Classes (Online)
Bring awareness practice into your everyday life. Classes are a wonderful way to cultivate a regular meditation practice or to engage with contemplation, inquiry, or deep relaxation of mind, body, senses over a longer period of time than afforded by a workshop or a retreat.
Please note that due to health concerns, we are holding all classes online. After you enroll, you will receive an email with the Zoom link from faculty about a day before your class begins. The same link will be used each week for your class.
CURRENT TERM
SUMMER 2021 (June 21 - Aug.14)
Summer Term (8 weeks)
June 21 – August 14
Buddhist Studies (DHS)
Reading the Sutras: Following the Words of the Buddha (DHS101)
Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PST (June 23 – August 11)
Reading the Sutras is an ongoing course that examines in detail essential sutras in the Buddhist tradition. We read the sutras not as historical texts but as a practical encounter with the teachings of the Buddha. Our goal is to develop a respect for the sutra tradition and to foster an internal examination of how these texts can speak to our twenty-first century experience.
This term we read the Lalitavistara sutra, a Mahayana sutra that tells the story of the Buddha’s life from the time before his birth to the time of the first transmission of his enlightened realization. The sutra has been translated by the 84000 translation project as The Play in Full, and by Dharma Publishing as The Voice of the Buddha: The Beauty of Compassion in two volumes. We will read the text without much commentary, reflecting on the Buddha’s life and its relevance for us today.
Instructor: Hugh Joswick. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884382
Who Owns Mind? (DHS203)
Part Three of the Path of Liberation Program
Tuesdays 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM, (June 22 – August 10)
We introduce tools of analysis and introspection to explore consciousness, looking for the source of thoughts, feelings, impulses, and actions. Using classical insight meditations, students will be guided in a search for an independent self who controls and owns the mind and experience, glimpsing how mind, free of the confines of self, might function. Students will also study teachings on karma and klesha; cultivate the “four immeasurable” qualities of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity; deepen mindfulness; and learn about the Bodhisattva’s aspiration and the role that devotion plays in Dharma study. Class includes the Saturday Workshop “Question of Identity: Ten Ideas of Self.”
Instructors: Mark Henderson and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $154, includes one workshop.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884389
Guide to Chanting Tibetan Prayers (DHS114)
This class is on break during Summer term and will return in Early Fall.
Meditation (MED)
Advanced Meditation: Born and Unborn Beauty (MED301)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PT (June 21 – August 9)
“If we allow ourselves the leisure and pleasure of relaxing into beauty, the rich inner dimensions of the senses start to activate naturally. Sense consciousness begins to connect to the heart, and the distance between the seer and seen diminishes.” -Tarthang Tulku, Seeing the Beauty of Being
Connecting to natural beauty deepens into a meditative embrace through an array of inner techniques. This course activates a process of appreciation that releases judgments, interpretations, and dialogues. Mind and senses arise with sparkling clarity and we enter into the miracle of unborn beauty. Creativity flows like nectar through every interaction.
Instructor: Santosh Philip. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: At least 3 years of practice experience or consent of instructor.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884396
Intermediate Meditation: Discovering Mind (MED204)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PT (June 24 – August 12)
The texts for this class are two books by Tarthang Tulku, Mind Over Matter and Milking the Painted Cow. Practices will be drawn from the reading and from the section in Milking the Painted Cow called “Making Mind the Matter,” pp.99-106. These practices build on a basic meditation practice that grows out of earlier courses in this sequence, and that could be described in this way: letting go, transforming obstacles, and opening the heart.
Instructor: Pauline Yu. Cost: $144.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884399
Beginning Meditation: Meditations for Healing Body/Mind/Heart/Spirit (MED105)
Wednesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 PM, PT (June 23 – August 11)
This course will introduce you to traditional meditations from the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma Lineage, focusing on their healing benefits; for the beginner as well as for those wishing support in restarting a lapsed daily meditation routine. The course will include guided sitting practice, as well as walking meditation, relaxing breath practices, gentle body movement (Kum Nye), and healing sound: chanting. As Tarthang Tulku, founder of Nyingma Institute says, Meditation helps us to be calm and happy … to enjoy life, to be cheerful, and to deal effectively with both our physical and mental problems.
