Collingwood Class

.

Transforming Adversity

Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30pm

with Kelsang Chopel

.

Collingwood Public Library, 55 Ste. Marie Street

Do everyday upsets leave you feeling frustrated, stressed out and overwhelmed? According to Buddha, there’s no good reason for us to suffer like this. He taught how we can respond to challenges skillfully, creatively, with acceptance and wisdom, effectively converting life’s problems into powerful spiritual lessons.

In these classes we will explore, through focused teachings and meditation, methods that enable us to turn difficult situations to our spiritual advantage.

“There are many difficult and unpleasant circumstances that we cannot avoid, but we can certainly avoid the unhappiness and anger that these circumstances normally provoke in us.”      ~ Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

 

Dec
12
Tue
Lamrim: Meditations for a Happy and Meaningful Life
Dec 12 @ 6:30 pm – 7:45 pm
A photograph of a lotus flower
Lamrim’ – literally, ‘the stages of the path to enlightenment’ – is the bedrock of the Buddhist spiritual path.

It consists of a series of meditations that reveal the key mindsets we need to cultivate if we wish to improve our happiness and attain liberation and enlightenment.

The course is ideal for anyone wanting to gain an overview of the Buddhist spiritual path, as well as for those looking to deepen their own daily practice.

Everyone is welcome.

These are drop-in classes so come anytime.

These classes will be live-streamed: Find out more

Part 1: The Happiness of a Meaningful Life
  • Our precious human life: awakening to our potential
  • What does our death mean?
  • Lower rebirth: could this happen to me?
  • Refuge practice: finding safe harbour
  • Actions and their effects: shifting the winds of our karma

Part 2: The Happiness of Complete Inner Freedom - Liberation
  • What we should know: the sufferings of samsara
  • What we should abandon: the underlying causes of our suffering
  • What we should practice: the path to freedom
  • What we should attain: liberation

Part 3: The Pure Happiness of Benefiting Others - Enlightenment
  • Cherishing others: may everyone be happy
  • Universal compassion: may everyone be free
  • Bodhichitta: the supreme good heart
  • The Bodhisattva’s way of life
  • Emptiness: ultimate truth, reality
  • Relying on a spiritual guide: the root of the path

“Je Tsongkhapa said that when we listen to the entire Lamrim we are listening to all Buddha’s teachings and when we practise the entire Lamrim we are practising all Buddha’s teachings.”

Geshe Kelsang Gyatso