masthead_dark
NOVEMBER 2010 
Welcome Greetings!


Boardwalk?  Yellow brick road?  Bliss?  What does your path look like at this moment?  What do you want it to look like in the future? ... What's a path?

Welcome to the first edition of EXPLORING THE PATH.

In this monthly newsletter, we will attempt to explain why we think the modern study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism is necessary and how it's possible. It's not modern dharma. It's the same dharma as 2,500 years ago with a  modern approach. The message hasn't changed. But the students have. We're not learning in monasteries. Most of us have jobs and families. Our days are filled with responsibilities and obligations. But, there are alternatives. Reasonable, doable ways we can change our lives in order to learn and practice how to be truly happy.

The study and practice of Buddhism is an ever-changing thing.  It lives and breathes in all of us individually. One person's practice may be beautifully different from another's, yet no less amazing. We'll try to show you how you can make Buddhism your own. And, how others have done it. We will offer key concepts in Tibetan Buddhist thought, and invite you to question them and put them to the test in your daily life. Use EXPLORING THE PATH as a tool to deepen your understanding by investigating Buddhism's truths, seeming contractions, and relevance to your life.  Create your own path.

Each month we'll offer insights and ideas on how to study, practice, create, and play. We hope our offerings will be useful to those of you who are looking to start a practice as well as to those of you who've been practicing for years.

This newsletter is for you, for everyone.  It's a changing thing.  We welcome your comments, suggestions, and stories of your own experiences!  Let us know what you think and what you want. We'll do our best to accommodate you. 

We look forward to a shared journey.

With love,
Elizabeth Toulan, Editor-in-Chief
Anne Meyer, Publisher
Stacey Fisher, Assistant Publisher
Barbara Simundza, Creative Director
contentsBack to Contents
TOCContents

Welcome

SpiritualMatters

Taking It to the Street

Quick Lnks

ACI-Cape Ann

LamaMarut.org
SpiritualMattersSPIRITUAL MATTERS


TAKING REFUGE IN THE COMUNITY

Hi and welcome to the premier issue of Exploring the Path - the new monthly newsletter of the Vajramudra Center of ACI-Cape Ann.


My heart Teacher and our Spiritual Director, holy Venerable Marut suggested that our local Buddhist community start up a newsletter, and I am very happy to see that with this issue, it is happening.  Awesome.


My thanks go out to those who were asked to help and in some cases be in charge of this newsletter, and who said yes.  They came up the name and guiding direction:  EXPLORING THE PATH.  We will explore spiritual practice in our everyday lives - to help make it real, useful, and fun.


In the spirit of welcoming everyone to the first issue, I will speak about community and bringing the ideals of love and compassion into our daily lives.


There are many unpleasant circumstances, situations, and feelings that come up for us.  We are all looking for relief, protection, and insurance against those painful situations and emotions.  But we don't know where to look.  The things we've tried don't work.


The Buddhist path encourages us to take refuge in the Three Jewels:  Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha.  I'd like to talk a little about Sangha.


The ultimate Sangha Jewel is the community of beings who have directly understood reality - the way things are - the truth.  And those beings can definitely help us, protect us, by trying to share with us their understandings of how things work and how we can be happy.  All of our unhappiness comes from a mistake.  And beings who understand really well what works and what doesn't to bring people happiness can help us to understand it, too.


But here in the West we also use the term "sangha" to mean "community" in a more general sense.  We use it to mean our community of friends who are on a similar spiritual quest. We also use it mean our larger community of family, friends, co-workers, people we encounter at work or at the supermarket.


In Mahayana Buddhism, we aspire to "get totally enlightened for the sake of all living beings." And for us "all living beings" are the ones around us, right now: not only our own family and friends, but also our enemies, other drivers on the road, people we see in Dunkin Donuts, the animal lives we encounter every day. 


And how can we "go for refuge" in this broader "sangha"? The thing that will really protect us is our wisdom and our compassion. As we go through our day, we have many opportunities to do the thing that will actually protect us from future unpleasant situations and emotions.  And that is to act with kindness. If we want to be spiritually smart people, brilliant people, then we always act with kindness in all of our daily life situations.  Be they pleasant or unpleasant.  Respond with wisdom - meaning kindness.


And then we will be protected ourselves - from unpleasant circumstances and feelings.  What goes around comes around.  By acting with kindness, no matter the external or internal situation, we will get happier and our lives will get better.  And then we will be able to be even more altruistic - which is what we all yearn for - to be able to help others better.  By being happy ourselves, we will have more to give to others.


Help our community, the people around us in our daily lives, who are our "all living beings" - and we will be helped - and we will be able to help our all living beings better.


An upward spiral.


