***** August 2018 *****

9-week Courses in
Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective with Thich Thien Tri

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri, Thay, will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. Since his arrival in the USA in 2002, Thay has taught in many US cities. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish ’Zen and Mind Family’.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will be introduced to these practices:
• Four Noble Truths
• Six Senses and the objects of Six Senses
• Sitting, standing, walking meditation
• Chanting
• Mani Mantra

This course will take place:
Thursday evenings, 6:30pm-8:30pm
August 9 – September 27

Fee: $200

For more information, contact
Master Thay at (504) 452-0891 or zenandmind@gmail.com

Required pre-registration begins August 1, contact Tibetan House at info@tibetanhouse.com
Location: Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas St.

If you have to miss a class, Thich Thien Tri will be happy to have a make up class with you.

Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

Please let us know if you would like to participate! We need five participants for the course to take place!

Mind-Body-Spirit Based
Relapse Prevention for Addictions
with Dr. Jose Calderon

Wednesday evenings, 7:00pm-9:00pm 
August 22
August 29
September 5
September 12
Classes will take place at
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Fee for the course is $80.

Wanting, aversion, and confusion are at the core of many unskillful behaviors including addictions. Entering and sustaining recovery often requires skillful use of psychological, behavioral and ethical/spiritual tools.

This is a 4-week workshop for those wanting to learn or modify skills to sustain sobriety from chemical or behavioral addictions. This workshop teaches mindfulness, mind-body medicine, and cognitive behavioral skills to support your practice and complement any other form of addiction treatment, 12-steps, SMART recovery, or Refuge Recovery work you may be doing. Selective mind-body skill may include gentle mindful movements and other forms of embodied mindfulness practices, meditation, imagery, cognitive behavioral skills and other.

Participants are required to attend all 4 sessions, come to sessions sober, and commit to practice between sessions.

To register please contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com.

About Jose Calderon-Abbo, M.D.
Dr. Calderón is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine, with an additional certification in mind-body medicine. He is a long time Vipassana practitioner, and mind-body medicine group facilitator. Dr. Calderon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry with LSU School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, Clinical faculty at Tulane University, and is the Medical Director of the New Orleans Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He is Senior Faculty at the Center for Mind- Body Medicine in Washington DC where he conducts national and international trainings and supervision in mind-body medicine skills for the general public healthcare providers.

 

***** July 2018 *****

 Meditation with Dapön Will Ryken

Sunday, July 1

7:00pm-9:00pm

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

 

It is a rare and wonderful privilege to sit with Will Ryken.

Will visits New Orleans every two months to sit with a gentleman on death row. We invited him to sit with us at Tibetan House whenever he is town, and he graciously accepted. This visit he will be speaking more directly about meditation and will lead us in a practice.

To sit with Will, chat with Will, be in the same room with Will, is guaranteed to brighten your perspective and lighten the depths of your being. This is so because Will simply ‘is’. He is a true testament to the teachings that he received from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

Dapön Ryken became a student of Trungpa Rinpoche in October 1972 and joined the Dorje Kasung in 1975, attending the 2nd Magyal Pomra Encampment in 1979.  He became the personal attendant to Rinpoche, and spent thirty years in Boulder in association with Shambala.

Dapön Ryken now lives in Ruskin FL, along with his wife Paula Bickford, Kadö and their three dogs.  Will and Paula are active members of the St. Petersburg Fl Shambhala Center and teach around the Shambhala world.  This year Dapön Ryken was appointed a Shastri.  Dapön Ryken is widely known and beloved around the Shambhala Mountain Center for his insight, wisdom and humor.

https://www.shambhalamountain.org/teacher/dapon-will-ryken/

https://www.shambhalamountain.org

If you would like to know more about Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, check out this page from Shambhala:

https://shambhala.org/teachers/chogyam-trungpa/

*****

Tibetan Buddhist Teachings with Chamtrul Rinpoche

July 24-July 30, 2018

Chamtrul Rinpoche is the recognized reincarnation of a great master and scholar from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet.

Having studied many years, he holds a vast and profound knowledge of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen, and has been conferred the title ‘Khenpo’ – roughly equivalent to ‘Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy’.

Known for his nonsectarian quality, he has received all the cycles of teachings, empowerments and transmissions from more than twenty five accomplished masters and scholars from all four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism – namely, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug.

Chamtrul Rinpoche currently lives and teaches in India, in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala. Dedicating his life to helping people find inner peace, he also travels the world each year to teach and guide many old and new students.

In his own words:
“Teaching is what I do in this life, wherever someone asks me to teach, I am there. Without discriminating against anybody based on their gender, race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct of non-violence, which is the indispensable source for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of mind.”

For more information about Chamtrul Rinpoche, visit his website: http://www.chamtrul-rinpoche.com

Teaching Schedule

Tuesday, July 24,
10:00am-12:15pm: “Relationship between Body, Mind and Energy
1:30am-3:45pm: “Meditation On Selflessness”
Clearwater Sanctuary in Covington
For more information, contact:
info@clearwatersanctuary.org or (985) 630-1009

Wednesday, July 25
10:00am-12:15pm: “Meditation Teaching With Guided Practice ”
1:30pm-3:45pm   “Overview Of Vajrayana and Dzochen”
Clearwater Sanctuary in Covington
For more information, contact:
info@clearwatersanctuary.org or (985) 630-1009

Thursday, July 26, 7pm-9pm
Practicing the Union of Emptiness and Compassion
Mid-City Zen Center
3248 Castiglione Street

Friday, July 27, 7pm-9pm
Tong-Len: the Healing Power of Compassion
LHA Community Center
623 North Rendon

Saturday, July 28 – Sunday, July 29
Tonglen Teachings with Guided Meditation
LHA Community Center
623 North Rendon
Saturday, July 28, 11:00am-1:00pm & 3:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday, July 29, 11:00am-1:00pm

Monday, July 30, 6:45pm-8:00pm
Topic to be announced
Samten Choeling Dharma Center
For more information and to RSVP, contact:
Ngawang Legshe at (504) 723-1317

***** June 2018 *****

Tibetan House and Sorig Khang Bay Area Center for Traditional Tibetan Medicine present

Ku Nye Tibetan Massage & External Therapies Trainings
With Sorig Khang Center for Tibetan Medicine

June 15–19, 2018

Public Talk with Eric Rosenbush, L.Ac.
Thursday, June 14, 2018
7:00pm–9:00pm Central
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Streamed online at: bayarea.sorig.net/online

Ku Nye Tibetan Massage Level 1

with Eric Rosenbush, L.Ac.

June 15–19, 2018

VFW, 531 Lyons Street

Register by May 20 to receive a 20% discount!

Massage & Acupuncture CEUs pending.

Learn more & register at: bayarea.sorig.net/nola

Ku Nye is the therapeutic massage practice of the holistic healing science of Traditional Tibetan Medicine. Based on the five elements and three humors, it offers methods to balance specific ailments and harmonize the innate constitution.

In this training you will learn:

• Fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine

• Client assessment

• Indications & contraindications

• Preparation & use of herbal oils

• Body mobilization

• Application of heat & cold

• Techniques for tissues, channels, & points

Beneficial for health practitioners & the public:

• Doctors & nurses

• Massage therapists

• Acupuncturists

• Yoga instructors

About Eric Rosenbush, L.Ac.

Eric Rosenbush, L.Ac. is a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of Tibetan, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicine and Jyotish Vedic astroscience. He teaches worldwide as a senior Sorig Khang International instructor.

About Sorig Khang

Sorig Khang offers study & practice programs in Tibetan Medicine & the related Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual lineage under the guidance of Dr. Nida Chenagtsang.

For more information, contact:

Sorig Khang

Center for Tibetan Medicine

+1 (415) 842 4862

bayarea@sorig.net

bayarea.sorig.net/nola

—

After Ku Nye Level 1, continue training in additional Tibetan External Therapies:

• Ku Nye Tibetan Massage Level 2

• Channels & Points in Tibetan External Therapies

• Hormé Mongolian Oil Therapy

• Mébum Cupping Therapy

• Métsa (Moxibustion) Heat Therapy

• Yukchö Stick Therapy

• Lum Bath, Steam, & Compress Therapy

Expand your studies of Tibetan Medicine via the Foundations of TTM program:

• Learn the fundamentals of TTM theory

• Train in diagnostic techniques including:

• Pulse reading

• Urine analysis

• Train in treatment methods including:

• Lifestyle guidelines

• Diet regimens

• Herbal medicines

Many modules can be attended online!

Learn more at: bayarea.sorig.net/foundations

*****

.

***** May 2018 *****

Smoke Puja with the Venerable Tsering Phuntsok

Wednesday May 9
6:00pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas St

Every year we look forward to our annual Smoke Puja officiated by the Venerable Tsering Phuntsok, our very dear friend from India and Nepal. Simply explained, a Sang puja, or smoke puja, is a ritual of purification, clearing away stale and stuck energies, in yourself, in the environment, in the general state of affairs. It can be described as clearing of impurities in the midstream of those attending the offering. In truth, the depth of purpose of the Smoke Offering, or the Pure Offering, is far-reaching.

According to Sogyal Rinpoche:

Riwo Sangchö means ‘An unceasing offering to the mountain gods’, but it is much more than that. It is a practice of generosity and offering that frees your heart and inspires your generosity to others. It is a practice of prosperity that also brings you confidence. It is a practice of healing through which you repay all your karmic debts and heal your relationships. Riwo Sangchö is also practice of purification in which all your obscurations are purified and burned away in the sang offering. You purify the outer pollution (environmental degradation, disharmony, and physical sickness); You purify the inner pollution (negative emotions, blockages in your channels and imbalances in our energy) ; You purify the secret pollution (fundamental ignorance). Riwo Sangchö is also and especially a practice that enhances your energy and your lung ta, thus making your rigpa more vivid to you.

Please explore these websites for a more comprehensive understanding of what occurs when we join together with Tsering in the Smoke Offering.

