On my first visit to India, after attending teachings by H.E Tai Situpa, I decided to go to McLeod Ganj where H.H. Dalai Lama was giving all-day transmissions at his monastery. Anyone who has visited this monastery will know that approaching and entering it is not straightforward for a first-timer. I arrived when the teachings [...]
Many people relentlessly battle with their emotions and end up leading conflicted and unhappy lives. But this does not have to be the case. In Buddhism the negative emotions are described as ‘mind poisons’, but the poison contains hidden gold. This retreat will focus on working creatively with the negative emotions that afflict us. It [...]
A Contemplation from Alan Muller "With shamata practice, we learn to detect impulses in their early stages. We can check an impulse toward anger before exploding like a volcano. If we do not recognize that impulse, then the repetition of angry outbursts strengthens the tendency toward anger and creates its own karmic energy, it's own [...]
A TRC Xmas/ New Year Retreat "Every man wants to be happy, but in order to be so he needs first to understand what happiness is." Jean-Jacques Rousseau. "If happiness is indeed a way of being, a state of consciousness and inner freedom, there is essentially nothing to prevent us from achieving it." Matthieu Ricard. [...]
A Self-Compassion Retreat "If we learn ways to practice love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, we will know how to heal the illnesses of anger, sorrow, insecurity, sadness and loneliness" Thich Nhat Hanh We will look at how we can develop the four immeasurables in daily life and through meditation. There will be guided Healing Relaxation [...]
Getting to the retreat was, for those of us who arrived in the second week, quite an experience – the rains had turned the roads into deep mud, and alternative routes were equally rough. Other participants had travelled from the northern hemisphere, or from different corners of South Africa, all drawn to spend hours a [...]
"The Three Trainings" are essential teachings and instructions on ethics (morality), concentration (meditation), and wisdom. We need to develop our ethics, meditation, and wisdom in order to transform our current afflicted mental states and hence progress on the path. The Three Trainings are important both in Buddhist and worldly contexts; learning to lead a more [...]
Tara Rokpa Centre is a supreme setting for this special retreat. Set in the dramatic scenery of the North West province - wild and wonderful – busting with all the elements of nature and with the living solidity of the Eco/ Adobe buildings - this venue established by our beloved teacher, Akong Rinpoché, made for [...]
The tradition of encampments is seen in the nomadic lifestyles of the fourth to the ninth Karmapas, as they travelled through the peaks and valleys of the Tibetan landscape. Notably, it was not what the areas offered the travellers that would encourage them to set up camp for periods of time, but rather where, “the [...]
with Alan Muller Please join us this weekend to reconnect with practice, lineage, and old Dharma friends. The benefits and merits of practicing together with fellow travelers on the path are immeasurable. Alan will tell us stories, give us practical advice, and guided meditations. There will be time for walks, chats, and your own practice. [...]
