Sunday Dharma Talks

Sundays, 6:00 – 7:00 PM / Dharma Talk or Gathering

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.)

April 12th: Santosh Philip “Tactile Sensations as a Yogic Practice”

When we hear of Yoga, our first mental image is of yogic postures or movements. In contrast Tibetan Yoga or Kum Nye as it is called uses touch and our tactile sensitivity as a primary vehicle for practice. No matter where we are or what we do, our body has sensation – sensation that changes as body positions change. How does doing yogic practices with the faculty of touch work? And why does it work? How can these practices disentangle deep rooted blockages, obstacles and tensions in the body and mind? This Dharma talk explores many of these aspects of Kum Nye and introduces specific practices that you can use 

April 19th: Ava Lausch “Nyingma Institute Work Study Program Information Session & Q&A” 

Finding time for personal development or spiritual growth can feel like a constant challenge, but what if you could weave spiritual practice into the rhythm of your everyday life?

Our full-time Work Study Program integrates work and practice, allowing you to deepen your spiritual path while contributing to a small, mission-driven nonprofit. In this Dharma talk, full-time volunteer Ava Lausch shares how the program works and the personal benefits of participating, with time at the end for Q&A.

April 26th: Women’s Meditation

May 3rd: Hugh Joswick “Reading the Sutras for Fun and Inspiration”

What is the value of reading the sutras today? Nyingma Institute instructor Hugh Joswick will discuss the pleasure of reading Buddhist stories found in the sutras and how that can improve understanding of the spiritual path and deepen practice. In particular, he will look at the story of Sadāprarudita from the 8,000 line Prajnaparamita and discuss how that tale may inspire one to seek the Dharma.

May 10th: Khenpo Kalsang  “Learning and Discussing the Four Dharma Seals”

The Four Dharma Seals—impermanence, suffering, emptiness and selflessness, and the peace of nirvāṇa—are the foundation of Buddhist philosophy. They are used to distinguish what is truly a Buddhist teaching from what is not.

These four principles describe the true nature of reality:

• All conditioned things are impermanent

• All afflictive experiences are unsatisfactory
• All phenomena are empty and without a self
• Nirvāṇa is true peace

However, many people misunderstand these teachings. Some think that because of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness,
life is meaningless or negative. In fact, it is the opposite.

Life is meaningful and beautiful because things are impermanent, because suffering helps us grow, and because all things are empty and selfless.

In this teaching, we will explore:

• How impermanence gives beauty and value to life

• How suffering can bring strength and transformation
• What it really means that things are empty and selfless
• Why nirvāṇa is described as true peace
• How the Four Dharma Seals help us understand life more deeply

This teaching is open to everyone—
whether you are new to Buddhism or already familiar with the path.

If you are interested in understanding the deeper meaning of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, you are warmly invited to join this session.

May 17th: Abbe Blum “Satisfying Ourselves Directly: Tasting Inner Relaxation”

Exercises that are genuine and pure, uniting body and mind, truly revitalize our energies and sustain us in our daily lives.

                        Guiding Practice, Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga p.148

In this Dharma talk that includes experiential exercises, Kum Nye instructor Abbe Blum relates how Kum Nye opens up our ability to satisfy ourselves directly instead of chasing after rainbows. Tarthang Tulku tells us that once we have tasted inner relaxation, our bodies —that is, our embodiment—will be our truest guide. 

This talk will also introduce an upcoming Kum Nye program for those who want to commit to developing inner relaxation and satisfaction: Level  1 Teacher Training based on Tarthang Tulku’s Kum Nye Tibetan Yoga. It begins in August of 2026 and can also be taken by those who mainly want to deepen their own practice and do not plan to teach.

May 24th: Emily Provosty “Meditation: Let it Be” 

“Meditation just comes of itself, like the morning sun; inner awareness, once touched upon, radiates naturally.” (Openness Mind)

Our meditation can become strained when we feel we have to “do” something, but we can practice letting meditation do itself. We can learn to recognize and contact the inner quiet that is naturally present, but we must be able to relax our grasping at ideas and thoughts in order to allow this process to happen. In this dharma talk, we will do a deep dive into the chapter “Meditation: Let it Be” from Tarthang Tulku’s book Openness Mind, including a meditation practice.

May 31st: Women’s Meditation 

June 7th: Erika Lessey  “Kum Nye: Embodying a Field of Compassion”

This session explores how Kum Nye supports balance and resilience in modern life. Drawing on the experience of a Kum Nye teacher-training alumna, along with arts, meditation, healing circles, and an acupuncture practice, this session shows how a steady, accessible approach can be integrated into daily life. We will practice gentle exercises and a brief meditation to cultivate a felt sense of compassion and ease. This dharma talk will be online only.

June 14th: Jack Petranker  “Inviting the Presence of the Sacred”

Look at your experience from moment to moment, and ask yourself, “Am I present in this moment of experience?” Most likely you will discover that, at a deep level, you are sure—as sure as anything—that you are. 

In the same way, you can be sure of the presence of the sacred, whether in the form of a Buddha, a chant, or a mantra. The sacred is available in every moment of experience, if we let it in. In this talk, we will look at what this means, how we can activate that presence, and how it relates to our own sense of presence. We will discuss, reflect, and practice with mantra to explore further.

June 21st: Mark Henderson  “The Life Story of the Great Translator Vairotsana”

Equal in realization to Guru Rinpoche, Vairotsana was one of the foremost disciples of the great guru. In later times, Vairotsana took rebirth as Orgyen Terdag Lingpa, founder of Mindroling Monastery, and yet again as the great non-sectarian master, Jamgon     Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.. In this talk, Mark Henderson, a long-time student of Tarthang Tulku Rinpoche, will relate lively anecdotes from Vairotsana’s autobiography and discuss the importance of reading spiritual biographies as an inspiring support for our own path and practice.

June 28th: Women’s Meditation