• http://www.rigpawiki.org/index.php?title=Riwo_Sangchö
• https://samyeinstitute.org/wisdom/sang-puja-cleansing-offering/
• http://wcbs.us/rigzinphodrang/events/SmokeOfferingEN.htm
• http://www.lotsawahouse.org/tibetan-masters/dodrupchen-III/guide-sang-practice

Dharamsala Trip Alumni Reunion

Wednesday, May 9

6:00pm-8:00pm

Everyone who has traveled to India with one of the annual groups from Tulane, Loyola, Ochsner or LMHPCO is invited to attend.

Reconnect with classmates and network with like-minded professionals.

The evening will include a Smoke Puja led by Tsering Phuntsok and a brief presentation on the impact of 15 years of India trips from Louisiana. Perhaps we’ll also brainstorm on ways to continue to serve the Tibetan community in exile.

Food and drinks provided. Feel free to contribute if you are so inclined!

In addition to past participants, anyone attending a trip this year OR interested in joining one of the trips in the future is WELCOME to attend!

*****

Mindful Me Book Launch & Meditation Session for Youth, age 9-11

Saturday, May 12

11:00am-12:00pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Whitney Stewart, New Orleans’ own, will be with us at Tibetan House to launch her new book, ‘Mindful Me’, written for nine to twelve year olds, and an inspiration for all ages. Whitney is also the author of ‘Mediation is Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids’ and ‘Mindful Kids: 50 Mindfulness Activities for Kindness, focus and calm, a set of 50 colorful cards. Please come and meet Whitney, bring your kids aged nine to twelve, and experience a mindfulness practice.

 

About Mindful Me

Sometimes kids’ lives can get busy and out of control, and worries can take over. When that happens, knowing how to pause and regain composure with mindfulness can help! This easily digestible guide introduces kids to mindfulness as a way to find clarity, manage stress, handle difficult emotions, and navigate personal challenges. With over 30 breathing, relaxation, and guided meditation exercises, including stepby-step instructions, readers will have an entire toolkit at their disposal, and writing prompts will help them process their discoveries.In the activity book, kids will learn to settle their thoughts and look inward through a series of fun writing prompts, games, and meditation exercises. Serving as a guide to reflect upon the lessons learned in Mindful Me, it offers kids a place to record their reflections, creating a tangible account of how far they’ve grown in their meditation practice.

 

About Whitney Stewart

Whitney Stewart will travel far for a story. She’s trekked in the Himalaya with Sir Edmund Hillary and visited remote Buddhist monasteries in Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, and Japan. She’s interviewed Nobel laureates, sat for days in meditation retreats, and even been a puppeteer and salad chef in France. She is the author of travel stories, multiple children’s books, and when she is not writing or traveling, she teaches mindfulness and meditation to children.

*****

Chöd Ceremony with the Venerable Tsering Phuntsok

Tuesday May 15
7:00pm – 8:30pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas St

My first experience of the Chöd practice was on a bayou in Atchafalaya Basin. Setting up for the practice began predawn. As Tsering began the hauntingly beautiful practice of Chöd , we watched the mist on the bayou as the sun slowly brought a golden light into the morning.

I have read so many descriptions of this practice. I have heard it practiced many, many times while traveling in India and Nepal. There is no simple, easy way to translate the experience into an explanation. The Tibetan word Chöd translate into ‘to sever’. In context of this practice, it is to sever the ego and is most commonly referred to as ‘Cutting Through the Ego’.

Thank you, Tsering for sharing this powerful practice with us.

If you feel inclined, investigate these sites. There are many others. There are also youtube videos.

• https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2007/june/the-real-chod-practice
• https://chodpaorg.wordpress.com/what-is-chod/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_Vd4hpqFmk
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dreGjqO2yxY
• https://fpmt.org/mandala/archives/mandala-issues-for-2007/june/the-real-chod-practice/

*****

Applied Meditation Practices
A Taoist Approach with Stephen Josephs, Ed.D.
and guest, Jose Calderon-Abbo, M.D

Wednesdays, May 16, 23 & 30
7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Course fee: $60

This 3 module course looks at meditation as a pathway to feeling fully alive in the midst of life challenges. What are normally considered hinderances can, in fact, be gateways to our ever expanding experience of awareness. The practices you will learn are designed to deepen and stabilize your meditation.

In three successive sessions, we will learn specific sets of meditative skills that we will apply to 1) Pain reduction, 2) Unwanted behaviors and thoughts, and 3) The Paradox of Goal Achievement.

You may recognize this approach to inviting, accepting, and embracing all experience as characteristically Taoist in flavor. It is. Yet its principles are not only consistent with non-dual teaching from many traditions, but with recent discoveries in neuroscience.

To quote Lao Tzu:
…And whether a man dispassionately
Sees to the core of life
Or passionately
Sees the surface,
The core and the surface
Are essentially the same,
Words making them seem different
Only to express appearance.
If name be needed, wonder names them both:
From wonder into wonder
Existence opens.

- Witter Bynner translation (used with permission)

The sessions are meant to build on each other in succession but will be valuable as individual sessions, as well.

Stephen Josephs,Ed.D. has practiced meditation and various mind-body disciplines for over 50 years. This includes Taoist “water method” meditation – a method of systematic dissolving of blocks while in a state of non-dual awareness. He has been an executive coach for over 37 years. He co-authored Leadership Agility, a study of how leaders mature in their roles and how maturation affects their capacity to lead. This evolution for executives all comes down to “getting over yourself,” and meditation is offered to leaders as a cure for self-importance. As Lao Tzu would say of a sound man and a leader, “By never being an end in himself, he endlessly becomes himself.”

Jose Calderon-Abbo, M.D. is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine, with an additional certification in mind-body medicine. He is a long time Vipassana practitioner, and mind-body medicine group facilitator. Dr. Calderon is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry with LSU School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, Clinical faculty at Tulane University, and is the Medical Director of the New Orleans Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse. He is Senior Faculty at the Center for Mind- Body Medicine in Washington DC. where he conducts national and international trainings and supervision in mind-body medicine skills for the general public, healthcare providers and the department of defense. He is developing and studying an emergent model for relapse prevention and mental health care combining neurosciences, mind-body medicine, and functional medicine for mental health, wellness, and addictions.

Dr. Calderon is the host of Whole Body Mental Health Radio, a radio show that thinks broadly about mental health and addictions, from the mind-body connection and genetics, to the community and the world! This program airs on WHIV, 102.3 FM, on Wednesday evenings, 7:00pm-8:00pm. The archive is available on itunes.

For more information about Dr. Calderon’s practice, visit his website, www.mindfulpsychiatry.com.

*****

Tsering Phuntsok at Tibetan House

Thursday, May 17
11:00am-6:00pm

This photo of our dear friend, the Venerable Tsering Phuntsok, brings so much joy to my heart!!! I think his smile brings joy to anyone who meets him. We are so happy he is here with us again.Tsering will be at Tibetan House all day Thursday, May 17th, 11am – 6:00pm. If you have not met him, please come in and do so. If you have met him, he will be very happy to see you.

Tsering is available for private sessions. You can schedule an astrology readings, or a sitting, or have a question/answer discussions.

Drop in or make an appointment to visit with him.
To connect with Tsering, contact Tibetan House: info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.

*****

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective with Thich Thien Tri

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri, Thay, will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. Since his arrival in the USA in 2002, Thay has taught in many US cities. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish ’Zen and Mind Family’.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will be introduced to these practices:
• Four Noble Truths
• Six Senses and the objects of Six Senses
• Sitting, standing, walking meditation
• Chanting
• Mani Mantra

We are offering two opportunities for this course:

Saturday evenings, 6:30pm – 8:30pm
June 2- July 28

Fee: $200

Pre-registration is required: contact Tibetan House at 504 897 9339 or info@tibetanhouse.com

Location: Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas St.

If you have to miss a class, Thich Thien Tri will be happy to have a make up class with you.

Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

Please let us know if you would like to participate! We need five participants for the course to take place!

*****

SoulCollage,

Workshop with Catherine Williams

Sunday, May 20
12:45pm-5:30pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Cost: $40
Please be prompt, doors lock at 1pm

SoulCollage® is an engaging process of making 5″x8″ collage cards. Different than traditional collage, the images come together in ways that may surprise you, each card reflecting an aspect of your personality.

This creative process offers a way of making meaning beyond the world of words through colors and images that appeal to you.

Created by Seena Frost, SoulCollage® has evolved as a way to deepen your connection to self and your own purpose in this world, using images that intuitively call to you.

Eventually you’ll have a deck of personal wisdom cards, created through the knowing guidance of your intuition. Then through an interactive process of ”reading” the card, you will find it offers access to a place of wisdom and kindness in yourself. From this place come messages from your Self to your self, timely and affirming.
About Catherine Williams

Catherine Williams has been a SoulCollage® facilitator since September 2011. With a Master’s Degree in Drama Therapy, she has led workshops for over 20 years combining art, movement and drama therapy. She is certified as a teacher of the Enneagram in the narrative tradition.

*****

Drepung Gomang Monks in New Orleans

May 21-29, 2018

We are overjoyed that the monks of the Sacred Art Tour of Drepung Gomang Monastery in South India will be with us for the end of May. The Sacred Art Tour is committed to preserving the Tibetan Culture, Traditions and Religions.

Thursday, May 24, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

***** Vajrasattva Purification Puja

$20 Suggested Offering

 

 

Saturday, May 26, 12:00pm-5:00pm

New Orleans Healing Center, 2372 St Claude Avenue

***** 12:00pm-5:00pm Tibetan Goods Market

***** 1:00pm Puja for World Peace

***** 4:00pm Snow Lion Dance

$20 Suggested Offering

 

 

 

Sunday, May 27

The Fly at Audubon Park

***** 5:00pm Puja

$20 Suggested Offering

We are very sorry to have to cancel the World Peace Puja this Sunday afternoon, May 27, at the Fly. Unfortunately, the Drepung Gomang Monks from South India have to leave New Orleans earlier than expected.

