TaraNet
January 29, 2010

Tara Mandala Office Closed January 30 - February 15

The Residents of Tara Mandala will be in retreat for two weeks, January 30 - February 12. The office will be closed during this time, and will reopen on February 15. We will come back together to celebrate Losar (Tibetan New Year) on February 14th - the year of the Iron Tiger! We will keep you all in our prayers and thoughts, treasuring the sacred connections we share through the web of Tara Mandala.

We will respond to all inquiries after February 15. Emergency contact information is available on our phone at (970) 731-3711.

The Great Mother Prajña Paramita & Sky-like Mind
Key West, Florida
February 26 - 28, 2010
with Lama Tsultrim Allione

Lama Tsultrim is pleased to be teaching in Key West again this February.

This retreat will explore the nature of mind. The experience of prajña, the capacity to perceive the ineffable vastness of basic space, is what gives birth to all the Buddhas. This vast clarity, full of compassion, is the Great Mother. Through meditation and relaxed dialogue we will explore this theme experientially.

The Mandala of the Enlightened Feminine
Occidental, CA
May 15 - 19, 2010
with Ellen Booth Church

The Mandala of the Enlightened Feminine creates a sacred geography within the psyche, which uses embodiment as a means for transformation. The Mandala has as its basic structure, a center and four directions, which are represented by the five 'dakinis': five energies, directions, colors, seed syllables, emotions, psychological types, and most importantly five wisdoms.

We will experience through meditation with colors, sound, the elements, and wisdom dakinis, how to use our human emotions of anger, pride, craving, ambition, and dullness as the seeds for transformation.

Mandala Massage Therapy Training
Tara Mandala
September 8 - 14, 2010
with Jessica Stevens

For certified massage therapists, Tara Mandala is offering an exciting new program as a supplement to the Mandala of the Five Dakinis retreat with Lama Tsultrim. This method, called Mandala Massage, allows physical, emotional and mental tension to transform. You will learn how to guide your clients through this transformational experience using sound, color and aromatherapy.

Mandala Massage promotes wholeness through balancing the five elements, transforming difficult emotions and encouraging the integration of body, speech and mind. You will find that this practice is healing and beneficial for both you and your clients. In this way, your work can become your spiritual practice, fulfilling the bodhisattva ideal of helping to relieve the suffering of all beings. On completion of this training with instructor Jessica Stevens, participants will be certified to practice this meditative style of massage.

More detailed information and registration...

A VIRTUAL AUCTION FOR REAL WATER AND REAL BENEFIT!

After a long period of quiet, we finally have some good news from THP (Tibet Humanitarian Project). Work has started on the water project at Ad_zom Rinpoche's monastery, which will bring clean water for drinking, cooking and washing to 1300 monks and nuns. THP is launching a drive to raise the funds for this project, which will cost $250,000, a healthy sum to raise, but cheap by American standards.

THP is planning to hold a 'virtual auction' fundraiser on ebay from February 3rd through the 13th, ending right before Losar, the Tibetan new year, Feb 14th. It is traditional to commit meritorious actions just prior to the new year to clear the obstacles and set the path for a good year. Participating in this auction would be a great way to start off the new lunar year!

Some autioned items include:
* Beautiful quality thangkas from Nepal
* One Kapala Training Level I Retreat and one Feeding Your Demons Retreat offered through Tara Mandala
* "Goddess of Skin" facials in New York City or Los Angeles with Dayle Breault, one of our dharma sisters, who is a top of the field, and sought after by celebrities
* A week-long retreat at the White Jewel Mountain retreat yurt on Rinpoche's pristine land in Crestone, CO.
* An amazing large photo of Ad_zom Rinpoche performing the fire puja on his land in Crestone

Please, for the benefit of Rinpoche's monastic disciples, engage in some 'fighting buying' through the TibetHumanitarianProject store on ebay or make a donation at www.tibethumanitarianproject.org.

The ebay store link will be posted on www.tibethumanitarianproject.org by February 3, 2010.

Next Teleteaching Scheduled for March 28, 2010

The next TeleTeaching with Lama Tsultrim is scheduled for March 28, 2010. Details about how to register for this will be announced in a future TaraNet.