For those of you looking for a yoga class, a reminder about the yoga classes happening on Saturday mornings with Steve. R30 donation, 08:30 – 10:00

Steve will also teach a yoga class on Tuesday evenings from 5.45-7.15. He is a qualified Iyengar yoga instructor and his classes are suitable for both beginners and more experienced practitioners.0

Please also remember to bring a yoga mat along!

We also offer Tai Chi classes on Thursday evenings with Mike, 18:30 – 17:15. Beginners are welcome (R20 donation requested)

  Date Time Events Saturday 08:30 – 10:00 Yoga class with Steve Wilder Tuesday 11:00

18:30

17.45-19.15 Soup preparation

Soup kitchen

Yoga with Steve Wilder Wednesday 19:30 Chenrezik Prayers with Kathy Denham Thursday 18:30

19:30

19:30 Tai Chi class

Meditation session (Shrine room)

Dharma Study (Tea room) Saturday 08:30 – 10:00 Yoga class with Steve Wilder Tuesday 11:00

18:30

17.45-19.15 Soup preparation

Soup kitchen

Yoga class with Steve Wilder Wednesday 19:30 Chenrezik Prayers with Kathy Denham Thursday 18:30

19:30

19:30 Tai Chi class

Meditation session (Shrine room)

Dharma Study (Tea room) Saturday 08:30 – 10:00 Yoga class with Steve Wilder Join us for Green Tara Prayers daily at 6:00 AM in the KSDJ Shrine Room. Green Tara is lead by Geoffrey Freeman, who has completed a 4 year closed retreat

Coinciding with the 900th birth anniversary of the glorious Dusum Khyenpa that we are now commemorating, the Seventeenth Gyalwang Karmapa sees that there is both a special occasion and a need to recollect the kindness of these two Lords of Refuge and to formally request them not to pass into nirvana but to live long. His Holiness has instructed us, the organizers of the 29th Kagyu Monlam, that a special ceremony is needed.

Accordingly, on March 8 of next year in the sacred site of Bodhgaya, during the month of miracles, on the morning of the 8th day of the Kagyu Monlam Chenmo, the Gyalwang Karmapa and his heart disciples will lead the vast gathering of sangha in performing the practice of Prostrations and Offering to the Sixteen Elders and offering the two Lords of Refuge a special long-life puja that combines sutra and tantra.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Karmapa has issued the following instructions, thus we ask you to take them to heart:

From the day they read this announcement onward, for one year, all the Karma Kagyu monasteries and Dharma centers, and disciples who have connections of Dharma and of samaya all over the world, from east to west, wherever they may be, however near or far, should supplicate intensely as they perform the practices listed below, with faith and wholesome aspirations.

Kagyu Monlam Organizing Committee

April 15, 2011

Practices

• Paving the Way, Building a Bridge – Repair or build roads and bridges.
• Four sets of tsatsas – Make tsatsas from the four elements: earth, air, water and fire.
• Stupas and whitewashing – Make stupas and/or offer a fresh coat of paint to existing stupas.
• Animal Liberation and Vegetarianism – Save the lives of sheep, pigs, goats and other animals, and give up eating meat.
• Making Offerings and Practicing Generosity – Make offerings to the Three Jewels and practice charity towards the beings of the six realms.
• Long-life Sutras and long-Life Dharani Mantras – Accumulate recitations of long-life sutras and long-life dharani mantras.
• Planting Trees – To protect the environment, plant flowers and trees.
• Entertain children – Give gifts to young children and entertain them.
• Release small fish – Release small fish or other beings from their captivity.
• Medical treatment – Sponsor medical treatments, such as eye surgery, and give medicine free of cost.
• Prostrations and Offering to the Sixteen Elders – Do the Prostrations and Offering to the Sixteen Elders practice.
• Seven-Line Supplication – Do the Seven-Line Supplication to Guru Rinpoche and accumulate recitations of the Guru Rinpoche mantra.
• 100-Syllable Mantra – Accumulate recitations of the 100-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva.