Our apologies to those of you that were looking forward to this beautiful and timely peace offering

 

 

 

About the Monastery:

“Drepung Gomang Monastic University is one of the most reputed centers (the three great seats: Drepung, Gaden and Sera) for learning, contemplating and practicing Tibetan Buddhist thoughts and science notably known as the second Nalanda University in Tibet. As prophesied in Langsheg Sutra by Lord Buddha: When once Nagaraja Madhopa pledged Lord Buddha with a white conch, Lord Buddha handed it over to Maugalayana, one of his two closest attendants who possessed transcendental miracle-power, with blessed and instructive decree to take it to Gogpa Ri (Garlic Hill) at Gaden in Tibet and hide it there in the hill. It adds that in the future the Bhiksu of Lotus-purity in nature would unearth it and it would thereafter be used as Tsogdhung, to be blown as the signaling medium for gathering to spiritual congregation …..”

( H.E. 80th Abbot /Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Gyaltsen)

 

The Sacred Art Tour is also a fundraising venture for the Monastery:

“This monastery solely survives on the donations, contribution and prayer offering and every single fund helps us a lot in taking care of our monks here.

We conveys our sincere thank you to kind donors, sponsors, well wishers for their continuous support which has made this monastery to survive here in exile.

We sincerely appeal everyone to continue kind support towards this monastery and will understand if you are unable to do so. We thank you all once again and will include you all in our daily prayers.”

http://drepunggomang.org/test-tour-page/326-sacred-art-tour-2017-2018

*****

*****     April 2018     *****

 

An Evening with Will Ryken

Thursday, April 12 at 7:00pmTibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Tibetan House is very excited to host Will Rykenfor an evening talk. Dapön Will Ryken became a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in October 1972. If you are unfamiliar with Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, you can watch the documentary film, Crazy Wisdom.

About Will Ryken
Will Ryken has been teaching in prisons for the

past twenty years and is currently a mentor for a gentleman on death row in Angola state prison in Louisiana.

He first connected to Chögyam Trungpa and the Buddhadharma in Boulder, Colorado in 1972 and that was it. While in Boulder, he became a Dorje Kasung in 1975, lived at Karme Chöling for two years and then was Director of Dorje Khyung Dzong for another two, returning to Boulder until moving to Florida in 2006. Mr. Ryken co-founded the Shambhala Sun Summer camp in 1984, and he is a Dapön in the Dorje Kasung. He currently lives in Ruskin FL. with his wife Paula Bickford. They both teach and play at the St. Petersburg Shambhala Center as well as teaching and assistant directing Shambhala and Kasung Programs around the world. Mr. Ryken is well known for his wisdom and humor.

 

*****

Offering Two 9-week Courses in

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

Tuesdays, 9:00am – 11:00am
April 3 – May 29

and

Saturdays, 6:00pm-8:00pm
April 14 – June 9

For each course:
Fee: $200
Pre-Registration is required.
Minimum 5 students,
Maximum 10 students

Each course remains open for new participants for the first 3 classes.

To register, contact Tibetan House
info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our  lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****

Traditional Tibetan Medicine Workshops at Tibetan House
With Sorig Khang Bay Area Center
for Tibetan Medicine

April 5-April 8, 2018

 

We are excited to announce our next offering of talks, practices, and classes from the Tibetan medical tradition, offered April 5–8 by Jason Whitlow, director of Sorig Khang Bay Area!

And please save the date for a 5-day intensive training in Tibetan Ku Nye Massage, coming June 15–19 at Tibetan House! More details to come.

Learn more at: bayarea.sorig.net

Introduction to Ku Nye Tibetan Massage & External Therapies
Healing the Body, Energy, & Mind

Thursday, April 5, 2018

7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Streamed online at: bayarea.sorig.net/online

Traditional Tibetan Medicine (known in Tibetan as Sowa Rigpa) is one of the oldest healing traditions in existence, offering a vast medical knowledge that is accessible to everyone. In addition to its lifestyle, diet, and herbal remedies, TTM contains a sophisticated array of healing therapies including Ku Nye Tibetan massage, Horme Mongolian oil therapy, Lum bath therapy, Yukcho stick therapy, La energy massage, and more.

In this talk, Jason will offer an overview of the external healing therapies in the Tibetan medical tradition. He will describe the unique approach and qualities of each therapy, and explain how they can be used to prevent as well as cure disease. He will also review the fundamentals of typology in Tibetan Medicine, and help us to learn the best therapies for our individual constitution.

Suggested Donation: $20

Eliminating Obstacles Meditation
From the Spiritual Tradition of Tibetan Medicine
Friday, April 6, 2018
7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans
Streamed online at: bayarea.sorig.net/online

Join us for a guided meditation practice to eliminate obstacles and hidden obstructions of all kinds. From the Yuthok Nyingthig, the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, this accessible practice invokes the blessings of the father of Tibetan Medicine and the four activity dakinis to clear away difficulties and develop healing wisdom for the benefit of ourselves and others.

Suggested Donation: $20

Nejang Tibetan Healing Yoga Workshop: Opening the Channels, Balancing the Energy
Saturday, April 7, 2018
10:00am-6:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans

Nejang is a simple-yet-profound Tibetan healing yoga practice consisting of breath work, physical exercises, and self-massage. It is designed to improve the function of the sense and inner organs, open the channels, balance the energy, and relax the mind. With roots in the Tibetan Buddhist Kalachakra tradition, it has been prescribed to patients by Tibetan doctors for centuries due to its ability to support health and cure disease.

In this workshop, Jason will introduce the fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine, including the channels and energies of the subtle body, and teach the key points of posture and breath used in Nejang. We will then learn and practice some of the twenty-four Nejang exercises and explore their specific therapeutic applications using the Nejang text and commentaries.

For more information, and to register, please visit: bayarea.sorig.net/nola

Tibetan La Massage
Sunday, April 8, 2018
10:00am-6:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street, New Orleans

‘La’ Massage is one of the subtle energetic treatments from the Tibetan medical tradition. It is used to replenish the vital protective energy known as ‘la’, described in both the Tibetan medical and astrological traditions as an essence of our consciousness. ‘La’ energy pervades the body, circulating through it on a lunar cycle and giving us strength and vigor, as well as bliss, sensitivity, and satisfaction. Signs of depleted ‘la’ energy include feelings of tiredness, sadness, and anxiety, a fuzzy mind, and a grayish complexion.

In this workshop, we will review the fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine, including the five elements and three humors, and will learn how their gross and subtle forms (including ‘la’ energy) manifest in our body, energy, and mind. Jason will then introduce the practice of ‘La’ Massage, including the visualizations, recitations, and techniques used to contact and replenish this protective energy. Advice will also be given on how we can gather and protect ‘la’ energy in our day-to-day life, as a means of supporting our vitality and sense of blissful well-being.

 

For more information, and to register, please visit: bayarea.sorig.net/nola
Workshop Fees
One Workshop:
Register by Mar 25:        $120
Register after Mar 25:    $150
Both Workshops:
Register by Mar 25:        $200
Register after Mar 25:    $270

About Jason Whitlow
Director of Sorig Khang Bay Area, Jason graduated with honors from Harvard University, where he studied neurobiology and computer science, and has worked professionally as a somatics teacher and modern dancer. He has studied and practiced for many years under the guidance of Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, a renowned doctor of Tibetan Medicine and holder of the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage.
About Sorig Khang Bay Area

Sorig Khang Bay Area is a nonprofit center offering programs in the study and practice of Traditional Tibetan Medicine and the related Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual lineage. It is part of Sorig Khang International, a network of Tibetan Medicine centers in over 40 countries around the world.
Learn more at: bayarea.sorig.net

*****     March 2018     *****

Offering Two 9-week Courses in

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

Tuesdays, 9:00am – 11:00am
March 6-May 1

and

Saturdays, 6:00pm-8:00pm
March 10-May 5

For each course:
Fee: $200
Pre-Registration is required.
Minimum 5 students,
Maximum 10 students

Each course remains open for new participants for the first 3 classes.

To register, contact Tibetan House
info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our  lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****

Practicing Mindfulness in our Daily Living

An Evening with the Venerable Dr. Thich Tam Duc

Thursday, March 22 at 7:00pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Suggested donation $20

Our instructor for Buddhism from a Zen Perspective, Thich Thien Tri, is very excited to introduce his teacher to you. His teacher, Ven. Dr. Thich Tam Duc, is visiting from Vietnam and will be in New Orleans for six weeks.  He will be at Tibetan House on Thursday, March 22.

About Ven. Dr. Thich Tam Duc
Ven. Dr. Thich Tam Duc, born in 1953 in Thua Thien, Vietnam.  He is a highly accomplished scholar with degrees in History, Buddhist Studies and Philosophy.

Ven. Dr. Thich Tam Duc is a Standing Member of the Central Dhamma Executive Council of Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, the Vice Rector and General Secretary of the Vietnam Buddhist Research Institute as well as the Vice Rector & Lecturer of Vietnam Buddhist University in Ho Chi Minh City. He has given Dhamma lectures  and presentations on Buddhism throughout the world including the  United States, Canada, India, Thailand, Taiwan, the Philippines, New Zealand, Australia.

For more information contact Tibetan House:

info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339

*****

Tibetan Buddhist Teachings w/ Lama Lena
January 12 – January 16, 2018

Lama Lena (Yeshe Khaytup)

Comfortably straddling both East and West, Lama Lena, brings with her 40 plus years of traditional Buddhist study and practice, including a 7 year cave retreat in Tso Pema, India as well as some 30 years traveling and translating for the Venerable Wangdor Rinpoche, whose lineage in both Dzogchen and Chagchen she holds.Traveling internationally, she teaches in a direct, informal style, blending earthy wit with compassion and incisive clarity. Currently, when not teaching, Lama Lena divides her time between home in the San Francisco Bay Area and India, continuing to assist Ven. Wangdor Rinpoche, and providing medical assistance, as a Doctor of Chinese Medicines, to the Tibetan refugee community, local villagers, and mountain tribe people.

