|
|
 | |
Offering of HH Dalai Lama's words of wisdom from
Ven. Yanchen to students of Shantideva Meditation
|
"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to be alive, I have a precious human life, I am not going to waste it.
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself, to expand my heart out to others; to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others, I am not going to get angry or think badly about others. I am going to benefit others as much as I can."
- His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Dear Dharma Friends,
We send our kind wishes and hope you are well.
This past month, Shantideva Meditation's students received the opportunity to develop closer connections with our precious teachers. Several people had the fortune to receive extensive teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Light of the Path retreat, which by all accounts was filled with deep joy and wisdom.
Last week, Ven. Yangchen Weill, a dedicated disciple of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and longtime contributor to our Center's endeavors, shared instruction on meditation, integrative practices and prayers to help us gain realizations and to develop our great potential for wisdom and compassion. She also offered print-outs of one of her favorite quotes by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, reminding us of our human potential and the benefits of a positive motivation.
With gratitude for the generosity and kindness of our teachers, we look forward to June to welcome Geshe Tenley from Kurukulla, our FPMT sister center in Boston. He will connect us with the timeless wisdom of Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend, which is especially suited for those wishing to engage in spiritual activity while continuing to live and work in society. While we present a suggested donation designed to sustain our Center, please just offer what you can if you cannot offer the full amount at this time.
You are also welcome to attend any of our practice events, especially on Saka Dawa (June 13) when karmic actions are powerfully multiplied. Furthermore, our Medicine Buddha pujas will utilize a new text and more elaborate altar to generate more merit, which translates into more benefit for the Center, its students, and all those who we pray for during this puja.
Through these experiences, may you enjoy the Dharma that develops the positive potential of your precious human life, and may each day bring us all closer to ultimate happiness and the sorrowless state.
Jennifer
Director
Shantideva Meditation Center - FPMT NYC
|
|
Visiting Teacher Program
Public Talk and Retreat with Geshe Ngawang Tenley
Friday, June 27 from 7-9pm and Saturday and Sunday,
June 28-29 from 10am-5pm
Tibet House
22 West 15th Street
New York, NY 10011
REGISTER NOW
During this public talk and retreat, Geshe Ngawang Tenley will give an overall presentation of Nagarjuna's text, Letter to a Friend, a highly acclaimed poem that explains how to integrate spiritual values into daily life, offering advice on avoiding distractions and living with ethical discipline. The weekend teachings will be introduced by a public talk on how to apply Buddhist teachings to overcome our problems and live a peaceful, happy life. Geshe Tenley's thorough knowledge and clear explanations make this teaching accessible and beneficial to students of all levels. Click here to learn more.
Suggested Donation:
Public Talk only: $20
Retreat (including talk): $120 (which includes lunch, light refreshments and materials)
Tibet House and Nalanda Institute members: $108 for entire retreat, $18 for public talk
Donations may be made online or at the door.
|
|
Upcoming Events
Tuesdays from 7-8:30pm
Whether you aspire to take a break from the hectic pace of urban life, want to learn simple meditation techniques, or wish to benefit from the collective energy of practicing with a group, please join us every Tuesday for "Becoming Your Own Therapist" - Shantideva Meditation's weekly meditation offering.
|
|
Friday, June 13 from 4-9:30pm
This year, Friday, June 13 marks Saka Dawa, commemorating Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana. Shantideva Meditation has organized several activities for this special day, during which the merit of any virtuous actions done are multiplied many times over. Please join us for some or all!
|
|
Saturday, July 19 from 10am-5pm
In this joyful workshop led by artist and teacher Carmen Mensink, we will learn how to draw the most famous set of offerings in Tibetan Buddhist thangka art: the offerings of the five senses. This workshop includes a short meditation, lecture and plenty of individual guidance. It is suitable for both beginners and more seasoned artists.
|
|
Friday to Sunday, October 17-19, 2014
Shantideva Meditation is delighted to announce that we will be hosting the Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour, a world-wide exhibit of ancient and sacred relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and many other Buddhist masters from India, Tibet, Korea and China. The Relic Tour events are free and all are welcome regardless of their spiritual tradition. We hope you can join us.
|
|
Upcoming Pujas
Pujas are offered twice monthly beginning at 7pm
Jewel Heart Center
260 West Broadway
New York, NY 10013
Shantideva Meditation students gather regularly for pujas,
a practice 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!
