Dear Dharma Friends,

Join us this month for teachings with Lama Kathy, Lama Adam, and Lama Karma, who will visit us in Los Angeles for an in-person teaching weekend in August.

Details to be announced soon!

Yours in Dharma,

KTC SoCal

• June 6   | Chenrezig Practice – Los Angeles
• June 13  | Lama Karma – Guided Practice
• June 20| Lama Adam – On the Wings of Wisdom and Compassion
• June 27  | Lama Kathy – Joyful Wisdom Book Study

June 6 Zoom Chenrezig Practice

Chenrezig’s practice is a profound meditation that cultivates compassion and lovingkindness. It is open to all and will be in English and Tibetan. We encourage everyone to participate and experience its transformative effects. Chenrezig, also known as Avalokiteshvara, embodies compassion in Tibetan Buddhism. Through this practice, we tap into the limitless wellspring of compassion and extend it to all sentient beings. It is a beautiful opportunity to nurture our hearts, deepen our connection with others, and bring positive change into the world. We welcome you to join us regardless of your experience or familiarity with the practice. As a compassionate community, we will create a collective space of love, kindness, and healing energy. Let us unite in our dedication to cultivating compassion and making a positive difference.

June 13 Lama Karma Drodhul – Guided Practice

Lama Karma Drodhul‘s guidance carries a profound wisdom that touches the heart and calms the mind. This guided meditation will delve into inner stillness, cultivating mindfulness and self-awareness. Lama Karma will lead a reflective session, offering insights and answering questions. No matter your experience level, everyone is welcome to participate in this transformative gathering. Whether you are a longtime practitioner or new to meditation, we encourage you to embrace this opportunity to deepen your practice and connect with our compassionate community.

June 20 On the Wings of Wisdom and Compassion with Lama Adam Berner

Most of us begin meditation by learning to let go. Through practices such as calm-abiding meditation, we notice thoughts and concepts, then repeatedly train in letting them go. This is not a complete path to the rich experience of awakening, though, as our daily lives continually demonstrate that, in fact, there are plenty of things we do need to pick up. Discerning what is to be adopted and how to do so is, in many ways, the territory of Lojong, or “mind training”, which is best known for its hallmark practice of taking and sending (tong-len) and its list of 59 pithy slogans. This series of discussions will explore the Lojong teachings found in Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche’s Great Path of Awakening, as expanded on by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in his book Training the Mind and Cultivating Loving-Kindness. With guided practice and discussion, we’ll extend our understanding of the relationship between compassion and non-conceptuality and why they are considered to be like the two wings of a bird, both necessary for us to take flight.

June 27 Lama Kathy Wesley – Joyful Wisdom Book Study

Lama Kathy Wesley will teach Joyful Wisdom, which addresses the timeless anxiety problem in our everyday lives. “From the 2,500-year-old perspective of Buddhism,” Rinpoche writes, “every chapter in human history could be described as an ‘age of anxiety.’ The anxiety we feel now has been part of the human condition for centuries.” So what do we do? Escape or succumb? Both routes inevitably lead to more complications and problems in our lives. “Buddhism,” he says, “offers a third option. We can look directly at the disturbing emotions and other problems we experience as stepping stones to freedom. Instead of rejecting or surrendering to them, we can befriend them, working through them to reach an enduring authentic experience of our inherent Wisdom, confidence, clarity, and joy.”

ZOOM starts at 6:15 PM PST with a 15-minute silent meditation; regular teaching begins at 6:30. Please be mindful when entering at that time.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81574392660

Phone
+1 669 900 6833
Meeting ID: 815 7439 2660

Ask questions via chat and keep them concise and to the point. If you have more in-depth questions, we can arrange an interview with the teacher.

Inspirational Quote:

In a sense everything is dreamlike and illusory, but even so, humorously you go on doing things. For example, if you are walking, without unnecessary solemnity or self-consciousness, lightheartedly walk toward the open space of truth. When you sit, be the stronghold of truth. As you eat, feed your negativities and illusions into the belly of emptiness, dissolving them into all-pervading space. And when you go to the toilet, consider all your obscurations and blockages are being cleansed and washed away.

Dudjom Rinpoche

Teaching Link:
How Do I Stay Motivated? with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche