November 2025 NEWSLETTER
- Kaya Fruchtman
- 2 days ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 23 hours ago
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
The seasons are changing in earnest here in Pennsylvania. We are in the bardo (or “interval”) between summer and winter, complete with golden, red, and brown leaves, carved pumpkins, and Halloween decorations. This shift is a reminder that everything is in motion, constantly changing.
Our regular online meditation group has been reading and contemplating Pema Chodron’s book about the bardos titled How We Live Is How We Die. Usually we think of “the bardo” as the period between dying and rebirth. Traditionally, in Buddhism, there are a total of six bardos, of which death is one and this life is another. Pema points out in this book that bardos are happening constantly. There is the bardo between thoughts; the bardo of meditation, the bardo of having lunch with your friend, and many others. Bardo is quite simply an interval between any moment of arising and the moment of that arising’s dissolution.
I feel that the natural and inevitable shift in seasons can be a powerful reminder of the concept of bardo. Whatever arises will cease, and whatever is put together will inevitably fall apart. We don’t need to fear this. In fact, we could approach it with a sense of curiosity or even celebration. For me, Halloween has always been a favorite holiday. We acknowledge our fear by going to haunted houses, buying giant skeletons, and decorating our houses with frightening imagery. We also get to slip out of our ordinary appearance to become something scary, absurd, funny, or fantastical, and then celebrate all of this with flowers, chocolate, candles, and laughter! How marvelous.
Jacqui Merrell
Notes from Bill:
Coming up soon - on November 9th, we're honored to host renowned Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten in person at Swarthmore for the Philadelphia-area premiere of "Journey to Golok," a pilgrimage documentary following students to the remote region of Eastern Tibet where Dzogchen master Dudjom Lingpa practiced. Register here for Journey to Golok
Anam Thubten will also be offering two other local events that weekend - a temple opening ceremony at Heart Sangha Philadelphia on Sunday morning and a teaching on Lojong at Philadelphia Shambhala Center on Monday evening. We encourage you to attend! Event details are below.
Earlier this month, we celebrated Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and his influence on our lineage. Watch the presentation and discussion here
Thank you to everyone who completed our community survey! It's now closed and we're analyzing the responses. We'll be reaching out to those who indicated they'd like to speak further, and will share what we learned with the broader community soon.
take care, Bill
Anam Thubten introduces Journey to Golok: Film Screening
Sun, Nov 09 | 6pm - 9pm
Swarthmore Friends Meeting House
Join renowned Buddhist teacher Anam Thubten for the Philadelphia-area premiere of "Journey to Golok," a one-hour documentary from his newly founded Kailash Fellowship following four students on a sacred pilgrimage to Eastern Tibet to explore the roots of the Dudjom Lingpa lineage.
Reception to follow.
Nowness - A Discussion on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's Teaching
Tues, Nov 18 | 7pm - 8pm
Zoom
Join us for a community discussion exploring Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's teaching on nowness from chapter 11 of the book "Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior."
A Mindful Gathering with Irini Rockwell
The Five Wisdom Energies: A Buddhist Way of Understanding Personalities, Emotions, and Relationships
Thur, Dec 11 | 7:00 - 8:00 PM EST
Zoom
Join us for a playful and accessible exploration of the Five Wisdom Energies. The book invites us to celebrate our strengths and work with our weaknesses by learning to identify and use five basic personal styles or energies. This is the first general-audience book on a Tibetan Buddhist system known as "the five buddha families"—an insightful way of understanding human behavior and promoting personal growth.
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.
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: November 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
Here is the Zoom link for this session: Sunday Sitting Zoom Link
All are welcome to attend.
Dorje Denma Ling
Diamond Sky Dancer - Vajrayogini Retreat with Rhea Colmar and Mark Nowakowski
Taught by Rhea Colmar and Mark Nowakowski
November 7 - 15, 2025
Hybrid
This is a vajrayana program restricted to sadhakas who have received the Vajrayogini abhisheka and have the Vajrayogini Sadhana by Tongwa Tonden, Karmapa VI. If you are still completing your Ngöndro you need to have completed the refuge, prostrations, and Vajrasattva mantra, and have begun the mandala and/or guru yoga.
Registration Link: https://dorjedenmaling.secure.retreat.guru/program/hybrid-diamond-sky-dancer-vajrayogini-retreat/?lang=en
KATOG CHOLING
2025 Annual Pandey Norbu Shedra: The Black Snake Discourse
November 8 – 9th
November 15 – 16th
November 22 – 23 11:00 am – 1:00 pm & 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm CT
Taught by Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche
Live Webcast Teaching
The Black Snake Discourse
by Rongzom Mahapandita
A contemporary of the renowned 11th century guru Jowa Je Atisha, Rongzom Mahapandita, is a leading master of the Early Translation School of the Nyingma tradition. Atisha himself remarked, “One could not possibly win a debate on the dharma with him.” Such was the extraordinary depth of Rongzom Mahapandita’s scholarship and realization.
