Retreats – Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au Meditation & Buddhism on the Gold Coast Tue, 17 Mar 2026 07:52:13 +0000 en-AU hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-New_Medman_turq-32x32.png Retreats – Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au 32 32 Nyungnay Purification Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/nyungnay-purification-retreat/ Tue, 17 Mar 2026 06:46:43 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1116911

Nyungnay Purification Retreat

Friday 24 to Sunday 26 April

Purify negative karma and receive powerful blessings at this special annual fasting retreat. 

What is Nyungnay Purification Retreat?

This special fasting and purification retreat is performed in conjunction with the meditation practice of Thousand-armed Avalokiteshvara.

Engaging in this retreat is very powerful for purifying negative karma of body, speech and mind and for pacifying strong delusions such as desirous attachment and hatred. It is also a special method for receiving the blessings of Buddha and improving our experience of love, compassion and bodhichitta (the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of all).

Usually this practice is done over two days, with the Mahayana precepts* being taken at the beginning of each day. On the first day it is customary to abstain from all meals apart from lunch.

On the second day we engage in a complete fast, abstaining from all food and drink for 24 hours. On both days, we do three sessions of meditation, combining prostrations with chanted meditation. Those who are unable to engage in a complete fast can participate in the sessions on the second day, provided they take the Mahayana precepts on that day.

*The Mahayana precepts are vows we take to abstain from certain actions for the duration of 24 hours. Please see the Pure Life sadhana for more infomation, or ask our Education Program Coordinator, Maz. Please register your interest in attending this special Retreat by emailing. 

*********@*****************on.org"> Email Your Interest
TIMETABLE
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive, Robina
See map below
FEE
There is no charge for this Retreat. Everyone is welcome.

Location

]]> Ritual Workshop Form https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/ritual-workshop-form/ Wed, 04 Feb 2026 01:10:07 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1114716

Ritual Workshop

Sunday 1 March - 10am to 12 noon

Two Sessions


]]> Guru Yoga Mandala Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/mandala-retreat/ Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:43:46 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1113364

Guru Yoga & Mandala Offering Retreat

Sunday 31 August

3 Sessions

mandala

Location: Ganden Centre

Fee: No charge

Time to Retreat
Days
Hours

Guru Yoga and Mandala Offering Retreat

Guru Yoga and Mandala offering retreat combines two of the four great preliminary guides that we need to practice if we want to gain mahamudra realisations – the quick path to enlightenment.

We all wish for spiritual realisations, but these depend upon creating certain inner conditions such as purifying negativity, accumulating merit, and receiving blessings.

In this retreat we focus on the preliminary practices of accumulating merit and receiving blessings. Making mandala offerings is the gateway to accumulating the collection of merit and attaining an enlightened pure land and Guru yoga is the gateway to receiving powerful blessings of all the Buddhas of the ten directions through our Spiritual Guide.

There will be three sessions over the day.

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one and a half hours and consists of prayers sung in English and silent mandala offerings. Sessions are free. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled session to familiarize yourself with the practice. Please bring your mandala kit if you have one.

SESSION TIMES
Session 1 - 9 - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11.00am - 12.30pm
Session 3 - 1.30 - 3pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE
There is no charge for our day Retreats. Everyone is welcome.
]]> Booking Form – Springbrook Rainforest Retreat 2025 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/booking-form-springbrook-rainforest-retreat-2025/ https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/booking-form-springbrook-rainforest-retreat-2025/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2025 04:15:55 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1113120

Springbrook Rainforest Retreat

Friday 7 - Sunday 9 November

BOOKINGS ARE NOW CLOSED.

No credit card details are stored on our website.

]]> https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/booking-form-springbrook-rainforest-retreat-2025/feed/ 1 Take A Breath https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/take-a-breath/ Wed, 18 Jun 2025 06:45:13 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1112586

A Meditation retreat

take a breath.

