Calendar

In this weekly class series Robert A.F. Thurman will guide students through a close reading (with relevant digressions taking Vimalakirti’s wisdom live for today) of “The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti” using the classic text to introduce basic Buddhist meditation, history, philosophy, and realization.

The Vimalakīrti Sutra records happenings in Shakyamuni Buddha’ time (6th Century BCE) but not published as a text until around 0CE, a watershed moment in Buddhist history that brought sacred teachings out of the monasteries and into the streets and around the world, and out of classical language and into the vernacular.

Presenting the major teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism in a precise, dramatic, and even humorous form, this Sūtra, called the “jewel of the Mahāyāna Sūtras,” has enjoyed immense popularity among Mahāyāna Buddhists in India, central and southeast Asia, Japan, and especially China, where its incidents were the basis for a style in art and literature prevalent during several centuries. Recently, it has become extremely popular in America, Europe, and Australia, through its various versions and translations.

The Thurman translation version of the text we will be discussing is available for free download from www.84000.com, as The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti. There is a dramatically fun introduction in the spirit of Vimalakirti by the Venerable Dzongsar Kyentse Rinpoche, also on that website.In this magical work, the elder layman, Vimalakirti, entertains and instructs a host of mendicant disciples and lay bodhisattvas, and effectively shares his deep enlightenment and kind understanding. The work is characterized by humor, a radical and democratizing aspect, and an inclusive world of spiritually charged reciprocity, which gently levels hierarchies.

The Sutra examines foundational concepts of Buddhist wisdom and omnicompetent compassion; the transformation of the “ordinary mis-knowing body” into a “buddha body”; and reveals the purpose of life—to educate oneself in the delicious fun of freedom through the wisdom of Vimalakirti, a layman, considered a close colleague in teaching by the Buddha himself.This first class is Free, and the subsequent 7 or 11 in the Saturday night series, starting

Saturday, April 11th at 8 PM EST, will be available for subscribers for $20 a lesson.

$18 FOR TIBET HOUSE US (THUS) members!

Folks can register this week for the ongoing series, and should be aware that THUS/Menla sustaining income is only through this online activity.

Anyone whose financial circumstances are hared-pressed can appeal when seeking to register to apply for a scholarship, as in this difficult time we would not want to deprive any sincere student of access on account of money.

To request a need based scholarship, please email .From those who are still fortunately comfortabler, any amount of donation will be gratefully accepted as well. Sarvamangalam! May all be well and happy!You may register for the entire series, or a single class.

We understand that during this time of crisis, we will offer limited scholarships for our courses to those who have lost their income. Please email: [email protected] for further information.We ask for your patience as we develop courses that we can offer for free, as well as on a sliding scale.

Thank you for your support, and be well.Individual Class: $20 / $18 MembersClass Series of next seven: $140 / $126 THUS Members

This class series is intended for all levels of interest.To watch the first session, please visit the Tibet House US Menla YouTube Channel.

Join us for a three part conversation “Further Reflections Arising from Running Toward Mystery” with Robert A.F. Thurman and Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi presented by Tibet House US | Menla Online beginning May 19th, 26th & June 2nd, 2020 via Zoom.

In these three conversations Professor Thurman and the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will expand on issues raised in the book “Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Life”, during the recent online book launch dialog, and illustrated by the teachers both encountered during their spiritual journeys, in the context of our pressing world crises.

“Running Toward Mystery” is the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi’s profound account of his lifelong journey as a seeker. At its heart is a story of striving for enlightenment, of the vital importance of mentors in that search, and of the many remarkable teachers he met along the way, among them the Nichiron Lotus Sutra Monks who built the great Stupas in India and throughout the world, the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Father Thomas Keating and, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Every dollar lends crucial support to Tibet House US | Menla during this financial crisis. Anyone whose financial circumstances are dire can appeal for scholarship assistance.

We encourage those who are still financially comfortable to contribute any amount of donation above the normal class fees to support scholarships specifically or Tibet House US | Menla generally. Sarvamangalam!To request a need-based scholarship, please email [email protected]

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – Bhakti & Devotion in Buddhism
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 – Towards Building a New Normal

he pristine mountain forests of the Catskills provides the ideal backdrop for exploring the Buddhist approach to end of life. Led by Andrew Holecek, with Robert Thurman as guest lecturer

Thise programs are an in-depth exploration of the teachings and practices of the three death bardos: The Painful Bardo of Dying; The Luminous Bardo of Dharmata; and The Karmic Bardo of Becoming – perhaps the most sophisticated contemplative map describing the journey of the mind before, during, and after death.

