Siddhartha's Intent

Regular Practices

Tara Practice, February 4, May 5, July 21 and November 17
The Profound Essence of Tara is a treasure teaching from Chokgyur Lingpa (1829-1870), and is widely practiced in the Nyingma and Kagyü lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The session will be from 10am to 12noon, and is dedicated to the long life of the living Buddhist teachers and to the spreading of the Buddhist teaching.

      Tsok and Movie Nights:    
Guru Rinpoche Tsok 6pm-7.30 pm
Saturday 3 March, Tuesday 1 May, Friday 29 June, Sunday 26 August, Wednesday 24 October, Friday 23 November
immediately followed by ....
Movie Night (7.45 pm - 9 pm) after each Tsok, except Wed 24 October.
Showings will include Linda Tokarchuk's documentaries on DJK, and others. The movie program has yet to be decided.

      Dakini Day ... See Lismore page for details

All Day Workshops & Seminars

t Choosing the Causes of Happiness and Freedom Cycle One Workshop - Introduction
Saturday February 11, 10am-5pm
We can discover happiness and freedom beyond our ordinary limitations by working constructively with, and mastering, our present attitudes and actions. This mastery is neither exclusive to some people "who just have it", nor is it due to supernatural powers. Rather, according to the Buddha, it comes from becoming aware of, and working with, our existing internal and external conditions. Buddhist knowledge and meditation provides the insight and freedom to work with these conditions. This introductory workshop will offer a theoretical overview in the morning and the practical foundations of meditation in the afternoon.

t Practice of the Buddhasadhana Cycle Two Workshop - Buddhist Studies
Sunday February 12, 10am-5pm
The Tibetan sage Mipam Rinpoche (1846-1912) wrote a beautiful sadhana that commemorates the Buddha, and Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (1910-1991) wrote an explanation on it that includes teachings on the stages of shamatha- or mindfulness meditation. In addition to providing general and specific instruction on the practice of mindfulness and insight meditation, as well as specific instruction on this particular practice, the workshop will also allow for group practice of the Buddha Sadhana, with time for questions and discussion.

t The Skill of Compassion Cycle One Workshop - Introduction
Saturday, August 4, 10am-5pm
The compassionate caring for our world is the natural manifestation of our innate wisdom and liberation. The path of compassion cultivates such openness through both during meditation sessions and in our ordinary life. We can liberate our heart and take hold of a natural inheritance of wisdom and compassion, making the path of awakening complete.

t Samantabhadra's Vision Cycle Two Workshop - Buddhist Studies
Sunday, August 5, 10am-5pm
The Aspiration of Samtabhadra is a profound and provocative Tibetan prayer from the Great Perfection teachings. It provides both the Big Picture as well as being a profound meditation instruction. It shows how all of our painful or pleasant experiences can be seen as either delusional projections or as awakened wisdom display. It clearly explains the conditions that bring about the delusion of samsara, the way to penetrate such delusion, and how we can formulate the enlightened wish to pro-actively work for others.

Special events

t Vipashyana Retreat, October 4-9
The practice of Buddhist meditation allows us to uncover and experience our natural heritage of wisdom though cultivating vipashyana or insight. Meditation allows us to dismantle the grip of our projections, and awaken to a clearer and wider perspective on our reality. Retreat is an invaluable moment of dedicating space and time to clarify and re-affirm our commitment to the vision and path of meditation.
Venue and contact details will be posted closer to the event.

t Celebrations of Major Events in the Life of Buddha Shakyamuni
Each event will be celebrated with the practice of sitting meditation and Mipam Rinpoche's Buddha Sadhana. Everyone is welcome - bring offerings of flowers and fruit!

1. The Showing of Miracles, March 8th, 6-7pm
One of the four great annual commemorations of major events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, this particular day marks the culmination of two weeks in which Buddha displayed miracles.

2. Enlightenment and Nirvana, June 4, 6-7pm
As above, this is one of the four great annual commemorations of major events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, this particular day marking both his enlightenment and nirvana. The Buddha attained enlightenment at the age of 35 in what is now known as Bodh Gaya, and 45 years later he passed away on the same full moon day in Kushinagar, near present-day Gorakhpur.

3. Turning the Wheel, July 23rd, 6-7pm
One of the four great annual commemorations of major events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, this particular day marks his first teaching - referred to in Buddhism as "Turning the Wheel". At the request of the gods Brahma and Indra, and later by his former ascetic colleagues, the Buddha began teaching. The first teaching was on the Four Noble Truths in the Deer Park in Sarnath near Varanasi. 

4. Descent from the Realm of the Gods, November 6th, 6-7pm
One of the four great annual commemorations of major events in the life of Buddha Shakyamuni, this particular day marks the buddha's return after having spent three months teaching his mother in the realm of the gods called Tushita. When he returned, the King of Magadha, Bimbasara, received the Buddha with every conceivable honour as he descended from the skies.

t All-day Reading of "Bardo Thodol", June 23, 9am-5pm
A day of reading the classic Tibetan text Bardo Thödröl - Liberation through Hearing in the Intermediate State. This work is read aloud for deceased practitioners of meditation as a reminder of their previous training and practice. The present reading session informs and clarifies our practice, as well as enables us to familiarise ourselves with this text when helping others who may be dying or already deceased. The term 'bardo' refers to the space or gap that occurs when one situation changes into another. For the practitioner of meditation, such gaps provide opportunities for shedding patterns and habits and recognising our unconditional ground of wisdom, and specifically the time of dying is seen as a crucial moment for liberation through the recognition of this nature. We will use the translation by Gyurme Dorje (Penguin, 2005).

t All-day Milarepa Puja, October 27 9am-5pm
This celebration of the life and songs of the much loved Tibetan sage Milarepa will entail a day in the presence of the great yogi through the practice of his guru yoga and reading the immensely inspiring songs from the biography and collection of his songs entitled The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa (available from Shambhala Publications).