15 March 2011, 18h00-19:30

On Tuesday 15 March, we will be having a special Mindfulness session with Jamie Lachman. Jamie McLaren Lachman is the founder and director of Clowns Without Borders South Africa (www.cwbsa.org), a humanitarian organization that provides psychosocial support through laughter and play to communities affected by crisis in Southern Africa. A clown, musician, poet, and facilitator, he has practiced insight meditation and mindfulness based stress reduction for the past 9 years. Always looking for laughter in the life’s simplicity, Jamie lives each day fully with compassion and amazement in the wonders of the world.

Cost: R40 Venue: Longleat, 9 Mount Road Places are limited. To book your place contact Anton at mnrkrueger@gmail.com or Jane at jane.realife@gmail.com, 0846226045.

THE MINDFULNESS OF DREAM AND SLEEP

23rd March 2011

12:30 -13:30 Lecture: Lucid Dreaming & Nightmares hosted by the Psychology Department, Rhodes University, Rm 11.

14:15 -15:00 Lecture: Dream and Creativity hosted by the Drama Department, Rhodes University.  DLT (Drama Dept)

18:00 – 21:00 Workshop, Learning to Lucid Dream, Longleat, 9 Mount Road Cost: R50 Bring supper to share. Places are limited.

Please book your place with Anton at mnrkrueger@gmail.com or Jane at jane.realife@gmail.com, 0846226045.

Charlie Morley is an experienced lucid dreamer, who integrates lucid dreaming into his Tibetan Buddhist spiritual practice and teaching. He has conducted workshops on lucid dreaming all over the world, including in Asia and Africa, and has presented formal seminars at the UCT Medical School and Goldsmiths University in London on nightmares and lucid dreaming, and also on creativity and lucid dreaming. He is currently writing a book with Rob Nairn that pioneers their new holistic approach to lucid dream practice called Mindfulness of Dream and Sleep, due to be published in 2012. He comes highly recommended for his intellectual grasp of the field, his experience, and his dynamic and engaging presentation style (he has an art and drama background). For further information, here’s the link to Charlie’s website: http://www.charliemorley.com.

REGULAR EVENTS IN MARCH Mindfulness Meditation Every Tuesday evening from 6-6:45pm @9 Mount road Chenrezig Practice Every Tuesday evening from 7pm @ 9 Mount Road.

AGM Minutes.Jan2011.FINAL

Urban Retreat with Alan Muller

In the urban retreat we don’t go somewhere special and sit quietly for long periods of time, but rather integrate various practices into our normal lives in a structured, specific way. The aim is to live more constructively – to be more relaxed, mindful and kind.

Practices such as mini-relaxations, mindful walking, daily reflections and meditations are sequentially introduced over the retreat.

Tuesday, 18 January, 2011 19:00-20:30 Urban Retreat, Part One

Wednesday, 20 January, 2011 19:00-20:30 Urban Retreat Part Two

Thursday, 21 January, 2011 19:00-20:30 Reflections

(For the third session, Alan will recount some of his personal reflections on going on long retreat, meetings with lamas and anecdotes from the lives of the lineage holders.)

Alan Muller has done a one-year closed retreat under the guidance of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland. During this period he took novice monks vows. Alan remained a novice monk for six years and now presents courses and retreats as a layperson. He has received teachings and instructions from high Lamas both in Scotland and India.

Cost: R40 per session, R100 for all three.

Nobody will be turned away for not paying, but we suggest R40 per session (or R100 for all three), in order to help cover the costs of Alan’s transport. It is possible to only do any one of the sessions and not the others. In the Buddhist tradition, Alan is not charging for his teachings, but should you wish to support his practice further you may donate dana (a box will be provided for anonymous donations.)

All sessions will be held at 9 Mount Road, Longleat (see below for directions.)

For more info call Anton: 0823243048, mnrkrueger@gmail.com

The Grahamstown Samye Dharma group meets at Longleat every Tuesday at 18:00 for a thirty minute meditation practise. Occasionally, weekend meditation retreats are offered with visiting teachers. If you wish to be on our mailing list please send your address to:

Jane Burt – jane.realife@gmail.com

(Alan will also be offering Nöngdro training in PE and Grahamstown on Sunday 15 January and on Saturday and Sunday, 22 and 23 January. Contact Anton or Jane for more details.)

