Living the Dharma (Part One) with Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo (facilitated by Jan Snyder)

Name: Living the Dharma (Part One) with Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo (facilitated by Jan Snyder)
Start: 2024-05-19T19:00:00-04:00
End: 2024-06-23T21:00:00-04:00
Location: Gainesville

May 19, 2024 @ 7:00 pm America/New_York

“Boots on the ground dharma! Pithy, practical, accessible. Practicing the dharma in the West is challenging, but Anyen Rinpoche and Allison show us how to incorporate the dharma into our daily lives and practice the dharma authentically.”

INTRODUCTION

Time is short and getting shorter. You’ve tried meditation—you may even be a committed practitioner. But what does it take to actually realize the wisdom of all you have studied and practiced, to cut through complacency and live a truly meaningful, joyful life?

In this course, Tibetan Buddhist master Anyen Rinpoche and his teaching partner Allison Choying Zangmo share what it takes to achieve realization on the spiritual path. While the teachings presented are rooted in traditional, time-tested insights, they also speak directly to the particular challenges we face in the West.

You’ll learn practices for opening your mind and heart, accepting reality as it is, and generating compassion for others who, like you, encounter countless difficulties in their quest to find happiness. This course is a practical and approachable means for bringing our practice alive and for actualizing the wisdom of the Buddha in our hearts.

SCHEDULE

Shambhala Gainesville will present this pre-recorded online course in two 6-week sessions. Classes for Part One will be on Sunday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 pm and run from May 19th – June 23rd (class may be extended to June 30th to accommodate the Memorial Day weekend -TBD). Classes will be facilitated by Center Director Jan Snyder and, along with a video talk each week, will include a variety of meditation, contemplation, and small and large group discussions.

The ZOOM link will be sent to participants approximately one-week before the first class. Weekly assignments and a reminder will be emailed each week. Attendance is encouraged as the discussions will not be recorded. Should anyone need to miss a class, an audio recording of the video teaching will be provided.

Text: Living and Dying with Confidence by Anyen Rinpoche and Allison Choying Zangmo. You may purchase the paperback or ebook version at this link

Price: $150 (Patron $200) . Please register early. Eight participants are needed to proceed with the class.

Weeks 1 and 2: Discovering the Meaning of Life

As human beings, much of our suffering arises because we feel isolated, alone, and disconnected from others. It’s all too easy to forget how much we have in common with other living beings. The Buddhist teachings say that we are all carried along the four great rivers of birth, sickness, aging, and death. No matter who we are, we all face difficulties and hardships, and we all have the ability to grow as spiritual beings. In this lesson, we’ll explore how both our joyful and our painful life experiences can be the basis for deepening our connection with others and discovering the innate treasure of our own heart and mind.

Weeks 3 and 4: Adapting to Change

The Buddhist teachings speak at length on the impermanent nature of life, and many of us think that we have understood these teachings. On an intellectual level, we know that everything around us is changing moment by moment, but integrating the understanding of impermanence into the way we live is extremely difficult. It requires not only intellectual mastery, but also a deep emotional acceptance of the changes we face throughout our lives. In this lesson, we’ll explore this challenging topic, which is described by many Buddhist masters as “the key to all spiritual practice.”

Weeks 5 and 6: Developing the Warmth of Connection

Bodhichitta, “awakened heart/mind,” is a transformative practice that teaches us how to develop unlimited love and compassion toward ourselves and others. How does this practice unfold? It begins with a simple feeling of warmth in the heart, welcoming home those parts of our body, heart, and mind that feel disconnected. This warmth kindles the flame of compassion and connection, bringing new life and vitality to our daily lives and relationships.

Part Two. Dates for the next 6-week session will be announced in June.

TEACHERS

Anyen Rinpoche is a tulku from Amdo, a Tibetan master of Dzogchen meditation as well as a seasoned scholar. He has taught extensively in Tibet, China, and throughout Southeast Asia, Japan, and North America. He is the author of numerous books including The Union of Dzogchen and Bodhichitta and The Tibetan Yoga of Breath. He lives primarily in Denver, Colorado, where he founded Orgyen Khamdroling Center and a shedra (college) for Westerners.

Allison Choying Zangmo is Anyen Rinpoche’s personal translator and a longtime student of both Rinpoche and his root lama, Kyabje Tsara Dharmakirti. She has either translated or collaborated with Rinpoche on all of his books and has a special ability to translate Buddhist teachings for the Western mind.

No one will be turned away if they cannot afford the program price. If you need a scholarship for this program, please write to us at [email protected]

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