Kagyu Samye Dzong London
News

July 2005

Contents

1. Holistic Treatment Fundraising Day - 17th July
2. Rokpa Himalayan Dance Tour - performed by ex-street children from the Rokpa Children's Home in Kathmandu
3. Rokpa children staying at Samye Dzong - can you help?
4. Esther White on nature and fundraising in Richmond Park
5. Forthcoming events

News in Brief

• CALLING ALL CAKE / PIZZA / BUN MAKERS - YOUR CENTRE NEEDS YOU!  to generously provide delicious comestibles for sale at the Holistic Treatment Fundraising Day.  Feel free to provide items suitable for freezing in advance.  Please let us know if you are able to help.
• Lama Yeshe Losal's car was finally sold on Ebay for £1,500.  Thanks to all those who put in bids (successful or not!).
• We will go through the music of the Guru Rinpoche and Green Tara Pujas on Wednesdays 13th and 20th July, 8-9 pm .  If you would like to learn to play the instruments, please come along.  If you have them, please bring your bell and damaru as well as the texts.

1 - Holistic treatment fundraising day, Sunday 17th July, 10.00-5.00

Now here's a date for your diary!  Let us invite you to chill out at Samye Dzong on Sunday 17th July between 10.00 am and 5.00 pm. with some fantastic therapies and services to help you to relax, rebalance and generally unwind on this wonderful summer day.

This is the third time that Samye Dzong is presenting you, your friends and family with an opportunity to sample a range of therapies and services at bargain prices.  Today, you pay just £8 to practitioners who normally charge anything up to seven times that amount!  Among other things on offer today are: Ayurvedic Massage, aromatherapy, life coaching, and reflexology.

On top of that there will be classes in Feldenkrais, Yoga, Meditation, Tai Chi and others which will be held throughout the day, not to mention the refreshments in-between!  After a day with all this you may not float out of the Centre (unless you attend the rumoured levitation class), but it will probably feel like it.

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2 - Rokpa Himalayan Dance Tour - performed by ex-street children from the Rokpa Children's Home in Kathmandu

As part of Rokpa's 25th anniversary celebrations, this performance incorporates narrative and stories of the children's own experiences, written by them and with traditional dances, songs and folklore of the Himalayan regions.

The ten dancers will be staying at Samye Dzong London along with Mummy Lea from the 21st-29th July.  Their performance will be at:

St Thomas Hospital on Friday 22nd July, 12.30 pm - in the Central Hall

The Nehru Centre, 8 South Audley Street, W1K  on Thursday 28th July at 7.00 pm

Entry to both performances is f-r-e-e

3 - Rokpa children staying at Samye Dzong - can you help?

If your child had travelled overseas to a city as part of a dance tour - what would you want for them while they were there?  See the city?  How would you like them to be cared for?  Would you like to help make that happen for the 10 children age between 8 and 20 from Rokpa's Children's Home in Kathmandu?

We are looking for volunteers to help cook, and especially look after and take out to see the sights of London on 26th and 27th.  As Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche said "If they haven't seen London, they haven't seen the UK".

Also, can you help with transport to and from the airport on either 21st or 29th July?

If you are unable to help personally maybe you would be able to sponsor an event, such as a boat trip down the Thames, entry to an exhibition, or simply pledge some money to help cover the expenses of their stay?

Please contact the office to offer whatever help you can.

4 - Esther White on nature and fundraising in Richmond Park

On Sunday June 5th 2005 an enthusiastic group gathered at the gates of Richmond Park.
The weather was kind to us and although rain had been forecast it never appeared. We set off on our walk passing foxgloves and beautiful uncurling ferns. We arrived at Pen ponds to be greeted by a flock of goslings. The walk itself felt effortless, as there was such good company and picturesque scenery including bright purple rhododendrons and whispering willow trees. We enjoyed a hearty picnic and then had the fortune to pass between small herds of young deer. The day was so enjoyable it was almost forgotten that it was also a fundraiser! However we still raised a sizeable £738.50!!!! So a big Thank you to all the walkers and all their generous sponsors.

5 - Forthcoming events

July

White Tara practice and instructions
with Gelongma Kunzang
2nd-3rd July - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
£45
Those of you who recently received the White Tara empowerment during the May visit of Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche now have the opportunity to receive the instructions for this practice associated with compassion, good health and long life.  There will be instructions on the chanting, the visulisation and meditation of the White Tara Sadhana.

The Psychology of Freedom
with Rob Nairn
Friday 8th July - 7.00 - 8.30 pm
Saturday & Sunday 9th - 10th July - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
£55
The main topic of this course will be dealing with the graduated steps to freedom taught by the Buddha - the systematic development of dissatisfaction and the freedom from such.
The course will include lectures, discussion, relaxation and meditation instruction, as well as guidance in working skilfully with everyday situations.
Suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.

Kum Nye Tibetan relaxation exercise
with Anne Overzee
Saturday 16th July - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
£25
Kum Nye is grounded in a system of healing passed on for nearly twelve hundred years within the Buddhist culture of Tibet.
Kum Nye is the art of developing balance by integrating teh body, mind, senses and environment. this is achieved through a gentle yet profound process of relaxation involving the release of physical, mental and emotional tensions and blockages in order to cultivate the free flow of feeling and sensation throughout the body.

Holistic Treatment Fundraising Day
Sunday 17th July - 10.00 - 5.00 pm

Awakening Our Potential
with Clive Holmes
Friday 29th July - 7.00 - 8.30 pm
Saturday & Sunday 30th - 31st July - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
£55
Clive will introduce meditation, relaxation, and visualisation techniques and will show how to establish a daily meditation practice focused on leading happy and useful lives.
The weekend is suitable both for beginners as well as those with some experience of meditation.

August

We're all going on a - summer holiday!
Just like Cliff Richard and friends, the residents of Samye Dzong will be piling into a large double decker bus and zooming off on their annual junket. Or in English..
Please note that the Centre will close at 9.00 pm on Sunday 31st July and re-open on Wednesday 17th August at 2.00 pm

Chen style Tai Chi
with John Henry
Sunday 21st August, 10.30 - 4.00 pm.
£25
A monthly class of Chen style Tai Chi.  Beginners welcome.

Tonglen Retreat
with Lama Zangmo
Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th August - 10.00 - 4.00 pm
£45
Shantideva said:

"If I don't completely exchange
my happiness for others' sorrow,
Buddhahood will not be realised,
There is no happiness in samsara."

This exchange is the practice of tonglen which, in the words of Ringu Tulku "..is essential for releasing us from suffering and generating compassion".   The weekend will consist of teaching sessions on tonglen and mind training with time for meditation. Bring food to share on both days.

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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