879 Somerset Street West, Ottawa

On this half day course we will be looking at Buddhist meditation practices that help to eliminate negativity, distractions, bad feelings, and heaviness from within our mind.

In particular we will be learning about the law of cause and effect or karma.  It is the ripening of our negative karma that is the main cause of all our suffering and problems.  Fortunately, there are powerful methods to purify our negative karma so that we don’t have to experience future suffering.  The most powerful purification practice in Buddhism is the practice of Vajrasattva, the Buddha of purification, through which we can purify and release our mind from all its negativity. Through this practice we will find we will naturally become happier, our mind more flexible, and that our meditation practice in general will become more effective.

On this day course we will discover what causes our negativity, our negative karma, and how to avoid creating negativity through controlling our mind. We will explore subjects like karma, past and future lives, and the course will include traditional Kadampa Buddhist prayers and meditation

This will be followed by a partially guided 5 day Vajrasattva Purification retreat. Find out more about this retreat by clicking here.

Saturday December 16

10am-11.15am:  Teaching and meditation
11:15-11:45am:   Tea break
11.45-1pm:  Teaching and meditation 

Sunday December 17

8-9.30am:  Session 1 - Guided meditation
10.30-12pm:  Session 2 - Guided meditation 
4-5.30pm:  Session 3 - Guided meditation
7-8.30pm:  Session 4

Monday December 18

8-9.30am:  Session 1 - Guided meditation 
10.30-12pm:  Session 2 
4-5.30pm:  Session 3 
7-8.30pm:  Session 4

Tuesday December 19

8-9.30am:  Session 1 - Guided meditation
10.30-12pm:  Session 2
4-5.30pm:  Session 3
7-8.15pm teaching on purification

Wednesday December 20

8-9.30am:  Session 1 - Guided meditation 
10.30-12pm:  Session 2 
4-5.30pm:  Session 3 
7-8.30pm:  Session 4

Thursday December 21

8-9.30am:  Session 1- Guided meditation
10.30-12pm:  Session 2

This course will be taught by Resident Teacher, Gen  Kelsang Thekchen, who is a senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Kadampa Buddhist monk and Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a simple, profound, practical and often humorous way, making them easy to put into practice in everyday life.