Sundays, 6:00 – 7:00 PM / Dharma Talk or Gathering
February 8th Suellen Ehnebuske “The Power of Wise Speech”
The words we speak hold the power to shape our reality and influence the well-being and happiness of ourselves and others. Unmindful speech and the inability to listen deeply can cause great suffering and division among us. In this Dharma talk by Nyingma instructor, Suellen Ehnebuske, we explore this powerful and timely teaching based on the Buddha’s earliest sermon on the Eightfold Noble Path.
Knowing that words create happiness or suffering, it is possible to create a world where our words are used to uplift and inspire rather than diminish and harm. The mindful cultivation of Wise Speech supports an innate ability to deeply listen to others and offer kind and encouraging words to those with whom we share our lives. Including ourselves!
February 15th Khenpo Kalsang “Learning and Discussing the Three Jewels”
As everyone knows, the Gönchok Sum—the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—are the true refuges of Buddhists. Understanding the Three Jewels is essential not only for Buddhist practitioners, but also for anyone who wishes to genuinely understand the Buddhist path.
The Buddha taught the Dharma in accordance with the different capacities of beings. Just as individuals are described as having inferior, middling, or superior capacities, the Three Jewels themselves can be understood on these three levels. Each level offers a distinct and meaningful way of taking refuge, suited to one’s understanding and experience.
In this teaching, we will explore:
- What the Three Jewels mean for individuals of inferior capacity
- How the Three Jewels are understood by those of middling capacity
- The profound and ultimate understanding of the Three Jewels for those of superior capacity
If you wish to understand the Three Jewels more clearly and meaningfully, you are warmly invited to join this Dharma teaching.
February 22nd Women’s Meditation
March 1st Santosh Philip “Re-engineering the System”
“Can we ask mind to give us more pleasure and less pressure? Can we ask ourselves for contentment and inner peace ..” Joy of Being, p. 61
Our ordinary state of being is often immersed in worry, guilt, fear and anxiety. We often blame external events for this. Can we change our inner system so that we don’t respond in quite the same way? This Dharma Talk guides you through a way of seeing how the inner system operates and gives you practices that help you to restructure that system. Restructuring it so that it may give you pleasure instead of pressure.
March 8th Emily Provosty “Self-Love vs. Self-Cherishing: Giving Love to Ourselves Without Feeding the Self-Image”
As westerners, we can be extremely hard on ourselves–often trapped within the dichotomy of inferiority and superiority. The demands of our self-image can lead us towards competitiveness, jealousy, and selfishness, further reinforcing negative karmic patterns. Modern forms of “self-love” focus on boosting our egos, but we can try, instead, to see ourselves with honesty, exactly as we are, and know that we are inherently worthy of love and compassion. Once we develop the courage to love ourselves unconditionally, we can more easily disregard the insecure voice of our self-image, and find the joy in being of true service to others.
March 15th Erika Rosenberg “Emotions as Teachers: What We Can Learn From How We Respond”
“We can be grateful for our emotions, for our frustrations and sorrows; they help us to wake up. We have no clearer messages about what is happening in our lives.”
Openness Mind, p. 51
Emotions can be binding and painful, but they can also be great teachers. Erika Rosenberg, Ph.D., emotions researcher and Nyingma instructor, will discuss how we can work with relaxation, mindfulness, and an open heart to appreciate the transient nature of emotions, be freed from the tendency to cling to both pleasant and unpleasant experiences, and learn to understand ourselves in relation to the world we inhabit.
March 22nd Dave Abercrombie “Buddhist Monasteries of Lower Mustang”
This talk will present photographs and history of many Buddhist sites in the Lower Mustang area of Nepal, just south of Tibet. This area is known for its ancient monasteries and meditation caves, and Tibetan culture remains strong here. Padmasambhava traveled through this area on his way to Tibet. The presentation will include photographs of places he visited, including a statue that legend says he made of himself. These photographs were taken during a trek through the villages of Marpha, Muktinath and Kagbeni in October 2025. David Abercrombie, a Kum Nye teacher at the Nyingma Institute, will lead this talk.
March 29th Women’s Meditation
April 5th Mark Henderson “The Lotus-Born Guru Padmasambhava”
Embodiment of all the Victorious Ones throughout all time and space. Enlightened activity of the thousand Buddhas of this fortunate eon. Manifest emanation of Amitabha. And more! In this talk, Mark Henderson, longtime student of Tarthang Rinpoche will speak about the founder of Vajrayana Buddhism in Tibet, the Great Guru Padmasambhava. This talk will draw on the speaker’s recent translation of a short biography of Guru Padmasambhava, A Melodious Garland of the Vajra Essence, composed by the great Dzogchen master Adzom Drukpa Rinpoche Drodul Pawo Dorje (1842-1924.)