Kagyu Sukha Chöling Buddhist Meditation Center in Ashland, Oregon, is honored to host Kyabjé Kalu Rinpoche, spiritual leader of the Shangpa lineage, for a teaching visit in September.
Tickets are now available to attend three teachings, which will be held at Southern Oregon University:
• Friday September 9th, 2011, 8:00 pm
How to Free Your Heart, How to Free Your Mind
• Saturday September 10th, 2011, 4:30 pm
Refuge Ceremony and Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony (one event)
• Saturday September 10th, 2011, 7:30 pm
Kalu Rinpoche's Heart Advice
The cost of tickets is $50 per teaching.Tickets may be purchased using the ticketing company's link: www.brownpapertickets.com. The name of the event is Kyabjé Kalu Rinpoche.
GROUNDED SPACIOUSNESS INTEGRATING BUDDHIST WISDOM INTO DAILY LIFE
A Weekend Meditation Course at KSC in Ashland
with Ari Goldfield and Rose Taylor
November 4 – 6, 2011
The view of Buddhism is that luminous, spacious awareness - wisdom - is the essential nature of all our experiences. In these classes we will learn the essential view of wisdom as the Buddha taught it in the Prajnaparamita (Transcendent Wisdom) Sutras, and how we as modern individuals can connect with it and sustain it. We will also practice body-based meditation techniques that can enhance our practice and help us manifest wisdom's awareness in our own daily experience. Techniques will encourage us to:
• Synchronize body and mind
• Ground our awareness in our bodies and the world
• Bring spacious awareness into our lives
• Develop love and acceptance for ourselves and others
• Connect with our own innate guiding wisdom
There will be time for questions and discussion at each teaching session.
Friday, November 4, 7- 9 PM
Saturday, November 5, 10 AM - noon and 2-4 PM
Sunday, November 6, 10 AM - noon and 2-4 PM
Ari Goldfield is a distinguished Buddhist teacher, translator and scholar who trained for eleven years under the renowned Tibetan master, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, as his translator, attendant, and close disciple. In 2006, Rinpoche sent Ari to teach on his own in Europe, North America, and Asia. Ari continues his teaching work in Rinpoche's Karma Kagyu lineage.
Rose Taylor is a Buddhist translator and second-generation Buddhist teacher. She was raised in the Shambhala tradition of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Since 2002, Rose has been guided as a practitioner and teacher by Khenpo Tsultrim Rinpoche. She holds an M.A. in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies from Naropa University. Rose and Ari are married and currently teach internationally from their home base in San Francisco under the auspices of Wisdom Sun, the practice and study community they established in 2011.
Suggested Donation: $25 per session or $100 for the weekend. Cash or check only.
All events will be held at Kagyu Sukha Chöling
109 Clear Creek Drive, Ashland OR
Click here to view the event PDF
CANDLELIGHT SERVICE at KSC on New Year's Eve
Candlelight Offering and Condensed Chenrezig Compassion Practice Friday, December 31, 7 to 9 p.m.
7 pm Candle Lighting Tea lights will be provided.
7:30 pm Condensed Chenrezig practice Texts will be available.
In the Tibetan tradition of making a LIGHT offering, we will welcome the new year by lighting the shrine room with candles.
Everyone is welcome! Bring your favorite cookies or fruit to share.
Tea will be available.
Click here to print a flyer for the event.
FIRST ANNUAL BODHISATTVA NIGHT
Sunday, December 12th 2010,6 -8 pm Please bring a SNACK to share, and a CAN OF FOOD**
This event begins a new tradition at KSC, to bring together our youngsters and adults to share in an evening of stories, song, and fun. Our vision for this event is to enrich the relationships between young and old, through sharing in each other’s presence, together in the shrine room.
The theme of the evening is the role of the Bodhisattva. A Bodhisattva is one who vows never to abandon another sentient being and aspires to bring about the benefit of others above even their own. One of our aims with this event is to help children and others see that the bodhisattva ideal is in some way present in most of the world's religious traditions and is a key method in our own tradition for overcoming the causes of suffering.
