Celebrating Chökhor Düchen

*SCHEDULE CHANGE*

Preceded by online public talk by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche!

Friday, July 21, 2023
Part 1, 5:30 – 7:00 pm
Part 2, 7:15 – 8:45 pm
In-person at Maitrivana & online via Zoom

Dear friends and members of Nalandabodhi Vancouver,

Some exciting news! It has just been announced that Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will give an online public talk (hosted by Nitartha Institute) at 5:30pm Pacific, on Friday, July 21!

To avoid a schedule conflict, Nalandabodhi Vancouver will be rearranging our Chökhor Düchen program.

Lama Rabten will not be offering an opening talk, as previously announced, due to the event and schedule changes. However, we are delighted he will still preside over the Düchen liturgical practice as Dorje Lopön (Vajra Master).

Please note: The registration link for Rinpoche’s public talk, and the registration form (at the bottom of this page) for Nalandabodhi Vancouver’s Chökhor Düchen liturgical practice are different. This means there are two separate Zoom meetings: Rinpoche’s talk first, followed by the Chökhor Düchen practice. Online participants must register for both events via their respective registration links. In-person participants just need to register for Rinpoche’s public talk.

REVISED SCHEDULE IN TWO PARTS

PART 1 — Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche Public Talk
5:30 – 7:00 pm, Pacific

For those who wish to view Rinpoche’s video teaching onsite at Maitrivana (as a group) or individually online, registration is required beforehand.

Please register via the Nitartha Institute website at https://bit.ly/3NZYkVl. After completing registration:

To join in-person group viewing session, onsite:
Address: Maitrivana, 4610 Earles St., Vancouver, BC V5R 3R2.
Doors will open at 5:15 pm.

To join online:
Zoom meeting details will be emailed to you directly following your registration at https://bit.ly/3NZYkVl.

PART 2 — Chökhor Düchen Liturgical Practice
7:15 – 8:45 pm, Pacific

To join in-person:
No registration required.
Address: Maitrivana, 4610 Earles St., Vancouver, BC V5R 3R2
Start time: 7:15pm

To join online:
Please register (below) and a Zoom meeting link and passcode will be emailed to you automatically.

“Part 2” of the program is free—though for the benefit of gathering merit, virtue, and auspiciousness—offerings are encouraged. Fresh fruit, flowers, and goodies for the shrine are most welcome.

We look very forward to coming together with you all, in heart and mind, to celebrate and pay homage on this most auspicious occasion.

See you soon at the Garden of Loving Kindness (Maitrivana)!

About Chökhor Düchen

On Friday, July 21 we will celebrate Chökhor Düchen, a significant Buddhist holiday and one of the four Düchens or “Great Occasions.”

The Düchens present a wonderful opportunity to come together to practice as a community. On this particular holiday, we celebrate Buddha Shakyamuni’s First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma (his first teaching after attaining enlightenment).

According to tradition, for the first seven weeks after his enlightenment, Buddha did not teach. Then, encouraged by Indra and Brahma, he gave his first teaching on the Four Noble Truths at the Deer Park in Sarnath. Buddha taught the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path of liberation.

Come join us for a celebration of these First Turning Teachings, which laid the ground for the entire Buddhist path! All are welcome.