This Week at Kurukulla Center                                   October 04, 2010 - October 10, 2010
From the Director


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Dear Kurukulla Community,

Geshe-la Update

 Geshe Tsulga-la

This morning Geshe-la continued his commentary on the tenth chapter, Dedication, of Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattvas' Way of Life.  In his teaching today he reminded us that we follow the teachings of the Buddha, and of the guru, not for the benefit of the Buddha or guru but for our own sake.  Whether we follow the teachings or not does not make the Buddha big or small, it does not affect him in any way.  The teachings are expounded to show us how to relieve our suffering and the suffering of others.  We follow the advice of our gurus and of the buddhas for our own benefit, so we can be of greatest service to all beings.

 

 As we continue to do the practices recommended for Geshe-la's continued manifestation of good health and long life, we want to take a moment to remind the community that Geshe-la has recently said that if we would like to be of most benefit, we need to open our minds and hearts to the Dharma. Of all of the activities we can dedicate to Geshe-la, the best and most important is Dharma.  Geshe-la has asked us, all, to recommit ourselves to our practice of Dharma in all that we do.  "Read more Dharma, study more Dharma, practice more Dharma. Open your minds. This is what is most beneficial."  With this in mind, we encourage everyone to take a look at your practice and firmly rededicate yourself to living the Dharma in all that you do.

 

This week's tallies are:


Vajrapani mantras - 506 malas

White Tara mantras - 453 malas

Vajrapani sadhanas - 5

White Tara sadhanas - 3

Medicine Buddha mantras - 2 malas

 

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Change of Directorship


 As most of you know, I replaced Wendy as director a couple of years ago. At the time it was supposed to be for about six months, but I felt I would like to see the stupa project through, and now that has been accomplished. Thank you for your help and support in this.

At the recent Light on the Path retreat, I asked Lama Zopa if he would like me to continue--being KKC director has definitely impacted my day job at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive--and he asked me for suggestions as to possible replacements. I gave Rinpoche a few names, and the process for finding a new Director is currently underway.  The next Kurukulla Center Board Meeting is October 23, and we will likely have more news for you thereafter.

 

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Supporting the Center


I sent out an email a few days ago asking for your end-of-year support, through memberships and special gifts and we'll be sending out a similar email again! Thank you for giving it due consideration and for your generous responses, it is your kindness and generosity that allow the Center to continue to offer so many amazing opportunities to study and practice the Dharma.  Please do what you can. Thank you again.

 

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Kurukulla South


Last week saw the successful first installment of Kurukulla South, our venture to offer Dharma to Center members, old and new, who live south of Boston and in Northern Rhode Island. This current series of classes, being taught by Tsultrim Davisco-SPC Tsültrim, will run through November 2. 

 

 Similar to all of our classes, we offer the Dharma for free and neither charge nor have a suggested donation for any of these classes. That said, we could use your support as we continue this project, as we do have some fees, such as space rental, etc.  If you're as excited as we are about this new venture, and sharing the Dharma to a wider audience, we encourage you to donate to this project, being sure to mark any donation with "Kurukulla South" in the memo field or on the envelope.  Thanks!    

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Help LYWA Move


A while ago I shared with you the joyous news that the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive has a new, permanent home in Lincoln. Since we started the Archive in 1996, we have been operating out of Wendy's and my various rented homes. However, through the inexpressible kindness of one of our benefactors, we were finally been able to purchase a house for the Archive...

 

Other/2010.07.18 LWYA Permanent Home.jpg

 

And we move in next week!  We would love help packing up the Archive on Monday - Wednesday (October 4, 5 & 6) in preparation of the move. If you are available to help pack any of those days please let me know, thanks.

 

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Special Medicine Buddha Puja in honor of Amy Levitin


Medicine Buddha Puja is one of the regular pujas we hold every month, on the full moon.  In general, it is a practice that is beneficial for long life, health and success.  There will be a special Medicine Buddha Puja held this week, sponsored on behalf of Amy Levitin, who passed away from this life on August 20.  Amy was a long-time community member of Kurukulla Center and coordinator of Buddha Maitreya Study Group in Northampton. All are welcome to attend, whether you knew Amy or not.  Please note, we will still be having our regularly scheduled Medicine Buddha Puja on the full moon, October 22.

 

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Day-long Yoga & Meditation Retreat

with Wendy Cook & Elizabeth Brown


Lotus

We are very excited to be able to offer our space for two day-long yo ga &  meditation retreats, on October 30 and November 13.  These retreats are being organized and taught by former KKC Director Wendy Cook and Elizabeth Brown, another local yoga instructor. Not only are these retreats a great opportunity to re-align your body and mind, but proceeds will go to the Center, so we especially encourage you to attend!  You can find out more information as well as download a flyer from our Calendar page.


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Sutra of Golden Light Recitation,

dedicated to the long life of Geshe Tsulga


Center member Askold has kindly offered to sponsor a recitation of the Sutra of Golden Light, to be dedicated for the continued health and long life of our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche has explained that there are many, many benefits to the recitation of this amazing, powerful text, which you can read about here.  This recitation will be held on Sunday October 24 in place of regular class, as all of our sangha members will be in Toronto to receive teachings from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.  We highly encourage members to come and be part of this recitation and dedication, it is a wonderful opportunity.  It will be broadcast live, so you are welcome to join us in creating and dedicating merit through this recitation even if you cannot make it into the Center.  There will be copies available at the Center, but for those who are not able to make it in to the Center, copies are available, in multiple languages, at the FPMT website.

 

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Green Tara Initiation


Our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga has generously offered to bestow a Green Tara Initiation before leaving for India this winter.  It is scheduled for Sunday, November 7, and will be in place of regular class.  We wanted to let everyone know to save the date, and more details will be forthcoming.

