March 1 – 2, 2024
2-day non-residential course led by Ondy Willson
Open to all levels of practitioners: beginners and experienced alike.
Enlightened “heroes” or “warriors” are highly altruistic beings who have the wisdom to realise that by dedicating themselves to the welfare of other sentient beings, the fulfilment of their own interest comes automatically as a by-product.” — Illuminating the Path to Enlightenment, His Holiness the Dalai Lama
What does it mean to be a Spiritual Warrior?
How can we engage in a spiritual path that puts our self-development first and avoids the extremes of materialism and hedonism in a world that is dominated by greed and selfishness?
In this course we will consider the attributes of one who is on an inner crusade and how we too can be authentic spiritual practitioners and “fulfil our own interests”.
We will consider:
- The wisdom we need to overcome our self-grasping
- How we can develop the courage to live life without being influenced by the conventions of society’s norms
- Understand what genuine self-esteem is – the prerequisite to sustain the inner conviction we need to stay on a path of kindness and compassion
All that is required is a genuine interest in spiritual development and the wish to deepen our understanding of Buddhist psychology.
Teacher
Ondy has been a Dharma practitioner since 1980, living and studying in a Buddhist Centre in Cumbria, UK for 13 years. In 2001, she facilitated and taught in the Yeshe Buddhist Group. She has served as a FPMT Touring Teacher since 2007, and has taught internationally in Europe, Russia, India and the U.S.
Ondy specialises in making the teachings accessible and relevant to contemporary life and to this end created a Mindfulness Based Mind Training Programme (MBMT). As founder of her Wellseeing Consultancy, Ondy has much experience of delivering training to both the public and private sectors, as well as in Dharma settings.
Initially trained as a Drama specialist, she was a storyteller and secondary school teacher for over 20 years, leaving her career in education as Head of Belief, Philosophy and Ethics.
Ondy is also a published author and her new book Spiritual Rebellion: mindfulness with attitude encapsulates Buddhist Psychology in a secular framework.
For further information see ondywillson.com
Schedule
This course will be in silence.
Approximate daily schedule for both days:
| 09:00 – 09:45 | Meditation |
| 10:00 – 12:00 | Teaching |
| 12:00 – 14:00 | Lunch Break |
| 14:00 – 16:00 | Teaching |
| 16:00 – 16:20 | Tea Break |
| 16:20 – 17:00 | Meditation |
Please note: This schedule might change on short notice!
Registration in Tushita’s Office Required!
Practical Information
Tushita’s Donation Policy
Tushita Meditation Centre operates entirely on the basis of donations, most of which come from people attending our courses and retreats. We will ask you to please give your full donation for the course in our reception office in the days before the course starts, payable in Indian Rupees only (unfortunately we cannot accept Foreign Currency, Travellers Cheques or Credit / Debit Cards).
For example, the minimum amount that Tushita needs to cover our costs for a 2- / 3-day course is 1500 / 2000 Indian Rupees per person. This includes lunch and afternoon tea on this day. It does not include any other meals or accommodation, since it will be a non-residential course. Of course, extra donations to help Tushita are always welcome!
Course Registration
For our non-residential courses, registration is only possible in our reception office by making your full donation of 1500 INR for this 2-day course.
Office hours are: Monday – Saturday (closed Sundays)
- 9:00 – 11:30am
– lunch break – - 12:30 – 4:00pm
Closed Sundays
Accommodation Options
Since this is a Non-Residential course, it will not be possible to stay here at Tushita. There are many guest houses and hotels nearby however, varied enough to meet all comfort levels and budgets. Here are some tips for finding accommodation in McLeod Ganj.
What to Bring
- Warm clothing which can be worn in layers and a shawl/blanket for using in the meditation hall are advisable. Bear in mind that we are at a slightly higher altitude than in McLeod Ganj, it is noticeably colder here.
- You are welcome to take notes during the course, so you may find a notebook, pen etc useful.
- It is handy to have your own water bottle. Filtered water is available in our dining hall and out of concern for the environment, we strongly discourage students from buying water in plastic bottles.
- An umbrella or rainwear, depending on the weather that day.
- Please read our Library page: we sell books and other items, so you may want to bring some extra money with you; or check conditions for borrowing.
- Please DO NOT bring: any musical instruments, camera, radios / tape / CD / MP3 players or mobile phones as you will be asked not to use them while you are here.
Read more on our Short Courses page.