Monthly Children’s Mindfulness Sessions at Jamyang Buddhist Center Overview:

We are delighted to offer monthly mindfulness sessions designed for children at the Jamyang Buddhist Center. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn mindfulness techniques, explore creativity, and practice yoga in a fun and engaging way.

Session Breakdown:

For 4 to 5-year-olds:
The first session of each month is specifically designed for children ages 4 to 5. This session will be held from 10:00 am to 10:30 am and is tailored to introduce young children to mindfulness through simple practices, gentle yoga, and fun activities.

For 6 to 12-year-olds:
The second session, held on a Saturday each month, is for children ages 6 to 12. This session will run from 10:45 am to 11:30 am and will focus on more age-appropriate mindfulness practices, including mindful movement, arts and crafts, and guided meditations.

Upcoming Themes & Dates:

Mindful Movement and Yoga

• 5 April, 5 July, 4 October

Mindful Arts and Crafts

• 3 May, 2 August, 1 November

Mindful Parenting Session (with parents)

• 31 May, 6 September, 29 November

Booking Information:

To reserve your spot for these monthly sessions, please send an email to:
childrensyoga.yogime@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our mindfulness sessions at the Jamyang Buddhist Center!

Monthly Children’s Mindfulness Sessions at Jamyang Buddhist Center Overview:

We are delighted to offer monthly mindfulness sessions designed for children at the Jamyang Buddhist Center. These sessions are a wonderful opportunity for children to learn mindfulness techniques, explore creativity, and practice yoga in a fun and engaging way.

Session Breakdown:

For 6 to 12-year-olds:
The second session, held on a Saturday each month, is for children ages 6 to 12. This session will run from 10:45 am to 11:30 am and will focus on more age-appropriate mindfulness practices, including mindful movement, arts and crafts, and guided meditations.

For 4 to 5-year-olds:
The first session of each month is specifically designed for children ages 4 to 5. This session will be held from 10:00 am to 10:30 am and is tailored to introduce young children to mindfulness through simple practices, gentle yoga, and fun activities.

Upcoming Themes & Dates:

Mindful Movement and Yoga

• 5 April, 5 July, 4 October

Mindful Arts and Crafts

• 3 May, 2 August, 1 November

Mindful Parenting Session (with parents)

• 31 May, 6 September, 29 November

Booking Information:

To reserve your spot for these monthly sessions, please send an email to:
childrensyoga.yogime@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming you and your child to our mindfulness sessions at the Jamyang Buddhist Center!

RECOMMENDED DONATION: £45 per calendar month, Reduced income donation £31 per calendar month, Sponsor donation £58 per calendar month. There are also options donate annually or per teaching month (8 times a year) . Please note: We are unable to offer this course as part of our Jamyang Leeds membership programme as it is a collaboration with other FPMT centres. If the recommend donations aren’t affordable right now, please do get in touch and we can agree what would be. We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial reasons. Of course it’s good to practice generosity where you can.

This four-year online course provides students with long term, in-depth support in their meditative development. We will continue to take new starters onto the course indefinitely. 

The teacher is Venerable Losang Gendun who is also our FPMT Basic Programme teacher. Venerable Gendun has trained extensively in meditation in both Theravada and Mahayana Traditions

We are delighted that from March 2025 the course is within the FPMT’s In Depth Education curriculum. You can find out more about FPMT education courses and programs here.

The In Depth Meditation Training course is also part of The Buddha Project led by Venerable Losang Gendun. You can find out more about the course, who it is suitable for, The Buddha Project and Venerable Gendun on our FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training page.

If you have any questions you would like to ask before registering please email our Spiritual Programme Coordination Team on spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk

Please click here if  you would like to register

The zoom link and all materials for the course are provided to registered students.

Vipassana (Special Insight Meditation), also called analytical meditation, is primarily a practice of wisdom. It is a form of concentration that focuses single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of phenomena through analytical reasoning. Analysing phenomena is a key aspect of Vipassana practice, as it helps develop a definitive understanding of the nature of reality—such as the self, mind, emotions, and thoughts.

As Je Tsongkhapa explains, shamatha (calm abiding) is like a lamp that remains clear and steady in a place without wind, whereas vipassana (special insight) is like seeing the nature of phenomena clearly through such a steady and clear lamp. Therefore, the usual order of these two meditations is: first, achieving calm abiding or mental stability as a foundation, then engaging in special insight meditation through analysis. However, Vipassana meditation can also be practised by analysing and observing sensations, thoughts, and emotions without first achieving shamatha. This practice should still begin with focusing on the breath or another object of meditation. In our case, we will focus on the breath to start analysing the nature of the mind in relation to our sense of self, emotions, and thoughts.

The session begins by focusing on the breath—either the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils. This practice calms the mind and helps establish a deep sense of presence.

Next, we move into a guided body scan, bringing awareness to different parts of the body and observing subtle sensations without judgement. This helps develop a greater connection to your physical experience.

As we proceed, you will practise observing and analysing sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, learning to witness them without attachment or aversion. This fosters a deeper understanding of the impermanence and interconnectedness of the mind and self. Finally, you will rest your mind either in the natural state of awareness or in the analytical clarity gained through observation and reasoning.

Through regular practice, Vipassana meditation cultivates wisdom, encouraging a balanced and objective view of internal experiences. This session is ideal for those seeking greater insight and calmness in their daily lives.

The four noble truths was the very first teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago and is the fundamental basis of Buddhist teachings and practice. Whether you are new to Buddhism and curious to explore more, or would like to refresh  your understanding this is the perfect class. Don’t worry if you haven’t been able to come along to any of the classes, you are still very welcome. It is best to just start where you are and enjoy learning something new.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

A beautiful practice led by Chrissie and Di.

The Buddhist practice of Giving & Taking (Tonglen in Tibetan) is at its heart a selfless meditation of loving kindness and compassion. You imagine giving all your happiness to others, sometimes using visualisation with the breath, and then taking all the suffering and its causes from others. It’s a powerful practice for the brave-hearted!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Buddhism for Intermediate students: 

This series of teachings aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of key Buddhist texts and practices, offering both theoretical knowledge and practical guidance for those interested in
deepening their spiritual practice. Each monthly session is carefully designed to build a holistic understanding of Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices.Drop in class – no need to register.

