Bike tour 2022: Nagarjuna Valencia

Oct 24-26: Nagarjuna - Valencia:

At Valencia I attended three activities of the Buddhist study and meditation centre Nagarjuna Valencia.

Every Monday except on public holidays Ven. Paloma A class on Buddhist studies. I was lucky enough to attend a class on the Buddhist notion of 'emptiness', a topic that is quite difficult for Westerners to grasp. It is about our identification with an 'I' that we consider permanent, when it is anything but. Our self is a constant flux of change and it is impermanent, as everything in the phenomenal world is. This false identification gives rise to many emotions, sensations and actions that make ourselves and also others unhappy, such as greed, envy, pride, etc. This in a nutshell.

Tuesday gave the Tibetan 'Lama in residence' Rev Guese Lamsang an introduction to 'Consejos de Corazón' (advice from the heart). We were given some practical guidelines on how to develop and cultivate positive heart qualities like loving kindness, compassion and fellow joy while avoiding negative emotions like hatred, anger, jealousy, etc. and replacing them with their positive counterparts. So that we ourselves, along with other living beings we interact with, start feeling happier in our skin.

Wednesday supervised Director Steve Milton a 1-hour meditation session that consisted of 25 minutes of breathing meditation and 25 minutes of meditation on loving-kindness.

The Nagarjuna Valencia Centre offers a wide range of activities and teachings for both beginners and advanced students and Buddhists and non-Buddhists. Those who understand Spanish can also take some classes or courses online through the 'Ciber gompa' (cyber meditation hall) offering.

The centre is located within walking distance of the city centre, on the first floor of an apartment building in Av. Amado Granell Mesado 43 | Pta. 2 | 46006 Valencia.

More info on their operation: https://nagarjunavalencia.com/