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Lobster Liberations

Center member Haim is organizing a series of lobster liberations, to be dedicated to the continued long life and good health of our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga. He is planning on having the first lobster liberation this upcoming Thursday, October 7.  Everyone is invited to attend or to help sponsor the event.  If you do want to donate or attend, please contact Haim directly at haim.k.2@gmail.com.  You can make your donation directly to the Center, indiciating it is for Lobster Liberations, but be sure to contact Haim directly anyway so he is clear as to what donations have been made by Thursday morning.
 

Thank you again for your wonderful support.


Much love,


Dr. Nicholas Ribush, Director

  Nick Ribush
  Director

Calendar of Events

Monday, October 4


 

Introduction to Buddhism with Ven. Ani YesheAni 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, October 5

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.

 

Yoga & Meditation with Wendy CookWendy-la

7:00 pm to 8:45 pm

These classes include therapeutic movements, standing postures, back strengthening postures and hip openers. The last twenty minutes are spent in guided meditation, including breath awareness, visualization, and analytical techniques to enhance our inner good qualities. Suitable for both experienced and new students, you are welcome to attend on a drop-in basis. Please arrive a few minutes early and wear comfortable, fitted and modest clothing.

 

Improve Your Life From WithinTsultrim Davis with Tsultrim Davis
[Kurukulla South at Dancing Crow Yoga Studio, 98 Derby Street Suite 440, Hingham MA]
7:30 pm to 9:00 pm

What is Buddhism and why practice it? Why is Buddhism one of the fastest growing religions in America and why are so many Americans turning to it to find true happiness and real meaning in their lives?

The answers to these and many other questions will be explored at a new series of evening classes designed both for complete newcomers to Buddhism and for those familiar with the basics of the tradition. This series, in which we are studying Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Virtue and Reality, will run through November 2. All are welcome, even if you did not attend previous classes.

 

Directions to the Dancing Crow Yoga Studio can be found on their website.

 

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Wednesday, October 6

Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas with Venerable Geshe TenleyGeshe Tenley-la

7:00 pm to 8:00 pm

Geshe-la continues an explanation of the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas by Togme Sangpo (1245-1369.) Come and discover what it means to model your actions after those of a bodhisattva. All are welcome. A copy of the text will be distributed in class and a commentary by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is available on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive website. Other contemporary commentaries are available for purchase in our bookstore. Feel free to listen live online.

 

Medicine Buddha Puja in Memory of Amy LevitinMedicine Buddha

8:00 to 9:00 pm

Tonight we hold a special puja dedicated to Amy Levitin who passed away on August 20. She was a long-time community member of Kurukulla Center and coordinator of Buddha Maitreya Study Group in Northampton. All are welcome to attend, whether you knew Amy or not. Medicine Buddha puja is a beneficial practice to do in general for health and success. Offerings such as cookies, fruit, flowers or tealights for the altar are appreciated but optional.

 

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Thursday, October 7

 

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

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Resident nun Tsunma-la continues teaching the Discovering Buddhism program with the third module: "Presenting the Path." Think of this series as understanding how to GoogleMap your mind--how to figure out the directions to get from where you are now to your eventual destination, complete enlightenment. This overview of the Buddhist path will give you a summary of the most fundamental ideas in Buddhism.

 

The course meets on six Thursday evenings: Sept 9, 16 & 30 and Oct 7, 14 & 21. It is highly recommended you attend all six sessions but it is not required. Feel free to listen live online.

Presenting the Path is the third of fourteen modules in our
Discovering Buddhism program. This is multi-session series that meets Thursday evenings from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. It is not necessary to have attended the earlier modules in order to attend the later ones. 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, October 8

Morning Meditation with Tsunma-la (Sue Macy)

6:30 am to 7:00 am

Resident nun Tsunma-la continues the Morning Meditation series on Fridays with a variation on the stabilizing meditations that have been offered earlier. The focus is now using our analytical mind to investigate core Buddhist concepts as a way to deepen our understanding of them. Today we explore our impermanence as it manifests in our breath and our body. 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.

 

You are also welcome to participate from your home by listening on-line to the live broadcast.
The class continues each Tuesday and Friday through the summer - 6:30 to 7:00 am - at your home or ours!

 

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Saturday, October 9

 

Creating Compassionate Cultures Workshop with Pam Cayton

This three day workshop is offered by Pam Cayton, founder of Tara Redwood School in California and author of Creating Compassionate Cultures (CCC), the Essential Education programme for developing compassion and wisdom in the hearts and minds of children.

Inspired by Lama Yeshe's Vision for Universal Education, Pam founded Tara Preschool in 1989 and it became the first pilot school for Essential Education in the west. She is now offering workshops for parents, teachers, therapists, and anyone who wants to create a more compassionate society and culture.

For workshop content, and schedule, or if you have any other questions, please feel free to email Kasia Beznoska at kasia.peace@gmail.com, and also tell anyone you think would be interested in attending!

 

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Sunday, October 10

Dedication - Chapter 10 from Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life with Venerable Geshe TsulgaGeshe Tsulga-la
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
, written by master Shantideva, concludes with Chapter 10 and its inspired verses of dedication. His Holiness the Dalai Lama frequently recites verses from this chapter in his own dedications so many of the words and sentiments may be familiar.

Over the last number of years Geshe-la has offered commentary on every chapter except for the tenth, so this will be an opportunity for students to have received teachings on the entire text from Geshe-la. He has asked that we come to class prepared, having already read the chapter. If you do not have a copy you can download a PDF of it here. You can also purchase a copy of A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life from our bookstore.
 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 theBasic Program or a background in Buddhist philosophy are recommended. 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 "Basic Program" is selected, or email us and we will manually add you to the list.





     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!