Stages of the Path Retreat
Sunday, 24th - Thursday, 28th August
“In general, all Buddha’s teachings, the Dharma, are very precious, but Kadam Dharma or Lamrim is a very special Buddhadharma that is suitable for everyone without exception.”
- Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso -
About this retreat
Join us for this five day retreat on the Stages of the Path, also known as Kadam Dharma or Lamrim. This very special sequence of meditations builds within our mind all the realisations of the path to enlightenment.
You may also be interested in our weekly guided Lamrim meditations. Full information can be found here.
We hope to see you there.
Retreat details
🎟️ Fee: Free. Donations are welcome, please see bottom of page.
📆 When: Sunday, 24th - Thursday, 28th August
90 minute sessions at: 9am, 11am, 1:30pm & 7:30pm. See schedule below
📍 Where: Jangchub Ling Centre
There is no need to book this retreat. You are welcome to join some, any or all sessions… just turn up 10 - 15 mins before the start time.
About Lamrim, ‘The Stages of the Path’
Lamrim, or ‘The Stages of the Path’, is a special presentation of Buddha’s teachings created about 1000 years ago by the Indian Buddhist master Atisha at the request of the Tibetan King Jangchub Ö. Jangchub Ö asked Atisha to teach Buddhism in a way everyone could practise, not just scholars in monasteries, but everyone, from all walks of life.
Lamrim shows how to seamlessly integrate all of Buddha’s teachings into a sequence of meditations that are the entire path to enlightenment. It also shows how to integrate these mediations into daily life and how anyone, regardless of their background, can receive powerful benefit from these practices. From ‘Modern Buddhism’:
“Through gaining experience of Lamrim we shall understand that none of Buddha’s teachings are contradictory, we shall put all Buddha’s teachings into practice, we shall easily realize Buddha’s ultimate view and intention, and we shall become free from all mistaken views and intentions. Everyone, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, needs permanent liberation from suffering, and pure and everlasting happiness. This wish will be fulfilled through Lamrim practice; therefore it is the real wishfulfilling jewel.”
Now, thanks to the lifelong dedication of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, these teachings and practices are presented for the modern world. You do not need to be a Buddhist to benefit from Kadam Dharma. Again, from ‘Modern Buddhism’:
“This is because there is no difference between Kadam Dharma and people’s everyday experiences. Even without studying or listening to Dharma, some people often come to similar conclusions as those explained in Kadam Dharma teachings through looking at newspapers or television and understanding the world situation. This is because Kadam Dharma accords with people’s daily experience; it cannot be separated from daily life. Everyone needs it to make their lives happy and meaningful, to solve temporarily their human problems, and to enable them ultimately to find pure and everlasting happiness through controlling their anger, attachment, jealousy, and especially ignorance.”
In this video the New Kadampa Tradition’s General Spiritual Director, Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, shares a teaching on the supreme value of the Lamrim teachings.
The text for this retreat
The 15 meditations we will be focusing on during this retreat are taken from Venerable Geshe-la’s last book, ‘The Mirror of Dharma’. These meditations are Geshe-la’s most powerful presentation of the stages of the path. Each retreat session includes time to read the instructions in Mirror of Dharma. The book can be purchased in our shop, or in paper, electronic and audio versions here.
You may also like to explore Venerable Geshe-la’s presentation of the stages of the path ‘Modern Buddhism’, which can be bought in our shop, or online here, where you can also access a free eBook version.
Retreat Schedule
Sunday, 24th
Meditation of a Person of Initial Scope
9am - Meditation on the Preciousness of Our Human Life
11am - Meditation on Death
1:30pm - Meditation on Death
7:30pm - Meditation on Going for Refuge
Monday, 25th
9am - Meditation on Karma
11am - Meditation on Karma
Meditation of a Person of Middling Scope
1:30pm - Meditation on Renunciation
7:30pm - Meditation on Renunciation
Tuesday, 26th
9am 11am - Meditation on Our Determination to Recognize, Reduce and Abandon Our Self-grasping Ignorance, the Root of Samsaric Rebirth
1:30pm - Meditation on Our Determination to Engage in the Actual Path to Liberation, the Three Higher Trainings
7:30pm - Meditation on Our Determination to Attain True Cessations
Wednesday, 27th
Meditation of a Person of Great Scope
9am - Meditation on Cherishing All Living Beings
11am - Meditation on Cherishing All Living Beings
1:30pm - Meditation on Universal Compassion
7:30pm - Meditation on the Supreme Good Heart, Bodhichitta
Thursday, 28th
9am - Meditation on Our Determination and Promise to Sincerely Practise the Six Perfections
11am - Training in Meditation on Emptiness
1:30pm - Training in Meditation on Emptiness
7:30pm - Meditation on Relying on Our Spiritual Guide
An unbroken lineage
Jangchub Ling Centre follows an unbroken lineage of Lamrim practitioners who gained full experience of all the stages of the path by relying humbly on their Spiritual Guides. It is our sincere reliance on this lineage that ensures the authenticity and blessing of what we offer here. Below are some of the most prominent lineage Gurus in this tradition.
Buddha Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism
Venerable Asanga
Venerable Atisha
Venerable Nagarjuna
Venerable Je Tsongkhapa
Veenerable Je Pabonkha
Venerable Trijang Rinpoche
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche
Donations
If you would like to make a contribution towards the costs of this retreat please use the donation button below or make a donation at the Centre