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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)
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dition (FPMT)
Greetings from Milarepa Center!
We have recently been immersed in an array of practices focused on the health of our Spiritual Director, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who had a stroke on April 23 while teaching in Australia. Please see the item below on Lama Zopa Rinpoche Health Update and you can also see updates on the FPMT site at: http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches-health-updates-and-practices.html.
It's a very critical time for Rinpoche's health and we are praying that Rinpoche will have a full and swift recovery.
Spring has arrived and we are excited to get our garden in this month with the help of new work study participant, LyndsayBarrett. Please join our annual Spring Work Party, May 21 and 22 to lend a hand.
The past month has had some exciting events including the consecration of our Guru Rinpoche statue.
 The Milarepa crew drove the statue and all of the rolled mantras to Kurukulla Center in the Boston area where Geshe Tenley meticulously filled it. We then joined the puja to bless the statue, loaded the precious being back in the car, and returned the newly energized Guru Rinpoche statue to Milarepa. It feels as if the statue has had life breathed into it and is a wonder to see. Stop by during our Mother's Day Open House on May 8 to have a look for yourself at the statue's new location in our offering room.
In addition, Milarepa Center is now the proud owner of a SnowDogg snow plow!
 Check out the lovely rustproof stainless steel that is the envy of all of our neighbors! Jeff Garnette got a wonderful deal on it from a man who is moving to Nevada. He has the exact same work truck we have so it was a perfect fit. Although the snow is finally gone for the year, we are happy to be prepared for next winter. We look forward to clearing your path to Milarepa Center soon!
We are extremely grateful to all of the people who contributed to our being able to purchase this much-needed plow: Ven. Holly Ansett, Greg Cundiff, John Pelge Douthitt, Marianna Janicelli, Jim Johnson, Geoffrey Kassin, Ken and Marjon Klein, Suzanne Rhodes, Heather Smith, and Bob and Mae Jean Zimmer.
Our annual newsletter just mailed, thanks to the tremendous effort of volunteer designer, Sheila Cohill. So do be sure to have a look at it as it includes a fantastic array of seasonal programs and events. You can also check our website for updates as well.
Milarepa Center also has a new logo that was designed by Sonam Sherpa at Nalanda Monastery in France. The content of the logo was advised by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and we received a message that Rinpoche was extremely pleased with the logo upon its completion. Rinpoche suggests centers to have logos with various offerings, etc. as it is very auspicious for the center's success. So we're hoping this auspicious design will usher in a new era of exciting Dharma programs and Center development at Milarepa Center.
With much love,
Everyone at Milarepa Center
Please see below for more information about:
· Lama Zopa Rinpoche Health Update
· Teachings Begin with Ven. Amy Miller
· May 14 Community Meeting
· Annual Spring Work Party
· Tiny House 2 Matching Grant!
· 2011 Work Study Program: Applications Now Being Accepted
· Upcoming Programs
· Rejoice!
· Wish List
· Practice Days and Program Calendar for May
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Lama Zopa Rinpoche Health Update
Here is an excerpt from an April 27 update on Rinpoche's health from Rinpoche's main attendant, Ven. Roger:
Dear Friends,
Today was the first day we could have access to key medical staff due to the Easter holidays. The doctors have said no visitors for sometime as Rinpoche is exhausted and with the physio it is going to be very tiring for him.
Here in the private hospital now we have two doctors looking after Rinpoche and a good team of physiotherapists. Plus great support from the retreaters doing lots of prayers and pujas . . . The doctors say Rinpoche has a good chance of recovering with intensive therapy over the next several months . . . maybe not fully recover . . . that is still too hard to say, but they are feeling quite positive after today's tests.
In the next two weeks the doctors say they will have a better idea of the longer term outlook . . . Their biggest concern apart from the therapy is controlling the sugar levels and blood pressure . . . if this doesn't happen they are very concerned Rinpoche will have another stroke and this could be far more serious . . . although they say this was a serious one.