There are grand, mythical, larger-than-life (even canonized) Bodhisattvas, and there are ordinary folks like us, moving along in that direction as best as we can --and everything in between.
On this evening, we explore this theme through story telling. Though all are welcome to come and listen, anyone can tell a story. Stories can be conveyed via movement, song, music, theater, spoken word or any other form you can think of! If you wish to share a story, these loosely held guidelines may be helpful in making the evening most fruitful.
This event is meant to be age-appropriate for children and appropriate for non-practicing family members and friends--so choose your story accordingly! Your story can be from any source, including your own experience. Children are especially encouraged to participate. Practice your story in advance to be sure it's 5-10 minutes in length. This will help provide space for more people to tell a story.
**The Middle Way Youth Group is holding a canned food drive to benefit the Ashland Emergency Food Bank. In the spirit of cultivating the Bodhisattva within each of us, they are asking families/participants to please bring a non-perishable food item.
Glimpses on Innate Wisdom Mind
A Non-residential Weekend Retreat on Stars of Wisdom by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche November 12-14, 2010
Teachingsby Ari Goldfield & Rose Taylor. Co-sponsored with Tashi Chöling, Rigdzin Gatsal and Mingyur Ling. Print the poster with complete information for the weekend.
Have No Fear Retreat: Preparing for death by relying on meditation
A non-residential retreat at KSC Meditation Center Friday, Sept. 17 (7-9 p.m.) Saturday & Sunday, Sept. 18 & 19 (10 am – Noon & 1:30 -3:30 p.m.)
It is the Buddhist view that the mind (including all the aspects of character that we refer to as "heart") will outlast the body. From this perspective, the way we live our lives every day will naturally result in a state of mind that accompanies us through the dying process and onward into experiences after death. This weekend retreat will encourage the life attitudes of loving kindness, compassion, fearlessness and mindfulness.
On that basis, we will explore the Tibetan Buddhist teachings
on the dying process, and practice meditation to prepare for
our own and others' dying.
Suggested donations: $100 for the weekend.
No registration required
The Meaning of Lineage in Tibetan Buddhism and Sukhasiddhi Long Life Empowerment
A Teaching Weekend by Venerable Lama Lodru Rinpoche, June 4-6, 2010
Have No Fear - Preparing for death utilizing meditation
A non-residential retreat, Avalon Lodge, Eugene
February 5 - 7, 2010
It is the Buddhist view that the mind (including all the aspects of character that we refer to as "heart") will outlast the body. From this perspective, the way we live our lives every day will naturally result in a state of mind that accompanies us through the dying process and onward into experiences after death.
This weekend retreat will encourage the life attitudes of loving kindness, compassion, fearlessness and mindfulness. We will also examine the nature of our fears and habits, as a way to expand our sensitivity, responsiveness and choice in every moment. On that basis, we will explore the Tibetan Buddhist teachings on the dying process, and practice meditation to prepare for our own and others’ dying.
MINDFULNESS PRACTICES FOR DAILY LIVING
A Weekend of Instruction and Meditation Practice
November 6-8, 2009 at Carpenter Hall
Mindfulness is the ability to be present and aware of what is occurring inside ourselves and all around us. This weekend of teachings will explore the four objects of mindfulness in everyday life: body, feelings, mental events and phenomena. We will utilize Calm Abiding Meditation as a way to focus and deepen our awareness.
Please join Lama Pema Clark and Lama Yeshe Parke for an exploration of these practices, along with time to refresh yourself in the natural serenity of mind's spacious quality.
