City Retreat Weekend: Authentic Illumination

Mapping our Path to Enlightenment through Guru Yoga and Lam Rim Meditation

with Ven. Amy Miller

Our path to enlightenment involves a clear methodical system of stages and practices to help us transform our current state of confusion and suffering to the ultimate goal of complete awakening. The Lam Rim (Stages of the Path) outlines these steps in a uniquely progressive way helping practitioners navigate their spiritual journey with clarity and purpose. However, most students are not clear on how to approach Lam Rim meditation to actualize realizations. Isn’t it time to get started and understand how to do it most effectively?

Supporting this overall practice is the heart of the path: establishing a good connection with an authentic spiritual teacher and understanding the significance of properly serving them. Often difficult for western practitioners to fully comprehend, guru devotion in Tibetan Buddhism can streamline and, thus, accelerate one’s journey. 

The phenomenal practice of guru yoga (in a sense, joining ourselves to the highly realized experiences of an authentic teacher) in Tibetan Buddhism ties this all together. The practice allows us to cultivate this unique relationship of student and teacher; it serves as an incredible basis and structure for a rich consistent experience and helps us create unique conditions to receive blessings and realizations. Through this practice we also purify obstacles and accelerate our spiritual development on the path to enlightenment.

In this city weekend retreat, we will explore the fundamentals of guru yoga with The Hundred Deities of Tushita (Ganden Lhagyama), a mid-length practice based on the visualization of Lama Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism along with how to most effectively tackle analytical meditation on the Lam Rim. 

This practice is perfectly suitable for those without any prior tantric empowerments although is best for those with some basis in Buddhism. These meditations can connect us with a truly balanced and invigorating spiritual experience.

Your teacher

Venerable Amy Miller is a beloved spiritual teacher, practitioner and Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition. She has dedicated her life to sharing the profound teachings of Buddhism with the world. With her gentle presence, insightful wisdom and compassionate heart, she has touched the lives of many around the world, inspiring them to find inner peace and help transform their minds. 

For more information about Ven. Amy Miller, click here. 

Practical information

• Schedule: 
  • Friday Sept 12: 19.00 – 20.30 hrs (online only)
  • Saturday Sept 13: 10.00 – 16.00 hrs
  • Sunday Sept 14: 10.00 – 16.00 hrs 
• Location: both at our center in Amsterdam and via Zoom.
• Language: English 
• Study materials & recordings: The classes will be recorded (audio and video) and provided to you as well as the study materials
• Registration: You can register for the whole weekend 
• 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.