Lamrim Meditation Series - Ven. Amy Miller

From Understanding to Transformation

with Ven. Amy Miller

We are happy to welcome Ven. Amy to join us for 5 of our Thursday evening lam rim meditation and reflection evenings, which we have been running since the beginning of last year. This provides an opportunity for non-Dutch speakers with a solid foundation in the Lamrim to join these interactive evenings, with meditations guided by Ven. Amy.

The teachings of the Lamrim—the gradual path to enlightenment—come alive when they move beyond intellectual understanding and begin to transform our hearts and daily lives. This meditation series is designed to bridge that gap: to help turn knowledge of key Lamrim topics—such as death and impermanence, karma, and refuge—into lived, inner experience that genuinely reshapes how we think, feel, and act.

Through guided meditation, thoughtful reflection, and discussion, we will explore how these teachings can be internalized as personal realizations rather than remaining abstract ideas. The emphasis is on practice: cultivating insight that naturally expresses itself as greater clarity, compassion, and wisdom in everyday life.

Each evening is divided into two parts. We begin with an extended, guided meditation on a Lamrim theme, followed by an open dialogue. This shared inquiry supports clarification, deepening understanding, and the exchange of perspectives, while encouraging one another in sustained Lamrim practice.

These evenings offer a space for active engagement—meditating together, reflecting honestly, and learning collaboratively with Ven. Amy and fellow practitioners—so that the Lamrim can be anchored more deeply in both heart and life.

Why is the Lamrim so valuable for your spiritual growth?

The Lamrim is a clear and compassionate map of inner transformation, gathering the vast wisdom of Tibetan Buddhism into a single, living path. Its true power lies not in study alone, but in practice. Each teaching is carefully arranged to meet the mind where it is and guide it—step by step—toward genuine change.

By repeatedly reflecting on and meditating upon themes such as impermanence, karma, and refuge, the Lamrim helps shift our habitual patterns of thinking and feeling. Ethics, meditation, and wisdom become lived experience rather than abstract ideals, gradually transforming the mind into Dharma. In this way, spiritual understanding moves from the intellect into the heart, giving rise to a stable mind, an open heart, and a sincere commitment to benefiting others.

As Lama Zopa Rinpoche reminds us: “Without practicing the Lamrim, there is no way to transform the mind into Dharma. Without the Lamrim, even if one studies many teachings, the mind remains unmoved.”

Who is it for?

These evenings are meant for students who already have some experience with the Lamrim or are very keen to dive into this, as there will be no ‘formal’ teachings on the topics but only guided meditations and conversation. This series of evenings is not a comprehensive course in Lamrim. We will choose some topics from the Lamrim to deepen our insight, assuming that students have studied these before.  

Practical information

• Days: Thursday evenings April 30, May 14, 28, June 18 - 25
• Timing: from 19.00-21.00 hrs
• Location: both at our center in Amsterdam and via Zoom.
• Language: English 
• Recordings: The meditations will be recorded (audio) and provided to you 
• 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. 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. We suggest 6,50 per evening, please adjust the number of evenings in your 'shopping basket'.