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 DECEMBER, 2010
Greetings!
What's for dinner this holiday season? We'd like to serve up the Perfection of Giving, with a side order of Detachment.
Welcome to the December issue of EXPLORING THE PATH.
Feasts, family, friends, giving and receiving gifts, music, poetry, celebration. At their best, the holidays give us a chance to connect with those we love, to share meals and festivities, and to offer help to those in need. But sometimes we can become stressed and afflicted during the holidays. Trying to find the perfect gift, wondering if we are doing enough, getting upset if we feel unappreciated, feeling overwhelmed by busyness, hoping that a party or dinner will make us happy!
In this issue, we offer reflections on using our understanding of the path to keep the holidays in perspective, to amp up our motivation and understanding about the true nature of giving. By taming our own mindsets we can strip away our afflictions and connect with the joy of giving without looking for something in return, free from attachment and expectation. We hope the articles in this month's issue will offer some useful ideas.
We are happy to introduce two new staff writers, Jennie Meyer and Paul Mcpherson. Their first articles are featured in this issue and we hope we will be hearing from them often! Thank you Jennie and Paul for your wonderful contributions.
With love,
Elizabeth Toulan, Editor-in-Chief
Anne Meyer, Publisher
Stacey Fisher, Assistant Publisher
Barbara Simundza, Creative Director
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TAKING IT TO THE STREET
The Six Perfections: Giving
Lama Marut occasionally refers to the way in which most of us grasp the workings of reality as "kindergarten" in order, it seems, to urge us on to higher understandings. My youngest child is in his second year of kindergarten. At a recent parent evening I began to notice the parallels between what a child needs to learn in kindergarten, before moving on to the grades, and how our spiritual path progresses -even when it means spending a little longer with the building blocks.
The teacher described the role of kindergarten in terms of the qualities a child learns there. The qualities she outlined reflected the first four of what are called "the six perfections" in Mahayana Buddhism, although not in such a precisely labeled and ordered fashion. But they could easily fall into the same categories. For this issue of our newsletter, I will focus on giving:
Giving: Children need to learn to share when they start in a social setting, and the teacher needs to give them a safe environment in which to practice this. They are learning that there is more than "me and mine." We as adults need to learn how to give material things, protection from fear, teachings on the dharma, and love. Lama Marut speaks a lot about the rise of depression in the U.S. and says there's no coincidence that it corresponds to the rise in our country's wealth and our capitalistic notion that "I need more." Ultimately, the more moments in our lives we can think about and offer to someone else instead of ourselves, the happier we will be.
(Please note, Jennie has written about each of the perfections in this context. More will be coming in future issues!)
- Submitted by Jennie Meyer
Meditation Lately I've been meditating on renunciation. This past two months have been challenging as my mother transitioned from home to hospital to nursing home to hospital to nursing home to hospice care. Our family of three brothers and a sister wanted desperately to bring her home with Hospice care, but we realized that Mom needed more care than we could manage. My mother is getting ready to leave her body and I started to judge whether I was doing enough to ease her pain. During a renunciation meditation, my old habit of telling myself that I was not doing enough, not helping enough, not good enough reared it's ugly head. Suddenly, I realized that this thinking was useless and causing me to suffer. I can't explain it but the next thought came like a "flash". What can you do? I can visit more, I can stroke her face and use what I know to help ease her neck and shoulder tension. I can sit with her and help her eat if she wants to eat or drink. I can be present to assist and comfort her when the aides at the nursing home get her ready for bed. I can hold her hand. I can stay in contact with Hospice care and request help that will make her more comfortable. Last but not least, I can let her go. I can meditate on letting her go. I can see her freed from this body that is no longer working for her. She has been a wonderful woman and mother. It's been a privilege to have the opportunity to help to care for her these last few years. I am seeking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. I go for help with letting her go...I can see her putting her lipstick on without a mirror. I'm 5 years old and amazed. How did she do that? Every time I do it myself I remember my mother. She is young and beautiful and quiet and loving.
- Submitted by Corinna Trabucco
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A VERY SPECIAL EVENT
Lama Christie McNally and Ian Thorson
with Lama Lobsang Chukyi and Julie Upton
December 3, 4 and 5
Friday
7pm - 9:30pm
Evening Dharma talk and book signing by Lama Christie - "Path to Save the World" with Tibetan Book of Meditation book signing
(The Essex Room at Woodman's, Essex, MA)
Saturday
8:45am - 9:55am
Beginner's Gentle Yoga with Dr. Pattie O'Brien at the Vajramudra Center (VMC)
10:30am - 12pm
Morning Meditation class with Julie Upton (VMC)
2pm - 4:30pm
Afternoon Yoga asana class and short talk with Lama Christie McNally and Lama Ian Thorson "Yoga for Peace - A Day Long Workshop." All ability levels welcome. Please bring your mat if you have one. (Pigeon Cove Circle Center, 6 Breakwater Ave., Rockport)
7pm - 9:30pm
Evening talk with Lama Christie and Ian Thorson
"Yoga for Peace - A Day Long Workshop" with Two as One book signing.
