Event Region: Sydney Metropolitan

You are cordially invited to spend the Rains Retreat at the Wat.
To serve and to deepen your practice. Minimum stay of one month and priority will be given to those who can commit themselves for the entire three months.

A Time to Love

Devotion is from the heart; it’s not a rational thing. You can’t make yourself feel love or devotion just because you like the idea of it. It’s when you’re not attached, when your heart is open, receptive and free, that you begin to experience what pure love is. Loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, equanimity—these come from an empty mind; not from a sterile position of annihilating feeling, but from a heart that is not deluded, not blinded by ideas of self or others, or by passions of some kind or other.

When the heart is free from illusions of self, a loving quality arises in the pure joy of being. It’s not expected to last or be permanent. It is not to be made into anything. It’s just the natural way of things. So when you contemplate in that way, that is the way of faith and trust and devotion.

Excerpts from A Time to Love
Volume 3 of The Anthology by Ajahn Sumedho

For further enquiries, , please email wbdretreats@gmail.com or call the office at 0409-389-887  between 9 – 12 noon

This 6-week course introduces the practice of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana Meditation, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha contained within the Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta). The course integrates both theoretical and experiential aspects of the practice (sitting meditation and walking meditation). There will also be time for questions and feedback about individual participants’ meditation experience. Each session builds on the material from previous sessions.

The course is led by Buddhist teacher Jim Teoh, who draws from the Satipatthana Sutta and his almost 40 years of personal meditation experience. It is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Those who have previously completed this course with Jim Teoh can drop in for individual sessions to support their meditation practice. New participants are required to attend all 6 sessions

This course will be held in person at the Library only. Please register so we know numbers attending the Library.

Find out more

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha’s most celebrated text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha’s text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

We are excited to announce the third module of our program Exploring Buddhism, Exploring the Truths  is starting next 3/8/2022 at 7pm in-person and streamed via Zoom.

In this module we will examine:

• Turning The Three Dharma Wheels
• The Two Truths of Interdependence and Emptiness
• The Four Truths leading to Freedom from Suffering
• Exploring Our Own Wheel of Life
• The Truths and Finding Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddha Nature – Our Fundamental Purity

Anyone can attend, even if you have not attended any of the previous Exploring Buddhism modules.

Our Exploring Buddhism Program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

About Exploring Buddhism

The program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

This is the third of six modules in which we explore the important Buddhist philosophical topics related to the mind, the practice of meditation, the different presentation of truths, the structure of the Buddhist path.

You do not have to have completed the previous module to enrol in this module. It is open to anyone.

Lotus Buds Sangha is the name of the group that meets each Wednesday at the Buddhist Library. Normally there are between 20 and 30 people each week who come from all walks of life with a range of experience in Buddhist practice – beginners are always most welcome.

We are led by lay teachers in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen monk who has lived in the west for the past forty years. Thay, meaning teacher, is a poet and peace activist who has monks and nuns in monasteries in France, USA and Vietnam and is the author of many books on Buddhism.

Each week we practice various meditation techniques including guided meditations, walking meditation, mindful movements and relaxation meditations as well as hearing dharma talks and silent sittings. The teachings are given by a number of teachers, including John Barclay and others.

Together we learn ways to live “deeply in the present moment” – using Buddhist teachings in a practical way to bring peace, joy and happiness to our busy 21st Century lives. Our teacher emphasizes developing mindfulness in even what we might consider the most mundane of our daily tasks; such as brushing our teeth or waiting for the traffic lights to change. The methods have been described as deceptively simple yet deeply profound.

Lotus Buds are a group of everyday people learning to develop our own awareness, understanding and compassion – as Thay would say “growing our hearts a little bigger each day”. Why not drop in one Wednesday and join us?

A great opportunity to find peace, clarity and spaciousness in the supportive company of a community of meditators.

Cost: Free or by donation

This weekly yoga and meditation session explores the importance of yoga practice in our daily lives. Yoga means to yoke or unite the body and mind so as to still the mind.

It provides a gentle introduction to both physical and mental yoga for those interested in or wanting to learn how to calm the mind. It is particularly suited for beginners as it uses a soft and gentle style of yoga.

Please bring your own yoga mat, or a towel or sarong. Yoga mats are not provided.