Instructor: Olivia Hurd. Cost: $144. Open to all.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884401
Kum Nye (KNR)
Anatomy of a Kum Nye Exercise: #103 Vitality and #108 Touching the Present Body (KNR130)
Wednesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 AM, PT (June 23 – August 11)
In this 8-week class we will work intimately with body, breath, senses, and awareness as we explore two Kum Nye practices in depth and detail. #103 ‘will revitalize the whole body, increase stability, and improve coordination’. #108 ‘relieves qualities of inner holding and inner chill and creates lightness in the body’. Commitment to daily practice between classes is required to get the full benefit of this course. This morning class meets weekly for 1 hour.
Instructor: Donna Morton. Cost: $96. Prerequisites: completion of at least one Kum Nye course or workshop, or with permission of the instructor.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884413
Kum Nye in Daily Life (KNR119)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PT (June 21 – August 9) OR 7:00 – 8:30 AM, PT (June 24 – August 12)
“When you finish practicing, be sure to let your next activity also be a form of Kum Nye. Expand your feelings while eating, walking, or seeing. Let relaxation inform every experience, so your entire life becomes a part of an expanding, widening, meditation.”
Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga, 215
In this summer class we explore how the benefits of Kum Nye— such as feeling better, having more energy, being more open, doing what needs to be done—can extend into daily life. These classes offer suggestions for building and sustaining inner wholeness and a positive outlook that result from Kum Nye practice.
Instructors Abbe Blum, Anita McNulty, Donna Morton, Santosh Philip. Many exercises are drawn from the latter parts of the book. It is recommended that you have prior Kum Nye experience, preferably at least one Kum Nye course. Cannot be taken as a drop-in class.
Section 1: Monday nights, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PST. Cost: $144. No Drop-ins. Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884426
Section 2: Thursday mornings, 7:00 – 8:30 AM, PST. Cost: $144. No Drop-ins. Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884427
Intermediate / Mixed Level Kum Nye: Joy of Being, Easening Practices (KNR210)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PT (June 24 – August 12)
“For our health and happiness, it is essential that we learn ways of relaxing and bringing ease to the mind and communicate directly with body and senses.” Joy of Being,144.
This ongoing Joy of Being series features practice that promotes deep relaxation, giving mind space to be, while energizing the senses. This class also develops awareness that lessens the grasping quality that comes with perceiving and narrating experience. We explore redirecting energy that gets diverted into discomfort or negative patterning into positive action that relieves and empowers.
Instructor: Abbe Blum. Cost: $144. Drop-in: $20, Based on Tarthang Tulku’s Joy of Being. Prerequisite: familiarity with Kum Nye through at least one prior class or attending Sunday sessions.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1893935
Advanced Kum Nye: Ongoing Practice (KNR303)
Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 PM, PT (June 22 – August 10)
Advanced Kum Nye movement, breath, and visualization practices from Tarthang Tulku’s Joy of Being form the core of these classes. Exercises will be offered on different levels of engagement to challenge the advanced student. This course is an un-course, in the sense that it is a space of exploration best entered without expectations.
Instructor: Santosh Philiip. Cost: $144.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884430
Nyingma Psychology (NPS)
No Nyingma Psychology courses this term.
Time, Space and Knowledge (TSK)
Time, Space and Knowledge: Perspectives and Practices (TSK108)
Dates and times TBA
A continuing exploration of Tarthang Tulku’s Time, Space and Knowledge vision. We inquire into our presence as expressions of time, space, and knowledge. In a sense, we are activating and realizing our human potential as visionary beings. Our practice can inform our living and our living informs our practice. The primary text is Dynamics of Time and Space, although we will also engage other works by Tarthang Tulku in the TSK series. Anyone with an interest in exploring experience on a fundamental level is welcome.
Instructor: Ken McKeon. Cost: $144. Open to all.
Register: Please contact us if you’re interested in this course.
Tibetan Language (TIB)
Beginning Tibetan Level VI (TIB106)
Mondays, 6:15 – 7:45 PM, PT (June 21 – August 9)
In this beginning language class, students continue studying grammar and working with selections from classical Tibetan texts.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: TIB105 or consent of the instructor.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884438
Intermediate Tibetan VI (TIB206)
Thursdays, 6:15 -7:45 PM, PT (June 24 – August 12)
Continued reading and translation of traditional texts and prayers in the classical Tibetan language.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: TIB205 or consent of the instructor.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884439
Advanced Tibetan: Advanced Tutorial (TIB302)
Fridays, 3:30 – 4:45 PM, PT (June 25 – August 13)
This advanced Tibetan course consists of continuing reading and translation in the classical Tibetan language. It is for those who already have a good grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and working with Tibetan texts.
