E-News: January/February 2013  
IN THIS ISSUE
Teachings with Ven. Fedor Stracke, February 1-3
Discovering Buddhism Study Group - Death and Rebirth
Happy Losar!
Upcoming Pujas
Annual Organizational Survey
Rejoice - Divine Night
Get Involved - Membership and Administrative Associate Needed

 

Dear Dharma Friends,

 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Nepal 2012

With a new beginning in 2013 and the Tibetan Losar coming up in February, we are basking in a moment of gratitude and hope for the future.

 

Heartened by the generosity of those who responded to our appeal to support Shantideva Meditation Center, we are delighted to welcome our Founding Circle of Friends committed to creating a vital and sustainable FPMT center for New York.

 

In the most recent e-news from FPMT, Lama Zopa Rinpoche inspired us with this thought:

 

"Thanks to those who begin the center, and then all the rest who are studying, practicing and those who come from time to time and those helping the center mentally and physically. What else is there worthwhile doing? That can bring a most happy life!"

 

With gratitude for our teachers and all those involved, we look forward to the year ahead.   

   
Coming up soon, we are featuring Venerable Fedor Stracke at Tibet House February 1-3. It is fortunate that Ven. Fedor returns to New York each year to kindly provide an in-depth exploration of a topic -- which this year is Mind and Mental Factors -- essential to understanding Buddhist psychology with practical applications for creating a happy mind.

Ven. Fedor has also been a wonderful resource for students of the Discovering Buddhism Study Group series, making occasional guest appearances via Skype from Germany or wherever he is in the world. Our next topic on Death and Rebirth gets to the heart of living a meaningful life.

 

This is also the time of year when Shantideva Meditation plans for the upcoming year and beyond, beginning with reviewing previous activity and requesting feedback through our annual organizational survey and meetings with members. As our center really belongs to the community we serve, the sharing of feedback and ideas is very much appreciated.   

 

There will be some positive changes in our organization this year. It is a pleasure to announce that Jennifer Kim will be joining George Cuesta in assuming responsibility for the administration of our Dharma events.  As Co-Spiritual Program Coordinators (SPCs), they will also work with me and our spiritual program committee to ensure that activities follow the FPMT education program guidelines and are aligned with Lama Zopa Rinpoche's wishes for centers. 


We are also thrilled to welcome to our team: Tricia Clark, who has capably taken on overseeing areas of administration; and Tara Baltazar, who is now providing excellent management of our communications. Along with others on our stellar team of volunteers, we are motivated to serve the Dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings and look forward to seeing you at one of our programs in the near future.

 

With warm wishes and oceans of love,

 

Mary Esbjornson, Director 

Shantideva Meditation Center      

 

  
V I S I T I N G   T E A C H E R   P R O G R A M
A Drop from the Ocean of Mind and Mental Factors 
Teachings with Ven. Fedor Stracke 

 

Public Talk and Weekend Retreat
Friday, February 1 - Sunday, February 3
Tibet House - 22 West 15th Street, NYC 10011  

 

  

     

"When you study Buddhism you are studying yourself - the nature of your body, speech and mind - the main emphasis being on the nature of your mind and how it works in everyday life. Why is it so important to know the nature of your own mind? Since we all want happiness, enjoyment, peace and satisfaction, and since these things do not come from ice cream but from wisdom and the mind, we have to understand what the mind is and how it works."    - Lama Thubten Yeshe

 

A Drop from the Ocean of Mind and Mental Factors addresses the sources of suffering: karma and the mental afflictions. These teachings will focus on identifying the mental afflictions and their antidotes. General features of mind and mental factors will be discussed, and then specifically which mental factors must be abandoned and which should be adopted and developed in order to attain enlightenment.

 

"If it counteracts the afflictions it becomes dharma, if it does not counteract the afflictions it does not." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama

 

This retreat is part of Shantideva Meditation's series of topics from FPMT's Basic Program, designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for students committed to more in-depth study and practice. We are delighted to welcome back Ven. Fedor Stracke, who began the series last year with a retreat on the Heart Sutra. Join us for an exploration of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy in a supportive environment with a qualified teacher noted for his depth of knowledge and clarity of explanation.

 

The public talk on Friday night presents an overview of the topic. The Saturday and Sunday retreat is intensive as much ground is covered in a relatively short time; students are therefore requested to attend all sessions. Study materials will be provided.