Sunday 6 July 9am - 1pm

Days
Hours
Add to Cart

BOOK NOW

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

Treat yourself to a relaxing morning of gentle guided meditations. Temporarily retreat from the busyness of life and give yourself some much-needed time out to truly relax your body and mind. The morning will include three sessions guided by our Resident Teacher, Gen Kelsang Tsalden, who has almost 20 years’ meditation experience. During the breaks, you can enjoy some delicious home-baked treats. Everyone is welcome.
 

WHAT CAN I EXPECT?

Take a break from the busyness of life and enjoy some gentle, guided meditations.

Buddhist meditation involves staying alert and keeping our back straight, so we sit on chairs for the duration of the course. There’s no need to bring anything, although you may wish to bring some water and a jacket. Refreshments are provided in the break session.

Attendees come from all walks of life and there’s no need to have any meditation experience as all meditations are guided.  Everyone is welcome.

Gen Kelsang Lhachog is the Resident Teacher of Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre on the Gold Coast. Gen Lhachog has been studying and practising Kadampa Buddhism for nearly 30 years and she presents Buddha’s teachings with beautiful clarity, warmth and sincerity, skilfully guiding people from all walks of life to find inner peace and happiness.

TIMETABLE
Registration/sign-in - 8.45am
Session 1 - 9am – 10am
Break - 10am – 10.30am
Session 2 - 10.30am – 11.30am
Break - 11.30am-12noon
Session 3 - 12noon - 1pm

BOOK NOW

COST: $60
Centre members $0
Bookings are essential.
Add to Cart

WHAT IF I'M UNWELL?

If you are feeling unwell on the day or have been in contact with anyone who is unwell, please do not attend on the day – we will arrange a refund for you.

LOCATION

We are located behind Spaghetti and Jazz in Lakeview Plaza. You can enter the shopping plaza via Commerce Drive or Ron Penhaligon Way.

]]> Offering Our Faith Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/offering-our-faith/ Tue, 06 May 2025 00:06:23 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1112195

Offering Our Faith

Wednesday 4 June from 9am

Location: Ganden Centre

Wednesday 4 June from 9am

To help us understand the importance of faith and to prepare us for this beautiful Retreat, don’t miss our Friday Night Lecture on Faith on 30 May.

OFFERING OUR FAITH RETREAT

June 4 is Dharmachakra Day on which we celebrate Buddha’s first teaching in this world – the first Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. It is also the birthday of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, the Founder of NKT.

Teachings for daily life
For modern people the teachings of Buddha are brought to us by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche, who presents them in such a way they are easy to understand and integrate into our daily life.

A global Kadampa family
Venerable Geshe-la has touched the hearts of thousands of people around the world, all of whom will celebrate this day with a profound gratitude.

A special one-day retreat
To express our faith and gratitude, on Wednesday 4 June we will hold a special one-day unguided retreat during which we recite special prayers and collect Venerable Geshe-la’s name mantra.

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one and a half hours and consists of prayers sung in English and silent mantra recitation. Sessions are free.

SESSION TIMES
Session 1 - 9.00 - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11am - 12.30pm
Session 1.30pm - 3pm
Offering to the Spiritual Guide - 4pm - 6pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE
There is no charge for our unguided Retreats.
]]> Lamrim Retreat 2026 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/lamrim-retreat-2026/ Mon, 24 Mar 2025 06:47:18 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1111775

Guided Lamrim Meditation Retreat

Monday 13 to Friday 17 January
- 2 Sessions Each Day -

Location: Ganden Centre

Fee: $10 per session or $75 whole Retreat

Retreat Leader

Gen Kelsang Tsalden is the Resident Teacher of Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre. 

She is a fully ordained Australian Buddhist nun who has practised Kadampa Buddhism for over 18 years, training in Sydney and the UK.

With 14 years experience as a Resident Teacher her clear, light-hearted, inspiring teachings and gentle manner make Buddhist wisdom accessible to all.

LAMRIM RETREAT

The Stages of the Path To Enlightenment

Discover for yourself the inner peace and clarity of mind that comes from meditation. Lamrim is a series of twenty-one special Buddhist meditations that lead to increasingly peaceful and beneficial states of mind.

