How to Live a Spiritual Life (Course)
How to Live a Spiritual Life
Following the Buddhist Path of Going for Refuge
Half-Day Course with Gen Kelsang Thekchen
Living a spiritual life means solving our problems and finding happiness from within. To do this, we need to develop and maintain an experience of inner peace through spiritual practice – recognizing, reducing and eventually abandoning our negative disturbed states of mind and increasing our positive peaceful states. These positive, peaceful states of mind such as love, compassion and wisdom are our inner refuge.
In order to develop these spiritual realizations, Buddhists go for refuge to the Three Jewels: Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. We first go for refuge to Buddha, a fully Enlightened being who teaches us how to train and inspire our mind. Dharma refers to Buddha’s teachings and the resultant inner spiritual realizations. Sangha are our spiritual friends who encourage us and show a good example for us to follow. This half-day course will explore these three sources of refuge, Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. By going for refuge to the Three Jewels, we will live a profound spiritual life.
This half-day course is introducing the annual refuge retreat happening from June 25th to 28th. Even though this retreat is part of the commitments of the Teacher Training Programme, it is suitable for everyone! Click here for more information on this retreat.
** Accommodation is available for this event. Please visit the Accommodation page for more information and to submit a request. **
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Saturday, June 24, 2023
1:30 p.m: Doors open
2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m: Teaching & Meditation
3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m: Refreshments
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m: Teaching & Meditation -
Gen Kelsang Thekchen, is a senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU). He began practising Kadam Dharma in Toronto in 1995 and has been a Kadampa monk and Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for 24 years.
He has been the Resident Teacher at Kuluta Buddhist Centre in Kingston, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada as the National Spiritual Director, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Vancouver as well established Kadampa Centres, Madhyamaka KMC and Bodhisattva KMC in the UK.
He is well known for his ability to present Buddha’s teachings in a simple, practical and often humorous way, making them easy to put into practice in everyday life.
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Regular: $40 / person
Class pass holders: -50% for class pass holders ($20 / person)
(click here for more information about the monthly class pass)How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the event.
To book in advance, click on the booking button below and fill out the booking form. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Promo code: If you are a class pass holder, you may enter your promo code at the top of the booking form to get your discount.
Your promo code has been given to you when you first signed up to become a class pass holder.
It is the letters in the first part of your email address (before the @), excluding dots ( . ), hyphens ( - ) or underscore ( _ ) and with a maximum of 16 digits.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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Accommodation is available for this event. For more information and to submit a request, please click here.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
Public Talk - How to Be Happy
Public Talk: How to Be Happy
Ancient Buddhist Wisdom for Modern Times
with International Teacher & Buddhist Monk Gen Kelsang Samten
When things go wrong in our life and we encounter difficult situations, we tend to regard the situation itself as our problem. But, in reality, whatever problems we experience come from the mind. If we were to respond to difficult situations with a positive and peaceful mind, they would not be problems for us. Indeed, we may even come to regard them as challenges or opportunities for growth and development. Problems arise only if we respond to difficulties with a negative state of mind. Therefore, if we want to be happy all the time and to be free from problems, we must maintain and develop a peaceful mind.
The ancient wisdom of Buddha's teachings gives a refreshing perspective that encourages us to look at life differently. We can solve daily problems, find real inner peace and enjoy deep happiness from practicing these time-honoured meditations and transformative ways of thinking. This talk is open to everyone, Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Everyone is welcome!
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Wednesday, June 14, 2023
7:00 p.m: Doors open
7:30 - 9:00 p.m: Public Talk
9:00 - 9:30 p.m: Bookstore & Giftshop
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Gen Samten Kelsang is the Resident Teacher at KMC New York. He is dedicated to helping everyone find peace of mind through the experience of meditation and through developing the capacity of their minds. As one of Venerable Geshe-la’s senior disciples, Gen Samten has had the unique opportunity to engage in a three-year retreat and carries with him a wealth of experience in skillfully guiding sincere practitioners to profound meditative insights on retreat. He is renowned for the clarity of his teachings and his ability to help students improve their meditation practice, taking them to deeper levels of experience. He is also greatly admired for his warm personality and his ability to touch people’s hearts through his sincerity and pure example.
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Early Bird: $25 / person (for bookings made by June 11, 2023)
Regular: $35 / person (for bookings made after June 11, 2023)
How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is strongly encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the talk.
To pre-register, fill out the booking form below. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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Please familiarize yourself with our terms & conditions below before making your booking.
• Full payment is required at time of booking.
• The fee Public Talk fee is $25/person for bookings made by June 11, 2023, and $35/person for bookings made after June 11, 2023.
