Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa

Heart Jewel Prayers and Lamrim meditations are heart practices of the New Kadampa Tradition. They are a daily practice at KMC Ottawa and all NKT centres throughout the world.

Through practicing Heart Jewel, we learn how to generate the right state of mind with which to meditate successfully. It empowers, purifies and, most importantly, blesses our mind, so that we can meditate at much deeper levels and gain actual experience in meditation.

Lamrim meditations are essential Buddhist meditations that guide us step-by-step towards enlightenment.

From Monday to Friday each week, we will offer Heart Jewel Prayers from 8 to 9am with a special Lamrim meditation, which will be guided by Gen Kelsang Thekchen.

Everyone can attend in-person, and all Centre Members can attend online. For more information, please contact [email protected]

Guided meditation topics for this week:

Monday Sept 9 - Our precious human life
Tuesday Sept 10 - Death and impermanence
Wednesday Sept 11 - The dangers of lower rebirth
Thursday Sept 12 - Going for refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha
Friday Sept 13 - The wisdom understanding karma

Second week:
Monday Sept 16 - The first noble truth: true sufferings
Tuesday Sept 17 - The first noble truth: true sufferings
Wednesday Sept 18 - The second noble truth: true origins
Thursday Sept 19 - The fourth noble truth: true paths
Friday Sept 20 - The third noble truth: true cessations

The Heart Jewel Prayer Booklet

This short prayer booklet includes two practices revealed by the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri. By engaging in the special Guru yoga practised in conjunction with Je Tsongkhapa we can purify negativity, accumulate merit and receive blessings, and attain a very special wisdom. By engaging in the special method for relying upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our spiritual realizations. These two practices are the very essence of Kadampa Buddhism. If we practise them regularly and sincerely, we will reap a rich harvest of pure Dharma realizations, and eventually come to experience the supreme joy of full enlightenment.

There will be copies of this prayer booklet available to you at our Centre when you attend these sessions.

Questions? Please contact [email protected] .

Often we can find that our mind oscillates between dwelling on the past or being anxious about the future. This mental busyness takes us away from the present, prevents us from enjoying the simple things in life, and makes it very difficult to connect with the peace and happiness that we have the potential to experience in every single moment.

This series will explain Buddhist meditation and practical ways to help to let go of our busy thoughts and to experience the lightness and joy that comes through the practice of mindfulness and living in the moment. This course is suitable for everyone.

Each class includes 2 guided meditations and a teaching. There will be an opportunity to discuss and ask questions. You can drop in for any or all of these great classes - each class is self-contained. Everybody is welcome!

These classes will take place in the "Studio" at Centre Wakefield La Pêche, 38 ch de la Vallée de Wakefield, in Wakefield, Québec. The Studio is on the first level of the building. Free parking is available beside the building. The classes are a follow-up to the Public Talk taking place in Wakefield on Saturday Sept. 7, 11am-12:30pm: "Hope, Happiness & Well Being".

Class Schedule - all classes are from 11am to 12:15pm

Friday September 20 – Letting go of overthinking

Friday October 18 – Staying in the Now

Friday November 22 – Accepting what is

These classes are taught by Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen, who is a Kadampa Buddhist monk & senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. Gen Thekchen has taught widely in Canada and in the UK, and is now the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a practical, profound and often humorous way, making them very accessible and easy to practise in everyday life.

Pre-registration is preferred but you're also welcome to register at the door (cash, debit or credit).

Cost: $15 or $50 for a 4-class card. Free for monthly support members.

Buddha’s Tantric teachings are methods that harness the imagination to produce powerful inner transformation and deep inner peace. They are known as the “quick path to enlightenment". Based on the wish to experience lasting mental freedom, and especially the altruistic wish to help others as quickly as possible, we learn how to access our natural inner bliss and wisdom so that we can purify and transform our minds as quickly as possible for our own and others’ sake.

This half-day course will include practical teachings, guided meditations and time for questions.

Everyone is welcome!

Course Schedule

10am-11:15am Teaching and guided meditation
11:15-11:45am Break for tea / coffee
11:45-1:00pm Teaching, guided meditation & discussion

This course will be taught by Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen, who is a Kadampa Buddhist monk & senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. Gen Thekchen has taught widely in Canada and in the UK, and is now the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a practical, profound and often humorous way, making them very accessible and easy to practise in everyday life.

Pre-registration is recommended, but you can also register at the door when you arrive. Course Fee: $25 per person. No charge for Silver, Gold or Platinum support members. Free Live-Stream available for Silver, Gold and Platinum support members .

We all want to be happy and live a meaningful life, but how can we be happy in the midst of all the different influences in our daily life? What are some simple practices that everyone can do to help their mind, both in and out of meditation? One particularly well-loved text within our lineage, known as Advice from Atisha’s Heart, is full of helpful tips that everyone can practice. Each one addresses some aspect of our life where we can find more peace and happiness by thinking in special ways.

In these classes, Gen Thekchen will introduce and guide meditations for all levels. Each class will focus on a few verses from Advice from Atisha’s Heart, looking at how we can understand and practice their meaning in a way that will improve our daily experience. Start at the beginning of the series if you can, but if you miss the beginning then start when you are able.

Class Schedule

Sunday Sept 8 - A Special Breathing Meditation

Sunday Sept 15 - The Power of Listening

Sunday Sept 22 - Choosing What Influences Us

Sunday Sept 29 - The Art of Prioritizing

Sunday Oct 6 - How to Practice Mindfulness and Alertness

Sunday Oct 13 - No class because of our Away Retreat in Arnprior - click here for more information.

Sunday Oct 20 - The Power of Being Satisfied

Sunday Oct. 27 - No class - Fall International Festival in Brazil - click here for more information

Sunday Nov 3 - How to Stop Worldly Preoccupations

Sunday Nov 10 - Developing Equanimity

Sunday Nov 17 - How to Respect Everyone

Sunday Nov 24 - The Power of Honesty and Kindness

Sunday Dec 1 - Ontario Dharma Celebration

Sunday Dec 8 - The Power of Choosing Your Words

Sunday Dec 15 - Vajrasattva Retreat

These classes are taught by Resident Teacher Gen Kelsang Thekchen,who is a Kadampa Buddhist monk & senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. Gen Thekchen has taught widely in Canada and in the UK, and is now the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a practical, profound and often humorous way, making them very accessible and easy to practise in everyday life.

$15 per class, or $50 for a 4-class card
Free for members

Live-Streamed classes - This course is available by Live-Stream for our Support Members.