 

The stages of the path to enlightenment, or Lamrim in Tibetan, is the backbone of Kadampa Buddhism.

Lamrim is a special set of instructions that includes all the essential teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni arranged in such a way that all his Hinayana and Mahayana teachings can be put into practice in a single meditation session.

It was compiled by the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha, who was invited to Tibet by King Jangchub Ö in AD 1042, and who spent the rest of his life there spreading pure Dharma.

There is a completely pure and unbroken lineage of these Lamrim instructions from Buddha Shakyamuni up to our present day Spiritual Guides.

Freedom from all suffering

If we gain deep experience of Lamrim there will be no basis for  problems; we shall be completely free of all of them.

Residen Teacher Gen Tsalden will guide and inspire us to  understand the value of Lamrim. Then by joyfully and patiently doing the meditations we shall gradually experience the fruits of Lamrim practice.

Eventually we shall attain freedom from all suffering and the unchanging peace and happiness of enlightenment.

Twenty-one meditations

There are 21 Lamrim meditations, which are usually practiced in a three-week cycle as a daily meditation practice:

  1. Our precious human life
  2. Death and impermanence
  3. The danger of lower rebirth
  4. Refuge practice
  5. Actions and their effects
  6. Developing renunciation for samsara
  7. Developing equanimity
  8. Recognizing that all living beings are our mothers
  9. Remembering the kindness of living beings
  10. Equalizing self and others
  11. The disadvantages of self-cherishing
  12. The advantages of cherishing others
  13. Exchanging self with others
  14. Great compassion
  15. Taking
  16. Wishing love
  17. Giving
  18. Bodhichitta
  19. Tranquil abiding
  20. Superior seeing
  21. Relying upon a Spiritual Guide

These meditations, along with instructions on how to practice them and essential background material, can be found in The New Meditation Handbook.

An extensive presentation of Lamrim can be found in Geshe Kelsang’s book Joyful Path of Good Fortune.

 

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one and a half hours and consists of prayers sung in English and silent mantra recitation. Sessions are free.

SESSION TIMES EACH DAY
Session 1 - 9.30 - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11.00am - 12pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE
$10 Per session
Free to members
$75 whole Retreat
]]> Lamrim Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/lamrim-retreat/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 04:53:23 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1110815

Self-Guided Lamrim Meditation Retreat

Tuesday 20 to Friday 23 January
- 2 Sessions Each Day

Location: Ganden Centre

This is an unguided Retreat. It gives us the opportunity to step away from our busy life and focus on meaningful Buddhist meditations that lead us to permanent happiness and freedom from suffering. 

LAMRIM RETREAT

The Stages of the Path To Enlightenment

Discover for yourself the inner peace and clarity of mind that comes from meditation. Lamrim is a series of twenty-one special Buddhist meditations that lead to increasingly peaceful and beneficial states of mind.

The stages of the path to enlightenment, or Lamrim in Tibetan, is the backbone of Kadampa Buddhism.

Lamrim is a special set of instructions that includes all the essential teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni arranged in such a way that all his Hinayana and Mahayana teachings can be put into practice in a single meditation session.

It was compiled by the great Indian Buddhist Master Atisha, who was invited to Tibet by King Jangchub Ö in AD 1042, and who spent the rest of his life there spreading pure Dharma.

There is a completely pure and unbroken lineage of these Lamrim instructions from Buddha Shakyamuni up to our present day Spiritual Guides.

Freedom from all suffering

If we gain deep experience of Lamrim there will be no basis for  problems; we shall be completely free of all of them.

By joyfully and patiently doing the meditations we shall gradually experience the fruits of Lamrim practice.

Eventually we shall attain freedom from all suffering and the unchanging peace and happiness of enlightenment.

