New York (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Shantideva Meditation Center
A Variety of Programs and Meditations
January 2 and 3, 1 – 2pm: Lunchtime Meditations
Enjoy lunch for your mind! Pause, center, refresh, and welcome the rest of the day with a more peaceful, happier mind.
7 – 9pm: Last session of Discovering Buddhism: Transforming Problems
In this module you will consider the disadvantages of self-cherishing and the advantages of cherishing others more than ourselves. Learn how to employ the special techniques of mind training, or lojong, as a means to transform problems into happiness and learn to like problems, as Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “as much as ice cream.” Open to all levels although some background in Buddhism helpful.
Philadelphia area (Havertown, PA)
The Philadelphia Meditation Center
Awakening the Warrior Within: Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement
January 12, 10:00am – 4:00pm
Lojong or “mind training” is a profound part of Mahayana Buddhism that teaches us how to transform problems into opportunities for spiritual growth. Join this insightful workshop that can lend support to life’s greatest challenges. Discussion on the famous lojong prayer, The Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Langri Thangpa and Master Atisha’s 59 slogans will be included as a blueprint for practicing the bodhisattva path along with tonglen meditation. Open to all levels although some Buddhist background is helpful. By donation.
South Florida
Thubten Kunga Ling (Deerfield Beach)
Meditation, Mindfulness and Making Life Meaningful
January 26, 10am – 4pm
Bring more calm and joy to your life with a consistent meditation practice and discover resources within you that lend to more mindful approaches to everyday living. This full-day workshop will offer meditation instruction and practice, along with insightful techniques for de-stressing and inviting more gratitude and compassion into your life. Join us as we explore these topics and discuss the importance and benefits of meditation, how mindfulness works, and what constitutes meaning in your life. Open to all levels.
Meditation
January 27, 10:15 – 10:45am
Tools for Happiness: How to Love without Attachment
January 27, 11:00am – 12:30pm
“Love” and “attachment” are often confused creating conflict in our relationships, particularly the most intimate ones. If we can lessen attachment, grasping, and control and more fully appreciate all of the goodness in our lives, experiences of genuine love and freedom organically arise. Open to all levels.
Riding the Wave: Coping with Anxiety and Depression
January 28, 7 – 9pm
The desire for happiness serves as a major motivation in our lives, yet we often experience numerous obstacles to achieving it. Despite our material comforts and beneficial circumstances, frustration, fear, anxiety, depression, along with other less than generous mind states, cloud our view. This workshop identifies afflictive states of mind (anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, depression, anxiety, fear, etc.) and explores a variety of healthy coping mechanisms that can help transform everyday challenges into a more realistic and peaceful experience. Open to all levels.
Namdrol Ling Study Group (Miami)
Life as Practice: Making Every Moment Count
January 30, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Our Dharma practice is a living thing that can be expressed in every aspect of our lives. Whether awakened or not, our own innate wisdom lies at the cutting edge of our present state of consciousness. Aren’t we actually more conscious than we often express in our daily living? So why is it that we choose to manifest anything other than our full potential? Due to choosing to live lesser lives than we could, we experience an inner dissatisfaction. Allow this very dissatisfaction to fuel a process of stepping out of the safety of our own confines as we begin to embrace a more conscious life. Open to all levels.
Dealing with Difficult People
January 31, 7:30 – 9:30pm
Aren’t you tired of having challenging people turn up in your life? Why are they there and how can we make them go away? This lively evening presents an alternative view on the presence of these people and how we can best we transform a negative experience into a more positive one. Meditation and practical exercises included. Open to all levels.
Children’s class only: How to Develop the Good Heart: Mindful Body, Speech and Mind
February 1, 3 – 4:00pm
Talk for children ages 8-12 on how to develop our good heart by being mindful of our actions of body, speech and mind and therefore bring happiness to ourselves and others.
Making Friends with Death
February 1, 7:30 – 9:30pm
For most of our culture, death often presents an anxious situation ridden with fear, loss, hopelessness and grief. Explore a more expansive view of this natural transition and how it is possible to face death with peace, dignity and no regrets. Discussion and meditation included along with practical applications for caregivers. Open to all levels of students with a particular interest in death and dying, hospice work, and all caregivers.
Orlando Area
A Practical Guide to Finding Happiness
February 3, 10 – 11am
We all want to be happy and we all wish to avoid suffering. This program offers a clear roadmap of how to overcome suffering and find true happiness while providing participants with the tools necessary to undertake that journey. Practical exercises and meditations included.
Contact: Sonny Talwar at: stalwar787@aol.com
New York (Park Slope, Brooklyn)
Shantideva Meditation Center
A Variety of Programs and Meditations
First session of Discovering Buddhism: Refuge Module via Skype
February 6, 7 – 9pm
Sometimes noted as “the sacred door through which the teaching is entered,” Refuge holds a particular significance in Buddhism. This module explores the qualities of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) and the essential meaning of Refuge along with the advantages of taking lay vows and their role in enhancing our spiritual growth. Open to all levels.
Weekend Program – Awakening the Warrior Within: Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement
February 8, 7 – 9pm and February 9 and 10, 10am – 4pm
Lojong or “mind training” is a profound part of Mahayana Buddhism that teaches us how to transform problems into opportunities for spiritual growth. Join this insightful workshop that can lend support to life’s greatest challenges. Discussion on the famous lojong prayer, The Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Langri Thangpa and Master Atisha’s 59 slogans will be included as a blueprint for practicing the bodhisattva path along with tonglen meditation. Open to all levels although some Buddhist background is helpful. By donation.
Philadelphia area (Swarthmore, PA)
Swarthmore Friends Meeting
Swarthmore College
What’s Love Got to Do With It?: Attachment, Self-Compassion and the Essence of True Love
February 12, 7:30 – 9pm
Get ready for Valentine’s Day with a look at the difference between love and attachment. Explore how the path of self-compassion can lead us to deeper understanding and practice of unconditional love. Open to all levels. Meditation practice included.
February 19
Lunchtime Meditation, 1 – 2pm
Various Practices (Medicine Buddha Puja), 7 – 9pm
The Day of Miracles is the closing of the first two weeks of the Tibetan calendar and commemorates the Buddha displaying a different miracle each day to inspire faith in His disciples. This “merit-multiplying” day is a fantastic time to practice so Shantideva Center is offering special 24-hour vows in the morning, lunch-time meditation, and an evening incorporating prostrations, Vajrasattva purification practice, sutra readings, and a Shakyamuni Buddha puja. All practices are open to all levels of practitioners, but to join the pre-dawn Precepts, you must have taken Refuge in Buddhism or have some Buddhist background. Come join the events and make the most of this auspicious holiday!
February 23, 10am – 4pm
February 24, 10am – 4pm
Swarthmore Friends Meeting
Swarthmore College
Awaking the Warrior Within: Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement- Session 1
March 5, 7:30 – 9pm (see also April 9 and April 30)
Aren’t you tired of having challenging people turn up in your life? Why are they there and how can we make them go away? This lively evening presents an alternative view on the presence of these people and how we can best we transform a negative experience into a more positive one. Meditation and practical exercises included. Open to all levels.
Aren’t we actually more conscious than we often express in our daily living? So why is it that we choose to manifest anything other than our full potential? Due to choosing to live lesser lives than we could, we experience an inner dissatisfaction. Allow this very dissatisfaction to fuel a process of stepping out of the safety of our own confines as we begin to embrace a more conscious life. Open to all levels.
Vajrapani Institute (Boulder Creek)
Kopan West Retreat: A Practical and Experiential Approach to Lasting Happiness
March 23 – 30
Have you been curious about Buddhist practice, but don’t know where to begin? Have you attended Buddhist teachings, but don’t know how to meditate on the subjects you’ve studied? Enjoy this comprehensive overview of the entire Buddhist path according to the Tibetan tradition and unlock the keys to creating more peace in your mind. This retreat will not only provide you with a clear roadmap of how to create healthier mental patterns and overcome negative mind states, but will also provide you with the tools necessary to undertake that journey. Based on the “Stages of the Path” (lamrim) of Tibetan Buddhism, this retreat includes lectures, guided meditations, discussion periods, and experiential homework assignments. Subjects covered include: the nature of mind, death and rebirth, karma, how to overcome suffering, mental quiescence, developing the good heart, the ultimate nature of reality (emptiness), guru devotion, and more. Beginners are welcome and encouraged, as well as more advanced students wanting to review the stages of the path in an experiential format. If Nepal is too far and too expensive for you to visit, join this unique retreat modeled after Kopan Monastery’s month-long November course.
Suggested reading
- The Four Noble Truths, Geshe Tashi Tsering (Wisdom Publications)
- Path to Bliss by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Teachings on Je Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- How to Meditate, Kathleen McDonald (Wisdom Publications)
- Buddhism in an Nutshell, Venerable Amy Miller (FPMT Education Dept)
March 31, 6 – 8pm
Is it possible to create a more harmonious planet? Many feel this is beyond our reach. What about starting with ourselves and our community? Small steps impact larger ones; we can learn to direct these small steps in new and tremendously positive ways. Join us for this special one night teaching with Venerable Amy Miller and explore how we can create the causes for harmony both in our personal lives and the world around us. Open to all levels.