Registration will be required for the retreat in September at Land of Joy.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

SESSION schedule:

May 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This classic text by Shantideva is a step-by-step guide to the Bodhisattva path. It covers topics such as the cultivation of bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), the
practice of the six perfections, and how to deal with anger and other afflictive emotions. This topic taught over two months will offer a deep dive into Shantideva’s
profound teachings, providing a roadmap for those committed to the path of compassion and service to others.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. The Concept of Universal and Particular – Week 4
o Exploring philosophical concepts of universal and particular in Buddhist thought and their implications for understanding reality.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

June 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This month will continue the study of Shantideva’s text, focusing on the later chapters.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. Buddhist Philosophy and Language – Week 4
o An examination of how language shapes our understanding of Buddhist philosophy and the implications for interpreting core teachings.

11th – 14th September 2025 –  Lamrim Retreat at the Land of Joy
The Lamrim, or “The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”; is a structured presentation of the Buddha’s teachings designed to lead practitioners
progressively from the initial stages of spiritual development to full enlightenment.

This retreat will offer participants an immersive experience, focusing on meditation, contemplation, and discussion based on the Lamrim teachings.

It’s an opportunity to integrate the knowledge gained throughout the year into a cohesive practice.

Retreat Components:
o Meditation: Guided sessions on Lamrim topics, including developing renunciation, bodhicitta, and insight into emptiness.
o Discussion: Group discussions and Q&A to deepen understanding.
o Practice: Engaging in practices like prostrations, offering mandalas, and purification practices.

Geshe La is also teaching Buddhism for Beginners on Monday evenings 7pm to 8:30pm and will teach Discovering Buddhism from January to April on Thursday evenings online

Purification here means looking at our past unskillful actions which have created seeds of negative karma in our minds, and using visualisation and mantra recitation to remove those seeds in a healthy and productive way. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s cleaning and purifying energy. We all make mistakes, and how we deal with them is key to making spiritual progress. We’ll be using a short text composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Everflowing Nectar of Bodhichitta – Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind

Led by Di and Chrissie

This practice is based on the short text” Eight Verses of Thought Transformation”, which contains the entire technique for transforming the mind into relative bodhichitta (i.e., the wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings) and absolute bodhichitta (i.e., the wisdom realizing emptiness).

Join us to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes and chant the Names of Noble Manjushri for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Please come along even if you havent done the practice before, its quite wonderful and very energising. Please download the text below, you can also listen and practice with the audio clip of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Join us once a month for this new puja practice at Leeds – The Four Mandala Offerings to Cittamani Tara. Jamyang Leeds is going through some challenging times this year, and we did some checking with Lama’s what we could do. In addition to the practices we’re already doing, this puja came out good to do once a month. So we’re going to start this week.

The puja will be at the Centre, and online, and will involve four rounds of offerings praises to the 21 tara’s. Everything will be explained during the practice and you don’t need to know anything about it to join in. All levels welcome. It involves a lot of chanting so bring your singing voice! The more people who can join us in person the better, it’s more powerful that way. We’ll have cymbals, drums bells etc for this who would like to play those during the practice.

The puja starts at 5pm, if some can please join us as 4:30pm to help set up the altar that would be great, it’s takes some time to set everything up.

We’re planning to do these pujas on the 2nd Thursday of every month, 5pm, until July this year and see how we are then. It’s a really wonderful practice to do together for removing obstacles by focusing on the female energy of ‘compassionate wisdom.’ We’ll do dedications together at the end of each puja so bring names of family, loved ones etc you’d like included.”

Discover clear meditation instructions to enable you to develop your innate qualities of loving kindness and compassion. Learn the skills of applying these techniques to generate the mind of bodhichitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of others, known to be the heart of Buddha’s teachings.

Awakening the limitless potential of your mind, achieving all peace and happiness
The Discovering Buddhism course is a beginner to intermediate level, 2 year study programme that will give you a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. Establishing a daily practice is the 7th module, but you are welcome to join at any time.

This course was designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for students to study, explore and put into practice the graduated path to enlightenment, the lamrim. Originally based on Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings from 2500 years ago in India. The lamrim was systematically organised by the Indian master Atisha in the 11th Century and by several other great masters from Tibet including Lama Tsongkhapa in the 15th Century.

Our resident teacher Geshe Rinchen Wangyal (Geshe La) will be teaching this module. This is an excellent opportunity to receive these Lamrim teachings directly from Geshe La. We are indeed most fortunate to be able to do so.

This course commenced January 2024 and runs for 2 years during term time on Thursday evenings online for 90 minutes and has 14 subjects, 13 of which are usually taught over 6 weeks. It is possible to join at any time during the course.

At the end of each half term and term there will be opportunity to meet with other students at the centre in Leeds for a meditation day to practice the meditations from the last subject and to socialise. These meditation days will be held on a Saturday 10am – 3pm, for this module it is on 12 April. If you can’t join the meditation days in person, you will be able to join them online if you wish to do so.

Please register for Discovering Buddhism here.  for more information contact our course coordinator, Ruth: db@jamyangleeds.co.uk

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SUGGESTED DONATION:

Non-members – £60 per half term (6 weeks) for the Thursday classes. and £25 for the meditation day (approximately every 6 weeks). This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £20 per half term and £10 per meditation day).

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

Or you can do a bank transfer using the details below, please also label the reference as “General Fund”

Bank Transfer: Account Name: Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds
Bank Name: Cooperative Bank Plc
Account number: 65178087
Sort-Code: 08-92-99
SWIFT: CPBK GB22
IBAN: GB76 CPBK 0892 9965 1780 87

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here. If you could email spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk and share your house number and postcode we will be able to claim giftaid on your behalf.

Led by Ruth 

Mindfulness of Breathing is universally acknowledged to be of benefit to all living in the modern world. Many feel overloaded with all that is expected of us living this complex and exhausting existence. Developing our awareness in this way is a general prescription for soothing and healing the overworked body and mind.

Practicing focusing the attention on an object such as the breath is also a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Gradually over time we are able to hold the object of our attention over longer periods, which enables us to practice other meditations such as Vipassana more successfully.

RECOMMENDED DONATION: £45 per calendar month, Reduced income donation £31 per calendar month, Sponsor donation £58 per calendar month. There are also options donate annually or per teaching month (8 times a year) . Please note: We are unable to offer this course as part of our Jamyang Leeds membership programme as it is a collaboration with other FPMT centres. If the recommend donations aren’t affordable right now, please do get in touch and we can agree what would be. We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial reasons. Of course it’s good to practice generosity where you can.

This four-year online course provides students with long term, in-depth support in their meditative development. We will continue to take new starters onto the course indefinitely. 