Register Here

Suggested Donation: $10  (No one will be turned away because of a lack of funds. Please speak to the instructor)

From April classes will be delivered both In-Person at the Library, and online via ZOOM. Registrations are essential for both formats.
You will have to register each week before Thursday 5pm as the  Library is not staffed from Friday to to Monday (inclusive). Please note also that no registrations will be possible after the deadline.

Mindfulness is a natural quality of our mind that, when developed, can facilitate a change in the way our body and mind function. This workshop will introduce the four establishments of mindfulness on the body, feelings, mind and Dharma, and investigate the positive effects of mindfulness, like releasing our reactivities to stress in our body and mind, increasing the sense of bliss and happiness, and becoming more aware of our mental habits and their impacts on us.

All are welcome; there is no prerequisite.

The workshop will feature brief explanations, guided meditations, and time for Q&A.

Find out more

In this introductory course on mindfulness, we will explore the meaning of mindfulness, the process of nurturing this quality and the benefits that arise from this. Skilful application of mindful attention can help to calm the reactivities of body and mind, much of which are due to our habitual reactions to stressful situations. With developed mindful awareness we can also uncover the deeply held misconceptions about ourselves and our relationship with others that contribute to our distress and unhealthy behavioural reactions. Simple meditation practices and integration exercises will be presented in this course along with the theoretical framework for understanding how mindfulness works in conjunction with other mental qualities.

All are welcome; no prerequisite required.

Each session consists of a mixture of explanations, guided meditations and time for discussion or Q&A.

This 6-week course introduces the practice of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana Meditation, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha contained within the Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta). The course integrates both theoretical and experiential aspects of the practice (sitting meditation and walking meditation). There will also be time for questions and feedback about individual participants’ meditation experience. Each session builds on the material from previous sessions.

The course is led by Buddhist teacher Jim Teoh, who draws from the Satipatthana Sutta and his almost 40 years of personal meditation experience. It is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Those who have previously completed this course with Jim Teoh can drop in for individual sessions to support their meditation practice. New participants are required to attend all 6 sessions

This course will be held in person at the Library only. Please register so we know numbers attending the Library.

Find out more

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha’s most celebrated text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha’s text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Speaker: Bon Hyon Sunim
Wed 10 Aug | 7-8:30pm
Location: In person at Metta Centre (Bankstown) or Online (link below)
Cost: By donation

We look at a red flower and think red, but it may surprise you that there is actually no red colour in the flower … the flower is empty of red! We hold onto thoughts and feelings as if they have real substance – but what if substance is just our illusion?

Why is it that the atoms and molecules in our brains create an experience of substance and substantiality? And how is it that we see and engage with our own body and mind, and the experience of everything around us as having substance and particularity– when all of creation is actually an illusion of manifest reality?

Planet Earth sits in the Milky Way Galaxy. There are over 400 billion suns in our galaxy and our next-door neighbour Andromeda, has a similar number of stars. The scientists tell us there are two trillion galaxies in the known Universe and uncountable trillions of planets, with an estimated 60 billion habitable planets in our own galaxy, which is only point zero one percent of the Universe. The other 99.9% is invisible interstellar dust – unknown and probably unknowable. And yet, that so-called invisible vast emptiness is the ground of all creation, the ground of our very existence! That emptiness, the so-called vacuum, is full! It’s the source of everything in the known Universe, of consciousness itself!

The Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra tells us that in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no thought, no volition nor consciousness. Form is empty, feeling is empty, thought is empty and therefore no knowing. Volition is empty therefore no doing, consciousness is empty therefore no awakening. If you ask physicists what the Universe is made from, the answer you get is no-thing. It’s an unsolvable conundrum from a science perspective. Science can create models of reality…but it does not access the hidden reality. So how can we engage meaningfully with this vast universe and the galaxy we call home – and what is our part to play in it?

Hybrid event:  Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an interactive session with the speaker. As we invite speakers from all around the world and Sydney, our speaker for this event will be joining us by video. You are welcome to join the session in person at the Metta Centre or online by clicking on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09

Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824 | Passcode: 718905

We are excited to announce the third module of our program Exploring Buddhism, Exploring the Truths  is starting next 3/8/2022 at 7pm in-person and streamed via Zoom.