The final retreat will explore the sutra and tantra pure lands. This Eastern body of wisdom will be augmented with Western medical, legal, and logistical approaches to the end of life. The uniqueness of these retreats is their comprehensive nature – no stone is left unturned.

Learn what to do before, during, and after death – for yourself and for others – from a spiritual and practical perspective.

By the end of this program, you will discover the death of death, and how to step back into this world – and eventually the next – with unshakeable confidence for what lies ahead.

This first retreat covers the Painful Bardo of Dying, and will show you how the bardo teachings apply not just to the end of life, but to all the small deaths that occur within life.

You will learn all the meditations that prepare for every phase of this bardo, including shamatha, formless meditations, reverse meditations, nocturnal meditations, tonglen, and an introduction to sutra-level dark retreat.

Guided contemplations, discussion groups, videos, and printed material will supplement the lectures.

Join us for a three part conversation “Further Reflections Arising from Running Toward Mystery” with Robert A.F. Thurman and Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi presented by Tibet House US | Menla Online beginning May 19th, 26th & June 2nd, 2020 via Zoom.

In these three conversations Professor Thurman and the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will expand on issues raised in the book “Running Toward Mystery: The Adventure of an Unconventional Life”, during the recent online book launch dialog, and illustrated by the teachers both encountered during their spiritual journeys, in the context of our pressing world crises.

“Running Toward Mystery” is the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi’s profound account of his lifelong journey as a seeker. At its heart is a story of striving for enlightenment, of the vital importance of mentors in that search, and of the many remarkable teachers he met along the way, among them the Nichiron Lotus Sutra Monks who built the great Stupas in India and throughout the world, the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa, Father Thomas Keating and, Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

Every dollar lends crucial support to Tibet House US | Menla during this financial crisis. Anyone whose financial circumstances are dire can appeal for scholarship assistance.

We encourage those who are still financially comfortable to contribute any amount of donation above the normal class fees to support scholarships specifically or Tibet House US | Menla generally. Sarvamangalam!To request a need-based scholarship, please email [email protected]

Tuesday, May 26th, 2020 – Bhakti & Devotion in Buddhism
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2020 – Towards Building a New Normal

In this weekly class series Robert A.F. Thurman will guide students through a close reading (with relevant digressions taking Vimalakirti’s wisdom live for today) of “The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti” using the classic text to introduce basic Buddhist meditation, history, philosophy, and realization.

The Vimalakīrti Sutra records happenings in Shakyamuni Buddha’ time (6th Century BCE) but not published as a text until around 0CE, a watershed moment in Buddhist history that brought sacred teachings out of the monasteries and into the streets and around the world, and out of classical language and into the vernacular.

Presenting the major teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism in a precise, dramatic, and even humorous form, this Sūtra, called the “jewel of the Mahāyāna Sūtras,” has enjoyed immense popularity among Mahāyāna Buddhists in India, central and southeast Asia, Japan, and especially China, where its incidents were the basis for a style in art and literature prevalent during several centuries. Recently, it has become extremely popular in America, Europe, and Australia, through its various versions and translations.

The Thurman translation version of the text we will be discussing is available for free download from www.84000.com, as The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti. There is a dramatically fun introduction in the spirit of Vimalakirti by the Venerable Dzongsar Kyentse Rinpoche, also on that website.In this magical work, the elder layman, Vimalakirti, entertains and instructs a host of mendicant disciples and lay bodhisattvas, and effectively shares his deep enlightenment and kind understanding. The work is characterized by humor, a radical and democratizing aspect, and an inclusive world of spiritually charged reciprocity, which gently levels hierarchies.

The Sutra examines foundational concepts of Buddhist wisdom and omnicompetent compassion; the transformation of the “ordinary mis-knowing body” into a “buddha body”; and reveals the purpose of life—to educate oneself in the delicious fun of freedom through the wisdom of Vimalakirti, a layman, considered a close colleague in teaching by the Buddha himself.This first class is Free, and the subsequent 7 or 11 in the Saturday night series, starting

Saturday, April 11th at 8 PM EST, will be available for subscribers for $20 a lesson.

$18 FOR TIBET HOUSE US (THUS) members!

