SEPTEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER
- Kaya Fruchtman
- Aug 31
- 7 min read
Updated: Sep 11
IN THIS NEWSLETTER:
At the end of the month The Wisdom Seat will be offering Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows. As many of you know these vows are a proclamation to formally claim one's identity as a Buddhist.
Why would one want to take this leap? You might ask yourself "Who needs to join a religion?" Maybe in your study of buddhism you came across the teaching of "egolessness", so you ask yourself "Why do I need to be aligned with another identity, another label?" Like in the film Treasure of the Sierra Madre"Badges? We ain't got no badges. We don't need no badges! I don't have to show you any stinking badges!"
The first entry point in dharma is working with our mind and how to tame it. We came to meditation practice with the hopes of achieving some kind of relief from the chaos of our lives.
We're instructed in how to go about this with the direction of being with our breath, the very instruction by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche was to go along with our out-breath...mix your mind with space...and let go, or "Open..let be...disown". The very moment of the disowning is essentially the same action as taking the Refuge Vow. So in some respect when one follows the instruction given with the meditation technique, you're essentially "taking Refuge". We're taking refuge in the uncertainty of the moment and letting go.
When one takes Refuge you're formalizing this discipline by developing a positive habit to uproot our self-deception in believing that things are permanent, independent & being one thing.
Those of us who have taken these and further vows, welcome those that will be entering into this new territory of Refugee and Bodhisattva Hood.
The Wisdom Seat would also like to invite you to participate in our first ever community survey.
Matt DiRodio
Notes from Bill
If you have already taken vows and would like to attend the upcoming vows ceremony as a sangha member whether in-person or on zoom, please contact us: info@thewisdomseat.org
Earlier this month, at our mindful gathering, we talked about Sanskrit with Dr. Varun Khanna. That recorded conversation, and resources for learning Sanskrit can be found here: https://www.thewisdomseat.org/post/sanskrit-for-mere-mortals
In November we will be hosting Anam Thubten in person, and showing a pilgrimage documentary some of his students made. This will be the first east-coast showing of this film. We hope you join us!
The community survey! This will be available through the end of September, and takes 2 minutes. Filling this 20 question survey out is very helpful to us, to understand how to best focus our volunteer energy and resources. This survey helps us make decisions about what programs and offerings would truly serve you.
take care
Bill
Refuge and Bodhisattva Vows, Fall 2025
Sep 28, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 5:30 PM EDT
Pawo Khandro Ling
209 Engle Dr, Wallingford, PA 19086, USA
Online participation available
We will be offering Refuge & Bodhisattva Vows at an in-person & on-line event this September 28, 2025. These vows will be offered by Michael Carroll who has been authorized by Judy Lief to impart these vows in the tradition and lineage of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Al San Valentin will be assisting Michael in preparing those wishing to take vows.
To request Refuge or Bodhisattva Vows, please register for this event which will send your request to Michael Carroll, who will be conducting the vow ceremony. After submitting the request, Al San Valentin, a Wisdom Seat board member, will contact you to discuss your request, answer your questions and schedule a follow up interview with Michael.
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.
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: September 14, 21, 28
Here is the Zoom link for this session: Sunday Sitting Zoom Link
All are welcome to attend.
The Wisdom Seat Retreat
October 25 - November 2, 2025
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
Woodstock, NY
We invite you to join us for this in-person Autumn retreat at the Karma TriyanaDharmachakra monastery in the delightful upstate New York Catskill Mountains. Michael Carroll, cofounder of The Wisdom Seat will be leading this 8-day practice intensive, supported by members of The Wisdom Seat staff. This retreat 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
Breath and body relaxation practices
Outdoor walking meditation
Periodic group meditation instruction
Readings from Buddhist texts
Dharma talks and discussion
Individual meditation instruction upon request
An hour+ of helping hands
Participants will be asked to observe “functional silence” throughout most of the retreat, limiting verbal communication to a minimum.
Vegetarian breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be offered, with access to snacks, coffee, and tea throughout the retreat.
Since the retreat will be limited to 30 participants, those attending will be expected to participate in all 8 days of the retreat.
Local Commuters may participate 8 days or less.
Dorje Denma Ling
Kyudo: The Way of the Bow 2025
with Kanjuro Shibata Sensei XXI
September 18 - 21, 2025
In-Person
Kozan Kyudojo practices in the Heki Ryu Bishu Chiko-Rin Ha tradition of Japan, following the lineage of the Shibata family.
We are honoured to welcome Kanjuro Shibata XXI, Sensei, the Imperial Bow Maker and Archer to the Emperor of Japan, for his first teaching visit to Canada. This is a rare and meaningful opportunity. Sensei teaches in English and is known for his warm, jovial style.
The Sun of Wisdom: Pith Instructions of Chögyam Trungpa
with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
October 10 - 13, 2025
In-Person
Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, a close dharma brother of the Vidyadhara, has kindly agreed to teach us from this soon-to-be-published translation of The Sun of Wisdom by the Nalanda Translation Committee. We have this unique opportunity to dive deeply into the practice and meaning of these teachings guided by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche in a 4-day retreat over Canadian Thanksgiving weekend within the natural beauty of Dorje Denma Ling. To conclude the retreat, we will celebrate Thanksgiving dinner with Rinpoche!
Registration Link: https://dorjedenmaling.org/programs-listing/2517/the-sun-of-wisdom-pith-instructions-of-chogyam-trungpa/
Westchester Meditation Center
The Path of Individual Liberation -- Intermediate-level Course
September 10 - December 17, 2025, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
In person in Irvington NY (recommended), with Zoom option
The year-long course closely follows the text of The Profound Treasury of the Ocean of Dharma, Volume One, which presents a remarkably vivid and detailed outline of the Buddhist path of study and practice. Participation in this course requires completion of the WMC Foundation Course, The Way of the Buddha, or an equivalent experience with Buddhist practice and study.
Learn more and register:
Essence of Mahayana: The Way of the Bodhisattva -- Advanced Course*
September 10 - December 17, 2025, 7:00 - 8:30 PM
Virtually on Zoom
This course presents an in-depth exploration of the classic Buddhist text The Bodhicaryavatara or The Way of the Bodhisattva, a volume that has long been treasured as an indispensable guide to enlightened living written in the eighth century by the scholar and saint Shantideva. Participation in this course requires completion of WMC's year-long Profound Treasury series, or equivalent study and practice.
Learn more and register:
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:
When there is self, one believes there is other,
From these images of self and other come attachment and aversion,
As a result of getting wrapped up in these,
All possible faults arise.
Dharmakirti, 7th century Indian Buddhist master