The teacher is Venerable Losang Gendun who is also our FPMT Basic Programme teacher. Venerable Gendun has trained extensively in meditation in both Theravada and Mahayana Traditions

We are delighted that from March 2025 the course is within the FPMT’s In Depth Education curriculum. You can find out more about FPMT education courses and programs here.

The In Depth Meditation Training course is also part of The Buddha Project led by Venerable Losang Gendun. You can find out more about the course, who it is suitable for, The Buddha Project and Venerable Gendun on our FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training page.

If you have any questions you would like to ask before registering please email our Spiritual Programme Coordination Team on spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk

Please click here if  you would like to register

The zoom link and all materials for the course are provided to registered students.

Vipassana (Special Insight Meditation), also called analytical meditation, is primarily a practice of wisdom. It is a form of concentration that focuses single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of phenomena through analytical reasoning. Analysing phenomena is a key aspect of Vipassana practice, as it helps develop a definitive understanding of the nature of reality—such as the self, mind, emotions, and thoughts.

As Je Tsongkhapa explains, shamatha (calm abiding) is like a lamp that remains clear and steady in a place without wind, whereas vipassana (special insight) is like seeing the nature of phenomena clearly through such a steady and clear lamp. Therefore, the usual order of these two meditations is: first, achieving calm abiding or mental stability as a foundation, then engaging in special insight meditation through analysis. However, Vipassana meditation can also be practised by analysing and observing sensations, thoughts, and emotions without first achieving shamatha. This practice should still begin with focusing on the breath or another object of meditation. In our case, we will focus on the breath to start analysing the nature of the mind in relation to our sense of self, emotions, and thoughts.

The session begins by focusing on the breath—either the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils. This practice calms the mind and helps establish a deep sense of presence.

Next, we move into a guided body scan, bringing awareness to different parts of the body and observing subtle sensations without judgement. This helps develop a greater connection to your physical experience.

As we proceed, you will practise observing and analysing sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, learning to witness them without attachment or aversion. This fosters a deeper understanding of the impermanence and interconnectedness of the mind and self. Finally, you will rest your mind either in the natural state of awareness or in the analytical clarity gained through observation and reasoning.

Through regular practice, Vipassana meditation cultivates wisdom, encouraging a balanced and objective view of internal experiences. This session is ideal for those seeking greater insight and calmness in their daily lives.

The four noble truths was the very first teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago and is the fundamental basis of Buddhist teachings and practice. Whether you are new to Buddhism and curious to explore more, or would like to refresh  your understanding this is the perfect class. Don’t worry if you haven’t been able to come along to any of the classes, you are still very welcome. It is best to just start where you are and enjoy learning something new.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

A beautiful practice led by Chrissie and Di.

The Buddhist practice of Giving & Taking (Tonglen in Tibetan) is at its heart a selfless meditation of loving kindness and compassion. You imagine giving all your happiness to others, sometimes using visualisation with the breath, and then taking all the suffering and its causes from others. It’s a powerful practice for the brave-hearted!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Buddhism for Intermediate students: 

This series of teachings aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of key Buddhist texts and practices, offering both theoretical knowledge and practical guidance for those interested in
deepening their spiritual practice. Each monthly session is carefully designed to build a holistic understanding of Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices.Drop in class – no need to register.

Registration will be required for the retreat in September at Land of Joy.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

SESSION schedule:

May 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This classic text by Shantideva is a step-by-step guide to the Bodhisattva path. It covers topics such as the cultivation of bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), the
practice of the six perfections, and how to deal with anger and other afflictive emotions. This topic taught over two months will offer a deep dive into Shantideva’s
profound teachings, providing a roadmap for those committed to the path of compassion and service to others.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. The Concept of Universal and Particular – Week 4
o Exploring philosophical concepts of universal and particular in Buddhist thought and their implications for understanding reality.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

June 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This month will continue the study of Shantideva’s text, focusing on the later chapters.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. Buddhist Philosophy and Language – Week 4
o An examination of how language shapes our understanding of Buddhist philosophy and the implications for interpreting core teachings.

11th – 14th September 2025 –  Lamrim Retreat at the Land of Joy
The Lamrim, or “The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”; is a structured presentation of the Buddha’s teachings designed to lead practitioners
progressively from the initial stages of spiritual development to full enlightenment.

This retreat will offer participants an immersive experience, focusing on meditation, contemplation, and discussion based on the Lamrim teachings.

It’s an opportunity to integrate the knowledge gained throughout the year into a cohesive practice.

Retreat Components:
o Meditation: Guided sessions on Lamrim topics, including developing renunciation, bodhicitta, and insight into emptiness.
o Discussion: Group discussions and Q&A to deepen understanding.
o Practice: Engaging in practices like prostrations, offering mandalas, and purification practices.

Geshe La is also teaching Buddhism for Beginners on Monday evenings 7pm to 8:30pm and will teach Discovering Buddhism from January to April on Thursday evenings online

Purification here means looking at our past unskillful actions which have created seeds of negative karma in our minds, and using visualisation and mantra recitation to remove those seeds in a healthy and productive way. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s cleaning and purifying energy. We all make mistakes, and how we deal with them is key to making spiritual progress. We’ll be using a short text composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Everflowing Nectar of Bodhichitta – Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind

Led by Di and Chrissie

This practice is based on the short text” Eight Verses of Thought Transformation”, which contains the entire technique for transforming the mind into relative bodhichitta (i.e., the wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings) and absolute bodhichitta (i.e., the wisdom realizing emptiness).

Join us to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes and chant the Names of Noble Manjushri for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Please come along even if you havent done the practice before, its quite wonderful and very energising. Please download the text below, you can also listen and practice with the audio clip of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Discover clear meditation instructions to enable you to develop your innate qualities of loving kindness and compassion. Learn the skills of applying these techniques to generate the mind of bodhichitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of others, known to be the heart of Buddha’s teachings.

Awakening the limitless potential of your mind, achieving all peace and happiness
The Discovering Buddhism course is a beginner to intermediate level, 2 year study programme that will give you a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. Establishing a daily practice is the 7th module, but you are welcome to join at any time.

This course was designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for students to study, explore and put into practice the graduated path to enlightenment, the lamrim. Originally based on Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings from 2500 years ago in India. The lamrim was systematically organised by the Indian master Atisha in the 11th Century and by several other great masters from Tibet including Lama Tsongkhapa in the 15th Century.

Our resident teacher Geshe Rinchen Wangyal (Geshe La) will be teaching this module. This is an excellent opportunity to receive these Lamrim teachings directly from Geshe La. We are indeed most fortunate to be able to do so.

