Introduction to Calm Abiding Meditation Course

• 9-week course in Calm-Abiding (Shamatha) Meditation
• Tuesday evenings, 7:00-8:30 PM, March 11 to May 6, plus one weekend afternoon TBD
• At Center Space, in St Andrews Center, 1918 Union Avenue, Chattanooga TN 37405
• IN-PERSON and ONLINE (note, class on April 8 & 29 will be online only)
• Tuition $90 + $25 book purchase with postage included is also required
• NOTE: partial and full scholarships for tuition are available if needed – please email contact@paramitacentersoutheast.org

Would you like to find more peace and well-being in your life? Join us to learn Calm-Abiding (Concentration) Meditation in a 9-week, 16 hour course, in-person and online. Find calm in an uncalm world.

It is well known that the primary purpose of the Buddha’s teaching is to end suffering and attain the happiness of enlightenment by practicing two forms of meditation: concentration meditation and analytical meditation. The first aims at achieving calm-abiding (shamatha), while the second aims to gaining special insight (vipashyana). In our current times, perhaps more than ever, meditation can be a path to calming the mind and lessening afflictive emotions; a way to finding calm in an uncalm world.

Our calm-abiding meditation course follows the Tibetan Buddhist tradition taught and practiced by His Holiness the Dalai-Lama. A major component of this course includes teachings on Buddhist philosophy as the foundation for calm-abiding meditation, with the purpose of achieving mental peace and increased happiness. Each class includes teachings on the philosophy and techniques, as well as meditation practice sessions.

Over the course of 9 weeks, you will be able to sit in meditation following the method explained in the book How To Meditate, by Lobsang Lama Samten. This course is meant for beginners as well as for more advanced meditators.

Classes will be a combination of teachings, discussion with question and answer, and practice. As is typical of our tradition, initial practice will be more brief, extending over the duration of the class. Classes will be available in-person and online. Also, classes will be recorded so you can have access if you must miss a class. The course is lead by Les Kertay (Lobsang Tharchin).