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Prayers for Geshe Sherab

Friday, May 7, 2021
8:00am–10:00am PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)

We are using the Zoom video conferencing system for this event.  Please register.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Geshe Thubten Sherab, who is the resident Geshe at Thubten Norbu Ling in Santa Fe, NM, has COVID-19. He joins the growing list of seriously ill nuns and monks in Nepal and India with COVID. Geshe Tenzin Zopa in Australia will kindly lead a live streamed session of Prayers for Geshe Sherab and others in Nepal and India, who have COVID.

The session will be livestreamed on YouTube on Friday at 7.30pm Sydney, Australia time (2:30 am Pacific time): https://youtu.be/rJiU-rAqGrM.



The text for the prayers (Praises to the Twenty-one Taras) can be found here: https://fpmt.org/wp-content/uploads/prayers/21tarasltrrdr.pdf.


Geshe Thubten Sherab, a student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa since childhood, brought this direct lineage of teachings to New Mexico in 2001. Geshe Sherab held the position of headmaster of the Mount Everest School at Kopan Monastery in Nepal, and was appointed to serve as acting abbot of Kopan Monastery for one year. Since 2014, he spends 6 months in Santa Fe as Thubten Norbu Ling’s Resident Geshe, and 6 months teaching abroad.



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​Exploring Buddhist Philosophy and Practice

Module One: Exploring the Mind
 
with Don Handrick

Online Only

Wednesdays, 6:00pm – 7:30pm (PT)
May 19 – June 30, 2021
​7 classes
  


The Buddha said that the source of all happiness and suffering is the mind. In light of this fundamental teaching, it is essential that we develop an extensive understanding of the mind, and then utilize that knowledge to create the causes for our own and other’s well-being.
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In this module, we will look at what the mind is and how it works, as presented in both Buddhism and science. We will explore the different ways to distinguish and classify various kinds of consciousness; and investigate how to reduce destructive states of mind, and generate the constructive ones which can lead us on the path to enlightenment.

Exploring Buddhist Philosophy and Practice is a new program currently being developed by FPMT to serve as a bridge between Discovering Buddhism and The Basic Program. It is designed to help students of Buddhism delve more deeply into a broad array of topics that form a solid foundation for furthering one’s study and practice.  The program will initially be run as a pilot program in FPMT centers to further test and refine the curriculum.
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Previous study of at least some modules of Discovering Buddhism, either in a center or online is highly recommended before enrolling in this program.
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Don Handrick is a touring teacher for the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), sharing the Dharma with centers and study groups in North America and other parts of the world, both in-person and online. Don's study of Buddhism began in 1993 after reading The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. Over the next two years he practiced with Sogyal Rinpoche's organization, until he began attending classes in 1996 with Venerable Robina Courtin at Tse Chen Ling in San Francisco.

Don left the Bay Area in 1998 to attend the FPMT's Masters Program of Buddhist Studies in Sutra and Tantra, a seven-year residential study program conducted at Lama Tzong Khapa Institute in Tuscany, Italy, taught by the scholar and kind Spiritual Friend, Geshe Jampa Gyatso. He successfully completed all five subjects of this program in 2004, receiving an FPMT final certificate with high honors.

Discovering Buddhism Open House

​with Ven. Tenzin Legtsok & Ven. Tenzin Namjong

Online Only
Tuesday, May 18, 2021
7:00pm – 9:00pm PDT (Pacific Daylight Time)



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The program will be taught by two monks who are nearing completion of their Geshe studies at Sera Jey Monastery in India. The aim of the Discovering Buddhism program is to give participants a solid footing in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism.  By engaging in this program, participants will gain an experiential taste of the Buddha's teachings, some retreat experience, and the skills they need to make their lives most meaningful.
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The purpose of this orientation is to give students a chance to meet Venerable Legtsok and Venerable Namjong and to hear them talk about their approach to learning and to teaching.
The Discovering Buddhism program consists of 14 modules.  It is an estimated 2-year course for which students may receive a certificate of completion upon fulfillment of all requirements.  All are welcome to participate in this program regardless of certification interest.

