Kagyu Samye Dzong London News

November 2004

Contents

1. Extract from a teaching on meditation from Akong Tulku Rinpoche
2. Samye Ling 2005 picture calender
3. Kum Nye Tibetan Exercise
4. Sitar Concert with Vijay Jagtap
5. Forthcoming events

News in Brief

• SPECIAL NOTICE - We will soon be auctioning Lama Yeshe Rinpoche’s Saab car. This is the car that has driven Lama Yeshe everywhere for the last 8 years.
• The sponsored "Walk for Wonder" through Richmond Park at the end of September has raised a total of £1,400.  Many thanks to all those who organised, took part in, and sponsored this event.

1 - Extract of a teaching on meditation by Akong Tulku Rinpoche

Meditation is within our understanding, it has no monetary value, you cannot buy it with money. Meditation is diligence. Whoever has diligence, whoever has the right frame of mind, and whoever has the right teacher, without those three things you cannot achieve anything. The teacher is the most important. Meditation cannot be achieved through books, through a book you can achieve some wisdom for your mind, like what is a good person, an honest person, what is a bad person but one cannot achieve the development of meditation through books.

Meditation is very individual, if you make the effort then you can have some benefit. It is like food; if you want to be fat, you are the one who has to eat, it is no use to pay someone to eat for you and hope it will make you fat. You cannot buy your fat with money and you cannot lose fat by money, you are the one that has to work. You have to give up the idea of buying a system of meditation, you have to give up the idea of achieving this by one or two sessions.

Some people say that they have done ten years of meditation and still not achieved anything, and if you ask how often they meditate, they may say once a week. Now meditation is like food; would you be able to maintain your body by eating one meal once a week? It is doubtful, you have to eat three times, and then you have to drink in between that. You have tea breaks, coffee breaks. Six or seven times you have to eat, drink, and still you will say you are hungry. Meditation is something which you have to apply every hour – it is not once a year or once a month or even just once a week.

In the meditation texts it says that you should not cling to the thoughts that arise, just as you do not have clinging to a corpse when somebody dies. When they were alive you have thought they were very nice, with a nicely shaped body, but when a person is dead, there is no clinging from your side, whether it is beautiful or ugly, old or young, it is the same – there is no more clinging. Similarly, when thoughts appear during meditation, there should be no clinging. It is important to give freedom, but in addition, you have to be mindful all the time, mindfulness is the key to meditation.

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2 - The perfect gift: a Samye Ling 2005 picture calender

A CD sized picture calender is now available from KSDL. Each month has a beautiful photo from Samye Ling, such as the temple, shrine room, Akong Tulku Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe Rinpoche, the Stupa and much more.

To order a copy for only £5.95 please contact the office.

3 - Kum Nye Tibetan exercise with Anne Overzee - Saturday 27th November, 10.00-4.00 pm.  £25

This day is intended to help nourish our sense of connection with ourselves and our environment.  Kum Nye is a Tibetan system of relaxation, sitting and movement practices developed over centuries to cultivate health and well-being.

Anne Overzee has been practising Kum Nye for twenty years, and she has taught Kum Nye as a staff member of Karuna Institute where it is an integral part of the Core Process Psychotherapy Training Programme.

4 - Sitar Concert with Vijay Jagtap, Friday 3rd December, 7.00 pm.  £10

Vijaykumar Jagtap is one of Britain's highly acclaimed sitar artists.  He comes from a family of musicians and has played at a number of prestigious venues, including Westminster Abbey for the Queen.  He is a committed artist "amazing the audience with his brilliance on the strings of the sitar.

All proceeds will go towards the New Building Fund.

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5 - Forthcoming events

Four ways of changing the mind
with Lama Zangmo
Thursday 4th - Thursday 25th November, 7.00 - 8.30pm.
£25
A weekly class reflecting on our basic human condition.  The sessions will be a combination of teachings, contemplation and meditation.  Suitable for all.

Chen style Tai Chi
with John Henry
Saturday 6th November, 10.30 - 4.00 pm.
£25
A monthly class of Chen style Tai Chi.  Beginners welcome.

Taming the Tiger
with Lama Zangmo
Saturday 13th - Sunday 14th November, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
£45
A weekend of meditation instruction relevant to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
This is an introduction to some of the methods used in Akong Tulku Rinpoche's book "Taming the Tiger" as a means to develop relaxation, mental stability and inner peace.  The course will be a combination of instructions and meditation.

Chenrezig instructions and mantra calligraphy
with Gelongma Ani Kunzang
Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st November, 10.00 am - 4,00 pm
£45

Kum Nye Tibetan Exercise
with Anne Overzee
Saturday 27th November, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
£25

Tonglen Retreat
with Lama Zangmo
Sunday 28th November, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
£25

About the Newsletter

This newsletter goes out to those who have expressed an interest in Kagyu Samye Dzong London. It covers news of the efforts and progress towards finding and funding a new site for the centre, and other events taking place in the coming weeks

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