At Tibetan House
Introduction to Dzogchen:  Direct Mind Perception
Friday, January 12,  7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

At LHA Community Center
Lhundup Teachings: Awakening through our feelings & emotions,
the spontaneous perfection of appearances
Saturday, January 13, 11:00am-5:00pm
LHA Community Center. 623 N. Rendon Street
Session 1: 11:00am – 1:00pm;
Session 2: 3:00pm – 5:00pm

Sunday, January 14, 11:00am-1:00pm (Continued)
LHA Community Center, 623 N. Rendon Street
Session 3: 11:00am – 1:00pm

These three sessions do build upon one another yet you are encouraged to attend at least one, any one, if that is all you are able to do.

At Tibetan House
Refuge Ceremony and Teachings
Tuesday, January 16, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
This session is for those wishing to go deeper into Buddhism.

Suggested Donation $20 for each talk.
No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For more information, contact Tibetan House at
info@tibetanhouse.com or call (504) 897-9339.

Awakening the Third Eye, Wenndi Freer in New Orleans

Introduction to the Third Eye, an Evening with Wenndi Freer
Thursday, January 18, 7pm-8:30pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Free

Have you ever wondered what the Third Eye really is, and what it would be like to experience being in the third eye? In this talk, Wenndi Freer will be taking us into the mysterious and intriguing realm of the Third Eye. She’ll also be introducing us to subtle bodies and how to cultivate awakening by working on these subtle bodies of energy.   Following this talk, Wenndi will be leading a workshop, “Awakening the Third Eye”, at Ashtanga Yoga Room, Jan 20 & 21.

Awakening the Third Eye Weekend Workshop
Saturday, January 20, 11:45am-6:00pm
Sunday, January 21, 11:15am-6:45pm
Ashtanga Yoga Room, 2521 Jena Street
Fee: $150

Awakening the Third Eye is for those who want direct experience of deeper states of consciousness and those who want to learn skills for cultivating and managing their energy. You will learn a technique that develops awareness of the third eye, an energetic organ of perception. It will include third eye meditation techniques for awakening spiritual vision, protecting and grounding your energy, quieting your mind, and fast recuperation from fatigue. We will explore easy and powerful ways to incorporate what you are learning into your daily life. The result will be a sense of awakening that has the potential to renew and invigorate your passion for life.  Click here for additional details.

Click here to register for the weekend workshop.
For more information, contact Ashtanga Yoga Room, (504) 813 3738.

Sunday, December 17
10:00am-5:00pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Journey from Zanskar

Journey from Zanskar, Film Screening
Wednesday, December 27, 6:30pm
Unity of New Orleans Spiritual Center
3722 St. Charles Avenue

Admission: $10.00

Meet Filmmaker Frederick Marx
Thursday, December 28, 7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Suggested donation: $10.00

About the Film
Zanskar is one of the last remaining original Tibetan Buddhist societies with a continuous untainted lineage dating back thousands of years. In nearby Tibet and Ladakh, in Sikkim, Bhutan, and Nepal, traditional Tibetan Buddhist culture is either dead already or dying. The horror of Chinese government design in Tibet is being matched by the destruction of global economics elsewhere. Zanskar, ringed by high Himalayan mountains in northwest India, one of the most remote places on the planet, has been safe until now. But that’s changing.

In 3-5 years a road connecting Padum, the heart of Zanskar, with Leh, the heart of neighboring Ladakh, will be finished. The route which previously took up to two days by car will take only 4-5 hours. As economic growth descends on Zanskar it will bring with it an end to this unbroken Buddhist social tradition. Will the native language, culture, and religious practice be able to survive?  Watch Journey From Zanskar to discover how two humble monks, far from their Buddhist temple, honor their vows by supporting these remote village children to get a great Buddhist education.

About the Filmmakers
Warrior Films produces compelling documentary films about solutions to the world’s problems: Everyday people finding ways to overcome oppressive socio-economic barriers. Most known for HOOP DREAMS, we tell transformational stories that transform lives. Though we specialize in stories of the poor, youth, people of color, the dispossessed… each story is issue specific. We go worldwide to tell the right story.

*****     November 2017     *****

Introduction to Tranditional Tibetan Medicine: Cultivating Health, Long Life, and Happiness

Led by Jason Whitlow, Director of Sorig Khang Bar Area

November 16-November 19

We are very excited to announce our first workshops in the fundamentals of Traditional Tibetan Medicine, starting this November! These talks and workshops will be offered by Jason Whitlow, director of Sorig Khang Bay Area.

Sorig Khang Bay Area is a nonprofit center offering programs in the study and practice of Traditional Tibetan Medicine, and the related Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual lineage. It is part of Sorig Khang International, a network of Tibetan Medicine centers, teachers, and practitioners in over 40 countries around the world.

To learn more and register: bayarea.sorig.net.

EVENING TALKS
Thursday November 16. 7:00pm – 9:00pm
“May I Benefit Beings Like the Sun and the Moon”: An Introduction to the Spiritual Tradition of Tibetan Medicine

The Yuthok Nyingthig is the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, practiced by doctors, healers, and meditators from all lineages. Known for its concise methods and swift blessings, it is the perfect practice for modern, busy practitioners. It contains one-of-a-kind techniques to develop intuition and healing abilities while cultivating wisdom and compassion.

These teachings have been transmitted by Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, a renowned doctor of Tibetan Medicine and lineage holder of the Yuthok Nyingthig. In this talk, Jason will introduce the history and singular qualities of the Yuthok Nyingthig, and will give an overview of the structure and approach of this cycle of Vajrayana Buddhist practice. He will also lead a guided meditation and mantra recitation from this tradition.

Suggested donation $20

Friday November 17, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Medicine Buddha Healing Meditation

Join us for a guided meditation practice on the Medicine Buddha, the embodiment of perfect healing wisdom. From the Mantra Healing Treatise of Tibetan master Ju Mipham Rinpoche, this accessible practice uses mantra and visualization, the power of sound and mind, to heal ourselves and others.

Suggested donation $20
FULL DAY WORKSHOPS
Saturday November 18, 10:00am – 6:00pm
A Personalized Approach to Health: Typology in Tibetan Medicine

One of the oldest medical systems in existence, Tibetan Medicine offers a truly personalized approach to cultivating health based on each individual’s unique typology. Through understanding the distinctive traits of our own body and mind, we can make better choices to prevent and cure disease and to support our own well-being.

In this workshop, we will learn the fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine, including the five elements and three humors that are the foundation of typology. Through interactive exercises, we will determine our own personal typology, and will explore Tibetan Medicine advice about the best diet, lifestyle, and external therapies for each type. We will also learn about simple ‘kitchen pharmacy’ remedies that can be made using the food and spices in our own home

Sunday November 19, 10:00am – 6:00pm
Nejang Tibetan Healing Yoga Workshop

Nejang is a Tibetan healing yoga practice that consists of simple breath work, physical exercises, and self-massage. It is designed to improve the function of the sense and inner organs, open the channels, balance the energy, and relax the mind. With roots in the Tibetan Buddhist Kalachakra tradition, it has been prescribed to patients by Tibetan doctors for centuries due to its ability to support health and cure disease.

In this workshop, Jason will introduce the fundamentals of Tibetan Medicine, including the channels and energies of the subtle body, and teach the key points of posture and breath used in Nejang. We will then learn and practice some of the twenty-four Nejang exercises and explore their specific therapeutic applications using the Nejang text and commentaries.
For more information, and to register, please visit: bayarea.sorig.net/nola

Registration Fees for Workshops
One Full Day Workshop:
Register by Nov 4: $120
Register after Nov 4: $150

Both Full Day Workshops:
Register by Nov 4: $200
Register after Nov 4: $270

To register, visit the Sorig Khang Bay Area website: https://bayarea.sorig.net/schedule/

About Jason Whitlow

Jason Whitlow is director of Sorig Khang Bay Area, a nonprofit center offering programs in Tibetan Medicine and the Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual tradition. Jason graduated with honors from Harvard University, where he studied neurobiology and computer science, and worked as a somatics teacher and professional modern dancer. He has studied and practiced for many years under the guidance of Dr. Nida Chenagtsang, a renowned doctor of Tibetan Medicine and holder of the Yuthok Nyingthig lineage

*****

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:00am

November 21-January 30
Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

Registration for this course is open until December 5.

Adjustments will be made for the holidays.

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

Death and Dying from a Tibetan Buddhist Perspective

Wednesday, November 29

A conversation with Paloma Landry about spiritual preparation and actions that can be done for ourselves and to assist others during the dying process.

About Paloma Landry
Paloma Landry studied Tibetan language at Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal. After becoming proficient in the Tibetan language she began translating for Tibetan monks and teachers in 2002. Since then she has translated for dozens of lectures on the Tibetan and Buddhist view of death and dying, fielded hundreds of questions in translation on the topic, and facilitated advice and practices to be done during the dying process. After serving as one of the primary care takers for her grandmother and a close friend as they were dying, she realized that Americans are vastly unprepared for death, resulting in enormous stress and suffering for both the patients and their families and loved ones. After exploring this further and studying many articles and legal aspects associated with dying, she began providing death and dying workshops across the U.S. and Canada in hopes that we can be better prepared for this inevitable outcome to our lives.

*****     October 2017     *****

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

October 14-December 9, Saturday evenings

Saturdays, 6:00pm-8:30pm
Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

This course remains open for new participants through October 28.

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****     September 2017     *****

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:30am

September 5-October 31
Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****     August 2017     *****

An Evening with Violet Law, Official Translator for Tsering Woeser

Voices From Tibet: Selected Essays and Reportage
written by Tsering Woeser and Wang Lixiong

Fore more information, here’re two other pieces by Tsering Woeser, trasnlated by Violet Law published in the New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/15/opinion/learning-to-forget-tibet-in-china.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/03/opinion/international/tibets-enduring-defiance.html?_r=0

Introduction to Tibetan Medicine

Cultivating Health, Long Life, & Happiness

Traditional Tibetan Medicine (known in Tibetan as Sowa Rigpa) is one of the oldest healing traditions in existence. It offers a vast medical knowledge that is accessible to everyone, and supports the cultivation of a happy mind along with a healthy body.

