A Weekend of Buddhist Teachings

The Auckland Diamond Way Buddhist Centre is delighted to welcome Anna Briscoe from the Czech Republic to New Zealand. Anna will give three public lectures on Buddhism at our Centre in Newmarket over the weekend.

If you are interested to learn more about Buddhism this weekend course is a perfect opportunity. Both beginners and those with more experience are welcome. At the end of each session we invite you to take part in a short guided meditation and Anna will also be available to answer questions.

The programme:
Friday 31 May
Public lecture - "Buddhism in Daily Life"
Start time: 7:30pm

To be a Buddhist, we don’t need to wear any special clothing, change our eating habits, or give up material possessions or a social life. It’s as simple as changing our perception — not taking the obstacles that come our way so seriously, and seeing everything around us as interesting and full of potential. Simple to say but not always easy to do.

Saturday 1 June
Public lecture - "Refuge in Buddhism"
Start time: 7:30pm

What makes you a Buddhist? In order to be able to become Buddhist, we need to take responsibility for creating our own lives, with the confidence that cause and effect, or karma, really functions. Through our thoughts and judgments, we create habits and attitudes that either limit or free us.

Through experience, we see that we create today the causes of our situations tomorrow. If we want to take this responsibility and decide to use this chance to reach the state of a Buddha, what do we need?

We need values that we can trust. Mind is the only thing that doesn’t change. It wasn’t born and cannot die. It is always and everywhere like space. Enlightenment, or Buddhahood, is a fully developed state of mind and is the goal of Buddhism. As Buddhists, we make a connection with this state – we open up to it – and this we call taking refuge.

Sunday 2 June
Public lecture - "Death and Rebirth"
Start time: 7:30pm

For centuries Tibetan Buddhist masters have uncovered joy and meaning in the dying process. For them death is not a mystery. They know what will happen and see it as a great chance for spiritual development. These teaching are now accessible to the modern West.

“Our mind is indestructible space. Look inside and you will become rich. What is looking through your eyes right now – find that. It’s beyond birth and death. It’s beyond any kind of danger or possibility of being lost. It’s the source of all perfection and all joy in the world. Look inside. See what is aware now.” – Lama Ole Nydahl

About Anna:
Russian born Anna Briscoe met Lama Ole Nydahl in Vladivostok in 2005 where she took refuge with him and in 2007 started teaching Diamond Way Buddhism at Lama Ole’s request. Anna lived in England working with people with Autism and Aspergers syndrome, and now based in the Czech Republic, she works as a Skype English teacher as well as travelling and teaching on Lama Ole’s request.

Diamond Way Buddhism Auckland is part of an international network of 700 meditation centres in over 50 countries following the Karma Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The centres were founded and are directed by Lama Ole Nydahl (lama-ole-nydahl.org) according to the wishes of the 16th Karmapa. They are now under the guidance of the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Trinley Thaye Dorje.

Our centers consist of people and families working in full-time jobs, incorporating Diamond Way Buddhism teachings and meditation into their (often busy!) daily lives. In our Auckland Centre newbies always welcome for free guided meditation every week, and once a month we hold an Introduction to Buddhism public talk before the guided meditation.

For more info please visit: www.buddhism.org.nz