Tag: tibetan buddhism

Skymind: The Path of Open Awareness (Online Course)

July 15, 2021

October 22 to December 17, 2021

Following on last year’s popular course, we return for a deeper dive into Machig’s verses on the nature of mind, offered both to those new to these teachings and as a deepening for those who attended last year’s program.

Machig Labdrön – the great 11th century Tibetan yogini – is unequivocal in her insistence that our truest nature, the very ground of being, is not elsewhere:
Once one’s mind is recognized for sure, there’s no need to establish buddha from elsewhere. … More Skymind: The Path of Open Awareness (Online Course)

Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Sacred Masculine (Virtual Retreat)

July 5, 2021

Postponed until Spring 2022

The Mandala of the Five Buddhas is for all of us who long to integrate the awakened, sacred, and wise masculine within ourselves. Buddhism sees the enlightened masculine as the capacity to act skillfully and with wise compassion. These are capacities that must be nurtured by all of us, regardless of our gender identity. … More Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Sacred Masculine (Virtual Retreat)

Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Union of the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine

February 19, 2021

March 14 – 20, 2021.

The image of “masculine” and “feminine” joined in union – Yab Yum – is central to Tantric Buddhism. The Yab Yum represents our inherent wholeness which holds all dualities in a dynamic totality. As we enter the Yab Yum Mandala we recognize the completeness of our true nature and engage the “other” with openness, curiosity and compassion. … More Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Union of the Sacred Feminine and Sacred Masculine

Sacred World, Luminous Vision: Songs of Realization of the Mahasiddhas

February 19, 2021

April 17 – 18, 2021

How can we give expression to the deepest insights into the nature of reality? Can words ever capture that which is beyond concept? Many of the great early Tantric practitioners and mahasiddhas wrote their realizations through songs and poems (dohas) which point, like rainbow arrows, to ineffable truth. At times, these verses draw on everyday, ordinary experience to reveal a view of the sacred world; at others, they point directly and unflinchingly to the nature of mind. … More Sacred World, Luminous Vision: Songs of Realization of the Mahasiddhas

Green Tara

February 19, 2021

June 12 – July 20, 2021

Green Tara sits with one foot in the meditative posture and one foot in the world, thus embodying active compassion and serving as a model for modern day contemplative life. In this online course, you have the opportunity to learn to embody Green Tara, the female Buddha of compassion, who provides protection from fears and obstacles. … More Green Tara

Lion-Headed Dakini (Simhamukha)

February 19, 2021

June 22 – 30, 2021

This retreat offers transmission and teachings on the Lion-Headed Dakini (Simhamukha) practice as well as on Lama Tsultrim’s personal transformation work within the mandala. Simhamukha is known as a powerful remover of obstacles and as Queen of the Dakinis. This practice is a mind treasure given to Ayu Khandro when she was in dark retreat by the Queen of the Dakinis. … More Lion-Headed Dakini (Simhamukha)

Machig Lapdron

Cutting Through Views: Three Practice Verses by Machig Labdrön

January 19, 2021

Published on the Lion’s Roar website

Machig Labdrön, the founder of Chöd, taught there is no view we can’t cut through, no perspective we can’t let go of. Charlotte Z. Rotterdam shares three verses by Machig that we can carry with us in our daily lives.
Click here to read the article on Lion’s Roar https://www.lionsroar.com/cutting-through-views-three-practice-verses-by-machig-labdron/ … More Cutting Through Views: Three Practice Verses by Machig Labdrön

DENTOG CHIGMA CHÖD: The Method for Accomplishment on One Seat

August 18, 2020

The profound practice of Dentog Chigma, “liberation on one seat,” combines the melodic and rhythmic aspects of traditional Chöd with the visualization and mantra recitation of Tibetan Buddhist deity practice. The practitioner engages with various forms of Machig Labdrön – including a wrathful emanation – through purification, receiving blessings, radiant compassion, and ultimately the awareness of our inseparability from the ground of being. … More DENTOG CHIGMA CHÖD: The Method for Accomplishment on One Seat

Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Sacred Masculine

August 18, 2020

The Mandala of the Five Buddhas is for all of us who long to integrate the awakened, sacred, and wise masculine within ourselves. Buddhism sees the enlightened masculine as the capacity to act skillfully and with wise compassion. These are capacities that must be nurtured by all of us, regardless of our gender identity. The Jungian understanding of the psyche tells us that we each have both feminine and masculine aspects of ourselves, which he calls the anima and the animus. The work of healing and moving towards wholeness involves drawing forth and cultivating the positive aspects of each; otherwise, the hidden agenda of our anima or animus can be destructive and self sabotaging. … More Wisdom Rising: Journey into the Sacred Masculine

Dark Clouds

Turning into Darkness

October 17, 2017

We humans seem to come pre-programmed with a primeval fear of negativity.
We are so deeply conditioned to turn away from what we sense or perceive as negative, uncomfortable, painful, or unpleasant that we mostly do it automatically. Ironically, the avoidance itself is often very uncomfortable. It seldom leads to a sunny disposition, instead depositing us in the borderlands around our shadows.
So how to deal with this? … More Turning into Darkness

The Suffering of Busyness

August 14, 2017

I recently heard about a study that found that “busyness” is the new status symbol. I grew up with images of the rich and powerful lounging on a long white beach, drink in-hand and not a care in the world. Now it seems that you prove your social standing by flaunting the number of engagements, commitments and responsibilities you have on any given day. The study showed that this is as true among the working class as it is for the middle and upper-middle classes. I have to admit: too often I find myself commiserating with a friend about my long to-do lists, my numerous and scattered work duties, child care needs, the dirty house, my forever overflowing inbox… It’s an easy – and seemingly always accurate – answer to “how are you?” Busy, busy, busy. Like we all are… … More The Suffering of Busyness