Discovering Buddhism: Intensive Practice Day

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

Get to know Tantra in a meditation practice. We learn to integrate tantra with lam-rim meditation for optimal results. WHEN: Sunday, September 25, 10:00 am - 04.00 pm (CET – Zurich) WHERE: Online and onsite LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced REGISTRATION: REGISTER HERE Each FPMT Discovering Buddhism course ends with an intensive practice day, which is designed to review the material one more time and to practice the meditations in a retreat setting. It can also be a great way to get a summary of the course, if you did not have the chance to attend regularly. Everyone is welcome. Schedule 10.00 am – 12.00 pm  Meditation 1 & 2 12.00 pm – 02.00 pm  Lunch break – Bring a vegetarian dish to share! 02.00 pm – 04.00 pm  Meditation 3 & 4   Discovering Buddhism is an FPMT study program aimed at giving Buddhist and non-Buddhist students a solid footing in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. The program is not meant to be an academic study of Buddhism, it is meant to change our daily lives through experiential training in meditation and thought transformation.   PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: You would make us very happy by supporting us with a donation. Suggested donation is 0 – 50 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English. Level: Beginner to Advanced. Registration: REGISTER HERE

Event Series Medicine Buddha Practice

Medicine Buddha Practice

Join our monthly Medicine Buddha practice! WHEN:  Monthly on Fridays, 7.00 - 8.30 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: Intermediate - Advanced (beginners are welcome) Join us via Zoom under the following link and login:Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/910346209?pwd=ajRQQlk5NTM1aHJlZ2Z0UGtnUy9BQT09 Meeting ID: 867 1617 3585 Password: 637172 REQUEST DEDICATION A Medicine Buddha Practice consists of meditations, visualizations, reciting mantras, and prayers, including taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, the seven limb practice, mandala offering, followed by the request prayers. The session is concluded with dedications. The Seven Medicine Buddhas made special prayers to benefit beings of degenerate ages, hence in the sutric tradition this is considered one of the most powerful practices, which possesses the greatest and quickest blessings. This practice purifies and heals on all levels – physical, mental, spiritual and environmental. In our monthly Medicine Buddha Practice we will make dedications to all the beings who need help and support at the time. If you would like for us to make a special dedication to yourself, friend or family member, please fill out the Request Dedication Form. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 0 - 20 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival or online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English Level: Intermediate - Advanced. Previous knowledge in buddhist practices is helpful. Beginners are still welcome. We will happily give you a small introduction!

The Heart Sutra Explained – Geshe Sherab (Online)

Get a deeper understanding of “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra” when Geshe Sherab explains this fundamental Mahayana sutra in details. WHEN: Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19, 7.00 - 9.00 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: Intermediate. Some basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is of benefit. Beginners are welcome as well! Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82561889757?pwd=eHBGcWFsWHRSc1lGVDVjZDNwekNSdz09 Meeting ID: 825 6188 9757 Passcode: 314389 During the first three Wednesdays in October, Geshe-la will give us a detailed introduction to the Heart Sutra and help us understand how to implement the text into our daily practice. Please notice that the event starts at 7 pm CET with preliminaries, led by a Lhagsam facilitator, and Geshe-la ticks in at 7.30. We’ll chant the Heart Sutra in English and meditate on emptiness, so we can be prepared for Geshe-la to arrive. The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (the Heart Sutra) is perhaps the most widely known sutra of the Mahayana tradition and is often recited daily by practitioners all over the world, particularly before receiving Dharma teachings. Part of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the Heart Sutra is a condensed presentation of the wisdom of emptiness as revealed by Avalokiteshvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) on Vulture’s Peak in Rajgir, India, to Shariputra, one of the Buddha’s main disciples, based on the Buddha’s own power. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that the only thing that can directly cut ignorance, which is the root of suffering and samsara, is wisdom realizing emptiness. There are many teachings on emptiness, but all these teachings are found condensed in the Heart Sutra. Download the Heart Sutra here Just hearing the Heart Sutra, or reading it, leaves a positive imprint to be free of samsara and to actualize the path, achieving enlightenment to free numberless sentient beings from oceans...