Instructor: Barr Rosenberg. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Register: https://nyingmainstitute.asapconnected.com/#EventID=1884440
UPCOMING TERMS
Early Fall Term (8 weeks)
August 23 – October 16, 2021.
Buddhist Studies (DHS)
Reading the Sutras: Following the Words of the Buddha (DHS101)
Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (August 25 – October 13)
Reading the Sutras is an ongoing course that examines essential sutras in the Buddhist tradition. We read the sutras not as historical texts but as a practical encounter with the teachings of the Buddha. Our goal is to develop a respect for the sutra tradition and to foster an internal examination of how these texts can speak to our twenty-first century experience.
This term we turn to The Sutra of Queen Śrīmālā of the Lion’s Roar (Śrīmālādevīsiṃhanāda-sūtra)—a classic Mahayana text that depicts Queen Śrīmālā as a female bodhisattva who teaches the doctrine of the tathāgatagarbha and the single vehicle. It is notable for its treatment of women as fully capable of enlightenment and as worthy teachers of the Dharma. The sūtra raises many issues regarding Buddha-nature and our potential for full awakening. If time permits, we will explore other sūtras with female protagonists such as the Miraculous Play of Mañjuśrī (Mañjuśrīvikrīḍita), which develops the theme of emptiness and sameness of all phenomena.
Instructors: Pema Gellek and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970617
Compassion in Action Part I: The Bodhisattva in History (DHS205.a)
Quarter Four of the Path of Liberation Program
Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (August 24 – October 12)
The depth and vastness of the Dharma restores the foundation, purpose, and direction of human life, inspiring a way of living oriented toward loving-kindness, compassion, and selflessness. This term we explore what it means to live a life dedicated to compassion and wisdom. We examine the nature of the bodhisattva and trace the movement of the Dharma through different times and cultures. We also focus on the early development of Buddhism in India. Note that there are two workshops included with this class.
Instructors: Mark Henderson and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $164, includes two workshops. Open to all.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970599
Guide to Chanting Tibetan Prayers (DHS114)
Wednesdays, 9:30 – 11:00 am, PT (August 25 – October 13)
Learn how to chant traditional prayers in the Tibetan language. Practice materials will be provided showing the Tibetan text, phonetic pronunciation, and English translation. In addition to providing background teachings, students will be guided in the pronunciation, melody, and rhythm of selected traditional Buddhist prayers.
Instructors: Lama Palzang and Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970613
Meditation (MED)
Advanced Meditation: Holy Places and Practices of Guru Rinpoche (MED319)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (August 23 – October 11)
Padmasambhava, the dynamic eighth century founder of the Nyingma tradition whose life story is full of magic and mystery, is said to have transformed the landscape of Tibet through his activity; it is said that there is not a hoofprint-sized area of earth there that did not receive his blessings. This course takes us on a journey to some of the most significant holy sites associated with him, including practice caves that pilgrims visit to connect to his energy through meditation and prayer. We will also invoke traditional prayers, mantra, and visualization associated with Guru Rinpoche.
Instructors: Lama Palzang and Pema Gellek. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings and consent of instructors.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970576
Intermediate Meditation Group: Time, Space, Knowledge and Silent Sitting (MED220)
Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, PT (August 26 – October 14)
This is a weekly 1-hour community practice group. It includes space for sharing or discussion around a theme (about 15 min), a guided contemplation or awareness practice (about 15 min), and silent sitting (about 30 min).
For the guided practice, we will explore a range of teachings and contemplations from Tarthang Tulku’s Time, Space, and Knowledge books. We may also include some Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga movement to relax and calm body and mind.
Instructor: Pauline Yu. Cost: $80. Feel free to drop into the first class for $10. (Please note that 100% of the fees support Nyingma Institute’s mission to offer programs for healing and inquiry, and/or humanitarian projects protecting the continuity of Buddhist traditions in Asia.) Prerequisite: for those who already know the fundamentals of meditation.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970639
Beginning Meditation: The Foundation of Well-Being (MED107)
Tuesdays, 5:00 – 6:30 pm, PT (August 24 – October 12)
This class offers beginning meditation students a new way to be with and understand oneself more deeply, to reassess the situation in which we find ourselves in the moment, through a re-awakening to what is at hand, setting us on a path of self-knowledge, growth, expanded awareness and deepening relaxation. We will use gentle non-conceptual techniques such as body movement, chanting, and breathing techniques to quiet mind and integrate mind and heart. Anyone with previous meditation experience who would like to stabilize a lapsed practice is most welcome. The main text will be Gesture of Balance, by Tarthang Tulku.
