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Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity

The Mahamudra Centre for Universal Unity  is a Buddhist Retreat Centre set in the stunning Colville Valley on the Coromandel Peninsula, North Island, New Zealand. The centre provides a tranquil, relaxing environment for individual or group retreats, plus we also offer a regular program of Buddhist teachings and meditations.
 

Summer program with Ven Jamyang

 
Introduction to Buddhism
7-9 February
 All living beings are the same in that we all want to be happy and free of suffering. The Buddha, out of great compassion for all living beings, found a way how to achieve this aim. He introduced us to his teachings by explaining that our existence is in the nature of suffering, and that this suffering has a cause. The amazing consequence of this truth is that, once we realize the cause of our suffering to its fullest, we can (and will) completely eliminate all the suffering from our body and mind.
According to the Buddha all living being have the potential to realize this truth and to become fully enlightened, experiencing only happiness and being completely free of suffering.
 
In this weekend course you will:
Explore the Four Noble Truths, the first teaching of the Buddha.
Learn how to relate it to your daily experience.
Learn how to relate it to the workings of your own mind. 
Note: This course is suitable for people who are new to Buddhism as well as for more experienced students who would like to deepen their understanding.
Letting go of Anger and Resentment
14-16 February
 When we feel threatened or hurt, instinctively we react in order to protect ourselves. Sometimes, when we are unable to express this reaction we internalize it, damaging only ourselves.
Both anger and resentment appear to us as our friend who is helping us. We see them as completely natural and justified, however in nature they are the most destructive emotions we can experience. 
In order to be able to let go of these instinctive reactions we need to change the way we view painful situations. By changing our perspective we can create a space in our mind in which anger and resentment can follow their natural flow and eventually dissolve, leaving our mind in a more peaceful state, in which qualities as love and compassion naturally reside.
Explore the various techniques Buddhism has to offer in changing our perspective and attitude.
Learn to let go of anger and resentment.
Learn to develop love and compassion for ourselves and others instead.Note: This course is suitable for anyone who is interested in practicing this topic.
Medicine Buddha Retreat
28 February-2 March
 Medicine Buddha practice is one of the most powerful and beneficial practices that we can do in degenerate times, which is the time we are living in now. In degenerate times the delusions of sentient beings are getting stronger and so does their suffering. Out of great compassion the eight Medicine Buddha’s promised to protect sentient beings especially in this time when the suffering can be overwhelming and unbearable. They made aspirational prayers, wishing to relieve sentient beings from the different kinds of suffering.
Although in general in this time the suffering of sentient beings increases, engaging in this practice will help to reduce our individual delusions and sufferings, and it creates the causes for more happiness and well-being in our life.
 
During this retreat:
We will do several sessions of the Medicine Buddha sadhana (practice)
We will make supplications and requests to the eight Medicine Buddhas to keep their promise.
We are offered many opportunities to strengthen our bodhichitta motivation, wishing to be able to help all sentient beings to be free of their suffering. 
Note: This wonderful practice can be done by practitioners of all levels, from beginners to experienced meditators.
A Taste of Buddhism                                                                                               
 Sunday 9 March: 10-11.45 am & 1.30-3 pm
The two pillars of Buddhist philosophy are seeing the interdependent nature of reality and developing an attitude that does not harm other living beings. By becoming a more wise and kind person we do not only benefit others, but also become happier ourselves.
Tibetan Buddhism offers a wide variety of techniques to accomplish these goals, based on a philosophy that is compatible with nowadays scientific findings. It also expresses unique features as karma and past and future lives, and although we might not have concrete evidence about their existence, science has never been able to disprove these concepts.
During this day the concepts that are the foundation of Buddhism will be presented to you in a light manner with talks, discussion, and meditation. There will be plenty of room for you to ask the questions that you always wanted to ask.
 
Note: This practice days is suitable for beginners and for those with a background in Buddhism, visitors to the center, and anyone who would like to spend a day enjoying the pleasure of Dharma and the peace of Mahamudra Centre.
 
Who am I, really. Teachings on Emptiness
14-16 March: 
Who or what is that ‘I’ that appears so often in our minds?
It is the centre of our universe; it is who we are in essence. We constantly listen to its needs, and are obsessed with trying to make it happy and prevent it from suffering – but how does this ‘I’ really exist? Is it as concrete as it appears to us? And what does it mean when it says that things exist like a dream or an illusion? Do they still exist?
 
Finding the ultimate nature of phenomena is essential if we want to bring our confusion and suffering completely to an end. It is said that even generating doubt with respect to reality scatters the root of cyclic existence. Thinking about the way things do exist – as dependent arisings – will help us to open our mind and become more relaxed with ourselves and others. 
 
This weekend course will contain teachings, discussions and meditations.
Note: This course is for people who have some basic understanding of the Buddhist presentation of reality.
Transforming Problems
21-23 March
When a problem comes on our path we have the tendency to experience it as coming from outside and to blame others for it. However, the way we experience a problem and the impact it has on our mind is determined by how we look at it and our capacity to deal with it. Tibetan Buddhism offers many techniques to transform our mind either by viewing the problem from a different perspective or by transforming our self-cherishing attitude. By applying ourselves to these ancient methods gradually we can develop more compassion towards ourselves and others and experience what we initially saw as a problem in a different and more positive light.
 
“There is only problem if you label problem!” Lama Zopa Rinpoche
 
In this course the topic is explored by means of teachings, meditations, discussions.
 Note: This course is suitable for anyone interested in this topic.
 
For more information about the schedule below please contact us:
Telephone: +64 (0)7 866 6851
Email: retreat@mahamudra.org.nz
Website: www.mahamudra.org.nz