“Many people think excitement is happiness…. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace.” ― Thich Nhat Hanh
About the Sessions
Join us on Sunday morning for an hour to pause, center, and restore to a happier and more peaceful mind to support you in being a bit more resilient in a world which does not always make sense anymore. These guided meditations are to help you calm your mind, explore your own nature and develop a more peaceful perception on life. When you are well with yourself, you will be more able to be well with others and the world.
These meditations are very practical, they are not within a religious context, so they are suitable for people of different beliefs, ages and abilities, for beginners as well as for those with more experience.
Registrations are not required.
What are the meditations based on?
They are based on a set of values and principles aimed at helping individuals cultivate a more peaceful and meaningful life. They are divided into four categories:
- how we think (humility, patience, contentment and delight)
- how we act (kindness, honesty, generosity and right speech)
- how we relate to others (respect, forgiveness, gratitude and loyalty)
- how we find meaning (aspiration, principles, service and courage).
These guidelines provide a framework for personal growth, encouraging individuals to think, act, relate, and find meaning in ways that foster a harmonious and fulfilling life.
How to Join
The sessions are offered online:
- TIME: 10.00 – 11.00 am CE(S)T,
- DATES: Sundays from 19th January – 4th May 2025
- ONLINE: Join Zoom here – Passcode: 353076
Why meditate?
When you control your mind with wisdom you create the space you need to discover peace and joy. Your life then becomes peaceful and joyful and somewhat protected from the ups and downs of the external world. For beginner to advanced meditators.
Facilitator
Ven. Gönpo is an accredited FDCW facilitator and a Buddhist monk based in Australia. He discovered Buddhism as a child through martial arts movies and TV shows, this was the inspiration for the childhood dream of becoming a wandering kung fu monk. It was a few decades before part of that dream could be realized with many other life adventures distracting him from the spiritual path in his teens and twenties.
It wasn’t until he was in his thirties that Gönpo began to really understand the power of Buddhist teachings when he used them to navigate the emotional roller-coaster of life’s many experiences such as a marriage break down and raising children alone. Fortunately, due the kindness of his teachers and great good karma, after his children finished school, Gönpo was able to fulfil the long-held dream of becoming a monk, albeit without the kung fu. Ending a 20-year career as a high school teacher of languages, he become a wandering monk spending time studying and meditating in Europe, India and Nepal before returning to his hometown, Brisbane, to take up the role of Spiritual Care Practitioner at Karuna Hospice Services, giving care and support to people with life limiting illnesses and their families.
In his time as a school teacher, it was the feedback from students around mindfulness practices and life lessons that had the biggest impact on Gönpo, motivating him to become a 16 Guidelines for a Happy Life facilitator. In his sessions, Gönpo encourages discussion and deep engagement in the topics, challenging participants to examine their own ways of thinking. Through understanding how we are now, we are better equipped to develop the habits that will bring us closer to how we want to be, interacting with our own minds and the people around us in ways that will make us and the communities we live in, happier and healthier.
More info
For more information please visit the Maitreya Institute website
