E-News: July/August 2013  
IN THIS ISSUE
Compassion Day - In Honor of the Birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Ven. Fedor Stracke: Buddha Nature July 19-20 -- Register Now
Save the Date - Dagri Rinpoche Oct 8-9
Meditation in Our Tradition
Rejoice - Recent Dharma Activities
Dear Dharma Friends,

It was an emotionally powerful moment when 10,000 people presented white katas to His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the final teaching at the Environmental Summit in Portland, Oregon.

His parting words to us were, "mentally, emotionally, and physically we are the same human being. So the potential that I have and I use - you also have that same potential. You must realize that potential and utilize that potential as much as you can. Then you will be a happy person and live a meaningful life."
 
Lama Zopa Rinpoche - June 2013

 

On Compassion Day, which honors the Dalai Lama's birthday on July 6th, we invite you to consider how you might develop your potential for happiness and meaning. Participate through many suggested activities or join a team of volunteers at Shantideva Meditation's next Compassion in Action project with Riverside Park Conservancy dedicated to His Holiness.

 

This month we also reflect on the incredible kindness of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and all monks and nuns who are living in the vows, meditating for others, and serving sentient beings in so many ways. International Sangha Day on July 12th also commemorates Chokhor Duchen (the Buddha's First Teaching over 2500 years ago).

 

As karmic results of actions on this day are multiplied one hundred million times, it is an auspicious time to make offerings to the Sangha and to Dharma centers like Shantideva Meditation that organize Dharma teachings to benefit students in our community and all beings everywhere.

 

We are delighted that our next Dharma teaching will be with Ven. Fedor Stracke, who will teach on the topic of Buddha Nature at Tibet House. Ven. Fedor will also lead a Question/Answer at the final session of our Discovering Buddhism Study Group module, Refuge in the Three Jewels, which will be open for anyone to attend.

Looking forward to the Fall, we are thrilled to announce that Shantideva Meditation will be one of the FPMT centers hosting Dagri Rinpoche on his United States tour. Other exciting events are in the planning stages so please watch for mailings to receive the latest information and any updates.

With warm wishes and oceans of love,

Mary

Mary Esbjornson, Director
Shantideva Meditation Center 
 
F P M T   R E G I O N A L   &   I N T E R N A T I O N A L   P R O J E C T S  

 

Compassion Day 2013 
Compassion Day

Shantideva
Meditation Center members are encouraged to join with FPMT centers across the United States and Canada to celebrate Compassion Day, an initiative organized by The North American Region of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 78th birthday on July 6th.

There are three parts to Compassion Day Rejoicing, Meditation, and Compassion in Action:
 
Rejoicing 
 

Join us as we come together to rejoice on His Holiness' birthday, celebrate compassion, and dedicate ourselves to making a positive difference in the world. Read more  

 

Compassion in Action

 

How can we cultivate compassion, not just in our hearts as we do our meditation, but in the world, in a real and meaningful way that benefits others? 

 

Join other volunteers for Shantideva Meditation's Compassion in Action project, which will be dedicated to His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Work with others at the Riverside Park Conservancy to help to beautify and  protect our environment for the benefit of New Yorkers and the entire planet.  For other ideas about helping others, Read more 

 

Meditation

 

In these four guided meditations you can discover powerful ways to cultivate and increase these positive qualities and generate great enthusiasm for making your life joyous and meaningful in every moment. Read more  

 

Please share your experiences with Shantideva Meditation so that we might report this to the Compassion Day organizers and rejoice in our collective merits.


International Sangha Day


International Mahayana Institute    


Every year FPMT celebrates our ordained Dharma brothers and sisters on the day marking the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, which this year falls on July 12. 

 

Shantideva Meditation Center is especially grateful to our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and to our ordained teachers who consistently support our efforts, including Venerable Robina Courtin, Geshe Choewang Dakpa Rinpoche, Venerable Rene Feusi, Venerable Amy Miller, Geshe Thubten Soepa, and Venerable Fedor Stracke. 

 

The Center makes a donation to the Lama Yeshe Sangha Fund, established to help support the monks and nuns within the International Mahayana Institute (IMI). We encourage you to make a donation to the fund and offer acts of appreciation.  Remembering our refuge in the Sangha and protecting the ordination of the monastic community has tremendous benefit in our own lives, now and in the future.     