This course commenced January 2024 and runs for 2 years during term time on Thursday evenings online for 90 minutes and has 14 subjects, 13 of which are usually taught over 6 weeks. It is possible to join at any time during the course.

At the end of each half term and term there will be opportunity to meet with other students at the centre in Leeds for a meditation day to practice the meditations from the last subject and to socialise. These meditation days will be held on a Saturday 10am – 3pm, for this module it is on 12 April. If you can’t join the meditation days in person, you will be able to join them online if you wish to do so.

Please register for Discovering Buddhism here.  for more information contact our course coordinator, Ruth: db@jamyangleeds.co.uk

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SUGGESTED DONATION:

Non-members – £60 per half term (6 weeks) for the Thursday classes. and £25 for the meditation day (approximately every 6 weeks). This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £20 per half term and £10 per meditation day).

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

Or you can do a bank transfer using the details below, please also label the reference as “General Fund”

Bank Transfer: Account Name: Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds
Bank Name: Cooperative Bank Plc
Account number: 65178087
Sort-Code: 08-92-99
SWIFT: CPBK GB22
IBAN: GB76 CPBK 0892 9965 1780 87

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here. If you could email spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk and share your house number and postcode we will be able to claim giftaid on your behalf.

Led by Ruth 

Mindfulness of Breathing is universally acknowledged to be of benefit to all living in the modern world. Many feel overloaded with all that is expected of us living this complex and exhausting existence. Developing our awareness in this way is a general prescription for soothing and healing the overworked body and mind.

Practicing focusing the attention on an object such as the breath is also a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Gradually over time we are able to hold the object of our attention over longer periods, which enables us to practice other meditations such as Vipassana more successfully.

Discover clear meditation instructions to enable you to develop your innate qualities of loving kindness and compassion. Learn the skills of applying these techniques to generate the mind of bodhichitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of others, known to be the heart of Buddha’s teachings.

Awakening the limitless potential of your mind, achieving all peace and happiness
The Discovering Buddhism course is a beginner to intermediate level, 2 year study programme that will give you a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. Establishing a daily practice is the 7th module, but you are welcome to join at any time.

This course was designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for students to study, explore and put into practice the graduated path to enlightenment, the lamrim. Originally based on Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings from 2500 years ago in India. The lamrim was systematically organised by the Indian master Atisha in the 11th Century and by several other great masters from Tibet including Lama Tsongkhapa in the 15th Century.

Our resident teacher Geshe Rinchen Wangyal (Geshe La) will be teaching this module. This is an excellent opportunity to receive these Lamrim teachings directly from Geshe La. We are indeed most fortunate to be able to do so.

This course commenced January 2024 and runs for 2 years during term time on Thursday evenings online for 90 minutes and has 14 subjects, 13 of which are usually taught over 6 weeks. It is possible to join at any time during the course.

At the end of each half term and term there will be opportunity to meet with other students at the centre in Leeds for a meditation day to practice the meditations from the last subject and to socialise. These meditation days will be held on a Saturday 10am – 3pm, for this module it is on 12 April. If you can’t join the meditation days in person, you will be able to join them online if you wish to do so.

Please register for Discovering Buddhism here.  for more information contact our course coordinator, Ruth: db@jamyangleeds.co.uk

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SUGGESTED DONATION:

Non-members – £60 per half term (6 weeks) for the Thursday classes. and £25 for the meditation day (approximately every 6 weeks). This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £20 per half term and £10 per meditation day).

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

Or you can do a bank transfer using the details below, please also label the reference as “General Fund”

Bank Transfer: Account Name: Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds
Bank Name: Cooperative Bank Plc
Account number: 65178087
Sort-Code: 08-92-99
SWIFT: CPBK GB22
IBAN: GB76 CPBK 0892 9965 1780 87

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here. If you could email spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk and share your house number and postcode we will be able to claim giftaid on your behalf.

RECOMMENDED DONATION: £45 per calendar month, Reduced income donation £31 per calendar month, Sponsor donation £58 per calendar month. There are also options donate annually or per teaching month (8 times a year) . Please note: We are unable to offer this course as part of our Jamyang Leeds membership programme as it is a collaboration with other FPMT centres. If the recommend donations aren’t affordable right now, please do get in touch and we can agree what would be. We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial reasons. Of course it’s good to practice generosity where you can.

This four-year online course provides students with long term, in-depth support in their meditative development. We will continue to take new starters onto the course indefinitely. 

The teacher is Venerable Losang Gendun who is also our FPMT Basic Programme teacher. Venerable Gendun has trained extensively in meditation in both Theravada and Mahayana Traditions

We are delighted that from March 2025 the course is within the FPMT’s In Depth Education curriculum. You can find out more about FPMT education courses and programs here.

The In Depth Meditation Training course is also part of The Buddha Project led by Venerable Losang Gendun. You can find out more about the course, who it is suitable for, The Buddha Project and Venerable Gendun on our FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training page.

If you have any questions you would like to ask before registering please email our Spiritual Programme Coordination Team on spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk

Please click here if  you would like to register

The zoom link and all materials for the course are provided to registered students.

Vipassana (Special Insight Meditation), also called analytical meditation, is primarily a practice of wisdom. It is a form of concentration that focuses single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of phenomena through analytical reasoning. Analysing phenomena is a key aspect of Vipassana practice, as it helps develop a definitive understanding of the nature of reality—such as the self, mind, emotions, and thoughts.

As Je Tsongkhapa explains, shamatha (calm abiding) is like a lamp that remains clear and steady in a place without wind, whereas vipassana (special insight) is like seeing the nature of phenomena clearly through such a steady and clear lamp. Therefore, the usual order of these two meditations is: first, achieving calm abiding or mental stability as a foundation, then engaging in special insight meditation through analysis. However, Vipassana meditation can also be practised by analysing and observing sensations, thoughts, and emotions without first achieving shamatha. This practice should still begin with focusing on the breath or another object of meditation. In our case, we will focus on the breath to start analysing the nature of the mind in relation to our sense of self, emotions, and thoughts.

The session begins by focusing on the breath—either the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils. This practice calms the mind and helps establish a deep sense of presence.

Next, we move into a guided body scan, bringing awareness to different parts of the body and observing subtle sensations without judgement. This helps develop a greater connection to your physical experience.

As we proceed, you will practise observing and analysing sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, learning to witness them without attachment or aversion. This fosters a deeper understanding of the impermanence and interconnectedness of the mind and self. Finally, you will rest your mind either in the natural state of awareness or in the analytical clarity gained through observation and reasoning.

