“Rather than turning away from something we turn towards it … and it transforms into wisdom.” ~ Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam
Vajrayana: The Mandala Principle
August 5 – 10
This retreat offers an historical and philosophical overview of the Vajrayana and explores the mandala principle as a guiding framework for understanding and embodying the richness of the Vajrayana path, comprising the third set of teachings that complete Tara Mandala’s foundational teachings on the historical and contemplative development of Buddhism.
The rise of the Vajrayana was marked by key social developments including the rise of the feminine, social diversity and the ideal of the siddha or householder yogin. With its emphasis on sacred world and sacred view, the Tantric Budhhist path includes and integrates all aspects of life, including the full range of sensory and sensual experience … Read more »
Chöd: From Chögyal Namkhai Norbu – Practice Intensive
August 14 – 15
Our relationship to practice is like an intimate friendship in which deeper layers of understanding are revealed over time. This Intensive will expand and intensify your Chöd practice. Delving into each section, the visualizations, melodies and instruments, we explore subtleties of the teachings and their potency in our lives. There will be time to address your specific challenges; and to share practice and discussion time with fellow practitioners.
This retreat is open to Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche (CNNR) Chöd practitioners seeking further exploration of Chöd teachings, answers to practical questions, useful direct feedback, and opportunities for shared practice and discussion. Participants must already know and have received teachings and transmission of the CNNR Chöd practice as no such instruction will be provided during this retreat … Read more »
Feeding Your Demons® Kapala Level I
With Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam and Lopön Pieter Oosthuizen • Begins September 11
Feeding Your Demons (FYD) offers us a life-changing journey into healing ourselves and the world. The work transcends spiritual constructs, serving as a meaningful tool for anybody, regardless of religious affiliation or personal philosophy. Learn the history, theory, and practice of FYD, which is based on an ancient Buddhist healing practice. Discover how to work with afflictive emotions and habitual patterns, unraveling their roots and discovering your own innate wisdom. Gain a deeper understanding of what drains your energy and preoccupies your mind, learning how to liberate these patterns. Learn how to work with personal and family demons. Understand the interconnectedness of your emotional patterns, and how a single pattern can impact multiple areas of your life.
This online program is offered through two tracks: The Secular and Buddhist tracks. Magyu students are required to join the Buddhist Track. Additional note: We offer the “Full Certification” FYD option, which includes FYD Levels I and II … Read more »
The Spiritual Path of Birth and Motherhood
With Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam and Gena McCarthy RN, MFT • September 25
In this daylong, we gather as a community of mothers, mothers-to-be and grandmothers to honor and empower our sacred path of birthing and motherhood; to bring our spiritual practice to prepare and repair; and to show up for birth, motherhood and grandmotherhood embodied and open to love.
Our time will include traditional dharma teachings and practices as well as age-old wisdom surrounding the nature of birth and motherhood. We learn how birth can include pleasure, wonder and glimpses of nature of mind. And when birth is difficult we learn the value of healing it. We discover birth and motherhood as a spiritual path of the awakened heart – compassionate, vulnerable and courageous. Through teachings, meditation, and discussion we will weave together a supportive and generative community and develop tools to take back into daily life. All are welcome; no previous meditation experience is necessary … Read more »
Green Tara ‘Live’ Online Course
With Lama Tsultrim Allione and Dorje Lopön Charlotte Rotterdam • Begins October 2
Green Tara sits with one foot in the meditative posture and one foot in the world, thus embodying active compassion and serving as a model for modern day contemplative life. In the Green Tara Online Course, you have the opportunity to learn to embody one of the most loved Tibetan deities, Green Tara, the female Buddha of compassion, who provides protection from fears and obstacles. This is a great introductory course for understanding ‘deity’ practice in Buddhism.
In this eight week ‘live’ online course, enjoy over nine hours of video teachings and guided meditations with Lama Tsultrim, and four live webcasts with Lopön Charlotte, offering additional teachings and answering questions … Read more »
ABOUT DORJE LOPÖN CHARLOTTE ROTTERDAM
Magyu Dorje Lopön Charlotte Z. Rotterdam has studied Tibetan Buddhism for the last 20 years, was authorized to teach by Lama Tsultrim Allione in 2006, and received the title of Magyu Lopön, lead teacher of Magyu: The Mother Lineage at Tara Mandala from Lama Tsultrim in 2016. Lopön Charlotte teaches in the US and abroad, often in partnership with her husband Lopön Pieter Oosthuizen, and co-leads the Boulder Tara Mandala Sangha. Dorje Lopön Charlotte received a Masters in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School where she studied comparative religion. She served as executive co-director of Tara Mandala for four years, and thereafter as Trustee and Board President. Currently she is an Instructor and Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. The mother of two boys, she has published essays in Mandala, Lion’s Roar Online, and in an anthology, Fearless Nest.
We hope you can join us for these precious moments with Dorje Lopön Charlotte, transforming our lives into expressions of wisdom.
~With Blessings,
Tara Mandala
