What's New

During June, Michael and Susan Kern are teaching a 4 week course, covering the "Three Yanas of Tibetan Buddhism. This class is an overview of the essential principles and practices of the Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana path as presented by the founder of the Shambhala community, Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. The main text used in the class is Rinpoche's classic The Myth of Freedom. Michael and Susan have been meditation practitioners and members of Shambhala since the 1970s, when they attended Naropa Institute during it's early years. In addition to their contemplative practices Michael is a practicing clinical psychologist and Susan is a social worker.

Beginning in July, Hartford Shambhala will be initiating an unusual practice, study, and contemplation course that will continue for much of the remainder of the year (or longer, depending on the group's interest). The theme will be the meaning and development of "Bodhicitta" or "awakened heart." Bodhicitta is the innate warmth and compassion for ourselves and others that is cultivated through the practice of meditation and various contemplation practices, particularly in the Mahayana teachings. We will begin this course by studying the new book by Pema Chodron called Practicing Peace in Times of War. This will be followed by a chapter by chapter reading of Shantideva's classic Bodhicharyavatara or, The Way of the Bodhisattva (we will use the Padmakara Translation Group Version), combined with a reading of Pema Chodron's guide to the Way of the Bodhisattva, No Time to Lose. The nature of this material makes it possible for people to attend at any time and make a meaningful connection, without having necessarily been to all previous sessions. A variety of different meditation practices and contemplations aimed at cultivating bodhicitta will be interspersed with the reading and study.

Past Activities - 2006

Please join us on Sunday, Sept. 24, at Randy's house in West Hartford (58 ballard drive) for a gathering to practice and listen to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's annual Fall Equinox "Harvest of Peace" talk. There will be practice starting at 9 am and going until 11:30, followed by Rinpoche's talk at 12 noon. Please bring something to eat, so you can join us for lunch following the talk. And, if you'd like to use the hot tub, be my guest (just bring a bathing suit). There is no fee for this event.

The all-day practice intensive originally scheduled for this Saturday at the Quaker Center has had to be cancelled due to a change in John's Schedule.

The class on Dzigar Kongtrull's book "It's up to You" will begin next Wednesday after regular sitting practice.

The New Haven Shambhala Center has opened in a new space, after a hiatus of a few years in which they operated without an actual physical center. With the new space there is a full Shambhala Center in Connecticut again. There will be regular Shambhala Training Levels and other workshops offered there. It is approximately 45 minutes from Hartford, and easy to access off of Interstate 91.

August - Fall 2006

~ During month of august there will be a short class focusing on the subject of the 9 stages of shamatha (peaceful abiding) meditation. This is core material for anyone interested in enriching their understanding of how walkefulness deepends as we intensify our pracice and understanding of the 'view' of mindfulness.

~ Following this class we will begin a group stuy of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoches's book "It's up to You: The practice of self-reflection on the Buddhist Path." Dzigar Kongtrul has been warmly received within the Shambhala community as a lucid teacher, able to connect with western cultural idioms. Pema Chodron is currently one of his students. As we get into the fall season, there is a very strong likelihood that we will offer one or more of the formal classes from the Shambhala Scool of Buddhist Studies, particularly for those newcomers who have not had a chance to work methodically with that material,

~ On another note: We are looking for volunteers to assist with an upcoming workshop with Acarya Rita Gross from Wisconsisn in early September, entitled "What the Buddha Really Said About buddhism." The dates are 9/8,9, and 10. It will be held at Univ. of Hartford, and promises to be a provocative and interesting weekend on a number of levels. If you are interested in helping in any way, from publcity, to hosting guests at home, please let Randy Kaplan know so he can help coordinate with Malou Dusyn of KTC. The fee for this workship is 'donation' only,' so that cost is not an obstacle.

Spring 2006

~ The focus in April will be on deepening each practitioner's understanding of mindfulness-awareness pratice, and strengthening personal discipline. Readings and discussions will address related issues.

~ Starting May 3, we will begin a class based on a seminar given by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche called "Opening One’s Heart and Mind." The focus of this seminar is on understanding the depth of Shamatha Practice. We will be primarily using videos of Mipham Rinpoche, plus a small amount of additional reading.

~ There will be an all day mindfulness practice intensive on June 17.

~ Depending on members´ interest, there will be one, possibly two classes (simultaneously) from the Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies offered in late Spring.

January - mid February 2006

~ Wednesdays after sitting practice: Pema Chödrön's workshop on DVD titled, "Going to the Places That Scare You".

Past Activities - 2005

September through December

A 6-week class based on videos of Pema Chödrön's workshop "Learning to Stay".

Shambhala Training Level 1 the weekend of Oct. 8-9 at Buddhist House at Wesleyan, with teacher Chris Pleim. Mr. Pleim, who lives in Boston, is a long-time practitioner of mindfulness meditation and has taught within the Shambhala Community for many years.

April through August

Summer: Continued reading and discussion of the Stephen Batchelor book, Living with the Devil.

May 18 - June 29, 2005 ~ Lineage and Devotion. Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies Curriculum. Instructor: Randy Kaplan.

April 13 - May 11, 2005 ~ Living with the Devil. Study of the book by Stephen Batchelor, bestselling author of Buddhism Without Beliefs.

April 2-3, 2005 ~ Shambhala Training Level 2: Birth of the Warrior, with Teacher John Ankele. Hosting this weekend session was the Wesleyan Dharma Study Group and HSMG, held at Buddhist House in Middletown, CT.

January - March

Reading and discussion of the new book, Awake at Work ~ Applying Principles from Meditation Practice in Your Everyday Life by Michael Carroll, a Buddhist meditation teacher and corporate executive.

Past Activities - 2004

Fall 2004

Shambhala Training Level One: The Art of Being Human. Hosted this weekend event in November with Buddhist House in Middletown, CT.

Studied Shambhala: The Sacred Path of the Warrior, an overview of the teachings on Shambhala, presented in Tibetan meditation master Chögyam Trungpa´s book on how to develop one's innate wisdom through the practice of meditation. Instruction in mindfulness-awareness meditation was part of the class.

April through July

Continued with the Shambhala curriculum class titled, The Bodhisattva Warrior: Six Paramitas, which was an in-depth exploration of the Mahayana practice.

January through March

Read Being Zen - Bringing Meditation to Life by Ezra Bayda.

Past Activities - 2003

Worked with the Wesleyan Dharma Study Group to present a workshop in December titled, Shamatha: Nine Stages of Resting the Mind, with teacher Arawana Hayashi, Teacher in Residence at Karmê Chöling.

In October, began Course #2 in the Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies Curriculum. This course was a continuation of the themes covered in the "Taming the Mind" course taught earlier this year, introducing the key themes of Mahayana Buddhism, such as the arousal of Bodhicitta, the Bodhisattva Vow, Shunyata, and the Six Paramitas.

Throughout the Summer, studied Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche's new book Turning the Mind into an Ally.

In the Spring, had our first public workshop titled, Peaceful Buddha, Fearless Warrior, an Introduction to the Shambhala Buddhist Path, taught by John Baker. This was followed by a 5-session class on Taming the Mind.

For More Information...
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(860) 571-3766