 

Dates and Times:


Friday

7:00pm - 9:00pm   Public Talk

 

Saturday and Sunday

9:00am - 9:30am        Check-in and Tea
9:30am - 10:15am      Meditation
10:15am - 10:45am    Tea Break
10:45am - 12:45pm    Teaching
12:45pm - 2:00pm      Lunch
2:00pm - 4:00pm        Teaching + Q&A
4:00pm - 4:45pm        Tea Break
4:45pm - 6:00pm        Conclusion and Meditation

 

Recommended Readings as Preparation for Retreat:

 

Specific:

 

Related:
Tibetan Tradition of Mental Development by Geshe Ngawang Dargye
Becoming Your Own Therapist by Lama Yeshe  

   

Suggested Donation:

 

Public Talk Only: $20

 

Retreat (including talk): $120 ($108 for Tibet House and Nalanda Institute members), which includes light refreshments and lunch both days, advanced reading list and materials. A few scholarships are available to volunteers who devote a minimum number of hours to assisting with the retreat.

   

About the Teacher:
 

 

Ven. Fedor Stracke has been a Buddhist monk since 1988. For the past 25 years, he has been studying the Dharma with various masters, translating Tibetan texts, interpreting for his teachers and teaching the Dharma at FPMT centers around the world.

 

He has received many teachings from masters in Kopan Monastery, Nalanda Monastery and Sera Monastery. At Sera Monastery, he followed the Geshe Program for many years, and during his time in India, attended extensive teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

 

For the last six years, Ven. Stracke has been the resident teacher at Aryatara Institut in Munich and also teaches the FPMT Basic Program for Western students at Kopan Monastery.



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D I S C O V E R I N G   B U D D H I S M   S T U D Y   G R O U P 
Death and Rebirth 

 

Tuesdays, January 29; February 5, 12, 19 and 26; March 5 from 7-9pm

Tibet House
22 West 15th Street, NYC 10011  
    

 

In this module, we will explore the process of death and rebirth and its impact on how we live our lives.  We will see how the Buddha's teachings can guide us in skillful reflection on the meaning of death and what to expect at the time of death. In this way, we will learn to fulfill our purpose in life, resolve conflicts, and develop the skills to help both ourselves and others at the time of death. 

 

We will investigate together such questions as: How can we use the practice of remembering death as a method to stop delusions? What are the different stages of the death process? What determines the kind of rebirth we will have?

 

Discovering Buddhism (DB) study groups are geared for students who wish to deepen their understanding of fundamental Buddhist concepts.  

 

Shantideva Meditation works with a version of of the DB home study program, which includes transcripts of teachings by qualified Western teachers, presentations by a facilitator, discussion among peers, and guided meditations.  

 

Ven. Fedor Stracke will offer teachings and answer questions via Skype for a portion of the series. Gustavo Cutz is the facilitator for this program.    

 

Readings will be provided to students via e-mail after the first session; other readings that may be studied are drawn from Wish-Fulfilling Golden Sun by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand by Pabongka Rinpoche, and Advice on Dying and Living a Better Life by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. 

About the Facilitator

Gustavo Cutz has worked at Wisdom Publications in Boston and has been an active volunteer with Shantideva Meditation for the last three years, most recently interpreting/summarizing Geshe Thubten Soepa's teaching on The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation and co-facilitating the Mind and Its Potential and The Spiritual Teacher modules of the Discovering Buddhism Study Group.

  

Suggested Donation

$50 for the 6-week series to help support direct costs, including space rental, Dharma materials, and administration. Please register in advance as space is limited to 20 participants. To receive the full benefit of the study group, it is recommended that students attend most sessions in the series.


REGISTER NOW

  
H A P P Y   L O S A R !

T I B E T A N   N E W   Y E A R   O F   T H E   W A T E R   S N A K E


2011 Losar altar from Kurukulla, our sister FPMT Center in MA.
   

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, occurs on February 11 this year.  During the first two weeks after Losar, it is celebrated that Shakyamuni Buddha displayed a miracle each day to increase the merit and devotion of future disciples, in response to being challenged to a competition of miracles by non-believers.   

  

While the Buddha purposely avoided supernatural displays to shift focus away from mundane powers related to spiritual practice, the story goes that he understood through clairvoyance that only these displays could subdue and guide them.  

    

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, citing the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, "This is the best and most exciting time; whatever practice or virtue we do, the merit is increased 100 million times."

Lama Thubten Yeshe 

 

Any actions done during the weeks around Losar, positive or negative, are multiplied in their power by virtue of being in or out of alignment with the great deeds of the Buddha during this same astrological period over 2500 years ago.  Therefore, it is a very powerful time to practice and increase one's commitment to practice and study to assist in our evolution towards enlightenment.    

 

Within the FPMT family, Losar is also a very special time because it marks the passing of Lama Thubten Yeshe, the incomparably kind founder of FPMT -- the worldwide organization of which we are a part.  Sadly, Lama died in 1984 at the age of 49. He did his final meditation during the early hours of Losar before his breath stopped. This is why at Losar, FPMT centers worldwide remember Lama Yeshe and his kindness.   