Through regular practice, Vipassana meditation cultivates wisdom, encouraging a balanced and objective view of internal experiences. This session is ideal for those seeking greater insight and calmness in their daily lives.

The four noble truths was the very first teaching of Shakyamuni Buddha 2500 years ago and is the fundamental basis of Buddhist teachings and practice. Whether you are new to Buddhism and curious to explore more, or would like to refresh  your understanding this is the perfect class. Don’t worry if you haven’t been able to come along to any of the classes, you are still very welcome. It is best to just start where you are and enjoy learning something new.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

A beautiful practice led by Chrissie and Di.

The Buddhist practice of Giving & Taking (Tonglen in Tibetan) is at its heart a selfless meditation of loving kindness and compassion. You imagine giving all your happiness to others, sometimes using visualisation with the breath, and then taking all the suffering and its causes from others. It’s a powerful practice for the brave-hearted!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Buddhism for Intermediate students: 

This series of teachings aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of key Buddhist texts and practices, offering both theoretical knowledge and practical guidance for those interested in
deepening their spiritual practice. Each monthly session is carefully designed to build a holistic understanding of Buddhist philosophy and meditative practices.Drop in class – no need to register.

Registration will be required for the retreat in September at Land of Joy.

SUGGESTED DONATION FOR DROP IN CLASS:

Non-members – £10 per drop in class. This will contribute to the centre’s running costs and include a donation to the teacher.

Gift Aid: if you are a UK taxpayer we can claim back 25p for every £1 you donate. More information on Gift Aid can be found here.

Free to members of The Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (your membership fees already contribute to our core costs in running the centre). You are invited to make a donation for the teacher, as is customary when receiving Buddhist teachings, in order to support their activity (for your reference we recommend a donation in the region of £4 per class) We will make the donation to the teacher on your behalf.

We never turn anyone away from the Dharma for financial ferasons. If you cannot donate the suggested amount, please donate where possible within your means. It’s good to practice generosity where we can.

ABOUT YOUR Teacher: Geshe Rinchen Wangyal

We are delighted to say that Geshe Rinchen (Geshe La) has kindly agreed to be our resident teacher from January 2025. Many of you will already have met him as he volunteered with us teaching at the centre through the  Summer of 2024. He has also led Vipassana meditation since Autumn 2023 on Monday mornings online. As well as kindly teaching online during the time he was studying at Winchester.

Geshe La has many skills. He is a teacher, translator, researcher and Editor. He studied at Drepung Losel Ling Monstaery in India, then Institute of Buddhist Dialectics gaining his Geshe Degree in 2015. Since 2021 he has studied at the University of Winchester, UK, gaining a BA (Hons) Degree in Philosophy, Religion and Ethics. He has had articles published in “The Scientific American” in 2020 including ‘Hygiene of Hand and Mind During the Pandemic’ and translations and original articles published in Tibet Times and Tibet Express. He has also won Awards and Honors include awards for essay competitions at the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics and Certificate honoring translation work at Emory-Tibet Science Summer Workshop 2019-2020. Geshe La was born in Tibet so Tibetan is his mother tongue. He teaches fluently in English.

SESSION RESOURCES:

SESSION schedule:

May 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This classic text by Shantideva is a step-by-step guide to the Bodhisattva path. It covers topics such as the cultivation of bodhicitta (the mind of enlightenment), the
practice of the six perfections, and how to deal with anger and other afflictive emotions. This topic taught over two months will offer a deep dive into Shantideva’s
profound teachings, providing a roadmap for those committed to the path of compassion and service to others.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. The Concept of Universal and Particular – Week 4
o Exploring philosophical concepts of universal and particular in Buddhist thought and their implications for understanding reality.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

June 2025
1. A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life – Weeks 1, 2, 3
o This month will continue the study of Shantideva’s text, focusing on the later chapters.
o 15-Minute Practice for Each Section: Analytical Meditation – Vipassana.

2. Buddhist Philosophy and Language – Week 4
o An examination of how language shapes our understanding of Buddhist philosophy and the implications for interpreting core teachings.

11th – 14th September 2025 –  Lamrim Retreat at the Land of Joy
The Lamrim, or “The Stages of the Path to Enlightenment”; is a structured presentation of the Buddha’s teachings designed to lead practitioners
progressively from the initial stages of spiritual development to full enlightenment.

This retreat will offer participants an immersive experience, focusing on meditation, contemplation, and discussion based on the Lamrim teachings.

It’s an opportunity to integrate the knowledge gained throughout the year into a cohesive practice.

Retreat Components:
o Meditation: Guided sessions on Lamrim topics, including developing renunciation, bodhicitta, and insight into emptiness.
o Discussion: Group discussions and Q&A to deepen understanding.
o Practice: Engaging in practices like prostrations, offering mandalas, and purification practices.

Geshe La is also teaching Buddhism for Beginners on Monday evenings 7pm to 8:30pm and will teach Discovering Buddhism from January to April on Thursday evenings online

Purification here means looking at our past unskillful actions which have created seeds of negative karma in our minds, and using visualisation and mantra recitation to remove those seeds in a healthy and productive way. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s cleaning and purifying energy. We all make mistakes, and how we deal with them is key to making spiritual progress. We’ll be using a short text composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Everflowing Nectar of Bodhichitta – Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind

Led by Di and Chrissie

This practice is based on the short text” Eight Verses of Thought Transformation”, which contains the entire technique for transforming the mind into relative bodhichitta (i.e., the wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings) and absolute bodhichitta (i.e., the wisdom realizing emptiness).

Join us to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes and chant the Names of Noble Manjushri for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Please come along even if you havent done the practice before, its quite wonderful and very energising. Please download the text below, you can also listen and practice with the audio clip of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Led by Ruth 

Mindfulness of Breathing is universally acknowledged to be of benefit to all living in the modern world. Many feel overloaded with all that is expected of us living this complex and exhausting existence. Developing our awareness in this way is a general prescription for soothing and healing the overworked body and mind.

Practicing focusing the attention on an object such as the breath is also a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Gradually over time we are able to hold the object of our attention over longer periods, which enables us to practice other meditations such as Vipassana more successfully.

DONATIONS: Many of you will already be members or make regular donations for FPMT Basic Programme (BP) or FPMT In Depth Meditation Training (IDMT). If you would like to make an additional donation for the weekend it would be very welcome. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity and help the Buddha Dharma to flourish

There is also opportunity for everyone to have lunch with Venerable Gendun and attend the public teaching on Friday afternoon on The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva- please check our calendar.

