Category Archives: Events

Events and programmes in the Bir area of Himachal Pradesh, India.

Sustainable Living Work Retreat (25 Mar – 4 Apr @ Dharmalaya)

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2012 work retreat

What: Service-Learning Retreat with SanghaSeva
Topic: Living in Balance: Contemplation, Compassion, and Sustainability
Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India
When: March 25 to April 4, 2014
Language: English
Facilitators: Zohar Lavie, Nathan Glyde, Mark Moore, Mai-Linh Leminhbach

Description: Residential service-learning retreat program at the Dharmalaya Institute. Possible workshops and groups sessions include the following:

  • Hands-on education in traditional earthen architecture of the Himalayas
  • Organic gardening and permaculture landscaping
  • Meditation and yoga/movement
  • A mixture of silent practice and group connection and activity

Please note: Space is limited, so advance registration and deposit are required.

For details and registration, please visit the SanghaSeva website.

Silent Meditation Retreat (17-24 March at Dharmalaya)

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Group Sit

What: Silent Meditation Retreat with SanghaSeva
Where: Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, HP, India
When: 17-24 March 2014
Who: Zohar Lavie & Nathan Glyde
Language: English

Description: Residential silent meditation retreat led by Zohar Lavie and Nathan Glyde of SanghaSeva. Simple accommodation in tents/dormitory in a beautiful Himalayan setting.

Note: Space is limited, so advance registration and deposit are required. 

For details and registration, please visit the SanghaSeva website.

Open Volunteer Period at Dharmalaya (1 Dec 2013 – 15 Mar 2014)

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What: Informal, minimally structured volunteer opportunities for sustainable living
When: 1 December 2013 through 15 March 2014 (Participants may arrive and depart anytime during this period)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute
Languages: English & Hindi
Facilitators: Raj Kumar, Naresh Sharma, et al (plus Mark Moore from 1-15 March)

Description: Informal volunteer opportunities at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. During this period, there is no educational or training programme as such, but there is plenty of physical work to do — including green building, organic gardening, natural landscaping and possibly some tree planting — and Dharmalaya is a beautiful place to get your hands dirty and learn a bit about green living and Himalayan culture in the process.

Since there is no formal instruction during this period and there is no organised programme, one simply jumps in and does whatever needs doing on a given day, learning by watching others and then doing it yourself. In such an unstructured or loosely guided situation, sometimes one needs to ask for help if one needs it, so a certain degree of self-motivation and initiative makes for the best experience. It also helps to bring a healthy sense of flexibility, since the work to be done might vary from one day to the next, depending on circumstances. If that appeals to you, you’re welcome to come and go anytime between 1 December 2013 and 15 March 2014. Please note that this is the winter season, so bring warm clothes.

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in joining.

“Subtle Consciousness Meditation” Retreat (4-9 Dec @ Deer Park)

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What: “Subtle Consciousness Meditation” Retreat
Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir
When: 4-9 December, 2013
Who: Ven. Sudhammacara

This ‘Subtle Consciousness Meditation Retreat’ is based on the One Dharma Meditation Method compiled by Ven. Sudhammacara. It consists of three kinds of practice: mindfulness of body sensation, compassion meditation and ana-pana sati (mindfulness of in-breath and out-breath).

These practices enable us to dwell in the present moment.  Here and now, we gradually uncover our Subtle Consciousness which is usually clouded by our deluded, non-stop thinking. We go back to our true home with peace and joy after travelling abroad painfully so many years.In the end, we are finally discovering who we really are.

These intensive silent retreats will include regular sessions of sitting and walking meditation, accompanied by Dharma teachings and personal guidance. The retreats are open to both beginners and experienced meditators. From this year, the retreat will include Yoga classes. These will be led by Reiko Azuma, who has been teaching Yoga in Ven. Sudhammacara’s meditation retreats in Japan and Taiwan. Meditators get much benefit from Yoga exercises.

Guests and visitors who are not able to attend the whole retreat may attend some sessions only, but are requested to maintain silence around the meditation hall and dining area, to support the retreatants.

