Downtown West End Drop-In Meditation

Downtown - West End
 
When Tuesdays 7:00 – 8:30pm
Where Gordon Neighbourhood House, 1019 Broughton St. (at Comox) (map)
Teacher Amy Ballard
 
Classes are suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators. Everyone is welcome. During the classes the teacher will explain how to meditate and will give practical instructions on how to use meditation, and Buddhist understanding to reduce stress and other problems encountered in daily life. The classes are self-contained so you can drop in any week.
 
Upcoming Class Topics:
 
The Buddhist Way of Life
Apr 3 Freedom from our lesser selves
 
Inspiring Solutions for Difficult Times
This series of talks and meditations shows us how to transform adverse conditions into the spiritual path. This practice is vital since we are constantly surrounded by difficulties, like a candle flame exposed to the wind, blown first from this direction, then from that.
 
There is no way of avoiding difficult situations, but if we can change our attitude towards them they will no longer be problems for us. Instead of allowing adversities to make us unhappy and discouraged we can use them to enhance our experience of the spiritual path, and thereby maintain a pure and peaceful mind all the time.
 
April 10 Learning to surf - how to ride the waves of life
April 17 Life as a teacher - learning from everything and everyone
April 24 Why Me? Understanding the play of karma
May 1 A prison of our own making
May 8 It is what it is
May 15 Taking away suffering and giving happiness
 
The Six Perfections
Six essential spiritual practices that we can integrate into our daily life and practice wherever we are and whatever we are doing. They lead us along the path to enlightenment and, combined with compassion, become part of the Bodhisattva’s way of life.
 
May 22 Giving – creating inner and outer wealth
May 29 Taming the wild elephant – the practice of watching & guarding our mind
June 5 The insanity of anger, the beauty of patience
June 12 Energy for change – conquering laziness, procrastination, and discouragement
June 19 Pacifying our distractions – learning to quiet our mind
June 26 Wisdom – cultivating our inner wisdom and clarity
 
More info about the teacher: We are very lucky to have Amy Ballard as a teacher at Tilopa centre. Her warmth and humour never fail to make Kadampa Buddhist teachings relevant and accessible. A sincere practitioner, she is an excellent example of a modern day Kadampa.