• Cancellations: 25% of the Public Talk fee is non-refundable in the case of cancellations up to 24 hours before the start of the Talk (7:30 p.m. EDT, 13 June, 2023). After this, the Public Talk fee is fully non-refundable.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
The Inner Wealth of Contentment
The Inner Wealth of Contentment
Enjoying life without craving
Half-Day Course with Gen Kelsang Thekchen
In our search for happiness, we often waste our time and energy changing our job, partner, home, situation, and trying many different things in hopes of finding contentment. However, we will never know real satisfaction until we change our restless, discontented mind.
On this half day course, Gen Thekchen will show us how to develop the lost art of contentment through Buddhist meditation, enabling us to find true inner peace. When our mind is free from distraction and cravings, we can experience its natural stillness, allowing us to enjoy every moment of our life, regardless of the external situation.
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Saturday, June 10, 2023
9:30 a.m: Doors open
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m: Teaching & Meditation
11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m: Refreshments
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m: Teaching & Meditation -
Gen Kelsang Thekchen, is a senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU). He began practising Kadam Dharma in Toronto in 1995 and has been a Kadampa monk and Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for 24 years.
He has been the Resident Teacher at Kuluta Buddhist Centre in Kingston, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada as the National Spiritual Director, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Vancouver as well established Kadampa Centres, Madhyamaka KMC and Bodhisattva KMC in the UK.
He is well known for his ability to present Buddha’s teachings in a simple, practical and often humorous way, making them easy to put into practice in everyday life.
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Regular: $40 / person
Class pass holders: -50% for class pass holders ($20 / person)
(click here for more information about the monthly class pass)How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the event.
To book in advance, click on the booking button below and fill out the booking form. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Promo code: If you are a class pass holder, you may enter your promo code at the top of the booking form to get your discount.
Your promo code has been given to you when you first signed up to become a class pass holder.
It is the letters in the first part of your email address (before the @), excluding dots ( . ), hyphens ( - ) or underscore ( _ ) and with a maximum of 16 digits.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
Dealing with Difficult People
Dealing with Difficult People
Transforming our Relationships with Loving-Kindness
Half-Day Course
Interacting with people is such a big part of our lives. So often our priorities differ, our opinions clash, conflicts can build and we can feel like the other person is the cause of our stress and misery.
Buddha explains some clear methods for taking control of our feelings, realizing that we can change our relationships with others by changing the way we view them. We will explore some powerful meditations to enable us to respond to more effectively to ‘difficult’ people. Practising and becoming familiar with these meditations provides us with the freedom to be at peace regardless of how others behave.
** Accommodation is available for this event. Please visit the Accommodation page for more information and to submit a request. **
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Saturday, May 13, 2023
1:30 p.m: Doors open
2:00 p.m. - 3:15 p.m: Session 1
3:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m: Refreshments
3:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m: Session 2 -
Rose is a sincere practitioner who has been practising for more than 20 years and teaching for over 12 years. She is a student on the Teacher Training Program and explains Buddha’s teachings in a practical way that is easily applicable to everyone’s busy daily life.
Rose is a warm-hearted and dedicated volunteer member of our spiritual community and is a responsible for our Bookstore & gift shop as well as Tharpa Publications Canada.
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Regular: $30 / person
Class pass holders: no charge
(click here for more information about the monthly class pass)How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the event.
To book in advance, click on the booking button below and fill out the booking form. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Promo code: If you are a class pass holder, you may enter your promo code at the top of the booking form to get your discount.
Your promo code has been given to you when you first signed up to become a class pass holder.
It is the letters in the first part of your email address (before the @), excluding dots ( . ), hyphens ( - ) or underscore ( _ ) and with a maximum of 16 digits.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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Accommodation is available for this event. For more information and to submit a request, please click here.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
How to Transform your Life
How to Transform your Life
A blissful journey
Sunday morning weekly class
Every living being has the same basic wish – to be happy and to avoid suffering. Happiness and suffering do not exist outside of our mind. They are feelings, which are parts of our mind. If we want to experience real lasting happiness and be free from suffering, we must learn to develop and maintain an experience of inner peace.
These classes give easy-to-follow methods to fulfil this deepest of wishes. Through practising the meditations and special methods explained, we can bring about positive changes in our lives that will enable us to experience the deep and lasting happiness we all long for.
Although taught as a series, each class is self-contained and can be attended individually. Each class will be followed by complimentary refreshments and the opportunity to ask questions. Everyone is welcome!
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Sunday mornings *
10:30 a.m: Doors open
11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m: Teaching & Meditation
12:15 - 12:45 p.m: Q&As + Refreshments
* Please note: While this is a weekly class, there will be occasional breaks in the schedule to accommodate special events. Please check the calendar to confirm there is a class.
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The Teacher for the class is Gen Kelsang Thekchen. *
Gen Kelsang Thekchen, is a senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU). He began practising Kadam Dharma in Toronto in 1995 and has been a Kadampa monk and Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for 24 years.