Of the trio of view, meditation, and conduct, Rongzom Mahapandita’s The Black Snake Discourse primarily emphasizes the profound wisdom of the view. Employing the analogy of a snake’s reflection on water in which different observers perceive it differently, he illustrates the progressive refinement of the profound view beginning with the Hinayana, and advancing through the Mahayana, Secret Mantrayana, and culminating in Dzogchen.
The value of seeing this gradation of views is that it clarifies how to dispel the confusion that does not see things according to the way they are and how to attain authentic and true realization of the natural state.
To be able to register for this webcast teaching you must first be logged in to a Katog Choling website account.
Website:https://katog.org
Heart Sangha
Philadelphia, PA Temple Opening & Blessing Ceremony
with Anam Thubten Rinpoche
Sunday, November 9th, 10:00am–12:00pm EST
In-person
Join us for an auspicious occasion marking the opening of Heart Sangha's dedicated temple space. Rinpoche will offer a Dharma talk on Sangha and lead the temple blessing ceremony. Light tea and refreshments will follow the event. All ticket sales and donations directly support the establishment of the new temple and the continued offering of Buddhist teachings and practice at Heart Sangha.
Registration Link: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/heart-sangha-philadelphia-temple-opening-with-anam-thubten
Philadelphia Shambhala Center
Training the Mind: How to Be of Benefit in a Turbulent World: in person with Anam Thupten Rinpoche
Monday, November 10, 2025, 7 PM
In-person
In today's chaotic world, the Tibetan Buddhist Lojong slogans offer a practical guide to cultivating our inherent wisdom and compassion. While reminding us of our basic sanity, they also encourage a shift in perspective towards understanding our day-to-day experiences.
Registration Link: https://philadelphia.shambhala.org/program-details/?id=819598
Karmê Chöling
Ngöndro Practice Retreat
October 31st - November 7th
In-Person
Led by Adrienne Chang
This retreat is an opportunity to deepen one’s Ngöndro practice, to engage in the traditional accumulations of wisdom and merit, and to connect with tantrikas from all branches of the Vidyadhara’s spiritual lineage. The schedule will include group practice sessions, Vajrayana talks, discussion groups, and opportunities to connect with the beautiful setting of Karmê Chöling. Sangha members who have completed Ngöndro and wish to revisit the practice are also warmly invited.
Financial Aid Available.
To learn more and register: https://www.karmecholing.org/program/ngondro-practice-retreat-2025
Dathun
Led by Dr. Elain Yuen
Weekthun: Dec. 29 - Jan. 4
Half-Dathun: Dec. 29 - Jan. 11
Dathun: Dec. 29 - Jan. 25
An extended meditation retreat at Karmê Chöling in upstate Vermont. Meditation retreats are profound and transformative experiences – allowing one to discover the basic sanity of oneself and one’s world.
Elaine Yuen is an educator, chaplain and researcher. She has been a student and teacher in the Shambhala community since the early 1970’s. Between 2010 and 2012 she was a professor at Naropa University where she taught courses on pastoral caregiving (chaplaincy), contemplative education and Buddhist studies. Elaine is deeply interested in how we shape our social interactions with caring and authentic presence. She continues to explore the interfaces between Buddhism, meditation, creativity, and contemplative care-giving. Her website Contemplative Chaplaincy can be found at elaineyuen.com. She will be supported by a team of experienced meditation instructors. Regular dharma talks, individual meetings, and experiential exercises will be included.
25% Discount on Tuition when paid-in-full by Oct. 31.
Learn more & register at:
Sopa Choling/Gampo Abbey
Attention: Vajrayogini Practitioners
Announcing a very rare opportunity to practice inner and secret Vajrayogini.
The retreat at Sopa Chöling has a few vacancies and we’re inviting you to apply.
A few details:
You must have completed the Vajrayogini mantras and attended an amending fire offering (see Dorje Denma Ling schedule, June 2026).
Optional:
Part 2 of this retreat is optional and includes outer, inner and secret Chakrasamvara. For this, Chakrasamvara empowerment is required.
Questions? Write to threeyearretreat@gampoabbey.org
Samsaric existence comes from karma and afflictions,
they in turn from distorted perceptions, which, in turn,
come from conceptual elaborations;
it is through realizing emptiness that such conceptual
elaboration is brought to an end.
—Root Verses on the Middle Way, 18:5
Nāgārjuna
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