This Term

Welcome to the Summer Programme at Jamyang !

Continuing to respond to feedback from the survey and at other events we continue with this year’s theme of experimentation.  This summer we offer events on selected days in the early morning, mid morning and at lunchtime for workers and parents and those who cannot attend the Centre in the evenings and at weekends.  We offer more introductory meditation sessions on different days and at different times, and introduce women only events in the series Spirited Sisters: women and spirituality. Whilst inviting a number of inspirational teachers we continue with a solid programme delivered by Geshe Tashi and the teaching presentation team here at Jamyang.  We hope you will find many things to stimulate your interest and to enjoy in this our latest Programme.

Geshe Tashi

This Summer the Tuesday and Wednesday classes with Geshe Tashi re-start at the beginning of May.  In his General class on Wednesday Geshe Tashi will teach on the Path to Enlightenment  the key teaching of this the Geluk tradition.  This will then be followed up in early August by a nine day summer retreat on The Path to Enlightenment .  Doing the meditations on the path to enlightenment day in day out really helps to consolidate our understanding and realization of this carefully crafted sequence of meditations designed to inspire an altruistic attitude to practice and to help us develop the wisdom to set ourselves and others free.

On Tuesdays in June Geshe Tashi will present the profound mind changing techniques found in the Kadam mind training meditations, basing on the short text “Mind Training in Eight Verses” by Kadam Geshe Langri Tangpa.  The mediation techniques in this particular Mind Training practice go right to the heart of the matter – how to change from always being self centred to constantly being focused on the needs of others – by challenging false pride, grasping and self concern.

Over three Tuesday evenings in July Geshe Tashi will share what Buddhism has to say about having the courage to keep a happy positive mind while working thorough difficulties and to never give up on creating happiness for oneself and others.

At the beginning of August Geshe Tashi will lead the annual summer retreat focusing on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment sequence of meditations.  Using his unique mixture of ancient wisdom and modern examples and delivered in his gentle style Geshe Tashi will share what is essential in practice along the path to becoming a happier more fully developed human being.  This is a wonderful opportunity to deepen and expand our understanding and realization of these key attitudes and knowledge in the company of spiritually like-minded people under the skilled guidance of a fine teacher.

Celebrations

All day on Thursday 15 July, we celebrate the first teaching the Buddha gave, that of the Four Noble Truths in the Deer Park at Sarnath outside Varanasi.   On Tuesday 6 July in the evening we celebrate the official birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with a special Guru puja/ lama Chopa with Tsok offering.  Please join us for these joyous occasions when we call to mind the unbelievable kindness of the Buddha and the extraordinarily inspiring work of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in ensuring the survival of Tibetan Buddhism and the survival of wider Tibetan culture in the face of sustained and mercilessly cruel oppression by communist cadres and in tirelessly upholding the just cause of the Tibetan people.

Visiting teachers

Summer sees visits by five eminent teachers.  On 11, 12 and 13 June Andy Weber , the internationally re-knowned thanka artist will lecture on the wealth deities and give a painting workshop on the creation of Dzambala the god of wealth. The well known female meditator and retreater Ven Lhundrup Nyingje (Paula Chichester)  will lead a weekend on the benefits retreat on 25/26/27 June in conjunction with key figures in FPMT UK Retreat Centre, the organisation working to set up a FPMT retreat centre in the UK. 

The next weekend on 2, 3 and 4 July Ven Sean Price  an old friend of Jamyang and a fine practitioner in both the Geluk and Nyingma traditions will lead a weekend on Mindfulness and Lam.rim.  The weekend after that Ven Rita Riniker , another close friend, will lead on 9, 10, 11 July a weekend on the four immeasurables, the immune system for the mind.  At the end of July on the Friday night and weekend of 23, 24, 25 Ven Geshe Graham Woodhouse, one of the very few Europeans to have gone through the traditional Geluk training and to have received the degree of Geshe, will lead a weekend on ‘Why does it always happen to me: how karma works”. 

Meditation

The Programme is full of opportunities to learn how to meditate and to practice it.  For those interested in tasting meditation but who can’t come on Monday evenings there are Free Meditation For Beginners  evenings on Fridays 4 June and 16 July.

