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SHANTIDEVA
MEDITATION GROUP
FPMT NEW YORK CITY
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Dear Shantideva Meditation Friends,
Losar Tashi Delek (Happy Tibetan New Year)! During this auspicious time, we consider the kindness of our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche and those within the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition) family who generously share the dharma with our growing sangha in New York.
Through FPMT, study groups and centers are fortunate to have access to qualified and inspiring Tibetan and Western teachers and a comprehensive program of educational curriculum and materials -- a gold mine!
Most recently, Shantideva Meditation hosted Ven. Fedor Stracke and Ven. Ningje (Paula) Chichester who were in New York and offered extraordinary teachings for us. Soon we will welcome back Geshe Thubten Soepa for his third visit to New York, organized in cooperation with Land of Compassion and Wisdom in Austin, TX and the FPMT centers in Mexico.
Upcoming in May and June, we are happy to announce teaching intensives with Venerable Amy Miller and Venerable Robina Courtin. Details will be forthcoming as our plans unfold.
Through the efforts of Charlotte Lowson, in April our Discovering Buddhism study group will meet and explore the topic of "Transforming Problems."
As Shantideva Meditation continues to develop its FPMT sangha in New York City, we invite you to consider getting involved. Meet new dharma friends, create merit by volunteering or sponsoring programs, and join in our aspiration to benefit all sentient beings everywhere!
With warm wishes and oceans of love,
Mary Esbjornson
Coordinator, Shantideva Meditation Group
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EIGHT VERSES OF THOUGHT TRANSFORMATION
A Weekend Intensive with Geshe Thubten Soepa
Friday, March 18, 7-9 pm
Saturday, March 19, 10 am-Noon and 2-4 pm
Jewel Heart Center
Discover how to resolve life's challenges by transcending self-cherishing thoughts. Learn the powerful meditation technique of mind training (lojong) and transform difficulties into opportunities. Understand the true nature of your mind and deepen the wisdom that brings kindness, happiness, and peace to yourself and others. The teaching is based on the profound classic text, the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation, composed by the 11th Century Tibetan meditation master Geshe Langri Tangpa.
Geshe Thubten Soepa entered Sera Jey Monastery in India at age 19 and spent the next 21 years studying the Buddha Dharma. His Holiness the Dalai Lama is Geshe Soepa's root guru and Geshe-la took his novice vows before Serkong Tsenshap Rinpoche and his full vows before Kyabje Ling Dorjechang, the 97th head of the Geluk tradition. In 1997, Geshe Soepa passed the highest examinations for the Lharampa Geshe degree. He taught for three years in Sera and Dzongar Choden monasteries, served as resident teacher at Aryatara Institute in Germany for 10 years, and has taught at FPMT centers including Jamyang Buddhist Centre in the UK, Oseling in Spain, Panchen Losang Chogyen in Austria and Lama Yeshe Ling in Canada.
Location and Registration
Jewel Heart Center, 260 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013
One block south of Canal Street on the corner of West Broadway and Beach Street. Entrance is via St. Johns Lane, the alley on the west side of the building. Subways: take: the 1 to Franklin Street or the A, C and E to Canal Street.
Suggested offering of $60 for the entire weekend or $20 for individual sessions for those who are able to support direct costs including space rental, transportation, and materials. Shantideva Meditation wishes to make dharma teachings accessible to all.
Please let us know if you will attend by clicking here: GESHE SOEPA RSVP.
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DISCOVERING BUDDHISM
Transforming Problems
Fridays, April 1, 8, 15, 29 (please note that we will not meet on Friday, April 22) 7-9 pm
Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew
Learn the disadvantages of self-cherishing and the advantages of cherishing others. Discuss and practice the special techniques of mind training to transform problems into happiness. Discovering Buddhism is an FPMT program designed to give students a solid footing in the teaching and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. Includes studying the Buddha's teachings, discussions among peers, and guided meditations. The study group is open to new and continuing students. Facilitated by Charlotte Lowson with Jeffrey Caspari assisting. Charlotte has been a practitioner of Tibetan Buddhism since 1994. In 2000-2002, she attended the FPMT Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa, Italy, and completed the Philosophy of the Middle Way, or Madhyamaka Section. She has also completed two three-month Vajrasattva retreats. Location and Registration
Church of St. Paul & St. Andrew, 263 West 86th Street, NYC, 10024
Between Broadway and West End Avenue. Subway: take 1 train to 86th Street
Suggested offering of $30 for the 4-week series or $10 for individual sessions for those who are able to help support direct costs including space rental and duplication of dharma materials. Shantideva Meditation wishes to make dharma teachings accessible to all!
