Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) & Mahakala Practice

Thursday Evenings: 7:30PM to 9:00PM

Maitrivana, 4610 Earles Street, Vancouver
By donation -- Newcomers welcome

Nalandabodhi Vancouver invites you to join us in practicing Chenrezig (Avalokiteshvara) and Mahakala practice every Thursday evening.

These are traditional practices chanted in Tibetan, led by our resident Lama, Lama Rabten Tshering.*

CHENREZIG (Avalokiteshvara) is the Buddha of Compassion. Practicing Chenrezig helps one to develop bodhicitta (loving kindness) towards all sentient beings.

MAHAKALA is a protector deity for the Karma Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism. Practicing Mahakala helps to pacify obstacles for oneself and others.

SCHEDULE
7:30 pm -- 8:30 pm: Chenrezig
8:30 pm -- 9:00 pm: Mahakala

By donation ($5 suggested donation, or what you can afford; no one turned away for lack of funds). For more information, contact vancouver@nalandabodhi.ca or phone 604 675 9282.

Open to everyone -- newcomers are most welcome.

*If Lama Rabten is away, then this practice is led by senior Chenrezig & Mahakala practitioners.

Back to top

Fresh Heart Dharma Lab:
Ongoing Introductory courses in Buddhism and Meditation

Introduction to Buddhism 111 Traveling from Confusion to Original Sanity begins, Wednesday, July 28th. See below for registration details

All welcome @ Maitrivana, 4610 Earles Street, Vancouver

Nalandabodhi Vancouver is offering a progression of courses that combine both meditation and study in what we are calling our Fresh Heart Dharma Lab.

GOAL
To generate a dynamic and energizing experience to instigate an outbreak of individual meditation practice and to encourage a vital and enlivened investigation into the meaning of Buddhism through the study of introductory materials created by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.

Each class will combine meditation, meditation instruction and study through Fresh Heart Introduction to Meditation and Nalandabodhi's Introduction to Buddhism 100 series.

Instructional support for this course will be from 3 senior students and Lama Rabten.

CYCLE of COURSES:
Students may join the courses at any time, with the promise that they will purchase and study course materials they have missed.

The second course in the cycle of 4 classes (Introduction to Buddhism 111 Traveling from Confusion to Original Sanity) begins, Wednesday, July 28th.

COURSE MATERIALS:
Booklets are $15 for each course. Course booklets should be purchased ahead of time. Please come 6:30PM any Wednesday prior to start of course.
Please discuss with us obstacles arising from the fee structure.

COURSE FEE:
$50 per course. (8 weeks, weekly gatherings)

Please discuss with us obstacles arising for you from the fee structure.

****Students who have taken the study courses in the past are invited to attend by donation****

TO REGISTER:
Please come 6:30PM any Wednesday prior to start of course to purchase booklet(s) and register for the course.

Doors open at 6:30PM. Arrive early to find parking (or better still, don't bring a car if possible.)

INQUIRIES
Email: janmariemar AT yahoo DOT com

All welcome.

Back to top

Message from DPR Regarding the Earthquake in the
Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu

I am very saddened by the news of the devastating earthquake that struck Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province. Reports indicate that a great number of people have died, been injured, or lost their homes.

Early information also indicates that the monastery and monastic college of one of my beloved teachers, The Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, suffered great destruction, and that many monastic and lay members of the community have been killed or injured. Thrangu Tashi Choling is one of the most important Karma Kagyu monasteries in Eastern Tibet, and the main seat of H.E. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche and The Very Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.

As His Holiness Karmapa has advised, we can help those affected by this tragedy with prayers to ease their pain. I would also like to request my own students and sangha to recite the Heart Sutra and to give as much support as you can.

- The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Back to top

"The Seven Points of Mind Training:
Teachings on Lojong Practice"

Monday Night DVD dharma teachings by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
@ Maitrivana, the Garden of Loving Kindness

ABOUT THE TEACHINGS

Lojong (mind training practice) is the heart essence of Mahayana practice. Complete enlightenment is not possible without mind training. In these talks, Rinpoche teaches the Seven Points of Mind Training brought to Tibet by the great Indian master, Atisha (982–1054 CE), and written down by Chekwa Yeshe Dorje (1101–1175 CE), a Tibetan master in the Kadampa tradition.

"The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's presentation of these lojong teachings is both accessible and profound and includes guided meditation instructions. This is perhaps the clearest, most detailed teaching on these classic Mahayana practices currently available … and an opportunity to experience Ponlop Rinpoche's sharp intellect, humour, and lucidity."
     -- from the liner notes

Monday Night SCHEDULE

Doors open: 6:30 pm
Shamatha meditation: 6:45 pm - 7:15 pm
DVD teaching: 7:30 pm - approx. 8:15 pm, followed by informal discussion til around 8:45 pm
Drop-ins welcome.
Suggested donation: $5 or what you can afford. No one turned away.