In this module we will examine:

• Turning The Three Dharma Wheels
• The Two Truths of Interdependence and Emptiness
• The Four Truths leading to Freedom from Suffering
• Exploring Our Own Wheel of Life
• The Truths and Finding Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddha Nature – Our Fundamental Purity

Anyone can attend, even if you have not attended any of the previous Exploring Buddhism modules.

Our Exploring Buddhism Program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

About Exploring Buddhism

The program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

This is the third of six modules in which we explore the important Buddhist philosophical topics related to the mind, the practice of meditation, the different presentation of truths, the structure of the Buddhist path.

You do not have to have completed the previous module to enrol in this module. It is open to anyone.

Lotus Buds Sangha is the name of the group that meets each Wednesday at the Buddhist Library. Normally there are between 20 and 30 people each week who come from all walks of life with a range of experience in Buddhist practice – beginners are always most welcome.

We are led by lay teachers in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen monk who has lived in the west for the past forty years. Thay, meaning teacher, is a poet and peace activist who has monks and nuns in monasteries in France, USA and Vietnam and is the author of many books on Buddhism.

Each week we practice various meditation techniques including guided meditations, walking meditation, mindful movements and relaxation meditations as well as hearing dharma talks and silent sittings. The teachings are given by a number of teachers, including John Barclay and others.

Together we learn ways to live “deeply in the present moment” – using Buddhist teachings in a practical way to bring peace, joy and happiness to our busy 21st Century lives. Our teacher emphasizes developing mindfulness in even what we might consider the most mundane of our daily tasks; such as brushing our teeth or waiting for the traffic lights to change. The methods have been described as deceptively simple yet deeply profound.

Lotus Buds are a group of everyday people learning to develop our own awareness, understanding and compassion – as Thay would say “growing our hearts a little bigger each day”. Why not drop in one Wednesday and join us?

Sat 13 Aug | 12 noon meet for 12:30 start, ending 4:30pm
Meet at Spit West Reserve
Contact: Tina 0457 160 553

Check website for updates in case of changes due to weather
RSVP is essential with your contact details in case we need to contact you about or during the event

Join us on a Tudong journey under the guidance of Venerable Chao Khun Keng and Venerable Dhammadharo. Experience the famous Spit to Manly walk but with a spiritual component, with guided meditation and talks along the way, as we use this walk to deepen our Buddhist practice. Meeting at the Spit West Reserve at 12 noon, with the walk starting at 12.30pm.

As this is an outdoor activity, if we need to change or cancel the event due to the weather, we will publish any changes on the Metta Centre website.

A great opportunity to find peace, clarity and spaciousness in the supportive company of a community of meditators.

Cost: Free or by donation

This weekly yoga and meditation session explores the importance of yoga practice in our daily lives. Yoga means to yoke or unite the body and mind so as to still the mind.

It provides a gentle introduction to both physical and mental yoga for those interested in or wanting to learn how to calm the mind. It is particularly suited for beginners as it uses a soft and gentle style of yoga.

Please bring your own yoga mat, or a towel or sarong. Yoga mats are not provided.

Register Here

Suggested Donation: $10  (No one will be turned away because of a lack of funds. Please speak to the instructor)

From April classes will be delivered both In-Person at the Library, and online via ZOOM. Registrations are essential for both formats.
You will have to register each week before Thursday 5pm as the  Library is not staffed from Friday to to Monday (inclusive). Please note also that no registrations will be possible after the deadline.

Next Session Sunday 10 July
In person and online

The wisdom of the Buddha reveals a whole new way of seeing the world and ourselves within that world.

This interactive course is an exploration of key Buddhist wisdom teachings. We will place these ideas under a microscope bringing the similarities and differences between Buddhist and contemporary views clearly into focus. You will be invited to re-evaluate your own ideas and clarify your outlook on life. The outcome is a surer and sounder insight into the way we see the world.

Details

Where: Online and in-person at 158 Australia St, Newtown

When: Second Sunday of each month
June 12, July 10, August 14, October 9, November 13, December 11

Time: 9.30am – 1.00pm

Cost: Standard: $20 per session. Rigpa subscribers (members): free.

Register now

Find out more

In this introductory course on mindfulness, we will explore the meaning of mindfulness, the process of nurturing this quality and the benefits that arise from this. Skilful application of mindful attention can help to calm the reactivities of body and mind, much of which are due to our habitual reactions to stressful situations. With developed mindful awareness we can also uncover the deeply held misconceptions about ourselves and our relationship with others that contribute to our distress and unhealthy behavioural reactions. Simple meditation practices and integration exercises will be presented in this course along with the theoretical framework for understanding how mindfulness works in conjunction with other mental qualities.