INTRODUCTION TO THE VAJRA WORLD
With Druppon Lama Drupgyu Tenzin (Tony Chapman)
Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009
If you have ever had questions about the Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayana) tradition of Buddhism, this evening of teaching is for you. KSC is fortunate to have a visit from a western lama well-trained in the tradition, with decades of experience as a ground for his talk. Lama Drupgyu says:
“There are many approaches to an authentic spiritual journey. Among Buddhist teachings, the Vajrayana approach of Tibetan Buddhism reflects a sophisticated appreciation of the complexity of the human experience and provides profound methods for transforming every experience into a path of awakening.
“If not properly understood, the exotic color and imagery of Tibetan Buddhism with its deities, mantras, and sexual imagery can easily be misconstrued. In this introduction to Vajrayana, Lama Drupgyu will speak of the spiritual journey, questions of identity and structures of perception, the functioning of mind, and how the transformative magic of sacred outlook can awaken us to the brilliant timeless awareness of Vajra World.”
Lama Drubgyu was a student of H. E. Kalu Rinpoche from 1972, and a monk from 1974 to 1995. He participated in the first 3-year retreat for Westerners, and was as a translator and retreat master under Rinpoche's direction for many years. Lama Drubgyu lives in France, working for Tsadra Foundation, which supports translators and contemplatives, and guiding advanced students of Vajrayana.
TEACHINGS ON CALM ABIDING, INSIGHT & MAHAMUDRA
A Weekend of Teachings by Lama Lodru Rinpoche
May 15-17, 2009
The path to Mahamudra (mind’s genuine nature) begins with the practices of Calm Abiding and Insight. On the weekend of May 15-17, Venerable Lama Lodru Rinpoche gave a teachings series on the nature of the mind. In each session, he led the Calm Abiding and Insight meditations, which are designed to stabilize and clarify the mind. The weekend’s practice provided the ground for Mahamudra meditation.
It is a fortunate occasion when we can gather to hear the heart of the dharma from such a compassionate and realized spiritual friend, and to have the priceless chance to experience our own meditation in the presence of this yogi who has, as the 16th Karmapa said, “highly developed his inner practice.”
~ From Folk to Fine Art Sale ~
Art Sale Benefit for
KSC’s New Center
Friday, December 12 (6 - 8 p.m.)
and
Saturday, December 13 (10 a.m. - 6 p.m.)
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Great Hall
70 E. Main Street, near Pioneer Street
Generously donated folk-to-fine art, quality jewelry and unique collectibles.
Click here to view a slideshow of the event.
TRANQUILITY, INSIGHT, AND
RESTING THE MIND
A Weekend of Instruction and Meditation Practice with
Lama Pema Clark & Lama Yeshe Parke
November 7-9, 2008
For 2500 years, simple and practical Buddhist meditation techniques have helped individuals calm their minds and develop wisdom.
Calm Abiding Meditation reduces daily stress, improves problem-solving abilities, and cultivates inner peace and contentment. Insight Meditation can lead to a profound understanding of the nature of mind and the world around us.
LAMA SARAH HARDING
EXPLAINS UNBIASED LINEAGE
Teachings given in Ashland in March 2008
In March 2008, sangha members and others attended teachings in Ashland by Lama Sarah Harding, a delightful speaker and well respected translator of Tibetan texts. The topics she presented came from her recent translation of an immense collection of Buddhist teachings, The Treasury of Knowledge, Book Eight, Part Four: Esoteric Instructions, A Detailed Presentation of the Process of Meditation in Vajrayana, recently published by Snow Lion Publications. These teachings were gathered and organized by Jamgol Kongtrul in the 19th century. This founded the unbiased tradition — “re-may” in Tibetan. The book offers detailed information on the development and teachings of each of the lineages, as well as insights, historical overviews, and background material. Here are some highlights from her talks:
- Most of the Asian Buddhist teachers who came to America to teach or who taught Westerners in their home countries were considered radicals by the mainstream of their tradition.
- In many traditions, meditation is a small practice among many other practices and even monks in some monasteries do not practice it. It seems that Asian teachers may have understood the Western hunger for the rewards of meditation and therefore focused their teaching on meditation practice.
