City weekend on Madhyamaka Negations

with Ven. Losang Gendun

This intensive weekend offers an in-depth exploration of Madhyamaka philosophy through teachings and guided meditation by Ven. Gendun, intended for students with a solid grounding in Buddhist philosophy. The focus will be on the precise analysis of how phenomena appear and exist, with particular attention to imputation, the object of negation, and the role of non-affirming negations in the Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka system.

Key reasonings will be examined in detail, including the king of reasons “dependent origination”, as well as classical analyses such as neither one nor many, the Diamond Slivers, and related logical refutations. These will not be treated merely as intellectual exercises, but as tools for loosening deeply ingrained habits of reification. Meditation sessions will integrate analytical inquiry with contemplative familiarization, allowing participants to test these reasonings directly in experience.

A central theme of the weekend is ignorance as a form of imprisonment: a confinement created by our own mistaken perceptions of inherent existence. Emptiness will be clarified not as nothingness or negation of appearance, but as liberation—the release of the fetters imposed by grasping at what is falsely projected. In seeing dependent origination correctly, the world is not negated but rather the door is opened to unconditional compassion.

On Saturday afternoon, Ven. Gendun will also teach the regular IDMT class, which forms an integral part of the weekend program.

Donation

Dāna (generosity) is one of the cornerstones of the Buddhist path. By virtue of their generosity, the Buddha and the ordained sangha offer us the teachings, and in exchange, the lay community supports Dharma centers and the monastic community. This interdependence is essential for us to share the Dharma and continue our work to benefit all sentient beings. With your donation we support our teachers in their cost of living and we uphold our dharma center, which is managed entirely by volunteers.

The suggested donation for this weekend € 75, coffee and tea included for those who did not register for the IDMT class (part of the weekend, on Saturday 15.30 - 18.00 hrs.) beforehand. If you already donated for the IDMT class, you can make a reduced donation of 60 euro through this link.  For students and people with low income, the suggested donation is €50 (with IDMT) or 40 if you already donated for IDMT. Please send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl if you'd like to make use of this option.

Dates and times: Saturday March 28: 10.00 - 18.00 hrs. (incl. regular IDMT class), Sunday March 29: 10.00 - 17.00 hrs.

We'll have a shared potluck lunch this weekend. Please bring easy (vegetarian / vegan) food items to share, that don't need extra preparation. We won't have space for that.

The donation amount should never be an obstacle to your access to the Dharma! Please contact us if it might be an obstacle for you.