IDMT Year 1 Foundational Insight Meditation Term 3

A unique training in (Mahayana) insight meditation

with Ven. Losang Gendun

Online and onsite: classes are taught online, but we usually open the center for joint viewing. Please note: we won't open the center for IDMT viewing on May 11 and June 1, due to other programmes hosted in our center on those days!

Introduction of the training

Meditation is essential for personal transformation and a crucial complement to Buddhist studies.

This 4-year online course provides students with long term, in-depth support in their meditative development. This weekly course will offer:

• Authentic traditional instructions, in contemporary language, aimed at providing a comprehensive set of meditation tools for students to transform their knowledge of the Dharma into personal experience.
• Traditional and modern theories on supplementary topics such as models of healthy psychological and spiritual development, ritual, narrative, ethics, and social engagement.
• An international community of meditators, online and live.

Students will actively train in both shamatha and vipassana, gradually investigating the nature of self and phenomena. We will explore how we project layers of ignorance onto our perception and how to challenge these through reasoning and direct insight. This course is above all a practical one. It aims at helping students navigate their meditative lives successfully, both on and off the cushion.

Term 3: May 11 - July 6, 2024

Know yourself invited to join term three of the In-depth meditation training! We will cover such topics as the Buddha’s enlightenment, how to meditate on the four Truths for Nobles, why it is that we sometimes act against our own self-interest, how to deal with our mortality and the generation of such beautiful minds as equanimity, appreciative joy, benevolence, and care. Yogis will always get full access to the website for the duration of their inscription, so that you can look up previously discussed topics.

To complement the IDMT course we will also offer:

• Meditation Retreats – week & weekend retreats on vipassana, compassion, and mahamudra, offered both at the centers and online.
• Yogi Bootcamp - an intensive, guided, 1-year meditation training with weekly personal interviews (call) for a small group of international students.
• Practice days guided by Ven. Gendun and experienced students of Ven. Gendun

For more information about the content of the course, download the course description (PDF) here.

This course is a collaboration between 5 FPMT Buddhist centers: Shantideva Center New York (US), Jamyang Buddhist Centre Leeds (UK), Institut Vajrayogini in Marzens (FR), Yeshin Norbu Stockholm (SW) and Maitreya Instituut (NL) and therefore the course will be attended by an international group of Buddhist practitioners.

Venerable Losang Gendun

After 20 years of practicing Theravada Buddhism, Ven. Gendun became a monk in the Tibetan tradition in 2006. He studied Buddhist philosophy for nine years at Nalanda Monastery and practiced under various teachers from Gelug and Theravada Forest traditions. In total, Ven. 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 Emoena, an international interreligious 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.

Student’s interests & profile

• An interest in deepening your knowledge about and your practice in (Buddhist) meditation
• Previous experience in a form of meditation either in retreats or other courses
• A basic understanding of Mahayana Buddhism is a prerequisite, you do not need to be a (Mahayana) Buddhist 
• If you are starting as a new student in term 2, we will give you some preparatory advice before you start the new term.

Practical details

• Study Terms: The year will have 3 terms. Term 3 will run from May 11 to July 6.
• Day & time: The In-Depth Meditation Training will run weekly on Saturdays from 15.30 to 18.00 hrs. CET, consisting of about 1 hour of guided meditation and 1,5 hours of teachings.
• Language: It will be given in English, with French translation
• Online: via Zoom. The center will be open to follow the online class together. Please let us know if you're interested in attending that.
• Registration:
  • You can register either for a couple of classes (to try it out) or for a whole term (Term 3 in total 9 classes). You can enter the preferred number of classes in the 'shopping basket'.
  • Last-minute registration? Please also send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl after your registration through the website.
• Practice days: we'll organize Dutch language practice days or afternoons, led by experienced students or Ven. Gendun
• Access to the TBP Learning Platform:  
  • Video & Audio recordings of the teachings & meditations
  • AI-generated transcripts of the teachings in English

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 class is €15 per class. For students and people with low income, the suggested donation is €10 per class. Please send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl if you'd like to make use of this option.

Financial challenges should never discourage anyone from joining this meditators' community. The teachings are freely offered. We kindly ask for a donation to support the participating centers and The Buddha Project in their activities for the welfare of all living beings. If you are unable to do so, please contact us. The true reward is the fruit of your practice.

 

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