Teacher: Ven. Sudhammacara

Ven.Sudhammacara was ordained in the Japanese Soto Zen tradition in 1983, under Kosho Uchiyama Roshi lineage. He practiced and taught zazen meditation for more than 18 years, including several years spent teaching at Valley Zendo in Massachusetts, USA.

In 2001, he took Theravadan Bhikku ordination in the Burmese forest monk tradition under Pa-Auk Sayadaw, and trained in shamatha (calm abiding) and vipassana (insight) meditation in Burma and Sri Lanka. Since 2006, he has also been exposed to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Now he calls himself One Dharma Buddhist monk.

Ven. Sudhammacara has been a regular visiting teacher at Deer Park, where he offers mindfulness meditation retreats, since autumn 2007. Most of the year, he lives in Kamakura, Japan, where he teaches meditation at his centre Ippo-an (One Dharma Forum). He also leads meditation retreats in several sacred places (Kyoto, Kudaka-jima and Mitake-san) in Japan.

Ven. Sudhammacara  brings experience from the Japanese Zen tradition, the Theravada forest tradition of Burma, and the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Ven.Sudhammacara’s vast experience has shown him the pitfalls of commonly practiced meditations. His careful avoidance of Buddhist terms that can easily slip into jargon, makes retreatants rethink or let go of Buddhist conceptualizations (that many often automatically rely on, thinking they already understand the meaning without renewed consideration).

As well as this five-day silent mindfulness retreat, Ven Sudhammacara will also lead daily meditations and Dharma talks at Deer Park in early December.

For information: www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/subtle-consciousness-meditation-retreat/

Introduction to the Philosophy of Yogacara (11-12 Nov @ Deer Park)

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What: Introductory seminar on the philosophy of Yogacara

When: 11-12 Nov, 2013

Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir

Who: Ven. Dhammadipa

Now 60 years old, Venerable Dhammadipa (lay name Thomas Peter Gutman) was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949. He studied Chinese Literature and Philosophy at Prague University, graduating in 1969, and then studied Russian literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he received a degree in 1973.

In the late seventies Venerable began his Buddhist studies in Berlin, where he had immigrated as a refugee after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. In 1977 he received a master’s degree in Chinese literature and philosophy at the University of Paris. In 1979, he enrolled at Nalanda University in India (where he also taught French and German) to study Sanskrit and Buddhist Philosophy. After receiving a degree at Nalanda in 1984, he returned to serve as the Associate Librarian at Berlin University.

In 1986, Venerable Dhammadipa went to Japan and studied under Zen Master Harada Serrei Roshi of the S t school (Caodong in Chinese) practice. He was given a Dharma name as Xing-Kong (meaning Nature of Emptiness).

In 1987, with the encouragement of Venerable Athurugiriye Nyanavimala Mahathera, Venerable Wijayasoma Mahathera, and Venerable Dikwelle Mahinda, he ordained as a monk in Meetirigala and was given a Dharma name as Dhammadipa (island of Buddhism or Dharma). He received the full Theravada Bhiksu ordination in Sri Lanka where he practiced meditation under the guidance of his preceptor, Venerable Nanarama Mahathera. In 1989, he received the Three Fold ordination as a Mahayana Monk in Hsi Lai Temple, Los Angeles and began Dharma teaching in US, Germany and Taiwan.

In 1996, Venerable went to Myanmar to practice meditation with the contemporary master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, and was recognized by the Sayadaw to be first of the Sayadaw’s Western disciples qualified to teach meditation. He has since been teaching Samatha (tranquil mental states) and Vipassana (direct seeing of the Dharma) meditation at monasteries and universities worldwide.

Venerable Dhammadipa speaks Czech, French, German, English, Russian, and fluent Chinese. He reads and translates Buddhist texts from Pali and Sanskrit. His translated works in French and Czeck include Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (Mahayanasraddhotpada-sastra), Entry into the Bodhisattva Path (Bodhicaryavatara) and a Collection of Han-San’s Poems. His teachings in Taiwan have been compiled and printed in Chinese.

Over the years Venerable has presented dharma teachings and led meditation retreats around Europe, North America, Taiwan and mainland China, India and Southeast Asia. Personally he has a gentle and easy going manner. His teaching follows the framework of the classic Theravada Buddhist commentary The Path of Purity (Pali: Visuddhimagga): one starts with training in the precepts (virtue) which lays the foundation for training in concentration and then the development of wisdom. Venerable teaches that knowledge of the Buddhist way should be applied in practice and verified first hand through direct experience. One should make a great vow to tread the way and realize the dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Volunteer & Learn: Sustainable Living in the Himalayas (1-30 Nov)

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What: Informal volunteer and service-learning programme

Topic: Sustainable living in the Himalayas, including green building, organic gardening, and natural landscaping

When: 1-30 November, 2013 (Participants may arrive and depart anytime in this period)

Where: Dharmalaya Institute, Dhanaari Hill, Ghornala Village, Bir

Languages: English & Hindi

Facilitators: Mark Moore, Raj Kumar (‘Raju’), Naresh Sharma, et al

raising the roofDescription: Informal, semi-structured programme at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. We will be doing fun, physical work, including green building, organic gardening, tree planting, and more. There will be plenty of opportunities for learning, application, questions, and relaxation (we can also offer an optional meditation programme for those who are interested, at least through 30 November, and possibly later). Feel free to come and go anytime in November 2013 (and you can stay even longer if you wish to participate in our Open Volunteer Programme).

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in joining.

Shamatha & Vipasyana retreat as presented in Yogacara tradition (2-9 Nov)

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What: Shamatha & Vipasyana retreat as presented in Yogacara tradition with reference to Anapanasmrti or Maitri meditation

Where: Deer Park Institute, Bir

When: 2-9 Nov, 2013

Who: Ven. Dhammadipa

Now 60 years old, Venerable Dhammadipa (lay name Thomas Peter Gutman) was born in Czechoslovakia in 1949. He studied Chinese Literature and Philosophy at Prague University, graduating in 1969, and then studied Russian literature at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, where he received a degree in 1973.

In the late seventies Venerable began his Buddhist studies in Berlin, where he had immigrated as a refugee after the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia. In 1977 he received a master’s degree in Chinese literature and philosophy at the University of Paris. In 1979, he enrolled at Nalanda University in India (where he also taught French and German) to study Sanskrit and Buddhist Philosophy. After receiving a degree at Nalanda in 1984, he returned to serve as the Associate Librarian at Berlin University.

In 1986, Venerable Dhammadipa went to Japan and studied under Zen Master Harada Serrei Roshi of the S t school (Caodong in Chinese) practice. He was given a Dharma name as Xing-Kong (meaning Nature of Emptiness).

In 1987, with the encouragement of Venerable Athurugiriye Nyanavimala Mahathera, Venerable Wijayasoma Mahathera, and Venerable Dikwelle Mahinda, he ordained as a monk in Meetirigala and was given a Dharma name as Dhammadipa (island of Buddhism or Dharma). He received the full Theravada Bhiksu ordination in Sri Lanka where he practiced meditation under the guidance of his preceptor, Venerable Nanarama Mahathera. In 1989, he received the Three Fold ordination as a Mahayana Monk in Hsi Lai Temple, Los Angeles and began Dharma teaching in US, Germany and Taiwan.

In 1996, Venerable went to Myanmar to practice meditation with the contemporary master Venerable Pa Auk Sayadaw, and was recognized by the Sayadaw to be first of the Sayadaw’s Western disciples qualified to teach meditation. He has since been teaching Samatha (tranquil mental states) and Vipassana (direct seeing of the Dharma) meditation at monasteries and universities worldwide.

Venerable Dhammadipa speaks Czech, French, German, English, Russian, and fluent Chinese. He reads and translates Buddhist texts from Pali and Sanskrit. His translated works in French and Czeck include Treatise on the Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana (Mahayanasraddhotpada-sastra), Entry into the Bodhisattva Path (Bodhicaryavatara) and a Collection of Han-San’s Poems. His teachings in Taiwan have been compiled and printed in Chinese.

Over the years Venerable has presented dharma teachings and led meditation retreats around Europe, North America, Taiwan and mainland China, India and Southeast Asia. Personally he has a gentle and easy going manner. His teaching follows the framework of the classic Theravada Buddhist commentary The Path of Purity (Pali: Visuddhimagga): one starts with training in the precepts (virtue) which lays the foundation for training in concentration and then the development of wisdom. Venerable teaches that knowledge of the Buddhist way should be applied in practice and verified first hand through direct experience. One should make a great vow to tread the way and realize the dharma for the benefit of all sentient beings.

 

For information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/a-shamatha-and-vipasyana-retreat-as-presented-in-yogacara-tradition/

Sustainable Living in the Himalayas: Volunteer Programme at Dharmalaya (15 Feb – 10 Mar)

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What: Informal volunteer and service-learning programme
Topic: Sustainable living in the Himalayas, including green building, organic gardening, and permaculture landscaping
When: 15 February to 10 March, 2013 (Participants may arrive and depart anytime in this period)
Where: Dharmalaya Institute
Languages: English & Hindi
Facilitators: Mark Moore, Raj Kumar, Naresh Sharma, et al

Description: Informal programme at the Dharmalaya Institute open to both residential and non-residential participants. We will be doing fun, physical work, including green building, organic gardening, tree planting, and more. There will be plenty of opportunities for learning, application, questions, and relaxation. Feel free to come and go anytime between 15 February and 10 March.

For more information see Dharmalaya’s volunteer page, read the FAQ, and complete the volunteer application if you’re interesting in joining us.

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche: Shantideva’s Bodhicharyavatara (3-5 August)

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What: Buddhist teachings on the Way of the Bodhisattva (year 4)
When: 3-5 August, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche

Bodhicaryavatara by Shantideva

The Way of the Bodhisattva (year 4)
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

Shantideva was an 8th-century Indian Buddhist master, who hailed from Kathiawada in Gujarat. He was a renowned scholar and adept at Nalanda University and an adherent of Prasangika Madhyamaka philosophy.

His classic text Bodhicaryavatara (The Way of the Bodhisattva) has been studied, practiced, and expounded upon in an unbroken tradition for centuries, first in India and later in Tibet. It explains the Mahayana view and the methods to realize it. H.H. Dalai Lama has said, ‘If I have any understanding of compassion and the practice of the Bodhisattva path, it is entirely on the basis of this text that I possess it.’This is the fourth year of a series of teachings on Bodhicaryavatara by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche at Deer Park. If you would like to obtain the recordings of the last two teaching of this series, please email us at info@deerpark.in.

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/bodhicaryavatara-by-shantideva-4/

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo: The Four Dharmas of Gampopa (11-12 June)

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What: Buddhist teachings
When: 11-12 June, 2012
Where: Deer Park Institute
Who: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Four Dharmas of Gampopa with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

Gampopa (1070-1153) also know as Dagpo Rinpoche is the heart disciple of the great Yogi Milarepa. Together with Rechungpa, the two are described as the sun and moon and each radiated his distinct light in the world. It is Gampopa with his luminous presence that shines to this day through the Dagpo Kagyu lineagues that collectively bear his name.

Besides writing the two most influential texts: The Jewel Ornament of Liberation, and A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path, Gampopa distilled the Buddhist path into four short lines or truths, called dharmas.

These lines became known as the Four Dharmas of Gampopa and are often studied as an explanation of the Four Noble Truths.

These four lines are:

Grant your blessings that my mind may follow the Dharma

Grant your blessings that my Dharma practice may become the path

Grant your blessings that the path may clarify confusion

Grant your blessings that confusion may arise as wisdom.

“These extremely profound sentences are a combination of Sutra and Tantra, and were expounded upon by the great master Longchen Rabjam. If a practitioner receives these instructions and is diligent, he or she will be able to attain complete enlightenment within a single lifetime. It is amazing how extraordinary the vital teachings of the buddhas and accomplished practitioners are.”

— Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, from Repeating the Words of the Buddha

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo is a renowned Buddhist teacher, popular worldwide for her warm, clear and down-to-earth presentation of the Dharma and its application in daily life. The inspiring story of her life, including 12 years of secluded retreat in a Himalayan cave, is the subject of a well-known biography, Cave inthe Snow. Jetsunma is the founder and abbess of Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery near Tashijong, H.P

For more information: http://www.deerpark.in/programs/schedule/four-dharma-of-gampopa/