All of Rinpoche's Gurus, many High Lamas and so many students have been doing prayers and pujas . . . This is deeply, deeply appreciated, THANK YOU.
Rinpoche seems in very good spirits, laughing and joking a lot and entertaining the staff with short little comments on Dharma (that need to be translated), but tiring easily.
Roger
For official updates regarding Lama Zopa Rinpoche's health:
http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches-health-updates-and-practices.html
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Teachings begin with Ven. Amy Miller
 Ongoing classes begin with Ven. Amy Miller every Tuesday evening with "Cultivating True Happiness," May 3 from 6:30-8:30pm. This series will combine meditation, lively discussion, and mindfulness exercises to help you cultivate a meaningful spiritual practice.
Monthly Movies with Milarepa begin May 20 with our first showing of Dharma River from 7:00-9:00pm. We provide the popcorn!
Then on May 15, Sublime Sundays begin with Ven. Amy from 9:30am-12noon introducing chanting, serious meditation, an informal talk, and work practice with tea and snacks. The above programs are appropriate for all levels of students.
Then for the more advanced practitioner who has taken a highest yoga Tantra initiation, Ven. Amy will lead a Six Session Guru Yoga Practice Session from 2:00-4:00pm on May 15 and once each month through August.
For more details and information about these programs and other events, please see our website at: http://www.milarepacenter.org/programs.html.
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May 14th Community Meeting
Please join the Milarepa community for a gathering from 9am to 12noon to hear about some of the work we have been doing to make things more comfortable for guests and share your ideas for future planning of our Center.
We are eager to start moving in the direction of creating a wonderful retreat center and small monastery and nunnery here at Milarepa Center and really welcome your input. Creating a flourishing center can be a tremendous blessing for the entire area. It can also lend great benefit to your own practice and create the conditions for very special teachers to join us here.
We hope you will consider attending. Please call Rosanne at (802) 633-4136 if you are able to come so we can plan accordingly.
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Mother's Day Open House and Annual Spring Work Party
Have you been wanting to visit Milarepa Center, but haven't had a chance yet? Stop by on May 8 from 2:00-4:00pm for our Mother's Day Open House. Feel free to bring your friends and family for a relaxed tour of our lovely home and property.
Please join our Annual Spring Work Party on May 21 and 22 to help get the Center ready for its busy seasonal program. You are welcome to spend the night or feel free to come for one day. We will conclude on Sunday with lunch followed by a Tara puja to clear obstacles to all sorts of events in our lives. Registration required so we can plan your meals accordingly. Just give us a call at (802) 633-4136. Friends and family welcome.
You can find details on the above two programs at:
Mother's Day Open House:
http://www.milarepacenter.org/program_of_events_2011.html#mother
Work Party: http://www.milarepacenter.org/program_of_events_2011.html#work
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Tiny House 2 Fundraising Appeal!
We have now raised $11,100 toward the $25,000 needed to build our next tiny cabin. Our Facilities Manager, Jeff Garnette, is currently working on getting septic permits and bids for putting in a foundation. In addition, we are pricing on-demand water heaters. We are most grateful to any support you can give us toward realizing this wonderful project.
Please consider making a donation at this time to help us get this much-needed housing constructed. All donations are tax-deductible.
You can make your donation by check made payable to Milarepa Center. Please designate that it is for the "Tiny House 2." Or feel free to donate online with your credit card via our secure PayPal account.
We greatly appreciate your support.
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Individuals with Maintenance and Carpentry Experience Needed
Are you handy with an interest in offering service at a spiritual center? Milarepa is seeking motivated individuals with maintenance and carpentry experience to help during our active season. You may be involved in building our second Tiny House or could be working on a variety of other worthwhile projects at Milarepa. You can either let us know when you are free to volunteer your time or join our seasonal Work Study Program.
In the Work Study Program, you offer 30 hours of work each week in exchange for room, board, our courses and retreats, and a wonderful chance to work with your mind! This is a fantastic way to invest your skills in building our wonderful Center.
