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Ongoing teachings at the Tibetan Buddhist Society
Introductory Classes - 1.30 PM Sundays
When we are unhappy or dissatisfied we blame our circumstances. We thus believe that
the solution to our unhappiness can be found by changing our job, our
friends, our work, where we live, or even our partner. We forget that
experience depends not only on our situation, but also our attitude.
Ultimately, happiness and unhappiness are states of mind. With a
positive attitude we can deal positively with whatever we encounter.
With a negative mind, no matter what our circumstances we experience
misery.
Buddhist thought
investigates the nature of the mind. It explains how to cultivate
positive mental states and how to remove the negative. In particular,
Buddhism teaches the theory and practice of meditation. Through
meditation we can subdue mental agitation, which is the root cause of
stress and dissatisfaction. With a still, calm mind experience becomes
positive.
During this
series you will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of Buddhist
thought, including cause and effect, the nature of mind, love and
compassion. You will be taught a number of different meditations that
include techniques for opposing stress and tension.
Path to Enlightenment 4.00 PM Sundays
The range of
Buddhist thought and teachings is vast. The special feature of the Path
to Enlightenment is that it presents the essence of all Buddhist
teachings, and in particular explains how to apply these teachings to
our daily lives. These teachings, which are presented throughout the
year, are based on Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden’s book Path
to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism. The Path to Enlightenment
covers essential subjects, including cause and effect, impermanence, the
mind of enlightenment and emptiness. Through the practice of the path to
enlightenment, one can progress from the stage of a beginner to complete
enlightenment.
Classes are
conducted by the Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, and include
guided meditation instruction.
The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment – Mondays 7.30 to 9pm
These classes are based on Venerable Geshe Loden’s book, The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment , one of the very few books in the English language that explains the profound and inspiring teachings of Buddha potential.
It is a central teaching of the mahayana tradition that every living being, human or non-human, rich or poor, intelligent or otherwise and whatever their current situation, carries within them the seed of their own supreme enlightenment. The function of Dharma practice is to ripen that seed into the full flowering of a Buddha’s perfect qualities of body, speech and mind.
In these classes Geshe-la explains the two types of Buddha potential - natural potential and developed potential – and the differences between them. Natural potential is defined, from the point of view of the Middle Way Consequence school, as the emptiness of a mind with taints that is suitable to transform into a Buddha’s nature body. Examples are the emptiness of a Bodhisattva’s great love, great compassion and bodhichitta. Developed potential is defined, from the point of view of the Middle Way Consequence school, as a Buddha potential that is suitable to transform into a produced Buddha’s nature body. Examples are a Bodhisattva’s great love, great compassion and bodhichitta.
Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings on the subject of Buddha potential are presented in many texts including the Tathagata Essence Sutra. However, the most extensive explanation appears in the great texts of Maitreya – the Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras, the Ornament for Clear Realisation and Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana. The first of these texts presents Buddha potential mainly from the perspective of the Mind-Only school of tenets, while the others explain it from the point of view of the highest tenet system - that of the Middle Way Consequence school.
The Ornament for the Mahayana Sutras explains extensively through nine subjects that Buddha potential exists, how it is possible and what types of potential living beings have.
The Sublime Continuum of the Mahayana presents the clear light nature of mind through 10 aspects and gives nine examples showing how the obscurations to our Buddha potential are merely adventitious.
Geshe-la is especially well qualified to teach on this subject, having engaged in intensive study on Maitreya’s texts and the Indian commentaries as part of more than 7 years’ study of the Perfection of Wisdom literature at Sera Monastic University in Tibet.
This course provides a unique philosophical perspective on the capacity that we all have to overcome our limitations and perfect our qualities, set in the context of the mahayana presentation of emptiness.
The Buddha potential teachings have a special connection with Maitreya Buddha and each of these classes commences with prayers and meditations from Maitreya Buddha’s sadhana.
All are welcome to attend.
