“For the caravan of famished beings
Blundering on the road of existence,
This is a banquet of joy,
Which refreshes completely
All who hunger for happiness”
Bodhicaryavatara
Sangha Morning is in Mosta
Malta Buddhist Centre, Triq il-Leggenda, Mosta.
Every Saturday 10.30 to 13.00.
Open to all. No need to book.
For more information send an email to maltabuddhistcentre@gmail.com
Meditation
Talk
Tea Break
Study
Meeting the Buddhas
A 5-Week Course exploring the importance of the Mythic, Imaginal and the Archetype for the Spiritual Life.
Starting Thursday 7pm from 11th April.
Myth and Symbol: Exploring the role of image, sound and ritual in our search for truth and meaning.
For the most part we live a limited, constricted life, trying to make sense of our experience with our intellect alone.
However, we can live a fuller more integrated life if we can learn how to engage the richer resources of our deeper consciousness.
We can train our mind to engage these deeper resources through exploring the imaginal, the mythic dimensions and resources of image, symbol and sound. Buddhist Symbols, Sounds and Images, although experienced through the senses: (sight, sound, touch and thought), transcend the data from which they spring; so, not just a sound, not just an image like any other.
Introduction to Meditation
A 2-Day weekend Course running on Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th July, each day from 10.30 to 17.00
During the Course, 3 Meditation practices are taught. There are also workshops on developing an efficient meditation posture, deepening practice, working with distraction and the wandering mind. Recordings of led meditations are included to support your practice at home.
Meditation Courses
Introduction to Meditation Course
This is a 5 week Introduction to Meditation Course.
The course is taught in-person in Valletta. During the Course 3 Meditation practices are taught. There are also workshops on developing an efficient meditation posture, deepening practice, working with distraction and the wandering mind.
Between each week students are encouraged to practice at home what they learn each week. Recordings of led meditations are included to support this.
We run these course on a regular basis. Please email maltabuddhistcentre@gmail.com to find out when the next course is starting.
After the Course
Once you’ve completed a meditation course with us, a whole range of events are available to support you in your meditation practice, and to help you to explore how to take it deeper. For example, every week, we have a drop-in Sangha Morning, where you can meditate with other people and have input on Meditation and Buddhism. We also run Meditation Practice Days, Meditation Retreats and Introduction to Buddhism Courses.
Courses in Buddhism
No previous knowledge of Buddhism is necessary, just an interest in and a willingness to explore how things actually are. These courses are taught in-person in Valletta.
Introduction to Buddhism Courses
This is a 5 week Introduction to Buddhism Course.
Buddhism is a path of transformation. Whether one sees it as a philosophical, spiritual or religious path is open to individual interpretation and understanding.
For many people Buddhism is the centre of their spiritual life and its philosophical, ethical and meditative characteristics directly inform the direction and momentum of their experience. This course is an opportunity to explore some of the background to Buddhist thought and ideals.
Buddhism is diverse in its understandings and beliefs. Therefore what you will hear in this course is based in the Triratna Buddhist Community’s understanding of the teachings of the Buddha. Someone from another tradition would have different emphases and approaches. However we endeavour to give an overview that is faithful to a broad understanding of Buddhism. We run these course on a regular basis. Please email maltabuddhistcentre@gmail.com to find out when the next course is starting.
Follow-on Buddhism Courses
From time to time we will run Follow-on Buddhism Courses.
The Follow-on Buddhism Courses will take a particular theme from the Buddhist tradition and explore it in some depth.
Topics will include:
Buddhist Ethics
The two forms of ethics we are most used to are Authoritarian (laid down by a god or church) and Conventional ethics (rules that are mainly about conforming to what is normal in a particular culture).
The Buddhist idea of ethics is takes a different perspective, Buddhist Ethics are about liberating ourselves from the slavery of unhelpful habits, conditioning, and ways of being.
They are about freely choosing to behave in ways that encourage positive emotions, and that calm negative states. They are about acting in ways that give us a sense of wholeness and self-esteem, because we are honestly trying to live up to our vision of what we are at our best. In this 5-week course we will explore the Buddhist understanding of Ethics and how we can live our lives on the basis of bringing about an end to suffering both for ourselves and all living beings. We run these course on a regular basis.
A Vision of the Nature of Reality
The Wheel of Life – The Bhavacakra is a complex traditional Buddhist illustration of life and comes from the Buddhist tradition several centuries after the time of the Buddha but encapsulates many of the Buddha’s teachings in one complex image. It is said to be a mirror into which we look and see our own life in all its aspects. By exploring this image we can explore the forces, habits, misconceptions, and so on that drive our lives around and around in a seemingly endless round of painful, stressful existence and in the process learn how to escape.
Please email maltabuddhistcentre@gmail.com to find out when the next course is starting.
Retreats
From time to time we run retreats. On retreat you will have the opportunity to take your practice deeper in the company of like-minded people who are using the same tools as you. It is also a chance to develop friendship and connection with other meditators.
Day Retreats
Get away from it all and reconnect with yourself through meditation practice and spending time relaxing in the countryside with like minded mindful people!
What’s Included in the day:
– Meditation
– Talks
– Relaxation
– Lunch, Snacks & Hot drinks
– Friendship and Community
– Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
– A beautiful venue which will allow you to connect outwards to nature and dive inwards through exquisite meditation spaces!
Sangha Morning
Every Saturday morning 10.30 to 13.00 in the Volunteer Centre, Valletta.
Sangha is a Sanskrit word meaning Community. In particular a community of people connected by a shared practice. A community of likeminded individuals, Sangha is based in friendship especially what we might call spiritual friendship, however you might like to understand the word ‘spiritual’. A fellowship of friends who help and support each other on the journey of discovery, that growing and developing is, essentially.
Not about joining
It’s not about joining something; rather it’s about exploration of the possibilities presented by what the Centre has to offer. We try to make things easily accessible and support people in their exploration of and engagement with Meditation, Mindfulness or Buddhism.
The journey is entirely yours, how you pursue it is up to you.
The pace at which you pursue it is up to you.
Where the journey leads you is up to you. The Centre, at best, is only a guide; it is up to you to make the effort, to choose the direction, to set your goal.
Drop-in
Sangha Morning will be run on a drop-in basis. There is no need to book or confirm attendance and no need to come every Saturday. Obviously the more often you attend the more benefit you will get but it will be entirely up to each individual to decide when to attend and how long to stay.
You can come for the whole morning (best option), for the first half only, for the second half only; the decision is yours entirely. You can come every Saturday or every other Saturday or randomly as it fits in with life and work pressures.