People who live in our modern society and have jobs and families can use their experiences in daily life, career and relationships to transform difficulties into a steady state of joy. With typical Danish humour, Lama Ole shows how practical Buddhist methods may bring about this transformation.

Lama Ole Nydahl

Almost every day Lama Ole is in a different city, passing on Buddha's teachings. Since he and his wife Hannah met the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa while honeymooning in Nepal in 1968, they have dedicated their lives to Buddhism. They spent three years in the Himalayas as Karmapa's personal students receiving Buddhist teachings and developing the needed experience in meditation.

Other than passing on vivid and authentic Buddhist teachings (always with a touch of dry Danish humour) in his frequent lectures, Lama Ole also gives longer meditation courses to teach the timeless practical methods of Diamond Way Buddhism, such as the foundational practices or Phowa, a meditation which is very useful at the moment of death. Since the death of the 16th Karmapa in 1981, Lama Ole Nydahl has kept the Diamond Way Centres of the Karma Kagyu Lineage around the world together. There are now over 600 centres in 44 countries worldwide, with thousands of friends meditating and studying in America, England, Australia and Canada, with active and energetic groups in South America, Russia, and all over Europe. Lama Ole continues to work with the centres under the spiritual guidance of the 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje.

During this meditation retreat near Byron Bay, with Lama Ole we will practice various types of meditation from all levels of Buddhist teachings. In addition Lama Ole will teach theory, Buddhist philosophy, way and ultimate goal behind these different paths and answers any questions that arise during the practices.

Meditation

In Buddhism, meditation means "effortlessly remaining in what is." The first result of meditation is the creation of enough breathing space that we are not constantly overwhelmed by what is going on around us and can react to things in a positive and constructive way. When we get to this point then the practice makes it possible for us to notice that all others are just like us and from this understanding arises compassion. The more we move our focus away from our own limited experience and towards others, the more we realise that all beings, just as we do, have the ability and capacity to directly experience their own true nature.

Lama Ole Nydahl

Almost every day Lama Ole is in a different city, passing on Buddha's teachings. Since he and his wife Hannah met the 16th Gyalwa Karmapa while honeymooning in Nepal in 1968, they have dedicated their lives to Buddhism. They spent three years in the Himalayas as Karmapa's personal students receiving Buddhist teachings and developing the needed experience in meditation.

Other than passing on vivid and authentic Buddhist teachings (always with a touch of dry Danish humour) in his frequent lectures, Lama Ole also gives longer meditation courses to teach the timeless practical methods of Diamond Way Buddhism, such as the foundational practices or Phowa, a meditation which is very useful at the moment of death. Since the death of the 16th Karmapa in 1981, Lama Ole Nydahl has kept the Diamond Way Centres of the Karma Kagyu Lineage around the world together. There are now over 600 centres in 44 countries worldwide, with thousands of friends meditating and studying in America, England, Australia and Canada, with active and energetic groups in South America, Russia, and all over Europe. Lama Ole continues to work with the centres under the spiritual guidance of the 17th Karmapa, Thaye Dorje.

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Kirtan is a practice of mantra chanting that stills the mind and frees the heart. Sung in call-and-response form, ecstasyis both the process and the product. Stringer's sound infuses the mysticism of traditional Indian instruments with the exuberant intensity of American gospel and jazz, and he is regarded as one of the most gifted singers in the genre. An engaging speaker with an unorthodox perspective, he has a special ability for making the Sanskrit chants come alive and inspiring people to sing. His work creates a modern and participatory theatrical experience out of the ancient traditions of kirtan and yoga, open to a multiplicity of interpretations, and accessible to all. Based in Los Angeles, since 2000 Stringer and his ensemble have produced 6 CDs and toured North America, Europe and Australia tirelessly. www.davestringer.com

The Big Joke has been created with your funny bone in mind. It is our goal to make this a unique event that marries grassroots community performance, along a national & international line up.

It is also our vision to create a program that appeals to all age groups and celebrates our diverse culture.

This is not a gated festival. You don't have to be a ticket holder to participate. The Big Joke offers everyone a chance to have a laugh, from free events in cafes to the nightly headline ticketed shows.

The world is such a serious place, comedy is the perfect way of re-framing our frailties and shared human condition. A laugh is always the shortest distance between two people. Warm up your laughing gear, because in 2010, the Joke's on Us!

The Big Joke, where funny can buy you love...

Acts include

Peter Berner, Tom Gleeson, Jeff Green, Axis of Awesome, Chris Radburn, Jackie Loeb, Vanessa Wagner, Mandy Nolan, Sandy Gandhi, Nick Penn, Ellen Briggs, Pavitar, The villiage illiot.

Prices are $35 Adults, $30 Seniors and Pensioners,  $25 students and children

Children under 12 are free of entry. 

Both of these families are synonymous with virtuosity and are major headliners within the Australian world and arts scene. This special collaboration sees the blending of Egyptian, Brazilian, Eastern European into a very uniquely Australian whole. Slava plays a midi guitar allowing him to experiment widly with different sounds, Leonard plays guitar, Joseph plays Oud and James plays Req (Egyptian tambourine)
Slava & Leonard Grigoryan, although mostly known for their classical work, are focusing on world fusion for this project. The brothers were born in Kazakstan and now live in Australia. Individually and together, they have been featured soloists with many of the worlds leading orchestras such as: The London Philharmonic, BBC Concert Orchestra, the Northern Sinfonia, The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Israel Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Radio Orchestra, the Klagenfurt Symphony Orchestra in Austria, the Halle Orchestra, the Hong Kong Sinfonietta, the New Zealand Symphony, numerous tours with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and all of the Australian Symphony Orchestras.
Egyptian born and Sydney bred brothers Joseph (24) & James (19) Tawadros are lauded as to be the upper echelon exponents of Egyptian music. They have recently completed a tour as principal soloists with the Australian Chamber Orchestra presenting a program of Egyptian orchestral music. The brothers were invited recently to be soloists with the Slovenian National Orchestra. Joseph has just been granted a 3 month secondment to study in Paris with some of the worlds greatest musicians.

Do you want peace and clarity? Do you want to be real? Do you want authentic relationships?

Retreat with Avikal offers you the direct experience of liberation.

What will the week offer?

Cleanse - body, mind and spirit

Time out - A new way to be

Love - the Ultimate connaction, your authentic self

Liberation - Drop suffering, open to truth

Contact Jayana for your Satori information pack

info@satori-retreat.com

0447 000 369