   

  
V I S I T I N G   T E A C H E R   P R O G R A M
Buddha Nature - the Potential of the Mind

Teachings with Venerable Fedor Stracke 

 
Public Talk and Daylong Retreat

Friday, July 19 at 7pm-9pm and Saturday, July 20 at 10am-5pm
Tibet House
22 West 15th Street
New York, NY 10011  

 

      

  

The fundamental nature of our mind, what we term 'the buddha nature', is present within us as a natural attribute.  Our mind, or consciousness, is not oneness with the obscurations of ignorance, anger and attachment. Just as a mirror is not oneness with dirt, but is temporarily obscured by dirt, so our mind is stained by the obscurations but it is not oneness with them. By practicing the remedy and by generating the path in our mind, we can remove the obscurations, and our mind can become the omniscient, transcendental mind.

 

In this public talk and day-long retreat, Venerable Fedor Stracke presents an overview of buddha nature.  The day will be divided into meditation, lecture and discussion.

 

Appropriate to those new to Buddhism and those who wish to deepen their spiritual understanding and practice.

 

Dates and Times:

Friday

7:00pm - 9:00pm   Public Talk

 

Saturday and Sunday

10:00am - 5:00pm    Retreat
   

Suggested Donation:

 

Public Talk Only: $20
Retreat (including talk): $80, which includes light refreshments, lunch, and materials


Tibet House and Nalanda Institute members: $72 for entire retreat; $18 for public talk

 

Donations may be made online or at the door.

 

While the Dharma is given freely and no one is turned away for lack of funds, we invite you to inquire about volunteering or other ways you might support our efforts to make these teachings available in New York. As an emerging volunteer organization, Shantideva Meditation Center relies entirely on donations to cover the cost of space rental, transportation, housing, materials, and administration. Thank you for your generosity. 

  

About the Teacher:

 

Venerable 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. 


REGISTER NOW


S A V E   T H E   D A T E S   -   O C T O B E R   8   A N D   9


Dagri Rinpoche 
Dagri Rinpoche

 

Chenrezig Empowerment 

Tuesday, October 8 at 7pm-9pm at Jewel Heart 

 

Teaching on Compassion 

Wednesday, October 9 at 7pm-9pm at Tibet House 

 

 

Dagri Rinpoche is the reincarnation of Pari (Dagri) Dorje Chang, one of the very great geshes of Lhasa who was the teacher of many lamas, including Lama Yeshe. Dagri Rinpoche was born in Tibet in 1958. He grew up during the Cultural Revolution of 1966 - 1976. After his escape from Tibet in 1982 he completed his 17 years of study of Buddhist philosophy and received the Geshe Lharampa degree.

 

 
  
M E D I T A T I O N   I N   O U R   T R A D I T I O N 
An Experiential Series for Beginners

 

Tuesdays, July 23, 30; August 6, 13, 27 (note there is no class, August 20) from 7-8:30pm

Jewel Heart Center
260 West Broadway

New York, NY 10013  

  

meditate Would you like to learn how to work with your mind and create more peace and happiness in daily life? This series is suitable for students who are new to meditation in the Gelugpa tradition or for those who recently took refuge and wish to establish a daily practice.  

 

Classes include guided meditation to calm the mind and reduce stress and distraction.  

 

Each session will also include a brief explanation of one of the Buddhist meditation techniques (calm abiding, vipassana, visualization, or analytical meditation), followed by group meditation using that technique. There will also be an opportunity to reflect on the experience and ask any questions. 

   

This series is led by George M. Cuesta, Ph.D., who has been studying and practicing the Buddhadharma since 2005. George has been a member of Shantideva Meditation Center since 2008 and also leads our Medicine Buddha and Guru Pujas.  He is a licensed psychologist in the State of New York and is the Supervisory Psychologist and Team Leader for the Manhattan Vet Center.

   

Suggested Donation: $50 for the entire series, to cover the cost of expenses.   

   

REGISTER NOW

 
 P U J A S   A N D   P R A C T I C E 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.     

 

Green Tara Guru Puja with Tsog 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 are also invited to sponsor an entire puja (suggested $60) or sponsor partially via this link or to make an offering at the door. 

 

RSVP  Green Tara Puja                     Friday, July 12
RSVP  Guru Puja with Tsog              Friday, July 26
RSVP  Medicine Buddha Puja          Friday, August 9
RSVP  Guru Puja with Tsog              Friday, August 16


Setting Up an Altar
Friday, August 9 at 5:30pm (prior to the Medicine Buddha Puja)
Led by Jennifer Kim

Would you like to explore the meaning behind the ritual practice of setting up an altar in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition? In this introductory training, learn how Shantideva Meditation sets up our altar for pujas and teachings according to the wishes of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Experience the meditative practice of offering water bowls and other symbolic items and of preparing an inspiring and sacred space for our group practice.

For those interested in attending, please contact Jennifer Kim.
 
C O M P A S S I O N  I N  A C T I O N Compassion

Riverside Park Conservancy  

 

"In addition to non-violence in our relations with each other, we also need to employ a much greater sense of non-violence in relation to the environment, because a healthy natural environment is essential to the survival of life on our planet." - His Holiness the Dalai Lama


 

As part of Shantideva Meditation Center's efforts to engage with our growing community of Buddhist students
and practitioners, we are pleased to begin offering opportunities for students to volunteer for social service organizations as a group.

You are invited to join us for our next Compassion in Action project at the Riverside Park Conservancy Playground. We will assist with weeding and watering the new flowering perennial plant installation to help the new transplants survive the summer months until they become well established and can survive with minimal care.

For those interested, we will share a drink or bite afterward at the nearby Hudson Beach Caf�.
 

Compassion in Action: Riverside Park Conservancy 

Saturday, July 27 from 10am-1pm (note rain date is August 3)

Riverside Park Playground at 97th Street and Riverside Drive, New York, NY 

 

RSVP by Wednesday, July 24. Details will be sent with your confirmation 

 

This Compassion in Action project is dedicated to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and is made possible with support from an anonymous sponsor. 

 

Through hands-on, shared experiences in helping, Shantideva Meditation seeks to develop our capacity for compassion and generosity. We will work in small teams to help out with action such as serving meals to the homeless, caring for animals, assisting the sick or elderly, or tending to community gardens. Shantideva Meditation aspires to eventually expand care and compassion services for our membership and broader community.

 

For more information contact Shantideva Meditation. Special thanks to Bonnie Costa for coordinating.

 

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       

Transforming Problems into Happiness:
Teachings with Venerable Amy Miller   


On June 14-15 at Tibet House, Ven. Amy Miller offered teachings and meditations to help transform suffering and foster deeper and more sustainable levels of satisfaction.

Drawing from both personal experience and Buddhist literature, Ven. Amy taught on the 8 Verses of Thought Transformation by Geshe Langri Tangpa, as well as the tong-len meditation of giving and taking used to alleviate difficult situations in our daily lives.  She also helped participants work with real-life situations and make the Dharma applicable to everyday life.

Ven. Amy with Students
Students with Ven. Amy after the retreat at Tibet House

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ven. Amy to making the time and effort to teach us. 

Thank you also to the volunteers who joyfully offered their time and skills to plan and coordinate: Jennifer Kim for event coordination; team leaders: Tricia Clark, registration; Tara Baltazar, communications; Ann Marie Witzel and Cynthia Greene, hospitality; and Allan Tarantino, audio editing. Thanks also to volunteers assisting: Meg Sweetland Baker, Sandra Benedict, Lauren Coleman, Bonnie Costa, George Cuesta, Tess Gorriz, Mercedeh Mirshamsi, and Jesse Willard.  

We also wish to acknowledge Ganden Thurman and Tibet House for making their beautiful space available to Shantideva Meditation. 

Listen to the audio recording of Ven. Amy's retreat. For more photos from the retreat, visit our Facebook album.

 
 

Community Gathering with Geshe Choewang Dakpa Rinpoche   

Students with Geshe Choewang Dakpa Rinpoche at the Community Gathering
On June 29, members and newcomers gathered to enjoy a brief teaching on the Four Noble Truths by Geshe Choewang Dakpa Rinpoche and a vegetarian pot-luck meal.