  

Here is a collection of tributes to Lama Yeshe from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.    

 

Shantideva Meditation Center is planning a group activity around Losar. Please stay tuned for more details. 

  

 
U P C O M I N G   P U J A S 

   

Pujas are offered twice monthly beginning at 7pm 

Jewel Heart Center 

260 West Broadway, NYC 10013

 

Shantideva Meditation students gather regularly for pujas, a ritual where prayers are offered to enlightened beings to request blessings and invoke help. Pujas help clear away obstacles and allow practitioners to realize their worldly and spiritual aspirations. Come as an observer or participant in this highly beneficial practice within a supportive community.    

 

Guru Puja (Lama Ch�pa) lays the whole path to enlightenment on our mindstream, connects us more strongly to our teachers, and allows us to quickly and effectively accumulate merit and purify negative karma.          

 

Medicine Buddha purifies and heals on all levels -- physical, mental, spiritual and environmental.  It is considered particularly powerful for people who are sick or have recently died, and for bringing both temporary success and the ultimate success of enlightenment.           

 

Green Tara puja is especially swift in helping to grant wishes and quickly remove obstacles to our worldly success and spiritual development, helping us to accomplish our goals.

 

You may wish to bring a small offering of food or flowers to create merit (positive energy). Please contact Jennifer Kim to request a dedication for yourself or someone else to be recited during the puja.

You may also sponsor a puja via this link or make an offering at the door.  

 

RSVP  Green Tara Puja                    Friday, January 18
RSVP  Guru Puja (Lama Ch�pa)      Friday, January 25  
RSVP  Medicine Buddha Puja          Friday, February 22

       

 
A N N U A L   O R G A N I Z A T I O N A L   S U R V E Y 

 

We invite you to participate in our 10-15 minute survey so that we may learn more about how to best serve our growing Dharma community in New York.     
 
Please submit responses by January 31 and win a $25 gift certificate to the FPMT's Foundation Store, which carries wonderful items to support your Dharma practice.

 

 

We look forward to your response and to sharing the results of our findings soon.  Thank you for participating.  
 
TAKE THE SURVEY

       


T H A N K S   T O   O U R   F O U N D I N G   C I R C L E   O F   F R I E N D S



 

Shantideva Meditation Center successfully exceeded our annual appeal goal with gifts and pledges totaling $10,586. During this year when Shantideva Meditation incorporated as a nonprofit organization and become an affiliate of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, these contributions are especially meaningful. 

We also wish to thank our benefactors who have offered major support earlier this year

including Augusto Giacoman, Lyn Hayes, John Holloway, Jean Bave Kerwin, Laura Pintchik, Victoria Samosvatova, Lynne Ingram, John Sutton as well as those who made  donations to support Dharma events and pujas. 

  

If you didn't have a chance to respond to our first annual appeal for support, you are still welcome to become a member of our Founding Circle of Friends by making a donation any time through the anniversary of our date of incorporation, March 2013.

 

 Our Founding Circle of Friends

 
Anonymous (2)
Frederick English
Mahesh Mantha
Dominique Aries
Mary Esbjornson
Carole McEwan
Meg Sweetland Baker
Thomas Kyle Fischer
Thom McGinley
Tara Baltazar
Veronica Flores
Megan Mook
Vilma Baltazar
Charles Freehof
Orlando Pellet
Sandra Benedict
Jeff Garnette
Robert Poll
Kathleen Boyle
Ed Goldsmith
Lana Popovic
Robyn Brentano
Eleanore Gross
Charles Ramsburg
Kimberly Brown
Paul Gruen
Jessica Robinson
Brad Bulen
S Gruninger
Sajama Sajama
Jeffrey Caspari
Paul Hackett
Edward Sczudio
Tricia Clark
Nina Highfill
Scott Snibbe
Lauren Coleman
Laura Janowicz
Julie Thomas
Bonnie Costa
Loren Kantor
Jane Thurn
Ven. Robina Courtin
Jennifer MacLeod Kelley
Annelies van der Heijden
George Cuesta
Kathi Kennedy
Stephen Watson
Charles Daniels
Jennifer Kim
Jane Wechsler
Eleanor Drew
Charlotte Lowson
Ven. Yangchen Weill

List of donors as of December 31, 2012. 


R E J O I C E   -   A   H A P P Y  G A T H E R I N G     

Divine Night 

 

Guest of Honor Ven. Robina Courtin receiving a thank you card made and signed by students of Shantideva Meditation Center and presented by George Cuesta, Mary Esbjornson, and Jennifer Kim.

