August 14, 2009

Milarepa
Center

1344 U.S. Route 5 South
Barnet, Vermont  05821
(802) 633-4136

www.milarepacenter.org
milarepa@milarepacenter.org

Affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT)

Greetings from Milarepa Center!

 
     There has been an unbelievable level of activity at the center this
   summer and as a result some really wonderful things are happening.
 
   Our Qigong workshop with Mary Sturtevant was very successful and
   participants, along with Mary, asked us to host a late winter/early spring
   workshop to get our bodies and minds ready for spring.

   Our annual Family Camp followed led by Ven. Tsunmala and Kasia
   Beznoska. Their wonderfully vibrant energy made for a fantastic
   experience for all of the families involved. Also during the weekend, we
   found ourselves graced by the talented artistic energy of Troy and Mer
   Stafford (not to mention their three beautiful girls who attended our camp)
   and with their fine efforts, our Bakula Arhat statue found his way into
   gold adornments by weekend's end. We hope you will come by to see the
   magnificence of this statue and how Bakula Arhat has been brought to
   life.
 
   Please see the photos below of these wonderful events and thank you to
   everyone involved for making these activities such great successes and so
   enjoyable for everyone.
 
   With huge love,
   Amy Miller, Director
     
 
    Please see below for information on the following activities:

   ::: Program Reminders   

   ::: Tiny House Update and Workshop

   ::: Urgently Seeking Promotions Volunteer and Website Updater

   ::: Rejoice!

   ::: Wish List

   ::: Jeff Garnette's First Anniversary Celebrated

Bakula Arhat: Before and After

Qigong Magic -- Participants fully enjoyed the daylong workshop and you
                           can see what a pleasant space the event tent is for our
                           programs and activities. Thank you to all who helped us
                           buy it!

Program Reminders

Due to the nature of impermanence, there are a few
changes to our program since you received the printed newsletter.
So please have a look below for the most current schedule:
 

::: Tuesday evening classes continue with Amy Miller while Larry Howe
    will be filling in from September 8 through 29. Feel free to join,
    6:30-8pm.

::: August 15, Saturday, 9:30am-4:30pm, Meditation Daylong, with Amy
    Miller

::: August 26, 6-8pm, Amy Miller will be teaching on Impermanence at the
    Shambala Center on Main Street in Montpelier

::: August 29-30, Tiny House workshop with Peter King, see Tiny House
    Update below

::: October 2-4 Program with Gelong Thubten Gyatso

::: How to Meditate Series for Four Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm,
    Oct. 7-28 with Amy Miller

::: October 9, How to Meditate stand alone evening, 6:30-8:30pm, Wells
    River Yoga Studio, contact: Joy at joyfichiera@hotmail.com for
    information.

::: October 10, 9am-5pm to October 11, 9am-12noon followed by Tara Puja
    at 1:30pm, Autumn Work Party

::: October 9-11, Biking the Path to Enlightenment with Katie Willis Morton

::: Halloween Weekend, October 30-November 1, Death and Rebirth
    Program with Amy Miller

::: November 8, 9:30am-4:30pm, Last Meditation Daylong for the year with
    Amy Miller

::: Thanksgiving Nyung Né, Thursday evening, November 26 to Sunday
    morning, November 29 led by Amy Miller

::: December Programs with Geshe Gelek and New Year's Vajrasattva
    Retreat with Amy Miller
 

Please pre-register by calling (802) 633-4136 or via e-mail at
milarepa@MilarepaCenter.org
 
Thank you.

Tiny House Update and Workshop

We have raised a total so far of $1750.00 toward the materials needed to build our two "Tiny Houses." One tiny house will cost us $6000 and Milarepa Center will be hosting Tiny House developer Peter King at a workshop Saturday and Sunday, August 29 and 30 from 9am-5pm to build the structure of the first tiny house.
 
Please, if you are able to support this valuable work at this time, we are urgently needing your help to finance this project. All donations are tax-deductible and checks can be made payable to Milarepa Center and mailed to us at PO Box 51, Barnet, VT 05821. You can also make a contribution with a credit card via our PayPal account at www.milarepacenter.org.

We greatly appreciate your help and would like to thank all of those who have contributed to this worthwhile endeavor so quickly: Michael Childs, Debb Colony, Wendy Cook and Nick Ribush of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive and Kurukulla Center, Donna Gallas, Shelley Hagan, Herb Hale, Rick Monarque, Donna O'Malley, Pascale Philibert, and Mila Wilson
 
Here is additional information about the workshop if you are interested in participating:
 

Learn Fundamental Building Techniques
 for Sustainable Living
 
Join skilled carpenter and Tiny House enthusiast Peter King
in a hands-on team learning experience and construct a tiny house
at Milarepa Center during this two-day workshop.

Start by learning about what simple tools, construction materials,
and building practices are needed to complete a tiny house
of your own. Learn basic carpentry skills from the ground up.
Get valuable ideas to build 300 square feet of functional
private space that can be used as: an office, playhouse for
the kids, art/poetry/music studio,
 massage/yoga workshop or meditation room.
 