Directions to Longleat:

1. Driving from the N2 into Grahamstown, continue alongBeaufort Street until you reach a set of traffic lights on Hill street.

2. Turn right into Hill Street.

3. Take the third left into Lawrence street

4. Turn immediately right into Cathcart street.

5. Go right to the top of Cathcart street and turn right (there’s a sign saying it’s a one way street, but don’t be confused).

6. The road runs through a farm gate into the property: 9 Mount Road or Longleat.

ROKPA CENTRE

Regular Practices

Teachings on Atisha’s Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment

December 10th – 12th, 2010, Bodhgaya

Live Translation: Ringu Tulku Rinpoche

MORNING SESSION Dec 10th

Compassion is the Essence of the Path

Transcript: Michele Martin

Opening the teachings, the Karmapa first traced the history of his teachings here in Bodh Gaya, where they began in a small hall of the Mahayana Hotel. When it became too small, they were moved to the Taiwanese temple and then again to Tergar Monastery’s shrine hall, and finally this large site where thousands can be accommodated. Atisha can be linked to the Kagyu through Gampopa who first studied in the Kadampa lineage before meeting Milarepa and receiving his mahamudra (Great Seal) teachings. After Gampopa combined these two streams, this river has become one of the main currents of practices done by the Kagyu Lineage.

“I would like to mention here that if there is something good and positive in what I am saying, please take this in and try to practice it. My main audience for these teachings is people from the Himalayan region and also for general public so please take this into account as you listen.
Shantideva has written that a human life is difficult to obtain and if we do not use it well, we may not find one again. This, of course, relates to the first of the four thoughts that turn the mind: the precious human birth. It is not enough, however, to understand this intellectually: we must take it into our hearts. A precious human birth is difficult to attain because it requires so many different causes. We might think that there is a problem of overpopulation in the world, so how could it be so difficult to get a human birth? But we are talking about a precious human rebirth, and this is special, requiring many positive deeds in the past. Think how difficult it is to do one positive act, and then think how much more difficult it is to do this all the time.

Human beings have an intelligence that allows them to make distinctions between what they should take up and what they should give up. We should extend this intelligence to encompass all beings vast as space and understand what helps or harms them. And this should not be just a mental act: we should try to help on a practical level. Otherwise, our intelligence can be more dangerous than the most ferocious tiger. In sum, we need to think carefully and on a vast scale.

If we are true Dharma practitioners, devotion is not enough. The starting point of Dharma is to appreciate the preciousness of human beings and the benefit and harm that we do. In order to become enlightened as Vajradhara, we first need to become a good human being and understand our mind. Otherwise, we are just imitating others.

We should speak a little about the author of this text. Jowo Palden Atisha was born in Bengal, and became a highly realized being. His most inspiring action was coming to Tibet and turning the wheel of Dharma in Tibet, giving deep and vast teachings including the Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment. All the teaching on the stages of the path stem from this text. It has been said that if Atisha had not come to Tibet, Tibetans would have been blind.

In general, this teaching is important because it is profound and non-sectarian. At his university, Vikramashila, all the schools were present and asked Atisha to become their leader. Atisha knew and respected all different schools and vehicles, including the deep teachings of Nagarjuna and the vast teachings of Asanga, which he understood to be in harmony with each other.

How then should we listen to these teachings? As if our throat were parched and we desperately needed a drink of water. Some people think they already know the Dharma, so their minds are filled with pride and they cannot hear. We should not be like this. There are many different ways to teach, but I think it’s important to teach what goes into our hearts and what inspires us. I do not want to look learned, but give you what is useful to you. All the Buddha’s teachings are about how to transform yourself. And you should not just listen to me: you have to think for yourself so that you can transform yourself.

We are trying to become enlightened, searching for wisdom that will free us of our ignorance. And we are not talking here about religions or schools, but any wise teaching that is useful and established as good. We should not throw this away like tossing grass in front of a carnivorous animal.