Instructor: Olivia Hurd. Cost: $144. Open to all.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970580
Kum Nye (KNR)
We offer multiple options for engaging in Kum Nye for all levels of practitioners.
- If you are new to Kum Nye, you might consider our 6 pm Tuesday evening and 7 am Thursday morning courses, along with Sunday morning drop-ins.
- For those with experience, we have ongoing Joy of Being and Advanced Kum Nye classes.
- Kum Nye workshops are good for everyone, no matter their level. They are also intended to introduce people newer to Kum Nye to major elements of practice.
Anatomy of a Kum Nye Exercise: #19 Revitalizing Energy and #22 Flying (KNR130)
Wednesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 am, PT (August 25 – October 13)
In this 8-week class we will work intimately with body, breath, senses, and awareness as we explore two Kum Nye practices in depth and detail. This term we work with two exercises from the section in the text Guiding Practice: Group One. #19 revitalizes energy, while #22 ‘calms the restless flow of thoughts and generates feelings in the heart center.’ Commitment to daily practice between classes is required to get the full benefit of this course.
Instructor: Donna Morton. Cost: $96. Prerequisites: completion of at least one Kum Nye course or workshop, or with permission of the instructor. Notes: This morning class meets weekly for 1 hour.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970588
All-Levels Kum Nye: The Healing Art of Kum Nye Practice (KNR121)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 am, PT (August 26 – October 14)
“Kum Nye heals both our bodies and minds, bringing their energies together to function calmly and smoothly.” — Tarthang Tulku, Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga
This Kum Nye class will focus on the first Kum Nye Book, Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga: feelings and sensations, inner and outer massage of feeling, breath, sitting, working with the senses, and the energy centers are some of the themes we will explore; each class will have a theme. The emphasis is on how to do Kum Nye and will be oriented toward practice. Readings and resources will be suggested for those who wish to explore Kum Nye themes and theory more deeply.
This course may be attended as an introduction series to Kum Nye practice or may be taken as a drop in class; basic instructions will be included each class for anyone new to Kum Nye. It is appropriate for all levels and abilities; adaptations to exercises will be included for those with physical limitations. Experienced and beginning students welcome, and may join at any time.
Instructor: Anita McNulty. Cost: $126. Drop-ins: $20/class. Note: For drop-ins, please sign up by 4 pm PT the evening prior in order to receive the link on time. No class on 9/30.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970620
Kum Nye Relaxation: A 9-Month Guided Self-Study Program (KNR211)
Early Fall Term: Sitting, Breathing, Self-Massage, Guiding Practice: Group One
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, PT (August 24 – October 12) — This class meets weekly for one hour.
“Kum Nye is a holistic system which vitalizes body, mind, and senses by means of breathing exercises, self-massage, and movement. The massages and exercises [in this book] show us how to develop the special nurturing qualities of relaxation, and to bring this relaxation into our daily lives. Kum Nye is not an advanced or esoteric practice, but a simple method of opening our senses to inner feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. As these feelings expand, an understanding of the unity of all experience develops, and daily life takes on a balanced, vital quality.” — Preface to Part Two, Kum Nye Relaxation
In this program we will work closely with the text material in Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga (formerly Kum Nye Relaxation), and follow the suggested timelines for practice of breathing, self-massage and movement exercises that Tarthang Tulku embedded within the text. The goal is to provide structured support for developing a deeply embodied understanding of Kum Nye through weekly facilitated group study, and commitment to daily individual study and practice.
Instructor: Donna Morton. Cost: $96 per term. Suitable for interested beginners, as well as experienced practitioners. This program is not open to drop-in participants, but new participants can join after the program starts at the beginning of a new term with instructor permission. It runs from Early Fall Term 2021 through Late Spring Term 2022.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970588
Joy of Being: A 9-Month Program of Kum Nye for the Mind (KNR220)
Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, PT (August 26 – October 14)
“Since understanding plays a crucial role in whether we have access to this treasure [arising of joy], ultimately the main emphasis of this book is on Kum Nye for the mind.” – Joy of Being, xxii, Preface to Third Edition, Tarthang Tulku.
Joy of Being takes a different approach from the earlier Kum Nye books; instead of focusing on graduated exercises, it emphasizes how to embody Kum Nye—how to be present within the present. During 2021-2022 we will systematically unfold Joy of Being’s four headings: The Working Basis, Breath, Senses and Perception, and Massaging Mind. This amazing teaching invites us to discover “a subtle, transformational knowledge, a joy far beyond conditions and boundaries.” Experienced Kum Nye practitioners can take all or part of this journey. In addition it is possible to ‘drop-in’ with permission of instructor. This course is also intended as groundwork for those interested in eventually teaching Joy of Being.
Instructor: Abbe Blum. Cost: $144. Drop-in $20/class. This course is the first of a 9-month program of Kum Nye for the mind, from Fall 2021 – Summer 2022.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970906
Advanced Kum Nye: Integrating and Balancing (KNR309)
Tuesdays, 7 – 8:30 pm, PT (September 14 – October 12)
“We need to connect heart and head, so their energies can cooperate and flow freely, unifying soul, spirit, and self into a new sense of being.” (Joy of Being, p.30) Advanced Kum Nye movement, breath, and visualization practices from Tarthang Tulku’s Joy of Being form the core of these classes. Exercises will be offered on different levels of engagement to challenge the advanced student. This term’s course focuses on integrating body and mind.
Instructor: Santosh Philiip. Cost: $90. Drop-in: $20/class. Please note that this course starts 9/14. Prerequisite: Two years of Kum Nye practice.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970592
Nyingma Psychology (NPS)
Keys of Knowledge: Part 1 (NPS301)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (August 26 – October 14)
“At present, we are caught in certain ways of using the mind, bound by language and concepts that we cannot pass beyond. If we could change such fundamental patterns, we might be able to advance our own understanding. We might even find it possible to create the conditions for transforming the difficulties we now encounter.” Tarthang Tulku, Keys of Knowledge, 22.
In his short and challenging book, Keys of Knowledge, Tarthang Tulku asks us to consider how our ways of knowing impose limits on what we see as possible. He suggests another way of knowing is possible that would cooperate more intimately with the “intrinsic nature of mind.” By making friends with mind, we can embody a richer way of being that finds meaning in all that we do and encounter. Through reading, discussion, and practice, we will work through the book slowly and deliberatively, participating in the conversations with mind that Rinpoche has initiated. Following his lead in considering the operations of mind, we may find more fruitful ways of being and knowing. This course is for people with some background in Rinpoche’s writings and who are interested in exploring how to apply those teachings to their daily lives.
Instructors: Pema Gellek and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $144.
Register: https://go.asapconnected.com/?org=4698#EventID=1970642
Knowledge of Freedom: Understanding Self and Mind (NPS509)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT or Mondays, 10:00 – 11:30 am, PT (September 6, 2021 – May 16, 2022)
This Knowledge of Freedom (KOF) program is intended for students with sufficient experience in meditation and self-observation to make precise forms of introspection possible. In a very practice-oriented way, the KOF program investigates, step-by-step, the patterns and conditioning that dominate us individually and collectively. Working with the three vehicles of body, speech, and mind, the program cultivates the innate capacity of our hearts and minds for a realization that is not constrained by self-imposed limitations.
Limited to 22 particpants per section. Includes two weekend online retreats. Must be taken in full.
Learn more: https://nyingmainstitute.com/kof/
Time, Space and Knowledge (TSK)
Time, Space and Knowledge: An Introduction (TSK104)
TBA, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, PT
A continuing exploration of Tarthang Tulku’s Time, Space and Knowledge vision. We inquire into our presence as expressions of time, space, and knowledge. In a sense, we are activating and realizing our human potential as visionary beings. Our practice can inform our living and our living informs our practice. Anyone with an interest in exploring experience on a fundamental level is welcome.
Instructor: Ken McKeon, Cost: $144. Open to all.
Register: Please email us!
Tibetan Language (TIB)
Beginning Tibetan Level I (TIB101)
Mondays, 6:15 – 7:45 pm, PT (August 23 – October 11)
In this beginning first level language class, students study vocabulary and grammar while working with selections from classical Tibetan texts. No prerequisites.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $144.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970574
Intermediate Tibetan V (TIB201)
Thursdays, 6:15 -7:45 pm, PT (August 26 – October 14)
Continued reading and translation of traditional texts and prayers in the classical Tibetan language.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: TIB105 or consent of the instructor.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970632
Advanced Tibetan Tutorial (TIB302)
Fridays, 4:30 – 5:45 pm, PST (August 27 – October 15)
This advanced Tibetan course consists of continuing reading and translation in the classical Tibetan language. It is for those who already have a good grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and working with Tibetan texts.