We recommend £30 donation. Your donation helps us to keep the centre running and to host inspirational teachers like Venerable Gendun. We will also make a donation to Venerable Gendun on behalf of the centre, visitors and students. We never turn anyone away for financial reasons, please say if the recommended donation is too much for you. Donations can be made via our website or Donate here please use Ven Gendun June as a reference.

Jamyang Leeds members are free. It’s great to practice generosity where you can, especially when giving donations for teachings. Please consider doing so if you can. If you would like to join the Jamyang Leeds Membership Programme you can do so here. 

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend schedule:

Friday 27th

12pm to 1pm Lunch with Venerable Gendun in the Happy Yak Cafe at Jamyang Leeds (in centre only)

1:30pm to 4:30pm: Public teaching: The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva

6:30pm to 8:30pm: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows Ceremony (Ven Gendun’s students only)

Saturday 28th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm: FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Lunch in the Happy Yak cafe

2:30 pm to 5 pm: FPMT In Depth Meditation Training

Sunday 29th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Bring Lunch to share – Cafe closed.

2 pm to 3:30pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

Venerable Losang Gendun

After 20 years of practicing Theravada Buddhism Venerable Gendun became a monk in the Tibetan tradition in 2006. He studied Buddhist philosophy for nine years at Nalanda Monastery and practised under various teachers from Gelug and Theravada Forest traditions. In total, Venerable Gendun spent more than four years in retreat. He has been teaching for over 15 years in the Netherlands, France, Monaco, the US, and the UK. He actively promotes interfaith practice, contributes to Emouna, an international inter-religious leadership network, and is an active promotor of gender equality. His main goal is to translate traditional methods into contemporary terms to make them accessible to a Western audience.

Registration

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend is part of a long weekend of teachings with Venerable Gendun. The lunch and public teaching on Friday are open to all. The Refuge and Bodhisattva vow ceremony and events on Saturday and Sunday are for Venerable Gendun’s existing students. Please register here for which events you would like to attend as places are limited. For those wishing to attend online the zoom codes for all the events will be sent out on completion of registration.

Getting to the centre

It’s great to help the environment where we can. Whilst there is unlimited off street parking near the centre, please do consider coming by public transport or car sharing. Leeds railway station is about  1.2 miles away and takes just under 30 minutes to walk. There are fairly frequent buses from the city centre too. If you would like to offer a lift or would appreciate one, please say so on the registration form and we will do our best to put you in touch with each other.  Click here for our Location on google maps. 

The nearest hotel is Premier Inn at Elland Road Leeds, which is near the football ground. There is also a Premier Inn on Whitehall Road which is near the rail station

DONATIONS: Many of you will already be members or make regular donations for FPMT Basic Programme (BP) or FPMT In Depth Meditation Training (IDMT). If you would like to make an additional donation for the weekend it would be very welcome. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity and help the Buddha Dharma to flourish

There is also opportunity for everyone to have lunch with Venerable Gendun and attend the public teaching on Friday afternoon on The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva- please check our calendar.

We recommend £30 donation. Your donation helps us to keep the centre running and to host inspirational teachers like Venerable Gendun. We will also make a donation to Venerable Gendun on behalf of the centre, visitors and students. We never turn anyone away for financial reasons, please say if the recommended donation is too much for you. Donations can be made via our website or Donate here please use Ven Gendun June as a reference.

Jamyang Leeds members are free. It’s great to practice generosity where you can, especially when giving donations for teachings. Please consider doing so if you can. If you would like to join the Jamyang Leeds Membership Programme you can do so here. 

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend schedule:

Friday 27th

12pm to 1pm Lunch with Venerable Gendun in the Happy Yak Cafe at Jamyang Leeds (in centre only)

1:30pm to 4:30pm: Public teaching: The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva

6:30pm to 8:30pm: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows Ceremony (Ven Gendun’s students only)

Saturday 28th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm: FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Lunch in the Happy Yak cafe

2:30 pm to 5 pm: FPMT In Depth Meditation Training

Sunday 29th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Bring Lunch to share – Cafe closed.

2 pm to 3:30pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

Venerable Losang Gendun

After 20 years of practicing Theravada Buddhism Venerable Gendun became a monk in the Tibetan tradition in 2006. He studied Buddhist philosophy for nine years at Nalanda Monastery and practised under various teachers from Gelug and Theravada Forest traditions. In total, Venerable Gendun spent more than four years in retreat. He has been teaching for over 15 years in the Netherlands, France, Monaco, the US, and the UK. He actively promotes interfaith practice, contributes to Emouna, an international inter-religious leadership network, and is an active promotor of gender equality. His main goal is to translate traditional methods into contemporary terms to make them accessible to a Western audience.

Registration

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend is part of a long weekend of teachings with Venerable Gendun. The lunch and public teaching on Friday are open to all. The Refuge and Bodhisattva vow ceremony and events on Saturday and Sunday are for Venerable Gendun’s existing students. Please register here for which events you would like to attend as places are limited. For those wishing to attend online the zoom codes for all the events will be sent out on completion of registration.

Getting to the centre

It’s great to help the environment where we can. Whilst there is unlimited off street parking near the centre, please do consider coming by public transport or car sharing. Leeds railway station is about  1.2 miles away and takes just under 30 minutes to walk. There are fairly frequent buses from the city centre too. If you would like to offer a lift or would appreciate one, please say so on the registration form and we will do our best to put you in touch with each other.  Click here for our Location on google maps. 

The nearest hotel is Premier Inn at Elland Road Leeds, which is near the football ground. There is also a Premier Inn on Whitehall Road which is near the rail station

DONATIONS: Many of you will already be members or make regular donations for FPMT Basic Programme (BP) or FPMT In Depth Meditation Training (IDMT). If you would like to make an additional donation for the weekend it would be very welcome. It is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity and help the Buddha Dharma to flourish

There is also opportunity for everyone to have lunch with Venerable Gendun and attend the public teaching on Friday afternoon on The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva- please check our calendar.

We recommend £30 donation. Your donation helps us to keep the centre running and to host inspirational teachers like Venerable Gendun. We will also make a donation to Venerable Gendun on behalf of the centre, visitors and students. We never turn anyone away for financial reasons, please say if the recommended donation is too much for you. Donations can be made via our website or Donate here please use Ven Gendun June as a reference.

Jamyang Leeds members are free. It’s great to practice generosity where you can, especially when giving donations for teachings. Please consider doing so if you can. If you would like to join the Jamyang Leeds Membership Programme you can do so here. 