Join the new socioeconomic housing movement and help reduce
the world's carbon footprint by building small and living big.
 
Peter King is an experienced Vermont carpenter and
inspiring teacher. He has been building Tiny Houses in Vermont
for years and conducts weekend workshops in Northern Vermont.

To register for this workshop, contact Peter King at (802) 933-6103.

For more information, check out www.vermonttinyhouses.com.

As this workshop is being run by Peter King, he is asking for a
$250 workshop fee per person for both days which includes all meals
and shared lodging at Milarepa Center.

 Urgently Seeking
 Promotions Volunteer
 and Website Updater 
 
  We have been blessed over the past year to
  have the supreme services of Ross and
  Amy Lasley in redesigning and updating our
  website. (That's Ross, at right, during last New
  Year's Vajrasattva retreat.)

  Ross and Ann live in Maine, about four
  hours from Milarepa Center and have been doing
  this wonderful work remotely and completely
  as volunteers. There are many other jobs at the
  Center that can be done from the comfort of
  your own home.
 
  However, after doing this work for most of
  the past year -- and now that the main redesign is
  complete -- Ross and Amy are wanting to pass on this valuable work to
  someone else. Therefore, we are urgently seeking someone who would
  like to serve the Center in this capacity and be able to do periodic updates
  to our website. Ross has been using Dreamweaver and we are also trying
  to secure a copy of this software that you could use.
 
  In addition, we are also looking for someone who might be
  interested in helping us with some of the promotion we are doing such
  as writing press releases, helping to design flyers and ads and getting the
  word out there about our activities. We have templates and samples of
  press releases and flyers and have a design team you can send the basic
  information to. It's just helpful having someone keep track of various
  deadlines who keeps moving along the promotion in a timely manner.
 
  Both of these opportunities can be done from your home or office.
  If you are interested in getting involved in this way, please contact us
  at (802) 633-4136.

  Thank you so much. 

Rejoice!

 
We are most grateful to the following individuals for their financial contributions to our various projects and membership:
 
:: Anonymous (2)
:: Emily Donovan and John Bell for their valuable new memberships;
:: Mary Esbjornson, Deborah Gorsline, Dick Herbert, and Elizabeth Wilson
        for general donations;
:: Michael Souza and Chris Cockey for buying us a new refrigerator when our
        old one broke just before the Milarepa Festival Day;
:: David and Amy Kittelstrom and Ruth for final tent donations.
 
In addition, thank you to:
 
::  Ven. Tsunmala and Kasia Beznoska for their fantastic energy and creativity in
          organizing our Family Camp and to Heather Mitchell and Lisa Landaw for their
          skillful and tireless volunteer roles during the Camp;
::   Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project for his skillful production of our
          e-letters;
::   Ross and Amy Lasley for timely and wonderful website updates;
::   Dick Herbert for offering a mountain bike, keeping us well-stocked in
          delicious bakery goods and printing out vast amounts of color flyers;
::  Jeana Malachowski and Pascale Philibert for fantastic flyer and ad designs;
::  Our wonderful staff and volunteers: Jeff Garnette, Rosanne Hebert,
          Elisa Lucozzi, Heather Mitchell and Elvia Gonzalez for their tremendous hard
          work and harmonious spirit; and Larry Howe for teaching Amy's classes
          when she is away.

  

When you wish upon a star . . .
our Wish List

We respectfully request that you not bring anything that is not on the list without checking with us first and like all families and organizations, we always need cash to operate. Your gift in any amount is greatly appreciated. To make a donation, please make checks payable to Milarepa Center and mail to Milarepa Center, 1344 US Route 5 South, Barnet, VT 05821 or use our PayPal account at www.MilarepaCenter.org.
 
Also, you can receive a letter for tax purposes for any in-kind item donated below. If you are able to help us out or would like to donate toward our securing any of the items below, please give us a call at (802) 633-4136. Thank you so much!
 
Here's what we are wishing for:
 
:::::  Four-wheel drive tractor or truck in good working condition;
:::::  Snowmobile in good working condition so we can make paths to support
      the retreat cabins and to make cross country skiing trails for guests;
:::::  Snowblower in good working condition;
:::::  Ceramic serving platters;
:::::  Septic safe toilet paper; and
:::::  HP inkjet cartridges 94/95

 

Jeff Garnette's
First Anniversary Celebrated

 A warm family gathering was organized to celebrate the
one-year anniversary of Jeff Garnette being the manager
at Milarepa Center and living at this wonderful retreat center.
We enjoyed pizza and coke, two of Jeff's favorite things during a
candlelight dinner. Congratulations Jeff and thank you
for opening the heart of this Center to so many.

 
           
And, finally. please enjoy some of our fun and festivities during our annual Family Camp.
 
  painting tsa-tsa's

  animal liberation

 
listening to water bowl instructions

     Family Camp, 2009

www.milarepacenter.org

(802) 633-4136