This Week at Kurukulla Center                           September 13, 2010 - September 19, 2010
From the Director


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Dear Kurukulla Community,

Thank you for your interest in and support of Kurukulla Center.

Geshe-la updateGeshe Tsulga and Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga was happy to greet Kurukulla's spiritual director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, last week for another blessing of our amazing stupa. Geshe-la's mind is happy and strong, of course, but he continues to manifest some physical frailty. So please maintain the practices we have been asked to do for Geshe-la's long life and improved health. Contact us for more information. The latest tallies are:

Vajrapani malas - 344
White Tara malas - 162
Animal liberations - 100 crickets, 100 worms



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Lama Zopa Rinpoche's visit

It was wonderful to have Rinpoche back at Kurukulla. It was upon his advice that we built the Kalachakra Stupa for Peace at Kurukulla Center. Rinpoche stayed at the new Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive house and, while in Boston, also visited Wisdom Publications.

Rinpoche and Geshe-la blessed the stupa and then Rinpoche spoke briefly about the incredible benefits of building stupas. Afterwards everybody got to go up and offer Rinpoche a khatag and perhaps have a few words. It was a brief but blissful visit and we invited Rinpoche to come back again soon for a longer period to give more teachings.

Check out the photos below, and click any of the above links to see pictures of that event.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Tsulga bless the Stupa

The crowd watches

Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching

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Going forward

Work now continues on the Tara palace and pond and we hope this work will be completed in a couple of weeks' time. It's been a wonderful summer, with the stupa being completed and the visits of Choden Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche and we now move back into our more regular schedule, which itself is pretty amazing. Geshe Tsulga teaching Sundays, Geshe Tenley Wednesdays, Tsunma-la and Ani Yeshe running their regular programs, and Wendy teaching yoga and meditations Tuesday nights. And then there are our four regular monthly pujas. These are great offerings. And we will be adding one more...Kurukulla South (see below).

However, although we offer all our classes completely free of charge, we do have $8,000 a month regular expenses, and we depend on you for this through your memberships, regular donations and special gifts. Every summer our income dries up a little and this year's was no exception and we had to dig deep into our reserves. Please contribute generously over the next month or two to keep the Center going and to help us build our reserves back up. Thank you so much.


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Kurukulla South

As I have mentioned, several people have asked about classes south of Boston, for people who live in southern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. We're happy to announce that our co-Spiritual Program Director, Tsultrim Davis, will be starting to teach introductory classes on Tuesday nights starting September 28 at Dancing Crow Studio. Please click here to download a flier with more details. We encourage you to share this flier around to promote an auspicious turnout as we launch a satellite center.


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And I'm off to Asheville, North Carolina, for a two-week retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche and will see you when I get back. Sean Gonzalez will be acting director while I'm away.

Thank you again for your wonderful support.


Much love,


Nicholas Ribush, Director

  Nick Ribush
  Director

Calendar of Events

Monday,  September 13    


Introduction to Buddhism with Ven. Ani Yeshe (Helen Lee) Ani Yeshe-la
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Introduction to Buddhism is an on-going series. Each class introduces a new topic as a way of providing newcomers a broad overview of Buddhism. The course is designed for those who are new or newly acquainted with the Center to hear basic Buddhist teachings, ideas and concepts, especially those emphasized by our resident lama (teacher), Geshe Tsulga. Bring all your questions. It is fine to attend any class without having attended prior classes. All welcome!



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Tuesday, September 14

Morning  Meditation with Tsunma-la (Sue Macy)Ani Tsunma-la

6:30 am to 7:00 am

Start your day on the right foot by calming your mind, setting your day's purpose to be a meaningful one and remembering to just breathe! Resident nun Tsunma-la leads basic meditations that help stabilize the mind by learning to focus on the breath. By using these simple techniques, you can bring a sense of tranquility to your day. If you plan to join Tsunma-la in the meditation hall (gompa) at Kurukulla Center please arrive a few minutes early. We will start promptly at 6:30 am. Feel free to listen live online.

 

There is no Yoga & Meditation with Wendy Cook this week, it will return September  21.

 

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Wednesday, September 08

Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva with Geshe TenleyGeshe Tenley-la

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Geshe-la continues his explanation of The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattvaby Togme Sangpo (1245-1369.) Come and learn what a bodhisattva does. All are welcome. A copy of the text will be distributed in class and contemporary commentaries are available for purchase in our bookstore.

 

Tara PujaGreen Tara
8:00 pm to 9:300 pm 
Tara is a female Buddha and represents the enlightened activity of the Buddhas. Once a month, we pay homage to her by doing practices for this specially loved Buddha. Practices to Tara are said to remove obstacles to both our spiritual and worldly success. Since most of the recitation is done in English, the Tara puja is easily accessible to those unfamiliar with this type of chanting ceremony practice.


It is customary when attending a puja to bring offerings such as flowers, unscented tea lights, fruit or cookies, or to make monetary offerings to the ordained sangha or to Kurukulla Center itself. Although we encourage you to do so, it is not required.

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Thursday, September 16


Discovering Buddhism - Presenting the Path with Tsunma-la (Sue  Macy)

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Tonight is the second class in Presenting the Path, one of the modules from our Discovering Buddhism program. In this series, resident nun Tsunma-la gives an overview of Buddhist practice from start to finish. Think of this course as helping you to understand how to GoogleMap your mind--to figure out the directions to get from where you are now to your eventual destination, complete enlightenment. Feel free to listen live online.

Presenting the Path
is the third of fourteen modules in the Discovering Buddhism program.  It is a series of classes that meets over six session on Thursday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm: Sept 9, 16 & 30 and Oct. 7, 14 & 21. It is not necessary to have attended the previous modules in order to attend this one. It is highly recommended you attend all six sessions but it is not required. If you would like to receive the  handouts, homework and materials for this course, please click the link at  the bottom of this email, "Update Profile/Email Address," and be sure that  "Discovering Buddhism" is selected, or email us and we will manually add you to the list.

Discovering Buddhism (DB) is an advanced beginner's program designed by our parent organization, the FPMT, to explore the core Buddhist teachings in a cohesive and comprehensive way. Designed for beginner's who have had some background and anyone interested in a systematic program. There are readings, meditations and homework assignments.  This is a highly practical program that is grounded in authentic Buddhist tradition. And it can be assured that Tsunmala will make it fun! More information about the 'Discovering Buddhism' program is available here, or you can email Program@Kurukulla.org with any specific questions.


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Friday, September 17


Morning Meditation with Tsunma-la (Sue  Macy)

6:30 am to 7:00 am

Start your day on the right foot by calming your mind, setting your day's purpose to be a meaningful one and remembering to just breathe! Resident nun Tsunma-la leads basic meditations that help stabilize the mind by learning to focus on the breath. By using these simple techniques, you can bring a sense of tranquility to your day. If you plan to join Tsunma-la in the meditation hall (gompa) at Kurukulla Center please arrive a few minutes early. We will start promptly at 6:30 am.  Feel free to listen live online.

 
Guru Puja (Lama Chopa)Lama Chopa
7:00 pm to 8:45 pm
 

The word puja means "to please" and has the connotation to please through offerings and practice. The Guru Puja lays the whole path to enlightenment on our mindstream, connects us more strongly to our teachers, allows us to accumulate skies of merit and purifies eons of negative karma. We perform this practice on the 10th and 25th of the lunar Tibetan calendar, a time that is special for making the "tsok" offering, a particular ritual inserted into the Guru Puja. We chant the first 2/3rds of this puja in Tibetan and the last 1/3 we recite in English.

To create merit, positive connection, it is traditional to bring offerings for the altar, which then becomes the basis for the visualized offerings made during the puja; cookies, fruit, flowers, tea lights (unscented), or saffron are suggested.

 

All are welcome.


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Sunday, September 19 


Wisdom Chapter from Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of  Life with Venerable Geshe TsulgaGeshe Tsulga-la

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

The ninth  chapter of Guide to a  Bodhisattva's Way of Life, composed by the great bodhisattva Shantideva, addresses the Madhyamika view of reality by setting it against  other philosophical systems, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist. Reputed to be highly challenging, we are fortunate such an eminently qualified teacher as Geshe Tsulga will guide us through this section. Copies of Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life and a commentary on this chapter by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Transcendent Wisdom, are available for purchase in our bookstore. We will also distribute a copy of Chapter 9 to all class participants.  Feel free to listen live online.

 

This course is from the Basic Program, a multi-year program offering a comprehensive and in-depth exploration of core Buddhist texts. Prior participation in the Basic Program or a background in Buddhist philosophy are recommended.





     Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies

     68 Magoun Avenue
     Medford, MA 02155
     617.624.0177

     http://www.kurukulla.org


May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes!