IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
As we round the bend to springtime with its promise of growth and renewal, it's also a good time to reflect on that which we no longer need on any level of our being. Just as in nature, wild animals shed their fur, flowers sprout from the earth, birds migrate to nesting habitats, so we humans also have our cycles of emergence.
As with any new cycle in our lives, a powerful way to begin the season is to set an aspiration, or intention, and to seal that with actions consistent with this intention. To do so is very much like planting a seed for that very thing to come to full fruition in its time.
And as you reflect on that aspiration and emerge into all that springtime has to offer, consider joining us for any of our practice-related activities offered here, whether weekly, monthly, or taking the leap to join one of the retreats.
We'd love to see you online or on site anytime. Happy spring!
Alison from The Wisdom Seat
Additionally, in April we are kicking off a monthly series called "A Wisdom Seat Mindful Gathering." These are intended to be discussions about a specific topic, with Q&A with the community. Please join, and bring your curiosity and your questions! See the first event below with our own Matt DiRodio as he prepares for a 3 Year Retreat.
We'd also like to congratulate all those who took vows last month: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/post/refuge-bodhisattva-vows-2024
Bill from The Wisdom Seat
Preparing for the 3 Year Retreat: A Wisdom Seat Mindful Gathering
Apr 16, 2024, 7:00 PM EDT
In August, 2024, our co-founder Matt DiRodio will embark on a 3-year retreat. Come join us at this community event to learn from Matt about his retreat, how he is preparing, and what it entails.
This is our first off a monthly series called "A Wisdom Seat Mindful Gathering." These are intended to be discussions about a specific topic, with Q&A with the community. Please join, and bring your curiosity and your questions!
Wednesday Meditation
Ongoing offering: Online meditation every Wednesday evening 6:15 to 7:30 PM EST
Worldwide Wednesday evening online sitting meditation practice.
We, at The Wisdom Seat, invite you to meet on Wednesday evenings from 6:15 – 7:30 PM Eastern Time to practice the sitting meditation discipline as taught in the Buddhist & Shambhala tradition of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
Nyinthun: Everyone is welcome!
Ongoing offering: Nyinthun (in-person and online) The first Sunday of every month. All day sitting interspersed with walking meditation. The word nyinthun*, is Tibetan for “day session.”
In understanding dharma, Trungpa Rinpoche placed a strong emphasis on mindfulness/awareness meditation practice. This community practice of Nyinthun - all day sitting interspersed with walking meditation - gives us the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of our mind, make friends with our immediate experience and rediscover our natural sanity.
Please take a look, and sign up to join us for some nyinthun retreat days. It is ok to join for as much of the day as you can.
Live an Awakened Life
June 20–23, 2024
Drala Mountain Center-Colorado
Description: What is mindfulness-awareness meditation and where did it come from?
How does this simple act of “sitting still” unleash wisdom & compassion?
How can we establish a sustainable meditation practice?
Why are the Three Supports and theThree Sacred Acts central to the practice?
This program will offer a thorough and gentle introduction to mindfulness-awareness meditation with time for discussion and optional personal conversation with one of the teachers. Short daily yoga sessions included.
TUITION:
Tuition $215 + 3 nights lodging
Authentic Presence and The Feminine Principle
June 26–July 6, 2024
Taught by Susan Piver and Michael Carroll
A 10-Day Heart Sutra Meditation Retreat
Offered in partnership with The Wisdom Seat and the OpenHeart Project
The Heart Sutra – the most pith of the Prajnaparamita Sutras – is a central text throughout all of Buddhism. It is widely revered, demonstrably powerful, and, one could say, thoroughly incomprehensible – at least by the conceptual mind. This is all great news.
On this 10-day retreat, we will bring these three elements together – study, meditation, and letting go – as we practice “The Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Knowledge” in a supportive and spacious community. We will explore what is meant by authentic presence and the feminine principle, how each is invoked in our practice to reveal liberation, balance, and joy.
The Wisdom Seat Retreat
October 12 - 20, 2024
This 8-day practice intensive is designed to help us deepen our mindfulness-awareness meditation and integrate it into our daily life.
The retreat will include:
6 - 7 hours of daily shrine room meditation alternating sitting and walking during each session
Daily breath and body relaxation practices
Daily readings from Buddhist texts
Outdoor walking meditation
Individual meditation instruction upon request
Periodic group meditation instruction
75 - 90 minutes of daily chores
Participants will be asked to observe “functional silence” throughout most of the retreat, limiting verbal communication to a minimum.
Since the retreat will be limited to 30 participants, those attending will be expected to participate in all 8 days of the retreat. \
Location: Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
Woodstock, NY
Collaborative practice undertaking with The Wisdom Seat & The Profound Treasury Retreat
The Wisdom Seat encourages as many opportunities for practitioners to engage in the discipline of mindfulness/awareness(shamatha/vipashyana) as one can engage in. We are happy to invite the Profound Treasury Retreat (PTR) with their offering of Sunday sitting.
PTR community is hosting a 2-hour sitting session from 9:30am to 11:30 am EST
There will be meditation instruction every third Sunday of the month, given by a qualified meditation instructor.
Dates: April 14th, 21st, 28th
Here is the Zoom link for each of these sessions: Sunday Sitting Zoom Link
All are welcome to attend.
