Rob Nairn Programme 2007 - 2008
September
1-2 London, Samye Dzong
Topic: How Mindfulness Leads to Insight
Training in mindfulness will settle the mind and produce tranquillity. We will practice settling and stabilising the mind, and also learn exercises for improving insight. Rob is an internationally sought after lecturer who has written several books on meditation. Bring own lunch.
Time: 19.00 – 20.30 (Fri) 10.00 – 16.00 (Sat & Sun)
Place: Kagyu Samye Dzong, Carlisle Lane, London SE1 7LG
Booking: london@samye.org +44 (0)20 7928 5447
Cost: £55 per evening
4-6 London, Manor Place Samye Dzong
Topic: Diamond Mind
Meditation can activate and expose underlying psychological patterns associated with suppression, repression and denial. The untrained meditator may experience this as alarming and confusing, often concluding that something is wrong. We will learn to understand how these states come about and how to integrate them so that they become teachers instead of obstacles.
Time: 19.00 – 21.00
Place: Manor Place Samye Dzong, 33 Manor Place, London SE17 3BD
Booking: manorplace@samye.org +44 (0)20 7708 8969
Cost: £10 per evening
13-16 Chikukwa, Chimanimani Mountains, Zimbabwe
Topic: Tribal retreat in tribal village for Shona people of Chimanimani.
Introduction to meditation African style and launch of book ‘Pfungwa Dzakagadzikana (Tranquil Mind). First dharma book written in an African language.
This is a closed retreat, but if you are interested in what we are going to do, contact Elli and Uli Westerman, or Dave?
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21-30 Nyanga Mountains, Zimbabwe (or Bvumba Mountains)
Topic: Third Mahamudra Retreat
Third year of five year course.
This is a closed retreat for Zimbabwean mahamudra students.
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October
9,11,16,18,23, 25
Johannesburg Samye Dzong, South Africa
43 Floss Street, Kensington, 2098
Topic: The Six Paramitas and how to apply them in life
A series of lectures
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17 Pretoria Dharma Group
Topic: Introduction to Meditation
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26-28 Gaborone Meditation Group, Botswana
Topic: Mind Training – how to develop compassion and free the mind from disturbing emotions
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November
2-30 Tara Rokpa Centre, North West Province, South Africa
One month retreat,
Developing Compassion and Purifying the Five Mind Poisons.
The retreat will focus on important areas of practice.
- how to meditate in a relaxed and joyful way
- in-depth instruction on Chenrezi practice and actually doing it
- making friends with the five great mind poisons and the 6th, guilt – invented by westerners; how to purify them
- begin to understand and recognise self arising and self liberating thoughts
- touching on emptiness
- noble silence
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December
21-30 Cape Mountain Retreat, South Africa
Topic: Progressive steps in meditation.
Ideal for beginners and intermediate meditators.
Christmas Retreat
These two retreats are flexible so people can attend whatever periods they are able to.
Time: Friday after lunch.
Place: Cape Mountain Retreat, (near Worcester.)
Booking: Nicky (027-21-762 6210). caperetreat@kagyu.org.za
Cost: From R125 – R210 per day, teaching and food included.
January
28-6 Cape Mountain Retreat, South Africa
Topic: Preparation for the Death Bardos.
Bardo teachings. Meditaiton instructions. Practising with Chenrezig.
New Year Retreat
These two retreats are flexible so people can attend whatever periods they are able to.
Time: Friday after lunch
Place: Cape Mountain Retreat, (near Worcester.)
Booking: Nicky (027-21-762 6210). caperetreat@kagyu.org.za
Cost: From R125 – R210 per day, teaching and food included.
2008
January
18-20 Tara Rokpa Centre, Northwest Province, South Africa
Bardo Teachings
The focus will be on meditation training in the light of the bardos of life, dream and death. We will pay particular attention to mindfulness, insight, awareness and recognition.
