Please join us for Nalandabodhi Vancouver’s annual Year End Meditation Retreat from Sun., Dec. 29 to Tues., Dec. 31.

The retreat offers shamatha meditation (sitting & walking) each morning (10 am to 12 noon) and afternoon (1 – 3 pm).

The centre and shrine room will stay open over the lunch break. Please feel free to bring a lunch and make it a day of meditative practice!

Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche writes: “From the most basic, simplest form of sitting meditation to the most complex form of deity practice, all meditation requires a one-pointed concentration. This is shamatha meditation. We focus. We bring our mind to some kind of a focal reference point, whether it is an outer object or an inner object.

“Any kind of concentration is what we call shamatha. The point of shamatha is that your mind is unwavering, non-distracted. There is some sense of settling in your meditation, not wandering away.”

Rinpoche provides some concise shamatha instructions in this article from Lion’s Roar.

Schedule

Sunday, Dec. 29
10 am – 12 noon
1 – 3 pm

Monday, Dec. 30
10 am – 12 noon
(Note: this will be a Tara practice)
1 – 3 pm

Tuesday, Dec. 31
10 – 11:30 am
1 – 3 pm

Please come for any part of this retreat — or join us for all three days!
By donation.

What does “being mindful” really mean in a Buddhist context? Come explore the traditional Four Foundations of Mindfulness in a playful weekend of meditation, discussion, space awareness, and movement. See how a deeper connection with the four foundations can inspire your dharma journey, whether you’re a new or seasoned practitioner.

Fri., Nov. 8: 7 pm to 9 pm
Sat. Nov. 9: 10 am to 12 noon; and 2 pm to 4 pm
Sun., Nov. 10: 10 am to 12 noon

$85 all in; $25 per session (cash/cheque)
No one turned away for lack of funds. All welcome!

About the teacher
Mitra Lee Worley aims to be a champion of meditation both on and off the cushion. “I look for the truth that underlies the dharma,” she says, “and seek ways to bring it into moment-to-moment life.” Mitra Lee lives in Boulder, CO, where she is a recently retired professor at Naropa University. Appointed Mitra (spiritual friend) by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, she oversees the Path of Meditation within Nalandabodhi’s Mitra Council.

Please join us for Lama Rabten’s Tara Retreat on Sat., Oct. 26 & Sun., Oct 27.

All are welcome to this deep engagement in Tara practice, with Lama’s morning teachings (10 am to 12 noon) and afternoon Tara practice (2 pm to 4 pm). By donation.

10 am – noon: Teachings on Tara by Lama Rabten

2 pm – 4 pm: Tara practice (in Tibetan)

Maitrivana will be open during the lunch break both days; individual practice welcome in shrine room.

On Sunday, we’ll share a potluck lunch together (vegetarian, please).

About TARA practice: Dispelling fears, clearing obstacles

“Supplicating Tara helps to dispel all obstacles that get in the way of making your practice fruitional. Tara also clears away obstacles of all those with whom we have connections: our friends, our relatives, our partners and so on – anyone for whom we wish that they be free of illness, negative spirits, and other obstacles.

“When you supplicate Tara, you will receive her blessing.” – Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

We’re delighted to start a new book club based on Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche’s Rebel Buddha. Sessions will begin with a short guided meditation, followed by informal discussion of key concepts through focus questions, chapter by chapter.

Where: 4610 Earles Street, near 29th Ave SkyTrain Station)
When: Every second Monday, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, starting Sept. 16th

About Rebel Buddha

There’s a rebel within you. It’s the part of you that already knows how to break free of fear and unhappiness. This rebel is the voice of your own awakened mind. It’s your rebel buddha — the sharp, clear intelligence that resists the status quo. It wakes you up from the sleepy acceptance of your day-to-day reality and shows you the power of your enlightened nature. It’s the vibrant, insightful energy that compels you to seek the truth.

In this book, Dzogchen Ponlop guides you through the inner revolution that comes from unleashing your rebel buddha. He explains how, by training your mind and understanding your true nature, you can free yourself from needless suffering. He presents a thorough introduction to the essence of the Buddha’s teachings and argues that, if we are to bring these teachings fully into our personal experience, we must go beyond the cultural trappings of traditional Asian Buddhism. “We all want to find some meaningful truth about who we are,” he says, “but we can only find it guided by our own wisdom — by our own rebel buddha within.”

Copies of Rebel Buddha will be available at the first session on Sept. 16th. No reading preparation is needed for that first session.

Coffee, tea & refreshments.

Admission is by donation. Drop-ins welcome!

For more information or questions please contact: study@nalandabodhi.ca