DB Module 10: How to Develop Bodhichitta

Discovering Buddhism: Awakening the limitless potential of your mind

with Annelies van der Heijden

A Series into the Buddha’s teachings in 14 basic topics by FPMT

“Samsara, or cyclic existence, does not refer to our land or our house or our things. Samsara refers to the mental afflictions and the negative thoughts that bind us to this tiresome cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.” – Yangsi Rinpoche

What is this series all about?

The goal of this series is to awaken the limitless potential of your mind and achieve peace of mind and happiness. This is a foundational series in Buddhist philosophy and practice, aimed at giving students a solid footing in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. By engaging in this series, students gain a theoretical and experiential taste of the Buddha’s teachings, into Buddhist meditation, and the skills you need to make your life most meaningful. Discovering Buddhism is developed by an array of international teachers from FPMT under the guidance of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. It is designed not only as an academic study of Buddhism - it is meant to change your life! 

Each topic (module) consists (in principle) of 5 evening lessons and includes short meditations, inspirational readings, (optional) assessments with questions to support your studies, and a practice morning for deepening your understanding of the topic. If you like you can also join the 45-minute meditation, guided by Annelies, before the class from 19.00-19.45 hrs. 

For whom is this series?

Discovering Buddhism is designed for people who wish to gain basic knowledge on and/or deepen their understanding of the key Buddhist concepts. You do not need to be a Buddhist or have previous knowledge, just an interest into the Buddhist view on life and on how this view might change your view on your life and the sentient beings around you. You may join at any point in the series and may freely choose some or all of these topics, according to your interests.

9. Samsara and Nirvana

Investigate what “samsara” is and how we are stuck in it. Find out what “nirvana” is and how to achieve it. All living creatures know suffering—this is the Buddha’s first noble truth. And many of us also know how ordinary pain can grow into extraordinary suffering due to the power of our minds. In Buddhism, these negative states of mind that lead to suffering are called delusions. They are a primary cause for us being stuck in samsara—the cycle of endless rebirths that ordinarily propels one’s mind toward more suffering. The good news is that complete liberation from the suffering of an afflictive mind (nirvana) is entirely possible.

Explore the meaning of samsara and nirvana with Annelies, and learn how to move out of a state of inevitable suffering to one of pure and irreversible peace. Find out how to develop your own determination to be completely free from suffering (renunciation) and its role on the spiritual path. Get empowered with practical tools for dealing with disturbing emotions up to the point of elimination, and reflect on the possibility of nirvana––and how that differs from enlightenment. 

🎥 - Click here for an introduction to the topic

Your teacher – Annelies van der Heijden

Annelies is a Dutch, registered FPMT teacher and qualified mindfulness teacher. She has been a Buddhist practitioner in the Tibetan Gelug tradition since 1994, this is the tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Her Buddhist path gained footing in an FPMT Discovering Buddhism course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal in 1992. “This left an indelible impression on us, especially by the person who taught this course, Venerable Robina Courtin, an impressive, inspiring and very dynamic Australian nun. Her teachings were a rich mix of deep knowledge, a large dose of (self) humor and her own personal life experiences (also with Lama Thubten Yeshe). It was laughing and confrontational, here the seed was planted for me”.

She is actively involved with the Maitreya Institute and with the FPMT organization since 1997. She has been a teacher for many years and facilitates program activities at both the Maitreya Institute in The Netherlands and within the FPMT organization worldwide. She has a background as a dietician, shiatsu therapist and yoga teacher.

“My aspiration is - how can I bring the pure profound Dharma from our tradition to our students without diluting it, but in such a way that it inspires and encourages thinking about the topics on a level that it touches their lives.”
 

Practical information

• Day & timing: 
  • Monday evenings from 20.00-21.30 hrs
  • Possibility to join the meditation before the class from 19.00-19.45 hrs
• Dates Module 9: Apr 13-20-27, May 4-11
• Location: Onsite at our Maitreya Center in Amsterdam and online via Zoom.
• Language: English (but questions can be asked in Dutch if needed)
• Study materials & recordings: once registered through the website, you will be provided with inspiring study materials. The classes will be recorded (audio and video) and provided to you. 
• Registration: You can register for the whole module (5 classes) 
• Last-minute registration: Please also send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl, to ensure we can send you the necessary Zoomlink in time to join the class.
   

Donation

Dāna (generosity) is one of the cornerstones of the Buddhist path. With your donation we uphold our dharma center & program, which is managed entirely by volunteers.

The suggested donation for the module of 5 classes is €65 and which includes (recordings of) the meditation prior to the DB class. To try out a single class the suggested donation is (with or without meditation) €15.

For students and people with low income, the suggested donation is €45 for the whole module with or without meditation. Please send us an email (amsterdam@maitreya.nl) if you'd like to make use of this option. Keep in mind 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.