UPDATE (7/25/2023)

We have been meeting for in-person practice since January and it has been going really well. A nice group of both experienced practitioners and those new to Tibetan meditation practice join together at a sangha member’s home in Guilford on Thursday evenings from 7-8pm. We have been alternating Shamatha (Calm Abiding) with Tonglen. See below for descriptions of these practices. 

If you are interested in attending, contact Kathleen at 203-641-3563 or  info@katogvajraling.org

WEEKLY MEDITATION SCHEDULE

Thursdays 7-8pm

PRACTICES

For descriptions and instructions for practices, visit our page: Why Meditate?

Shamatha is a silent meditation, open to anyone and everyone, including those who have never meditated and are curious, as well as experienced practitioners. This practice is also referred to as “Calm Abiding” and uses the breath or mantra as the focal point. As we sit, thoughts begin to subside and a sense of well being arises.

The guided Tonglen meditation is a practice for developing compassion. Using the breath, we visualize taking away suffering from others and giving them our happiness. This practice helps to loosen our attachment to our own disturbing emotions.

The Heart Sutra practice includes a recitation and meditation on the Heart Sutra and its meaning. This classic, short sutra contains key Buddhist concepts regarding the nature of phenomena, including the Four Noble Truths, the cycle of interdependence, and the concept of emptiness: “Form is empty, emptiness is form; emptiness is not other than form, and form is not other than emptiness.”