Sundays, 6:00 – 7:00 PM / Dharma Talk or Gathering
January 5th: Hugh Joswick “New Beginnings: Confidence in Letting Go” The New Year brings the hope of starting fresh, letting go of the past, and opening anew to the possibilities of each moment. Meditation can transform that hope into action. As Tarthang Tulku writes, “Since mind, in its true nature, is without duality and not separate from the unity of all things, our whole life may become meditation. When this is understood, there is no need to fight or push or struggle. Ego and emotions, discriminations of good or bad, positive or negative, spiritual path or samsara—all of these concepts dissolve.” Nyingma Institute instructor, Hugh Joswick will guide discussion and practice on the importance of letting go so that we can live with confidence in the coming year. Online & In-Person
January 12th: Donna Morton “The Art of Sitting Comfortably” What are the anatomical hallmarks of a balanced sitting posture? How does it support relaxation, concentration, and meditation? What are some common adaptations we can make to approach sitting in a grounded and aligned way? Donna Morton, Kum Nye Instructor, will give an introductory talk to precede a 3-hour workshop being offered in-person at the Nyingma Institute on January 25th, exploring these topics in more depth. Online & In-Person
January 19th: Mark Henderson “Introduction to the Mahayana: The Path of Heroes”. In 1995 Dharma Publishing presented The Path of Heroes one of the most extensive teachings in the Tibetan tradition concerning training the mind. This profound text was composed by the compassionate master Shechen Gyaltsap, who taught it to Shechen Kongtrul, who in turn transmitted it to Tarthang Rinpoche, founder of the Nyingma Institute. Mark Henderson, Instructor of Buddhist Studies, will introduce this beautiful text and describe a four-month retreat program of study and daily practice based on the text, forthcoming in February 2025. This unique program focusing on Tarthang Rinpoche’s meditation practice instructions, will afford serious students a precious and joyous opportunity to fully engage, integrate, and embody these timeless teachings of compassionate wisdom. Online Only
January 26th (Women’s Meditation)
February 2nd: Santosh Philip “The Paramita of Effort” What is the paramita of effort? We can harness this positive energy for the support of our well-being, or misuse it so that it becomes counter-productive. Effort, the fourth of the six paramitas to master, is a quality and a spiritual faculty that we consciously develop throughout our lives on the path to liberation. It is also called vigor, perseverance or diligence. Meditation instructor Santosh Philip will discuss how we can use the paramita of effort to support our meditation practice, as well as feel its support in our daily lives. He will present practices to enhance our capacity to concentrate energetically, to expand awareness. Online & In-Person
February 9th: Mark Henderson “Longchenpa and the Trilogy of Rest ” This talk by longtime Nyingma instructor Mark Henderson introduces the principal themes of Longchenpa’s famous poem, The Trilogy of Rest. Initially translated by Dr. Guenther and more recently translated by the Padmakara Translation Group, the Trilogy of Rest is an essential cycle of Nyingma teachings. Throughout the trilogy, with a lucid clarity that is unmatched, Longchenpa encourages us to profoundly settle in and find ongoing rest – in the nature of mind, in meditation, and in the illusory character of all that we think exists. Online & In-Person
February 16th: Suellen Ehnebuske “Touching Into Spacious Awareness” In this talk by meditation instructor Suellen Ehnebuske, we will explore the benefits of opening into spacious awareness in meditation as well as in everyday life through a series of practices and visualizations. Spacious awareness is fundamentally neutral and peaceful and can offer us refuge from the narrow ruminations of ordinary mind. The Buddha guides us into practice: Develop a mind that is vast like space, where experiences both pleasant and unpleasant can appear and disappear without conflict, struggle or harm. Rest in a mind like vast sky. Online & In-Person
February 23rd: (Women’s Meditation) This will be held online only, but you’re welcome to join us for a live viewing in our peaceful meditation room. Experience the meditation together in a calm, shared space!
March 2nd: Dave Abercrombie “Softness and Subtlety of Kum Nye”
In his teachings on Kum Nye Relaxation (Tibetan Yoga), Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche often uses metaphors of softness and subtlety. Some examples include “sensitize ourselves to subtle qualities of feeling and bring them alive to vigorous and fresh experience,” “floating through space and time like softly falling snow,” “positive feeling is warm and soft and touches your heart,” “the senses expand in a subtle way, increasing enjoyment.,” and so on. In this talk, Dave Abercrombie, Kum Nye instructor, will explore how we can recognize and deepen this softness and subtlety in our practice and in our daily lives. We will also do a little Kum Nye. Online & In-Person
March 9th: Erika Rosenberg “Embracing Common Humanity: How Recognizing What We Share Can Promote Happiness and Heal Divisions” The world is plagued by divisiveness. From stereotypes and prejudice to religious persecution, humans often group people into “us” and “them”- based differences in belief, ethnicity, age, or socio-economic status. This separateness and otherness fuels dehumanization, cruelty, and violence. Recognizing our shared humanity—despite our differences—can heal these divides. Embracing our interconnectedness and interdependence, fosters community and allows us to how we are on one global team of sentient beings, rather than countless factions. In this talk, Nyingma instructor and psychological scientist Dr. Erika Rosenberg, will discuss how embracing our shared humanity can help build connection, reduce bias, and promote peace. She will offer insights on how to work with practices and practical tools for recognizing common humanity in daily life, from the perspectives of Nyingma Psychology, Buddhist Meditation, and current scientific thinking. Online & In-Person
March 16th: Emily Provosty “The Wisdom of Self-Healing” What really is healing? One definition is “to make well again”, but many of us have been out of touch with true wellness. We look for external remedies to mend our issues, always seeing the solution as “out there”. While these remedies can be helpful and many times necessary, we can also remember that the potential for healing resides within us. Tarthang Tulku says, The self healing process needs a strong foundation built of relaxation, joy, love, and compassion. We need to relax the body, balance the emotions, and divert our energy from negative to positive thinking. (Gesture of Balance). In this dharma talk, we will work with practices that bring healing energies to both bodily ailments as well as emotional ones by tapping into our inner reservoir of true wellness. (Online & In-Person)
March 23rd: Richard Kingsland “The History and Significance of the Longchen Nyingthig Lineage” The Longchen Nyingthig, also called the Heart-Essence of the Vast Expanse, is a profound series of instructions which has been central to Nyingma teachings since even before the arrival of Guru Padmasambhava in Tibet in the mid-8th century, CE. They include some of the highest teachings of the Dzogchen traditions. The teachings were first introduced into Tibet by Vimalamitra, who transmitted what has become known as the Vima Nyingthig, and Padmasambhava, who transmitted the Khandro Nyingthig. The two streams of transmission were consolidated and codified by the omniscient master Longchenpa in the mid-14th CE, and later by the great visionary Jigme Lingpa in the 18th CE. From then, they passed on to Jigme Gyalwe Nyugu, his student Patrul Rinpoche, to Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, to Adzom Drukpa and his son and spiritual heir, Gyalse Gyurme Dorje, and to Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, and other direct teachers of our own Tarthang Tuku Rinpoche. We are all beneficiaries of the efforts of these amazing practitioners. This talk will touch on the significance of their teachings to the Nyingma Schools in general, and to our own current forms of practice. Online Only
March 30th: (Women’s Meditation) Online & In-Person