Interested parties can contact Rosanne Hebert at (802) 633-4136 or via e-mail: milarepa@milarepacenter.org. |
Upcoming Programs
Get a slice of our wonderful seasonal events that were recently mailed in the newsletter and are now up on our website at: http://www.milarepacenter.org/programs.html.
Don't miss our first teaching program, June 3-5, with Geshe Tenley from our sister center in the Boston area, Kurukulla Center. |
Rejoice!
We are so grateful to all of our donors and benefactors for their tremendous support. We could not do it without you!
Thank you to:
- Delores Devellis for help with the plane ticket for the planning meeting facilitator;
- Additional Tiny House 2 donors: Brautigam Kaplan Foundation, Tim Brown and Donna Mckean, Michelle Garnette, David Machles and Karen Mastroianni, Shankha and Deirdre Mitra, and Andrew Wiley;
- Pascale Philibert for a general donation.
And thank you to:
- All participants in our recent Planning Meeting and John Ganzi for his excellent facilitation of the Planning Meeting;
- Elisa Lucozzi for her outstanding posts to our Facebook and Twitter accounts;
- Sheila Cohill for the beautiful design of our latest Milarepa newsletter along with her ad and flyer designs;
- Ross Lasley for supporting our Constant Contact E-letter account;
- Greg Cundiff for working his website wonders;
- John Keaveny for printing our Center flyers for free; and
- Mark Winwood of the Chenrezig Project for the fantastic production of our monthly e-letter.
If your name was omitted, it was not due to our not appreciating your support, but solely the fault of the editor.
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Wish List . . .
Offering or contributing to an item on our wish list is a great way to support the Center and feel a part of our family. We respectfully request that you not bring anything to the Center that is not on the list without checking with us.
If there is something on the list below you are interested in helping us with, please call Rosanne Hebert at (802) 633-4136 or e-mail her at milarepa@milarepacenter.org to discuss the specifics. Thank you so much.
- 2 Mackie Thump 15" Two-Way Compact Speakers ($700) (We realized the last speakers we listed were far out of our price range. Last year we borrowed speakers. Milarepa really needs some quality speakers for our seasonal programs and events. This would be a great way to support our Center.)
- Wood router (an urgently needed asset for our Center maintenance work) ($150)
- Heavy duty salad spinner
- New or refurbished desktop computer
- Epsom inkjet cartridges 69 and 97
- Good quality Spanish saffron (can be ordered from Bacstrom Import Company at http://www.bacstrom.com/saffron.html)
- Brightly colored table cloths (various sizes and shapes)
- Cases of distilled water for our Dzambala (wealth-attracting deity) fountain
- 3 new, good quality, matching twin (single) comforters
- 3 twin bed frames in good condition
- 3 twin mattresses in good condition
- 3 dressers in good condition
- Reading lamps
- Septic safe recycled toilet paper and paper towels
- Good quality tea lights
- Army tents for guest accommodation ($1,200 each)
- New or good condition library sofa
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Practice Days, Program Calendar for April
A wonderful way to support the Center, these rituals and ceremonies are extremely helpful for the flourishing of Milarepa Center. Please bring offerings to share.
May 3: Tuesday Evening True Happiness Series with Ven. Amy Miller, 6:30-8:30pm
May 8: Mother's Day Open House, 2:00-4:00pm
May 10: True Happiness Series with Ven. Amy, 6:30-8:30pm
May 11: Tara Puja, 6:30pm
May 12: Lama Chopa Tsog, 6:30pm
May 14: Community Meeting, 9am-12noon
May 15: Sublime Sundays, 9:30am-12noon; Six Session Guru Yoga Session, 2:00-4:00pm
May 17: Medicine Buddha Puja, 4:00pm; True Happiness Series with Ven. Amy,
6:30-8:30pm
May 20: Monthly Movie with Milarepa, 7:00-9:00pm
May 21-22: Annual Spring Work Party
May 24: True Happiness Series with Ven. Amy, 6:30-8:30pm
May 27: Milarepa Tsog, 6:30pm
May 31, June 7: No True Happiness Series for two weeks
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