- There was a great debate in the 8th Century between masters of the Chinese Chan (Zen in Japan) way of “instant enlightenment” and the Indian teachers of the “Gradual Path”. After the Indian teachers won the debate, all Chan influence was banished from Tibet and thereafter, all Tibetan teachings traced back to an Indian guru.
Responding to a question about the tendency for students to project qualities onto a guru, Lama Sarah spoke briefly of her personal journey with projection. It began with projecting perfection onto her root teacher, Kalu Rinpoche, believing he was “the overall wise person of all time”. She felt this was a necessary step to begin on the path. She found that sometimes she disagreed with him, and eventually she found she could argue with him — they could agree to disagree. In moving through these ways of relating to Kalu Rinpoche, she discovered that her devotion and faith in his teachings became even stronger.
Lama Sarah led a lively discussion on whether the “essence of Buddhism” could be found or named. Her thought was that most Tibetan teachers, of any lineage, would say the essence is: “Only do virtue, don’t do not virtue, control your own mind.” She shared her personal thought that Buddhism is the only religion based on interconnectedness.
Sarah Harding is a lama in the Shangpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, currently a faculty member at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.
CULTIVATING SPIRITUALITY IN CHILDREN
A Benefit for the New Center Building Fund
Spiritually nourished children become strong adults. We all benefit as we help them gain the qualities of contentment, rightful confidence, creativity and fearless compassion. Meaningful activities for children and teens are an important addition to KSC's future programs for the New Center.
As a way to begin, in October 2007, KSC was pleased to host Julia King Tamang, who presented a weekend of events focusing on spirituality in children. Her presentation focused on five streams of the developing child's spiritual self:
- Meaning ~ making sense of life and deriving purpose
- Values ~ forming cherished beliefs and attitudes
- Transcendence ~ awareness of possibilities beyond ordinary experience
- Connection ~ meeting self, others, nature and the divine
- Becoming ~ unfolding character and purpose through reflection and mindful experience
The hands-on workshop presented adults with exercises to help children develop the foundational skills for a healthy spiritual life. The first of a series, this workshop emphasized activities to develop stable attention, mindfulness and presence in children age 4 and older. Participants learned a dozen exercises to share with the kids in their life, and there was time for questions and discussion. Participants left with handouts and tools, ready for fun. Workshop exercises were based on Buddhist practices, but were taught in a format appropriate for integration into secular and non-Buddhist spiritual settings.
The following day, a free meeting was held with the workshop presenter, Julia King Tamang, to hear about a decade of programs created at our sister center, KCC of Portland. We discussed how such programs could become a part of KSC's New Center.
Adults of all faith traditions were encouraged to attend, to learn small steps and simple skills that create rich adult-child interactions, resulting in stronger children, families and communities.
Julia King Tamang has been a teacher for 25 years and is the mother of two teens. She is assistant dharma teacher at Kagyu Changchub Chuling in Portland, Oregon, and has been the lead children’s teacher there for more than ten years.
Teaching Visit of Kyabjé Kalu Rinpoche
Kagyu Sukha Chöling Buddhist Meditation Center in Ashland, Oregon, is honored to host Kyabjé Kalu Rinpoche, spiritual leader of the Shangpa lineage, for a teaching visit in September.
Tickets are now available to attend three teachings, which will be held at Southern Oregon University:
• Friday September 9th, 2011, 8:00 pm
How to Free Your Heart, How to Free Your Mind
• Saturday September 10th, 2011, 4:30 pm
Refuge Ceremony and Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony (one event)
• Saturday September 10th, 2011, 7:30 pm
Kalu Rinpoche's Heart Advice
The cost of tickets is $50 per teaching.Tickets may be purchased using the ticketing company's link:
www.brownpapertickets.com. The name of the event is Kyabjé Kalu Rinpoche.
Click on the pdf to access a printable flyer for this event.