In this talk, Jason Whitlowwill introduce TTM’s essential understanding of health and disease, its sophisticated diagnostic techniques, as well as its many practical healing methods including diet and lifestyle guidelines, natural medicines, and external therapies including massage and acupuncture.

Whitlow will also introduce the unique spiritual tradition of Tibetan Medicine, which contains a complete path of Buddhist practice as well as healing yoga, mantra, and meditation practices.

This talk will also be streamed online at: facebook.com/sorigkhangbayarea

About Sorig Khang Bay Area
Sorig Khang Bay Area is a nonprofit center offering programs in the study and practice of Sowa Rigpa (Traditional Tibetan Medicine) and the related Yuthok Nyingthig spiritual lineage. It is part of Sorig Khang International, a network of Tibetan Medicine centers, teachers, and practitioners in over 40 countries around the world. Learn more at: bayarea.sorig.net

About Jason Whitlow
Jason is director of Sorig Khang Bay Area. He has studied Tibetan Medicine and the Yuthok Nyingthig for many years under the guidance of renowned Tibetan doctor and yogi Dr. Nida Chenagtsang. Jason graduated with honors from Harvard University, where he studied neurobiology and computer science, and previously worked as a somatics teacher and professional modern dancer.

Dakini Mantra Practice
On Thursday morning, August 17, from 10:00–10:30 AM Central, join Sorig Khang Bay Area online to chant the healing mantra of the five dakinis, the embodiment of feminine wisdom and power, to heal both women and men and to harmonize the planet. This short guided practice is open to everyone.
Join online at: www.crowdcast.io/sorig

*****     July 2017     *****

Chamtrul Rinpoche in New Orleans

July 18-July 23, 2017

About Chamtrul Rinpoche

Chamtrul Rinpoche is the recognized reincarnation of a great master and scholar from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet.

Having studied many years, he holds a vast and profound knowledge of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen, and has been conferred the title ‘Khenpo’ – roughly equivalent to ‘Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy’.

Known for his nonsectarian quality, he has received all the cycles of teachings, empowerments and transmissions from more than twenty five accomplished masters and scholars from all four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism – namely, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug.

Chamtrul Rinpoche currently lives and teaches in India, in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala. Dedicating his life to helping people find inner peace, he also travels the world each year to teach and guide many old and new students.

In his own words:
“Teaching is what I do in this life, wherever someone asks me to teach, I am there. Without discriminating against anybody based on their gender, race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct of non-violence, which is the indispensable source for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of mind.”

Tuesday, July 18, 6:45pm – 8:00pm
A teaching on “Meditation on Metta Practices”
Samten Choeling Dharma Center
For more information and to RSVP, contact:
Ngawang Legshe at (504) 723-1317

Wednesday, July 19, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Teaching on “Practicing the Two Collections” (of merit and wisdom)
Clearwater Sanctuary in Covington
For more information, contact:
info@clearwatersanctuary.org or 985 630-1009

Thursday, July 20, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Teaching on “Mind Training”
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Friday, July 21, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Teaching on “Practicing Mindfulness and Vigilance”
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Saturday, July 22-Sunday, July 23,
Day and a Half Teaching on 12 Links of Interdependent Origination
Swaha Yoga Center, LHA 623 North Rendon Street

Saturday, July 22
11:00am-1:00pm & 3:00pm-5:00pm
Sunday, July 23,
11:00am-1:00pm

All events are free and open to the public.
Donations to help with travel expenses will be much appreciated.
Please arrive at least 15 minutes before the event begins.

An envelope will be provided for an offering that you can present to Rinpoche
at the end of the teaching.  This offering reflects
your appreciation of the teacher and the Dharma.

For more information, visit Chamtrul Rinpoche’s website:
www.bodhicitta.org

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

Saturdays, 6:00pm-8:30pm
Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****     June 2017     *****

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:30am
June 13-August 8

Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

*****     May 2017     *****

Evenings with Tsering Phuntsok at Tibetan House

Thursday, May 4
Mantra Chanting for World Peace and Healing for the Lost Soul
7:00pm-8:00pm

Thursday, May 11
37 Practices of Bodhisattva
7:00pm-8:00pm

Thursday, May 18
Pilgrimage in Nepal with Tsering Phuntsok
7:00pm-8:00pm

Venerable Tsering Phuntsok was born in the Himalayas, in a Nepal town bordering India and Tibet. In 1982, at the age of 12, he began his study and practice of Buddhism from his own village monastery. In 1986, at 16 years of age, he joined Palyul Choekhorling Nyingmapa Buddhist Monastery in Bir, India. Tsering Phuntsok has received many teachings and transmissions in both Sutra and Tantra in Tibetan Buddhism from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, H.H. Drupwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche and many others great Masters.

Beginning in 2002, Tsering Phuntsok has been a group host, teacher and leader in programs from the United States, Europe and Mexico that study Tibetan culture and Buddhism in India and Nepal.  In 2009, by invitation from universities in the United States, and by direction of his monastic Abbot, H.E. Rigo Tulku Rinpoche, Tsering began traveling and sharing his experience about Himalayan Culture and Buddhism in America and Europe.
Tibetan House is located in Uptown New Orleans,
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Suggested $10 donation to support travel accommodations, meals and  expenses.

For more information, visit  www.tibetanhouse.com or contact  Tibetan House: info@tibetanhouse.com,  (504) 897-9339

Basic Buddhist Meditation from a Zen Perspective

9-week course with Thich Thien Tri

Saturdays, 6:00pm-8:30pm
May 13-July 8

or

Tuesdays, 9:00am-11:30am
May 9-July 11

Classes held at Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas St
Fee: $200

Pre-registration required.  Contact Tibetan House, info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.
Space is limited. Minimum 5 students, Maximum 10 students

Zen teacher Thich Thien Tri will be leading this course. He graduated from Vietnamese Buddhist Association with a Bachelor of Arts in Buddhism. He began his journey in America in 2002 and has taught in many cities in the US. In July 2015, he was invited by Van Hanh Buddhist Center of New Orleans to establish the ‘Zen and Mind Family’ in order to teach how meditation benefits our lives, spiritually, emotionally and physically.

This course is progressive, each class building on the previous class. You will learn sitting, standing, and walking meditation practices. You will study how to chant, the Mani mantra, the Six Senses and the Object of Six Senses, and the Four Noble Truths. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a certificate and graduate to the next level.

Dreaming in Color, an Evening with Haiyan Khan- Founder of Santosha Village

Thursday, May 25

7:00pm-8:30pm

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Join us for an interactive dialogue with Haiyan Khan, founder of Santosha Village, a local organization working to build a tiny house, healing community for the homeless in New Orleans. Haiyan will describe the Village concept and facilitate a discussion on tiny house design, community living, emotional wellness, and creating the space to ask, “what is a meaningful life”.

Suggested donation $10 to support Santosha Village.

For more information about Santosha Village, visit santoshavillage.org or contact haiyan@santoshavillage.org.

*****     April 2017     *****

Smoke Offering for New Orleans Commemorating Prayer Flag Day

Thursday, April 20, 7pm

Suggested Offering $10, greatly appreciated.

We are delighted to have The Ven. Tsering Phuntsok with us to officiate our spring Smoke Offering.

A Smoke offering, or Sang,  is focused on the Gods of the mountain, the Gods of the sky, the Gods of the river, and the Gods of all aspects. You first invite the Gods of the whole universe, and then you offer especially to  the Gods of your local place.

The Sanskrit word for offering is puja meaning to please. A traditional ritual of healing and purification, a puja is offered to overcome negativity that may be obstructing release from suffering. The chanted prayers of the puja promote spiritual, emotional, mental and physical well being.

We will also commemorate Prayer Flag Day, April 20, 2013. On this day we officially invited the City of New Orleans to raise flags as a welcoming gesture to His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Ten miles of prayer flags were raised!!!

Traditionally, prayer flags are left flying until there is nothing left of them. Prayer Flags that come down before they disintegrate, should be hung in a forest, rather than put in the trash. If you are ready to replace your prayer flags, or if you have some you want to get rid of, bring them to us on April 20, and we will hang them in a forest.

*****     March 2017     *****

Permaculture from Gandhian & Buddhist Perspectives:
Modern & Traditional Approaches in Nepal and India
An evening with Michael Smith, Co-Founder of Woven Earth

Thursday, March 9 at 7pm

This talk and Q&A will define and explore the practice of Permaculture as a contemporary expression of traditional worldviews that advance harmony and freedom within the individual, society and the natural environment. The speaker will provide practical examples that focus on Tibetan Buddhist and Gandhian ethical philosophies, discussing ways to overcome the challenge of practically implementing these perspectives in modern life and spiritual practice.

Michael D Smith, MSW MPH is a Louisiana native and adjunct faculty at the Tulane School of Social Work and Loyola University, coordinating and instructing their India Summer Study Abroad Programs. He teaches courses on culture, contemporary social activism, and the religions of north India, Nepal, and Tibet, drawing on 14 years of extensive travel, language study and work in South Asia. He is a Board Member of the Louisiana Himalaya Association (www.lhainfo.org) and a co-founder of Woven Earth (www.wovenearth.org), which organizes courses in Permaculture and natural building in Nepal and Indonesia.

Thursday, March 9 at 7pm

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Suggested Donation: $10.00

For more information about Woven Earth: www.wovenearth.org/nepalpermacultureadventure

*****     February 2017     *****

Khentrul Lodrö Thaye Rinpoche

Public Talks in New Orleans

Khentrul Rinpoche was born in Tibet. He became a monk at the age of seven and spent thirty years studying meditation and techniques for working with the mind to bring positive change into the world from the inside out. He is the abbot of a monastery in Eastern Tibet, but has been in the United States since 2002. He oversees over twenty meditation groups across the United States and Canada. His main retreat center is in Parthenon, Arkansas.

