Understanding Your Buddhist Neighbour

Our guest speaker, Lynn Tierney, a Kadampa Buddhist Teacher, was introduced by The Rev. Sandra Farrow, minister at Northminster United Church, Oshawa.

Buddha and Buddhism

The founder of Buddhism in this world was Buddha Shakyamuni who lived and taught in India some two and a half thousand years ago. Since then millions of people around the world have followed the pure spiritual path he revealed.

Buddha explained that all our problems and suffering arise from confused and negative states of mind, and all our happiness and good fortune arise from peaceful and positive states of mind.

Lasting peace and happiness

He taught methods for gradually overcoming minds such as anger, jealousy and ignorance, and developing positive minds such as love, compassion and wisdom. Through this we will come to experience lasting peace and happiness.

These methods work for anyone, in any country, in any age. Once we have gained experience of them for ourselves we can pass them on to others so they, too, can enjoy the same benefits.

The Buddhist way of life - peace, loving kindness and wisdom - is just as relevant today as it was when Buddha appeared in ancient India.

The New Kadampa Tradition

This is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso that is derived from the Buddhist meditators and scholars Atisha and Je Tsongkhapa.

Putting Buddha's teachings into practice in the context of our family and work commitments, we discover they are unsurpassed methods to resolve daily difficulties and problems.

We assume difficult circumstances make us unhappy, but in reality, our reactions to them are what disturb our minds. Buddha taught that by changing our views and intentions, we can learn to respond to life’s many challenges with a patient, relaxed mind.