Registation in advance is highly recommended (so we can prepare dharma materials). To sign up, please click here: DB Study Group Registration.
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SAVE THE DATES
Upcoming Visiting FPMT Teachers Shantideva Meditation Group is very pleased to welcome back Venerable Amy Miller for a weekend intensive tentatively scheduled for May 20-22. Many students were inspired by Ven. Amy's teaching in December and look forward to this return visit. Venerable Robina Courtin will be in New York City June 20-30 and will offer teachings and a deity practice retreat June 24-26. Ven. Robina has been to New York many times over the years and always presents a riveting explanation of the dharma. Would you like to help support these teachings? Shantideva Meditation Group welcomes sponsorships to help with costs including transportation, housing, food, space rental, and Dharma materials. Please contact Mary Esbjornson at Shantideva Meditation Group if you can offer private housing accommodations or financial support; it will be greatly appreciated!
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RECENT ACTIVITIES - WE REJOICE!
Thank you to those who participated in the weekend intensive with Venerable Fedor Stracke in January (see photo below). The "Twelve Links of Dependent Origination" is a challenging topic and participants felt it was an amazing teaching and discussion. To access the audio recording of the teaching, please go to: Internet Archive. Thanks to Jeffrey Caspari for handling the recording and to Jennifer Kim for sharing her copious notes with fellow students.
In February, Shantideva Meditation was blessed by the visit of Venerable Paula Chichester (Lhundup Nyingje) who gave a teaching on "The Meaning of Retreat." Ven. Nyingje led an incredible meditation and concluded the evening by explaining the significance of benefactors supporting retreaters at places such as FPMT's Land of Calm Abiding in Californina (Land of Calm Abiding). Special thanks to Robyn Brentano and Venerable Yangchen Weill for their assistance in hosting this teaching.
During the past few months, Shantideva Meditation students also completed the Discovering Buddhism module on "How to Develop Bodhichitta." Our thanks to Charlotte Lowson, facilitator, George Cuesta, who led the meditations, and Jeffrey Caspari for sponsoring the duplication of dharma materials.
Shantideva Meditation is also working behind the scenes to become established as an FPMT center. We are delighted that Peter Swords, President Emeritus of the Nonprofit Coordinating Committee of New York, has reviewed our group and agreed to provide pro bono legal advice as we seek incorporation in New York State and status as a 501 (c)(3) organization.
On-going Shantideva Meditation activities are planned and coordinated with our leadership team: Jeffrey Caspari, George Cuesta, Mary Esbjornson, Charlotte Lowson, and Mila Wilson. We are grateful to Gus Cutz, Peter Davis, Antonio Jaquez, and Lana Popovic, for their commitment and consistent assistance with dharma teachings and other tasks. Thanks also to Freddy English, Louise Light, Aliki Nicolaides, Deyan Popovic, and Doreen Sullivan for offering friendly advice.
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JOIN OUR VOLUNTEER TEAM
We are grateful for the dedicated, smart, and loving people who are creating positive conditions for the future of our FPMT center and welcome newcomers. To continue and expand we need both leadership and support for tasks including communications, administration, organizing teachings, and outreach to diverse communities. We also seek pro bono financial/bookkeeping services. If you are interested in sharing your ideas, skills, and resources for the benefit of our community and all sentient beings, please e-mail us at Shantideva Meditation Group. |
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Shantideva Meditation Group is dedicated to developing the good heart by cultivating wisdom and compassion through the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism within the New York City area community.
We are a study group affiliated with The Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), which is based on the Gelugpa tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibet as taught by Founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.
For information about Shantideva Meditation Group please e-mail Mary Esbjornson, Coordinator at Shantideva Meditation Group. To learn more about the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition visit FPMT. |
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"For as long as space endures, and for as long as living beings remain, until then may I too abide, to dispel the misery of the world. "
-- Shantideva
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