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JULY 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching Lojong Slogan # 59: Don't Expect Applause Recently this Lojong or Mind Training slogan spontaneously arose in my mind. Why? Maybe because Wisdom Seat offers a class on Lojong? Maybe because I haven't really practiced these slogans deeply for a while? More likely because I haven't heard applause for a long time? No - Why not slogan # 1 "First train in
Jun 30
Michele Martin - Studying with the Lamas of India and Nepal
Interview by Joanna Rotte, Sky Lake Interviews series View this episode's page on Libsyn Michele Martin has two graduate degrees in literature from Yale University and has been a Buddhist practitioner in the Karma Kagyu lineage for over forty years. She is a founding board member of the Tibetan Buddhist Research Center and has spent more than thirty years studying with and translating for Tibetan lamas in Nepal and India. She is the author and translator of Music in the Sky:
Jun 28
JUNE 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching The Martial “Art of Love” In the “Art of Love” Aikido Master Morihei Ueshiba reveals an astounding truth: to perfect any martial art, the warrior must learn to love. Such teaching seems so counter intuitive. One would think that to master Jujitsu or Samurai disciplines of Kyudo or Kenjutsu, a warrior would need to master restrained violence, disciplin
May 31
Larry Mermelstein - Stories of the Late Great Chogyam Trungpa
Interview by Joanna Rotte, Sky Lake Interviews series View this episode's page on Libsyn Larry Mermelstein has been a close student of the Venerable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1971. He is a founding member and Executive Director of the Nalanda Translation Committee, a senior teacher in the Vajradhatu-Shambhala community, and a consultant for Shambhala Publications. He resides in Halifax, Nova Scotia. This interview was conducted in person by Joanna Rotte before a live aud
May 13
Strange Friends: Barry Boyce on The Dharma Protectors
The dharma protectors are among the most striking figures in Tibetan Buddhism. Fierce, wrathful, often terrifying in appearance. For the May Mindful Gathering, Barry Boyce joined Bill Moriarty and the community to talk about what they actually are and what it means to work with them in practice. Barry laid out three levels of protector practice: outer, inner, and secret. At the outer level, protectors guard teachers and places. At the inner level, they protect the teachings f
May 12
MAY 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching One of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s deepest desire was to bring the vajrayana teachings to the West. Over the past few years vajrayana students of VCTR celebrated his Parinirvana which is on April 4. This fell on a Saturday this year. We gathered at Pawo Khandro Ling, which is the Wisdom Seats shrine room. We assembled both in person and online to ce
Apr 30
What You Never See: Planning a Buddhist Retreat
A Mindful Gathering with Susanna Lack, Rhea Colmar, and Bill Moriarty On April 30, 2026, The Wisdom Seat hosted a Mindful Gathering on one of the least visible parts of community life: what it actually takes to plan and hold a group retreat. Every retreat has a visible side and an invisible one. Susanna Lack and Rhea Colmar joined Bill Moriarty to discuss what planning and holding a group retreat actually involves - from choosing a venue and approaching teachers, to managing
Apr 30
Embracing the Wisdom of Death, Dying and Illness
On April 16, The Wisdom Seat held an open discussion on death, dying and illness. There was no agenda, specific topics, or desired outcomes. Just an open discussion to share inner reflections on death and dying. As a community, we explored: how can we support ourselves and each other to deepen our experience of our mortality? How can we further our exploration of our own impermanence? What wisdom is to be found hidden beneath the surface of the reality of the human condition?
Apr 17
Causes and Conditions: How Did Things Get Like This?
