Dear Friends,

In 2012, the SBI Study Group which has been meeting monthly for the past two years will be undergoing a few changes. The new schedule, created in consultation with Alan Wallace, is listed below in concise form. Individual mailings will also be sent out for each of the upcoming events.

Vidya Gauci, after many years of devoted and able service dedicated to SBI,

has decided to extend her leave of absence to sustain a contemplative focus in her life and practice. She will be sorely missed both in the Study Group and Monday Night Sitting Group which she so ably led, as well as during the SBI Santa Barbara retreats at the Mission where she performed numerous services.  SBI thanks her for all she has done for us - seen and unseen - and  sincerely wishes her well.

Vidya would like to personally express her best wishes to all SBI students and give her deep thanks for all the kind friendship and support of dharma practice together.  "As we embrace this coming new chapter of the SBI Study Group, my heartfelt prayers for all blessings on our path."

2012 SCHEDULE 

The January Study Group will be the long-planned visit from H.E. Dagmo

Jamyang Sakya on Jan 21 & 22 as follows:

Saturday, January 21st, 10 a.m. -- 12:00 noon, and 2:00 -- 4:00 p.m.

"Parting from the Four Desires," requested by Dr. Alan Wallace

Sunday, January 22nd, 10:00 -- 12:00 noon, Chenrezi Empowerment

Sunday, January 22nd, 2:00 -- 4:00, Chenrezi Teachings and Practice

$25 each session and $35 for empowerment, or $100 total.

Location: Rancho Embarcadero Meeting Center (EMID),

224 Vereda Leyenda, Goleta, CA

In February and March there will be no scheduled monthly meeting at EMID,

but much dharma activity is taking place in other venues:

Kimberley Snow will be leading the Tuesday night sitting group all through February at McVeagh House next to the Natural History Museum while Radhule Weininger is on retreat. The format consists of a fifteen minute dharma talk, 30 minutes of guided Shamatha meditation followed by fifteen minutes of a guided loving kindness meditation. The group is free and open to the public.

We hope that you'll be able to join us there from 6pm to 7pm Feb 7, 14, 21,

28.

During March, Radhule Weininger and Kimberley Snow will teach Cultivating

Emotional Balance through Mindfulness (CEBtM) at La Casa de Maria in a series of meetings starting with a day-long session on March 3rd, followed by Sunday afternoon sessions on March 11, 18, 25, and April 1st.

A prelude to this series will be taught by K & R  on January 14th at La Casa

de Maria from 9:30 to 3:30. Register at La Casa de Maria. 

On April 27-29, the venue returns to EMID for a weekend retreat with Tenzin Priyadarshi, starting with a public talk on Friday night, teachings,

meditation and discussion all day Saturday and ending after lunch on Sunday.

Many of us attended his earlier excellent teachings through SBI on the Heart

Sutra, and we are very happy that Lama Tenzin of MIT will be able to visit

us in Santa Barbara again.

The Study Group for May has two parts: First, on Friday night May 18,

everyone is invited to a free talk and book signing by Tsoknyi Rinpoche at

Unity Church at 7pm. We have frequently mentioned Rinpoche, the author of Fearless Simplicity and Carefree Dignity, and some members of our sangha have taken retreats with him. We have chosen his new book, Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love, which deals with the subtle body, to be the focus for the next Study Group series starting on May 19th, to be led by Kimberley Snow.  We have requested that Rinpoche visit the Study Group scheduled at EMID the morning after his reading. If his schedule permits it, this would provide an auspicious beginning for our deeper look at his book. Subsequent Study Group dates in this series are June 16, July 21 and August 18.

Rinpoche's book has a publication date of April 3rd, and may be pre-ordered on Amazon now. 

We're excited about all of the new energy that is coming into SBI and feel privileged that so many outstanding teachers will be able to be part of SBI's schedule in 2012.

Best wishes for the New Year,

Kimberley for SBI

Kimberley Snow

SBI Program Director 

ksnow@sbinstitute.com