Meditation: The Key to Opening the Secret of the Mind
Thursday, February 9, 7pm-9pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Our minds are filled with endless thoughts that move ceaselessly like waves on the surface of the ocean. Being in constant turmoil, our minds are obscured, like a sky enshrouded by clouds. So we cannot develop inner peace and happiness. This is the main source of suffering. If we know how to meditate correctly, we will be able to unveil the secret of our mind and thus establish a basis for happiness within ourselves.

Finding Joy in Troubled Times
Friday, February 10, 7pm-9pm
Audubon Yoga Studio, 511 Octavia Street

Khentrul Rinpoche will reveal how we can enjoy much greater well-being in our lives by sharing some remarkable and little known tools for transforming adversity. The vast majority of us have never considered this method for transforming our experience. It is an unparalleled approach which directly pertains to the modern challenges we face.

Suggested Donation $10-20 for each talk.

No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

For more information contact

Wink at 504-251-4370 or winkwink2000@hotmail.com

Presented by The Louisiana Himalaya Association (LHA) and the Tibetan House.

*****     January 2017     *****

Ayurveda, The Path of Healing
An evening with Kyle Roberts

Thursday January 19, 7pm
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Donation accepted to attend the talk.

Each session in an hour in length.
Cost is $85 per person.

To schedule a consultation, contact…
For more information about Kyle Roberts, visit his website, krveda.com.

*****

We are honored to share this wonderful video of Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche’s talk on Tibetan Buddhism at the Tulane School of Social Work Mindfulness Conference from June 2016.

For more information about Karma Rinpoche, visit Karma’s website: http://www.karmalhundup.org.

*****     September 2016    *****

The Heart of Buddha’s Teaching
with Anam Thubten

The heart of Buddha’s teaching is the awakening of mind and heart.  In such a profound inner transformation, our awakened mind sees the wonder, the magic, the beauty, the joy of our human existence and our awakened heart can embrace all circumstances of this life with love and compassion.

Anam Thubten invites everyone to look into our karmic and psychological habitual tendencies and to undo them so such profound awakening is possible for all.

About Anam Thubten

Anam Thubeten grew up in Tibet and at an early age began to practice in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.   He is the founder and spiritual advisor of Dharmata Foundation, teaching widely in the U.S. and occasionally abroad.   He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more information about Anam Thubten, visit his website: dharmata.org

Thursday, September 8, 2016
7:00pm-9:00pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Suggestion Donation: $10

Sunday, September 11, 2016
10:00am-5:00pm, Lunch break 12:35 – 2:30
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Please register in advance.
Space is limited to 35 participants.
Cost: $50 (no one is turned away for lack of funds),
Cash, Check and Credit Cards with an additional $2 fee.

Lunch is not provided.

To register, contact Tibetan House at info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.

*****     July 2016     *****

 _____

3-Sessions for $30
Sunday, July 10 – Mindful Body
Sunday, July 17 – Mindful Thought
Sunday, July 24 – Mindful Heart

Space is limited.
To register, please contact Tibetan House:
info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339.

Chamtrul Rinpoche in New Orleans, July 20-25

Sponsored by Samten Choeling Dharma Center and Tibetan House

About Chamtrul Rinpoche

Chamtrul Rinpoche is the recognized reincarnation of a great master and scholar from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet.

Having studied many years, he holds a vast and profound knowledge of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen, and has been conferred the title ‘Khenpo’ – roughly equivalent to ‘Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy’.

Known for his nonsectarian quality, he has received all the cycles of teachings, empowerments and transmissions from more than twenty five accomplished masters and scholars from all four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism – namely, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug.

Chamtrul Rinpoche currently lives and teaches in India, in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala. Dedicating his life to helping people find inner peace, he also travels the world each year to teach and guide many old and new students.

In his own words:
“Teaching is what I do in this life, wherever someone asks me to teach, I am there. Without discriminating against anybody based on their gender, race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct of non-violence, which is the indispensable source for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of mind.”

Teachings with Chamtrul Rinpoche

Dream Yoga

Most of us spend a third of our life asleep. Taking the average life span into account, this would equate to about twenty five to thirty years.

Even though the mental state is more subtle when the body is asleep, it doesn’t mean that we can’t practice. In fact, certain practices prove to be even more effective during this state, as we are less distracted by the five physical senses.

In order to gain control of the dream, and to turn it towards the Buddhist path, we first have to know that we’re dreaming.

• Chamtrul Rinpoche, http://www.bodhicitta.org

Intro to Tantra: the Practice of Vajrasattva

Tantra or Vajrayana Buddhism is one of the three vehicles taught by the Buddha for attaining enlightenment. Vajrayana motivation is the wish to not only free ourselves from cyclic existence and suffering, but to become enlightened so that we can in turn help others to be free from the grip of samsara – the cycle of cause and effect. Vajrasattva is a powerful practice in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It involves visualization of the deity – the image of Vajrasattva – and the chanting of a 100 syllable mantra. Vajrasattva meditation is specifically practiced for the purification of our body, speech and mind. This talk will address the purpose and details of this visualization and the mantra.

Teachings on the Heart Essence of Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro

The Longchen Nyingtik is a spiritual treasure from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet.

Containing a precious collection of practices from sutra, tantra, and dzogchen, it constitutes a complete path, by which an ordinary person can transform his or her mind, taking them from their present state, all the way to the enlightened state of Buddhahood.

The Longchen Nyingtik translates as ‘The Heart Essence Teachings of Longchenpa’. He was one of the greatest dzogchen masters of all time, and one of the most outstanding authors in the history of Tibetan Buddhism.

Containing clearly laid out stages, each relying on the one before, the first stage are the preliminary practices, known as ‘ngondro’ in Tibetan.

Every single master has emphasized the need for the preliminary practices. Without them, it would be impossible to achieve the intended result of tantra or dzogchen, that of the enlightened state of a Buddha. It is said that it would be like trying to build a house on thin ice. We must make the foundations first.

• Chamtrul Rinpoche, http://www.bodhicitta.org

Vajrasattva Empowerment July 24

For those who would like to further their Vajrasattva practice, we are very happy to announce that Chamtrul Rinpoche will be offering a Vajrasattva Empowerment. We did not include this in the previous announcement of his schedule.

In order to receive this empowerment, you will need to attend the Friday evening, Intro to Tantra: the Practice of Vajrasattva class, July 22, and the Sunday morning class, Preparation for the Vajrasattva Empowerment, July 24. The Empowerment will take place in the afternoon of the 24th. Please check  the schedule at the end of this letter for details.

If you are interested in this Empowerment, please consider the following commitments:
• taking Refuge in the Three Jewels
• avoid killing
• recite the Vajrasattva 100 syllable mantra 100,000 times, to be completed in this lifetime.

We ask that you do not attend the Empowerment in the afternoon if you have not attended the previous two teachings, even if you have attended other teachings and have an active Vajrasattva practice.

The Empowerment is for those that wish to receive it. Please understand that it is not for those who simply want to observe it.

I requested a teaching of Vajrasattva from each teacher that has visited us this year, mostly for of the depth of this essential practice, and partly because there is an evening gathering for the practice of Vajrasattva at the Community Center of Louisiana Himalayan Association that is ongoing. It is extremely beneficial to have a group of people to consistently sit with for this practice.

If you are wanting to know more about Rinpoche, please visit his website:
http://www.bodhicitta.org.

If you are wanting to know more about what an empowerment is, please consult Lama Google, as Karma Rinpoche recommends. Here is a good start:  http://www.ewamchoden.org/?page_id=1351

REVISED SCHEDULE, July 20-25

Wednesday, July 20, 7pm-9pm

Preliminary Teachings for Dream Yoga

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas

Thursday, July 21, 7pm-9pm    ** NEW TIME**

Dream Yoga Teaching (Must have attended Wednesday evening class)

Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street.

Friday, July 22, 7pm-9pm

Intro to Tantra: the Practice of Vajrasattva

LHA Community Center, 623 N. Rendon Street

Saturday, July 23, 10am-12pm

Teachings on the Heart Essence of Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro

LHA Community Center, 623 N. Rendon Street

Saturday, July 23, 3pm-5pm

The Longchen Nyingtik Ngondro

LHA Community Center, 623 N. Rendon Street

Sunday, July 24, 3pm-5pm *** Must Have Attended Friday evening and Sunday Morning Classes  ***

Vajrasattva Empowerment (Initiation) with Refuge Ceremony

LHA Community Center, 623 N. Rendon Street

Receiving the empowerment requires students to take the following commitments: to take Refuge, avoid killing and recite the Vajrasattva mantra 100,000 times, to be finished in this lifetime

Monday, July 25, 1pm-3pm

A Buddhist View of the Environment.

Clearwater Wildlife Sanctuary in Covington.