Instructor: Barr Rosenberg. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
Register: https://register.asapconnected.com/classdetail.aspx?org=4698&pk=1970644
Late Fall Term (8 weeks)
October 25 – December 18, 2021. Not yet open for online registration.
Closed for: Thanksgiving (Thurs, Nov.25) and Holiday Break (Dec.19, 2021 – Jan.8, 2022)
Buddhist Studies (DHS)
Reading the Sutras: Following the Words of the Buddha (DHS101)
Wednesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (October 27 – December 15)
Reading the Sutras is an ongoing course that examines essential sutras in the Buddhist tradition. We read the sutras not as historical texts but as a practical encounter with the teachings of the Buddha. Our goal is to develop a respect for the sutra tradition and to foster an internal examination of how these texts can speak to our twenty-first century experience.
This term we look at The Questions of Sāgaramati (Sāgaramatiparipṛcchā), a Mahayana text that explores practicing the bodhisattva path. It focuses on the development of the bodhisattva’s mind of awakening through insight into afflictive emotions and compassionate action. The sutra was translated into Tibetan during the first wave of translations in the early ninth century by Yeshe De, and it played a significant role in various Indian and Tibetan commentaries.
Instructors: Pema Gellek and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $126. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings. Note: No class on November 24, the day before Thanksgiving
Register:
Compassion in Action Part II: Development of Buddhist Philosophy and Practice (DHS205.b)
Term Five in the Path of Liberation Program
Tuesdays, 7:00 PM – 8:30 pm, PT (October 26 – December 14)
The depth and vastness of the Dharma inspires a way of living oriented toward loving-kindness, compassion, and selflessness. Continuing from Compassion in Action Part 1, we look at what it means to live a life dedicated to compassion and wisdom, tracing the movement of the Dharma through the teachings of the great Indian masters and the transmission of Buddhism into Tibet. We will look at writings of some of the principal teachers in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Note that there are also two workshops included with this class.
Instructors: Mark Henderson and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $164, includes two workshops.
Register:
Guide to Chanting Tibetan Prayers (DHS114)
Wednesdays, 9:30 – 11:00 am, PT (October 27 – December 15)
Learn how to chant traditional prayers in the Tibetan language. Practice materials will be provided showing the Tibetan text, phonetic pronunciation, and English translation. In addition to providing background teachings, students will be guided in the pronunciation, melody, and rhythm of selected traditional Buddhist prayers.
Instructors: Lama Palzang and Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisites: Sincere interest in the Buddha’s teachings.
Register:
Meditation (MED)
Advanced Meditation: Cutting Through the Twelve Links (MED320)
Mondays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (October 25 – December 13)
How does the wheel of our conditioned existence keep spinning, and what does it take to break through it? This classical analysis of the twelve links is a chain that the Buddha identified as he pondered the age-old questions of ignorance, birth, and death under the Bodhi tree, on the night that he became enlightened.
Instructors: Lama Palzang and Pema Gellek. Cost: $144.
Register:
Intermediate Meditation Group: The Heart of the Matter and Silent Sitting (MED220)
Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, PT (October 28 – December 16)
This is a weekly 1-hour community practice group. It includes space for sharing or discussion around a theme (about 15 min), a guided contemplation or awareness practice (about 15 min), and silent sitting (about 30 min).
For the guided practice, we will explore teachings and contemplations from Tarthang Tulku’s book Caring. We may also include some Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga movement and the practices of the classic Four Immeasurables: equanimity, love, compassion, and joy.
Instructor: Pauline Yu. Cost: $70. Feel free to drop into the first class for $10. No class on 11/25, Thanksgiving. (Please note that 100% of the fees support Nyingma Institute’s mission to offer programs for healing and inquiry, and/or humanitarian projects protecting the continuity of Buddhist traditions in Asia.) Prerequisite: for those who already know the fundamentals of meditation.
Register:
Beginning Meditation: Inner Serenity, Inner Knowing (MED108)
Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (October 26 – December 14)
As we take time to quiet ourselves, we may sense that there is a way to live with greater compassion, expanded wakefulness, and deeper inner wisdom. To meditate is to discover and support this inner knowing and serenity, freeing us to live with more balance and ease.