All are welcome; no prerequisite required.

Each session consists of a mixture of explanations, guided meditations and time for discussion or Q&A.

This 6-week course introduces the practice of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana Meditation, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha contained within the Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta). The course integrates both theoretical and experiential aspects of the practice (sitting meditation and walking meditation). There will also be time for questions and feedback about individual participants’ meditation experience. Each session builds on the material from previous sessions.

The course is led by Buddhist teacher Jim Teoh, who draws from the Satipatthana Sutta and his almost 40 years of personal meditation experience. It is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Those who have previously completed this course with Jim Teoh can drop in for individual sessions to support their meditation practice. New participants are required to attend all 6 sessions

This course will be held in person at the Library only. Please register so we know numbers attending the Library.

Find out more

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha’s most celebrated text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha’s text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Presenter: Dr. Eng Kong Tan
Wed 17 August | 7-8:30pm
Online: links provided below
Cost: By donation

Dr. E-K Tan will be weaving the Cultivation of Joy, the meditative practice of Mudita with the recent advent of Positive Psychotherapy for the benefit of all.  Researchers have found that happiness consists of a set range from birth, (genetic, 50%), circumstances in life (only 10%) and 40% is under our control.  We can practice ways of increasing positive experiences for a pleasant life, exercising our strengths and virtues for a good life and most importantly serving a higher purpose for a meaningful and deeply satisfying life.

Dr Tan will refer to the Eight Pillars of Joy demonstrated by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  He will share a mindful meditation encompassing Buddhist and Psychotherapeutic evidence based practices  to enhance our capacity for joy. There will be time for questions, discussions and contributions from participants as we learn joyfully together.

Login details: If you would like to join our session online, just click on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09

Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824 | Passcode: 718905

We are excited to announce the third module of our program Exploring Buddhism, Exploring the Truths  is starting next 3/8/2022 at 7pm in-person and streamed via Zoom.

In this module we will examine:

• Turning The Three Dharma Wheels
• The Two Truths of Interdependence and Emptiness
• The Four Truths leading to Freedom from Suffering
• Exploring Our Own Wheel of Life
• The Truths and Finding Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddha Nature – Our Fundamental Purity

Anyone can attend, even if you have not attended any of the previous Exploring Buddhism modules.

Our Exploring Buddhism Program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

About Exploring Buddhism

The program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

This is the third of six modules in which we explore the important Buddhist philosophical topics related to the mind, the practice of meditation, the different presentation of truths, the structure of the Buddhist path.

You do not have to have completed the previous module to enrol in this module. It is open to anyone.

Lotus Buds Sangha is the name of the group that meets each Wednesday at the Buddhist Library. Normally there are between 20 and 30 people each week who come from all walks of life with a range of experience in Buddhist practice – beginners are always most welcome.

We are led by lay teachers in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen monk who has lived in the west for the past forty years. Thay, meaning teacher, is a poet and peace activist who has monks and nuns in monasteries in France, USA and Vietnam and is the author of many books on Buddhism.

Each week we practice various meditation techniques including guided meditations, walking meditation, mindful movements and relaxation meditations as well as hearing dharma talks and silent sittings. The teachings are given by a number of teachers, including John Barclay and others.

Together we learn ways to live “deeply in the present moment” – using Buddhist teachings in a practical way to bring peace, joy and happiness to our busy 21st Century lives. Our teacher emphasizes developing mindfulness in even what we might consider the most mundane of our daily tasks; such as brushing our teeth or waiting for the traffic lights to change. The methods have been described as deceptively simple yet deeply profound.

Lotus Buds are a group of everyday people learning to develop our own awareness, understanding and compassion – as Thay would say “growing our hearts a little bigger each day”. Why not drop in one Wednesday and join us?

A great opportunity to find peace, clarity and spaciousness in the supportive company of a community of meditators.

Cost: Free or by donation

This weekly yoga and meditation session explores the importance of yoga practice in our daily lives. Yoga means to yoke or unite the body and mind so as to still the mind.

It provides a gentle introduction to both physical and mental yoga for those interested in or wanting to learn how to calm the mind. It is particularly suited for beginners as it uses a soft and gentle style of yoga.

