Being Present

with

Impermanence and Uncertainty

           

Impermanence is here to stay and the advent of 2012 adds an even greater uncertainty to the future which all of us are facing. The upcoming challenges of this new year (global warming, political unrest and economic instability), coupled with our own personal daily issues may seem to be overwhelming.

Being present means relating to what happens in our lives with a sense of heightened awareness and an open heart, accepting and embracing the teachings along the path.

Lama Lena Yeshe Kaytup has spent almost 40 years of dharma study and practice under the tutelage of Venerable Wangdor Rinpoche. This includes 7 years of retreat in a small cave above Tso Pema – home of the Holy Caves of Guru Padmasambhava. As a westerner Lama Kaytup is particularly familiar with our styles of dramas and upsets. She is extremely articulate and clear in her presentation of Dharma Teachings, especially of the Direct Mind Perception Meditation. This mini-two-day-evening seminar offers a rare and valuable opportunity to be with her, and given her busy schedule, it would be best if practitioners make the extra effort to be there for both days. That is because she travels extensively and, having studied Chinese Medicine, she also spends much of her time providing medical assistance to Tibetan refugees and local Indian villages and mountain tribe peoples in North India.

Teachings are open to everyone. In Lama Lena's tradition, there is never a charge for teachings, while an offering is made directly to the teacher at the end of the teaching.

The Shambhala Center would appreciate a donation of $30 for the two days to help cover expenses.Please, if possible, let us know if you are coming. Contact Michael @ 831-316-8282.

Dates and Time:

January 2012

Wednesday 18th and Thursday 19th

7:00 to 9:00 pm

Location:

920 41st ave, Santa Cruz behind the Family Cycling Center

Acharya Pema Chodron recently (November 2010) taught a program with Mrs. Carolyn Gimian called Smile at Fear that was attended by 3,000 people in the Bay Area. Another 2,000 people from 30 different countries also participated in the program via live video stream. This tremendously powerful event brought together individuals from many different walks of life and wisdom traditions all committed to working with fear and anxiety through the practice of meditation. With the spirit of gentleness and inquisitiveness, Ani Pema Chodron taught us how to befriend our fear to help us find peace in our lives.

The Santa Cruz Shambhala Meditation Group will be featuring a DVD of this program starting on Thursday, January 20, 2011.

We will start sitting meditation at 7:00 PM followed by Smile at Fear. If time allows we will have a short discussion afterwards.

All are welcome!

We usually follow our Thursday night meditation with a featured audio presentation. These tapes/CDs are not limited to the Buddhist tradition. In the past we have listened to talks by Chögyam Trungpa, Tich Nhat Hanh, Joel Osteen, Adyashanti, Eckhart Tolle, and others. We are always open to suggestions.

We are currently listening to a talk entitled "Living in the Eternal Now" by Richard Rohr. Father Rohr is a Franciscan friar ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church in 1970. He has an engaging style and offers vibrant, contemporary insights into Christian mysticism.

All are welcome to join us on Thursday evening at 7:00 pm

Winter Feast for the Soul

The third annual Winter Feast for the Soul, a worldwide 40-day spiritual practice period, begins January 15, 2010. Thousands of people around the world will daily join in prayer and meditation through guided online sessions on the Winter Feast website.

This event which is now expanding globally was started in 2008 by one woman inspired by a three-line poem by the 13th century poet and mystic Jelaluddin Rumi.

“What nine months does for the embryo
Forty early mornings
Will do for your growing awareness”

There is no prescribed spiritual practice for this event. People are encouraged to use a spiritual practice that brings them peace and stillness. The idea is to set aside 40 minutes daily for spiritual practice with commitment to personal and planetary peace.

This year Anam Thubten joins others from various traditions and will offer a daily talk and meditation session based on the Buddhist teachings known as Prajnaparamita.

Find out more about participating at winterfeastforthesoul.com. On the homepage you will find a link in the upper left titled Online Guided Meditations for 2010. Click on that link and you will open a page with all the meditations that will be offered this year. Click on the links to see the schedule and listen to audio recordings.

There’s also a beautiful video on You Tube which conveys the vision of this wonderful event. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld3jjDaVKGY

November Update

We're having a little pre-Thanksgiving celebration this Thursday!

We'll be meeting at 6:00 pm at the Sash Mill (303 Potrero St, Bldg 45, Rm 106) instead of our usual 7:00 pm start. We will sit for half an hour and then go to Michael's for a modest vegan feast.

Anyone interested in joining us is invited to attend. We can carpool to Michael's after sitting.

Bon Apetit!

November Study

We start each Thursday evening at Shambhala Center of Santa Cruz with a series of chants at 7:00 and then we sit for about 45 minutes. After meditating we listen to stimulating presentations by various spiritual savants.

This month we're listening to a fantastic set of tapes entitled "Even the Sun Will Die: An Interview with Eckhart Tolle".

Why not come and join us? All are welcome!

What better way to celebrate our new home at the Sash Mill than in the form of a nyinthun, or full-day sit?

The nyinthun will be conducted primarily in silence.

If you've struggled to maintain a consistent, daily practice, consider this as your opportunity to get a fresh start.

Please join us on Sunday, October 18 @ 9:00 am to begin sitting.

For more information, please contact Michael Rogers at 831-316-8282.