Inspiring a Revolution in your Heart and Mind / Term 2 / Newcastle

Join us as we take you an experiential journey through The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Discover a deep and universal wisdom explored in the major themes of the book, and learn about their practical implications for living well. Suitable for people of any religion or of none, this course encourages you to reflect on the Buddhist teachings, to see what makes sense to you and to experiment with applying these teachings in your daily life.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying is widely regarded as one of the most complete and authoritative presentations of Tibetan Buddhism. A manual for life and death and a source of sacred inspiration from the heart of the Tibetan tradition, The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying provides a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path. The teachings, meditation and contemplations from this authentic tradition reveal how each of us can live a more meaningful, connected and fulfilling life.

In term two we explore the power of our mind as the universal ordering principle: it is the creator of suffering and the creator of happiness. We investigate two aspects of the mind:

• the appearance of mind – our thoughts, emotions, all the stories, the ordinary mind and
• the essence of mind – which is clear, cognizant and has unconfined capacity.

We will also look at how to make our meditation practice truly meaningful. This term we will also explore the Buddhist reasoning for the acceptance of rebirth and reincarnation. We will use the Buddha’s Four Noble Truths as a framework to help us take stock of our lives, inspire a shift in the way we see ourselves and the way we relate to the world around us. Lastly, we investigate Karma. Karma is often misunderstood as fate or pre-destination. Karma, however if understood well, presents us with an opportunity to be free from our suffering.

Over the course of the year you will learn:

• How an acceptance of impermanence can help us understand death and change our attitude towards life
• How meditation can transform our perception, increase our confidence and fully connect us to the world around us
• That mind is much more than just thoughts and emotions
• How understanding the interdependency of all things and the principle of karma (that every action has an effect) gives us a logical basis for ethics and personal responsibility.

Led by Western meditation instructors with many years of experience, each session consists of:

• Video teachings from Tibetan and Western Buddhist masters including Sogyal Rinpoche, Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, Pema Chödrön and Sharon Salzberg.
• Meditation practice
• Time for contemplation
• Group discussions and Q&A, offering you the opportunity to explore the teachings and practices in an open supportive environment.

Details for Term 2
This is the second term of a year long course that can be joined at any time.
If you wish to join after the commencement of each term and the registration is closed, then please email us at newcastle@rigpa.org.au. It is possible to join and pay a pro rata amount.

Where: In person at Infuse Health, 4/10 William Street, Adamstown 2289.

When: Tuesday Mornings for Ten weeks, 30 April to 2 July.

Time: 11:15am to 1:15pm Australian Eastern Time

Cost: Full $200, Concession (concession card holders and Infuse Health members) $100

FREE for Rigpa members/subscribers. Please email newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request the discount code.

If you are experiencing financial hardship please email us at newcastle@rigpa.org.au to request a further concession.