MINDSPACE: February 2009

February 06, 2009

February 05, 2009

KHENTRUL RINPOCHE RETURNS TO FAYETTEVILE

WHO: Khentrul Rinpoche

WHEN: 12 February 2009, 7:00 P.M.

WHERE: Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 901 W. Cleveland, Fayetteville AR 72701

CONTACT: Elaine, 479-521-0848

Khentrul Rinpoche returns to Fayetteville to grace us with another of his luminous dharma talks. The suggested donation is $10, but all are encouraged to attend and benefit from this remarkable teacher. Below is a brief synopsis of his talk, entitled "The Three Turnings of the Wheel of Dharma."

Our flaws, ignorance, and negative emotions destroy the very life force of happiness. To find freedom, the Buddha taught the dharma in three stages to fortunate beings who wished to tame their minds. The first turning of the wheel of dharma is the teaching of the four noble truths: the truth of suffering, the truth of its origin, the truth of the path, and the truth of cessation. The second turning of the wheel of dharma is an explanation on the true nature of all phenomena—emptiness and the correct way to meditate upon it. The third turning of the wheel of dharma consists of teachings on how to engage in ultimate practice, a detailed explanation of the true nature of our mind, called buddha essence. These three teachings build a basis for understanding the intended meaning and purpose of a spiritual path.

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Who We Are, What We Do, and Where We Do It

We are a diverse group of individuals of all ages from all backgrounds who simply have an interest in what Geshe Dorjee and his fellow monks have to teach us. We meet every Sunday at Dramis Hardwood Floors (see directions below) at 11:00 a.m. for meditation, instruction, and discussion. Typically, we are finished betweeen 12:30 and 1:00 p.m. Some of us are Buddhists, some of us are not, and all are welcome. You may bring a cushion if you have one, but we provide cushions for those who do not.

What We're Reading / What We've Read

Geshe Sonam Rinchen: The Three Principal Aspects of the Path
The book we're currently reading in the Sunday meditation class (as of January '09), and the fourth one we've done with Geshe la.
Santideva: A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life
The edition we're using for the weekly reading group (not the Sunday meditation group) that meets on Wednesday nights at Geshe's house . . .
The Dalai Lama: The Meaning of Life
The book that we read during 2008 (the third one with Geshe la), THE MEANING OF LIFE, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, which addresses the 12 links of dependent origination and other issues.
Ven Lobsang Gyatso: The Four Noble Truths
The first book we read together, and a detailed--at times, overly detailed--treatment of the founding platform of all Buddhist philosophy and practice.
The Dalai Lama: Stages of Meditation
The second book we read with Geshe la. It's actually the second part of a three-part work by Kamalashila, an Indian monk and scholar from the 8th century. The Dalai Lama has supplied copious commentary to Kamalashila's translated text.

September 2009