Gelong Thubten Teachings
A Guide to Happiness - meditation in the 21st Century With Gelong Thubten
A public talk based on Gelong Thubten’s bestselling book ‘A Monk’s Guide to Happiness’.
Thubten will explore the cultivation of inner happiness and compassion through meditation practice. Life in the modern world has grown increasingly busy and pressurised, and the search for happiness from material things has become more intense than ever – and yet as a society we seem more dissatisfied. Perhaps we have been looking in the wrong places.
Meditation helps us connect with our inner capacity for genuine, stable happiness as well as greater compassion for ourselves and others.
We will explore the brain chemistry of stress and how that affects our lives. Studies have shown that meditation regulates the brain’s amygdala (which creates the ‘fight or flight’ response) thus reducing the over-production of stress hormones such as cortisol snd adrenaline. This creates greater balance in our brain and body chemistry.
Thubten will share practical tips on how to practise meditation on a daily basis, so that we can achieve tangible benefits in our lives. He will explain the benefits of compassion and it can be developed and practised. He will lead some guided meditation so that participants are provided with tools they can use on their own later and how to practice mindful moments throughout the day, even in the busiest situations.
you will be able to purchase his books at the event. £5 paperback or £15 out of print hard copy. All proceeds go to Samye Foundation Wales charity!
Tibetan Buddhism and the transformation of emotions With Gelong Thubten
Thubten will explain the Tibetan Buddhist approach to working with the emotions. We will explore the characteristics of our main emotions and the psychology which drives them. Then we will look at how we can transform our emotions through the path of meditation.
In the Vajrayana tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, every emotion has the power to free us, if we can learn how to look at the emotion with the right attitude. These talks will present both the philosophical and practical aspects of this topic and are suitable for all, Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
Introduction to Vajrayana deity practice with Gelong Thubten
These talks will explain the philosophy behind deity meditations such as Chenrezig and Tara practice.
Many Tibetan Buddhist practices involve visualising deities and reciting mantras. There will be an explanation of how these methods fit into the overall structure of Buddhist training, and what their benefits are. We will look at the 3 vehicles of Buddhism – Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana, how they relate to Tibetan Buddhism, and what their main qualities and practices are. We will especially focus on the Vajrayana tradition with its methods of deity and mantra practice.
Thubten will explain how the deity practices help to purify and train our minds. There will be practical tips on how to stabilise our ability to visualise as well as how to access the deeper blessings of the practices.
These talks are suitable for people who wish to go a bit deeper into the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of prayers, visualisations and mantra recitation.