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend schedule:

Friday 27th

12pm to 1pm Lunch with Venerable Gendun in the Happy Yak Cafe at Jamyang Leeds (in centre only)

1:30pm to 4:30pm: Public teaching: The Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva

6:30pm to 8:30pm: Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows Ceremony (Ven Gendun’s students only)

Saturday 28th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm: FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:30 pm: Lunch in the Happy Yak cafe

2:30 pm to 5 pm: FPMT In Depth Meditation Training

Sunday 29th (FPMT Basic Programme and FPMT IDMT students only)

9 am to 12:30 pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

12:30 pm to 2:00 pm – Bring Lunch to share – Cafe closed.

2 pm to 3:30pm FPMT Basic Programme – Teachings on Stages of the Path (Lam Rim)

Venerable Losang Gendun

After 20 years of practicing Theravada Buddhism Venerable Gendun became a monk in the Tibetan tradition in 2006. He studied Buddhist philosophy for nine years at Nalanda Monastery and practised under various teachers from Gelug and Theravada Forest traditions. In total, Venerable Gendun spent more than four years in retreat. He has been teaching for over 15 years in the Netherlands, France, Monaco, the US, and the UK. He actively promotes interfaith practice, contributes to Emouna, an international inter-religious leadership network, and is an active promotor of gender equality. His main goal is to translate traditional methods into contemporary terms to make them accessible to a Western audience.

Registration

FPMT Basic Programme / IDMT Live in Leeds Weekend is part of a long weekend of teachings with Venerable Gendun. The lunch and public teaching on Friday are open to all. The Refuge and Bodhisattva vow ceremony and events on Saturday and Sunday are for Venerable Gendun’s existing students. Please register here for which events you would like to attend as places are limited. For those wishing to attend online the zoom codes for all the events will be sent out on completion of registration.

Getting to the centre

It’s great to help the environment where we can. Whilst there is unlimited off street parking near the centre, please do consider coming by public transport or car sharing. Leeds railway station is about  1.2 miles away and takes just under 30 minutes to walk. There are fairly frequent buses from the city centre too. If you would like to offer a lift or would appreciate one, please say so on the registration form and we will do our best to put you in touch with each other.  Click here for our Location on google maps. 

The nearest hotel is Premier Inn at Elland Road Leeds, which is near the football ground. There is also a Premier Inn on Whitehall Road which is near the rail station

This discussion groups kindly led by Ruth, meets on the last Sunday monthly for students of the In Depth Meditation Training (IDMT) course to explore the topics of the course together.

If you are an IDMT student either at Jamyang Leeds or any of the other host centres and would like to join please ask our Spiritual Programme Coordinator for the zoom link by emailing spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk

If you are not yet an IDMT student and would like to know more about the course, you can find out more on our In Depth Meditation Training page here.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83466951221

Meeting ID: 834 6695 1221

Vipassana (Special Insight Meditation), also called analytical meditation, is primarily a practice of wisdom. It is a form of concentration that focuses single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of phenomena through analytical reasoning. Analysing phenomena is a key aspect of Vipassana practice, as it helps develop a definitive understanding of the nature of reality—such as the self, mind, emotions, and thoughts.

As Je Tsongkhapa explains, shamatha (calm abiding) is like a lamp that remains clear and steady in a place without wind, whereas vipassana (special insight) is like seeing the nature of phenomena clearly through such a steady and clear lamp. Therefore, the usual order of these two meditations is: first, achieving calm abiding or mental stability as a foundation, then engaging in special insight meditation through analysis. However, Vipassana meditation can also be practised by analysing and observing sensations, thoughts, and emotions without first achieving shamatha. This practice should still begin with focusing on the breath or another object of meditation. In our case, we will focus on the breath to start analysing the nature of the mind in relation to our sense of self, emotions, and thoughts.

The session begins by focusing on the breath—either the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils. This practice calms the mind and helps establish a deep sense of presence.

Next, we move into a guided body scan, bringing awareness to different parts of the body and observing subtle sensations without judgement. This helps develop a greater connection to your physical experience.

As we proceed, you will practise observing and analysing sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, learning to witness them without attachment or aversion. This fosters a deeper understanding of the impermanence and interconnectedness of the mind and self. Finally, you will rest your mind either in the natural state of awareness or in the analytical clarity gained through observation and reasoning.

Through regular practice, Vipassana meditation cultivates wisdom, encouraging a balanced and objective view of internal experiences. This session is ideal for those seeking greater insight and calmness in their daily lives.

Tara Puja dedicated to world peace is held on a monthly basis.

Led by Venerable Thubten Tenzin January to April and Ondy Willson June to December

Please join us, occasionally or regularly, at 17.00 UK time to show our support for the courageous spiritual communities both in Ukraine & Russia and also in Israel and Gaza. May we all nurture compassion & peace in the face of destruction & violence.

By coming together like this we send a powerful message that comes from the depths of our being. We value peace, harmony and the enlightened qualities we aspire to embody, as generated in the 21 Taras Sadhana.

By the power of our merit may there be a non-violent and bloodless revolution of consciousness so that enlightened democracies based on social wellbeing flourish everywhere.

Please forward this invitation to anyone who you think may be interested in this free and beneficial session.

Tenzin will translate into Russian for Russian and Ukrainian students. The puja will last approximately 45 minutes to include some guidance on harnessing the positive power of the prayers in generating the particular qualities of compassion and fearlessness.

Ondy Willson, a touring FPMT teacher since 2007, has students in Russia & Ukraine, so felt particularly moved to offer these pujas both to connect with & support those who are suffering on the front line. So these pujas have provided, not just an opportunity to deal with fear and pray for peace, but to meet directly together as a global community and interact with our Ukrainian and Russian dharma friends.  At the end of one week’s puja, participants in Ukraine & Russia shared their stories & experiences, which was very moving for us all to hear.

A beautiful practice led by Chrissie and Di.

The Buddhist practice of Giving & Taking (Tonglen in Tibetan) is at its heart a selfless meditation of loving kindness and compassion. You imagine giving all your happiness to others, sometimes using visualisation with the breath, and then taking all the suffering and its causes from others. It’s a powerful practice for the brave-hearted!

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Purification here means looking at our past unskillful actions which have created seeds of negative karma in our minds, and using visualisation and mantra recitation to remove those seeds in a healthy and productive way. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s cleaning and purifying energy. We all make mistakes, and how we deal with them is key to making spiritual progress. We’ll be using a short text composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Everflowing Nectar of Bodhichitta – Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind

Led by Di and Chrissie

This practice is based on the short text” Eight Verses of Thought Transformation”, which contains the entire technique for transforming the mind into relative bodhichitta (i.e., the wish to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings) and absolute bodhichitta (i.e., the wisdom realizing emptiness).

