This Week at Kurukulla Center                            Febraury 7, 2011 - February 13, 2011
From the Director


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Dear Kurukulla Community,  

Thank you for all you do to support our center. Our vibrant community is here because of the many unique contributions each of you provides - your skilled help, your donations, your interest and your participation - and we appreciate it!

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Ven. Amy Miller presents practical guidance on using the wisdom of Buddhism, right here & now - Classes continue through February 12

 Ven. Amy Miller

It is such a treat to host Ven. Amy Miller this week with her dynamic and pragmatic teachings. Her solid advice, based on years of study and dedicated practice, steers us through the profound and sometimes complex practices of Tibetan Buddhism. There is still time to take advantage of Ven. Amy's brief visit to Boston. And remember that in place of a normal bookclub will be a teaching on heart and compassion, followed by a vegan baking class, that is suitable for families and children.

 

* Mon.& Tues. Feb. 7 & 8 from 7 - 9 pm Buddha in Mind, Buddha in Body: Tantric Buddhism in Everyday Life (Parts 1 & 2)

* Thurs. Feb 10 from 7 - 9 pm: From Tealight to Dorje: A Practical Guide to Tibetan Ritual Practice (Part 2)

* Sat. Feb 12 from 1 - 3 pm Love, Compassion and Heart: Buddhist Valentine's Day Class for Families

 

You can see details about these classes at www.kurukulla.org/VenAmyMiller2011.  

 

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Contemplative silence in the gompa before classes

 

Beginning this week we will offer a period of silence in the gompa for 15 minutes before every class. In order to actually engage the prayers and the class properly, and to get the most of them, it is incredibly helpful to have a calm and clear mind, not one that was just a moment prior chatting about the busyness of the day. One of the highest ways we can demonstrate our respect for our teachers and the hard work they do is attend their classes with a mind that is prepared and ready to learn and practice. We wanted to ensure we were offering the space for everyone to properly cultivate that kind of mind.

 

It is OK to enter the gompa at any during thiese brief fifteen minutes, but please do so quietly. If you do need to talk during those fifteen minutes before classes, it is perfectly fine to talk in the library and bookstore. 

 

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FPMT News - February Installation

 

The latest news from the International Office of our parent organization, the FPMT, is now availableYou can find Lama Zopa's teaching schedule, read pithy and insightful advice from Rinpoche and learn how donations from FPMT members provide three meals a day, everyday, for the 2,600 monks living at Sera Je Monastery.

 

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Trek in Nepal with Lama Zopa Rinpoche

 

Lawudo Gompa is organizing a trekking pilgrimage in Khumbu, Nepal with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in June. Imagine experiencing the beauty of the Himalayan Mountains in summer and the Sherpa region of eastern Nepal with Lama Zopa Rinpoche! A detailed itinerary can be found on their website.

 

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New Series at Kurukulla South begins Tuesday, February 15

  

Tsultrim Davis, SPCPath of Freedom, Path of Bliss - The Buddhist Journey to Enlightenment with Tsültrim Davis is a nine part series giving an overview of the entire Buddhist path to enlightenment, as explained in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It will meet February 15 & 22, March 1, 8 & 22, and April 5, 12, 19 & 26. For more information please visit www.kurukulla.org/KKS, and if you're able please download and share a flyer or a postcard for the series. 


Please note: Kurukulla South classes are taught at 90 First Street, Bridgewater MA 02324. Please check the Kurukulla South webpage for directions.

 

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New online presence

 

We have mentioned before that Kurukulla Center has a Facebook page, where we share updates and pictures of what is happening at the Center. We are now trying to increase our online presence a little bit, to ensure that anyone in the area looking for Dharma opportunities is able to find us, and you can help! We have testing out using Meetup.com, which provides us an opportunity to put a calendar online which is accessible to a greater search radius.  

 

What would be helpful is, if you are so inclined, you were to join Meetup.com (it is free, and you can sign in using your Facebook account if you already have one), and then join our groups and leave comments about the Center and the teachings. We currently have one group for Kurukulla at www.meetup.com/Kurukulla and one group for Kurukulla South at www.meetup.com/KurukullaSouth. Thanks! 

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Thank you again for your wonderful support.

 

Much love,


Debra Thornburg

  Debra Thornburg
  Director
  
Calendar of Events

Monday February 7


Buddha in Mind, Buddha in Body - Tantric Buddhism in Everyday Life
with Ven. Amy Miller

Part 1 of 2Ven. Amy Miller

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

This series is for people who have studied the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of tantra but still have questions as to what it might mean in their everyday life. We will explore the different vows, commitments, initiations and practices that are all involved in the Buddhist practice of tantra, including the Six Session Guru Yoga, which is a practice requirement for anyone taking initiation in the Kalachakra Tantra with His Holiness the Dalai Lama this upcoming July. Most importantly, we will ask just what these precepts and practices mean for your everyday life. A basic knowledge of tantra is recommended but not required.

This series is open to all, regardless of whether or not you have received Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation.

Part 2 of this series will be held Tuesday February 8, 7:00pm - 9:00 pm.

Please visit kurukulla.org/VenAmyMiller2011 for information regarding other classes Ven. Amy will be teaching at Kurukulla Center. Feel free to download and share a poster for her upcoming visit.