Hope this article helps you. Please feel free to ask any questions or voice concerns you may have at:


[email protected]


Much love,

Jesse Fallon

Spiritual Advisor, ACI-Cape Ann


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taketostreetTAKING IT TO THE STREET

As Tibetan Buddhist practitioners, we spend time studying, meditating, going on retreat. Mostly alone. We may then get an exaggerated idea of our progress on the path...until we take our practice to the street.
 

family at harvest festivalWork. Family. Friends. Want to know where you are on the path? Look at how you interact with those around you. Are you impatient in traffic? Quick to anger when your loved one pushes your buttons?  Get jealous of your co-worker's promotion? It seems there's little time to think. We react in the same way we've habitually reacted our entire adult lives. But, if you can train your mind to not simply react...to be still, for just an extra moment or two, your whole world will start to shift. Stop yourself from the knee jerk reaction and you will stop  creating the conditions that will cause you to suffer in the future. Pay up front for certain rewards later. Guaranteed...or your old life back.

Your practice isn't confined to the cushion or the classroom. Your practice needs to be oiled and polished through interaction with other beings. Why? So those wonderful beings can show you what you still need to work on to get enlightened. When? When you think you're ready - if you have the luxury of choosing. If not, every day provides more chances to get it right. Where? Prepare on your cushion and practice whenever your off your cushion. What? Generosity. Kindness. Patience. Stillness. Wisdom. Equanimity. How? Joyfully and wisely.

So, suit up and take your practice to the street. If you need help, there are some wonderful folks at the Vajramudra Center who can guide you.


Want to know how to turn a traffic jam into a parade? Just ask. We'll bring the candy.

With love,
Stacey Fisher


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UpcomingUPCOMING EVENTS

The Great Ideas of Buddhism, Part 1, ACI 16
with Jesse Fallon, 11/3, 11/10, 11/17, 7-9pm; 10/30, 11/6, 11/13, 11/20, 1-3pm.

The 3 Principal Paths - Renunciation, Bodhicitta & Correct View of Ultimate Reality
with Margaret Redington, 11/8, 11/15, 11/22, 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20, 12/2, 7:30-9:30pm.

Dharma Flick:  Amlie - Saturday, November 20th, 6:30pm


Karma and the Path
with special senior guest teacher,

Camilo Cerro, 11/26, 7-9:30pm; 11/27, 1-4pm; 11/28, 10am- 1pm.

 

Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga

with special guest yoga teacher, Renee McNamara, 11/26, 27 & 28, 8:30 - 10:00am.

 

Dharma Essentials 6: The Diamond Cutter Sutra
with Mary Kay Dyer, 11/28; 12/5, 12 & 19, 3-5pm.

The Vajramudra Center offers weekly meditation, yoga, discussion, debate and family offerings with a variety of wonderful teachers.  For more information, visit
aci-capeann.org
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IntheloopIN THE LOOP
Phil Salzman, President, ACI-CA

A WORD FROM OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS        

 It is with great joy that we welcome you to the first edition of our newsletter.  Our sangha community continues to grow deeper and wider, and this newsletter is yet another arm allowing us to reach out, connect and inform each other. 

 

Many, many thanks to all (too numerous to mention here) who have given of their time and talent to create this newsletter.  We are so fortunate to be in the midst of so many who happily give their precious time to our community.  Thanks to those joyful efforts, we now have a newsletter bringing more voices and perspectives into our daily lives, and another way to connect and support each other.

            

We hope that you will find EXPLORING THE PATH interesting, informative and fun to read, as well as a place where you can share your experiences on the path with your sangha sisters and brothers. 

 

With gratitude, on behalf of the ACI-CA Board of Directors,

           

Phil Salzman

President ACI-CA

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retreat REBOOT...RETREATLaying on grass at Summer Retreat

FREEDOM
Summer is just around the corner, and The Summer Retreat will be in full swing from Tuesday, August 16 to Sunday, August 21, on the beautiful grounds of the Governor's Academy in Byfield, MA.

Our great spiritual leader, Lama Marut, has chosen the subject, "Freedom." This will be the only chance this coming year to hear him teach here. He is coming out of his long retreat just to be with us. We can honor his extraordinary commitment to us by attending and helping others attend.
Lamaji_Cindy_fungolfcart
The 2011 Retreat will last 6 days, with 4 days in silence. The opening and closing days will be a celebration of each other, with a picnic lunch. Silence will be lifted at dinner Saturday evening outside by an open fire. During days of silence, there will be more open time for meditation and private contemplation indoors or out on the beautiful grounds of the school.

You can guarantee your attendance by beginning to save for it now. The great news is that Lindsay Crouse is committed to keeping the price as low as possible. Even with the extra day, the price is only going up by $10.00, to $685.00. In order to accomplish this, we need help. Lindsay's non-profit organization, What'd Ya Think, Inc., will once again sponsor the retreat and your tax deductible contributions will be an enormous help. Our web site,
thesummerretreat.com, will be available by November 15 for registration, information, and opportunities to contribute.

