Manotick Branch Classes
Tuesday Evenings
Tuesday evenings beginning April 16,
7-8:15pm
at the Manotick Public Library, 5499 South River Drive in Manotick
Keys to a Happy Heart
This series of self-contained classes will highlight the essential meditations on developing love, patience and peace based on the book “New 8 Steps to Happiness” by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This wonderful book offers many methods to keep a peaceful mind in the face of difficulty. As the great Kadampa masters used to say “To live a meaningful life is very simple: harm your delusions as much as possible and benefit others as much as possible. This series of classes will explore these two essential practices.
Each class includes 2 guided meditations and a teaching. There will be an opportunity to ask questions. You can attend any or all of these great classes - each class is self-contained.
This series is also a wonderful preparation for the Foundation Program which will be studying this book in detail, Thursdays beginning May 9th.
Class Schedule
Tuesday April 16 - Introduction
Understanding the Nature of Happiness:
We will explore the concept of happiness from a Buddhist perspective, moving beyond fleeting pleasures to discover a deeper, more meaningful and more profound sense of well-being rooted in inner peace, contentment and an ability to benefit others
Tuesday April 23
Feeling Connected with others:
Cherishing others arises from the recognition of our interconnectedness with all beings. We will explore the interconnected web of existence and how our actions impact the well-being of others, fostering a sense of responsibility and care for all sentient beings.
Tuesday April 30
Cultivating Loving-Kindness:
We will delve into practices for cultivating loving-kindness towards ourselves and others. Through meditation and contemplation, we will develop a warm and open-hearted attitude towards all beings, fostering deeper connections and genuine care.
Tuesday May 7
Accepting our Imperfections
Understanding the Nature of Faults: We will explore the concept of faults from a Buddhist perspective, understanding how they arise and their impact on our well-being and spiritual growth. Through self-examination, we will learn to identify and acknowledge our own faults with honesty and humility. We will learn to embrace our imperfections as opportunities for growth and transformation.
Tuesday May 14
Breaking Free from Judgment
Challenge the habit of passing judgment and embracing a more compassionate and understanding perspective. We will also learn how to appreciate the challenges others present us with in daily life.
Tuesday May 21
Identifying the Sneaky Mind of Self Centredness
Tuesday May 28
Freeing the mind from Self Centredness
Tuesday June 4
Developing authentic empathy
Tuesday June 11 - No class because Library is not available
Tuesday June 18:
The Healing Power of Compassion
Tuesday June 25:
The blissful mind of Wishing Love
The teacher for this class is Steve Grover, who has been practising and teaching Buddhist meditation for many years. His classes are practical & inspiring, and are often marked by his great sense of humour.
As conscientious Dharma practitioners, we should observe our own shortcomings instead of being preoccupied with those of other people.