Buddhist meditation, psychology & philosophy

Buddhist Mindscience - The Nature of Perception

Tue, Sep 29 · 7:30 PM CEST

Maitreya Instituut, Tilanusstraat 8, Amsterdam, NL

For this training you need to register via our website

Introduction
How do we perceive things? Is the way we perceive things accurate? Does the way we perceive things influence our experiences of happiness and suffering? What is the relationship between perception and wisdom? Could an accurate, wise, way of perceiving things be a source of well-being and freedom from suffering?
This course focuses on wisdom. It reflects on its meaning, relevance, and how it counteracts the causes of suffering. It goes deeper into the most profound aspect of wisdom: understanding the nature of reality. It concludes with the nature of mind which makes full awakening possible and it is complemented by references to current scientific understanding on wisdom and well-being and the process of perception.

Annelies van der Heijden
Annelies is a Dutch, registered FPMT-teacher and qualified mindfulness teacher. Annelies has been actively involved with the Maitreya Institute and with the FPMT organization since 1997. She has been a teacher for many years and facilitates program activities at both the Maitreya Institute in The Netherlands and within the FPMT organization worldwide. She has a background as a dietician, shiatsu therapist and yoga teacher.

FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training - Mahamudra & Kriya Tantra

Sat, Oct 3 · 3:30 PM CEST

Location not specified yet

To join this training you need to register via our website.

The course
Meditation is essential for personal transformation and a crucial complement to Buddhist studies. This 4-year online FPMT course provides students with long term, in-depth support in their meditative development. This is a collaboration between The Buddha Project and 14 FPMT Buddhist Centers around the world.

The Vajra Ground - Mahamudra & Kriya Tantra
In this culminating fourth year of our journey, our path turns inward to the mind itself—its empty, luminous nature—and outward to the transformative methods of tantra, where the naturally pure nature of our perception is recognized as the very ground of awakening.

The teacher - Ven. Losang Gendun
Venerable Losang Gendun has spent nearly four decades in Buddhist practice, living as a fully ordained Bhikshu in the Tibetan tradition for the past twenty years. His training spans ten years of monastic study across France, India, Nepal, and Myanmar, and more than four years in solitary retreat in both Tibetan and Burmese Theravāda traditions. For the past eighteen years he has taught Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and meditation worldwide within the FPMT, serving the vision of H.H. the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. In 2023 he founded The Buddha Project, offering long-term guidance for serious meditators and fostering dialogue between Buddhist traditions, contemplative science, and the arts. Its core program is the four-year FPMT In-Depth Meditation Training.

New to the training and have questions? Please write to amsterdam@maitreya.nl.

Thangka workshop - animals on the Thangka

Sun, Oct 4 · 10:30 AM CEST

Location not specified yet

# A wonderful day with the renowned Thangka painter Carmen Mensink

“The Tibetan Thangka is a mirror of the mind.” – Happinez Magazine
For this workshop you need to register via our website.

### What is a Thangka?

Thangkas are Buddhist scroll paintings depicting, for example, Buddhas and mandalas, painted according to an ancient Tibetan tradition.

### Why are Tibetan Thangkas drawn and painted?

A thangka is more than just art; it opens a window onto spirituality by combining craftsmanship with deep symbolism, thereby illuminating the path to enlightenment. Every detail on a thangka tells a story, inviting people to reflect and grow.

### The workshop: Drawing Animals in Tibetan art

During this special one-day workshop on World Animal Day, you will learn to draw animals as they are depicted in the traditional Tibetan thangka tradition. Animals depicted include, for example, deer, yaks, fish and birds. They form part of the landscape surrounding a Buddha on a thangka.
Animals are important in Tibetan Buddhism in any case, as it is recognised that all sentient beings want exactly the same thing as we humans: simply to be happy and not to suffer.
The day begins with a short meditation and a talk on the background and symbolism of animals in the Tibetan tradition, after which you’ll get to work yourself.

### Who is this introductory workshop for?

• For anyone interested in the art of Thangka drawing
• For those who wish to deepen their (Buddhist) practice.
• Among other things, it helps you to visualise more effectively during your meditation
• For anyone wishing to embark on a fascinating journey into Tibetan art
• And for anyone who is simply curious and interested in art in general and/or Buddhism in particular!

This day is suitable for everyone, including beginners with no drawing experience whatsoever. All materials are included!

### What do others say about the workshop?

“For me, drawing a thangka is a form of meditation.”
“Your vast wealth of knowledge and skill is evident in everything you offer and show us. It’s not just any ordinary lesson you give: you truly stand behind everything you say. Thank you for your dedication, your encouragement and your enthusiasm.”

### Who is Carmen Mensink?

Carmen lives and works in Amsterdam, where she paints and teaches Tibetan Buddhist art and philosophy. She has been giving lessons and lectures at museums, universities and centres around the world for over twenty years. She also restores thangkas and gilds and paints Buddha statues. In addition, she has been featured in dozens of publications. The enthusiasm and dedication Carmen brings to her lessons have already guided and inspired thousands of people on the path of Buddhist art.
Click here for an interview with Carmen Mensink for the Dutch tv.
Carmen is also sought after for related forms of Tibetan art, including the metre-long floor paintings of the ‘Eight Auspicious Symbols’ which she created to welcome the Dalai Lama to the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.tibetanbuddhistart.com

### Practical information

• Day: Sunday October 4
• Time: 10.30 - 17.00 hrs. With an hour lunch break (bring your own sandwich or find one of the many nice places nearby)
• Language: Dutch (with possibility for English translation and guidance)
• Location: Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam, Tilanusstraat 8A
• Materials: All necessary materials will be provided
• Advice: Bring some thick socks and possibly a notebook
• Minimum number of participants: 8 (max. 16)
• Last minute registration: Please also email amsterdam@maitreya.nl to confirm your spot.