If you save $2.38/day, ($16.65/week or $66.59/month) you can pay for your own retreat.

Hope to see you there!

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Dharma_artsDHARMA ARTS

QUOTATIONS

Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche on taking a teacher:

When it comes to spirituality, something more is required. It is not a matter of applying for a job, of dressing up to impress our potential employer. Such deception does not apply to an interview with a guru, because he sees right through us. He is amused if we dress up especially for the interview. Making ingratiating gestures is not applicable in this situation; in fact it is futile. We must make real commitment to being open with our teacher; we must be able to give up all preconceptions. Milarepa expected Marpa to be a great scholar and a saintly person, dressed in yogic costume with beads, reciting mantras, meditating. Instead he found Marpa working on his farm, directing the laborers and plowing his land.


Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Shambhala Library 1973

- Submitted by Stephanie Hobart

 

HOME MADE ARTS
This Buddha was created by Alison Landoni during retreat. Here she shares how it happened:

"During my JeTsongkapa retreat in the little cottage behind Leslie's house I realized that I didn't have a statue of a Buddha for my altar.  This thought kinda distracted me for a while in meditation... then I remembered that among the art supplies I brought with me, I had some instant paper mache   So, I looked at a photo of Shakyamuni Buddha that I had and tried to duplicate his likeness as best as possible and used the box from my battery tea lights  as his throne.  The medium forms a mushy thick oatmeal texture and tends to droop so he needed continual propping up.  It is interesting how he looks like one of my art students, who is very suspicious in his own right.  When I was finished with my retreat, he was still very wet and would surely bust if I attempted to transport him.  This is when he found his home with Leslie."
- Submitted by Alison Landoni


REVIEWS
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein (NY: Harper, 2009)
Implicit (or is it Explicit?) Dharma Book Pick

"Such a simple concept, yet so true: that which we manifest is before us; we are the creators of our own destiny. Be it through intention or ignorance, our successes and our failures have been brought on by none other than ourselves."  (p43)

The narrator is Enzo, the dog. You might say he's an old scrounge mutt. With a difference. Enzo is awake, and determined to be reborn as a human. He is frustrated by being "stuffed inside a dog's body," and eagerly awaits his chance to transition to his next life, though sad about leaving his current family. When I "...become a man,...I realize I will lose all that I have been. All of my memories...I would like to take them into my next life...but I have little say in the matter." (p3)

There is something fishy about Enzo. Does his compassionate practice "on the street" lead to a higher rebirth? Check out this wonderful book to find out!

- Submitted by Anne Meyer

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DidyouDID YOU KNOW?

DEFINITIONS

Samsara (Sanskrit), korwa (Tibetan): "The cycle of life"   is the condition of being forced, through the power of karma and mental afflictions, to take on the impure parts that make up a suffering being, over and over again. (ACI Formal Course 1, Class 5 answer key)

 

Nirvana (Sanskrit), nyangde (Tibetan): The permanent cessation in which one has eliminated the mental-affliction obstacles, in their entirety, due to one's 'individual analysis.' (ACI Formal Course 2, Class 5 answer key.)



 

CEREMONIAL OBJECT

Right-tunring White Conch (Sankha) Right Turning Conch2

This Buddhist ritual object represents one of the Eight Symbols of Good Fortune (Ashtamangalas) in Tibetan Buddhism. The right-turning Conch is used for call to daily worship and in ceremonial contexts. Its broadcasted sound stands for the fame of the Buddha's teachings which spread in all directions. Its unusual tone symbolizes the deep resonance of Dharma teachings as they awaken disciples from their slumber of ignorance. The 'right-turning conch' is rarer than the left-turning conch, and in Tibetan culture is a symbol of femininity. This particular conch has been bejeweled with silver, turquoise and coral and we imagine it to be about 80 years old or older.  It is said also that the Conch can be used as an ornament for decorating teaching thrones and reliquaries.

 

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senditinSEND IT IN!

This newsletter is by and for our community. We welcome submissions - art work, movie or book reviews, dharma quotes, experiences on the cushion and on the street, dharma in the media, insights and ideas. 
We encounter teachers and opportunities to practice in the most unlikely places! [How about everywhere?] So share it!

Please send your submissions to:
[email protected] by December 1, 2010.

Please provide full citations if submitting any copyrighted material (including the URL for graphics licensed under Creative Commons) and obtain permissions if using anything requiring permissions.

By submitting your work and your ideas you are giving EXPLORING THE PATH permission to publish them in this newsletter.

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THANK YOU FOR VIEWING OUR NEWSLETTER!

Questions or comments on our newsletter? Send them to [email protected]

For more information about activities at the Vajramudra Center, please visit aci-capeann.org

If you have questions of a spiritual nature or want to request a meeting with our Spiritual Advisor, Jesse Fallon, please email him at [email protected]



n o   s t o p p i n g   u n t i l   e v e r y o n e   i s   h a p p y !