Maybe 12:15 to 1:45 on Wednesdays?  Check for the availability of other members.

2)  Retreats:  In addition to regular retreats, we could have one silent meditation weekend or one-day a month.  Rotating schedule of volunteers to be the weekend coordinator.  No charge for the weekend, food for yourself and to share, silence from Fri to Sun.  Group lunch on Sunday if possible.  Coordinators should not have to manage food issues.  Members could come for as long as they want.  House would be open for people to use.  The house has to be stocked with tea, coffee, toilet paper etc.  Who will manage this?

3)  Nancy Henderson, Deb Rosenberg and Jeannine will help with the list of donations needed and coordinating.  Put together a wish list and send it out to sangha.  We can use donations and FreeCycle.com.

What about beds?  Futons with or without frames,air mattresses?  For Tenzin, have a couple of futons, and a for-real bed.  All the kitchen stuff: cooking, plates, etc.

4) Re getting a dinner for Sat nite for retreats, the retreat host will work with the local  sangha to either make reservations at a restaurant or arrange with a sangha member for a dinner, or a summer picnic outside.

5)  Long retreat will be in June at the Fairplay house.

6)  Free time at a retreat will be more structured:  organized discussion groups that meet away from the shrine area, so that people can go meditate in the shrine area.

We should first ask Tenzin what he wants for further structure, and then send a proposal to the sangha to get feedback.

Karen has suggested meditation, discussion groups/note reviews, yoga, dharma movies.  Other activities?

At the retreat house, perhaps we could structure more activities, and when the retreats are in other places, to try to coordinate with the understanding that we will not always have the space for some of the activities.

7)  Representation for the east/west coast: Still open.

8)  Tenzin would like to purchase a few more religious items for the shrine room.  Ben spoke with him about this.

9)  The shrine has been appraised at $19,000 and Bodhimarga needs insurance.

Jeannine is raising the issue of not getting too much stuff for the shrine room and not making it too opulent.  We are all in agreement that we don’t want to get overdone with the shrine room, and that members are always able to put things there on loan:  thangkas that they like that would do well there.

Deb will check with her insurance agent about renters insurance.

10)  Repairs on the house and Bodhimarga involvement as a business partner, based on the project.

New roof, painting, flooring, remodeling the laundry room, lights, etc.

We need to talk with Jenny to set a meeting to discuss this without Steve present.

11)  Ben will get the job description for the communication director so we can post it.

Retreat Location: 307 Arthur’s Court, Fairplay, Colorado

Driving Directions: From Fairplay, take 9 south towards Hartsel. Go about 7 miles on 9 and take what is basically the first left on Redhill Rd.  Turn left into the first driveway (which is the first left), to the house.  As much as possible, people should car pool.

Mapquest Map

Accommodations: Limited space is available at the retreat house; bring bedding and eating utensils.

Contact: Steve Ring 303.679.0915

Retreat Schedule: Registration on Saturday, starting at 8:30

Detailed schedule to be provided

Description:
Lam Rim (Tibetan: lam “path”, rim “stages”) is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Gautama Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history, there have been many different versions of the Lam Rim, presented by different teachers. However all the versions of the Lam Rim are based on extensions of Atisha’s 11th Century root text A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.

Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will provide a brief history of the Lam Rim starting with Atisha, and including Gampopa (Jewel Ornament of Liberation) and Tsongkhapa (The Great Treatise on the Stages on the Path of Enlightenment). He will also provide a detailed exploration of the Abhidharma, which in the West, is generally considered to be the core of what is referred to as Buddhist psychology.

Important concepts of the Lam Rim include the three kinds of motivation, karma, rebirth, Buddhist cosmology, the practice of meditation, up to and including tantra.

This retreat is part of the Foundation of Buddhism series and is open to all.

Retreat Location: Miller Ranch Community Center, 25 Mill Loft Street., Edwards, Colorado

Driving Directions: Take the Edwards Exit 163 from I-70. Go south & take a right at the Shell Station stop light onto Miller Ranch Road. Go through the roundabout at the new high school and take your first right onto Mill Loft Rd. The Community Center and parking lot is on your immediate right (mapquest map).

Accommodations: Free lodging with local sangha members can generally be arranged in advance by calling Ben at 970.390.9299.

Contact: Ben Gaylord 970.390.9299

Retreat Schedule:
Saturday: Registration at 9:30, Retreat from 10:00 – 5:00
Sunday: Registration at 9:30, Retreat from 10:00 – 3:00

Description:

Lam Rim (Tibetan: lam “path”, rim “stages”) is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Gautama Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history, there have been many different versions of the Lam Rim, presented by different teachers. However all the versions of the Lam Rim are based on extensions of Atisha’s 11th Century root text A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.

Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will provide a brief history of the Lam Rim starting with Atisha, and including Gampopa (Jewel Ornament of Liberation) and Tsongkhapa (The Great Treatise on the Stages on the Path of Enlightenment). He will also provide a detailed exploration of the Abhidharma, which in the West, is generally considered to be the core of what is referred to as Buddhist psychology.

Important concepts of the Lam Rim include the three kinds of motivation, karma, rebirth, Buddhist cosmology, the practice of meditation, up to and including tantra.

This retreat is part of the Foundation of Buddhism series and is open to all.

Retreat Location: Buena Vista, Colorado

Driving Directions:

Accommodations: Free lodging with local sangha members can generally be arranged in advance by calling Michael at 888.550.1777.

Contact: Michael  at 888.550.1777

Retreat Schedule:
Saturday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:30 – 5:00
Sunday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:30 – 1:00

Description: This guided meditation retreat will use simple techniques of sustained observation to help transform our way of looking at and engaging the world. As the ancient practitioners have demonstrated, stepping away from the whirlwind of outer activity is necessary to increase the special kind of concentration which leads to calm and clarity. Let us take this opportunity to exert ourselves out of compassion for the suffering of ourselves and others; this meditation is the meritorious activity which will bring peace to our mind and success in the world.

A donation of $150/single or $250/couple is suggested

Retreat Location: Miller Ranch Community Center
25 Mill Loft Street.
Edwards, Colorado

Driving Directions: Take the Edwards Exit 163 from I-70. Go south & take a right at the Shell Station stop light onto Miller Ranch Road. Go through the roundabout at the new high school and take your first right onto Mill Loft Rd. The Community Center and parking lot is on your immediate right (mapquest map).

Accommodations: Free lodging with local sangha members can generally be arranged in advance by calling Ben at 970.390.9299

Contact: Ben Gaylord 970.390.9299

Retreat Schedule:
Saturday: Registration at 9:30, Retreat from 10:00 – 5:00
Sunday: Registration at 9:30, Retreat from 10:00 – 3:00

Description:
Lam Rim (Tibetan: lam “path”, rim “stages”) is a Tibetan Buddhist textual form for presenting the complete path to enlightenment as taught by Gautama Buddha. In Tibetan Buddhist history, there have been many different versions of the Lam Rim, presented by different teachers. However all the versions of the Lam Rim are based on extensions of Atisha’s 11th Century root text A Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment.

Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will provide a brief history of the Lam Rim starting with Atisha, and including Gampopa (Jewel Ornament of Liberation) and Tsongkhapa (The Great Treatise on the Stages on the Path of Enlightenment). He will also provide a detailed exploration of the Abhidharma, which in the West, is generally considered to be the core of what is referred to as Buddhist psychology.

Important concepts of the Lam Rim include the three kinds of motivation, karma, rebirth, Buddhist cosmology, the practice of meditation, up to and including tantra.

This retreat is part of the Foundation of Buddhism series and is open to all.

A donation of $150/single or $250/couple is suggested

Retreat Location: 211 Howard Drive (in Singletree), Edwards, Colorado.

Driving Directions: Take Edwards Exit #163 and head north on Edwards Access Road.  Turn right on Berry Creek Road.  The road circles around to the east.  Go through the 1st stop sign and take the 1st LEFT on Stagecoach Road.  Then turn LEFT on Howard Drive; #211 is on the right.

Accommodations: Free lodging with local sangha members can generally be arranged in advance by calling Ben at 970.390.9299.

Contact: Ben Gaylord 970.390.9299

Retreat Schedule:
Saturday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:00 – 5:00
Sunday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:00 – 3:00

Description:
This is Part Two of a two-part retreat series introducing the Verses on the Middle Way by Nagarjuna. Nagarjuna is thought to have lived during the fourth century C.E. as a scholar and monk at Nalanda University.

Nagarjuna’s writings address the major philosophical issues of his time, including the nature of causality and conditionality, motion and action, the self, its suffering and bondage, nirvana, and the Buddha. Nagarjuna’s profound insights have been the subject of much debate, inviting interpretations that range from the purely metaphysical to the purely pragmatic.

Nagarjuna’s logic reveals that the way human beings think is by nature inconsistent and self-contradictory. The Verses demonstrate that deluded ways of thinking cannot be replaced with a correct understanding. Instead, the true nature of things only becomes apparent when we let go of our delusions. The ensuing peace and serenity cannot be grasped by human constructs, but it can be experienced.

Recommended Text: Verses on the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (various translations available)

A donation of $150/single or $250/couple is suggested

Retreat Location: 307 Arthur’s Court
Fairplay, Colorado

Driving Directions: From Fairplay, take 9 south towards Hartsel. Go about 7
miles on 9 and take what is basically the first left on Redhill Rd. Turn left into the first driveway (which is the first left), to the house. As much as possible, people should car pool.

MapQuest Map

Accommodations: Limited space is available at the retreat house; bring bedding and eating utensils.