 

Introduction to Buddhism with Ani Yeshe will return next week, February 14.

    

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Tuesday February 8  

Buddha in Mind, Buddha in Body - Tantric Buddhism in Everyday Life with Ven. Amy Miller

Part 2 of 2

7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

This series is for people who have studied the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of tantra but still have questions as to what it might mean in their everyday life. We will explore the different vows, commitments, initiations and practices that are all involved in the Buddhist practice of tantra, including the Six Session Guru Yoga, which is a practice requirement for anyone taking initiation in the Kalachakra Tantra with His Holiness the Dalai Lama this upcoming July. Most importantly, we will ask just what these precepts and practices mean for your everyday life. A basic knowledge of tantra is recommended but not required.

This series is open to all, regardless of whether or not you have received Highest Yoga Tantra Initiation.

Please visit kurukulla.org/VenAmyMiller2011 for information regarding other classes Ven. Amy will be teaching at Kurukulla Center. Feel free to download and share a poster for her upcoming visit.

 

Yoga and Meditation with Wendy Cook will return next week, February 15.

     

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Wednesday February 9  

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

7:00 pm to 9:00 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.

 

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Thursday February 10  

From Tea Light to Dorje - A Practical Guide to Tibetan Ritual Practice with Ven. Amy Miller

Part 2 of 2
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

While study and meditation are essential on the Buddhist path, ritual practice is enormously helpful for clearing away obstacles and setting up the proper conditions for attaining higher realization. This series demystifies the rituals of our tradition and offers philosophical exploration and practical instruction on things such as water bowl and mandala offerings, prostrations, hand mudras, use of bell and dorje, and recitation of mantras with a mala (Buddhist rosary). Get all of your questions answered during these practical, lively and fun workshops.   

In case you missed it, you can listen to part 1 of this series at our digital archive.  

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Friday February 11  

Tara PujaGreen Tara

7:00 pm - 8:30 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.

 

We always recommend bringing offerings of some sort, food, unscented tea lights, flowers, etc, as a way of earning merit. By making donations at, or sponsoring, a specific puja, you are strengthening and empowering the merit you receive in relationship to that puja, in this case the merit we receive by celebrating our gurus and the immeasurable benefit they have offered all sentient beings through their teachings. Generosity is the first of the six perfected qualities of a bodhisattva, planting the seeds to ensure that we will have all the material things necessary in future lives to continue our study of Dharma and working for the benefit of all beings, and this puja is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity. This does not necessarily mean making more offerings, but rather making offerings that are of high value to you, that you find delightful and want to offer your gurus and all buddhas, quantity and quality being factors but not defining marks for an offering. Offerings are not an obligation but an opportunity, so we encourage you to make the most of it.

 

All are welcome.

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 Saturday February 12  

Love, Compassion and Heart - A Buddhist Valentine's Day Class for Children and Families with Ven. Amy Miller and Tsultrim Davis

 Heart

Instead of a normal book club this month, Ven. Tsunma-la decided to host a very special Valentine's Day class planned for children and families.

 

We are delighted that Venerable Amy Miller will join us for a teaching on love, compassion and heart, helping us understand a healthy and positive way to interpret and engage Valentine's Day.

 

Her teaching will be followed by a vegan baking class with Tsultrim Davis where we will learn to make and decorate vegan cookies with a recipe that comes from his cookbook, The Compassionate Kitchen: Vegan Desserts from Kurukulla Center!

 

The day's events are aimed at children and families, but truthfully anyone who is interested in exploring Buddhist ideas about love, and ways of discussing these topics with children, will find the day entertaining and worthwhile. And there will be vegan cookies, so how can you go wrong? We hope to see you there!


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Sunday February 13  

Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand Day 3 with Geshe Tenley

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

Pabongka Rinpoche's Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is the seminal lam-rim or stages on the path to enlightenment text of the 20th century. It is a transcription of a 24 day lam rim teaching given in 1921 and lays out the steps one follows to reach liberation and enlightenment. Offered as a "practical teaching," it is less scholarly than Je Tsongkhapa's Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment, popularly known as the Lam-rim Chen-mo, and as such is the text from which most modern lamas teach lam rim. Today Geshe-la gives commentary on Day 3, on the greatness of the Dharma and how to study and teach Dharma. Feel free to listen live online.

 

Lama Chopa (Guru Puja)
4:00 pm - 6:00 pm Lama Chopa

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 chant the first 2/3rds of this puja in Tibetan and the last 1/3 we recite in English.

 

We always recommend bringing offerings of some sort, food, unscented tea lights, flowers, etc, as a way of earning merit. By making donations at, or sponsoring, a specific puja, you are strengthening and empowering the merit you receive in relationship to that puja, in this case the merit we receive by celebrating our gurus and the immeasurable benefit they have offered all sentient beings through their teachings. Generosity is the first of the six perfected qualities of a bodhisattva, planting the seeds to ensure that we will have all the material things necessary in future lives to continue our study of Dharma and working for the benefit of all beings, and this puja is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity. This does not necessarily mean making more offerings, but rather making offerings that are of high value to you, that you find delightful and want to offer your gurus and all buddhas, quantity and quality being factors but not defining marks for an offering. Offerings are not an obligation but an opportunity, so we encourage you to make the most of it.


All are welcome.


     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!