The Song of Seven Delights

The meditation chant of Mahasiddha Götsangpa (13th century) has long been one of Lama Sönam Rabgye’s favourite meditation poems. This weekend he will therefore be happy to teach it in detail, explain it and give meditation instructions.

You might ask yourself what these “seven delights” or “joys” are? They are certainly not recipes for cooking. However, they are a recipe for the path of meditation and liberating insight. They are a series of profound and unconventional recommendations for the practice of shamatha tranquillity of mind and vipashyana insight meditation.

Here is an example of one of the “delights”. The song or chant says:

“When my body has succumbed to attacks of painful illness,
I do not count on medical relief
But take that very illness as a path and, by its power,
Remove the obscurations blocking me,
And use it to encourage the qualities worthwhile;
When illness rears its head, sheer delight!”

Among other things, it is about how not to avoid the suffering and challenges that life offers, but to become freer and happier from within.

The special thing about this course, apart from the text, is how Lama Sönam interprets this text and involves the participating students in a reflection on its meaning.

English with German translation.

Additional Texts used for daily practrice: PDF Download