 8:30 pm

The Four Dharmas of Gampopa, with Gelong Thubten
Sat - Sun, 24th - 25th Feb, 10:00 - 4:00 pm

Guru Rinpoche Tsok Puja
Sun, 25th Feb, 7:00 - 8:30 pm