Back to top

Rinpoche visits his Guru in Nepal

A Message from The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

Dear Sangha Friends,

I recently had the great fortune to visit and spend time with my guru Khenpo Rinpoche at Tek Chok Ling in Kathmandu, Nepal. Rinpoche is doing very well and he is cheerful and happy to see students and give teachings. I, along with six other students arrived in Kathmandu on November 16. We had daily audiences with Rinpoche in the morning and received profound instructions in doha form. Students also had the chance to ask questions and Rinpoche answered them perfectly in doha verses, just as before. With his instructions, we also sang and danced as before. Rinpoche gave further instructions on how to dance. Rinpoche is also teaching the nuns occasionally and we were so lucky to have Rinpoche at one of the evening Tara dance practices of the nuns. As requested by the head nuns during my stay at Tek Chok Ling, and with the permission of Rinpoche, I taught the nuns on various topics, including Khenpo Rinpoche's guru yoga that was written by the 17th Gyalwang Karmapa. Rinpoche spends his time resting in the nature of mind retreat when he isn't seeing students or engaging with his close disciples and personal staff. I also met many of Rinpoche's disciples from the east and the west. They were also enjoying the true presence and instructions of our beloved father guru, who is the Buddha in person for us. As always, Rinpoche continues to manifest as a very spontaneous, unconventional, and uncompromising true vajra guru. His true, attachment-free love and compassion for beings is shining as brightly as ever with the sharp wisdom of his Buddha mind.

I was extremely happy to see the completion of the new nunnery, Tek Chok Ling and the Dhondrup Guesthouse. It was beautifully designed by an American architect named Lama Tenzin. The construction was directed by Chime Dorje, the son of Rinpoche's late general secretary, Karma Dargye. The nunnery is maintained and overseen beautifully by the Ani Lopon, Jampa Chozom. Rinpoche is served and cared for deeply by the nuns and his personal attendant and secretary Tsepak Dorje, another son of Rinpoche's late general secretary. Rinpoche is enjoying his presence there and is in good hands.

I wanted to share this cheerful news with all my dharma brothers and sisters of the lineage. Here are some pictures and A Dreamlike Song of Appearance-Emptiness which I had the fortune to write down. Please enjoy and continue to serve our lineage and our guru, Vajradhara Dechen Rangdrol.

With love,
dpr

Download A Dreamlike Song of Appearance-Emptiness (PDF)

Back to top

MAITRIVANA IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Nalandabodhi Vancouver's new Dharma Centre, Maitrivana (Sanskrit: "Garden of Loving Kindness"; pronounced my-tree-vana), is open to the public. All are welcome. Having completed our renovations (started in March 2007) and successfully acquiring a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Vancouver (November 2007), we are fully permitted and equipped to host public programs.

Please visit our Calendar to see what kind of teaching, meditation, and study programs Nalandabodhi has to offer in the coming months.

Lhabab Duchen 2007: First group photo taken in Maitrivana's new and completed shrineroom.

Back to top

HELP NALANDABODHI HELP THE COMMUNITY

Artwork by His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, Orgyen Drudul Trinley Dorje

Nalandabodhi, as a registered non-profit organization in Canada, provides high calibre Dharma study and practice opportunities to the greater community, at very nominal or no cost. We fundamentally believe that the teachings of the Buddha should be free!

However, being part of the material world, we must also meet our financial obligations, just like any other householder, including the mortgage for our new Dharma centre, Matirivana (The Garden of Loving Kindness).

Help us help others! If you happen to like what we do and what we have to offer the community, we have a very special way of enabling you to support us. To our great fortune, His Holiness The 17th Gyalwang Karmapa gifted Nalandabodhi with original artwork to aid our financial sustainability projects. We have made the highest quality fine art reproductions of this artwork and we're "selling" these limited edition reproductions to the public as way of generating financial support for our activities.

Note: watermarks do not appear on the originals

In the Tibetan tradition of Buddhism, The Karmapa is regarded as a very high spiritual figure, much like His Holiness The Dalai Lama.

One of the best ways you can help Nalandabodhi is to purchase one of these Limited edition reproductions. All the funds generated by these art sales will go towards supporting Nalandabodhi with its Maitrivana project costs (i.e. renovation and ongoing mortgage costs). By purchasing one of His Holiness' artwork reproductions you not only support Nalandbodhi's activities, but you also take home a beautiful piece of spiritual artwork. To view samples and for more details click here.

Back to top