Students are encouraged to attend this program from the beginning, as the modules build on one another.  Please email trey@dharmakayacenter.com if you would like to join later.  This is to ensure that you have the necessary background knowledge in Buddhism.

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Born and raised in Hawaii, Venerable Tenzin Namjong studied and trained in Zen and Theravada traditions before embracing the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, due mainly to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Princeton University and has been part of the 19 year Geshe study program at Sera Je Monastery in South India since 2007.
Venerable Legtsok and Venerable Namjong are registered teachers of the FPMT and they regularly teach at FPMT centers in India.
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Venerable Tenzin Legtsok is in the eighteenth year of the Geshe Studies Program at Sera Jey Monastic University in South India where he studies classic Indian Buddhist treatise and their Tibetan commentaries in the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. He has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001.
Born in Virginia, USA in 1973, he obtained a Bachelor of Arts from Kenyon College in 1995.  The question, “What makes for the most happy and meaningful life,” which compelled him to major in philosophy during college gradually led to his study of meditation and philosophy with teachers among the exiled Tibetan communities in India and Nepal from 1999 until the present.
For the past ten years he has tried to make basic Buddhist teachings accessible to various audiences in India and the US through lectures, essays, and meditation instruction.

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Buddhism in a Nutshell 

& Meditation 101

​Every Other Sunday 
​11:00 AM - 12:30 PM 

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Buddhism in a Nutshell and Meditation 101 are introductory courses that provides an overview of Tibetan Buddhist concepts and meditation. It is also suitable for people who have heard or read some Buddhist teachings but would like a more structured approach to understanding the path to enlightenment as taught by the Buddha.
​ It begins with an introduction to the life of Shakyamuni Buddha and then discusses the Buddha’s first teaching on The Four Noble Truths: the truths of suffering, the cause of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering. This teaching is common to all Buddhist traditions and forms the cornerstone for all the other teachings given by the Buddha.

It also provides an overview of Tibetan Buddhism based on the three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment—renunciation, bodhichitta, and the right view of emptiness—as taught in the stages of the path teachings and based on the short text 'Foundation of All Good Qualities' by, Lama Tsong Khapa.  The course also provides the foundations of meditation practice and five guided meditations suitable for beginners.

Led by Trey Ligon
Center Director

Check calendar ​​​​

Book Discussion Group - Online 
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Every Monday  ​
6:30 pm - 8:00 pm

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Beginning May 10, 2021:

We have chosen our next three books!

They are "Transforming Problems into Happiness" by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, "The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus" and "The Life of Milarepa: The Classic Biography of the Eleventh-Century Yogin and Poet – One of the Most Renowned Spiritual Figures in Tibetan Buddhist History." Join for one evening, all or even a part - there is always a good discussion! Follow along on Meetup to see what chapters we are reading for the week.

Our first choice is by our spiritual leader Lama Zopa Rinpoche titled "Transforming Problems into Happiness". According to Rinpoche "Happiness and suffering are dependent upon your mind, upon your interpretation. They do not come from outside, from others. All of your happiness and all of your suffering are created by you, by your own mind." Commenting on an early-twentieth-century Tibetan text of instructions and practical advice for everyday spiritual living, Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches us how to be happy during hard times by adopting skillful attitudes--ways of interpreting reality that can permit us to live a joyful and relaxed life regardless of circumstance. In Transforming Problems Into Happiness, Lama Zopa Rinpoche brings his own special flavor and contemporary relevance to a timeless teaching on Buddhist psychology. This volume will be valuable to all, no matter the spiritual background of the reader or the kind of problems that have led them to ask that ageless question: How can I achieve happiness?

Our second book will be "The Good Heart: A Buddhist Perspective on the Teachings of Jesus". In this landmark book of interfaith dialogue, the Dalai Lama provides an extraordinary Buddhist perspective on the teachings of Jesus, commenting on well-known passages from the four Christian Gospels including the Sermon on the Mount, the parable of the mustard seed, the Resurrection, and others. Drawing parallels between Jesus and the Buddha--and the rich traditions from which they hail--His Holiness delivers a profound affirmation of the sacred in all religions. Readers will be inspired by the Dalai Lama's discussion of the endless merits of each tradition and uplifted by the common humanity between them.