One of the Karmapas has said that our samsara is a small samsara, and the Buddha’s samsara is a big samsara. How to understand this? We are focused on the limited samsara of our life while the Buddha is constantly in samsara to help living beings and there is no end to this. Samsara is the office of the Buddha, his field of work, and he never leaves that space.

Bodhisattvas help everyone, even someone who is only interested in this life. And, actually, this is the first type of the three types of people discussed in Atisha’s text. The second type relates to those who wish to be free of samsara. And the third is those who work for the benefit of others. We should reflect upon which one applies to us. It has been said that there is no difference in the depth of Dharma but the difference is in the depth of our mind. We need to know our minds well enough to know the right time for a practice. If we try to walk a high wire from the very beginning, we may well pay a visit to Yamaraja, (the Lord of Death).

For great beings, everything is done through compassion. The wish to eliminate the suffering of all living beings is the mahayana motivation. In addition, the vajrayana brings a sense of urgency to our wish to free living beings from suffering, and this gives a special feeling to the practice. If you are in a burning fire, you would not complacently sit there, but exit in great haste. In the same way, when you see living beings’ suffering, is no time to relax. Mahayana translates as “the Great Vehicle” and it is great because of great compassion. How much responsibility can you take? For one person? For many? If you are able to take responsibility for others, whether you call yourself a mahayana follower or not, you are one.

We need to reflect upon compassion from many different angles, and not just through thoughts but from our heart and bones. Once bodhicitta (the wish to become enlightened for the sake of others), arises in us, then we are bodhisattvas. But if we let go of one living being, if we give up on just one person, then we lose that bodhicitta.

People ask why there are so few Buddhists. The reason is that being a Buddhist is difficult: we have to study and practice. Most people want something that is easy–you just stretch out your hand, and you have it. It is through study and practice that Buddhists seek the two benefits: temporary and ultimate. The temporary one protects us from lower births and suffering in this realm; the ultimate one is full awakening. We need to understand what the benefits are and have the motivation to attain them.

The root of bodhicitta is both love and compassion, but compassion is more important. We can develop these by thinking of ourselves and our own body. We can experience how much we wish to avoid suffering and how we also wish for increasing freedom. Then we can extend this and understand that all beings resemble us in these wishes. It is not that we are over here and other living beings are at a distance over there. If we see someone in pain, we ask ourselves, “What would it be like to have that discomfort?” We feel ourselves into their situation.
There are many diverse religions, cultures, histories, and civilizations but all of us live under one sun and moon and on one earth, and we breathe the same oxygen, so we are like one family. We must feel the suffering and happiness of others: we carry all the suffering together and share the happiness. There is a famous quote: If I have happiness, may it be shared by everyone; if others have suffering, may I carry it all.”

AFTERNOON SESSION

Discord will Ultimately Lead to the Destruction of the Dharma

Day Two Teachings December 11

Day Three Teachings December 12

The Basics ~

A comprehensive training in mindfulness, suitable for beginners and for those who already have a mindfulness practice. Progressive skills in mindfulness are taught through presentations, guided practice and tutorial sessions. A strong emphasis is placed on experiential learning, and for this reason there are home assignments between weekends that include regular mindfulness practice, daily life exercises and journal writing.

When ~

Each module will take place over a weekend and the four modules will be spread out over the course of a year.

Where ~

Zimbabwe, Botswana, Durban, Johannesburg, Cape Town & final module retreat at Groot Marico.

Module One

Becoming Present

Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention to our moment by moment experience in a way that is nonjudgmental and kind. In the beginning we notice how our attention is like a butterfly flying from one thought to the next. So we start by slowing down and settling our mind through regulating breathing and counting. We then introduce practices that ground us, allowing our attention to drop out of the battlefield of thoughts in our heads into the sensory awareness of the body. We then learn to rest in the present moment getting used to disengaging from our habits of compulsive doing. And then, when we notice our attention drifting away into thinking, we learn to work with the mindfulness supports of sound and breath.

We are initiated into this graduated process through the core practices of settling, grounding, resting and mindfulness support. We also practice bodyscan and walking meditation and simple practices for integrating mindfulness into daily life. Throughout each of the modules we work on developing kindness as a basis for self compassion.