Folks can register this week for the ongoing series, and should be aware that THUS/Menla sustaining income is only through this online activity.

Anyone whose financial circumstances are hared-pressed can appeal when seeking to register to apply for a scholarship, as in this difficult time we would not want to deprive any sincere student of access on account of money.

To request a need based scholarship, please email .From those who are still fortunately comfortabler, any amount of donation will be gratefully accepted as well. Sarvamangalam! May all be well and happy!You may register for the entire series, or a single class.

We understand that during this time of crisis, we will offer limited scholarships for our courses to those who have lost their income. Please email: [email protected] for further information.We ask for your patience as we develop courses that we can offer for free, as well as on a sliding scale.

Thank you for your support, and be well.Individual Class: $20 / $18 MembersClass Series of next seven: $140 / $126 THUS Members

This class series is intended for all levels of interest.To watch the first session, please visit the Tibet House US Menla YouTube Channel.

Stories of cotton clad monks melting snow while practicing Tummo–or inner fire-meditation–first ignited imaginations through the writings of Alexandra David-Néel and Lama Govinda, giving the world a glimpse of unlocking human potential through the study of the wisdom, compassion and yoga practices of Buddhism.

Join us for this rare and precious offering, as Bob and Dr. Nida lead us through an introduction to Tummo practice, its history, and its context within Buddhist Inner Sciences, providing instruction on the foundational meditations and visualizations necessary to begin its practice.

Purifying all negativity and enhancing innate bliss, the Tummo fire practice is one of the Six Yogas in Vajrayana Buddhism and is the foundation of other Tibetan yogic practices, including Karmamudra. Its purpose is to gain complete control over all body functions, resulting in perfect health and the experience of continuous bliss.

Dr. Nida and Robert Thurman will explore the inner and outer yoga traditions of Buddhism through the teachings of Yuthok Yonten Gonpo the Younger, the life stories of the Wild-Yogi Ascetics or Mahasiddhas, and the philosophical writings of Atisha, Nagarjuna & Tsongkhapa to provide practical lessons, tools and perspectives to sensitive beings of any time.

Dr. Nida’s senior student James Bae will provide Nine Breath Purification instruction and Tummo demonstrations

This workshop is intended as an introduction to the Tummo Yoga of Yuthok for students of Buddhism, yoga, and the holistic healing arts and sciences. Information about traditional Buddhist Vajrayana empowerment offerings and continuing study and practice will be provided at the end of online retreat.

All levels welcome!

In this weekly class series Robert A.F. Thurman will guide students through a close reading (with relevant digressions taking Vimalakirti’s wisdom live for today) of “The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti” using the classic text to introduce basic Buddhist meditation, history, philosophy, and realization.

The Vimalakīrti Sutra records happenings in Shakyamuni Buddha’ time (6th Century BCE) but not published as a text until around 0CE, a watershed moment in Buddhist history that brought sacred teachings out of the monasteries and into the streets and around the world, and out of classical language and into the vernacular.

Presenting the major teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism in a precise, dramatic, and even humorous form, this Sūtra, called the “jewel of the Mahāyāna Sūtras,” has enjoyed immense popularity among Mahāyāna Buddhists in India, central and southeast Asia, Japan, and especially China, where its incidents were the basis for a style in art and literature prevalent during several centuries. Recently, it has become extremely popular in America, Europe, and Australia, through its various versions and translations.

The Thurman translation version of the text we will be discussing is available for free download from www.84000.com, as The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti. There is a dramatically fun introduction in the spirit of Vimalakirti by the Venerable Dzongsar Kyentse Rinpoche, also on that website.In this magical work, the elder layman, Vimalakirti, entertains and instructs a host of mendicant disciples and lay bodhisattvas, and effectively shares his deep enlightenment and kind understanding. The work is characterized by humor, a radical and democratizing aspect, and an inclusive world of spiritually charged reciprocity, which gently levels hierarchies.

The Sutra examines foundational concepts of Buddhist wisdom and omnicompetent compassion; the transformation of the “ordinary mis-knowing body” into a “buddha body”; and reveals the purpose of life—to educate oneself in the delicious fun of freedom through the wisdom of Vimalakirti, a layman, considered a close colleague in teaching by the Buddha himself.This first class is Free, and the subsequent 7 or 11 in the Saturday night series, starting

Saturday, April 11th at 8 PM EST, will be available for subscribers for $20 a lesson.