 

On December 15, over eighty people came together for a holiday party, Divine Night, hosted by Shantideva Meditation Center's Board of Directors.  

 

In her welcoming remarks, Mary Esbjornson expressed gratitude to those who have sustained their commitment and have offered hundreds of hours of volunteer time and their talents to develop Shantideva Meditation Center.  Special guest Ven. Robina Courtin was honored for her role in attracting many students to the center and teaching the lineage of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Her promise in 2005 to help the center by coming to New York to teach on a regular basis, has helped to seed great enthusiasm for the Dharma, and for this we are grateful.  

 

Ven. Robina gave a brief teaching and encouraged support for the center from individuals and through creative business models. Twenty donors and volunteers were thanked for their contribution. Gifts of appreciation were presented with a blessing from Ven. Robina.  

 

Delightful food offerings offered to guests by our volunteers.

 

Many thanks to the volunteers who offered their energies and talents for this special evening: Tara Baltazar, Sandra Benedict, Gustavo Cutz, Cynthia Greene, Paul Hackett, Jennifer MacLeod Kelley, Charlotte Lowson, Mercedeh Mirshamsi, Lana Popovic, Stephen Redenti, Jessica Robinson, Teddy Sczudlo, and Allan Tarantino. 

 

We would like to offer special thanks to Ann Marie Witzel and Michael Knipp for lovingly preparing and presenting delicious food and drinks; to Jennifer Kim for arranging access to the spectacular event space and George Cuesta for sponsoring it; and our first business sponsors: Souen and 'Snice Cafe for their generous donations of bread and sandwiches. 

 
For more photos from this special night, please visit our Facebook album.   

 

Thank you for your Aspirations

 

During the month of December and at the party, friends and members of Shantideva Meditation Center offered beautiful aspirations.  We will be sharing several of them on our Facebook page throughout the next few weeks for your inspiration.  
 

R E J O I C E   -   R E C E N T   D H A R M A   A C T I V I T I E S       

Discovering Buddhism Study Group  

 

For five weeks in November and December, students of the Discovering Buddhism Study Group, The Spiritual Teacher, explored questions about the "guru-disciple" relationship, essential for making progress on the path in Tibetan Buddhism. Many thanks to Gustavo Cutz for facilitating; Ven. Fedor Stracke for joining us by Skype to teach and answer questions; and Tricia Clark for registration.        

 

After Taking Refuge 

 

On November 30, those who recently took refuge in the Three Jewels and other newcomers came together to learn about Lama Zopa Rinpoche's recommendations for daily practice, how to set up an altar, conduct meditation, and learn more about the Dharma resources available. We were happy to welcome students who came to learn and strengthen their practice in a supportive community of Dharma friends.   

  


G E T   I N V O L V E D


Opportunity to Serve  -- Membership and Administrative Associate 

 

Shantideva Meditation Center activities are organized by a team of amazing volunteers who are devoted to serving the Dharma and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, our Spiritual Director. As a practice, offering service is a wonderful way to make your life meaningful, generate merit (positive potential), and be of benefit to others.

George Cuesta and Mary Esbjornson 

___________ 

Would you like to get to know our community, participate in organizing events and resources, and help to develop a professionally managed nonprofit organization? We are looking for someone to take responsibility for on-going membership and administrative tasks such as research and information management, Dharma materials inventory, and bookkeeping. Must be technologically savvy, have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, and ideally have a background in business or office management. Flexible schedule, average of four to eight hours/week. The position offers a small stipend and opportunities to connect with visiting teachers, attend retreats, and practice within a harmonious community.  

 

Please e-mail Mary Esbjornson for more information or to express your interest in volunteering or other ways to serve the Dharma at Shantideva Meditation Center.   

 


P R A C T I C E    G E N E R O S I T Y


 
This year marks Shantideva Meditation Center's establishment as a nonprofit religious organization. We are grateful to those who contributed a tremendous amount of energy and time to get us to this place. Now we need financial support to create a solid foundation to sustain the center during our founding year and many years to come.

 

Support is needed to fund retreats and public talks with visiting FPMT teachers, meditation classes, Discovering Buddhism study groups, pujas, and community events and activities serving you.

 

If you wish to create positive potential and serve the Dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings, please consider making a donation via the link below or contact Mary Esbjornson at Shantideva Meditation to discuss our needs and giving opportunities. Thank you! 

 

Make a Donation



In giving we not only find wealth while in cyclic existence
but we achieve the zenith of prosperity in supreme enlightenment.

- His Holiness the Dalai Lama


 


A B O U T   U S


Shantideva Meditation Center 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 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 more information, please e-mail Shantideva Meditation or visit our website! 

Find us on Facebook
 

To learn more about Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition go to FPMT.