In this class, beginning meditators will learn traditional meditation techniques to quiet and clarify the mind, including Kum Nye Tibetan yoga slow movement exercises, silent as well as lightly guided meditations, chanting, visualizations and reflections. These practices widen our perspective, help us develop inner serenity, and balance the energy of body and mind, all with a focus on cultivating awareness, well-being, and self-knowledge.
Aspiring meditators, beginning meditators, and those with previous meditation experience who would like to stabilize a lapsed practice are most welcome. The text Hidden Mind of Freedom, by Tarthang Tulku, will serve as our support.
Instructor: Suellen Ehnebuske. Cost: $144. Open to all.
Kum Nye (KNR)
We offer multiple options for engaging in Kum Nye for all levels of practitioners.
- If you are new to Kum Nye, you might consider our 6 pm Tuesday evening and 7 am Thursday morning courses, along with Sunday morning drop-ins.
- For those with experience, we have ongoing Joy of Being and Advanced Kum Nye classes.
- Kum Nye workshops are good for everyone, no matter their level. They are also intended to introduce people newer to Kum Nye to major elements of practice.
Anatomy of a Kum Nye Exercise: #25 Calming Inner Energy and #27 Touching Nurturing Feeling (KNR130)
Wednesdays, 8:30 – 9:30 am, PT (October 27 – December 15) — This morning class meets weekly for 1 hour.
In this 8-week class we will work intimately with body, breath, senses, and awareness as we explore two Kum Nye practices in depth and detail. This term we work with two exercises from the section in the text Guiding Practice: Group Two. #25 and its variations “calm the internal organs and nervous system.” #27 “stretches all the muscles and ligaments between the bones of the upper body . . . and circulates energy to the spine and the joints.” Commitment to daily practice between classes is required to get the full benefit of this course.
Instructor: Donna Morton. Cost: $96. Prerequisites: completion of at least one Kum Nye course or workshop, or with permission of the instructor.
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All-Levels Kum Nye: The Healing Art of Kum Nye Practice (KNR121)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 am, PT (November 11 – December 16)
“Kum Nye heals both our bodies and minds, bringing their energies together to function calmly and smoothly.” — Tarthang Tulku, Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga
This Kum Nye class will focus on the first Kum Nye Book, Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga: feelings and sensations, inner and outer massage of feeling, breath, sitting, working with the senses, and the energy centers are some of the themes we will explore; each class will have a theme. The emphasis is on how to do Kum Nye and will be oriented toward practice. Readings and resources will be suggested for those who wish to explore KN themes and theory more deeply.
This course may be attended as an introduction series to Kum Nye practice or may be taken as a drop in class; basic instructions will be included each class for anyone new to Kum Nye. It is appropriate for all levels and abilities; adaptations to exercises will be included for those with physical limitations. Experienced and beginning students welcome, and may join at any time.
Instructor: Anita McNulty. Cost: $90. Drop-in: $20/class. Note: This class begins 11/11; no class on 11/25 (Thanksgiving). For drop-ins, please sign up by 4 pm PT the evening prior in order to receive the link on time.
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Kum Nye Relaxation: A 9-Month Guided Self-Study Program (KNR212)
Late Fall Term: Sitting, Breathing, Self-Massage, Guiding Practice: Group Two
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:00 pm, PT (October 26 – December 14) — This class meets weekly for one hour.
“Kum Nye is a holistic system which vitalizes body, mind, and senses by means of breathing exercises, self-massage, and movement. The massages and exercises [in this book] show us how to develop the special nurturing qualities of relaxation, and to bring this relaxation into our daily lives. Kum Nye is not an advanced or esoteric practice, but a simple method of opening our senses to inner feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment. As these feelings expand, an understanding of the unity of all experience develops, and daily life takes on a balanced, vital quality.” — Preface to Part Two, Kum Nye Relaxation
In this program we will work closely with the text material in Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga (formerly Kum Nye Relaxation), and follow the suggested timelines for practice of breathing, self-massage and movement exercises that Tarthang Tulku embedded within the text. The goal is to provide structured support for developing a deeply embodied understanding of Kum Nye through weekly facilitated group study, and commitment to daily individual study and practice.
Instructor: Donna Morton. Cost: $96 per term. Suitable for interested beginners, as well as experienced practitioners. This program is not open to drop-in participants, but new participants can join after the program starts at the beginning of a new term with instructor permission. It runs from Early Fall Term 2021 through Late Spring Term 2022.
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Joy of Being: A 9-Month Program of Kum Nye for the Mind (KNR221)
Thursdays, 6:00 – 7:30 am, PT (October 28 – December 16)
“Since understanding plays a crucial role in whether we have access to this treasure [arising of joy], ultimately the main emphasis of this book is on Kum Nye for the mind.” – Joy of Being, xxii, Preface to Third Edition, Tarthang Tulku.
Joy of Being takes a different approach from the earlier Kum Nye books; instead of focusing on graduated exercises, it emphasizes how to embody Kum Nye—how to be present within the present. During 2021-2022 we will systematically unfold Joy of Being’s four headings: The Working Basis, Breath, Senses and Perception, and Massaging Mind. This amazing teaching invites us to discover “a subtle, transformational knowledge, a joy far beyond conditions and boundaries.” Experienced Kum Nye practitioners can take all or part of this journey. In addition it is possible to ‘drop-in’ with permission of instructor. This course is also intended as groundwork for those interested in eventually teaching Joy of Being.
Instructor: Abbe Blum. Cost: $126. Drop-in: $20/class. This course is the second in a 9-month program of Kum Nye for the mind, from Fall 2021 – Summer 2022. No class on 11/25, Thanksgiving.
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Advanced Kum Nye: Embracing Space (KNR310)
Tuesdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (October 26 – December 14)
“Touching space in this way cultivates a sense of the body floating in space, profoundly calm, yet vibrant with a deep silent joy.” (Joy of Being, p.46) Advanced Kum Nye movement, breath, and visualization practices from Tarthang Tulku’s Joy of Being form the core of these classes. Exercises will be offered on different levels of engagement to challenge the advanced student. This term’s course focuses on opening to space.
Instructor: Santosh Philiip. Cost: $144. Drop-in: $20/class. Prerequisite: Two years of Kum Nye practice.
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Nyingma Psychology (NPS)
Keys of Knowledge: Part 2 (NPS302)
Thursdays, 7:00 – 8:30 pm, PT (October 28 – December 16)
Continuing the exploration of Keys of Knowledge by Tarthang Tulku that began in the Early Fall, we will complete our slow reading of the book this term. We will ask in what ways we can embody knowledge and bring knowing to all aspects of our life. Through reading, discussion, and practice we can find new ways of cooperating with mind in order to create a new home for awareness. Ideally, students will have taken Keys of Knowledge Part 1, but the class is open to anyone familiar with Rinpoche’s writings and wishes to apply these teachings to daily life.
Instructors: Pema Gellek and Hugh Joswick. Cost: $126. No class on 11/25, Thanksgiving.
Time, Space and Knowledge (TSK)
Time, Space and Knowledge: Perspectives and Practices (TSK108)
Tuesdays, 6:00 – 7:30 pm, PT (October 26 – December 15)
A continuing exploration of Tarthang Tulku’s Time, Space and Knowledge vision. We inquire into our presence as expressions of time, space, and knowledge. In a sense, we are activating and realizing our human potential as visionary beings. Our practice can inform our living and our living informs our practice. The primary text is Time, Space and Knowledge, although we may also engage other works by Tarthang Tulku in the TSK series. Anyone with an interest in exploring experience on a fundamental level is welcome.
Instructor: Ken McKeon. Cost: $144. Open to all.
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Tibetan Language (TIB)
Beginning Tibetan Level II (TIB102)
Mondays, 6:15 – 7:45 PM, PT (October 25 – December 13)
In this beginning language class, students continue studying grammar and working with selections from classical Tibetan texts.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: TIB105 or consent of the instructor.
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Intermediate Tibetan II (TIB202)
Thursdays, 6:15 -7:45 pm, PT (October 28 – December 16)
Continued reading and translation of traditional texts and prayers in the classical Tibetan language.
Instructor: Mark Henderson. Cost: $126. Prerequisite: TIB205 or consent of the instructor. No class on 11/25, Thanksgiving.
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Advanced Tibetan Tutorial (TIB302)
Fridays, 4:30 – 5:45 pm, PT (October 29 – December 17)
This advanced Tibetan course consists of continuing reading and translation in the classical Tibetan language. It is for those who already have a good grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and working with Tibetan texts.
Instructor: Barr Rosenberg. Cost: $144. Prerequisite: Consent of the instructor.
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