Seed System PracticesDecember 19–21 · Vienna + online Book now With Peter and Maria Moertl
Meditation ProShamatha, wisdom and the path to the direct perception of emptiness
The start of a new systematic cycle of Lamrim teachings, which Peter and Maria Moertl will pass on with the blessing of Geshe Michael Roach.
The December theme
When we first announced “Seed System Practices for Everyday Life”, its exact theme had not yet been decided.
Peter and Maria Moertl first wanted to speak in person with their teacher, Geshe Michael Roach, and receive his guidance: what exactly should they teach their students next?
For a long time there was no chance to do so. But during a recent trip to the US, a very special personal meeting took place.
Peter and Maria Moertl spent about two hours alone with Geshe Michael, told him about completing an important stage of their service, and asked what the next step should be.
They received a clear answer and a blessing: to keep teaching their students and to begin passing on the great Lamrim cycle.
That is why we are now ready to share what the December gathering is about.
In December, a new systematic cycle of Lamrim teachings begins: the step-by-step path toward the very highest goal.
Webinar recording
Watch the recording of the meeting in which Peter Moertl shares his impressions of a transformative trip to the USA and talks about his personal two-hour conversation with Geshe Michael Roach.
You will learn what guidance Peter and Maria Moertl received, why it is especially important to keep studying after the direct Diamond Way transmission, and how the idea of starting a new systematic Lamrim cycle was born.
Peter Moertl speaks in English; the webinar was hosted in Russian.
April and December
Yes, in April Peter and Maria Moertl taught a specific meditation called “Lamrim”, a meditation on the stages of the path. Now we are talking about something on a whole different scale.
A large, systematic cycle begins: teachings on Lamrim as a complete map of the path.
In it, separate pieces of knowledge and practice will gradually come together into one system: what to practice, in what order to move, and how to connect changes in everyday life with the highest spiritual goal.
This will not be a repeat of the April teachings.
If you were with us in April, now we go further.
If you weren’t, you can join right from the start of the new cycle.
What is Lamrim
“Lamrim” means “stages of the path”. It is a step-by-step system that shows:
We may know many separate practices, listen to all kinds of teachings and understand complex ideas. But without a clear map it can be hard to see where we are right now and what our next step should be.
Lamrim helps bring all this knowledge together into one path.
It can support change in particular areas of life: relationships, health, fulfillment and well-being. But its true depth is far greater: it is a path of gradually transforming the whole person.
Why the cycle begins with meditation
Lamrim is usually studied starting from the first stages of the path. But Geshe Michael structured his cycle in an unusual way: first he taught shamatha, meditation and wisdom, and only then returned to the other steps.
Peter and Maria Moertl will follow the same route.
You will begin to learn how to develop clear, stable concentration:
Shamatha is not simply the ability to sit for a long time with your eyes closed or to calm your thoughts.
Deep, single-pointed concentration is needed to prepare the mind for the direct perception of emptiness, an experience that can completely change how we understand ourselves and the world.
No one can walk this whole path in three days. But in December you will receive the map, the knowledge and the practical tools to begin.
Practice
You can hear many beautiful teachings and even understand them well. But real change begins when that knowledge enters our daily life. It is regular practice that helps us:
That is why the new cycle is designed as more than a series of lectures. The teachers want to combine knowledge with meditation, discussion, personal practice and, later on, retreats.
Not just knowing the path, but truly walking it.
Who these teachings are for
Lamrim can be a wonderful doorway into Tibetan wisdom.
You don’t need to know any special terms in advance or to have taken ACI courses. You will receive a clear map: how to work with yourself, which steps to take and how to gradually change your life.
Many of Geshe Michael’s students first discovered the Dharma precisely through Lamrim.
ACI courses explore individual topics of Tibetan philosophy in depth. Lamrim helps you see how all this knowledge fits together and in what sequence to apply it on the path.
Some topics will be familiar, but much will open up in more detail and from a different angle.
Receiving the transmission is not the end of your training; it is the opening of a door.
In Peter Moertl’s words, practicing the Diamond Way without a solid foundation in Lamrim is extremely difficult. It is Lamrim that helps root the knowledge in your mind, keep you heading in the right direction and turn deep practices into living experience rather than just beautiful words.
Peter Moertl himself studied Lamrim with Geshe Michael alongside his practice of the Diamond Way.
Lamrim and the Diamond Way do not contradict each other: they support and nourish one another.
The first stage
Geshe Michael taught this Lamrim cycle over many years. Peter and Maria Moertl want to preserve this knowledge, systematize it and gradually shape it into a sequence of courses.