Vajrayogini Practice - Alternate Wednesdays, 7.30 PM
Vajrayogini is a female deity, whose practice is part of Mother Tantra. As such
Vajrayogini teachings emphasise the practice of clear light. Special
features of the Vajrayogini Tantra include its straightforward
explanation, the eleven generation stages, and especially the very
subtle thirty-seven deity body mandala practice.
During these classes Geshe-la provides detailed instruction on the key aspects of
both generation and completion stage.
Yamantaka Practice - Alternate Wednesdays, 7.30 PM
Solitary Hero Yamantaka is the wrathful manifestation of Manjushri, the Buddha of
wisdom. This practice is considered especially useful for removing
hindrances, including illness, short life and poor conditions. As one of
the Father Tantras, Yamantaka teachings emphasise the practice of
illusory body. Yamantaka practice has five extraordinary features:
1. Our practice will be successful even in the most difficult circumstances.
2. The practice includes the profound paths of the illusory body and clear light as explained in Guhyasamaja tantra.
3. The Solitary Hero Yamantaka tantra has the practices of non-dual bliss and emptiness.
4. The tantra has the methods for achieving enlightenment, even for those who have created extremely heavy
negative actions, such as the five heinous crimes and so on.
5. Through this practice one becomes closer to Manjushri, and more easily receives his blessings.
During these classes Geshe-la provides detailed instruction on the key
aspects of both generation and completion stage.
Views of Reality - 7.30 PM Thursdays
Led by the led by the Venerable Toby Gillies, this series discusses the various Buddhist
tenets on the nature of conventional and ultimate truth.
Highest Yoga Tantra Initiations followed by Vajrayogini retreat
Vajrayana master and Spiritual Head of the Tibetan Buddhist Society, Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, will offer Yamantaka and Vajrayogini empowerments on the weekend of
19 and 20 September 2009. Immediately following the weekend Geshe-la will lead a 3 week Vajrayogini retreat, and provide teachings from the Six Yogas of Naropa.
Contact Jean at the Center on +61 3 9333-1770 or use the contact form to email us.
Tibetan Buddhist Society Festivals
The Tibetan Buddhist Society holds two weekend festivals
each year. The first celebrates the Tibetan New Year in February/March and the Buddhist
Spring Festival follows this each November. Teachers from a variety of traditions
including Tibetan, Thai, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese give talks and lead meditations.
There are also temple and garden tours, vibrant market stalls, courtyard café and
much more.
Buddhist Spring Festival - November 2009
Buddhism teaches that happiness depends solely on the state
of our mind, rather than the events and circumstances of our lives. Meditation opens
practitioners up to the world of the mind and helps transform the way we approach
the world so our lives are happier, healthier and more peaceful and satisfying.
Hosted by the Tibetan Buddhist Society, Buddhist teachers will explain
the benefits of meditation and offer insights from the rich traditions of Buddhist
psychology. Talks from Tibetan, Thai, Zen and other Buddhist teachers
will take place in one of the only traditional Tibetan temples in the Southern Hemisphere,
which was blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his 2002 Australian tour.
The talks provide a taste of Buddhist teachings on compassion,
love, karma, enlightenment, impermanence, ethics and concentration. These themes – and especially
the way that we can use them through the practice of meditation to change our personal
experience – are more deeply explored in subsequent weeks during a Sunday afternoon
introduction series.
More than 2,000 people are expected to take part in this
community festival at the Tibetan Buddhist Society’s magnificent 10-acre property
in Yuroke, located 30 minutes from Melbourne’s CBD. Alongside talks and guided meditations,
the festival offers many activities - tranquil gardens to relax and explore thousands
of roses in beautiful bloom, browsing at cosmopolitan market stalls, delicious vegetarian
fare in an outdoor cafe and a photo exhibition.
A popular highlight of the festival is the non-denominational
ceremony for world peace. At
12.00 noon on Saturday 7 November, Buddhist monks and nuns along with members of Christian
denominations, political leaders and community representatives join together in
prayers for world harmony and universal wellbeing.
