Developing Pure Concentration – Day Retreat Online
Sunday 31 January 2021 ~ 10am-8pm
This is a very special opportunity to experience the deep inner peace that comes from a concentrated mind.
Life can be hectic and overwhelming; it’s easy to be “on” all the time without ever taking the time to be quiet and enjoy a simple day of rest and recharging. This is a wonderful opportunity to take a break and enjoy a day of silence, meditation, rest and reflection.
There will be short breaks to go for a walk, read and contemplate in silence.
On this retreat it is suggested that you keep silence and only use your device for the retreat sessions – no checking emails or social media, give yourself a day off!
The benefits of keeping silence during retreat:
- Reduce inner and outer distractions
- Purify and gain more control of your speech
- Become more aware of your thoughts without acting on them
- More easily settle your mind
- Meditate more effectively
- Find mental space to think more clearly
Everyone is welcome to attend and enjoy the stillness of their mind.
Sessions will include guided breathing meditation, a brief teaching, chanted Buddhist prayers and a period of silent meditation.
Join us for a uniquely purifying and meaningful experience.
The retreat schedule
Session 1: 10:00 – 11:00 am with introductory teaching
Session 2: 12:00 – 1:00 pm
Session 3: 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Session 4: 7:00 – 8.00 pm
THE TEACHER
Kelsang Chogma is the Resident Teacher for Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre in Halifax. She has been practising and teaching meditation and Kadampa Buddhism for over twenty years.
Chogma was ordained as a Buddhist nun in 2009 by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and serves as a wonderful example of the ordained way of life in the modern world. She is loved for her joyful enthusiasm and gentle skill in guiding meditations.
HOW THE COURSE WILL RUN
The retreat will be live-streamed via Zoom Webinar with video catch-up available for 7 days.
After booking you will receive a confirmation email containing the Zoom registration link. Once you’ve registered you’ll receive a join link to use on the day of the retreat. The same link will be used for all four sessions.
After the live-stream has finished you’ll receive the receive the recording link via email.
If you live closer to one of our sister Centres please contact them for details of their classes. You can find your closest Kadampa Centre at kadampa.org
Costs is £20 (free for Gold Card holders)
Helpful Background Information for this Retreat
When we train in concentration we meditate on the same ‘object’ in every session so that our experience goes deeper and deeper as we gain familiarity. A meditation ‘object’ is generated through contemplation and is then held single-pointedly in meditation, lengthening the duration we can hold our object until we attain deep levels of concentration.
We all have different preferences with meditation objects – some people love meditation on the mind, others connect with meditation on love, or perhaps you enjoy meditating on emptiness. During this retreat there will be silent periods for you to train in concentration on the meditation object of your choosing.
In preparation for this day retreat you may wish to decide upon a particular meditation that you’d like to engage in during the sessions. Kelsang Chogma will guide a breathing meditation at the beginning of each session so if you can’t decide you can always train in concentration using breathing meditation during the silent period.
If you’d like to read up on objects of meditation and training in concentration you can read in Joyful Path of Good Fortune in the chapter Training the Mind in Tranquil Abiding.