But you don’t need to make a decision for years ahead right now.
December 19–21 is a complete first stage in its own right, after which you will:
We will announce the format and dates of the next teachings separately.
A time of magic and change
A time when we take stock, look back on the past year and feel especially clearly what we want to change in the next one.
Three days with Peter and Maria Moertl are a chance to step out of your usual routine, immerse yourself fully in practice and look at your life through the lens of the seed system teachings.
Not in snatches between work and daily chores, but by dedicating three full days to it, together with the teachers and fellow practitioners.
It is a chance to plant new seeds for the changes you want to see in your life in the new year.
Real change begins when knowledge becomes daily practice.
The power of community
Today it is especially important not to be left alone with your practice.
In-person gatherings help you step out of your usual routine, spend several full days close to the teachers and feel the support of a community of people moving in the same direction.
It is a space where knowledge becomes experience:
If you can’t make it to Vienna, you can join online for free. But if you are able to come, we warmly recommend spending these three days together with the teachers and the sangha.
What awaits you
A detailed schedule will be published later.
Schedule
Opening and first teachings
Morning yoga, meditations, teachings, wisdom groups
Teachings, meditations and closing
Plan to arrive by Saturday morning and leave on Monday evening or Tuesday morning.
A detailed hour-by-hour schedule will be published closer to the event.
Teachers
Senior teachers of the Asian Classics Institute and longtime students of Geshe Michael Roach.
Peter Moertl has been studying and practicing these teachings since 2007. He was personally present at many of the teachings in the Lamrim cycle given by Geshe Michael, including the very first teachings in Prescott.
Peter and Maria Moertl have completed many long silent retreats. They teach philosophy, meditation and the seed system, and help students connect deep knowledge with real life.
During their recent meeting in the US, they received Geshe Michael’s personal blessing to begin a new systematic Lamrim cycle.
DCI Global business trainer, founder of Diamond Mind Academy, author of a meditation course and writer. Holds a master’s degree from the Vienna University of Economics and Business and for many years led divisions of major international companies.
DCI Global business trainer, creator of the Diamond Wisdom Coach and Financial Karma Coach programs, co-founder of Pink Diamond and founder of the international Gold Club. She translates and publishes classic wisdom texts in Russian.
Ways to join
| First 30 places | 109 € |
| Next 30 places | 139 € |
| Next 70 places | 169 € |
| After that | 199 € |
Venue
Rennweg 16, 1030 Wien, Österreich · Open in maps
Frequently asked questions
In April we studied one specific practice: a meditation called “Lamrim”, that is, a meditation on the stages of the path.
In December, a new systematic cycle of teachings begins on Lamrim as a complete map of the path. It is not a repeat of the April program, but the next and much larger stage.
Those who attended in April will be able to continue and deepen their practice. Newcomers can join without any prior preparation.
The transmission opens the door, but it does not replace further study and daily practice.
Lamrim gives you the foundation and the step-by-step map you need to understand and practice the Diamond Way. In Peter Moertl’s experience, the two support and strengthen each other.
Peter Moertl himself studied Lamrim with Geshe Michael alongside the Diamond Way.
Some basic topics may overlap, and that is natural. But the goal and depth of the program are different.
ACI 3 gives a general introduction to meditation: how to start practicing and working with your mind.
The new cycle focuses on developing shamatha and preparing the mind for the direct perception of emptiness. So the December teachings will not be a repeat, but a continuation and deepening of your practice.
Yes. Lamrim lays out the path step by step, so it can be a wonderful starting point even for someone who isn’t yet familiar with ACI courses or Tibetan philosophy.
The teachers will explain the material in an accessible way, introducing the key concepts gradually.
Yes. The April program is not a requirement for taking part.
The new cycle begins in December, so you can join without any prior preparation.
No. December marks the first stage of a large cycle.
At the same time, the gathering has value in its own right: you will receive concrete knowledge and practices that you can apply right after the event.
We will announce the format and dates of the next stages separately.
No. You don’t need to make a decision for several years ahead right now.
After the December gathering, you can decide for yourself whether you want to continue.
Yes. The online stream will be free.
If you are able to come to Vienna, we recommend attending in person: live contact with the teachers, practicing together and the shared space of the community create a completely different level of immersion.
How it was
In April we got to know one specific practice: the “Lamrim” meditation.
In October, Peter and Maria Moertl received personal guidance and a blessing from their teacher.
And in December, a large systematic cycle begins that will help bring separate pieces of knowledge and daily practices together into one complete path.
December 19–21 · Vienna + online
Come and take this first step together with the teachers and the community.