$18 FOR TIBET HOUSE US (THUS) members!

Folks can register this week for the ongoing series, and should be aware that THUS/Menla sustaining income is only through this online activity.

Anyone whose financial circumstances are hared-pressed can appeal when seeking to register to apply for a scholarship, as in this difficult time we would not want to deprive any sincere student of access on account of money.

To request a need based scholarship, please email .From those who are still fortunately comfortabler, any amount of donation will be gratefully accepted as well. Sarvamangalam! May all be well and happy!You may register for the entire series, or a single class.

We understand that during this time of crisis, we will offer limited scholarships for our courses to those who have lost their income. Please email: [email protected] for further information.We ask for your patience as we develop courses that we can offer for free, as well as on a sliding scale.

Thank you for your support, and be well.Individual Class: $20 / $18 MembersClass Series of next seven: $140 / $126 THUS Members

This class series is intended for all levels of interest.To watch the first session, please visit the Tibet House US Menla YouTube Channel.

In this weekly class series Robert A.F. Thurman will guide students through a close reading (with relevant digressions taking Vimalakirti’s wisdom live for today) of “The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti” using the classic text to introduce basic Buddhist meditation, history, philosophy, and realization.

The Vimalakīrti Sutra records happenings in Shakyamuni Buddha’ time (6th Century BCE) but not published as a text until around 0CE, a watershed moment in Buddhist history that brought sacred teachings out of the monasteries and into the streets and around the world, and out of classical language and into the vernacular.

Presenting the major teachings of Mahāyāna Buddhism in a precise, dramatic, and even humorous form, this Sūtra, called the “jewel of the Mahāyāna Sūtras,” has enjoyed immense popularity among Mahāyāna Buddhists in India, central and southeast Asia, Japan, and especially China, where its incidents were the basis for a style in art and literature prevalent during several centuries. Recently, it has become extremely popular in America, Europe, and Australia, through its various versions and translations.

The Thurman translation version of the text we will be discussing is available for free download from www.84000.com, as The Noble Teaching of Vimalakīrti. There is a dramatically fun introduction in the spirit of Vimalakirti by the Venerable Dzongsar Kyentse Rinpoche, also on that website.In this magical work, the elder layman, Vimalakirti, entertains and instructs a host of mendicant disciples and lay bodhisattvas, and effectively shares his deep enlightenment and kind understanding. The work is characterized by humor, a radical and democratizing aspect, and an inclusive world of spiritually charged reciprocity, which gently levels hierarchies.

The Sutra examines foundational concepts of Buddhist wisdom and omnicompetent compassion; the transformation of the “ordinary mis-knowing body” into a “buddha body”; and reveals the purpose of life—to educate oneself in the delicious fun of freedom through the wisdom of Vimalakirti, a layman, considered a close colleague in teaching by the Buddha himself.This first class is Free, and the subsequent 7 or 11 in the Saturday night series, starting

Saturday, April 11th at 8 PM EST, will be available for subscribers for $20 a lesson.

$18 FOR TIBET HOUSE US (THUS) members!

Folks can register this week for the ongoing series, and should be aware that THUS/Menla sustaining income is only through this online activity.

Anyone whose financial circumstances are hared-pressed can appeal when seeking to register to apply for a scholarship, as in this difficult time we would not want to deprive any sincere student of access on account of money.

To request a need based scholarship, please email .From those who are still fortunately comfortabler, any amount of donation will be gratefully accepted as well. Sarvamangalam! May all be well and happy!You may register for the entire series, or a single class.

We understand that during this time of crisis, we will offer limited scholarships for our courses to those who have lost their income. Please email: [email protected] for further information.We ask for your patience as we develop courses that we can offer for free, as well as on a sliding scale.

Thank you for your support, and be well.Individual Class: $20 / $18 MembersClass Series of next seven: $140 / $126 THUS Members

This class series is intended for all levels of interest.To watch the first session, please visit the Tibet House US Menla YouTube Channel.

Join Richard Freeman, Mary Taylor & Robert A.F. Thurman for an all levels yoga and meditation intensive sponsored by Tibet House US Menla Retreat and Dewa Spa this June 28th – July 3rd, 2020 in Phoenicia, New York!