OCEAN
Parinirvana Celebration of Ven. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche
Thu, April 4, 4pm – 6pm EDT
Hybrid: Sadhana of Mahamudra Feast
In person at the Halifax Shambhala Centre
Online in Ocean's Main Shrine Room
KATOG CHOLING
Practice for the Full Solar Eclipse
Live Webcast
Monday, April 8, 2024
6:00am - 8:00am
Central Time (CT)
Description: For many years, Khentrul Rinpoche has had the aspiration to establish the practice of nyungnay (full explanation below) within our sangha. Until now, this wish has not been fulfilled.
On the day of a full solar eclipse, all positive and negative actions are greatly magnified and their power to effect is multiplied many times over. For this reason, Rinpoche would like to use this special opportunity to give nyungnay fasting vows and establish a day of practice.
Rinpoche will give vows from the main temple at 6:00am Central Daylight Time at Katog Rithrod. Everyone is welcome to attend via webcast even though you may be in a different time zone.
Following the vows, Rinpoche will give nyungnay teachings, and then we will engage in the traditional nyungnay practice of Avalokiteshvara. The main practice will be to accumulate as much mantra throughout the day as possible and to engage in as many positive actions as we can. Rinpoche will provide further explanation during the teachings.
Ideally, the practitioner takes the nyungnay fasting vows and then focuses on practice all day. However, if one must go to work, as long as we keep the vows, which include eating only one meal at noon, then we are still welcome to participate.
What is nyungnay? Nyungnay
Questions? Please email courses@katog.org.
DHARMATA
The Practice of Non-Violence with Anam Thubten
Tuesday April 9th, 2024 at 7:00 PM
Location: Germantown Friends Meeting, 47 West Coulter Street, Philadelphia PA 19144
Non-violence, called ahimsa in the Buddhist tradition, is taught as the foundation of one’s spiritual practice. Many other sacred traditions embrace non-violence as a cornerstone of their practice as well. The power of non-violence brings about joy and inner freedom, and creates a benevolent relationship between oneself and the world. In this evening talk, Anam Thubten will offer teachings on this essential spiritual practice.
Suggested Donation: $15 at the door or dharmata.org/giving
Tea and light refreshments offered after the talk.
If you would like to help with the event or have questions: phillydharmata@gmail.com
Vajrayogini Practitioners
The sangha of Vajrayogini sadhakas will be hosting, leading and caring for the retreat.
Vajrayogini Drupchen Group Retreat
April 12 - 20, 2024
Location: Sky Lake Lodge in Rosendale, NY
Description: All sadhakas who have received the Vajrayogini abhiseka are warmly invited to join this group retreat, an opportunity to fully immerse ourselves in the practice of Vajrayogini, the essence of prajnaparamita.
In addition to three sessions of group practice daily, we will listen to recordings of tris and vajra assemblies on the topics of Vajrayogini practice, formless meditation, and prajnaparamita. As a group, we will share in practice together, offer each other support and companionship, and create our own retreat mandala. We will have an opportunity for a Q&A with Larry Mermelstein via Zoom at some point during the retreat.
PROFOUND TREASURY RETREAT
BROKERING PEACE - APPLYING THE LOJONG SLOGANS
June 7 to 16, 2024
We are now accepting applications for the 11th annual Maine Profound Treasury Retreat at Ferry Beach Retreat & Conference Center, Saco, Maine.
The Profound Treasury Retreats create a community of both new and experienced meditation practitioners who come together to share & learn at a wonderful location on Maine's coast. Everyone is welcome. We offer generous financial aid to those who need it, so please don't let a lack of funds deter you from applying.
Three Yana Society
Entering the Vajra World: A Three-Yana Retreat
July 19, 2024 to August 18, 2024
Drala Mountain Center
Next summer’s retreat is designed for students with a solid foundation in Buddhism, and the preparation, aspiration and commitment to become vajrayana practitioners trained in Trungpa Rinpoche’s inimitable style. The retreat will be led by senior teachers who were trained by the Vidyadhara and supported by a new generation of instructors committed to the propagation and preservation of these teachings.
The retreat will integrate training in all three yanas and include the opportunity to receive vajrayana transmission and begin ngondro practice within the retreat.
Drala Mountain Center is generously offering a 50% discount on lodging for the program; faculty and staff have waived honorariums; and there is no additional charge for tuition.
Dorje Denma Ling
A Month of Meditation: Shamatha-Vipashyana Dathün 2024
(Weekthun opportunities available)
July 19 - August 18, 2024
Dorje Denma Ling - Nova Scotia, Canada
Teacher: Val Loring
Dathün is a month-long, group meditation retreat of shamatha-vipashyana, or mindfulness-awareness practice. This is the basic sitting meditation that goes back to the Buddha, which also includes contemplative practices for cultivating insight and compassion. Practicing together as a group creates an atmosphere of courage and wakefulness.
The dathün follows the basic schedule developed by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The daily schedule begins at 7am and ends around 9pm most evenings. Sitting meditation sessions are alternated with walking meditation throughout the day. The three main meals are served and eaten in the meditation hall using the Zen contemplative eating practice of oryoki. After lunch, there is a mid-day work period, when participants have light cleaning and kitchen tasks, which are opportunities for meditation in action.
PROGRAM CONTACT:
Karen Porterfield
"The depth of one’s Enlightenment can be measured by how one serves others"
Kobo Daishi / Kukai
Kūkai, posthumously called Kōbō Daishi, "The Grand Master who Propagated the Dharma"), was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the esoteric Shingon school of Buddhism.