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
“The most precious mind of all, that which cherishes all beings, can become a genuine part of our life, a real gut feeling that motivates us in everything we do, and not just a vague wish.” – Geshe Tashi Tsering, The Awakening Mind
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.
10. How to Develop Bodhichitta
Discover practices that develop our innate qualities of compassion. Learn to apply these techniques to generate bodhichitta, the mind of enlightenment, known as the very heart of Buddha’s teachings.
After spending some time considering how the spiritual path can bring joy and peace to our lives, we may notice the countless living beings all around us who also want to be happy and free from problems. Steadying our love and compassion, we may ask what we can do to bring joy to others, and to help them with their troubles. According to Mahayana Buddhism, the answer is straightforward, though not easy: attain enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. A mind focused on that goal is called bodhicitta.
Delve deeply into the rich topic of bodhicitta with Annelies to go through the step-by-step instructions on how to kindle a vague wish to help others so that it becomes the blazing mind of enlightenment. Gain clarity on often-confused concepts, such as the differences between self-esteem and self-cherishing, equanimity and indifference, compassion and pity, and bodhicitta and compassion. Learn beginner techniques and advanced aspirations, including meditating on exchanging self for others and the 18 bodhisattva vows. Cultivating bodhicitta makes our lives meaningful, and it is at the very heart of the Buddha’s teachings!
🎥 - 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 10: June 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
- 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.