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E-News: September/October 2015

Dear Friends,
 
We hope you are well. While we have dived deeply into the heart of our lineage with teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Thubten Sherab, and Don Handrick, this new time period has created a space of expansion by connecting us with new people in new ways.
 
Left to Right: Jennifer Kim (Director), Steve Utzig (Auctioneer), and Leilani-Kali Rivers (Auction Organizer and Board Member). Photo by Christina Martin.
We are just coming from our first-ever auction, where essential funds were raised for our Center to support the huge and vast vision of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Sponsors came forward to offer their support in a way that we did not expect, businesses in New York and beyond were excited to give, our bidders were enthusiastic, the Center aspired to benefit others creatively, and there were heart-warming acts of generosity.
 
For instance, a fellow named Lance won a beautiful gift basket in the auction, but he then gifted it to Leilani, who really wanted the item because her sister made it! 
If someone says New Yorkers don't have a heart or that money is the root of evil, then they are not understanding the deep potential of our minds to experience and
contribute to the world with love and compassion, which is the state of great bliss and well-being that is at the heart of our Center's mission.
 
We look forward to continuing these expanding connections with
Photo by Olivier Adam
teachings from Ven. Robina Courtin, whose words speak to people from all walks of life. 

Following her teachings, Dan Harris of ABC News will speak honestly about his personal experience with meditation and how it has
transformed his life for the better under the rigors of our fast-paced world.

We hope you will join us for a continued journey to enlightenment with rigor, harmony, and delight.
 
Oceans of Love,
Jennifer Kim
Director
Shantideva Meditation Center - FPMT NYC

  
Public Talk & Visiting Teachers

Friday, November 6 from 7pm to 9pm (Public Talk)
Saturday, November 7 from 10am to 5pm (Weekend Retreat)
Sunday, November 8 from 10am to 4:30pm (Weekend Retreat)
at Tibet House
 
If Only... Learning to Let Go of Our Attachment  
  
Ven. Robina will explain how we make ourselves miserable by the very way we unskillfully look for happiness and will show how to find real happiness. She will help us understand what it means to renounce this life and how that, gloomy as it may sound, can be the key to real happiness. All are welcome!
  
For more information and to register, click here.

Wednesday, December 16 from 7pm to 9pm
at Tibet House
 
10% Happier: A Public Talk by Dan Harris of
  
Dan Harris, ABC News correspondent and Nightline anchor, will talk about his personal journey towards greater happiness through meditation. In addition to sharing about his amusing and skeptical journey through the worlds of spirituality and self-help, Mr. Harris will also share more about scientific research showing the benefits of meditation and how organizations ranging from large corporations to sports teams are utilizing mindfulness today to experience similar benefits in the workplace.

He will also sign copies of his New York Times best selling book, 10% Happier.

To register, please click here
Other Upcoming Events

Tuesdays from 7pm to 8pm  
 
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.

Wednesdays, November 4-December 17 from 7pm to 9pm

  
In this module, we will review the essential facts about the law of cause and effect of actions and generate a clear understanding about how karma works.

We will discuss effective tools to accumulate merit - the cause of happiness and success - and purify mistaken actions done in the past. Together we will also explore ways to become adept at dealing with life most effectively and thereby take control of our futures.

For more information, click here.

Monday, January 4 & 11 from 7pm to 9pm
at National Opera Center
  
       
We will study the Presentation of Tenets, composed by the renowned scholar and yogi, Jets�n Ch�kyi Gyaltsen. It is a concise and accessible introduction to the four main schools of Buddhist tenets giving an overview of the assertions on minds, objects, selflessness, and the nature of attainment within each of the schools. This module will be taught by Don Handrick through videoconferencing.
Upcoming Pujas

 
Pujas are offered twice monthly beginning at 7pm 

at Jewel Heart Center 

260 West Broadway

New York, NY 10013 

 

Shantideva Meditation students gather regularly for pujas,

a practice in which 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! There is now no need to register in advance.

 

 

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.

Friday, December 18 from 7pm to 8:30pm 
 

 

 

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.

Friday, November 13 from 7pm to 9:00pm

 

 

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 bringing us closer to enlightenment.
Friday, November 27 from 7pm to 8:30pm

 

 

Rejoice- Recent Dharma Activities

  
 
From October 9 to 11, Shantideva Meditation Center hosted teachings with Geshe Thubten Sherab at Tibet House on The Wisdom of Emptiness. He also gave a teaching on death and rebirth for our Discovering Buddhism Study Group at Jewel Heart. Our heartfelt gratitude to Geshe-la for coming to teach at our Center again.
 
For the audio recording of the weekend retreat, click here, and for videos, click here. The photos Geshe-la's stay can be viewed on our Facebook album. Also available are several short interviews with Geshe-la while he was teaching in New York. For a summary with links to all of them, please visit Shantideva's blog.  
 
 
 

Tuesday & Wednesday, October 27-28  
 
Teachings with Ven. Robina Courtin!
                 
Ven. Robina Courtin gave a short talk on meditation and explained the death process according to the Buddhist view. Teachings on Wednesday, October 28 were based on a new book by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, How To Help Your Loved Ones Enjoy Death and Go Happily To Their Next  Rebirthwhich Ven. Robina compiled and edited. The video and audio of the teachings will be available soon!
 
We look forward to more teachings by Ven. Robina this week on November 3 & 4 and the public talk and weekend retreat, If Only... Learning to Let Go of Our Attachment to Be Really Happy, on November 6-8. Don't miss this rare opportunity to receive teachings on a wide variety of topics with a very special and rare teacher. For more information and to register for Venerable's weekday teachings and weekend retreat, please click here. 
 
 
Saturday, October 31
 
Compassion in Action: Walk to Feed the Hungry
 
Shantideva Members with Walk to Feed the Hungry organizers.
 
Shantideva Meditation Center and other Buddhist organizations joined the Buddhist Global Relief Walk to Feed the Hungry, founded by Venerable Bikkhu Bodhi, in a nationwide fundraiser to provide direct food aid to people afflicted by hunger and malnutrition. Through compassion, generosity, and joyous effort, Team Shantideva Meditation Center raised $325.00 to assist those in need. The walk in NYC had 25 teams, 102 supporters, 275 donors, and raised $25,551.00!
 
Thursday, October 29 
 
Shantideva's first-ever auction was held on October 29 at the beautiful venue Fig. 19. Shantideva members, their friends, and loved ones enjoyed a fun and eventful night biding on and winning exquisite items. We raised $8,000.00 in net income for the Center! 
 
Thank you to all who came and bid! Special thanks also to Ven. Robina Courtin, to our wonderfully generous sponsors and donors, to our fantastic volunteers, to Fig. 19 and the Lodge Gallery for the beautiful space, to Steve Utzig for being our auctioneer, and to our auction organizer, Leilani-Kali Rivers! Please enjoy the photos on our Facebook page and be sure to come next year!

Sunday, October 25
 
Mini Pilgrimage in NYC for Climate Change
  
In solidarity with the trek of Yeb Sa�o (UN diplomat to the Philippines and climate activist) to bring attention to both the problems and solutions related to climate change, Shantideva members joined OurVoices in a multi-faith mini pilgrimage march (1.5 miles) from Brooklyn to Manhattan. The journey began with a multi-faith sharing circle at the North Brooklyn Bridge Park and finished with a photo in front of City Hall. 
 

In this edition of Books of the Month, a collaboration with Wisdom Publications, the featured book in our giveaway contest was Insight Into Emptiness by Geshe Khensur Jampa Tegchok, edited by Venerable Thubten Chodron. Discounted book for October: Sleeping, Dreaming, and Dying by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, edited by Francisco Varela. Congratulations to Jed for winning September's book, Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint, Milarepa.

Wednesdays: September 16-October 28
 
 
In this module, we explored the process of death and rebirth and its impact on how we live our lives. We learned how the Buddha's teachings guide us in skillful reflection on the meaning of death and what to expect at the time of death. We were thrilled to have Geshe Thubten Sherab and Ven. Robina Courtin each teach a session of this module in person. 
 
Saturday, October 25
  
Go-Green Event: Light the Way: A Multi-Faith 
  
Leaders from multi-faith communities offered prayers, meditations, and music to show support for Pope Francis's message on the urgency of addressing climate change and poverty, and to pray for world leaders to act. The festival was followed by the Under One Sky Vigil, which was organized by relief and development agencies in support of the
UN Sustainable Development
  
Saturday, September 19 
 

September 19 was International Coastal Cleanup Day. Shantideva Meditation Center and other groups from NY joined with NYC H2O to clean Brooklyn's Plumb Beach. 

After lunch, following advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on how to benefit animals, Shantideva members took part in blessing the sea creatures.
Thursday, September 10 
  
  
In this lecture, Professor Andrew Quintman, Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, explored the extraordinary life story of Yogin Milarepa, drawing from his new book, The Yogin and the Madman: Reading the Biographical Corpus of Tibet's Great Saint Milarepa. He presented a new way of reading The Life of Milarepa by foregrounding the unique relationship between Yogin and Madman together with the processes through which the narrative took shape. For the video and audio, click here.
 

