Inspiring a Revolution in your Heart and Mind / Term 3 / 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 three we will be introduced to the Tibetan Buddhist compassion practices with a particular focus on loving kindness practice. Meditating on loving kindness can help us restore our love and confidence, and heal unresolved emotional wounds. It also puts us back in touch with the fundamental goodness of our core being, and once that has
happened, we are able to love ourselves and others.

We will also explore the Buddhist approach to practicing compassion and how to apply it in all situations. The first step to compassion is to realize that other people are just like you. They too wish to be happy and free from suffering. Then, though the practice of Tonglen (giving and receiving), we begin to to mentally take on the suffering of others with
compassion, and give your happiness and wellbeing with love. So that ultimately our every action can be an act of compassion.

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 3
This is the third 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  eight sessions, 23 July to 24 September with a break between  13th August and 20th August

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

Cost: Full $160, Concession (concession card holders and Infuse Health members) $80

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.