May 7-11, 2011
The seven points of mind training consists of fifty-nine slogans. These slogas are designed as a set of antidotes to undesired mental habits that cause suffering. They contain both methods to expand one's viewpoint towards absolute bodhicitta, such as "Find the consciousness you had before you were born." and "Treat everything you perceive as a dream.", and methods for relating to the world in a more constructive way with relative bodhicitta, such as "Be grateful to everyone." and "When everything goes wrong, treat disaster as a way to wake up."
The mind training practice was developed over a 300-year period between 900 and 1200 CE, as part of the Mahāyāna school of Buddhism. Atiśa (982–1054 CE), a Bengali meditation master, is generally regarded as the originator of the practice. It is described in his book Lamp on the Path to Enlightenment (Bodhipathapradīpaṃ). The practice is based upon his studies with the Sumatran teacher, Dharmarakṣita, author of a text called the Wheel of Sharp Weapons. Both these texts are well known in Tibetan translation.
Atiśa journeyed to Sumatra and studied with Dharmarakṣita for twelve years. He then returned to teach in India, but at an advanced age accepted an invitation to teach in Tibet, where he stayed for the rest of his life.
A story is told that Atiśa heard that the inhabitants of Tibet were very pleasant and easy to get along with. Instead of being delighted, he was concerned that he would not have enough negative emotion to work with in his mind training practice. So he brought along his ill-tempered Bengali servant-boy, who would criticize him incessantly and was challenging to spend time with. Tibetan teachers then like to joke that when Atiśa arrived in Tibet, he realized there was no need after all.
The aphorisms on mind training in their present form were composed by Geshe Chekhawa (1101–1175 CE). According to one account, Chekhawa saw a text on his cell-mate's bed, open to the phrase: "Gain and victory to others, loss and defeat to oneself". The phrase struck him and he sought out the author Langri Tangpa (1054–1123). Finding that Langri Tangpa had died, he studied instead with one of Langri Tangpa's students, Sharawa, for twelve years.
Geshe Chekhawa is claimed to have cured leprosy with mind training. In one account, he went to live with a colony of lepers and did the practice with them. Over time many of them were healed, more lepers came, and eventually people without leprosy also took an interest in the practice. Another popular story about Geshe Chekhawa and mind training concerns his brother and how it transformed him into a much kinder person.
(These explanation is quoted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lojong)
Teacher:
Geshe Lhakdor, director of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, served as H.H. the Dalai Lama's English translator for 16 years. With his profound knowledge of both traditional Buddhist philosophy and modern culture and science, Geshe Lhakdor is a popular teacher and is frequently invited to teach around the world.
April 24-29, 2012
Ankit Pogula and Sachi Maniar
April 18-22,2012
Janet Thomas
April 13-15, 2012 (RESCHEDULED)
Series starts May 12-16
see below
Introduction to the Middle Way
Khenpo Choying Dorjee
April 13-15, 2012
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche (recorded)
April 6-8, 2012
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Mar 31 - Apr 1, 2012
Janet Thomas
Feb 27 - Mar 23, 2012
Intensive Classical Tibetan Language course
Prof. Kurt Schwalbe
March 23-25,2012
Janet Thomas
March 12, 2012
March 7-11, 2012
Ven. Bhikkhuni Dhammananda
March 2-4, 2012
December 8-12, 2011
Subtle Consciousness Meditation Retreat
Ven. Sudhammacara
November 26-30,2011
Ankit Pogula
November 16-23,2011
Ajay Pal Singh