September's featured book in our giveaway contest was Drinking the Mountain Stream: Songs of Tibet's Beloved Saint Milarepa, translated by Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Brian Cutillo.The discounted book for our readers was The Buddha's Teachings on Prosperity: At Home, At Work, In the World by Bhikkhu Basnagoda Rahula. Congratulations to Janna for winning August's Book of the Month, The Fulfillment of All Hopes: Guru Devotion in Tibetan Buddhism by Lama Tsongkhapa, translated by Gareth Sparham.
 
Practice Generosity


Shantideva Meditation Center relies entirely on the generosity of individual donors to support our activities. Every gift at any level is needed and deeply appreciated. To create positive potential to collectively keep the wheel of Dharma turning, please consider offering your support. Thank you for your kindness and generosity!



Thanks
Acknowledging Our Contributors

 
Thanks to those who enable Shantideva Meditation Center to exist and offer benefit.
   
  
VISITING TEACHERS: September-October 2015 
Geshe Thubten Sherab
Ven. Robina Courtin
 
VOLUNTEER STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS: September-October 2015   
Treasurer: Ven. Lhundub Chodron
Damion Badalamenti, Meg Sweetland Baker, Tara Baltazar,
Arnaud Berger
, Jane Bosveld, Josh Builder, Tricia Clark, Bonnie Costa,
George Michael Cuesta,
Gustavo Cutz, Snehy Gupta, Desmond Hosford, Jennifer Kim, Mary LaRosa, Michael Pafford, Gail Pickett, Leilani-Kali Rivers, Gigi Salomon, Edward Sczudlo, Steve Utzig, Janna Weiss, Laura Mitchell-Woolson,
 
  
MEMBERS: September-October 2015 
Jed Aicher, Hailey Aldren, Ricardo Aragon, Rachana Bhatia, Robyn Brentano, Emma Cobb,
Mary Cotta, Catherine De Long, Meg Sweetland Baker, Tara Baltazar, Arnaud Berger,
Joel Bernard, Josh Builder, Jeff Caspari, Keetin Cheung, Tricia Clark, Lauren Coleman, Bonnie Costa, Patricia Crane, George Cuesta, Jaleh Farahani, Thomas Kyle Fisher, Marc Freed, Charlie Freehof, Augusto Giacoman, Snehy Gupta, Pattie Hansen, Jeff Holloway,  
Desmond Hosford, Marianna Janicelli, Marcus Keyzer, Sheila Odessey, Georges Piette,  
Leilani-Kali Rivers, Mary La Rosa, Laura Mithell-Woolson, Aniko Muriglan,  
Charlotte Lowson, Eleanor Nettleton, Michael Pafford, Orlando Pellot, Sheila Richardson,
Marianne Richter, Victoria Samosvatova, Jay Sautter, Pamela Sherrid, Rebecca Smith,
Carol Sussal, Sean Tanaka, Jan Tilley, Janna Weiss, Johan Wiberg, Michael Wick
 
 
ADDITIONAL DONORS & SPONSORS: September-October 2015 
Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi, Snehy Gupta, Navtej Nandra, Jeff Caspari, 
Chenrezig Shakti, Peggy Shannon, Alexandra Silva, Andy Spreitzer, George Michael Cuesta, Yozo Tanaka, Loren Kantor, Victoria Samosvatova, Thomas McGinley, John Holloway, Nazareno Fontanilla, Margaret Kim, Michael Shorr, Michael Pafford, Barkha Madan, Steven Bernhaut, Lynne Sonenberg, John Sutton, Catherine De Long, Tara Baltazar, Nazareno Fontanilla, Marc Freed, Kimberly Brown, Lauren Coleman, Roy Mitchell, Jennifer Kim, Andrii Slabinskyi, Amanda Sidran
   
Please enjoy teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche about
the immense benefits of generosity!


Open Volunteer Positions


We are looking to expand our volunteer positions. If you are interested in being part of the
Social Media Team, Manager for the Bodhi Shop, and/or assist with our graphic design, please contact us
 

2014 Annual Review

 
 
Please enjoy Shantideva Meditation Center's 2014 Annual Review! It is an opportunity to rejoice in the progress we have collectively made to generate peace, loving kindness, and realizations on the path to enlightenment. Thank you to each person who participated and concontributed to these merits generated! 
  
Please also enjoy FPMT's 2014 Annual Review and the activities from our teachers and from students around the world, including numerous charitable projects.

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.

For more information, please email Shantideva Meditation or visit our website
 
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