Refuge Retreat
with Resident Teacher
Gen Kelsang Thekchen
Sunday March 16 - Wednesday March 19
at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa
This retreat offers a wonderful opportunity to deepen your experience of Buddhist refuge.
On Sunday, we'll begin with three guided retreat sessions with our Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen, followed by a Refuge Ceremony in which Gen Thekchen will explain and grant the Refuge Vows.
The Sunday retreat sessions will include guidance on how to develop the main causes of refuge: fear of the sufferings of this cycle of suffering and delusions and faith in Buddha Dharma and Sangha. It will also allow for silent meditation where we meditate on developing our inner good qualities of love, compassion and wisdom.
The retreat will then continue from Monday to Wednesday, partially guided by Gen Thekchen.
A perfect preparation for this retreat, a half-day course about refuge called "Refuge: An Introduction to Buddha Dharma and Sangha " will be taught by Gen Thekchen the day before this retreat begins. It will be take place on Sat. March 15 (10am-1pm).
For information about this course, click here.
Retreat Schedule
Sunday March 16
9-10am - Guided retreat session
10.30-11:30am - Guided retreat session
12-1pm - Guided retreat session
2:30-3:30pm - Refuge Ceremony
Monday March 17
8-9.30am - Guided retreat session
10:30am-12:00 - Unguided retreat session
1:30-3pm - Unguided retreat session
7-8.30pm - Unguided retreat session
Tuesday March 18
8-9.30am - Guided retreat session
10:30am-12:00 - Unguided retreat session
1.30-3pm - Unguided retreat session
7-8.30pm - GP class
Wednesday March 19
8-9.30am - Guided retreat session
10-11.30pm - Unguided retreat session
This retreat will be led by Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen, who is a Kadampa Buddhist monk & senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. Gen Thekchen has taught widely in Canada and in the UK, and is now the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a practical, profound and often humorous way, making them very accessible and easy to practise in everyday life.
In the beginning of our practice the most essential thing is to tame our mind, for only this will enable us to benefit all sentient beings.