Usually we find it difficult to control our mind. If things go well our mind is happy, but if they go badly it immediately becomes unhappy. If we get what we want we become excited. On the other hand, if we do not get what we want, or if we lose something that we like, we become despondent or irritated.

Such fluctuations of mood arise because we are too closely involved in the external situation. We are like a child making a sandcastle who is excited when it is first made, but becomes upset when it is destroyed by the incoming tide. By training in meditation we create an inner space that enables us to control our mind regardless of the external circumstances. We develop mental equilibrium, a balanced mind that is happy all the time, rather than an unbalanced mind that oscillates between the extremes of excitement and despondency.

If our mind is peaceful we shall be free from worries and mental discomfort but if our mind is not peaceful we shall find it difficult to be happy even if we are surrounded by the very best conditions.

Odiyana Buddhist Centre is running a 5 week course on finding happiness though meditation. Courses are running all across Cheshire from the week beginning 3rd September

We are delighted to announce as well as our usual classes we now have a new class running on a Wednesday evening at Shrewsbury College and Upton Pavillion, Chester.

Odiyana KMC will be holding summer meditation classes in July and August.
These will be open to everyone. No need to book you can just turn up.
The classes will be on Tuesday 17th and 24th July and 14th and 21st August 2018 and cost £6 per person.
Everybody welcome

We are delighted to be hosting our annual Open Day for everyone to come and see what we are about. We will be offering free taster meditation classes, children’s classes, a BBQ and a cafe with refreshments and lots of cake!!! It is free to attend the day and everyone is welcome.

12pm – Meditation Taster

12:30pm – Children’s Meditation

1pm – Meditation Taster

1:30 – Children’s meditation

2:00pm – Meditation Taster

3:pm – Meditation Taster

Arya Tara is a female Buddha who is a manifestation of the wind element of all the Buddhas. Since the wind element is the nature of movement Arya Tara is very swift in helping and protecting us. “Tara” means rescuer; If we rely on Tara with strong faith she will care for us throughout this life and all our future lives.

This empowerment is an opportunity to make a strong connection with Arya Tara and receive her powerful blessings.

The Empowerment starts at 9.45am and runs until about 5pm. The cost is £25 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

You can reserve a place on this course by paying a £5 deposit. You can do this either by –

– Clicking on this link Booking & Payments

– Sending a cheque made payable to Odiyana Kadampa Meditation Centre to 163 Chester Road, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4AG

Self-confidence and self-esteem are rare qualities and very few people possess these. As a result we experience many problems and miss many opportunities. Usually not because we lack good qualities but because we lack self-confidence.

On this day course we will learn how to develop true and deep self-confidence.

The teacher of this course will be Gen Kelsang Lekma – Gen Kelsang Lekma is a close disciple of the Founder of our tradition Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. She is a senior Buddhist nun with more than 25 years of experience and she has taught in England and the United States for much of this time.She is a very popular and experienced teacher and her clear and entertaining talks express the path of wisdom and meditation in a way that is ideally suited for people of the modern world. She is greatly cherished by her students for her warm, light and wise example.

All our day courses start at 10am and run until about 5pm.
They cost £20 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

BOOKINGS

You can reserve a place on this course by paying a £5 deposit. You can do this either by –

– Clicking on this link Booking & Payments

– Sending a cheque made payable to Odiyana Buddhist Centre to 163 Chester Road, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 4AG

All living beings have the same basic wish to be happy and avoid suffering, but very few people understand the real causes of happiness and suffering. We generally believe that external conditions such as food, friends, cars and money are the real causes of happiness, and as a result we devote nearly all our time and energy to acquiring these. Superficially it seems that these things can make us happy, but if we look deeper we shall see that they can also bring us a lot of suffering.