Diving deeply into the complementary teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and classical Indian thought, we find at the core the common ground of cultivating compassion within the context of daily life. This turns out to be an essential step toward peeling away layers of confusion and habitual ways of thinking and acting that keep us stuck and unable to experience the interpenetrating nature of all things.

During this week of yoga, meditation, storytelling, chanting and lively discussions, we will explore how these two traditions are profoundly relevant to life in the 21st Century.

As a backdrop to the practices, we will study sections of the Amrta Siddhi, Yogavaśiṣta, Vimalakirti Sūtra, Narada Bhakti Sūtra and Heart Sūtra, exploring how these practices and teachings stimulate our creative imagination for problem solving as well as how they ignite the intuitive sense of who we really are as part of the ecosystem we call life.

To learn more please visit our website!

Robert Thurman brilliantly elucidates and vividly brings to life the many dimensions of the Kālachakra Tantra in this special series of study and practice Intensives.

In this Kālachakra Intensive, Dr. Thurman will focus discussion and contemplation-based lectures on unpacking the very center of the mandala, the Mind Mandala, within the larger context of the Kalachakra and pulling from several textual sources to enrich our remembrance of our experience of the initiation and of entering the mandala and beholding Kālachakra-Vishvamata. While emphasis is on working with students to ensure they understand all the symbolic elements of the practice and iconography, plenty of time for actual practice and mantra accumulation is allotted.

Afternoons will include free time after lunch for spa treatments, further personal practice, and optional student-led discussions. The retreat will conclude with an instructional puja and celebration lead by Thurman.

Join us in the breathtaking hidden mountain valley of Tibet House’s Menla retreat and spa, for this personally transformative and very inspiring retreat intended to help initiates, from total novices to more advanced practitioners, deepen their connection to, their understanding of, and ultimately their embodiment of the magnificent reality of Kālachakra-Vishvamata.

Please bring your own vajra, bell, damaru, and inner offering vessel (ritual skullcup).

This 2020 6th Annual “Spring on Maui” Retreat will feature a super special blend of Bhakti / Buddhist teachings with Roshi Joan Halifax (Upaya Zen Center), Frank Ostaseski (Metta Institute), Robert A.F. Thurman (Tibet House) and best selling author, renowned essayist Anne Lamott

Enjoy 5 nights of Krishna Das kirtans with his full band.

This will be the first Maui Retreat without Ram Dass in person. The Retreat will be a celebration of his Life, Teachings and Core Message of Becoming Loving Awareness.

Start your days each morning with Sunrise Silent Sitting Meditation led by Rameshwar Das followed by your choice, Dao Flow Yoga with Saraswati Markus Anand or “Qigong on the Lawn” with Joyanna Maria Ananda

Daily Dharma talks, guided meditations, reflections, contemplations, words of wisdom and special afternoon sessions led alternately by the Retreat Faculty, LIVE Mindrolling Podcast with Raghu Markus and chanting Hanuman Chaleesas with Nina Rao Chant

Special Opening & Closing Ceremony with Lei’ohu Ryder and Maydeen ‘Īao of Aloha in Action

Delicious, healthy Retreat Meals are served buffet style. Include vegetarian, vegan, dairy free and gluten free options.

Recommend flying into Kahului Airport – OGG. Ride Reservations are included with on site registrations only.

Join us for this totally unique yoga teacher training, exploring the philosophical and experiential interface between Hatha Yoga and Indo-Tibetan Vajra Yoga traditions in the pristine hidden mountain valley of Menla -a Medicine Buddha land.

This will be an intensive immersion designed for students and teachers of Indian and Tibetan yogas wishing to take their practice and teaching to a deeper level. A principal of the approach is to move the context of the yogas into the domain of the mahāsiddhas—their trans-denominational Indic spiritual sciences (adhyātmavidyā–nangi rigpa).

Daily practice of yoga asana (harmonizing Hatha Yoga, Vajrayana yogas–especially Kalachakra and Tibetan Trulkhor yogas), meditation, pranayama, chanting, instruction, contemplation, discussion, sleep and dream yogas, such as yoga nidra, will be offered to create a deeply transformational journey of self-discovery.

We will also gain a strong foundation in yoga teaching methodology, practicum, & technique as well as applied anatomy and physiology that will empower those aiming to teach yoga in a universalist and science-based setting to do so with confidence and poise.

The course is for those who wish to advance their knowledge and experience of yoga, whether they choose to teach or not.

All serious students are welcome to participate.