in September...
Mon 1 Sept Café re-opens
Sat 6 Sept Joyful Effort - spiritual stamina (11am - 1.30pm)
In this morning course we will look
at ways to develop this confident and joyful mind, and how it helps to
remove obstacles and discouragement on our spiritual journey.
Sun 7 Sept Open afternoon with lots of fun and meaningful stuff happening - bring your family - Free entry - (2 - 6pm)
Drop in to Amitabha Centre's annual Open Afternoon and enjoy free meditation taster sessions, bric a brac and gift stalls, and refreshments. The World Peace cafe will also be serving it's
usual selection of drinks, homemade cakes and light lunches. There will be a BBQ in the garden. Sadly, Theeeko the clown has pulled out of the event.
Thurs 11 - Sun 14 Sept UKDC (United Kingdom Dharma Celebration)
with Gen-la Khyenrab at Tara Centre in Derbyshire
The blessing empowerment of Arya Tara and teachings on Advice from Atisha's Heart.
This annual course is one of the highlights of the year of a UK Kadampa and is well worth the effort of travelling there. The external setting is beautiful and the internal beauty of Gen-la shines through his brilliant teachings.
Sun 21 Sept Mahayana Sutra of the Three Superior Heaps (10.30am - 5pm)
This Sutra reveals a special purification practice that enables us to purify our negative karma completely. It also helps us to accumulate a lot of merit and dedicate it properly.
Sat 27 Sept Compassion - the great protector (11am -1.30pm)
'It is impossible for strong delusions to arise in a mind filled with compassion. If we do not develop delusions, external circumstances alone have no power to disturb us; so when our mind is governed by compassion it is always at peace.'
Geshe Kelsang in Transform your Life
Sun 28 Sept Free Your Mind (2 - 5pm)
'When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations we tend to regard the situation itself as the problem, but in reality whatever problems we experience come from the mind. If we were to respond to difficulties with a positive or peaceful mind they would not be problems for us; indeed we may even come to regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to situations with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to transform our life and be free from problems we must learn to transform our mind.'
Geshe Kelsang in Transform your Life
For bookings and information on courses in Bristol please go to the events page of our web site,
contact the Centre, Tel: 0117 974 5160 or email: info@meditationinbristol.org
and coming up in October...
Sat 4 Oct Manjushri empowerment and teachings on wisdom (10.30am-5pm)
Manjushri is the embodiment of the wisdom of all the Buddhas. By receiving his blessings we can easily develop the wisdom that will enable us to solve all our problems, fulfil all our wishes and help others in the most beneficial ways.
Sun 5 Oct Ritual workshop (11am - 2pm)
A chance to find out about some of the rituals of our tradition. If you have an interest in any particular area please let us know in advance.
Sun 12 Oct The wealth of giving (11am -1.30pm)
There are many different things we can give, such as our material help, our
time or our love. On this morning course, we will look at the benefits of
the mind of giving, and practical ways in which we can increase our
generosity and warmth towards others.
Sat 18 Oct Mindfulness - the life of meditation (11am -1.30pm)
Sun 19 Oct Learn to meditate (2 - 5pm) 
 Fri 31 Oct - Fri 7 Nov Opening the Wisdom Eye with Geshe Kelsang Gyatso in Paris
Its worth pulling out all the stops to attend this unique event.
For bookings and information on courses in Bristol please go to the events page of our web site,
contact the Centre, Tel: 0117 974 5160 or email: info@meditationinbristol.org
Dharma
- the supreme medicine
DEFINITION OF DELUSION
The definition of delusion is a mental factor that arises from inappropriate attention and that functions to make the mind unpeaceful and uncontrolled.
The only way to attain the permanent peace of liberation is to cultivate and increase our present peaceful minds. Why is it so difficult to maintain a peaceful mind? The only reason is that we have so many delusions. External problems do not have the power to disturb our mind unless we respond to them by developing delusions. If we have no delusions, even our enemies cannot destroy our peace of mind. Because delusions are the main obstacles to our attaining liberation from samsara they are known as `obstructions to liberation' or `delusion-obstructions', and because they destroy our mental peace they are called `inner enemies'.
FUNCTION OF DELUSIONS
Delusions function only to cause us harm. In Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life Shantideva says:
The inner enemies of hatred, attachment and so forth
Do not have arms and legs,
Nor do they have courage or skill;
So how have they made me their slave?
While they remain within my mind
They harm me at their pleasure,
And yet, without anger, I patiently endure them;
How shameful! This is no occasion for patience.
INAPPROPRIATE ATTENTION
Even if our mind meets an object of delusion, a delusion will arise in our mind only if we allow inappropriate attention to develop. Generally, inappropriate attention is a mind that dwells on a contaminated object and exaggerates its apparent qualities. There are many levels of inappropriate attention, from very subtle to very gross. Whenever ordinary beings see an object they naturally apprehend it as being inherently existent. This grasping mind is itself an exaggeration and a subtle form of inappropriate attention.
As a result of grasping things as being inherently existent we exaggerate their attractiveness or unattractiveness, and thus develop desirous attachment or anger. Whereas the initial development of self-grasping is subtle inappropriate attention, the subsequent exaggeration of the good or bad qualities of the object is gross inappropriate attention. Subtle inappropriate attention can be overcome only by a direct realization of emptiness. Gross inappropriate attention is overcome by applying mindfulness, alertness, and conscientiousness.
from Understanding the mind by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
O Blessed One, Buddha
I confess my wrong deeds from all times
And I deeply rejoice in your holy teachings.
Geshe Kelsang at the spring and summer festivals 2008
All of Geshe-la's books are
available for purchase from Amitabha
Centre.
© All quotations from Geshe Kelsang's books are copyright
of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and New Kadampa Tradition
A few links...
www.kadampa.org This site offers a
huge amount of interesting content about the activities
of the NKT, Kadam Dharma and Geshe-la's books
www.tharpa.co.uk for
on-line purchases of books and other goodies.
|