Twenty-one meditations

There are 21 Lamrim meditations, which are usually practiced in a three-week cycle as a daily meditation practice:

  1. Our precious human life
  2. Death and impermanence
  3. The danger of lower rebirth
  4. Refuge practice
  5. Actions and their effects
  6. Developing renunciation for samsara
  7. Developing equanimity
  8. Recognizing that all living beings are our mothers
  9. Remembering the kindness of living beings
  10. Equalizing self and others
  11. The disadvantages of self-cherishing
  12. The advantages of cherishing others
  13. Exchanging self with others
  14. Great compassion
  15. Taking
  16. Wishing love
  17. Giving
  18. Bodhichitta
  19. Tranquil abiding
  20. Superior seeing
  21. Relying upon a Spiritual Guide

These meditations, along with instructions on how to practice them and essential background material, can be found in The New Meditation Handbook.

An extensive presentation of Lamrim can be found in Geshe Kelsang’s book Joyful Path of Good Fortune

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one hour and consists of prayers sung in English and meditation. Sessions are free

SESSION TIMES EACH DAY
Session 1 - 9am - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11.30am - 12.30pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE

There is no charge for this Retreat
]]> Vajrasattva Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/vajrasattva-day-retreat/ Tue, 05 Nov 2024 04:31:45 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1110491

Vajrasattva One-Day Unguided Retreat

Sunday 30 November

3 Sessions

Location: Ganden Centre

Fee: No charge

Vajrasattva Retreat

We dedicate most of our time and energy trying to avoid problems by making changes to the external world. However, the main cause of our unhappiness and difficulties cannot be found in external conditions. It is the negative karma we have created in the past through performing harmful actions. By relying upon Vajrasattva, the Buddha of purification we will cleanse our mind of delusions, negativity and obstacles. Through special meditation and mantra recitation we have the great opportunity to purify our mind quickly, so that we can make swift progress on the spiritual path.

Following our Vajrasattva empowerment the weekend prior, this Retreat gives us the opportunity to deepen our experience of the Solitary Vajarattva Purification Practice. There will be three sessions over the day.

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one and a half hours and consists of prayers sung in English and silent mandala offerings. Sessions are free. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled session to familiarize yourself with the practice. Please bring your mandala kit if you have one.

SESSION TIMES
Session 1 - 9 - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11.00am - 12.30pm
Session 3 - 1.30 - 3pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE
There is no charge for our day Retreats. Everyone is welcome.
]]> Guru Yoga Mandala Retreat https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/guru-yoga-mandala-retreat/ Fri, 09 Aug 2024 06:49:33 +0000 https://goldcoastmeditation.org.au/?p=1109783

Guru Yoga & Mandala Offering Retreat

Sunday 31 August

3 Sessions

mandala

Location: Ganden Centre

Fee: No charge

Time to Retreat
Days
Hours

Guru Yoga and Mandala Offering Retreat

Guru Yoga and Mandala offering retreat combines two of the four great preliminary guides that we need to practice if we want to gain mahamudra realisations – the quick path to enlightenment.

We all wish for spiritual realisations, but these depend upon creating certain inner conditions such as purifying negativity, accumulating merit, and receiving blessings.

In this retreat we focus on the preliminary practices of accumulating merit and receiving blessings. Making mandala offerings is the gateway to accumulating the collection of merit and attaining an enlightened pure land and Guru yoga is the gateway to receiving powerful blessings of all the Buddhas of the ten directions through our Spiritual Guide.

There will be three sessions over the day.

THE RETREAT

During a retreat we reduce our normal worldly activities and concentrate for a period of time on developing spiritual qualities and peaceful minds.

Each session lasts for one and a half hours and consists of prayers sung in English and silent mandala offerings. Sessions are free. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the scheduled session to familiarize yourself with the practice. Please bring your mandala kit if you have one.

SESSION TIMES
Session 1 - 9 - 10.30am
Session 2 - 11.00am - 12.30pm
Session 3 - 1.30 - 3pm
VENUE
Ganden Kadampa Buddhist Centre
8/30 Commerce Drive
Robina
See map below
FEE
There is no charge for our day Retreats. Everyone is welcome.
]]>