(The Essex Room at Woodman's, Essex, MA)
Sunday
1-2:15 pm
Afternoon Meditation class with Lama Chukyi
"A Taste of Daily Practice" (VMC)
2:30-4:30 pm
Afternoon beginner Yoga asana class with Lama Chukyi and Julie Upton
"Yoga for Those Who Don't and Do." All ability levels welcome! Please bring your mat if you have one. (VMC)
6:30pm - 8:30pm
Evening talk with Lama Christie - "Guru Yoga" (VMC)
***Registration is REQUIRED for teachings at the Vajramudra Center and Pigeon Cove Circle Center. Register at register@aci-capeann.org or 978-865-4342.
Check www.aci-capeann.org for more information and for Biographies of Visiting Lineage Lamas.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
The Diamond Cutter Sutra: Dharma Essentials 6 with Mary Kay Dyer Sundays, 3-5pm, December 5, 12 & 19
This course focuses on an exploration of the true nature of reality and how understanding this truth leads to enlightenment. Dharma Essentials - begin, renew or enhance your spiritual life. The Three Principal Paths - Renunciation, Bodhicitta & Correct View of Ultimate Reality: Asian Classics Formal Course 1
with Margaret Redington
Mondays, 7:30 - 9:30pm, December 6, 13, 20, 27
This course provides an excellent overview of the entire Buddhist path. Topics include: spiritual teachers, samsara and renunciation, karma, bodhicitta and its benefits, Buddhahood and the correct view of emptiness and interdependence. The Great Ideas of Buddhism, Part 2: Asian Classics Formal Review Course 17
with Jesse Fallon Wednesdays, 7-9pm: December 8, 15, 22 and 29; January 5 and 12 Saturdays 1-3pm: December 11 and 18; January 8 and 15. The three-part Great Ideas series summarizes all fifteen ACI Courses representing the traditional training of a Tibetan Buddhist Master.
Sacred Movement Series: Tai Chi
with Bob Arnold
Tuesdays, 6 - 7pm: December 14, 21, 28; January 11, 18, 25
First in a new series of "full enchilada yoga" methods. Open to all levels. Drop-ins welcome.
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REBOOT...RETREAT
Notes from Retreat
What does it take?
My son refuses to blow his nose. Will not do it. Yet, he yells and cries, "Momma, my nose is stuffy! Momma, I can't breathe!" I hand him a tissue and say "Blow your nose." He screams, "No, I can't!!" And, so it goes. He's 5yrs old. He loves and trusts me. Still, when I tell him how he can put an end to his own suffering, he refuses to do it. I can't blow his nose for him. I can't stop his suffering for him. Not yet.
It's a fear unable to be articulated that stops him. Maybe his fear is excusable. He's a child. I am not. So, when my lamas offer me solutions to end the suffering of all sentient beings, and when I hear the screams in my own head, "No, I can't!" what's my excuse? What is so precious and dear to me that I would rather suffer, and witness the suffering of others, than simply try another way, adopt another worldview? What am I afraid of?
I'm writing this while on retreat. It's Sunday and I had a great day on and off the cushion yesterday. Very successful. Fabulous. Today, I can't get out of bed. It's noon. I've spent the morning thinking about the many ways in which I can't do what my lamas have suggested. I've cried. The dialogue in my head was ruthless, "How can I possibly do what they say? It's too hard. I'm not strong enough. This is crazy!" But, somehow, the words always come back to me, "What if it is possible? If I've created my world this far, why can't I make it better? What do I have to lose? What's stopping me?"
Fear. "Me." Fear of losing "Me." Then, the battle continues, "If I lose "Me" what will there be? I've gotta get out of here. Why would I want to put myself through this?"
Why? My son. It's simple, really. When I see my son suffer, even with a stuffy nose, my heart breaks. His suffering hurts me more than my own. I feel helpless and I suffer. There's nothing I can do...now. But, maybe I can change things for the future. If there's a chance I can stop his suffering, I'm going to try. And, maybe one day I can honestly extend my love and compassion to all sentient beings. I'm no bodhisattva, I'm just a mom trying to keep the carpool schedule straight. But, if my love for my son isn't powerful enough for me to do whatever it takes to end his suffering, I'm in big trouble. For me, I'm happy to stay in bed. For my son, I'm ready to kick my own butt.
When I leave here I'll go back to my family, my life. While handing out the tissues and doing the laundry, I'll try to study, sit on the cushion, do a little down dog and focus on the suffering of others. It's harder than it sounds.
Silence. Meditation. Contemplation. Introspection. These are the sweet, wonderful things that rejuvenate my practice and strengthen my spiritual muscle so I can go back to my life with a smile. For me, they're found most deeply on retreat. Now, I need to get out of bed.
-Submitted by Stacey Fisher
Summer Retreat 2011
Lama Marut has gone into retreat, and it will be nine months until we see him again on the East Coast. It is an extraordinary thing to draw a Lama out of a silent retreat to teach you, and the karma of your devotion has accomplished that. I want to remind you how amazing that is. Keep the karma going by honoring Our Great Lama, and plan to attend or to help someone else attend The Summer Retreat.
My ultimate prayer is to have this retreat funded so that anyone who wants to come will be able to.
The holidays are coming. If you are like me, you probably need to get rid of things rather than accumulate them. Instead of asking for gifts, you might ask your family and friends for a check (small or large) to help you get to the retreat. You can register online for the full amount, $685.00, or you can put down $345.00 to hold your place.
The power of a Lama is not in the Lama; it is in the student. The more efforts we make to support Lama Marut's only East Coast teaching, the more we invest our love and purpose in the event, the more powerful the teaching will be for us. The karma of this is enormous, as the effects of The Summer Retreat ripple out far and wide. Make family and friends aware of the amazing affects of the retreat on so many lives. Be creative: host a $50.00/plate vegetarian dinner, have a garage sale, make animal balloons or holiday cards, or hand-made ornaments, stand on your head for half an hour for $5.00 a minute, give a donation to the retreat instead of a box of chocolates. Your willingness to help will increase the depth of the experience for you, and you will inspire others.
For information and to register please go to thesummerretreat.com
Happy Holidays to all of you and many blessings for a beautiful new year.
Submitted by- Lindsay Crouse
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IN THE LOOP
Announcing ACI-Cape Ann's
SECOND ANNUAL PLEDGE DRIVE!
Please make your annual commitment to help support ACI-Cape Ann before December 31, 2010. Consider the following verse on giving as you realize your commitment to ACI-Cape Ann for the coming year.
To free myself from harm And others from their sufferings, Let me give myself to others, Loving them as I now love myself. - The Way of the Bodhisattva, 8.136, by Master Shantideva For questions about the importance of giving, feel free to contact: Phil Salzman, ACI-CA President at Sangha@aci-capeann.orgJesse Fallon, ACI-CA Spiritual Advisor at spiritualquestions@aci-capeann.org Pledge cards are available at the Vajramudra Center or by download. You may also email your pledge amount to ACI Treasury at ljmac68@gmail.comA Wonderful Life Open House
at the Vajramudra Center Saturday, December 11
A time to relish our gratitude for all forms of giving and receiving! Delectable food offerings from 5-6:30 PM Dharma talk by Jesse Fallon on the Perfection of Giving at 6:30 PM Dharma Flick: "It's a Wonderful Life" at 7 PM Free to everyone!
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DHARMA ARTS
Giving the Mandala 1:
I don't know about you, but in 2006 my world was rocked by a California surfer dude in red monk's robes. The shift in my life was so profound that I could not let this event go by without commemorating it in some fashion. The thought of a mandala came to me and seemed appropriate. So using my limited skills as a wood worker I labored to craft, as best I could, my interpretation of a mandala.
When my modest attempt was complete I presented this piece to Lama Marut saying, "I dedicate my efforts in building this altar to the people taking vows before it today, to the knowledge that all sentient beings are our teachers, and to you, our spiritual director." I then gave the altar to Lama Phil to do with as he pleased. For me this effort represented the same impermanence as a sand mandala. I had no attachment to it. I assumed it would find a place in Lama Phil's meditation room but much to my surprise he donated it to the Vajramudra Center.
Judith Geotemann, a dear friend and artist residing on Rocky Neck, lovingly painted the rose out of the goodness of her heart. I cannot thank her enough for complimenting this piece with her work and filling a void in my abilities. Judith I am grateful for both your talents and our friendship.
I took great joy in the making this mandala. My hope is that it brings great joy to all who come into contact with it. I cannot express my gratitude strongly enough to all of my teachers, and the Cape Ann Sangha. Because of your efforts my path is much deeper, my life is richer and I am much more free and open.  Submitted by - Paul McPherson
Please note: Paul has written more about this beautiful Mandala. Further images and writings to appear in future newsletters.
 Giving the Mandala 2:
In the mandala, we offer our teachers our highest vision of a perfect world, "representing the entire form and wealth of a purified universe." * When I made this mandala for Lama Marut, I just wanted to express my gratitude to him for the incredible teachings he has so tirelessly given us. I found as I worked on it that making mandalas can be another whole way to learn, right along with taking classes, debating, and meditating.
What to draw? and how? I read up a little and found some fantastic books as resources, three great ones listed below. These enabled me to study amazing traditional mandalas, begin to learn how to draw natural elements as traditionally represented in Buddhist art, and also to delve further into the meanings of many symbols. Choosing what to represent was an opportunity to try to delve deeper into ideas: the five elements & their colors and directions; the seven mountain ranges and their seas. And playing with markers is always a gas.
According to Robert Thurman,
"The central art of enlightened beings is the...mandala, the architectural
templates of purified worlds, made of forms, sounds, scents, tastes, textures
and invisible energies..."
So let's keep offering up all kinds of mandalas to our teachers, and sharing them with each other. In whatever medium suits you best!
- Submitted by Anne Meyer The Architecture of Enlightenment, By Denise Leidy and Robert Thurman* The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs, Robert Beer. Boston, Shambala, 1999, p 110
** Celestial Gallery, Romio Shrestha, text by Ian A. Baker. NY: Callaway, 2000, p. 61 Back to Contents |
SERVING THE SANGHA
Flyers Flyers Flyers!
We need help distributing events flyers! Can you commit to distributing flyers in specific geographic areas - Boston and the north shore - on a consistent and reliable basis? It's a great way to explore your area and try out some new coffee houses along the way!
Audio/Visual Assistance
Help spread the dharma! We need people to learn to run Ustream, record audio and upload teachings. No need to say that this is awesome karma! Technical help and training will be provided, of course.
Website Calendar Manager
Update the ACI-Cape Ann Calendar on our website. It's a Google calendar program. No experience needed, we can train you. You must be available to make updates to the calendar within 48 hours of being requested to make a change.
If your answer is YES! to any of these opportunities, please email us at
explorethepath@aci-capeann.org
And, (hello!!!) THANK YOU!!!!
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DID YOU KNOW?
DEFINITIONS
The Perfection of Giving: danaparamita (Sanskrit), jinpa kyi paroltu chinpa (Tibetan):
Generosity is the willingness to give, and its practice consists of willingly giving one's body, possessions or positive energy. Simply overcoming miserliness, which is an aspect of clinging attachment, is not enough. Hearer and Solitary Realizer Foe Destroyers [practitioners of the Lesser and Medium Scopes whose objective is limited to their own well being], who have gained liberation from cyclic existence, have eliminated disturbing emotions but have not perfected generosity. Its perfection is not measured by, for instance, how much poverty one has alleviated but by how complete is one's willingness to give. Clearly, however, generosity expresses itself in action.
-From an oral teaching on the Six Perfections by Geshe Sonam Rinchen, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam  Mandala: mandala (Sanskrit), kyilkor (Tibetan): Literally "a sphere of nurturance of the essence," a magical and sacred realm, created by the artistry of enlightened compassion in order to nurture beings' development toward enlightenment. Mandalas are the perfected environments of the Buddhas, built on the foundation of their perfect wisdom, just as the ordinary universe is built on the foundation of ignorance.
Offering a mandala represents the willingness to give everything in the universe to receive teachings, vows, or empowerment. There are many types of mandalas, used for various purposes in both the sutra and trantra practices of Buddhism. The mandala offering may be made in many ways, including a hand-mudra, with the fingers intertwined in a specific pattern.
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SEND IT IN!
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. What motivates you to practice? Where are your most difficult challenges? How do you balance work, family, and Buddhism? We encounter teachers and opportunities to practice in the most unlikely places! [How about everywhere?] So share it!
Please send your submissions to: explorethepath@aci-capeann.org. Submissions received by December 10 will be considered for the January issue; those received by January 10, 2011 will be considered for the February issue.
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 explorethepath@aci-capeann.org
For more information about activities at the Vajramudra Center, please visit aci-capeann.orgIf you would like to invite your friends to subscribe, please forward to them using the link below.If you have questions of a spiritual nature or want to request a meeting with our Spiritual Advisor, Jesse Fallon, please email him at spiritualquestions@aci-capeann.org |
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 !
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