|
Dear Friends of Milarepa Center,
Here in Northern Vermont we have been
experiencing the least light-filled days of the
year and a very quiet and contemplative time.
Some have just completed a Nyung Né
purification retreat at the center and some are
studying independently during this tranquil
interlude. We are cheerfully anticipating the
arrival of Geshe Gelek from North Carolina and
hope you are able to join the programs during
his visit. It isn't too late to register, so
please call the center (802) 633-4136 or e-mail
milarepa@milarepacenter.org.
*** *** ***
Program Schedule with Geshe Gelek
December 4-6
Awakening Enlightenment:
Cultivating the Good Heart
This weekend
explores the secret method to develop
bodhicitta, the enlightened heart and mind which
cherishes others more than ourselves. Lama Zopa
Rinpoche says in his classic text The Door to
Satisfaction:
"When you are cherishing yourself and
thinking only of yourself --
'How can I be happy? How can I be free of
problems?'-- there is
no happiness in your heart, only worry and fear.
You see only
problems and your mind is not relaxed. But in
the next moment,
when you change your object of concern to
another sentient being --
suddenly your heart is released from
self-cherishing, like limbs
released from chains."
Join Geshe-la and
Milarepa friends for this weekend and find the
true source of happiness.
December
8
Exploring the Path to Enlightenment:
Karma and Emptiness -- the Definitive
Presentation
Geshe-la will lead the final
session of our Tuesday evening series at 6:30pm
with these two profound aspects of Buddhist
philosophy.
December 11, 5:30pm
Lama Tsong Khapa Day: Light Offering Festival
and Lama Chopa
Puja
We are so happy to celebrate the
anniversary of Lama Tsong Khapa,
the
founder of the Gelug tradition, with
Geshe Gelek. It is currently the darkest
time of the year, so come join us in
offering lights and enjoying a blissful
Lama Chopa puja.
December 12-13
Lojong: The Eight
Verses of Mind Training
From the time we
are children, our culture sends us powerful
messages about how to be happy, how to win, how
to be successful. The Lojong, or mind
training, turns many of these ideas upside down
and provides us with a template of true
happiness, satisfaction and peace. These are
some of the most significant Tibetan Buddhist
teachings and we are so fortunate to have
Geshe-la here to elucidate these concepts for
us. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche said:
"The practice of thought transformation is not
intended to stop
problems
but to enable you to use the problems you
experience
to develop your
mind in the graduated path to enlightenment."
*** *** ***
Annual New Year's
Vajrasattva Purification
Retreat
Ring in
the New Year in a most meaningful way by joining
this deeply purifying retreat. This weekend is
appropriate for
all levels of practitioners,
with guided meditation, mantra
recitation
and silent meditation throughout. Participate
with us
and receive the blessings of a truly
NEW year. Musicians, bring
your instruments
to join our party at 8pm New Year's Eve!
.
*** *** ***
January will be a bit of a rains retreat here at
the center with fewer activities planned. Our
beloved manager, Jeff Garnette, will be
in retreat on the land for one month. January
15-18 Ven. Amy will lead a Nyung Né retreat
during Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s weekend.
This precious two-day retreat affords a great
opportunity to work on creating more peace and
compassion in your heart and mind. Nyung Né
retreat is a Chenrezig (the Buddha of
Compassion) practice from the Kriya ("Action")
class of Tantra. In each of the four daily
sessions we practice the sadhana of Chenrezig
which involves meditating on bodhicitta (the
aspiration to attain enlightenment in order to
benefit all beings), visualizing Chenrezig,
reciting prayers and mantras, and performing
prostrations. A Nyung Né retreat also includes
periods of fasting and strict silence and is a
powerful, quick and effective method to purify
an enormous amount of negativity and to collect
a vast amount of merit. Please join us during
this most beneficial 3-day weekend.
*** *** ***
 Ven.
Amy will begin the series Mind, Meditation
and Making Life Meaningful at the
Kellogg-Hubbard Library on Main Street in
Montpelier, VT on January 28, 2010 from 6-8pm.
Over three Thursday evenings, (Jan. 28, Feb. 4
and 11), the group will explore meditation and
mindfulness in an effort to gain a refreshing
perspective on normally stressful living. This
is now the second year Ven. Amy-la has offered
her highly popular and beneficial teachings at
the library.
*** *** ***
Looking forward to February, we will again enjoy
the Skiing to Enlightenment weekend!
February 5-7 come to Milarepa Center and
combine winter fun with dharma practice and
meditation.
Arrive after dinner Friday night and we will
wake to a morning meditation and breakfast and
then head out on skis, snowshoes and sleds to
enjoy the pristine beauty of Vermont. A packed
lunch will be provided as well as a hot wood
stove to warm yourself upon your return. After a
simple dinner, Ven. Amy will give a dharma talk
and lead meditation. More of the same for
Sunday! Make your winter weekend getaway truly
meaningful.
Also in February, we welcome
Geshe Thubten Sherab,
Headmaster of the Education Program at Kopan
Monastery in Nepal and former resident teacher
at our sister center in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Geshe-la will present The Three Principle
Aspects of the Path, the fundamentals of
Renunciation, Bodhicitta and Emptiness. We
are really looking forward to this!
*** *** ***
End of Year Appeal . . .
December is the last month to make your 2009
tax-deductible charitable contributions and
Milarepa Center is entirely dependent on these
kind offerings. Please consider sending yours
today to:
Milarepa Center, PO Box 51, Barnet, VT 05821
USA; or donate
via PayPal at our website: www.milarepacenter.org.
Thank you!
Also a huge thank you(!) to Charlene Dobbins
for wonderful cooking during last week's Nyung
Né Retreat, Deb Zuk and Karen Gallas
for helping us prepare the center for retreats
(your work is so appreciated!) Larry Howe
and Martha Tack for steady support in all
aspects, Jeff Garnette for his cheerful
and constant work on behalf of the center and
all sentient beings, Mark Winwood of the
Chenrezig Project for delightful e-letter
production and the amazing Greg Cundiff
for his industrious effort on the website.
Please check our website
(www.milarepacenter.org)
as Greg has been doing many updates including a
calendar where you can see all the enlightened
activities of each month, including teachings,
retreats, work parties and pujas. Everyone is
warmly invited to all activities and pujas,
which are devotional practices to purify the
mind and accumulate virtue, and we hope to see
you soon.
Finally, we would like to extend our kindest
end-of-the-year regards to all our friends and
supporters and most of all thank you and love to
our cherished teacher and intrepid director,
Ven. Amy Miller.
May all beings be happy!
|
