September 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!

 
     The summer is passing by all too quickly and it's been a wonderfully
   abundant year at Milarepa Center. Some members of our community are
   heading to the Light of the Path retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche this
   September in North Carolina. Please see below for ways you can download
   these precious teachings for listening in your own home.
 
   In addition, the Tiny House Fundraising Campaign for building two new
   retreat cabins at the Center was wildly successful and the first cabin is
   currently under construction. Please see details below.
 
   Finally, we have a wealth of activities happening this autumn beginning
   with Thubten Gyatso's Lojong teachings October 2-4 during the peak leaf
   viewing season, so please come for a visit and enjoy the stunning scenery.
 
  
  With much love, Amy Miller, Director         
 
 Please see below for information on the following activities:

    ::: Upcoming Program Highlights
    ::: Milarepa Stupa Gets Gold Offering
    ::: Tiny House Fundraising and Construction
    ::: Light of the Path Teachings
    ::: Vermont Buddhist Gathering
    ::: Farewell to Elvia Gonzalez
    ::: Opportunities to Offer Service
    ::: Practice Days in September and October
    ::: Thank You!

Upcoming
 Program Highlights

Exploring the Path to Enlightenment, Tuesday evening classes continue in September with Larry Howe and in October with Amy Miller. Feel free to join us, 6:30-8pm. By donation.

October 2-4; Making Life the Path to Freedom with Buddhist monk and teacher Thubten Gyatso.

       What would happen if we found a way to use our
       suffering as a path to happiness? Additionally,
       how would our lives be if we had a more realistic
       approach to being happy? It is through applying
       lojong or mind-training teachings that this
       becomes  possible. We are extremely blessed to
       have Thubten Gyatso lead us through an
       insightful explanation of the precious root text,
       Turning Suffering and Happiness into Enlightenment
       by Jikme Tenpe Nyima. Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche's
       famous book, Transforming Problems, is based on this text. 
       Don't miss this special opportunity to welcome this wonderful teacher
       on his first visit to Milarepa Center.

             Gelong Thubten Gyatso was born in 1943 in Melbourne, Australia.
             After working for several years as a medical doctor, Gyatso took
             ordination as a Buddhist monk in 1975. He has studied with some of
             the most eminent Buddhist masters in the world and has served as
             resident teacher at centers in Australia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan,
             and Mongolia. From 2005-2008, he was engaged in a 3-year retreat
             and this September, will be leading the Light of the Path retreat
             hosted by our sister center, Kadampa Center in North Carolina.

Discovering Buddhism Module: How to Meditate; Four Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8:30pm, Oct. 7, 14, 28 and Nov. 4 with Amy Miller.  By donation.
Explore the fundamentals of meditation in this lively, in-depth and practical series. Perfect for all levels of practitioners as well as beginners.  Attendance at all four sessions is highly recommended. The meditation daylong on Sunday, November 8 is strongly suggested to attend as a practice component (see details below).
 
 
October 9, How to Meditate stand-alone evening with Amy Miller,
6:30-8:30pm, Wells River Yoga Studio; contact: Joy at joyfichiera@hotmail.com for information.


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

Here's a great way to enjoy the spectacular autumn foliage while helping a Dharma center. Please consider taking this time to help Milarepa Center prepare for the winter. We have a variety of tasks that could use your support so please bring your work clothes, work and gardening gloves, chain saws, axes, wheelbarrows, and any other things you think would be useful. Feel free to bring your friends and family to help. Lunch and dinner will be provided on Saturday and breakfast and lunch on Sunday. Feel free to come either day as well if you are unable to spend the night.



Halloween Weekend, October 30-November 1, Death and Rebirth Program with Amy Miller.
      Lend more meaning to your life by exploring the challenges we face
      in death. Join this insightful workshop combining lecture, discussion,
      meditation, and quiet reflection along with a thorough explanation of
      the death process in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. This program is
      designed for a variety of caregivers, as well as those actively involved
      in hospice work.  Perfect for all levels of spiritual practitioners and
      those new to the Buddhist path who have a particular interest in
      understanding the death process according to Tibetan Buddhism.

 
 November 8, 9:30am-4:30pm, Last Meditation Daylong for the year with
 Amy Miller. By donation.
  If you've been curious about meditation and would like to begin, or if
  you've been meditating for some time and would like to fine tune your
  practice, please join these monthly events. A perfect component for
  weekly study groups, the meditation daylong affords you the opportunity
  to get to know your mind while exploring some relevant discussion.

***   ***   ***

Suggested donation for weekend courses: sliding scale $225-$100
per person (includes all meals and shared accommodation).
No one turned away for lack of funds.
Private cabins also available.
 
Pre-registration required for all programs other than the
Tuesday evening classes by calling (802) 633-4136 or via e-mail
at milarepa@milarepacenter.org.

Thank you.

 

Milarepa Stupa Gets Gold Offering
 
The Center was hugely blessed once again by the Stafford
family when they turned up to offer gold to the Stupa,
the shrine that sits just at the top of our driveway.

This is something Milarepa Spiritual Director, Kyabje
Lama Zopa Rinpoche, has wanted done for some time
and we were so pleased to have them come.

Thank you to Troy, Mer, Maddie, Mia and Maude.

· Tiny House Fundraising
 and Construction

 
Due to an overwhelming response to our recent fundraising appeal to raise $12,000 for the construction of two retreat cabins at Milarepa Center, we have now reached our goal! We raised a total of $13,231 and with a few additional expenses, have the amount we need to cover the cost of building these two cabins. Please see the group photo below to see what we were able to complete in the two-day workshop with Peter King as well as the photos series as it was almost like a regular barn-raising.

 



















The workshop was very successful and Fred Fickera has come for the month of September to help with additional construction work to try to complete the first cabin by winter. The second cabin will be built next year, but we are now gathering a slew of materials via Craig's List, etc. for the next cabin.
 
The entire project has been very exciting and we are so grateful to Peter King and all of his participants who spent the last weekend in August with us to learn these fundamental building techniques and help us put up the structure of this retreat cabin.

 
Thank you to those of you who donated generously to help us realize this dream: Anonymous (2), Daniel Aharon, Myna Bushman, Michael Childs, Debb Colony, Wendy Cook and Nick Ribush and the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, Pam Cowan and Steve Miller, Fred Crouch, Kathleen Daye, Diamond Mountain, Karen Gallas, Dave Gould and Manoshi Ghosh, Shelley Hagan, Herb Hale, Doren and Mary Harper, Melissa Hay, Don Isaacson, Marianna Janicelli, Wendy Kan, Dana Lissy, Klaus Liu, Elaine McGrath, Rick Monarque, John Muecke, Donna O'Malley, Pascale Philibert, Eytan Salinger, Nancy Sanchez, Eeva Sarela, Ajna and Sharif Seret and Seret and Sons, Tangie Solow, Troy and Mer Stafford, Preston and Paule Sult, Valerie and Chuck Thomas, Harvey Whitten, Mila Wilson, and John Wolf and Norma Quesada
 
As some donations are still trickling in for the cabin, we are now directing funds (and contacting donors appropriately) to the purchase of a four-wheel drive pick-up truck that is urgently needed to do the work we need to do around the property. We have already raised $2,500 towards this goal and are hoping to buy a used vehicle in good working condition for about $7,000. If you were thinking to contribute to the building of the retreat cabin and would still like to help in some way, please consider making a much needed donation toward the purchase of this vehicle (which for us at this time in our development feels indeed like the Mahayana!). With $4,500 more, we can obtain a vehicle that we feel would be best for the Center.
 
If you would like to contribute in this way, checks may be made payable to Milarepa Center and can be mailed to us at Box 51, Barnet, VT 05821 or you can make a donation with your credit card at www.milarepacenter.org via our PayPal account.
 
Thank you to Klaus Liu, Marianna Janicelli and Jim Anderson for your kind offerings toward this much needed purchase.

Light of the Path
Teachings

 
Please see this e-mail below from Merry Colony, the director of the Education Department at our headquarters, FPMT, in Portland, Oregon regarding joining the teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the retreat in progress now in North Carolina:
 

Dear Friends,
 
As of today you can access preliminary course materials for the Light of the Path online program available through the Online Learning Center. Preliminary materials include Atisha's Light of The Path root text in English, Spanish, Italian, and French, audio files of Rinpoche giving the oral transmission of the text, two short PDF files on the history of this text and Rinpoche's pledge to teach it, a discussion forum and technical support forum.

http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org/mod/resource/view.php?id=484.

Audio files of the LOP teachings will also be available for download on this site during the event.  All of these materials are freely available. Please note you will need to "register" to access the preliminary course materials. To do this you simply need to establish a username and password.

Further instructions on how to create an account can be seen in the student user guide. Each time you access the Online Learning Center you will need to use this username and password to gain access.
 
During the Light of the Path Event, you can access the FPMT Media Center via the FPMT Online Learning Center. Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teachings at the LOP retreat will start to be made freely available on this site as of September 11.

