Sundays, 6:00 – 7:00 PM / Dharma Talk or Gathering
May 5: Megan Wainman “Equanimity” How can we maintain inner balance in a world that challenges us? How can we stop being thrown off kilter? Tarthang Tulku writes, Just by sitting quietly and watching our emotional state without attachment, we become tranquil. This talk by long-time Nyingma student Megan Wainman will feature readings and practices that can cultivate open-heartedness and compassion without bias; practices to cultivate equanimity, when mind is naturally free from the pulls of desire, aversion and confusion; calm, balanced, and awake. Online Only
May 12: Mark Henderson “Joining Heaven and Earth” Finally, Siddhartha took his seat upon the earth, vowing not to arise until he realized true and complete awakening. In this talk, longtime Nyingma Institute Instructor Mark Henderson will draw on passages from the sutras and Lama Mipham’s beloved Practice of Shakyamuni, as well as sacred art images of the Buddha, to invite us into the openness of realization. Practicing together, we will use recitation of the sacred mantra of Shakyamuni Buddha and the profound names of the Buddha as a sublime vehicle for healing, inspiration, and illumination. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
May 19: Olivia Hurd “Three Transformative Syllables: OM AH HUM” Tarthang Tulku describes ways to meditate and chant with these three sacred seed syllables in several of his books. He offers practices with them as sound, visualization, and symbols, both in meditation and post-meditation. Putting them to practice, they have the power to transform our experience of body, mind and breath beyond the status quo, to expand our awareness and our capacity to live life more fully. Using OM AH HUM, we can focus and protect mind from the endlessly busy, superficial, thinking level of mind – to experience mind beyond meaning: silent mind. Olivia Hurd, Nyingma Institute meditation instructor, will present practices using OM AH HUM with sound, breath, gestures, and silence. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
May 26: Women’s Meditation
June 2: Santosh Philip “The Gift of Work” It is startling to think of “work” as a gift, rather than as a way to earn a living and put food on the table. Can “work” truly do more than the mundane? The newly released book by Tarthang Tulku, now titled The Gift of Work makes the case that “It’s not just your job – it’s your life.” Nyingma Institute instructor Santosh Philip will present this topic of work as a gift, with simple practices that allow us to have a different relationship to this gift – one to savor, to care about; to feel a sense of personal transformation, through expanding awareness of just what it is you are doing. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
June 9: Elon Goldstein “How Just a Little Bit of Study Can Power an Effective Path of Practice” Elon Goldstein, who for thirty-five years has been a student and practitioner of Mahayana Buddhism and the Nyingma teachings of Tarthang Tulku, will share reflections about what sort of understandings help to make Dharma practice effective and transformative. What are some different types of study in the Nyingma tradition of Buddhism? What kind of conceptual learning is appropriate for persons who are not drawn toward intellectual topics? Elon is presently Lecturer on Buddhist Studies at Harvard Divinity School, Lecturer in Religious Studies at Brandeis University, and Faculty at Dharma College. He is married and raising two daughters. Online Only
June 16: Hugh Joswick “Teachings from the Heart: Harmonizing Body with Mind” In 1998, Tarthang Tulku published Teachings from the Heart, a collection of early essays, interviews, and prefaces to a number of his books. This concise volume presents fundamental teachings for understanding mind and provides an excellent introduction to the study of Rinpoche’s writings. Nyingma Institute instructor Hugh Joswick will discuss the opening chapter of this volume and present ways to harmonize body and mind by deepening feelings of appreciation and gratitude. Online Only
June 23: Donna Morton “Recalibrating Sunrise and Sunset” The start of a new season is a good time to commit to incremental changes in our daily routines. Drawing from Tarthang Tulku’s books Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga, Mastering Successful Work and Dimensions of Mind. Kum Nye instructor Donna Morton will look at and present skillful ways to start and end each day to better direct our energies based on our highest values and intentions. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
June 30: Women’s Meditation
July 7: Emily Provosty “An Exploration of Non-Attachment, Impermanence, and Equanimity in Relationships” Relationships can be a source of both deep nourishment and terrible suffering, but we do not need to reject the notion of relationships as “unspiritual”. We can exercise our ability to be in the world, but not of the world. If we can learn to ease our attachment and bring the teachings directly to the heart of our relationships, then we can use them as fertile ground for potent spiritual growth and understanding. In this dharma talk, we will contemplate impermanence and how to practice non-attachment in relationships. Online Only
July 14: Suellen Ehnebuske “Awakening to Beauty and Joy” In his book, Love of Beauty, Tartang Tulku Rinpoche writes: the beauty of nature smiles at us, it communicates to our heart and inspires our senses. It turns us toward appreciation and love, and toward the simple joys we experienced as children. In this talk, meditation and Buddhist psychology instructor Suellen Ehnebuske will explore the power of beauty in our lives to bring us solace, refuge and joy. Practices will be offered to invite the heart and mind, the soul and senses into inner realms of beauty that help ease our fears and confusions, inspiring us to the joys and beauty of life. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
July 21: TBD
July 28: Women’s Meditation
August 4: Mark Henderson “Overcoming Anger: A Concise Summary of Key Points” Shantideva’s chapter on patience in his classic text The Way of the Bodhisattva provides several helpful and practical methods to overcome our anger: anger towards others and even anger towards ourselves. In this talk, longtime Nyingma Institute instructor Mark Henderson will clearly summarize these essential methods and how we might apply them in real time. Online & In-Person at the Nyingma Institute
August 11: TBD
August 18: Richard Kingsland “The Practice and Benefits of Ngondro” The Ngondro or “Preliminary Practice”, is a foundational series of five practices that present the essence of the Buddha’s teachings, a commitment done over a period of years. It is understood to be a pivotal, essential practice, serving to transform the Dharma student in moving towards enlightenment for oneself and for all beings. Dr. Richard Kingsland, student of Tarthang Tulku for over 50 years, will describe how these sequential practices fit together in profound ways to touch the very root of heart wisdom. There will be time a taste of practice, and questions. The Ngondro Practice is offered at Nyingma Institute as a class and retreat from time to time; a series of teachings. Online Only
August 25 – Women’s Meditation
September 1: TBD
September 8: TBD
September 15: Olivia Hurd “What is the Self-Image and What is its Problem?” When we observe the workings of mind clearly, we can watch our mind’s habit patterns – and notice when and how they don’t necessarily serve us. The self-image, or ego, is a projection of mind that can be so demanding to live up to, that we can feel imprisoned by it. To free ourselves from the interference of the self-image so that our natural balance can have room to function, we must first see that the self-image is not a genuine part of us, that we do not need it, and that, in fact, it obscures our true being. Olivia Hurd, Nyingma Psychology instructor, will lead us through readings and practices to help loosen this tendency of mind to identify with a confining image, and shift to a more flexible, spontaneous experience of being – integrated, whole, ever-changing and growing: well-being within. Online Only
September 22: Iris Maitland “Healing Breath” Learning to bring awareness to the breath as a healing tool that is always available to you, can support bringing balance into all aspects of your experience. Tarthang Tulku writes in Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga: With awareness of the breath, your whole life becomes balanced. Even when you find yourself in situations that arouse great anger, frustration, or pain, you can dissolve the disturbance by just being aware of your breathing, slightly paying attention and making the breath calm, slow and rhythmical. Iris Maitland, who has been teaching Kum Nye at the Nyingma Institute for several decades, will lead healing practices using awareness and breath to help release emotional and physical pain, tension and energy blockage. Online Only
September 29: Women’s Meditation