Tsoknyi Rinpoche's Blog, page 23
July 4, 2012
Another great review from BoBuReview June 2012
Paki S. Wright, editor of Bohemian Buddhist Review, reminds us of Rinpoche’s mantra: “Just because it’s real doesn’t mean it’s true.” We hope you enjoy reading this new review of Open Heart, Open Mind, just published in the June 2012 issue of BoBuReview:
www.bohemianbuddhistreview.com/id79.html
July 3, 2012
Tattered Cover/Denver, CO: 6/27/12
On the evening of June 27th, Rinpoche spoke about his new book to about 100 people at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver, Colorado focusing on the book’s central themes of recovering essence love, using discerning wisdom and emotional transformation to lessen trauma and reduce ego fixation, and how we can find happiness for no reason, because it is our birthright.
June 30, 2012
Retreat Cancellation Policy
Retreat Cancellation Policy
Purpose
The purpose of our cancellation policy is to acknowledge that retreatants’ future plans can change unexpectedly and at the same time protect Pundarika from costs it incurs due to commitments to various vendors and paying for staff time that support the retreat.
Policy
Full payment of all retreat fees is due 30 days before the first day that a retreat begins.
If you cancel more than 30 days prior to the first day that a retreat begins, you will receive a refund less a $65.00 cancellation fee.
If you cancel between 15 and 29 days prior to the program start date, you will receive a refund less a $90.00 cancellation fee.
No refunds will be given two weeks before the retreat begins.
Certain programs have unique cancellation policies that supersede our general policy, and they are described on the program registration page on our web site for that particular retreat or program (normally these are non-Crestone retreats where host facilities have their own cancellation policies).
Procedures
Cancellations must be requested by contacting the Registrar by e-mail (registrar@pundarika.org)
Refunds through PayPal will be credited to the same credit card with which your retreat fees were paid. Once the cancellation period is over, refunds are not possible and forfeited funds are considered “fee-for-service” payments (according to IRS) and are not considered eligible for tax-exempt status. In other words, they cannot be considered donations.
Other Related Fees: Changing Meals and Lodging
If you are not canceling a program or retreat but need to change a meal plan or lodging choice after your initial choices at registration, this has an impact on the people providing those services. If you make a change to your meal plan and/or lodging reservation, you will be charged a $25.00 administrative change fee. Please note that no refunds for food and lodging will be given two weeks before the retreat begins.
June 29, 2012
Halifax Shambhala Center, Nova Scotia: 6/22-24/12
(Note: More photos to come!)
Rinpoche gave a Friday night book talk on Open Heart, Open Mind and weekend Dzogchen teachings at the Halifax Shambhala Center to approximately 170 people. He was a special guest at a number of meetings, which included a visit and short teaching at the Shambhala Sun offices, a podcast interview with the Chronicles of Trungpa Rinpoche project, and a discussion with the Nalanda Translation Committee. He was able to enjoy a few restful days at the tranquil and lovely 300-acre farm of Margaret and Jim Drescher outside of Halifax before the weekend activities began.
When the Iron Bird Flies: Buddhafest 6/14-16/12
Buddhafest (www.buddhafest.org) a rich assembly of films, lectures and music was held on June 14–16 in Washington D.C. Sold out audiences heard Tsoknyi Rinpoche discuss: global warming with Sharon Salzberg and two climate change experts from the World Wildlife Fund; a discussion on devotion with Sharon and Krishna Das before a concert by Krishna Das attended by approximately 1,000 people; and the first glimpse of the full-length documentary film, When the Iron Bird Flies: Tibetan Buddhism Arrives in the West, by Victress Hitchcock and inspired by Tsoknyi Rinpoche.
June 25, 2012
Rinpoche at Halifax Shambhala Centre: 6/22-24/2012
Rinpoche taught for the first time in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at the invitation of the Shambhala Center. He gave a lively and quite humorous talk on Open Heart, Open Mind on June 22nd to about 170 people. Earlier in the day he visited the offices of the Shambhala Sun and met with the staff and also was interviewed for the Chronicles of Trungpa Rinpoche (this inteview will be available soon on our website).
June 21, 2012
Tsoknyi Rinpoche Encourages You to “Look, See, Be”
“Everything we do, no matter how seemingly simple or straightforward, entails some sort of conceptual underpinning – some grounding in a belief or system of beliefs,” says Tsoknyi Rinpoche in his latest essay for The Huffington Post.
“Even doing something as simple as washing our face implies certain notions about what a face is. It also involves, on a subtle or obvious level, certain beliefs about ourselves: ideas, opinions, and judgments about our own face, for example, or about other people’s faces.
If we believe we’re not attractive, for instance, or not as attractive as some other people, we may have a hard time just putting forth the effort to washing our face.
More broadly, most of us believe in a solid, enduing, independent ‘self’ — an ‘I’ that requires a good deal of maintenance….
Now, can you just let it all go – the teachings, the questions, the challenges? Can you simply, fearlessly, freely be?”
Read the full essay by Tsoknyi Rinpoche on The Huffington Post.
June 20, 2012
New book review by John Makransky just posted on Shambhala Times
Click here to read John Makransky’s exceptional review of Open Heart, Open Mind, just posted on the Shambhala Times.
June 18, 2012
Ashville, NC: 6/14/12
Rinpoche was scheduled to speak at Malaprops bookstore in Ashville, NC, on June 14th. Because of flight delays out of Minneapolis, Rinpoche was marooned in Atlanta. He attempted to fly stand-by on two flights to Ashville, but it wasn’t meant to be. Neverthless, Rinpoche’s long-time student Julie Green bravely jumped in and read from Open Heart, Open Mind and answered questions before a crowd of 150 people.
June 14, 2012
Exploring the Nature of Mind: Tergar Int’l/St. John’s College, Collegeville, MN, 6/9-13/12
Rinpoche shared the precious nature of mind teachings from the text Flight of the Garuda, which contains the heart advice of Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol, one of the most beloved Dzogchen masters. Over 160 people attended these teachings held at St John’s University, Collegeville, MN, a university known for its tradition of Benedictine hospitality.
To prepare the participants for the mind teachings, Rinpoche emphasized the importance for participants to relax or feel the body. “This is the missing piece in the West,” he said. He said that frequently Westerners don’t pay attention to the “emotional speed” with which we do things and that our over-striving to achieve causes stress in the body and the mind.
Rinpoche also said that Westerners are fixated on achieving goals. We’re always trying to get to the top of the mountain. Eventually, after hiking up countless mountains, he said, “You ruin the subtle body,” the energy channels in the body or, in Tibetan, lung. Feeling the body, curtailing our hunger to continually “want something” and working with our mind to let go of thoughts eases the “speediness” and allows the body to settle into its natural state—where heart and mind are connected. In this place, we can access essence love.
“Essence love is your innermost home,” he told the audience. Essence love is described in his new book Open Heart, Open Mind.
Rinpoche was teaching his own students as well as his brother Mingyur Rinpoche’s students, while Mingyur Rinpoche is on a three-year wandering yogi retreat. The retreat participants were deeply grateful for Rinpoche’s teachings and entreated him to return next year.
