If we wish to experience happiness and good fortune in our lives we need to accumulate merit. Merit, or positive energy, comes from positive actions and enables us to fulfil all our wishes including our spiritual wishes to improve our mind and attain enlightenment. The practice of offering mandalas is one of the best ways ... Read more
Buddha’s teachings reveal a blueprint that anyone can follow to improve their daily life and awaken their fullest potential. In Buddhism we find simple and practical instructions to help us deal with our day-to-day stress and worry, improve our relationships and increase our joy and happiness. Ultimately, if we wish, the Buddhist path will take ... Read more
Letting go moving on weekend meditation retreat@ Glenrock Lagoon Scout Camp Mar 3-5 On retreat we stop all forms of business and other activities so as to focus on a particular meditation practice. The retreat conditions at Glenrock Lagoon Scout Camp provide a perfect opportunity to relax, unwind & gain deep experience of meditation. The ... Read more
Mind or Mindfull? - Meditation day retreat@Losang Dragpa Kadampa Buddhist Centre, Mar 26th: 9.30am-4.30pm Do you find your mind is too busy at times? Do you wake in the night thinking too much or have a tendency to overthink situations? A busy mind can leave us feeling tired, stressed, anxious and unable to really enjoy our ... Read more
Take a day out to immerse yourself in meditation and Buddhist teachings. Explore a specific topic in more detail at one of our monthly one-day meditation courses at held at our Centre or various locations throughout Newcastle
Day courses offer practical solutions to everyday problems of modern living and are suitable for everyone!
Courses consist of teachings and guided meditations. Refreshments are served between sessions.
In our busy modern life we lack the calm and stillness conducive to maintaining a happy and peaceful state of mind. To regain a balance people are drawn to peaceful and quiet places where they can withdraw for a short time and renew their energy – in short, they go on retreat. On retreat we devote our time to meditation and contemplation – it is a time to acquaint our minds with positive and meaningful thoughts.
“On retreat we stop all forms of business and extraneous activities so as to emphasize a particular spiritual practice. There are three kinds of retreat: physical, verbal and mental. We engage in physical retreat when with a spiritual motivation we isolate ourself from other people, activities and noise, and disengage from extraneous and meaningless actions. We engage in verbal retreat when with a spiritual motivation we refrain from meaningless talk and periodically keep silence. We engage in mental retreat by preventing distractions and strong delusions such as attachment, anger, jealousy and strong self-grasping from arising, and by maintaining mindfulness and conscientiousness.
If we remain in physical and verbal retreat but fail to observe mental retreat, our retreat will have little power. Such a retreat may be relaxing, but if we do not prevent strong delusions from arising, our mind will not be at peace, even on retreat. However, keeping physical and verbal retreat will help us to keep mental retreat, and for this reason Shantideva, in Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, praises the first two kinds of retreat.”
Excerpt From: The New Guide to Dakini Land – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