Festival visitors are encouraged to wander through the
10 acres of landscaped gardens, relax and enjoy the fragrance of 2000 rose bushes
in 400 varieties. The gardens also feature tranquil lakes and more than 2500 trees
including 23 Californian redwoods, 36 golden robinias, 31 olive trees and weeping
mulberries.
Festival highlights
include:
·
Cosmopolitan market
with hundreds of items including Tibetan and local handicrafts, Indian shawls, Thai
jewellery, Tibetan and Nepalese blankets, kimonos, books, meditation cushions, bags,
ornaments, candles, soaps, and incense;
·
Garden tours with
Venerable Tim McKibben providing explanations of the many rose varieties, the history
of the centre and the art of companion planting and pesticide free cultivation;
·
Temple tours explaining
the significance of the religious and artistic treasures such as the 18 foot statue
of Shakyamuni Buddha, constructed in Nepal;
·
Delicious vegetarian
food and home-made cakes in a delightful outdoor cafe; and
·
Photographic exhibition
showing the Tibetan culture in pre-1959 Tibet and giving an account of today’s exiled
communities in India.
Entry to the Festival is $6. Children 12 and under
are free. There is a facility charge for talks - $10 for one class, $15 for two
and $20 for three or four classes per day.
Temple tours are $5 and garden tours are free. All proceeds
are donated to support the temple.
Tibetan New Year Festival – Saturday and Sunday 2010 (tbc)
For more details and photos of our Buddhist festivals click here
Rose Garden Open Days
The Peaceful Land of Joy Rose Garden Open Days, at the Tibetan Buddhist Society
in Melbourne, are held in March and November.
The gardens are a prime example of sustainable rose growing using recycled water.
Through careful and far-sighted water management and the hard work of many volunteers,
these gardens have maintained their beauty in the enduring drought.
The gardens are one of Victoria’s largest and most successful examples of rose companion planting, maintained without herbicides or pesticides. They are proof
that beautiful gardens and responsible use of water resources are compatible.
The Tibetan Buddhist Society’s water management initiatives undertaken since acquiring
the property at Yuroke 20 years ago include:
- Significant investment in water recycling equipment, which
allows use of house water on the gardens.
- Rainwater collection systems including big gutters on the traditional Tibetan temple and the main buildings to collect water.
- The garden, driveway and all paved areas designed and plumbed to channel rainfall to the dam, which is used on the garden.
- Early adoption of water saving devices, like water efficient showerheads and dual flush toilets.
In the gardens deep mulch covers all rose garden beds and helps reduce water use
and conserve moisture. Calendulas (marigolds), which are planted to attract insects
away from the roses are subsequently mulched with organic matter to use around the
base of trees like the golden robinias.
Under the guidance, inspiration and energetic example of the Society’s Founder and
Spiritual Leader, the Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden, students and residents
have made the Peaceful Land of Joy a peaceful haven that brings happiness and a
sense of calm to all who visit.
The 10 acre property at Yuroke, just 30 minutes’ drive from Melbourne CBD, features 2,300 rose bushes in 400 varieties. There are also
2,500 trees including 22 Californian redwoods, 36 golden robinias, 31 olive
trees, weeping elms and mulberries and blue spruce. Visitors are welcome to enjoy a picnic in the grounds and relax by the tranquil lake.
Thousands of birds of many species, such as ducks, ibis, herons and
cormorants also enjoy the environment, and have been attracted in
no small way by the bread and rice fed to them every morning for
many years.
The Rose Garden Open Days feature:
- Regular free tours by resident garden guides, with rose pruning demonstration and cultivation tips.
- Delicious Devonshire teas in an outdoor café, with homemade scones, cakes and a special blend of spiced chai tea.
- Tours of the stunning traditional Tibetan temple, one of the few of its kind in the West and which was blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his 2002 Australian tour.
- Free relaxation meditation sessions in the temple on Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 12.30 pm.
Entry $6, temple tours $5. All proceeds support the temple.
For dates of the Open Days please check this
website around late February and mid November, or phone 03 9333 1770.
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