Our third choice "The Life of Milarepa" is one of the most beloved stories of the Tibetan people and a great literary example of the contemplative life. Jetsun Milarepa, the 11th-century Buddhist yogin and poet, started life as a black magician, gaining revenge for loss of heritage by casting terrible hailstorms and committing multiple murders. Distraught with remorse, he sought to expiate his crimes and, with the fiercely compassionate help of his lama, Marpa, devoted himself to unremitting practice - meditation in caves, existing only on nettles and turning green as a result. And he gained liberation in one lifetime. Milarepa’s remarkable story is told in this equally remarkable 15th-century biography, which is dramatic, humorous, moving and wise. Andrew Quintman’s new translation, vibrant and immediate, brings this great classic to life. Joyful, enriching and unexpectedly entertaining, it is a spiritual biography without compare.

This book discussion group is a gathering of individuals who view, read, study, and discuss various dharma-relevant and reinforcing materials. The group can at times be very focused on texts and other times only loosely tethered to a common resource, but enriching experience, increased knowledge, and deeper understanding are always the goals. Anyone can benefit at any point by attending, regardless of background or experience, so don’t hesitate to drop in—whether you know what the group is focusing on or have seen the current materials. Visitors are encouraged and invited to come over some evening to see what it is all about.

Led by Anne Ligon, SPC
​& Mary Wellhoner
Suggested Donation $5
No one turned away for lack of funds.

Check calendar ​​​​​

Drop In Meditation - Online  

Every Wednesday & Friday 
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

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​Meditation is an effective, yet simple, way of dealing with many stresses in life. There is a growing body of scientific evidence of meditation being highly effective at reducing physical and mental stress.

Every week we focus on one topic on the Lam Rim using excellent meditations from Kathleen McDonalds' "How to Meditate" that are suitable for anyone interested in exploring and incorporating the benefits of meditation into their daily lives, regardless of whether you are a Buddhist practitioner or not. 



Led by Cyndy Mowbray
Check calendar ​​​​

Medicine Buddha Study Group - Online 

Every other Saturday 
11:00 am-12:00 pm   

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This study group will explore the benefits of meditating on the Medicine Buddha.
The first half of the hour will be spent reading and discussing Lama Zopa Rinpoche's masterful book, Ultimate Healing: The Power of Compassion. In the second half of the hour, we will engage in the Medicine Buddha Meditation.  


Led by Cyndy Mowbray
Check calendar ​​​​​

​Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga - Online
Guided Meditation with Elissa Slanger

Every Sunday - Online 
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm 

​Kum Nye Tibetan Relaxation is a gentle healing system that relieves stress, transforms negative patterns, kelps us to be more balanced and healthy, and increases our enjoyment and appreciation of life. …It integrates and balances two approaches, the physical and the psychological…As it, leads to the integration of body and mind in all our activities, this relaxation has a lasting quality greater than the feeling of well-being experienced in physical exercise, or even in disciplines such as yoga. When we learn to open our senses and touch our feelings directly, our bodies and minds make full contact with one another, and all experience becomes rich, healthy, and more beautiful. As we become deeply acquainted with ourselves and our self-understanding grows, we are also able to share more fully with others. (Not an FPMT Event)
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​Elissa Slanger began her study of Buddhism in a Japanese Zen monastery in 1960. For the following years she practiced with first the London Buddhist Society and then the Zen Center, until 1961, when she attended a workshop given by Tartung Tulku. She has been a part of his community since then. She began teaching at the Nyingma Institute Buddhist Center, in Berkeley in 2014. A near death experience she had in 2013, confirmed for her the truths of the Buddhist teachings. Elissa is also a clinical psychologist - having practiced until she was well into her 80’s. She is a past president of the Nevada Psychological Association.

Calendar of Events

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​Dharmakaya Center

6165 Ridgeview Court, Suite G
Reno, Nevada 89519
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                           Affiliated with the 
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition
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