About

The celebration of Christmas is an expression of charity, peace and unity. This Christmas special will explore this time of year and the qualities it promotes through the lens of Buddha’s teachings.

Charity is an essential virtue in Buddhism expressed through the practice of generosity, counted as one of the six perfections in the Bodhisattva path. Practising generosity is seen not only as offering material support but also our time and attention, and benefits the recipient as much as ourselves!

Peace and unity are achieved in Buddhism through the practices of concentration, wisdom and compassion. Concentration helps calm our mind, making it clear, peaceful and malleable. Wisdom helps us see the way things really are, how our ego exists and how it causes us trouble. Compassion helps us see ourselves in others, developing equanimity and warm heartedness.

This session will also explore how Jesus may be seen in Buddhism, akin to the Bodhisattva ideal, as someone who takes on suffering for the benefit of others.

The session will take inspiration from the book, Silent Mind, Holy Mind by Lama Yeshe.

Christmas Celebration!

To mark this special time of the year, join us after the session for a social celebration with festive nibbles and drinks around the hearth of the roaring fire at Lam Rim!

Key Topics

Christmas through a Buddhist lens

Generosity, peace and unity

Jesus in a Buddhist context, the bodhisattva ideal

Schedule

10:00am-12:30pm - Morning Session, with refresher break

12:30pm-2:00pm - Lunch

2:00pm-4:30pm - Afternoon Session, with refresher break

5:00pm > Christmas Celebration around the fire!