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Momo Dinner & Movie Night

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

Join us for a delicious taste of authentic Tibetan Momos and a movie documenting the difficult life of ordinary Tibetans today. WHEN: October 7, 2022, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, movie starts at 7:00 pm  CET CATEGORY: Get together, community LEVEL: Everybody is welcome! REGISTRATION: If you plan to attend the Momo dinner, please write us at info@lhagsam.ch and state whether you prefer vegetarian or vegan option, and possibly have other dietary preferences. About the Movie “Windhorse” The film is set in Tibet. In a remote Himalayan village in Western Tibet, three young Tibetans - Dorjee, his sister Dolkar and their cousin Pema - witness their grandfather murdered by Chinese soldiers. Years later, the three children are living in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, and their lives have taken different directions. Dolkar becomes a popstar and assimilates into contemporary Chinese culture. Dorjee turns to hating the Chinese government. Pema becomes a Buddhist nun, joining a nunnery a few miles from Lhasa. When Pema is arrested after demonstrating against the Chinese government, her cousins are caught up in the dangerous activities of the Tibetan resistance movement. Partly shot in secret in Tibet, this movie makes a real effort to tell some of the realities of life for Tibetans, and to do so with a degree of realism seldom found. It is not a happy story, and it contains scenes that are disturbing to watch – like the brutal beatings of Tibetan nuns. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 0 – 40 CHF. The event will include a sponsored meal. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival or online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English Level: Everybody is welcome! Registration: If you plan to attend the Momo dinner, please write to info@lhagsam.ch...

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The Heart Sutra Explained – Geshe Sherab (Online)

Get a deeper understanding of “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra” when Geshe Sherab explains this fundamental Mahayana sutra in details. WHEN: Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19, 7.00 - 9.00 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: Intermediate. Some basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is of benefit. Beginners are welcome as well! Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82561889757?pwd=eHBGcWFsWHRSc1lGVDVjZDNwekNSdz09 Meeting ID: 825 6188 9757 Passcode: 314389 During the first three Wednesdays in October, Geshe-la will give us a detailed introduction to the Heart Sutra and help us understand how to implement the text into our daily practice. Please notice that the event starts at 7 pm CET with preliminaries, led by a Lhagsam facilitator, and Geshe-la ticks in at 7.30. We’ll chant the Heart Sutra in English and meditate on emptiness, so we can be prepared for Geshe-la to arrive. The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (the Heart Sutra) is perhaps the most widely known sutra of the Mahayana tradition and is often recited daily by practitioners all over the world, particularly before receiving Dharma teachings. Part of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the Heart Sutra is a condensed presentation of the wisdom of emptiness as revealed by Avalokiteshvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) on Vulture’s Peak in Rajgir, India, to Shariputra, one of the Buddha’s main disciples, based on the Buddha’s own power. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that the only thing that can directly cut ignorance, which is the root of suffering and samsara, is wisdom realizing emptiness. There are many teachings on emptiness, but all these teachings are found condensed in the Heart Sutra. Download the Heart Sutra here Just hearing the Heart Sutra, or reading it, leaves a positive imprint to be free of samsara and to actualize the path, achieving enlightenment to free numberless sentient beings from oceans...

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Retreat Day (onsite only)

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

Our monthly meditation retreat day at Lhagsam WHEN: Saturday October 15th, 13.30 - 16.30 WHERE: Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation LEVEL: All levels, beginners welcome If you would like to join, please send an email to info@lhagsam.ch (until Friday night) "Meditation gives us breathing space in the mind; it gives us the space to experience. Normally our lives are so cluttered that we don't even have breathing space. But meditation gives us the breathing spaceso that things can arise, so that understanding anc experience can come up. Normally we are so busythat they can't surace, because there is no room...meditation is about coming back to our silent inner spaciuousness" Tenzin Palmo How about giving yourself the gift of withdrawing from this busy world for a day?  Turn off your phone, be in silence, settle your mind and look inwardly instead of following your senses to the external world. We will come together for an afternoon of meditation. Please note: For once the retreat day is only in the afternoon, a full day will be offered again in November. Schedule - 13:30 - 15:00 Setting Motivation, Shamatha Meditation (with guidance) - 15:00 - 15:15 tea break - 15:15 - 16:00  Silent Meditation, Dedication PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 20-30 CHF .  No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival or online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English Level: No prior knowledge required Registration: We will meet at our location in Zurich. If you would like to join, please send an email to info@lhagsam.ch

The Heart Sutra Explained – Geshe Sherab (Online)

Get a deeper understanding of “The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra” when Geshe Sherab explains this fundamental Mahayana sutra in details. WHEN: Wednesdays, October 5, 12, 19, 7.00 - 9.00 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: Intermediate. Some basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is of benefit. Beginners are welcome as well! Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82561889757?pwd=eHBGcWFsWHRSc1lGVDVjZDNwekNSdz09 Meeting ID: 825 6188 9757 Passcode: 314389 During the first three Wednesdays in October, Geshe-la will give us a detailed introduction to the Heart Sutra and help us understand how to implement the text into our daily practice. Please notice that the event starts at 7 pm CET with preliminaries, led by a Lhagsam facilitator, and Geshe-la ticks in at 7.30. We’ll chant the Heart Sutra in English and meditate on emptiness, so we can be prepared for Geshe-la to arrive. The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra (the Heart Sutra) is perhaps the most widely known sutra of the Mahayana tradition and is often recited daily by practitioners all over the world, particularly before receiving Dharma teachings. Part of the Prajnaparamita Sutras, the Heart Sutra is a condensed presentation of the wisdom of emptiness as revealed by Avalokiteshvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibetan) on Vulture’s Peak in Rajgir, India, to Shariputra, one of the Buddha’s main disciples, based on the Buddha’s own power. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that the only thing that can directly cut ignorance, which is the root of suffering and samsara, is wisdom realizing emptiness. There are many teachings on emptiness, but all these teachings are found condensed in the Heart Sutra. Download the Heart Sutra here Just hearing the Heart Sutra, or reading it, leaves a positive imprint to be free of samsara and to actualize the path, achieving enlightenment to free numberless sentient beings from oceans...

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Avalokiteshvara Guru Yoga Practice (Online)

Join our monthly Avalokiteshvara Guru Yoga Practice! WHEN:  07.00 - 8.30 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: One considers oneself as a Buddhist (has taken refuge). If you considered yourself as a beginner, but interested in such practice, please contact us.  Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84881194713?pwd=Q25zUTJpaGRZbE9Zay9uR1hDallBdz09 Meeting ID: 848 8119 4713 Passcode: 225516 Avalokiteshvara, also known as Chenrezig, embodies the great infinite compassion aspect of all the Buddhas. The great compassion comes from not only wishing all sentient beings be free from suffering but actually put it to action to alleviate sufferings. The seed of compassion will grow if you plant it in fertile soil, a consciousness moistened with love. When you have watered your mind with love, you can begin to meditate upon compassion. Compassion, here, is simply the wish that all sentient beings be free of suffering. An Open Heart, The Dalai Lama In this group practice, we will get together following the sadhana written by His Holiness Dalai Lama called “The Inseparability of the Spiritual Master and Avalokiteshvara”. The practice will be facilitated by a member of Lhagsam. It will be slow and in English so we will have time to meditate on the meanings of words and cultivate an open heart which extends to our external world. We will also include the mediation on the four immeasurables and tonglen. Dedication: In our monthly Avelokiteshvara Guru Yoga Practice we will make dedications to all the beings who need help and support at the time. If you would like for us to make a special dedication to yourself, friend or family member, please fill out the Request Dedication Form. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 0 - 20 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival or online (via Paypal, Twint...

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Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga / Mahamudra

Join us for a guided Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga and a mahamudra-based meditation on emptiness. WHEN: Friday October 28, 7.00 pm – 9.00 pm CETWHERE: OnlineLEVEL: Intermediate. Some basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is of benefit. Beginners are welcome! LANGUAGE: English. You can join the event here on zoom: Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84921928952?pwd=UEd1RTltOFlkZHpTWmVtRU1tT0RLUT09 Meeting ID: 849 2192 8952 Password: 871688 According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche it is good to base your LamRim meditation on a Guru Yoga practice, such as Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga (the Hundred Deities of Tushita - Ganden Lha Gyama). Find the sadhana here: Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga Mahamudra, a Sanskrit word meaning “great seal,” refers to an advanced and sophisticated system of meditation on the nature of the mind, and the realizations gained through it. Having a focus shifting from the content to the experience of the experience, the ultimate goal is to achieve a non-dual awareness by observing emptiness (Sanskrit: Shunyata) like “a mindful fish not even stirring the water while swimming”. Recommended reading: Click here   PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: You would make us very happy by supporting us with a donation. Suggested donation is 0-40 CHF for a session. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English. Level: Intermediate. Some basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is of benefit. Beginners are welcome as well!

Event Series Medicine Buddha Practice

Medicine Buddha Practice

Join our monthly Medicine Buddha practice! WHEN:  Monthly on Fridays, 7.00 - 8.30 pm CET WHERE: Online LEVEL: Intermediate - Advanced (beginners are welcome) Join us via Zoom under the following link and login:Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/910346209?pwd=ajRQQlk5NTM1aHJlZ2Z0UGtnUy9BQT09 Meeting ID: 867 1617 3585 Password: 637172 REQUEST DEDICATION A Medicine Buddha Practice consists of meditations, visualizations, reciting mantras, and prayers, including taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, the seven limb practice, mandala offering, followed by the request prayers. The session is concluded with dedications. The Seven Medicine Buddhas made special prayers to benefit beings of degenerate ages, hence in the sutric tradition this is considered one of the most powerful practices, which possesses the greatest and quickest blessings. This practice purifies and heals on all levels – physical, mental, spiritual and environmental. In our monthly Medicine Buddha Practice we will make dedications to all the beings who need help and support at the time. If you would like for us to make a special dedication to yourself, friend or family member, please fill out the Request Dedication Form. PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 0 - 20 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival or online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English Level: Intermediate - Advanced. Previous knowledge in buddhist practices is helpful. Beginners are still welcome. We will happily give you a small introduction!