He has been the Resident Teacher at Kuluta Buddhist Centre in Kingston, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada as the National Spiritual Director, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Vancouver as well established Kadampa Centres, Madhyamaka KMC and Bodhisattva KMC in the UK.
He is well known for his ability to present Buddha’s teachings in a simple, practical and often humorous way, making them easy to put into practice in everyday life.
* Please note: Although Gen Kelsang Thekchen is the principal Teacher for this class, there may be other Teachers occasionally.
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Regular: $15 / person
Class pass holders: no charge
(click here for more information about the monthly class pass)How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the event.
To book in advance, click on the booking button below and fill out the booking form. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Promo code: If you are a class pass holder, you may enter your promo code at the top of the booking form to get your discount.
Your promo code has been given to you when you first signed up to become a class pass holder.
It is the letters in the first part of your email address (before the @), excluding dots ( . ), hyphens ( - ) or underscore ( _ ) and with a maximum of 16 digits.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
Meditations for Healing Ourself & Others
Meditations for Healing Ourself & Others
The Practice of Taking and Giving
Day Course with Gen Kelsang Thekchen
This ancient meditative practice is the best way to transform all types of difficulty such as pain, illness, anxiety into an opportunity to strengthen our inner peace, love and compassion. Taking and giving is a beautiful, profound method to transform our personal problems and the sufferings in this world into the very means for experiencing love, joy, compassion and wisdom. This practice brings mental peace and happiness, increasing our spiritual strength and capacity to overcome challenges while developing the supreme good heart of a Bodhisattva.
This day course will explore practical ways to use the meditations on imagining taking on the suffering of others and giving love to others. We can apply this when we are suffering, or when others we care about are suffering. We can apply this in formal meditation and in daily life. This course is suitable for everyone, regardless of experience. Everyone is welcome!
** Accommodation is available for this event. Please visit the Accommodation page for more information and to submit a request. **
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This event is taking place at:
Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada
631 Crawford St. Toronto ON M6G 3K1 -
Saturday, May 6, 2023
9:30 a.m: Doors open
10:00 a.m. - 11:15 a.m: Session 1
11:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m: Refreshments
11:45 a.m. - 1:00 p.m: Session 2
1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m: Lunch
2:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m: Session 3 -
Gen Kelsang Thekchen is a senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition - International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU). He began practising Kadam Dharma in Toronto in 1995 and has been a Kadampa monk and Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for 24 years.
He has been the Resident Teacher at Kuluta Buddhist Centre in Kingston, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada as the National Spiritual Director, at Kadampa Meditation Centre Vancouver as well as Madhyamaka KMC and Bodhisattva KMC in the UK. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha’s teachings in a simple, practical and often humorous way, making them easy to put into practice in everyday life.
At Kadampa Meditation Centre Canada, Gen Thekchen usually teaches the Sunday and Wednesday morning, and Tuesday evening classes. He also teaches at special events, courses and workshops as well as our two in-depth study programs, the Foundation Program and the Teacher Training Program.
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Regular: $55 / person
Class pass holders: $27.50 / person
(click here for more information about the monthly class pass)How to book: You can book in advance via our website or simply drop in and register upon arrival. Pre-registration is encouraged to allow a smoother registration process and decrease your wait time at the door. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the event.
To book in advance, click on the booking button below and fill out the booking form. At the end of the booking process, you will receive an email confirming your booking.
Promo code: If you are a class pass holder, you may enter your promo code at the top of the booking form to get your discount.
Your promo code has been given to you when you first signed up to become a class pass holder.
It is the letters in the first part of your email address (before the @), excluding dots ( . ), hyphens ( - ) or underscore ( _ ) and with a maximum of 16 digits.
Payment methods: For pre-registration via our website, we accept credit cards. For registration on site upon arrival, we accept cash, debit and credit cards.
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Accommodation is available for this event. For more information and to submit a request, please click here.
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If you have any questions or booking inquiries, please email: [email protected]
The Bodhisattva's Way of Life
The Bodhisattva's Way of Life ~ How to Enjoy a Life of Altruism ~ Special Weekend Course with Guest Teacher Gen Kelsang Demo
How to Transform your Life
How to Solve Our Human Problems ~ Respond to life's challenges with a positive mind ~ Tuesday Evening Weekly Class ~ with Gen Kelsang Thekchen
Silencing the Inner Critic
Silencing the Inner Critic ~ How to overcome Negative Self-talk ~ Half-Day Course
Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs
Overcoming Self-Limiting Beliefs ~ Developing Confidence & Self-Esteem ~ Half-Day Course with Gen Kelsang Thekchen
Love without Pain
Love without Pain ~ How to Make Relationships Work ~ Half-Day Meditation Course