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February
1-29 Tara Rokpa Centre, Northwest Province, South Africa
One month Retreat
Knowing the Mind, Freeing the Mind
Ignorance, from a Buddhist perspective is “failure to see things as they really are”. It means we don’t understand life. As a result we do things that cause unhappiness and suffering. Enlightenment frees us from this state of affairs. The most important step towards enlightenment is to train the mind. This begins with mindfulness, a training that enables us to learn more about ourselves. We make discoveries about our minds that surprise us. We see how inner forces keep us trapped in negative and destructive mind patterns. We then learn how to free ourselves from these so that wisdom, compassion and clarity have a chance to flower within us.
The retreat will include daily training in mindfulness with exercises, discussion, lectures and individual interviews.
Noble Silence
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March
14-20 Tara Rokpa Centre
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21-24 Tara Rokpa Centre
Participate in Tara Rokpa Centre Easter Camps. Teach progressive steps in meditation.
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April
4-13 Buddhist Retreat Centre, Ixopo
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18-20 Emoyeni Retreat Centre
April/May
25-4 May Tara Rokpa Retreat Centre
Third Mahamudra retreat (five year course)
A closed retreat for South African mahamudra students
7-20 Teaching in Zimbabwe
23-26 Samye Ling UK
Training in Mindfulness for meditation teachers based on Diamond Mind.
May/June
29-3 June Holy Island
Mindfulness Retreat for trainees in Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy
5-8 Zurich, Switzerland
Short Course: How to meditate in a busy world.
8-23 Teaching in Italy
13-23 Retreat in Italy, From Neurosis to Happiness
Understanding meditation in the context of our individual psychology.
- how personality is formed and structured
- Buddhist psychology and the eight consciousnesses
- What hidden forces within us cause psychological problems and why these result in suffering
- How meditation can take us beyond psychology into the field of transformation, integration and joy.
June/July
24-6 July Programme in Hamburg, Germany
8-14 Programme in Belgium
16,17 High Peaks Meditation Centre, Whaley Bridge, near Manchester
18-20 Retreat at Ampleforth Abbey, North Yorkshire
Freedom from Thought
We suffer because we think. Most of us don’t know how not to think, as we are trapped in thought.
We will learn how to recognise thought, thinking and freedom from thought. We will discover that the tranquil mind is at rest because it knows it is not the thought. Further details and booking form from David & Sheila Spurr 1 Mulberry Garth, Thorp Arch,Wetherby,West Yorkshire LS23 7AF or email david@spurr41.freeserve.co.uk
21-24 Teaching at High Peaks, Whaley Bridge
24-27 Retreat with High Peaks meditation group
August
9-17 Holy Island
Finding Happiness and Peace of Mind
Happiness is a state of mind. Peace of mind arises when inner conflict subsides. Our tendency is to seek both in the outside world where they are not to be found. We will identify the inner causes of suffering and discover how we bring it upon ourselves. We will learn how to cultivate a positive mind that can be happy in the world and rest peacefully.
Noble silence.
19-30 Iceland
20, 21 Teaching in Reykjavik
22-30 Retreat in Iceland
September
6-14 Purelands Retreat, Samye Ling
Seven Points of Mind Training
The retreat will be based on ‘The Great Path of Awakening’ written by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great. This text forms the basis for one of the most profound systems of compassion training known within Buddhism. We will learn how to integrate the exercises into our lives so as to experience a progressive awakening of compassion in our hearts.
Noble silence.
16 Preston
One lecture
19-21 Samye Ling
Discovering Joy
We can be joyful. Without realising it we choose dullness and unhappiness instead.
We will learn how to make friends with ourselves as we are at this moment. Then we will discover-
- habitual thinking patterns that don’t help
- how to free the mind through meditation
- how to use our energy positively
- how to create the conditions for joy
23-29 Edinburgh Samye Dzong
Topic: From Neurosis to Joy
Time: http://www.edinburgh.samye.org/events.htm
Place: The Theosophical Society in Scotland 28 Great King Street
(off Dundas Street) Edinburgh
Booking: info@edinburgh.samye.org
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October
1-6 Glasgow Samye Dzong
11,12 Chichester Meditation Group
Diamond Mind II
This is a follow-up course for people who did Diamond Mind I