Video starts about 2 minutes in. The March Mindful Gathering was on Dependent Origination, one of the Buddha's core teachings. Michael used the metaphor of Indra's Web to explain it: everything finds its nature in relationship to everything else, rather than existing as independent objects with independent causes. Nothing that is happening in the world today happened overnight. What does it mean to really sit with that? From there the conversation opened up into territory tha
Apr 1
APRIL 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching The Wisdom Seat board recently met to work through the results of our first community survey, and I am happy to share with you some updates shaped from your suggestions and feedback. Thank you to everyone who participated. How can I know what programs Wisdom Seat offers? Now there is one place, a public google calendar, where we have all ou
Mar 28
Engaging the Paradoxes of Our Modern World: A Recap of "The Wisdom of Mindfulness Meditation"
On Thursday, February 5, 2026, Andrew Safer and Michael Carroll came together for an enriching conversation on mindfulness meditation and how we can engage with the profound paradoxes of our modern world. The session explored how insight, skill, and compassion can help us navigate a world filled with both abundant resources and heartbreaking crises. The Challenge We Face We live in a time of extraordinary possibility, yet we're simultaneously confronted by widespread tragedie
Mar 2
March 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching I recently had the opportunity to prepare and practice a talk in a teacher training program. My chosen topic was the role of play in Buddhism, a topic I’ve thrown around in my head for many years. Our reference text was Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche’s commentary on the lojong slogans so I thought this was a good opportunity to explore viewing lojo
Feb 26
Synchronizing Mind and Body: A Community Discussion Recap
On January 27, 2026, we gathered on Zoom to explore Chapter Five of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior , titled "Synchronizing Mind and Body." It was a facilitated group discussion where everyone was invited to share their reflections, questions, and insights, whether they were familiar with the teaching or encountering it for the first time. If you missed it and want to explore this teaching on your own, we recommend reading Chapter Five an
Jan 31
FEBRUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching According to this year’s Tibetan lunar cycle, the New Year falls in late February. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche adapted this tradition in the west as Shambhala Day beginning in 1978. For both traditions it is a time of spiritual renewal, celebrating cultural traditions (like the delectable dumplings called momos!) & in the days leading up to the
Jan 29
JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • Wisdom's Melody • A Teaching Happy 2026! Looking back at 2025: Together we gathered for 26 events this past year - not even counting our weekly Wednesday evening meditations. Our podcast was downloaded 2,215 times, and our blog posts were read 5,989 times. Thank you for showing up, listening, and practicing together. Our sangha spans the globe. While 26% of us are in Pe
Dec 22, 2025
A Mindful Gathering with Irini Rockwell
Exploring the Five Wisdom Energies with Irini Rockwell On December 11, 2025, The Wisdom Seat welcomed Irini Rockwell for an exploration of the Five Wisdom Energies, a Buddhist framework for understanding personality, emotions, and relationships in everyday life. Irini, who has been teaching for over 40 years and founded the Five Wisdoms Institute , introduced each energy's characteristics. She emphasized recognizing and aligning with each energy's wisdom aspects while working
Dec 11, 2025
The Wisdom Seat Fall 2025 Retreat
The Wisdom Seat 2025 Fall Retreat brought together practitioners for eight days at Karma Triyana Dharmachakra monastery in the Catskill Mountains for a deep dive into mindfulness-awareness meditation. Led by Michael Carroll and supported by The Wisdom Seat staff, the retreat combined 6–7 hours of daily shrine room practice with breath and body relaxation, outdoor walking meditation, readings from Buddhist texts, Dharma talks, and both group and individual meditation instructi
Dec 1, 2025
DECEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
IN THIS NEWSLETTER: • From The Wisdom Seat • The Wisdom Seat Events • Programs To Consider • A Teaching When we pause and reflect on our lives, we most likely can recall dozens of friends and loved ones who brought color, joy and surprise to our lives: a kind-hearted cafeteria worker or quirky teenage boyfriend; a rambunctious canine or hilarious roommate; a trusted boss or loving parent. Such memories can bring smiles and tears. Chances are many of those we
Nov 30, 2025
Nowness: A Community Discussion on Trungpa Rinpoche's Teaching
On November 18, 2025, The Wisdom Seat gathered for a community discussion exploring Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's teaching on nowness from chapter 11 of Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior . Board President Bill Moriarty facilitated the conversation, inviting everyone to share their reflections, questions, and insights on this foundational teaching. This session was not recorded. Trungpa Rinpoche writes: "The way to experience nowness is to realize that this very moment, t
Nov 18, 2025
Journey to Golok: Film Screening with Anam Thubten
On Sunday, November 9, 2025, The Wisdom Seat welcomed over 60 guests to the Swarthmore Friends Meeting House for an unforgettable premiere of "Journey to Golok: Takyak Pilgrimage." The event brought together dharma practitioners, curious seekers, and members of the local community for an evening that bridged continents and centuries of spiritual wisdom. Renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten opened the evening with a heartfelt introduction, sharing personal memories o
Nov 9, 2025
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