To be held from 10am to 1pm on Saturday 19th January 2019

@ Rojana Centre, Asoke.

Cartoon courtesy of Michael Leurnig.

Overview:

Saturday 19th January 2019

Kay Cooper and Gordon McDougall have been teaching Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism in Europe and Asia for many years. For over thirty years their teacher has been Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the head of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).

On Saturday 19th January 2019, they are offering a special half day teaching on understanding and cultivating the perfection of khanti, or patience, in the midst of our very impatient world.

  • 10.00 am: Gather at Rojana Center (see map below) There will be tea and coffee and biscuits. Come earlier if you would to chat first.

The morning will include meditation, Dharma talk, exploration, sharing and discussion

  • 1.00 pm: Ends

 

This event is free of charge, however in line with welcoming and supporting teachers we do ask for dana (donations) to support our visiting teacher’s expenses.

It is in English only.

There is no need to book in advance, as there is plenty of room.

About the Topic:

It’s almost impossible for a day to go by without something disturbing us. From minor irritations to major problems, life lines us up with irritations and frustrations. It doesn’t have to be that way. When we know how valuable having patience is and when we have the tools to develop patience we can turn our life around.

In Mahayana Buddhism there are six perfections that are a bodhisattva’s actions, of which patience is the third. It’s more than just putting up with a long wait at the airport, or being unable to get a cab or a bus during the rainy season. Within the perfection of patience is the art of dealing with problematic situations—seeing how we can turn those around and grow from them—and the skill of not retaliating against or feeling anger towards those who harm us but, instead, seeing how they provide us with the opportunity to profoundly transform our mind.

Using verses from the patience chapter of A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life, by the wonderful fifth century master Shantideva, we will explore through meditation and discussion how important patience is and how we can begin to develop and perfect it.

Why be unhappy about something

if it can be remedied?

And what is the use of being unhappy about something

if it cannot be remedied?    

Shantideva 

About Kay Cooper and Gordon McDougall

Kay and Gordon have been studying Tibetan Buddhism with their teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the head of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, for over thirty years. They met Buddhism in 1987 in Hong Kong where they helped establish and run the FPMT centre – Cham-tse Ling.

When they moved to the UK, they were involved with Jamyang London, in particular with Geshe Tashi Tsering’s Foundation of Buddhist Thought course, which Kay tutored online for twelve years and Gordon managed.

Since moving to Bath in 2006, Gordon has been editing Tibetan Buddhist books. Kay and Gordon have facilitated classes in Tibetan Buddhism in Europe and Asia for more many years.

We are very fortunate to have them visiting us in Bangkok and to have this opportunity to study and practice with them.

Getting there:

Please follow the map. It is VERY precise. It is easy to find: there are only one or two turns depending on which direction you are coming from.

It is an 11 minute walk from Asoke BTS and even closer to Sukhumvit MRT

Go down Sukhumvit 23 to the first fourway intersection. Turn right, and then turn right again at the end of the road.

Or just ask the motorcycles inside Sukhumvit 23 – they know the way. Tell them ‘Rojana’  

Or if you need more definite pointers:

A few tips:

  • Don’t ask locals or taxi drivers the way – they will not know the Rojana Centre, and will send you somewhere else instead. They will all know Sukhumvit 23, so go there and find your own way.
  • In Thai the centre is known as Rojanatam 
  • Follow the map– plenty of landmarks are shown and it is extremely precise!

 

Here is the Google Map if you prefer that method

And here are the GPS coordinates: 13.739356, 100.564748