For more information, contact:

info@clearwatersanctuary.org or 985 630-1009

Monday, July 25, 6:45pm-8pm

Experiencing Subtle Mind as a Teaching

Samten Choeling Dharma Center

For more information and to RSVP,contact:

Ngawang Legshe at (504) 723-1317

For more information, contact Tibetan House at info@tibetanhouse.com

*****     May 2016     *****

• Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche will be in New Orleans in May!
  Listed below is the full schedule of events. 
  Locations for Events:
  Tibetan House – 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
  LHA Community Center (LHA) – 623 N. Rendon Street
  Unity Temple – 3227 St. Charles Avenue
  Saturday, May 14
  Dur Ceremony
  3pm-6:30pm at Tibetan House

Wednesday, May 18
LHA Acadiana Chapter Presents
Death and Dying : Views from Hospice and Tibetan Buddhism
6pm at Lafayette Public Library in
Lafayette, Louisiana

Thursday, May 19
Ceremony for Paying Karmic Debt
7pm at Tibetan House

Sunday, May 22
Medicine Buddha Empowerment
1:00pm-2:30pm at Tibetan House

Tuesday, May 24
Dzogchen Practice
7pm at Tibetan House

Wednesday, May 25
Purification of Body, Speech and Mind through Vajrasattva practice.
7pm at LHA

Thursday, May 26
Summoning Life Force
7pm at Tibetan House

Friday, May 27
Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Teaching, part 1
7pm-9pm at LHA

Saturday, May 28
Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava Teaching, part 2
10am-12pm at LHA

Saturday, May 28
Guru Rinpoche Day Gana Puja
6pm -8pm, at LHA includes dinner – participants bring a dish to be offered

Sunday, May 29
Guru Rinpoche Empowerment
10am-12pm at LHA

Sunday, May 29
Taking Refuge Ceremony
3pm-5pm at LHA

Tuesday, May 31
Phowa Practice
7pm at Tibetan House

Wednesday, June 1st
Generating Compassion through the Practice of the Buddha of Compassion
7pm at Unity Temple

Karma also offers Services, Ceremonies, and Empowerments

* Divinations: done with the help of the glorious wrathful wisdom dakini Palden Lhamo

* Smoke offering (Riwo Sangchoe) and protector pujas for purification within our environment

* Summoning of Life Force

* Summoning Wealth, Fame, Name and Inner-confidence

* Paying back 100 Karmic debts, Chod ritual called Changbu-Gyatsa

* House Blessings

* Land Blessings

* Auspicious Ceremonies for Weddings

* Long life pujas

* Tsok pujas through Buddha of compassion for deceased

* Green Tara pujas for protection and generosity, Goddess of Compassion

* Dur Ceremony to pacify demonic influences and negative emotions (done with Wrathful Black Mother Dakini)

* Fire pujas (done with five root mother goddesses in Troma Nakmo chod Practices)

* Can arrange healing ceremonies for almost every human sufferings and worries
To arrange a private session, please contact Tibetan House

Email: info@tibetanhouse.com

Phone: (504) 897-9339

Cell: (504) 330-3507

Karma’s website: http://www.karmalhundup.org

About Ngakpa Karma Lhundup Rinpoche

***** April/May 2016 *****

The Venerable Tsering at Tibetan House

Wednesday, April 13, 7pm

Dharma Talk: 6 Perfections from the Bodhisattva Way of Life

Sunday, April 17, 5pm

Fire Puja Ceremony w/ Talk:

The Meaning & Purpose of the 4 types of Fire Puja

Wednesday, April 20, 7pm

Dharma Talk: 37 Practices of Bodhisattva

Thursday, May 5, 7pm

The Buddhist Approach to Biodiversity and Human Interaction

One-on-One Sessions – Tsering is available for 1-on-1 appointments and blessings

Suggested donation: $25

For Talks, Suggested Donation $10

Tsering Phuntsok is available for 1-on-1 appointments and blessings, if you are interested, please contact Tibetan House at

info@tibetanhouse.com or call (504) 897-9339.

About Tsering Phuntsok

Tsering is one of 250 monks of Palyul Monastery near Dharamsala, India. Practicing as a Tibetan Buddhist monk for over 25 years, he is specialized in Buddhist Philosophy, Ritual Ceremonies and serves as overseer of the general health of the monks in his monastery.

Tsering has worked, since 2002, with Louisiana Himalaya Association “LHA” as a group guide on India trips and a public health project coordinator for his monastery. For the past 7 years he has traveled extensively throughout the US and Europe giving teachings about Buddhism and performing Ritual Ceremonies.

Intimacy and Awakening
An evening with David Chernikoff

Thursday, April 14
7pm – 9pm
Tibetan House, 4900 Tchoupitoulas Street
Free

For many people today, the yearning for intimacy is a central life concern that plays a powerful role in both daily life and in the search for spiritual insight.  One questions that the great wisdom traditions share focuses on this very issue: How do we actualize our amazing human potential to love in a mature and unconditional way?  This evening will be an exploration of this question and an opportunity to take our understanding of intimacy to a new and deeper level.

We’ll begin with a period of silent sitting meditation.  David will then give a talk on the topic of Intimacy and Awakening, including an interactive partner exercise for those who choose to participate.  Time-permitting, there will be a question & answer period and a chance for participants to share their reflections.  Join us for what promises to be a rich and moving inquiry into the heart of spiritual liberation.

*This event is being offered on a donation (dana) basis, in accordance with the Buddhist tradition of making teachings freely available. Dana translates as “generosity freely given” so participants will be invited to offer support to the teacher if they feel inclined to do so and everyone is welcome, regardless of ability to contribute.

About David Chernikoff
David Chernikoff began the study and practice of meditation in 1971 and started teaching insight meditation in 1988. He trained as a yoga teacher at the Integral Yoga Institute and completed the Community Dharma Leader program at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. His teaching has been influenced by senior teachers from the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, Tibetan teachers he studied with during a 3-year stay in Nepal, and spiritual guides from other contemplative traditions, most notably Ram Dass, Father Thomas Keating, and Rabbi Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. Currently David has a private practice as a spiritual counselor and psychotherapist in Boulder and teaches workshops and retreats throughout the U.S.

David Chernikoff will be leading an Insight Meditation retreat at Flowering Lotus Retreat Center in Magnolia, Mississippi, April 15 – 17, 2016.  The topic is ‘Grief, Joy and Awakening’. For information and registration, please contact www.floweringlotusmeditation.org or call 504-881-6566.

*****     March 2016     *****

Thursday, March 31

7:00pm-8:30pm

Tibetan House

4900 Tchoupitoulas Street

Ayurveda is a timeless practice, rooted in the mysticism of India and practicality of yoga. Intended to create health within body, mind, and spirit, ayurveda addresses the many factors uniquely influencing each individual. Through investigation of one’s lifestyle and dietary routines, ayurveda will cultivate wellbeing throughout the span of one’s life with simple actions. These introductory practices of ayurveda will help guide one towards healthy awareness of one’s current life situations and support in yoga practice.

Kyle Roberts has studied throughout the United States and in India, working to integrate both eastern and western cultures into digestible forms of practical information. Kyle’s efforts are spent teaching various subjects within yoga and ayurveda as well as integrating classical healing practices with modern practicality for individual health concerns.

For more information, visit krveda.com

Dharma Teachings with Lama Lena

March 3-6, 2016

Thursday, March 3
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas Street at 7pm
Vajrasattva  Purification
An ancient Tibetan Buddhist Practice using visualization and mantra meditation for the purpose of clearing away bad karma.

Friday, March 4
LHA Community Center
621. N Rendon Street at 7pm
Introduction to Dzogchen -
Direct Mind Perception

Saturday, March 5
LHA Community Center
621 N. Rendon Street
11am – 1pm & 3pm – 5pm
Meditation for Modern Times
Considered uniquely suited to our modern times, the ancient practice of dzogchen, direct mind perception, is said to offer a path to Buddhahood in this very lifetime.

Lama Lena will teach from the text, Tsig Sum Ne Deb, “Three Words That Strike to the Heart of the Essential Point” by Garab Dorje, a heart text from the Nyingma Longchen Nyingthig Lineage with Commentary by Patrul Rinpoche.

Sunday, March 6
LHA Community Center
621 N. Rendon Street, 11am – 1pm
Refuge Ceremony followed by potluck/music feast offering at 1:30pm

Traveling internationally, she teaches in a direct, informal style, blending earthy wit with compassion and incisive clarity.

*****     February 2016     *****

Mindfulness for Kids & Book Signing with Whitney Stewart

Whitney Stewart will present two mindfulness meditation classes for children, based on her book Meditation is an Open Sky: Mindfulness for Kids (available at Tibetan House). These sessions will offer children simple ways to understand and work with their emotions. Stewart will offer one session for children aged 4 – 7 years, and a second for children aged 8 – 12 years. We look forward to seeing you here.

Sunday, February 28

Group one: ages 4 – 7 yrs (11:00 – 11:30am)
Group Two: ages 8 – 12 yrs (11:45 – 12:30 pm)

Copies of Whitney’s book will be available for purchase at Tibetan House.

This event is open to the public.

*****     January 2016     *****

*****     October 2015     *****

Awakening the Third Eye: Weekend Meditation Course for 21st Century Spiritually

October 25th, 11:00am-5:00pm – October 26th, 9:00am-5:00pm

Awakening the Third Eye is a 2-day course designed for those who want direct experience of deeper states of consciousness, as well as those who want to learn skills for cultivating and managing their energy.

*****     July 2015     *****

Tibetan Buddhist Teachings with Chamtrul Rinpoche

July 30th-August 2nd

Healing with the Mind’s Power
Thursday, July 30,
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas
7pm-9:00pm

Tantra: What is the Meaning and How to Practice
Friday, July 31,
LHA Community Center
621 N. Rendon
7pm-9:00pm

Chenrezig Teaching and Practice -The Power of Mantra – Om Mani Padme Hung
Saturday, August 1
LHA Community Center
Pt. 1:    10am-1pm (with a tea and cookie break at 11:30)
Pt. 2:    3pm-5pm

Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels – What it means to become a Buddhist a Buddhist
Sunday, August 2
LHA Community Center
10am -1pm
(with a tea and cookie break at 11:30)

Taking Refuge Ceremony: for those interested in taking formal Buddhist refuge and receiving a Buddhist name from the Rinpoche*
Sunday, August 2,
LHA Community Center
621 N. Rendon
3pm
*For those taking refuge, attending the Sunday morning session is required. For those who have previously taken Refuge from other Rinpoche’s or in other Buddhist traditions , there is no problem with participating in the ceremony once again.

*****

Applying Meditation and Mindfulness in Everyday Life
Monday, August 3
Clearwater Sanctuary in Covington
2:30pm
Sign up at  985 630 1009 or www.Clearwatersanctuary.org

Dzogchen
Monday, August 3
6:30pm-8pm
Samten Choeling Tibetan Cultural Center
For more infomration, contact: (504) 723-1317

Dream Yoga
Tuesday, August 4
Tibetan House
4900 Tchoupitoulas
7pm-9pm

If you are interested in donating a meal for Chamtrul Rinpoche during his visit, please contact us at info@tibetanhouse.com.

Attending a teaching

We are very grateful and happy to have Chamtrul Rinpoche visit us in New Orleans. We are having a wonderful response to the teachings that he is offering.

There are a few things we would like to share with those of you that are planning to attend any of the teachings.