November 12-13,2011
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
September 23-24,2011
Lectures on Chinese Phiiosophy - Taoism and Confucianism
Visiting Chinese scholars
September 2-4,2011
August 20 -27, 2011
9th Wisdom Chapter of The Way of the Bodhisattva
Geshe Dorji Damdul
Auguest 13-15,2011
View and Meditation: A three-day retreat
Khenpo Nawang Osel and Melitis Kwong
July 25-30,2011
Krishna Chaitanya
May 31-June 1,2011
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
May 25-30,2011
The Extraordinary Aspiration of the Practice of Samantabhadra
Raji Ramanan
May 26-29,2011
Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
May 16- 23, 2011
A Retreat with Vijnana Bhairava
Dr. Bettina Bäumer
May 7-11, 2011
The Seven Points of Mind Training
Geshe Lhakdor
April 22-24, 2011
Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche
April 15-17, 2011
Janet Thomas
April 9-11, 2011
Writing Out Loud - Opening Hearts and Changing Minds
Janet Thomas
April 4-9, 2011
March 28-April 2
Nrupen Madhvani
March 23-27, 2011
Exploring Our Lives for Meaning and Memoir
Janet Thomas
March 14 &16, 2011
Think Sangha
February 28 - March 2, 2011
Dr. Robert Svoboda
December 5-9
Songs of Milarepa and Drukpa Kunley
Drubgyud Tenzin Rinpoche
Nov 27- Dec 1, 2010
Present Moment Meditation Retreat
Ven. Sudhammacara
October 21-22
Comparative View of Buddhism and Hinduism
Narayan Prasad Rijal
October 13-19
Letter to a Friend by Nagarjuna
Narayan Prasad Rijal
October 8-10
Three-Day Silence Mindfulness Meditation Retreat
Ven. Aggacitta and Melitis Kwong
October 1-2
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
September 20-23
Four Day Study Group
September 11-15
Krishna Chaitanya
Aug 28 - Sep 6, 2010
The Vibration of Consciousness: A Retreat-Seminar with the Spanda Karika
Dr. Bettina Bäumer
August 5-8
Zero Waste for Zero Warming Conference
GAIA, Thanal & Deer Park
July 24-25
Maintaining Sanity and Benefitting Others in a Challenging Era
Venerable Sumati (Kabir Saxena)
July 2-9
Intensive Retreat on the Buddhist View
Geshe Dorji Damdul
June 28-30
June 26-27
Eight Verses for Training the Mind by Langri Tangpa
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
April 15 - June 15
Krishna Chaitanya
May 28–30
Geshe Lopsang Tsepel
May 29-30, 2010
Talks on Buddhist Masters of the Rime Movement
Sonam Phuntsok
May 17 -21
Workshop on Classical Charya Dance
Rajendra Shrestha
May 6 -12, 2010
Kamalashila's Stages of Meditation (Bhavanakrama)
Geshe Lhakdor
May 6-10
Sanskrit Chanting of 21 Praises of Tara
Raji Ramanan
April 16-18, 2010
Sonam Phunts
March 10-14, 2010
Ordinary Life Extraordinary Images
Thrinley Di Marco
March 10-14,2010
Janet Thomas
March 6-9, 2010
Exploring Mind and Embodiment Through Theatre Improvisation
Susan Campbell-Webster
March 2-6, 2010
February 15-25 & March 2-12
Intensive Classical Tibetan Language course
Prof. Kurt Schwalbe
February 26 -March 1,2010
Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche
Feb 15-25
Kira Liu
December 23, 2009 - Jan 1, 2010
December 5-8
Dr. Vinod Verma, Barbara Gerke, Dr. Pema Yangzom & Melitis Kwong
November 8 - December
Venerable Sudhammacara (Ippo Ryodo)
October 23 - November 1
The 21 Praises of Tara from the Sanskrit tradition
Raji Ramanan
October 5-13
Thus Spoke Hinduism and Buddhism
Narayan Prasad Rijal
October 5-15
From Nalanda to Gandhi & Tagore
Prof. Prabodh Parikh
October 3-4
How Negative Thoughts Create Our Difficulties
Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
September 20 to 27, 2009
A Retreat with Vijnana Bhairava
Dr. Bettina Bäumer
May 9-17, 2009
Raji Ramanan
Stages of Shamatha and Vipassana
Khenpo Choying Dorjee
April 6 - May 1
Sonam Phuntsok
April 4 & 5
The Profound Method for Bringing Forth the Nature of Mind
Sogyal Rinpoche
April 25 - 26
The Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche