Category:
Karen’s Journey – Meditation and the New Kadampa Tradition
How did you hear about Kadampa Meditation Centre Southampton?
My early Buddhist teachings and meditation classes were taken at the branch class in Ringwood. This was my first time meditating and I had little knowledge of Buddha’s teachings and Buddhism in general. I was interested in longevity and had read that meditation and mindfulness was beneficial to health and happiness. I came to meditation with an open mind and had little expectation other than to give it a go.
How has your meditation journey evolved?
I quickly became a regular member at the branch class in Ringwood and soon started to go to weekend classes at the Buddhist Centre in Southampton, where Gen Lekma is the resident teacher. As my interest in Buddha’s teachings grew, I enrolled on the Foundation Program (FP), so that I could study Buddhism in more depth and to improve my meditation practise. I now have a daily meditation practice at home, following the Lamrim instructions in ´The New Meditation Handbook´ and ´The Mirror of Dharma with Additions´ text books.
And how has this impacted your life?
Having a regular meditation practise has affected my life in many ways, which I was not initially expecting. For example, I have found that my mental state is much more balanced. I am more patient, less angry and generally calmer. Also, I feel more compassionate towards other living beings which has even reduced my fear of house spiders!
I hope to continue studying Buddhism and practicing meditation to further improve my life and to help others.
Written by Karen, Lymington
NKT Practitioner of 3+ years & Foundation Programme Student
If you want to learn more about Buddha’s teachings, click here for weekly meditation classes, as well as weekend meditation courses and meditation retreats that are available to those in Southampton, Hampshire, Winchester, Dorset & Isle of Wight.
