TaraNet
April 15, 2010
Open House May 15: Free and Open to Public
Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, CO
You’re invited to join us for a morning of sharing and learning about Tara Mandala. Please arrive at 10 a.m. when we will begin with a tour of the land and facilities, including the new Tara Temple, followed by a brief introduction to meditation with time for Q&A. A gourmet buffet vegetarian lunch will be served. The Tara Mandala bookstore and gift shop will be open in the afternoon, and the land will be available for hiking and exploration. There is no charge; donations are welcome.
Volunteer at Tara Mandala this Summer!
We are currently accepting applications for summer staff positions for Summer 2010, which will run from June 4th - November 15th. Our intention for summer staff is to provide a place where people can incorporate their Dharma practice into their work and lives. In contrast to spending a short time doing a retreat, this is an opportunity to bring the Dharma into life in community. Interpersonal relations, physical work tasks, community life and meditation practice merge to create an experience of work that is far different than anything you've experienced. Tara Mandala is located in a remote area and access to the distractions of modern life will be limited. You will be in a reflective environment close to nature, learning meditation and other contemplative disciplines, as well as learning the art of council and community life.
"On summer staff, you're really offering yourself to the Dharma, and the karmic effects of such are abundant. Between the incredible teachers, the profound teachings, the family-like community, and the many offerings of the land itself, you feel truly blessed and held. If you want to challenge yourself, face your "stuff," delve into the beautiful teachings, and create bonds that will last a lifetime, Dakini Land awaits!" -Eric A., summer staff 2009
Leaping Free of the Many and the One - A Vipassana Retreat
Finding Freedom within Duality, Non-Duality, and Beyond
Pagosa Springs, CO
May 7 - 12, 2010
with Eugene Cash and Pamela Weiss
This traditional vipassana retreat will offer a sustained period of practice to cultivate composure, awareness, and presence. We will provide detailed instruction in concentration and mindfulness allowing for centering and grounding in the body, opening the heart, and illuminating the mind.
Our talks will draw from Zen Master Dogen's teaching, the Genjo Koan: Actualizing the Present Moment. The retreat will include sitting and walking meditation, mindful movement, interviews with the teachers and daily dharma talks.
To register for this retreat, contact the Durango Dharma Center.
Kapala I and Chöd Retreats back-to-back in June
Kapala Training Level I explores the "Feeding Your Demons" process, a contemporary adaptation created by Lama Tsultrim of the ancient Chöd practice developed by eleventh-century Tibetan Yogini Machig Labdron. This retreat is excellent for beginners and experienced practitioners alike, and offers skillful means to create a deep connection with and make known the parts of ourselves, "demons," which we usually fight.
The Chöd retreat complements Kapala Training Level I through an in-depth study of this centurys-old practice which is the foundation for "Feeding Your Demons". This practice is sung in Tibetan using a traditional drum and bell, and brings about healing by cutting through fear, fixation, and self-clinging.
These two retreats are wonderful to take back-to-back. Tara Mandala accommodations are available between retreats.
Kapala Training Level I
Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, CO
June 13 - 19, 2010
with Lama Tsultrim Allione
Deeply explore the practice lineage of eleventh-century Tibetan yogini Machig Labdrön and the related Mahayana teachings of prajña paramita, or “the great mother”—our own true nature. Ideal for individuals wishing to work deeply with their “demons” through contemplative practice, this retreat offers a simple yet profound five-step method based on Machig Labdrön’s understanding that it is through nurturing—not fighting—our inner demons that we finally overcome them. In this way, we go beyond dualistic struggles, engaging our addictions, illnesses, fears, difficult relationships, self-hatred, and collective ills with compassion and wisdom. We will particularly focus on open-eyed sky-gazing prajña paramita practice, mixing awareness with space; licensed health professionals will learn to apply this work to their professional practices, and CEUs are available for this course. Whatever you’re struggling with, this therapeutic process will transform your relationship with your demons and end the fight once and for all.
Chöd
Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, CO
June 22 - 26, 2010
with Lama Tsultrim Allione
Chöd is a wonderful practice for these times. It brings understanding to the root of our pain and offers a way to resolve our deepest shadows and hardest addictions. Chöd reflects a unique blend of the Tibetan Shamanic traditions and the Buddhist understanding of compassion and emptiness. This centurys-old practice is sung using a traditional drum and bell, and brings about healing by cutting through fear, fixation, and self-clinging. The practice thereby awakens one’s awareness of the pure nature of emotions and the emptiness of mental obscurations.
New Audio Teaching on Nine Purification Breaths Available
Lama Tsultrim has recorded new instructions for the nine breaths practice. This new instruction is gender specific. This is not the nine relaxation breaths done at the beginning of the "Feeding Your Demons" practice. If you have received transmission for a practice such as Prajna Paramita that has the nine breaths at the beginning and you would like to have a copy of this 13 minute MP3 audio file, please email Julia@taramandala.org. Please include what practices you do that include the nine breath practice, and where and when you received the transmission. And, of course, feel free to email with any questions.