A Guide to Happiness - Meditation in the 21st Century by Gelong Thubten

This talk will be based on Gelong Thubten’s Sunday Times bestselling book ‘A Monk’s Guide to Happiness’.  Thubten will explain the topic of cultivating inner happiness and compassion through meditation practice. Life in the modern world has become increasingly busy and pressurised, with the constant search for happiness from material things now more intense than ever. Thubten will explain the brain chemistry of stress and how that affects our lives. Studies have shown that meditation regulates the brain’s amygdala (which creates the ‘fight or flight’ response) thus reducing the over-production of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, and creating greater balance in our brain and body chemistry. Modern life has made us more distracted, and it is harder for us to sustain concentration without getting exhausted. Meditation helps to hone our ability to focus and stay present, a much-needed skill today. Thubten will share practical tips on how to practise meditation on a daily basis, so that we can achieve tangible benefits in our lives. He will explain the benefits of compassion and we can develop it more in our lives. He will lead some guided meditation so that participants are provided with tools they can use on their own later, and how to practice mindful moments throughout the day, even in the busiest situations.

About

Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk, meditation instructor and author.  He became a monk 30 years ago at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland and has spent over six years in intensive meditation retreats, the longest of which was 4 years long.  He spent many years as the personal assistant to Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche, under whom he received a significant amount of guidance and training.  Thubten is Director of Samye Dzong Scarborough and also helps with the Samye Dzong centres in Cardiff and the Highlands. He is a trustee of Samye Foundation Wales as well as the humanitarian aid organisation ROKPA International in Zurich.  Thubten was one of the early pioneers of teaching meditation in universities, schools, global companies, hospitals, prisons and addiction rehab centres, and he is well-known internationally for his ability to present Buddhist teachings in an accessible and engaging manner.  He lectures at Oxford University and for the United Nations, and has trained medical students, doctors and nurses in meditation.  He collaborated with Ruby Wax and neuroscientist Ash Ranpura on the book 'How to be Human'.  Thubten is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller 'A Monk's Guide to Happiness' and his latest book 'Handbook for Hard Times’.

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