Green Tara Puja is known to quickly remove the many inner and external obstacles to our worldly success and spiritual development, helping us to accomplish our goals and bring us closer to enlightenment.
RSVP for Green Tara on June 20.
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.
RSVP for Guru Puja on July 11.
Medicine Buddha Puja purifies and heals on all levels - physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental. This puja is considered particularly powerful for people who are sick or have recently died.
RSVP for Medicine Buddha on July 25.
|
|
Rejoice - Recent Dharma Activities
Introduction to the Buddhist Philosophical Schools
and Their Views of Reality
Community Event with Dr. Paul Hackett of Columbia University
On April 25, Dr. Paul Hackett of Columbia University offered an insightful talk at Tibet House on the Buddhist philosophical schools and their views of reality. Our heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Hackett for sharing his depth of knowledge and scholarship with us. If you missed the talk or wish to review it, you can play or download the audio recording here, and view photos on our Facebook album.
 | | Dr. Paul Hackett at Tibet House Gallery |
|
 Light of the Path Retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche
We rejoice that several members of our community took part in Lama Zopa's Light of the Path Retreat, hosted by Kadampa Center (FPMT) in Blue Ridge, North Carolina. This retreat was the third of a five-year series of teaching retreats led by Rinpoche, based on Lama Atisha's text, Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.
In case you missed the retreat, webcasts, audio and transcipts of the teachings are available on FPMT's online learning center. Here you can also find materials for the 2009 and 2010 retreats, as well as info about the Living in the Path program, which is based on the Light of the Path teachings.
Our sister center in France, Institut Vajra Yogini, took some beautiful photos of the retreat. You can view their album here.
|
 Medicine Buddha Puja - A New Offering
On May 30, Shantideva Meditation started using a new practice for our Medicine Buddha puja, designed to generate more merit. The text now used is The Concise Essence Sutra Ritual of Bhagavan Medicine Buddha called The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel by Panchen Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen, and the altar has become more elaborate and beautiful as well. We made this change upon the recommendation of Ven. Yangchen, who auspiciously was visiting New York during the time of this transition and agreed to lead the puja for us. We thank her sincerely for her teachings, guidance and generosity. Please enjoy a close-up detail of the beautiful altar that was created and come to our next puja.
|
 Golden Visions of Densatil Tour at the Asia Society
On April 19, about 20 members of our community gathered at the Asia Society for a tour of their exhibit, "Golden Visions of Densatil: a Tibetan Buddhist Monastery." The exhibit features sculptures, structures and artifacts from Densatil Monastery, a 12th century Tibetan monastery famed for its special stupas. Part of the informative tour included a viewing of a sand mandala created by monks of the Drigung Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. Thank you to all who joined us.
|
 Joining Together for His Holiness the Sakya Trizin
On April 26, volunteers from Shantideva Meditation were delighted to connect with the wider Dharma community, attending events offered by His Holiness the Sakya Trizin and enjoying some time with friends from our FPMT sister center in Vermont, Milarepa Center. We are very grateful for the opportunity to receive this experience from H.H. the Sakya Trizin and look forward to future encounters with Dharma friends in the spirit of mutual support and respect.
|
|
Organizational News
In April, Shantideva Meditation Center received a generous offering from an anonymous donor, which allowed us to exceed our Annual Appeal goal by around $1000. With palms pressed together, we thank this person for her kindness and dedicate every penny to the welfare of all sentient beings.
We're also delighted to announce that our application for 501(c)(3) status has been submitted! While we fully expect that contributions should be already tax-exempt based on our status as a church, we are excited at the possibility of receiving non-profit status to encourage the financial sustainability of our growing Center.
|
|
Practice Generosity
Shantideva Meditation relies entirely on the generosity of donors and the kindness of volunteers who donate their expertise and time. Therefore, every gift at any level is needed and deeply appreciated. To create positive potential to collectively keep the wheel of Dharma turning, please consider making a donation via the link below. Thank you for your kindness and generosity.
DONATE NOW
|
|
About Us
Shantideva Meditation Center is dedicated to cultivating wisdom and compassion through the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism within the New York 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