Join us to fulfill His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s wishes and chant the Names of Noble Manjushri for the swift return of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. 

Please come along even if you havent done the practice before, its quite wonderful and very energising. Please download the text below, you can also listen and practice with the audio clip of Lama Zopa Rinpoche reciting the Chanting the Names of Noble Manjushri.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche (our organisation’s Spiritual Director) suggested Jamyang Leeds perform these practices to help with the financial obstacles we are currently having. From September 2022, we’ll be reciting this practice as much as we can. See the special newsletter explaining all about the practice here.

Led by Ruth 

Mindfulness of Breathing is universally acknowledged to be of benefit to all living in the modern world. Many feel overloaded with all that is expected of us living this complex and exhausting existence. Developing our awareness in this way is a general prescription for soothing and healing the overworked body and mind.

Practicing focusing the attention on an object such as the breath is also a core practice in Tibetan Buddhism. Gradually over time we are able to hold the object of our attention over longer periods, which enables us to practice other meditations such as Vipassana more successfully.

Vipassana (Special Insight Meditation), also called analytical meditation, is primarily a practice of wisdom. It is a form of concentration that focuses single-pointedly on the ultimate nature of phenomena through analytical reasoning. Analysing phenomena is a key aspect of Vipassana practice, as it helps develop a definitive understanding of the nature of reality—such as the self, mind, emotions, and thoughts.

As Je Tsongkhapa explains, shamatha (calm abiding) is like a lamp that remains clear and steady in a place without wind, whereas vipassana (special insight) is like seeing the nature of phenomena clearly through such a steady and clear lamp. Therefore, the usual order of these two meditations is: first, achieving calm abiding or mental stability as a foundation, then engaging in special insight meditation through analysis. However, Vipassana meditation can also be practised by analysing and observing sensations, thoughts, and emotions without first achieving shamatha. This practice should still begin with focusing on the breath or another object of meditation. In our case, we will focus on the breath to start analysing the nature of the mind in relation to our sense of self, emotions, and thoughts.

The session begins by focusing on the breath—either the rise and fall of the abdomen or the sensation of air entering and leaving the nostrils. This practice calms the mind and helps establish a deep sense of presence.

Next, we move into a guided body scan, bringing awareness to different parts of the body and observing subtle sensations without judgement. This helps develop a greater connection to your physical experience.

As we proceed, you will practise observing and analysing sensations, thoughts, and emotions as they arise, learning to witness them without attachment or aversion. This fosters a deeper understanding of the impermanence and interconnectedness of the mind and self. Finally, you will rest your mind either in the natural state of awareness or in the analytical clarity gained through observation and reasoning.

Through regular practice, Vipassana meditation cultivates wisdom, encouraging a balanced and objective view of internal experiences. This session is ideal for those seeking greater insight and calmness in their daily lives.

A beautiful practice led by Chrissie and Di.

The Buddhist practice of Giving & Taking (Tonglen in Tibetan) is at its heart a selfless meditation of loving kindness and compassion. You imagine giving all your happiness to others, sometimes using visualisation with the breath, and then taking all the suffering and its causes from others. It’s a powerful practice for the brave-hearted!

Purification here means looking at our past unskillful actions which have created seeds of negative karma in our minds, and using visualisation and mantra recitation to remove those seeds in a healthy and productive way. Vajrasattva is the embodiment of all the Buddha’s cleaning and purifying energy. We all make mistakes, and how we deal with them is key to making spiritual progress. We’ll be using a short text composed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Join us once a month for this new puja practice at Leeds – The Four Mandala Offerings to Cittamani Tara. Jamyang Leeds is going through some challenging times this year, and we did some checking with Lama’s what we could do. In addition to the practices we’re already doing, this puja came out good to do once a month. So we’re going to start this week.

The puja will be at the Centre, and online, and will involve four rounds of offerings praises to the 21 tara’s. Everything will be explained during the practice and you don’t need to know anything about it to join in. All levels welcome. It involves a lot of chanting so bring your singing voice! The more people who can join us in person the better, it’s more powerful that way. We’ll have cymbals, drums bells etc for this who would like to play those during the practice.

The puja starts at 5pm, if some can please join us as 4:30pm to help set up the altar that would be great, it’s takes some time to set everything up.

We’re planning to do these pujas on the 2nd Thursday of every month, 5pm, until July this year and see how we are then. It’s a really wonderful practice to do together for removing obstacles by focusing on the female energy of ‘compassionate wisdom.’ We’ll do dedications together at the end of each puja so bring names of family, loved ones etc you’d like included.”

This discussion groups kindly led by Ruth, meets on the last Sunday monthly for students of the In Depth Meditation Training (IDMT) course to explore the topics of the course together.

If you are an IDMT student either at Jamyang Leeds or any of the other host centres and would like to join please ask our Spiritual Programme Coordinator for the zoom link by emailing spc@jamyangleeds.co.uk

If you are not yet an IDMT student and would like to know more about the course, you can find out more on our In Depth Meditation Training page here.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83466951221

Meeting ID: 834 6695 1221

Tara Puja dedicated to world peace is held on a monthly basis.

Led by Venerable Thubten Tenzin January to April and Ondy Willson June to December

Please join us, occasionally or regularly, at 17.00 UK time to show our support for the courageous spiritual communities both in Ukraine & Russia and also in Israel and Gaza. May we all nurture compassion & peace in the face of destruction & violence.

By coming together like this we send a powerful message that comes from the depths of our being. We value peace, harmony and the enlightened qualities we aspire to embody, as generated in the 21 Taras Sadhana.

By the power of our merit may there be a non-violent and bloodless revolution of consciousness so that enlightened democracies based on social wellbeing flourish everywhere.

Please forward this invitation to anyone who you think may be interested in this free and beneficial session.

Tenzin will translate into Russian for Russian and Ukrainian students. The puja will last approximately 45 minutes to include some guidance on harnessing the positive power of the prayers in generating the particular qualities of compassion and fearlessness.

Ondy Willson, a touring FPMT teacher since 2007, has students in Russia & Ukraine, so felt particularly moved to offer these pujas both to connect with & support those who are suffering on the front line. So these pujas have provided, not just an opportunity to deal with fear and pray for peace, but to meet directly together as a global community and interact with our Ukrainian and Russian dharma friends.  At the end of one week’s puja, participants in Ukraine & Russia shared their stories & experiences, which was very moving for us all to hear.