* Dharma teachings cannot be sold or have a price put on them. Respecting this, there is no ‘door fee’. If you would like to make an offering directly to Chamtrul Rinpoche, you are welcome to do so. No one will be turned away for lack of money. As to how much the offering should be, a reasonable rule of thumb is roughly the amount you earn in one hour for each hour of teachings. Cash is appreciated. There will be envelopes available at the front table at each venue for you to do so. Each venue will let you know how the offerings will be presented to Rinpoche.

Donations go towards Chamtrul Rinpoche’s worldwide teaching tours (travel costs, venue hire, etc) and the running costs of the Bodhicitta Dharma Centre in Dharamsala, India.

* Donations for travel and food expense are always appreciated. Suggested donation is $10 per teaching.

* If you are hoping to participate in the Rufuge Ceremony, you will need to attend the morning and afternoon teachings on Sunday, the 2nd.

* Please arrive early so that we can all be seated and the teachings can begin as close to the starting time as possible.

* Pillows and chairs are available for seating at Tibetan House, LHA and Clearwater Sanctuary. If you have special needs, please let us know ahead of time. If you prefer your own cushion to sit on, please bring it with you.

* If you are hoping to attend the teachings at Clearwater Sanctuary and/or Samten Choeling Tibetan Cultural Center, please call the phone numbers provided to get the information for location, etc.
Samten Choeling TIbetan Cultural Center: 504 723 1317

Clearwater Sanctuary in Covington: 985 630 1009

About Chamtrul Rinpoche

Chamtrul Rinpoche is the recognized reincarnation of a great master and scholar from the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, the oldest school in Tibet.

Having studied many years, he holds a vast and profound knowledge of sutra, tantra, and dzogchen, and has been conferred the title ‘Khenpo’ – roughly equivalent to ‘Doctor of Buddhist Philosophy’.

Known for his nonsectarian quality, he has received all the cycles of teachings, empowerments and transmissions from more than twenty five accomplished masters and scholars from all four major traditions of Tibetan Buddhism – namely, Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug.

Chamtrul Rinpoche currently lives and teaches in India, in the Himalayan town of Dharamsala. Dedicating his life to helping people find inner peace, he also travels the world each year to teach and guide many old and new students.

In his own words:
“Teaching is what I do in this life, wherever someone asks me to teach, I am there. Without discriminating against anybody based on their gender, race, creed and so forth, I wish them to enjoy excellent peace and harmony. I try to the best of my ability to promote the view, meditation and conduct of non-violence, which is the indispensable source for the spread and enhancement of the inner peace of mind.”

All events are free and open to the public.
Donations to help with travel expenses will be much appreciated.

*****     May 2015     *****

Live Streaming: Online Retreat with Pema Chodron

Getting Off the Wheel of Suffering


It’s so easy to get stuck in unconscious habits that cause us to suffer. In this weekend retreat, Pema Chodron will share how habitual patterns keep us spinning, and how to stop this process at any moment by connecting with the vast, open space that is inherent in our mind.

We will be streaming the event here at Tibetan House. If you would like to participate, please check out the site and plan your day accordingly. If you cannot be present for the entire two days, and would like to participate for part of it, please check out the schedule and come between practices, at a time that will not disturb others.

Click here for more information about the retreat.

This online retreat is a fund raiser. Please consider a donation to the Sango Palri Temple Project, http://www.msbsangdopalri.org

Discovering Buddhism: Special Guest Jose Calderon-Abbo, M.D.

Wednesday, May 20 at 7pm   

$10

Mindfulness for beginners and experts with Jose Calderon-Abbo, M.D.. Dr. Calderon is psychiatrist and long time Vipassana practitioner. He specializes in addiction medicine and in the incorporation of mindfulness and other mind-body medicine practices in clinical care, and in a variety of settings  including schools, law enforcement, business, religious institutions, and places where there is significant trauma. Dr. Calderon is faculty with Tulane, LSU and the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, DC.

For more information about Dr. Calderon’s practice, visit his website, www.mindfulpsychiatry.com.

 

Teaching with Lama Lena: A View of Tibetan Buddhism

Thursday, May 28 at 7pm

Donations are appreciated to help with travel expenses

We are excited to announce that Lama Lena will be visiting New Orleans May 28 – May 31, 2015. She will be at Tibetan House on Thursday, May 28 at 7pm giving an view on Tibetan Buddhism and the Dzogchen Teachings.

About Lama Lena:

Beginning in 1972, Lama Lena spent three years studying with Lama Thubten Yeshe at his monastery in Nepal and seven years in retreat and practice in a small cave above TsoPema under the tutelage of her root teacher, Ven.Wangdor Rimpoche. For the past 25 years she has traveled extensive with Wangdor Rimpoche as his translator and assistant. Lama Lena has also studied Chinese medicine and had a private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 2005 she returned to Tso Pema to assist Wangdor Rimpoche.

She currently lives on the mountain above Lotus Lake with her two kandros. When she is not traveling, teaching or translating, she works providing medical assistance to the Tibetan refugee community as well as the local Indian villagers and mountain tribespeople. At the request of H.E., Zigar Choktrul Rimpoche and Ven.Wangdor Rinpoche – as well as many Western and Tibetan dharma students – she has been traveling and teaching from the lineages she holds.

Check out our facebook event for details on the full schedule of weekend teachings:

Lama Lena Teachings in New Orleans, 2015.

 

*****     APRIL 2015     *****

April 15
4 Thoughts that Turn the Mind
The actual wording in Tibetan for the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind is “Turning the Mind from Samsara.” With practice you’re reversing the mind’s interest in perfecting this life by turning it away from samsara.

April 22
An Evening of Vajra Sattva
Vajrasattva’s name means “diamond being”.  He represents the innate purity of the mind.  Vajrasattva mantra is a powerful purification prayer that invokes the mindstreams of all the Buddhas.   “To meditate on Vajrasattva is the same as to meditate upon all the Buddhas. His hundred-syllable mantra is the quintessence of all mantras.”    -Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche

OM     VAJRASATTVA     HUM

April 29, 7pm
An Evening of Om Mani Padme Hum: The Jewel is in the Lotus
In the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon of enlightened beings, Chenrezig is renowned as the embodiment of the compassion of all the Buddhas, the Bodhisattva of Compassion.  It is said that the mantra connected to Chenrezig, Om Mani Padme Hum,  contains all the teachings of the Buddha.

About Tsering Phuntsok

Tsering Phuntsok was born in the Himalayans, in a Nepalese town bordering Tibet. In 1982, at the age of thirteen, he began his study and practice of Buddhism from his own village monastery. In 1986, at 16 years of age, he joined Palyul Choekhorling Nyingmapa Buddhist Monastery in Bir, India. Through his practice and study of Buddha dharma in the monastery, he was appointed by his abbot, H.E. Rigo Tulku Rinpoche, to teach the younger monks, as well as to spearhead social service initiatives. Beginning in 2002, Tsering has participated as a group leader in programs from the United States, Europe and Mexico that study Tibetan culture and Buddhism. In 2009, by invitation from universities in the United States,and by direction of his monastic Abbot, Tsering began traveling and sharing his experience about Buddhism in America and Europe.

*****     FEBRUARY 2015     *****

Space Clearing
An Auspicious Way to Start Lent

Saturday, February 21st

10:00 am  – 3:00 pm

$125

Most people can easily recognize when a room or home feels comfortable, warm and inviting or when it feels cold or even creepy. The dilemma is that most people don’t know what to do to get the desired feeling they want in their home or work place.  This is where space clearing comes in.

Space clearing is a branch of Feng Shui dedicated to balancing, harmonizing and revitalizing the energy in your home or office. The basic principles of Feng Shui were founded on knowing how to sense what is happening energetically and working with the energy of a space in a way that brings alignment and vibrancy. When the energy flow is alive and healthy, life feels synchronistic and wellbeing presides. When it stagnates we feel stuck.

On Saturday, February 21st Wenndi Freer will share with you:

• Why you would want to space clear your home or office
• When are the best times to space clear and when you should avoid space clearing
• How to prepare for your space clearing
• Tools you can use to space clear effectively
• How to set your intention after you’ve cleared your space

And a whole lot more!

Space is limited, please contact Tibetan House at info@tibetanhouse.com or (504) 897-9339 for more information and to register.

The Dharmata Foundation presents
Meditation and Teaching
An Evening
with Anam Thubten
at Tibetan House
Thursday, February 26, 7pm – 9pm
$10 donation is appreciated

The focus of this evening is to unburden ourselves from mental habits that cause unnecessary suffering and to realize our natural state which is the inner dimension of peace, joy, and love.  Anam Thubten invites everyone to experience this spiritual transformation through meditation practice and the timeless teachings for the Buddha.

Anam Thubten grew up in Tibet and at an early age began to practice in the Nyingma lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.  He is the founder and spiritual advisor of Dharmata Foundation, teaching widely in the U.S. and occasionally abroad.  He currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.  He is also the author of The Magic of Awareness and No Self, No Problem.  Through his personal experience on the spiritual path, Anam Thubten brings alive the timeless teachings of the Buddhist tradition and invites everyone to participate.

An Evening with Thomas Laird

Sunday, January 18th

7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Thomas Laird is an American photographer, journalist and writer who has explored the art, culture, history, and modern life of Tibetan and Himalayan people for forty years. Fortunately for us, he currently divides his time between New Orleans and Asia.

Laird will read from his book, The Story of Tibet, Conversations with the Dalai Lama, a history written with His Holiness the Dalai Lama–and will sign the book afterwards. For more than thirty years Laird has worked to document the greatest murals painted in Tibet during the past thousand years. He will speak about the murals from the Dalai Lama’s private mediation chapel, in the Lukhang, Lhasa–subject of an earlier book, The Dalai Lamas’ Secret Temple.  He will also show a five minute film about his upcoming book, The Murals of Tibet, TASCHEN publishing, 2015.

Several of Laird’s books will be available, and he will bring a few large format prints of Tibetan murals, images captured at life size, using new digital tools, to give us a glimpse of his new work.

Come join us!  It will be a fascinating evening.