Wednesday Community Meditation

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

Let’s meet at our center and be part of a guided meditation. WHEN: Wednesday November 9, 7.00-8.30 pm CET WHERE: Onsite, the Lhagsam Gompa LEVEL: Beginner, everyone is welcome! LANGUAGE: English Let’s meet at our center and be part of a guided meditation, get an understanding of how to develop valuable realizations on the vastness of the mind: We will analyze and learn how to experience our world, and how we can change this, to have a better understanding and more acceptance of ourselves and for the whole world. We will work on gaining experiential knowledge, a calmer mind, and an open heart full of love and compassion towards ourselves and all sentient beings. Once the meditation has ended, we invite you to stay and enjoy being part of our vibrant community and chat with the other participants. We are not compelled to meditate by some outside agent, by other people, or by God. Rather, just as we are responsible for our own suffering, so are we solely responsible for our own cure. We have created the situation in which we find ourselves, and it is up to us to create the circumstances for our release. Therefore, as suffering permeates our life, we have to do something in addition to our regular daily routine. This something is spiritual practice or, in other words, meditation. ~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: You would make us very happy by supporting us with a donation. Suggested donation is 0 – 20 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate online (via Paypal, Twint or E-Banking). Language: English Level: All are welcome

Discovering Buddhism: Introduction to Tantra

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

EXTRA SESSION Due to request, this event serves as a follow-up on Lhagsam's recently finished Discovering Buddhism course, but anyone can join! WHEN:  Thursday November 10, 7.00 - 9.00 pm CET  WHERE: Online and Onsite LEVEL: Beginner to Advanced You can join the event here on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85664885415?pwd=dHR6SU84cTZVdUFaK1lDeVpoY1BQdz09 Meeting ID: 856 6488 5415 Passcode: 293072 The most advanced level of practice is taught in the Vajrayana system of Mahayana Buddhism, the expertise of all great Tibetan masters. These techniques are said to hasten immeasurably the goal of buddhahood. What drives the bodhisattva to enter into the practice of tantra is their immense compassion for the suffering of all beings. Students get a broad overview of the four classes of tantra and learn to practice simple Kriya tantric methods. They learn to integrate tantra with lam-rim meditation for optimal results. Discovering Buddhism is an FPMT study program aimed at giving Buddhist and non-Buddhist students a solid footing in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. The program is not meant to be an academic study of Buddhism, it is meant to change our daily lives through experiential training in meditation and thought transformation. About the Teacher Ven. Robina Courtin, Australian-born, has a powerhouse personality and has been a Buddhist nun for nearly 40 years. Well known for her work with people in prisons, Ven. Robina’s life and work is the subject of the award-winning documentary ‘Chasing Buddha‘. She teaches full time around the world at the centers of her teachers’ organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Read more PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: You would make us very happy by supporting us with a donation. Suggested donation is 0 – 30 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate online (via Paypal, Twint...

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Avalokiteshvara Guru Yoga Practice with Paula Chichester

Lhagsam Tibetan Meditation Gablerstrasse 51, Zurich, Switzerland

Join us for a guru yoga practice with Paula Chichester in our center or follow the teachings online on zoom. WHEN: Friday, 11 November 2022, 7 pm – 9 pm CET WHERE: Onsite and Online LEVEL: Intermediary to advanced, but beginners are welcome! REGISTRATION: If you join us onsite, please Register here You can join the event here on zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86427893078?pwd=VEswcXZpWk56MmtmcVZuODMySHgxUT09 Meeting ID: 864 2789 3078 Passcode: 248464 In this practice, Paula Chichester will guide us through a sadhana written by His Holiness the Dalai Lama called “The Inseparability of the Spiritual Master and Avalokiteshvara”. The teachings will include explanations and time for questions. The weekend retreat on mahamudra with Paula Chichester the two following days will be starting with an abbreviated version of this guru yoga, as recommended when engaging in mahamudra. Avalokiteshvara, also known as Chenrezig, embodies the great infinite compassion aspect of all the Buddhas. The great compassion comes from not only wishing all sentient beings to be free from suffering but actually put it to action to alleviate sufferings. The seed of compassion will grow if you plant it in fertile soil, a consciousness moistened with love. When you have watered your mind with love, you can begin to meditate upon compassion. Compassion, here, is simply the wish that all sentient beings be free of suffering. An Open Heart, The Dalai Lama Paula Chichester is known for her friendly, experiential teaching style that evolves from 4 decades of training in Tibetan Buddhist meditation, healing arts, yoga and chi gong. Her ability to distill and impart the essence of these disciplines is inspired by her teacher, Lama Thubten Yeshe. Read more PRACTICAL INFORMATION Cost: Suggested donation is 0 – 40 CHF. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. You can donate upon arrival...

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