The Buddha’s breath - Khenpo Ngawang

Service Description

The Buddha’s breath- Anapana: A technique for joyful living – Khenpo Ngawang Sangye Session via Zoom or viewing on the big screen (centre) Synopsis: Anapana is the Pali term for breathing; sati is the word for mindfulness. Anapanasati is widely considered to be one of the most important meditation techniques taught in the early discourses of the Buddha, therefore it was taught as a complete approach to awakening. The breath offers meditators an extremely pliable meditation subject based on the ordinary, accessible experience of breathing in and breathing out. It can be used in conjunction with a wide variety of practices to steer attention away from distractions and anchor attention on a present experience. According to Buddhism, it’s incumbent on each one of us to do something to diminish the power of lack of awareness, lack of insight, lack of attentiveness and so on. To do that, we practise mindfulness. According to Buddhism, there is no way to overcome the mind’s propensity for delusions without working with avidya, ignorance. The practice of mindfulness is the first step but, as I mentioned, when we do this, we must think of it as supporting our effort to transform the mind in a positive manner. Bio Venerable Khenpo Ngawang Sangay was born in 1976 in Cherem Village, in the district of Solukhumbu in Nepal, and he received his early education in the local school, Kailash Prathamik Vidhyalaya. Later, he joined the famous Guru Padmasambhava’s Maratika Cave Monastery in Khotang Diktel Halesi. There he began his monastic training in Buddhist liturgies and completed his preliminary practices under the tutelage of His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche and other Rinpoches. In 1998, he joined Karma Shri Nalanda Institute, the principle monastic college of His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa. During his stay at the Institute, apart from the eleven years of courses in Buddhist philosophy, logic, grammar and basic Sanskrit, Hindi, and English language, he also served the Institute in various capacities. He was sent as one of the annual Tsenshab (debating assistants) of the present 17th Karmapa in 2003. H.E Goshjir Gyaltsab Rinpoche appointed him Disciplinarian Master of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute from 2007 to 2008, and he has currently been working as Lopon (lecturer) in the Karma Shri Nalanda Institute, Rumtek. In 2008, Khenpo graduated from Karma Shri Nalanda Institute for Higher Buddhist studies at Rumtek, Sikkim India and attained his Acharya (M.A.) degree.