Contact: Pati Martinez 970.688.1337

Retreat Schedule: Registration on Monday, at 8:30
Detailed schedule to be provided

Description:
The Wheel of Sharp Weapons is perhaps the earliest and most celebrated text in the genre of mind-training (Lojong). Written by the great Indian yogi Dharmarakshita, one of Atisha’s main teachers, it focuses on the giving and taking (tonglen) method for overcoming the self-cherishing attitude and grasping for an impossible “true me.”

Tonglen is an advanced Mahayana method whereby we imagine taking on the sufferings of others and giving them happiness. Mahayana training in perfect altruism is seen as the means to achieve lasting happiness and peace for oneself and others, and Dharmarakshita’s Wheel as the supreme means to cut through our true enemies – self-grasping and self-cherishing.

“Effectively striking the heart of the foe,” the Wheel of Sharp Weapons provides essential tools for transforming suffering into happiness. This weeklong retreat will consist of teachings and meditation.

Recommended Text: Wheel of Sharp Weapons.

Retreat Location: 307 Arthur’s Court, Fairplay, Colorado

Driving Directions: From Fairplay, take 9 south towards Hartsel. Go about 7
miles on 9 and take what is basically the first left on Redhill Rd. Turn left into the first driveway (which is the first left), to the house. As much as possible, people should car pool.

MapQuest Map

Accommodations: Limited space is available at the retreat house; bring bedding and eating utensils.

Contact: Pati Martinez 970.688.1337

Retreat Schedule:
Saturday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:00 – 5:00
Sunday: Registration at 8:30, Retreat from 9:00 – 3:00

Description:
The Lankavatara Sutra is one of the none major sutras of Mahayana Buddhism and was influential in the formation of several schools of Buddhism including the Nyingma and Cha’n or Zen to name a few.

Three important concepts issued from the Lanka: 1) the primacy of consciousness, or “Mind Only” (Yogacara School), 2) the concept of an inherent Buddha Nature (Tathagatagarbha Doctrine), and 3) the three bodies of Buddhahood (Trikaya).

Venerable Tenzin will summarize key points from Parts I and II of this retreat series, which focused on the and the Yogacara School and Tathagatagarbha Doctrine respectively. Venerable Tenzin will then introduce the three levels of enlightened reality exemplified by the three bodies of Buddahood.

Part III of this retreat series is open to anyone. Completion of Parts I and II are recommended, but not mandatory.

Recommended Text: The Lankavatara Sutra translated by D.T. Suzuki.

Saturday, November 14^th – Sunday, November 15^th

In this two-day retreat, Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will present the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. After attaining enlightenment, the Buddha had to find words to communicate his insight. As Thich Nhat Hanh put it, “He already had the water, but he had to discover jars like the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path to hold it.” These were the first teachings of the Buddha, and he continued teaching them throughout his long life, and right up until his passing.

These practical teachings are considered to be the foundation of Buddhist practice. This retreat is ideal for those considering the Path, but also beneficial for advanced practitioners.

Retreatants will gather at their local Sanghas and connect via the web with Venerable Tenzin who will be webcasting from MIT.

More Information:
Parting from the Four Attachments by Drakpa Gyaltsen
with Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi.

Retreat Date: October 17-18, 2009.
Retreat Location: 211 Howard Drive (in Singletree), Edwards, Colorado.

Driving Directions: Take Edwards Exit #163 and head north on Edwards Access Road.  Turn right on Berry Creek Road.  The road circles around to the east.  Go through the 1st stop sign and take the 1st LEFT on Stagecoach Road.  Then turn LEFT on Howard Drive; #211 is on the right.

Accommodations: Lodging with local sangha members can be arranged in advance by calling Pati at 970.688.1337.

Phone: 970.688.1337 (Pati).

Saturday Schedule: 8:30 a.m. – registration; 9:00 – 5:00 – retreat.
Sunday Schedule: 8:30 a.m. – registration; 9:00 – 12:00 – retreat.

2009 Oct – Single: $150.00 Pay Now Single $150.00
2009 Oct – Couple: $250.00 Pay Now Couple $250.00
2009 Oct – Register Only – Register Only

In this two-day retreat, Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will present “Parting from the Four Attachments,” a teaching universally regarded as one of the jewels of Tibetan Buddhism. According to tradition, Drakpa Gyaltsen (1167-1216) received the teaching as a direct transmission from Manjushri.

These practical teachings are considered to be essential to anyone wanting to genuinely enter the practice of Dharma. Freeing oneself from the four attachments allows the sincere practitioner to recognize and avoid the typical pitfalls encountered on the spiritual path.

It is believed that this teaching has the power to instill realizations on all who receive it with proper intention. Understanding the true nature of mind, that it is the source of all problems and solutions, allows one to alleviate the personal suffering that is caused by ignorance and confusion.

The retreat will consist of teachings, discussion and meditation sessions.

A donation of $125.00/single or $250/couple is suggested. You can edit your donation on the next page after clicking the donate button.
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