Swarthmore Friends Meeting
Swarthmore College
Awaking the Warrior Within: Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement – Session 2
Philadelphia area (Doylestown, PA)
Unity Barn
Meditation, Mindfulness, and Making Life Meaningful
April 27, 11am – 4pm (with a 1 hour break for lunch)
Bring more calm and joy to your life with a consistent meditation practice and discover resources within you that lend to more mindful approaches to everyday living. This full-day workshop will offer meditation instruction and practice, along with insightful techniques for de-stressing and inviting more gratitude and compassion into your life. Join us as we explore these topics and discuss the importance and benefits of meditation, how mindfulness works, and what constitutes meaning in your life. Open to all levels.
Swarthmore Friends Meeting
Swarthmore College
Awaking the Warrior Within: Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement – Session 3
April 30, 7:30 – 9pm (see also March 5 and April 9)
May 10 – June 17
Unity Barn
What Goes Around, Comes Around: How Karma Works
July 13, 11am – 4pm (with a 1 hour break for lunch)
Dealing With Difficult People
September 25, 6 – 7:30pm
What Goes Around, Comes Around: How Karma Works
September 26, 6 – 8pm
Kopan East Retreat: A Practical and Experiential Approach to Lasting Happiness
September 27 – 29 Friday evening, 7pm to Sunday lunch, 1pm
Suggested reading
- The Four Noble Truths, Geshe Tashi Tsering (Wisdom Publications)
- Path to Bliss by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- Teachings on Je Tsongkhapa’s Three Principal Aspects of the Path by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
- How to Meditate, Kathleen McDonald (Wisdom Publications)
- Buddhism in an Nutshell, Venerable Amy Miller (FPMT Education Dept)
Shantideva Meditation Center at Garrison Institute, (Garrison)
The Path to Joy (Fifth Annual Meditation Retreat
)October 4 – 6
A variety of guided meditation sessions to include shiné (calm abiding), the nature of mind, death and dying, developing the good heart, emptiness, and other topics on the path to enlightenment. Help kick-start your practice or invigorate an already-existing one. Comments from the last retreats included, “Totally life inspiring” and “The best thing I chose to do this year.” Some background in Buddhism a great help, but not necessary. Click HERE for detailed information and registration.
Strath Haven High School, World Religions Classes
Buddhist Overview and Meditation
October 15, 11:15am – 12:35pm
Northeastern University
Lecture: Overview of Life as a Nun and Finding Meaning in Life
October 16, 2:45 – 4:30pm
Thubten Norbu Ling
Discovering Buddhism Module 6 – Karma
October 25, 7 – 8:30pm
October 26, 10am – NOON, 2 – 4pm
October 27, 10am – NOON, 2 – 4pm
This module will introduce you to the Buddhist concept of karma, the law of cause and effect, and what it means to take personal responsibility. Using examples from everyday life, we will analyze how actions determine their results and cause us to experience either happiness or suffering. We will explore purification practices and establish a daily meditation on karma.
Imaging the Positive: Engaging Compassionate Wisdom in Everyday Life
October 29, 7 – 8:30pm
October 30, 7 – 8:30pm
Life today can be very overwhelming and doses us with large amounts of anxiety, depression, and negative attitudes. Is this daily experience our choosing or is there an alternative way of thinking and being? And why is it that we often choose to manifest something other than our full potential? Due to our familiarity of living lesser lives, we experience an inner dissatisfaction. In this workshop, we will use this dissatisfaction to fuel a process of dismantling the safety net of limited thinking and reassemble a more positive mindset. It is from this more positive framework, that we can create more inner happiness and, therefore, healthier and more compassionate connections with ourselves and others. Meditation and techniques on dealing with difficult people will be included. Open to all levels.
This workshop identifies afflictive states of mind (anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, depression, anxiety, fear, etc.) and explores a variety of healthy coping mechanisms that can help transform everyday challenges into a more realistic and peaceful experience. Open to all levels.
November 16, 10:30am – 5pm
This workshop identifies afflictive states of mind (anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, depression, anxiety, fear, etc.) and explores a variety of healthy coping mechanisms that can help transform everyday challenges into a more realistic and peaceful experience. Open to all levels.
This workshop identifies afflictive states of mind (anger, attachment, pride, jealousy, depression, anxiety, fear, etc.) and explores a variety of healthy coping mechanisms that can help transform everyday challenges into a more realistic and peaceful experience. Open to all levels.
How can we use our vulnerability to generate a strong wish to emerge from our confusion and separation and spark a deep experience of compassion for others? In this program, Ven. Amy Miller will walk us through a path of fully waking up and being present with our pain, fear, aversion and how moving through these less than comfortable mind states is the key to transformation. Open to all levels.
Love and attachment are often confused, which becomes a source of conflict in our relationships, in particular our most intimate ones. If we could reduce attachment, grasping and control and at the same time learn to appreciate all that is good in our lives, then our experiences of love and authentic freedom arise organically. Open to all levels.