Gomchen Lamrim review: The actual meditation session
Venerable Thubten Samten 
Gomchen Lamrim 
Dec 18, 2015 Part of a series of teachings on the Gomchen Lamrim by Gomchen Ngawang Drakpa. Visit Gomchen Lamrim Study Guide for a full list of contemplation points for the series.
- Frequency and length of meditation sessions
- Between sessions practice the four conditions that promote serenity and insight
- Why it’s important to meditate using both analytical and stabilizing meditation
- Misconceptions about the two meditation methods
- How to meditate on taking advantage of a precious human rebirth
- The eight freedoms
- The ten fortunes
- How all the Buddha’s teachings are included in the graduated path of the three kinds of practitioners
Gomchen Lamrim 20 Review: The actual meditation session and precious human life (download)
Contemplation points
- Take time to think through an extensive dedication like the ones Venerable Samten described. How does this benefit your mind? What is the long-term benefit of dedicating in this way?
- Consider Tenzin Palmo’s advice to have a daily practice, even if its only 10 minutes a day. Why is daily habituation such an important part of the spiritual path?
- Consider the four factors that facilitate serenity and insight. What changes can you make to cultivate these factors in your life?
- Why are both analytic and stabilization meditation critical on the path?
- Carefully go though each of the 18 factors for a precious human life. What would your life be like if you didn’t have even just one of these?
- What are the motivations of the three levels of practitioners? What does it mean to practice “in common with” other levels?
Venerable Thubten Samten
Venerable Samten met Venerable Chodron in 1996 when the future Venerable Chonyi took the future Ven. Samten to a Dharma talk at Dharma Friendship Foundation. The talk on the kindness of others and the way it was presented is deeply etched in her mind. Four Cloud Mountain retreats with Ven. Chodron, eight months in India and Nepal studying the Dharma, one month of offering service at Sravasti Abbey, and a two month retreat at Sravasti Abbey in 2008, fueled the fire to ordain. This took place August 26, 2010 (see photos). This was followed by full ordination in Taiwan in March, 2012 (see photos), becoming Sravasti Abbey's sixth bhikshuni. Right after finishing a Bachelor of Music degree, Ven. Samten moved to Edmonton to pursue training as a corporeal mime artist. Five years later, a return to university to obtain Bachelor of Education degree opened the door to teaching for the Edmonton Public School board as a music teacher. Concurrently, Ven. Samten became a founding member and performer with Kita No Taiko, Alberta's first Japanese drum group. Ven. Samten is responsible for thanking donors who make offerings online; assisting Venerable Tarpa with developing and facilitating the SAFE online learning courses; assisting with the forest thinning project; tracking down knapweed; maintaining the Abbey database and answering email questions; and photographing the amazing moments that are constantly happening at the Abbey.