Many thanks to Geshe Choewang Dakpa Rinpoche and to those who came and shared their delicious food and drink offerings. We also thank Charlotte Lowson and Jennifer Kim for assisting Geshe Dakpa with preparation, as well as George Cuesta for opening his home for this event.   

   
Tricia Clark, Jennifer Kim and Bonnie Costa at Yorkville Common Pantry
Compassion in Action

On June 22, Tricia Clark, Bonnie Costa, and
Jennifer Kim volunteered for a Compassion-in-Action pilot project, helping to sort, package and distribute groceries to clients at the Yorkville Common Pantry in Harlem.

With heartfelt thanks to Bonnie Costa for coordinating, we look forward to more opportunities to practice compassion through direct service to our fellow sentient beings in need.  

 

 

Saka Dawa



Shantideva Meditation Center extends our heartfelt thanks to Tara Baltazar, Tricia Clark, Lauren Coleman, Mary Esbjornson, and Victoria Samosvatova for making donations on the auspicious day of Saka Dawa, which commemorates Shakyamuni Buddha's birth, parinirvana and enlightenment. 

We also sincerely rejoice in those who recited the Golden Light Sutra and reported this to Shantideva Meditation.  According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the text is "extremely powerful and fulfills all one's wishes, as well as bringing peace and happiness for all sentient beings, up to enlightenment."  



FPMT North American Regional Meeting    

 

The FPMT North American Region meeting, a gathering of participants from over 30 centers and projects in the US and Canada, was hosted by Yangsi Rinpoche of Maitripa College following the Environmental Summit with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Portland, Oregon in May.   

In addition to presentations and discussions about issues and opportunities in the region, Lama Zopa Rinpoche addressed center directors via video, Tenzin Osel Hita (the recognized reincarnation of Lama Yeshe) made a guest appearance, and His Holiness the Sakya Trinzin gave a teaching on Parting from the Four Attachments.

  

Mary Esbjornson represented Shantideva Meditation at the two-day meeting; Tricia Clark and George Cuesta attended the summit and opening session. Participants toured Maitripa College and the FPMT international office and we met the amazing people who work very hard serving centers around the world.

Participants at the FPMT North America Regional Meeting, May 2013

  


G E T   I N V O L V E D


Opportunities to Offer Service  

 

Would you like to get to know our community, participate in organizing events and resources, and help develop our dynamic and harmonious FPMT Center in New York City?

 

get involved

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.

 

Tasks are made lighter when taken on by many rather than a few, and as new people step forward and offer to help, we are relieved and thrilled.

 

Current Openings  

 

Volunteers are needed to work with Co-Spiritual Program Coordinators Jennifer Kim and George Cuesta in creating a beautiful sacred space and arranging altar offerings for pujas and Dharma teachings; to respond to requests for prayers and dedications from our community; and other spiritual program tasks. Benefits include instruction in altar offerings and an opportunity to practice with others. We are also looking for someone to assist with registration and membership. 

 

For for more information or to express your interest in offering service at Shantideva Meditation Center, please contact Mary Esbjornson. We thank you for your kindness and generosity.


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


 

Please join Shantideva Meditation Center's Circle of Friends and support our efforts to present retreats and public talks with visiting FPMT teachers, meditation classes, Discovering Buddhism study groups, pujas, and community events and activities serving our New York City community.

 

There are many opportunities to make donations -- at Dharma teachings, in sponsorship of a puja, around one of the Buddha's holy days, during our Annual Appeal, or at special events.

 

During this phase of our founding as an FPMT center and because of expenses associated with starting a professional nonprofit organization, our budget for 2013 has increased and on-going monthly expenses are $1,800. Shantideva Meditation does not receive funding from FPMT or a major benefactor at this time and programs are made possible by volunteers who donate their expertise and time. Therefore, every gift at any level is needed and deeply appreciated. 


We now have the option to make recurring donations in order to provide positive potential and essential support for ongoing expenses. If everyone who benefits from our programs gives even a modest amount each month, the funds and positive good will created will increase exponentially.

 

Please visit our website to make a donation now.  Thank you for your kindness and generosity!



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.