The Monday evening meditations on the Core Practices of Buddhism continue with Jim Clark and Roy Sutherwood this time practising developing Wisdom through Insight.  The Silent mediation evenings continue at 6.15pm on Thursdays, quietly facilitated by Alison Wertheimer.  Both these evenings are suitable for all.

For people who cannot come to the Centre in the evenings and at the weekends, on Thursday mornings in May at 11am we are presenting ‘Meditation on the Mind for Beginners’ .  Also on Wednesdays in the early mornings and at lunchtimes are the new ‘Meditation and Relaxation’ sessions being run by the bodywork therapist Gerry Cummins.

Weekend teachings and other events

On the weekend of 5 and 6 June Jan Andressen and Jacky Yip will present the FPMT course for beginners ‘Buddhism in a Nutshell’.  Take the opportunity to get a short but deep overview of Buddhism from these two open and honest practitioners.  In August on the weekend of 21 and 22 August we host a weekend of Compassion for Animals [link] where we will do group practices and dedicate them to the welfare of all sentient beings but especially animals.

Holistic Health

In our Holistic health programme the next Peace in the City will be on Sunday 18 July from 12 to 5pm.  Take an afternoon out to try out the different therapies on offer at reduced prices and at the same time raise money for Jamyang.  

Our guest teachers Judy Watchman and William Walker continue to offer their popular classes for beginners and intermediate students in the ancient arts of hatha yoga, Chi Kung  and Tai Chi.

Community

No Jamyang programme would be complete without the Jamyang Walk organised by Robin Bath, the doyen of Jamyang and one of the kindest and most un-self centered people you will ever meet.  These are always easy walking, interesting and a fun way to get to know fellow members of the Jamyang communities and to share in Robin’s unique gentle sense of humour.  This time the walk will take place on Saturday 17 July and as usual two weeks before the event Robin will put one of his trademark hand crafted creative posters on the wall in the foyer explaining where the walk will be and how to meet up beforehand.

Also new to this and the Autumn programmes is a series of events called ‘Meditation and Relaxation’ facilitated by the body work therapist Gerry Cummins.  Continuing with our experiments to help different kinds of people access the benefits of meditation Gerry will offer mediation sessions in the early mornings at 7am and 8am and at lunchtime at 12.20pm on most Wednesdays starting in mid May.

Again new to this programme are the first two events in a series of women only evenings ‘Spirited Sisters: women and spirituality’ facilitated by community member and bodywork therapist Chitra Ramgoolamshiva.  This a chance for women within and outside the Jamyang communities to come together to celebrate their spirituality and share their experiences of working to become happier, holier beings.

For those interested in learning about meditation but who are not interested in the religious or Buddhist elements we offer ‘Free Meditation for Beginners’ on Friday 4 June and 16 July at 7.30pm.  These evenings will introduce meditations that require no belief in any kind of faith system, just the willingness to watch our own experience and learn from it.

Finally there are two annual community events in August.  The summer work camp will run from 20 to 26 August.   This is a fun way to practically help Jamyang by cleaning or decorating helping us spruce up for the coming Autumn programme while enjoying the Courtyard on a warm summers evening at the end of a (not so) hard days work.  And last but by no means least the August Bank Holiday Jamyang Jumble Sale will take place on Monday 30 August , so please remember to save nice bits of Jumble for us to sell in aid of the Centre over the weekend.  

Spirit of Enquiry

The next in the Heresy Friday series of facilitated discussions on topics that can prove troublesome, as Buddhism moves from its traditional autocratic and hierarchical heartlands into the modern liberal democracies of Europe, is ‘Buddhism and Ritual’ on Friday 7 May.  For some the ritual aspects of Buddhism are comforting, for others they are irritating for others sometimes one or the other.  Whatever your experience why not take time out to explore in a spirit of openness what works and what doesn’t in the company of others.  Spirit of Enquiry welcomes all comers.

New this programme

Meditation and Relaxation

Spirited Sisters: women and spirituality

Free meditation for Beginners

Compassion for Animals