More Information

Dates & bookings ~

Botswana: 11th & 12th December 2010  Contact: Ondine ~ ondine@gowellsolutions.com

Durban: 8th & 9th January 2011  Contact: Kerri ~ pashnityoga@gmail.com

Cape Town: 15th & 16th January 2011  Contact: Charlotte ~  mindfulnessCT@mindfulnessafrica.org

Zimbabwe: 5th & 6th February 2011 Contact: rokpa@zol.co.zw

Johannesburg: 12th & 13th February 2011  Contact: johannesburg@kagyu.org.za

NOVEMBER 2010
This month we host international meditation teachers, Ken and Katia Holmes from Samye Ling Monostry in Scotland.  We have a few places left for their retreat and talks.  Please book in advance if you would like to attend (See below for more details).
Regular Events for November:
Mindfulness Meditation
Tuesday 6pm – 6:45pm
Chenrezig
Tuesday 7pm – 7:45pm
KEN AND KATIA HOLMES GRAHAMSTOWN AND PORT ELIZABETH VISIT
19th -22nd November 2010
Summary of Events
GRAHAMSTOWN
Public lectures
 
On Friday night, 19 November, from 17:00-18:00, Ken will present a public lecture on Tibetan Buddhism in the West. This will be a general talk, about his experiences of forty years at Samye Ling in Scotland, the first Tibetan monastery in the West. It will be held at the Faculty of Humanities seminar room, which is on the corner of Prince Alfred and Somerset Streets (opposite the Drama dept). (Free, no booking required).
 
On Saturday evening, 20 November, from 19:00-20:30, Katia Holmes will be drawing on her extensive experience of Tibetan Medicine to provide an overview of the astonishing differences between Tibetan and western medical systems. Tibetan medicine is unique in that it also requires the emotional and mental cultivation of its practitioners, not only an increase of their scientific knowledge. (Cost: R40.00, please book in advance).  
 
Meditation Retreat (Please book in advance)
 
During the retreat (see full programme on following page) Ken will be guiding meditation practise and speaking on the central importance of compassion to all of our endeavours. The retreat runs during the daytime on Saturday, and on Sunday morning up to lunchtime. If you do not feel up to the first meditation session each morning, you are welcome to join us at 9:00 for the first session after breakfast.
PRICE
R350.00 for the full retreat (includes Saturday night lecture.)
R100 deposit secures your place on the retreat.
 
10% discount for students and pensioners
10% discount for sponsors
30% discount for full members
 
 For bookings or more information contact:

Jane Burt:         0846226045               jane.realife@gmail.com
Anton Krueger:  0823243048               mnrkrueger@gmail.com
PORT ELIZABETH
Monday 22nd November
Venue: ACT Centre, Target Kloof
Time: 19:30
Room 1 Ken Holmes – Developing compassion for oneself and others (my suggestion)
Room 2 Katia Holmes – Tibetan approach to healing  
Suggested donation: R30 minimum
For bookings and more information contact:
Hugh Laue 0828575755         hughlaue@gmail.com  

Ken and Katia Holmes
 
Kenneth Holmes is a well-known Buddhist scholar, author and translator of ancient texts. He lectures and teaches internationally and has taught Buddhist studies and Tibetan language at Samye Ling Monastery in Scotland since 1982, where he holds the title ofdharmacarya, Master of Buddhist Studies. He has been the monastery’s Director of Studies since 1988. He was a founder member of the Scottish Inter-Faith Association and he was representative to the EU for all Buddhist organisations in Europe during its 2004 constitutional changes involving civil society.
 
Katia Holmes is one of the foremost translators of Tibetan texts. Her intimate knowledge and experience of Tibetan medicine over forty years is unrivalled.
 
DANA
It is a standard practise among teachers of Tibetan Buddhism not to charge for their teachings. The price of the retreat will be used to pay for Ken and Katia’s travel expenses and to raise funds in order to allow the Grahamstown Dharma Centre to invite more teachers next year. However, if you wish to offer Ken and Katia Dana (a gift of appreciation to support their further teachings), there will be a facility provided for this at the end of the retreat.

For bookings or more info contact:

Anton: mnrkrueger@gmail.com   0823243048