Simplicity & Surrender: an evening of practice with Noon Baldwin, co-founder of Ekuthuleni Retreat Place in France

• October 18, 2017
• admin
• 0 Comments

“Ekuthuleni” is an African term meaning “Place of peace”. The quality of this peace is a cleared, warm quality of quietness. In that place of peace, one can value – and practice – simplicity and surrender.

Noon Baldwin is co-founder of the Ekuthuleni Retreat Place in France. The Ekuthuleni Retreat Place runs meditation and eco retreats in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, led by Noon and other Buddhist teachers. To find out more about the retreat centre visit: http://ekuthuleni.wixsite.com/ retreats

Noon was born in Africa, Zambia, and grew up there, also in Penge, (south London), then France. She spent a lot of time as a child in the bush (and later France) in the hills, touching into connection with nature. With a wish to engage in the world more, Noon‘s early adult  life was an active one: as an international street performer, circus artist and teacher living in troupes and on the road. She often worked questioning social norms, teaching marginalised groups, bringing, through circus, body awareness, trust and reconnection. At 35, still a gypsy, Noon allowed her love of Dharma to come through, practicing and serving in Dharma centres for 12 years  in which the last five include offering guidance at both the Dharmagiri hermitage and Ekuthuleni.

The Paths to Enlightenment Course by Various Speakers

• June 22, 2017
• Rina Vongthongsri
• 0 Comments

It is said that there are 84,000 paths to Enlightenment. The Buddha taught one Truth – one Dhamma or Dharma – but taught innumerable ways for us to penetrate this Truth. As the Buddha’s teachings spread out of India, into all corners of the world and passing through the passage of time, the Buddha’s teachings as it is practiced today appears to have taken different forms and expressions.

This course on The Paths to Enlightenment traverses through the history of Buddhism and the major Buddhist traditions as they exist today. For two months on each Tuesday evening, we will explore the teachings of the major traditions.

For those seeking their path, this would give an overview of the Buddhist traditions. For those already practising in one tradition, this course could give a further dimension to one’s practice by allowing an open appreciation to another practice than one’s own. For the Buddhist community generally, this is an opportunity for dialogue and exchange between practitioners of each tradition.

Audio Details
1) 30 May: Introduction to the traditions/ Buddhist interpretations (Bhante Pandit)

2) 6 June: Introduction to Theravada Buddhism (Justin & Rina)

3) 13 June: Introduction to Theravada Buddhism (Jim Teoh)

4) 20 June: Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Robert Tomic)

5) 27 June: Introduction to Tibetan Buddhism (Robert Tomic)

6) 4 July: Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism (Jonathan Shearman)

Download Mahāyāna Presentation 4 July 2017 here

7) 11 July: Introduction to Mahayana Buddhism (Jonathan Shearman)

Download Mahāyāna Presentation 11 July 2017 here

8) 18 July: Introduction to Secular Buddhism (Winton Higgins)

9) 25 July: Introduction to Early Buddhism (Bhante Jason)

10) 1 August: Introduction to Zen Buddhism (Sunim)

[coming] 8 August: Dialogue between the traditions (Facilitated by Tina Ng)

Forgiveness for Everyone: a meditation course with Jeff Oliver

• April 5, 2017
• admin
• 0 Comments

Forgiveness is an important spiritual practice; an act of generosity to others and oneself; an act of letting go of the past so as to open up to the here and now. As Jeff Oliver says, “Many people think they need meditation but what they really need is self forgiveness!”

This meditation course explored forgiveness through guided meditation and relaxation, followed by an overview of the technique of forgiveness.

The course was led by Jeff Oliver, who authored “Forgiveness for Everyone”. This is Jeff’s second book, which lays out a practical guide for practising forgiveness with a foundation of mindfulness and wisdom. You can access this ebook free of charge here.

Jeff grew up at Shelly Beach, Australia, and trained as a Buddhist monk for 9 years in Burma. Throughout that time, he learnt many great qualities of the heart, of which forgiveness is one of the most important. Jeff has been teaching meditation for over 20 years and he found that forgiveness is perhaps the greatest foundation and preparation for meditation and for being a great person, living in peace and harmony and with a loving heart.

Buddhism and Social Change by Tina Ng

• December 30, 2016
• admin
• 0 Comments

Tina Ng asks whether its possible to be a Buddhist Lawyer or is it just a oxymoron? She explains how applies the Brahma Viharas – the four immeasurable qualities of Loving Kindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy and Equinimity to her work in transforming the lives of those she works with through her work at Metta Legal

This talk was given at the Working at the Margins – Buddhist Practice for Social Change conference held at the Griffith University Centre for Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue