Dear Friends,   

Happy Tibetan New Year to all of you. As a result of our collaborative effort and the support of this incredible community, we find ourselves here today. Without you, this would not be possible. I am so happy to be here with all of you for another year at Maitripa College.    This year, we continue to develop the mission and vision of Maitripa and move closer toward one of our most important goals - that of securing regional accreditation for the College. The achievement of this goal, I believe, will be an essential and important step for higher education in general, and in particular, for those individuals who are drawn to the study of the philosophy and practice of Buddhist thought. As we continue to grow, we remain committed to developing, refining, and perfecting this unique, integrative model of Buddhist education, which relies on academic study, contemplative immersion, and active service in the world to change the mind and heart. This goal is precious to me, and to all of us here at Maitripa.

So - we have a long way yet to grow, but still it is important to rejoice in all we have done. Looking to the future, we can imagine how what we are doing here today may shape our future generations - educating the heart to contribute to world peace, non-violence, and happiness for all beings.

Today we are living in intense times - the steps and decisions that we make right now affect so much more than our immediate circles. And the education that we develop today will pave the way for the world we live in tomorrow. So it is very important to continue to move in the right direction - educating not only the head, but also the heart. 

Thank you all so much for your support and cherishing of this vision, and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Yangsi Rinpoche

Losar Tashi Delek to all from all of us at Maitripa College! This year the Maitripa community celebrated the Tibetan New Year with a ceremony of traditional prayers, blessings, and auspicious verses in the Jokhang Meditation Hall, coupled with the addition of a few somewhat untraditional elements - including a group rendition of "Amazing Grace" and three rounds of John Lennon's "Imagine" as requested by Yangsi Rinpoche to inspire us to work for peace, harmony, and a better world in the coming year.

A highlight of the evening was a speaker-phone call between Khen Rinpoche Lama Lhundup of Kopan Monastery in Nepal, and the 50 or so Maitripa community members attending the puja. Khen Rinpoche was one of Yangsi Rinpoche's first teachers, who taught him the alphabet as a child. Khen Rinpoche has been a great supporter of Maitripa College since its founding in 2006. Led by Yangsi Rinpoche, the Maitripa students offered Khen Rinpoche a mandala via speakerphone, and made requests  for his long, healthy, and stable life. Then, "Happy Losar!" they yelled in unison. Khen Rinpoche replied in kind, "Happy Losar!" he said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" and he could be heard laughing all the way from Katmandu.

Buddhist and Tibetan Studies

James Blumenthal, Ph.D.

The academic field of Buddhist Studies has developed tremendously over the past 150 years since its beginnings as a side project of colonialism. The occupation of Tibet and subsequent exile of many of Tibet's greatest living masters and scholars, tragic as it has been in so many ways, opened the door of Tibetan Buddhism both to academics and to a much broader potential audience of people interested in Buddhism for personal growth or as a faith commitment around the world. While there are times that academic interests in Buddhism and those of practitioners diverge, far more commonly, their interests overlap and are complimentary. Both strive for reliable and accurate understandings of the traditions and of the teachings of the great Buddhist masters throughout history.

Understanding of Tibetan forms of Buddhism in the West has benefited tremendously from the contributions of academics, often in ways that many people do not realize. While the high level presentations and analysis in much academic writing often seems inaccessible to many practitioners who consequently do not readily see its point, the reality is that this work does make its way to the mainstream of the Buddhist community here. Much like the subtle and difficult debate topics for advanced students in the geshe curriculum and Geluk monasteries (such as whether obstacles to a Buddha's omniscience ought to be classified as subtle karmic residue or instances of consciousness) do not seem obviously relevant to the average Tibetan, the authoritative and thorough knowledge of those who complete that curriculum does translate into effective communication of the dharma among average Tibetans (and students worldwide these days).  

The academic study of religion has historically striven for "objective" or "scientific" reporting and analysis of its subject matter and often seems primarily concerned with "just the facts" while bracketing concerns about the truth value of the tradition. Practitioners of religions, including those training in theological seminaries (as opposed to religious studies departments), are concerned with "the facts" as well.  But they are also concerned with the truth and transformative value of the traditions, teachings, and practices they embrace as spiritually efficacious. The education at Maitripa College has attempted to find a middle way, not between these two, but inclusive of the wisdom and insights of both. 

Often in the modern world people have more of an inclination towards historical consciousness and benefit from not only hearing the teachings, but also understanding the conditioned context in which they arose. Understanding the how and why which often comes in academic studies can strengthen confidence and faith in the teachings. Traditional teaching models that emphasize not only serious analysis of ideas but also the integration of contemplative practices on those ideas is a unique offering of Maitripa, that is not present in secular academic settings. The educational model at Maitripa values the contributions critical academic approaches to the traditions can make side-by-side with traditional methods and models of presenting teachings and integrating them into our lives. At this point in history and culture, it seems that the study of Buddhism is primed for this broader perspective.

Service is one of the three pillars of Maitripa's educational philosophy, and one of the core values and strongholds of our community life. The Jokhang Meditation Hall public programs at Maitripa, for example, are staffed and run almost entirely by volunteers. President Yangsi Rinpoche stresses the importance of service as an extension of spiritual practice, "Service in the community, and in the world, is a way to build community, to learn to cherish others, to overcome selfishness."

This term, Maitripa College graduate students in the Master of Arts and Master of Divinity programs are continuing their studies and practice in service in the community service practicum course Compassionate Service - Building Bridges. The focus of their studies is based on both a theoretical grounding and an immersion in an experiential learning environment, with the primary learning objectives being to continue their work gaining an understanding, fluency, and perspective of Buddhist social service, especially working with framing community issues in the context of a Buddhist worldview, caring for the community from a spiritual basis, and interfaith dialogue.

Maitripa students partners with local social service organizations to fulfill their requirements for the course, committing to 20-30 hours per term of active volunteer work. Historically, these relationships have had deep and lasting positive impact on both the students and the service partners. Partner organizations this semester include Sisters of the Road, Salvation Army, Larch Correctional Facility, Hopewell House Hospice, and many more. We look forward to enriching and expanding our relationships with our partners for many years to come, and to the continual exploration of service as a an active, engaging, and transformative learning tool at Maitripa College.

To learn more about service learning opportunities at Maitripa, or our service learning program, please contact our administrative offices.

Getting To Know Maitripa:

Did you know that you can schedule a private tour of the college, have an interview with President and Professor Yangsi Rinpoche, or another faculty member? What about sitting in on a class discussing the philosophical presentation of reality by Lama Tsongkhapa, or one discussing applications of Buddhism in social action? Or perhaps you'd like to simply sit down with a staff member over a cup of tea so that we can answer your questions and learn more about you and your interests. After all, you and your goals for learning, service, and personal transformation are the reason we are here.

The Fruits of Buddhism at Your Fingertips: Maitripa students know that our growing research library offers them several thousand books and multimedia materials focused on the field of Buddhist Studies. Did you know that community members can join our research library and access these materials as well? Or perhaps you are longing for detailed meditation instruction? You could attend a meditation class, join in on our Sunday community meditation, or come to Rinpoche's Thursday night public teachings, offering distilled wisdom cultivated over lifetimes of study and practice in Tibetan monastic universities and over a decade of living in and observing the culture of the West.  Additionally, Maitripa hosts revered teachers of the Buddhist tradition, well-respected Buddhist Studies scholars, Tibetan cultural figures, and an array of programs which present Buddhism and its interplay with modern society, other religious traditions, and scientific communities.

Student Services & Resources: For our student body, we offer resources designed to support you from the first investigation of a Maitripa education all the way through your life as a Maitripa alumnus.  Our current students receive guidance and encouragement throughout their educational path at Maitripa. A student listserv keeps students updated on job opportunities and other pertinent information. Graduates are offered the opportunity to engage in assessment and counsel for opportunities moving forward beyond Maitripa as well as resources for staying connected to their education through yearly retreats and special engagement opportunities.

If you would like to learn more about Maitripa College and resources available to you, please contact Sara at studentservices@maitripa.org.

If you have taken an online course, participated in the online auction, or noticed the videographer in a class or at a special public event, you have benefited from the expertise and dedication of Megan Evart, Maitripa's Online Technical Coordinator.  Megan grew up in San Francisco, California. Her early spiritual life was characterized by an interest in ecstatic ritual, magic, and a wish to advocate for animals. On the basis of this motivation, she entered law school at UC Berkeley, and upon completion worked as a litigator on behalf of the environment. She also trained in traditional Chinese martial arts.  

Megan met the Dharma at the Nyingma Institute in Berkeley. She was drawn to the Institute through a series of seemingly random, ultimately auspicious events, which resulted in her discovering the website of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive and connecting there with the teachings of Lama Yeshe.  Shortly afterward, in Megan's own words, "life turned inside out and upside down," and she and her husband Max left the Bay Area for Portland. Shortly after she arrived in Portland she found herself at the opening ceremonies of Maitripa College (then Maitripa Institute) at the Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association. The ceremony was presided over by Yangsi Rinpoche, and upon meeting him at the end of the ceremony, Megan says, "I instantly knew I belonged at Maitripa."

Since that very day, Megan has been an integral part of life at Maitripa. She completed her MA degree in Buddhist Studies and her post-graduate certificate in Tantric Studies at Maitripa, and graduated with the Class of 2010. She has served as a member of Compassion in Action, Maitripa's Volunteer Corps, since 2007, and has been an invaluable support to Maitripa staff and faculty since our early days. In 2010 she led the volunteer Online Auction committee and helped Maitripa meet and surpass its Winter Fundraising Goals. And in 2010, Megan joined the staff of Maitripa College as our Online Technical Coordinator.

In her own words, this is what Maitripa means to Megan: "When I was little I wanted to feel genuine compassion for others but didn't know how. As time passed I began to think I never would and this made me very sad.  But now Maitripa has given me the skills and the chance to change and the ability to help others do the same. Maitripa means metamorphosis to me."