Please bring your own yoga mat, or a towel or sarong. Yoga mats are not provided.

Register Here

Suggested Donation: $10  (No one will be turned away because of a lack of funds. Please speak to the instructor)

From April classes will be delivered both In-Person at the Library, and online via ZOOM. Registrations are essential for both formats.
You will have to register each week before Thursday 5pm as the  Library is not staffed from Friday to to Monday (inclusive). Please note also that no registrations will be possible after the deadline.

Please join us for an unforgettable event. We’re planning something you won’t want to miss, and we hope to see you there.

Buddhist Counselling presents a unique opportunity for a one-day in-depth meditation retreat with Venerable Khyentse. Originally from the UK, Khyentse is a Buddhist monk residing in India who has trained under Tibetan masters for over two decades. This is his first official program in Australia. Integrated meditation is based on traditional Buddhist teachings and applied to a modern life. It’s about accessing our inner power in a way that anyone can master.

REGISTER HERE

The Ngöndro, or preliminary practices, are the traditional pathway into Vajrayana Buddhism. Combining meditation, reflection, visualisation, recitation and physical offering, these practices effect a complete and comprehensive inner transformation. Not only do they prepare the practitioner for the profound path of Vajrayana and the teachings of Dzogchen, but they also lead him or her gradually towards enlightenment.

Held on one Saturday afternoon each month, Rigpa Australia’s 2022 Ngöndro workshop series will give you a thorough, practical introduction to the main Ngöndro practices, addressing the what, the how and the why of each element of these life-changing practices. The 2022 workshop program will address practical aspects not covered in Rigpa’s 2021 Ngöndro program.

These workshops will be presented by monastic and lay practitioners from Rigpa Australia and Rigpa’s international retreat centre Lerab Ling. They will share their deep understanding of the Ngöndro based on their decades of practice.

Session Date
(Saturdays) Time Topic Presenter
1 19 February 2 – 6pm (AEDT) What is the Ngöndro Daniella Vedelago
2 26 March 1 – 5pm
(AEDT) The Four Thoughts and how to use the commentaries to enrich your practice Ian and Ruth Gawler
3 28 May 1 – 5pm
(AEST) Refuge and prostrations: what we can truly rely on Catherine Paul
4 25 June 1 – 5pm
(AEST) Bodhichitta: enlightened courage, the heart and wisdom of compassion within the Ngöndro
5 23 July 9am – 4.30pm
(AEST) Full day Ngöndro practice retreat: exercise your practice muscle
6 20 August 1 – 5pm
(AEST) Vajrasattva: purifying and healing our obscurations and defilements Catherine Paul
7 24 September 3 – 7pm
(AEST) Mandala Offering: doing the practice Ane Lhamo
8 22 October 1 – 5pm
(AEDT) Guru Yoga: connecting with devotion as the unbroken receptivity to the truth

Experienced students and any student with a year or more of Buddhist study and a well-established regular meditation practice who would like to start the Ngöndro are most welcome to join all or any of these sessions.

Where: Online and in-person at 158 Australia St, Newtown, Sydney
We warmly invite students from all centres in Australia and New Zealand to join online.
Students from the USA are also invited to join at these times:
USA Eastern Standard Time (Fridays): February 9pm; March 10pm; May – September 11pm, October 10pm
USA Pacific Time (Fridays): February 6pm; March 7pm; May – September 8pm, October 7pm)

Cost: Rigpa subscribers (members): there may be a nominal fee for some sessions depending on the teacher, otherwise free. If you are a subscriber and have not received a direct invitation to these workshops please email sydney@rigpa.org.au
Non-subscribers: Individual session: $30 full price $20 concession per session
Season ticket (all 8 workshops): $199 full price, $130 concession

Register here

Enquiries: Please email sydney@rigpa.org.au

In this introductory course on mindfulness, we will explore the meaning of mindfulness, the process of nurturing this quality and the benefits that arise from this. Skilful application of mindful attention can help to calm the reactivities of body and mind, much of which are due to our habitual reactions to stressful situations. With developed mindful awareness we can also uncover the deeply held misconceptions about ourselves and our relationship with others that contribute to our distress and unhealthy behavioural reactions. Simple meditation practices and integration exercises will be presented in this course along with the theoretical framework for understanding how mindfulness works in conjunction with other mental qualities.