The videos will remain available for viewing for many months. Audio translation of the teachings will be available in Spanish, French, Chinese (and maybe Italian). Once on the site you can choose high-quality video, low quality, or audio only (note the audio files on this site cannot be downloaded onto an MP3 player, they can only be listened to on the site).

Frequently Asked Questions addressing common technical problems have also been translated and are available on the site.
 
There will be further postings later this year as the online program develops.
 
May this be of the greatest benefit to all.

And please tell your friends who may not be reading this message!
 
love, merry
  

Vermont Buddhist Gathering

Each year in Vermont, the numerous Buddhist groups gather for meditation, to share ideas and reconnect. Please see the following announcement from Donna O'Malley regarding this year's event.

***
"A Gathering of Sanghas and individuals who practice in various Buddhist traditions in and around the Central Vermont area.  All Welcome!
 
Sunday afternoon, October 25, 2009, 2:00 - 4:30pm
Friends Meeting House, Plainfield, VT (in Plainfield, Towne Ave.
by Post Office to Martin Meadow Road, far end of the Green)
 
Come meet, connect or reconnect and practice together!
  Sitting . . . walking . . . sharing of thoughts and food!
Please bring a sitting cushion and a simple snack to share.
 
Many paths . . . one truth.

For more information, please contact Donna O'Malley or (802) 223-5863.

Muchas Gracias to Elvia Gonzalez

Our summer work study program was graced with the presence
of Elvia Gonzalez, from Guadalajara, Mexico who was a tremendous
help in so many aspects of our work at Milarepa.

We are so grateful for her support and joy and wish her well
as she attends the Light of the Path retreat in North Carolina
and then returns home to Mexico.

Opportunities to Offer Service

Milarepa Center has a variety of ways in which you can help and often it can be done remotely from your home. We are currently seeking someone to help update our website periodically as well as a person to do program promotion.

Both of these opportunities can be done from your home or office.
In addition, we currently have autumn work study positions available.

If you are interested in getting involved in this way or would like to offer service in another way, please contact us at (802) 633-4136 or via e-mail at milarepa@milarepacenter.org.

Thank you so much.

Practice Days
in September and October

Each month there are days set aside in the Tibetan calendar which are
auspicious for specific practices. It's very helpful for Milarepa Center and its community to do these practices whenever possible. Group practice leads to a greater sense of overall harmony. These practices lend benefit in clearing obstacles to different activities (Tara Puja), for healing (Medicine Buddha Puja) and for overall center health and prosperity (Tsog, etc.).
 
We invite you to join us for the various rituals or pujas we have scheduled. These practice days are open to all levels of practitioners. It's very easy to participate, you don't need to know the practices in advance as we have practice booklets available. It's nice to bring offerings that can be set-up on the altar and shared with others such as fruit, chips, pretzels and any other snacks you enjoy. Flowers are always welcome.
 
September 14 and 28; Milarepa Tsog, 6:30pm,
September 26; Tara Puja, 1:30pm
              
October 4; Medicine Buddha Puja, 1:30pm
October 13; Milarepa Tsog, 4:30pm
October 26; Tara Puja, 6:30pm
October 28; Lama Chopa Tsog, 4pm
 

Thank You  . . .
 
Please rejoice at the wonderful spirit of generosity that has been gracing Milarepa Center. We are SO grateful to all of you for your tremendous support:
 
       All donors to the Tiny Houses retreat cabin construction project; and to
           all builders: Peter King and his workshop participants, Fred Fickera,
           Charlene Dobbins, Dan Finklestein, Jeff Garnette, David Scribner, and
           Dick Herbert;
 
      All general donors: Katherine Carver, Amy Felske, Jan Murray, and Nima
          Sherpa;
 
     All members including new members: Dolores Devellis, Karen Gallas,
         and John Bell                                                  
 
     :: Toni Kenyon for yummy sesame oil and noodles;
     :: Heather Mitchell and Elvia Gonzalez for huge support during our
        summer work study program;
     :: Dick Herbert for delicious bread and printing hundreds of flyers and
        labels;
     :: Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project for his skillful production of
        our e-letters;
     :: Ross Lasley for timely and wonderful website updates;
     :: Jeana Malachowski and Pascale Philibert for fantastic flyer and ad designs;
 
     Our wonderful staff: Jeff Garnette, Rosanne Hebert, Elisa Lucozzi,
         for their tremendous hard work and harmonious spirit; and for Elisa for
         "holding down the fort" while we are away at the Light of the Path
         retreat in North Carolina;
     ::  Larry Howe for teaching Amy's classes when she is away.
  

www.milarepacenter.org

(802) 633-4136