Happiness and suffering are states of mind, and so their main causes cannot be found outside the mind. The real source of happiness is inner peace. If our mind is peaceful, we shall be happy all the time, regardless of external conditions, but if it is disturbed or troubled in any way, we shall never be happy, no matter how good our external situations may be. External conditions can only make us happy if our mind is peaceful. We can understand this through our own experience. For instance, even if we are in the most beautiful surroundings and have everything we need, the moment we get angry any happiness we may have disappears. This is because anger has destroyed our inner peace. If we want true, lasting happiness we need to develop and maintain a special experience of inner peace. The only way to do this is by training our mind, gradually reducing and eliminating our negative, disturbed states of mind and replacing them with positive, peaceful states.

This course is based on teachings given in Tibet in the 11^th century by an Indian Buddhist master called Atisha. It was a very dark time in Tibetan history & people’s minds were very disturbed & uncontrolled. The king of Tibet invited Atisha to come from India to give teachings that would help the people tame their minds. These teachings were very successful & Atisha decided he no longer needed to stay in Tibet. As he was leaving he was asked to give one final teaching. That teaching was called Advice from Atisha’s heart., It is one of the most profound teaching on training the mind ever given. It helped people to control their minds & find deep lasting happiness then & one thousand years later it is still just as effective.

Odiyana Kadampa Meditation Centre is running a 6 week course entitled Good Advice. The course will be held in your local area.

For details of class venues and evenings please click on Meditation Classes, Evening Classes and then select the area in which you live.

Stress is the difference between what we want to happen and what is actually happening. Whether we like it or not it is happening. If we can change things then there is no need to get stressed. If we can’t change things then there is also no point in getting stressed.

On this day course we will learn to relax and let go, living lightly and peacefully.

The teacher on this day course will be Gen Kelsang Jigme. Gen Kelsang Jigme was ordained in 1997 by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso and has studied, practised and taught Kadampa Buddhism under Geshe Kelsang’s guidance for many years. He shows a humble, kind example as a practitioner and his clear explanations of Buddha’s teachings give us the confidence to practise them in our daily life.

All our day courses start at 10am and run until about 5pm.
They cost £20 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

BOOKINGS

You can reserve a place on this course by paying a £5 deposit. You can do this either by –

– Clicking on this link Booking & Payments

here is no better way to give yourself a break from the daily routine  and reassess your life, than by engaging in a meditation retreat. The meditation retreat introduces simple meditation techniques that help us to develop peace of mind. The course includes practical advice on how to maintain the experience of inner peace in daily life, and time to discuss the ideas presented.

The teacher of this meditation retreat is Liz Neale – Has been a sincere practitioner for many years with a wealth of experience of putting these teachings into practice.

The workshop costs just £8.50 and includes tea and coffee. The workshop starts at 10am and runs till 12.30pm.

BOOKINGS

You can reserve a place on this workshop by paying a £5 deposit. You can do this either by –

– Clicking on this link Booking & Payments

We believe that by simply improving external conditions we can be truly happy. Motivated by this belief most countries have made remarkable material progress. However, as we can see, this does not really make us happier or reduce our problems, but instead causes more problems. Our lives are now more complicated and dangerous and we are less happy and more worried.

Without inner peace there is no real happiness at all. The more we control our minds the more our inner peace increases and the happier we become. Therefore the real method to make ourself happy is to control our own mind.

Odiyana Buddhist Centre is running a 7 week course entitled Discover Meditation. On this course you can learn the actual methods for controlling the mind

Each class comprises 2 meditations and a talk, then discussion over tea and biscuits.

There are classes all across Cheshire and Wrexham

As our minds get busier we are compelled to run around and keep busy. As a result it then becomes harder to sit still and be content. Happiness comes from inner peace. Only when our mind is still and content will we be truly happy and only then will we be able to sit still and enjoy ourself.

On this day course we will learn how to use meditation and mindfulness in our life in order that we are able to live a calm and peaceful life.

 The teacher of this course is Gen Kelsang Chokyong – Chokyong has been the resident teacher at Odiyana Kadampa Meditation Centre for 15 years. He teaches with great humility and humour. He presents Buddha’s teachings in a practical and down to earth manner, making them accessible to everyone.

All our day courses start at 10am and run until about 5pm.

They cost £20 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day.

BOOKINGS

You can reserve a place on this course by paying a £5 deposit. You can do this either by –

– Clicking on this link Booking & Payments