All are welcome; no prerequisite required.

Each session consists of a mixture of explanations, guided meditations and time for discussion or Q&A.

This 6-week course introduces the practice of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana Meditation, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha contained within the Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta). The course integrates both theoretical and experiential aspects of the practice (sitting meditation and walking meditation). There will also be time for questions and feedback about individual participants’ meditation experience. Each session builds on the material from previous sessions.

The course is led by Buddhist teacher Jim Teoh, who draws from the Satipatthana Sutta and his almost 40 years of personal meditation experience. It is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Those who have previously completed this course with Jim Teoh can drop in for individual sessions to support their meditation practice. New participants are required to attend all 6 sessions

This course will be held in person at the Library only. Please register so we know numbers attending the Library.

Find out more

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha’s most celebrated text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha’s text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

People have a variety of reasons for wanting to learn about and cultivate compassion, but in some way we are all suffering—be it from pain, loss, frustration, dissatisfaction, or an unfulfilled desire for happiness. However, we are not powerless in the face of our circumstances. It is possible to consciously cultivate positive states of mind, and diminish negative states of mind, and so transform our experience and our reactions to life’s circumstances and the people around us. In this way it is possible to change our lives, and bring about change in the world.

This course provides an introduction to meditation, and practical ways we can cultivate the compassion that is already within us. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.

This course includes:

• Complete instruction on meditation and compassion
• How to cultivate love for ourselves and others
• Methods of developing genuine, unbiased compassion
• The powerful logic of compassion.

Event type: Full year course with seven 5-week modules. You are welcome to join any or all of the modules at any time.

Where: Online and in-person at 158 Australia St, Newtown

When:  Wednesday nights

Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm

Cost for each 5-week module: Full: $75. Concession (seniors, students, under 30’s): $50. Rigpa subscribers (members): free.

Try out your first session for $15/$10 (Concession)

Presenter: Ajahn Sādaro
Wed 24 August | 7-8:30pm
Online: links provided below
Cost: By donation

What is an ‘awakening experience’ in meditation? And once we have these experiences, how do we now understand and integrate them? Ajahn Sādaro will discuss how we should understand and utilise awakening experiences so they not only benefit us subjectively, but also permeate outwards into every aspect of our external lives.

Login details: If you would like to join our session online, just click on this link to access the session: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83506489824?pwd=cmpNQ1ljSmFVYURLWVN1dWllYUN1dz09

Meeting ID: 835 0648 9824 | Passcode: 718905

I would like to be awaken

We are excited to announce the third module of our program Exploring Buddhism, Exploring the Truths  is starting next 3/8/2022 at 7pm in-person and streamed via Zoom.

In this module we will examine:

• Turning The Three Dharma Wheels
• The Two Truths of Interdependence and Emptiness
• The Four Truths leading to Freedom from Suffering
• Exploring Our Own Wheel of Life
• The Truths and Finding Refuge in The Three Jewels
• Buddha Nature – Our Fundamental Purity

Anyone can attend, even if you have not attended any of the previous Exploring Buddhism modules.

Our Exploring Buddhism Program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

About Exploring Buddhism

The program aims to provide a balance between study and practice, and between the growing understanding of the theory and the deepening of personal experience of the Buddha’s teachings.

This is the third of six modules in which we explore the important Buddhist philosophical topics related to the mind, the practice of meditation, the different presentation of truths, the structure of the Buddhist path.

You do not have to have completed the previous module to enrol in this module. It is open to anyone.

Lotus Buds Sangha is the name of the group that meets each Wednesday at the Buddhist Library. Normally there are between 20 and 30 people each week who come from all walks of life with a range of experience in Buddhist practice – beginners are always most welcome.

We are led by lay teachers in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Zen monk who has lived in the west for the past forty years. Thay, meaning teacher, is a poet and peace activist who has monks and nuns in monasteries in France, USA and Vietnam and is the author of many books on Buddhism.

Each week we practice various meditation techniques including guided meditations, walking meditation, mindful movements and relaxation meditations as well as hearing dharma talks and silent sittings. The teachings are given by a number of teachers, including John Barclay and others.

