weekly meditation classes for all levels
Weekly Classes
Odiyana Center offers meditation classes that are open to everyone; you don’t have to be Buddhist or have any special experience or background. The classes resonate with a lot of people because they provide very practical methods for finding peace, happiness and meaning in the midst of busy modern daily life. The classes also give effective ways of helping others and dealing with many of the problems in the world today.
ongoing sundays | 11:00am–12:15pm
Finding Peace in Difficult Times
Sundays | 11:00 am – 12:15 pm
With Resident Teacher Matthew Stein
Held in-person at Odiyana Buddhist Center, Glastonbury, CT (Available via Livestream to Center Members)
About the Class
“Happiness is a part of the mind that experiences inner peace, or peace of mind, so the real source of happiness must lie within the mind, not in external conditions.” – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, The New Eight Steps to Happiness
In his teachings on training the mind, Buddha explained many methods for transforming difficult conditions into causes of spiritual growth and development. Through learning to transform our adversities we can gradually develop the ability to maintain a peaceful and positive mind even in the midst of challenging circumstances. In this series, we will explore these teachings and practices taught by Buddha and begin to gain some familiarity with them through guided meditation.
Recommended reading: The New Eight Steps to Happiness by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Available in our center bookshop or online here – The New Eight Steps to Happiness
Each class in this series is self-contained, so you are welcome to join at any point. You do not need to be a Buddhist to attend, and no previous experience of meditation is required. Everyone is welcome!
Special Prayers called Prayers for World Peace will be included during the last class of each month.
The Teacher
Matthew has practiced and taught Kadampa Buddhism and meditation for many years under the guidance of many senior teachers of the New Kadampa Tradition.
Matthew previously lived at the Kadampa World Peace Temple in New York where he engaged in in-depth study and retreat, and recently he completed the Intensive Teacher Training Program at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in Northern England. Matthew teaches from the heart in a clear, warm and relaxed way, that is always practical and relevant to our daily lives.
Cost
$12
Free for Center Members
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org if you need to make arrangements.
An In-Person and Online Event
Held in-person at Odiyana Buddhist Center, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT 06033.
Live-streaming is available for Center Members. Please contact the Education Program Coordinator at epc@odiyana.org for a zoom link after you have registered for the class if you wish to attend online.
ongoing wednesdays | 7:00-8:15pm
Introduction to Emptiness: Training in Ultimate Bodhichitta
Wednesdays | 7:00 – 8:15 pm
With Resident Teacher Matthew Stein
Held in-person at Odiyana Buddhist Center, Glastonbury, CT (Available via Livestream to Center Members)
About the Class
“We are like travelers in a desert who exhaust themselves running after mirages, or like someone walking down a road at night mistaking the shadows of the trees for criminals or wild animals waiting to attack.” – Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, Modern Buddhism
Emptiness is the way things really are. Emptiness is not nothingness. It is the way things exist as opposed to the way they appear. Realizing emptiness is the method to release our mind from the ignorance of self-grasping. As the great Yogi Saraha said, “If your mind is released permanently from self-grasping, there is no doubt that you will be released permanently from suffering.” This is because the result of grasping tightly at appearances is that we develop self-cherishing, attachment, hatred, jealousy and other delusions, our mind becomes agitated and unbalanced, and our peace of mind is destroyed.
In these classes, Matthew will introduce emptiness in a practical way, applying an understanding of emptiness to our fears and exaggerations about our body, our self, our world and other things.
Recommended reading: Modern Buddhism by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Free download here – Modern Buddhism
The Teacher
Matthew has practiced and taught Kadampa Buddhism and meditation for many years under the guidance of many senior teachers of the New Kadampa Tradition.
Matthew previously lived at the Kadampa World Peace Temple in New York where he engaged in in-depth study and retreat, and recently he completed the Intensive Teacher Training Program at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in Northern England. Matthew teaches from the heart in a clear, warm and relaxed way, that is always practical and relevant to our daily lives.
Cost
$12
Free for Center Members
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org if you need to make arrangements.
An In-Person and Online Event
Held in-person at Odiyana Buddhist Center, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT 06033.
Live-streaming is available for Center Members. Please contact the Assistant Education Program Coordinator at assistantepc@odiyana.org for a zoom link after you have registered for the class if you wish to attend online.
Nov 26 Thanksgiving break. No class
$1
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org if you need to make arrangements.
ongoing Thursdays | 7:00pm –8:00pm
Meditation Toolkit
Breathing Meditation and Lamrim
Thursdays | 7:00 – 8:00 pm
With Odiyana Center teachers
Held in person at Odiyana Buddhist Center: 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT
Online streaming available for Odiyana Center Members
About the Class
One of the keys to making progress towards our potential for lasting peace is developing a consistent meditation practice. We can do this by learning simple techniques and by becoming familiar with what to focus on in meditation.
At the beginning of each class, you will have the opportunity to gain experience with breathing meditation, a powerful method to transform the mind from a state of agitation and heaviness to a state of clarity, peace and happiness.
Following the guided breathing meditation, the teacher will share some practical advice and then guide a meditation on one of the meditations from the Lamim (Stages of the Path to Enlightenment) using The New Meditation Handbook by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. These special meditations lead us directly to our potential for deep happiness, freedom from problems and the ability to really benefit others.
You will leave each class with simple methods that you can apply to your own practice both in formal meditation and in daily life.
Everyone is welcome!
Cost
$12 per class | Free for Supporting Members
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org if you need to make arrangements.
An In-Person and Online Event
Held in-person at Odiyana Buddhist Center, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury, CT 06033.
Live-streaming is available for Center Members. Please contact the Assistant Education Program Coordinator at assistantepc@odiyana.org for a zoom link after you have registered for the class if you wish to attend online.
Nov 13- No Class. All are welcome to attend any part of the empowerment preparations from 5 – 8pm.
No special skills needed! All are welcome! You may come for any portion of this time.
Nov 27- Thanksgiving break. No class.
$12 per class | Free for Supporting Members
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please email the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org is you need to make arrangements.
ongoing Wednesdays | 12:15pm – 1:00pm
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Nov 26 Thanksgiving break. No class
$8 per class | Free for Supporting Members
No one is turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the Administrative Director at admin@odiyana.org if you need to make arrangements.
Special Events
Looking for special events? Click here to visit the special events page.
listen now
Looking for more dharma? Enjoy brief teachings with Kadampa teachers from around the world.
no one turned away
No one will be turned away from a class for lack of funds. Please contact Rob at admin@odiyana.org to make arrangements.
