We invite you to a course on meditation and Buddhist philosophy, which will take place in Warsaw and online starting January 2025.

The course will begin on January 19, 2025, and will last for five months. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about Buddhist teachings on the mind, as well as delve into two main forms of Buddhist practice:
- the meditation of calming the mind (siamatha), which allows one to quiet a restless and thought-absorbed mind by using objects of focus;
- insight meditation (vipassana) - an analytical meditation involving the methodical examination of one's own experience and self-recognition of reality.

The central theme of the course will be the transcendence of attachment to the self, that is, the idea that there exists some single, permanent, and independent 'self.' From a Buddhist perspective, the self is a mistaken concept imposed on the constantly changing body and mind.

The classes will be based on sutras, that is, the teachings of the Buddha, including the Satipatthana Sutra, which presents the practice of mindfulness of the body and mind. Course participants will learn the fundamental issues of Buddhist philosophy, as well as various methods of practice that support progress on the path.

COURSE DETAILS

The course will last until June 15, 2025. Classes will be held on Sundays from 7 PM to 9 PM at KDC located at Jana Nowaka Jeziorańskiego 49/U12, as well as online via Zoom.

Each meeting will be divided into three parts:
- practice of calming the mind led by Lama Grażyna Gintowt-Dziewałtowska;
- analytical meditation based on selected sutras led by Tomasz Szczygielski;
- a question and answer session to clarify doubts.

An additional element of the course will be weekend meditation workshops with Acharya Lama Kelzang Wang, which will take place in Warsaw from January 31 to February 2, 2025. Detailed information about the workshops can be found here: https://karmadechencholing.eu/events/alkw2024-2-243.

INSTRUCTORS

Lama Grażyna Gintowt-Dziewałtowska - a meditation teacher in the Vajrayana tradition, who has completed three multi-year meditation retreats and has been associated with the Benchen Karma Kamtsang Buddhist Center in Grabnik for many years.

Dr. Eng. Tomasz Szczygielski - practicing Buddhism for over 30 years under the guidance of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, a teacher at the Nitartha Institute of Higher Buddhist Studies.

COST AND REGISTRATION

The course is funded by donations from participants. The donation amount for one month of classes is 200 PLN (1,000 PLN for five months). Those who cannot cover the full amount are asked to contact us – there is a possibility for individual arrangements. Payments with the note 'meditation' should be made to the Marpa Institute account:
PL20109025900000000132144871

REGISTER FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION:
https://forms.gle/h5z8BgLsYeq2t5VF9

More information: lukasz@marpa.pl