Together we learn ways to live “deeply in the present moment” – using Buddhist teachings in a practical way to bring peace, joy and happiness to our busy 21st Century lives. Our teacher emphasizes developing mindfulness in even what we might consider the most mundane of our daily tasks; such as brushing our teeth or waiting for the traffic lights to change. The methods have been described as deceptively simple yet deeply profound.

Lotus Buds are a group of everyday people learning to develop our own awareness, understanding and compassion – as Thay would say “growing our hearts a little bigger each day”. Why not drop in one Wednesday and join us?

A great opportunity to find peace, clarity and spaciousness in the supportive company of a community of meditators.

Cost: Free or by donation

This weekly yoga and meditation session explores the importance of yoga practice in our daily lives. Yoga means to yoke or unite the body and mind so as to still the mind.

It provides a gentle introduction to both physical and mental yoga for those interested in or wanting to learn how to calm the mind. It is particularly suited for beginners as it uses a soft and gentle style of yoga.

Please bring your own yoga mat, or a towel or sarong. Yoga mats are not provided.

Register Here

Suggested Donation: $10  (No one will be turned away because of a lack of funds. Please speak to the instructor)

From April classes will be delivered both In-Person at the Library, and online via ZOOM. Registrations are essential for both formats.
You will have to register each week before Thursday 5pm as the  Library is not staffed from Friday to to Monday (inclusive). Please note also that no registrations will be possible after the deadline.

In this introductory course on mindfulness, we will explore the meaning of mindfulness, the process of nurturing this quality and the benefits that arise from this. Skilful application of mindful attention can help to calm the reactivities of body and mind, much of which are due to our habitual reactions to stressful situations. With developed mindful awareness we can also uncover the deeply held misconceptions about ourselves and our relationship with others that contribute to our distress and unhealthy behavioural reactions. Simple meditation practices and integration exercises will be presented in this course along with the theoretical framework for understanding how mindfulness works in conjunction with other mental qualities.

All are welcome; no prerequisite required.

Each session consists of a mixture of explanations, guided meditations and time for discussion or Q&A.

Atisha, the eleventh-century Indian Buddhist scholar and saint, came to Tibet at the invitation of the king of Western Tibet, Lha Lama Yeshe Wo, and his nephew, Jangchub Wo. His coming initiated the period of the second transmission of Buddhism to Tibet, formative for the Sakya Kagyu and Gelug traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Atisha’s most celebrated text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment, sets forth the entire Buddhist path within the framework of three levels of motivation on the part of the practitioner. Atisha’s text thus became the source of the lamrim tradition, or graduated stages of the path to enlightenment, an approach to spiritual practice incorporated within all schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

This 6-week course introduces the practice of Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation, also known as Vipassana Meditation, which is based on the teachings of the Buddha contained within the Discourse on the Establishment of Mindfulness (Satipatthana Sutta). The course integrates both theoretical and experiential aspects of the practice (sitting meditation and walking meditation). There will also be time for questions and feedback about individual participants’ meditation experience. Each session builds on the material from previous sessions.

The course is led by Buddhist teacher Jim Teoh, who draws from the Satipatthana Sutta and his almost 40 years of personal meditation experience. It is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Those who have previously completed this course with Jim Teoh can drop in for individual sessions to support their meditation practice. New participants are required to attend all 6 sessions

This course will be held in person at the Library only. Please register so we know numbers attending the Library.

Find out more

People have a variety of reasons for wanting to learn about and cultivate compassion, but in some way we are all suffering—be it from pain, loss, frustration, dissatisfaction, or an unfulfilled desire for happiness. However, we are not powerless in the face of our circumstances. It is possible to consciously cultivate positive states of mind, and diminish negative states of mind, and so transform our experience and our reactions to life’s circumstances and the people around us. In this way it is possible to change our lives, and bring about change in the world.

This course provides an introduction to meditation, and practical ways we can cultivate the compassion that is already within us. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.

This course includes:

• Complete instruction on meditation and compassion
• How to cultivate love for ourselves and others
• Methods of developing genuine, unbiased compassion
• The powerful logic of compassion.

Event type: Full year course with seven 5-week modules. You are welcome to join any or all of the modules at any time.

Where: Online and in-person at 158 Australia St, Newtown

When:  Wednesday nights

Time: 6.30 – 8.30pm

Cost for each 5-week module: Full: $75. Concession (seniors, students, under 30’s): $50. Rigpa subscribers (members): free.

Try out your first session for $15/$10 (Concession)