Madison Tergar Community

Under the guidance of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, Tergar Madison holds weekly drop-in meditation groups and public talks, as well as periodic retreats, workshops and classes on meditation and Tibetan Buddhism. Please join us!

Please note: The office is open every Tuesday from 2 to 6 pm and every Wednesday from 10 am to 1 pm. If you or anyone in your home is not feeling well, we ask that you attend our programming virtually.

Our policy on cancellations due to weather is linked here.

Joy of Living
Weekly Meditation Group

Tuesday Evenings, 7:00—8:00pm

Offered as a hybrid event via zoom and in-person. Please check our weekly news for the links in more detailed information or email [email protected].

If you are a beginning meditator and would like to learn more, or if you are a seasoned practitioner and would like to deepen your practice, please join us every Tuesday evening as we explore the practices of mindfulness and compassion meditation.
Read about our current curriculum and access online resources here.

*Community Nights: the first Tuesday of each month includes a 60-minute teaching/practice session followed by a 30-minute social period with snacks provided.

Weekly Lama Teachings

On Wednesday evenings Tulku Tashi will give weekly hybrid teachings on the Abidharma here at the center. They will run from 6:30 to 8:00pm CT and will be recorded. If you are planning to join virtually, you can register for the Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpdeutpzkqE9bAo9q787RKNcplNzfd6uLq#/registration

Please note: you only need to register for the events once. You can then use the Zoom link you receive every Wednesday.

These teachings are open to everyone. They will also be recorded and available for listening on our Soundcloud.

Open Meditation

Fridays ~ 8 AM ~ Join our Open Meditation Group
With one hour of unguided meditation followed by one hour of shared reflections. To join this group, please email [email protected].

Sundays ~ 10:30am Nectar of the Path Group Meditation
Every Sunday from 10:30 to 11:30am will be Nectar of the Path written by Mingyur Rinpoche for our community and open to all meditators. The practice alternates chanting the text with minutes of open awareness interspersed throughout. No reservations needed. No charge. Open to all. Texts will be provided.

OM Cancellations
TMad has an open meditation cancellation email group used by administrators to notify community members when sessions will not be held; this group is used for this purpose only.

To join this list and receive periodic cancellation notices, please follow please follow this link, click “Apply for membership,” and fill out the short form. You will need a free Google login to join the group.

Upcoming Events

Life and Teachings of the Buddha
Mondays, October 2 – November 6, 2023
6:30pm to 8:30pm

Although the Buddha lived roughly 2,500 years ago, his life and teachings are as relevant today as ever. The Buddha was born into a life of luxury and privilege but saw that material prosperity alone cannot solve all of life’s problems. Acutely aware of the chronic dissatisfaction that often plagues the human mind, he devoted his life to understanding the causes of suffering and to uprooting these causes through meditation, insight, and leading a life of compassion and non-violence. In this six-part class, we will explore the Buddha’s life and his core teachings, seeing what we can learn from his timeless example. In each class we will discuss a particular period of the Buddha’s life, pairing our discussion with an exploration of the Four Noble Truths. Each class includes a guided meditation, periods of discussion, and video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche.

This is a hybrid class. Students can attend via Zoom or in person at the Tergar Madison center: 301 S. Blount St. #104, Madison, WI 53703

Register Here: https://tergar.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/tergar/event.jsp?event=6032&

---

Exploring the Nature of the Mind: The Roots of Mahamudra Meditation with Tergar Instructor Cortland Dahl, Ph.D.
Thursdays, October 5 – October 26, 2023
7:00pm to 8:30pm

Mahamudra is considered the most profound and direct path to awakening in the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. These experiential teachings help us to recognize the pure awareness that underlies our thoughts and emotions, putting us in touch with a profound source of inner peace. For centuries, teachings on Mahamudra have been passed down from teacher to student by some of Tibet’s greatest meditation masters.

In this course, we will explore the most important principles and practices of the Mahamudra tradition. We will begin by learning about the roots of the Mahamudra lineage and how this tradition took shape in India and later in Tibet. We will also explore the practices of calm abiding and insight meditation (shamatha and vipashyana) and the unique approach to these meditations found in the Mahamudra instructions. Finally, we will explore short teachings, in the form of dohas, or “songs of realization,” by some of the greatest masters of the Mahamudra lineage. Each class will include teachings from Tergar Instructor Cortland Dahl, as well as periods of guided meditation and discussion.

This is a hybrid class. Students can attend via Zoom or in person at the Tergar Madison center: 301 S. Blount St. #104, Madison, WI 53703

Register Here: https://tergar.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/tergar/event.jsp?event=6043&

---

Reverse Meditation: A Weekend Retreat with Andrew Holecek
Saturday, October 14, and Sunday, October 15, 2023
9:00am to 5:00pm (both days)

The Reverse Meditations offer a radical way to bring the difficulties of life onto the path. They will show you how to find freedom in the most unwanted experiences, including illness and death. These practices are the opposite of what we consider meditation, and vastly expand our sense of practice, and the path altogether. They represent a healthy revolution in spiritual practice that turns your understanding of meditation inside out and upside down, bringing everything onto the path. Obstacles that previously obstructed your path are transformed into opportunities that now accelerate it. By putting your meditation into reverse you’ll actually find yourself going forward. The reverse meditations nurture an indestructible ability to handle anything that life throws your way.

Location:
Promega, BTC Auditorium
5445 E. Cheryly Parkway
Fitchburg, WI

Register Here: https://tergar.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/tergar/event.jsp?event=6021&

---

For upcoming events and programs please go to our online calendar.

Other Groups and Activities

In Person: Tuesday Noon POL Tantra Discussion Group – first and third Tuesdays from 12pm to 1pm. The group is following the Vajrayana Online curriculum for the tantra courses and will be discussing the material for the preceding 2-3 weeks at the first meeting of the month and the prior two weeks at the second meeting of the month. The focus is practice-oriented discussion. Each person brings a practice question or observation related to the material for the week or their ongoing related practice each meeting, as a way of sharing leadership. Hosting of the meeting is rotated. People interested in joining please contact [email protected].

Offered Online: Lineage Transmission Discussion Group – second and fourth Wednesdays from 4pm to 5pm. This is a Zoom group that is open to all Tergar Madison community members who are participating in the current Lineage Transmission course on Vajrayana Online, currently The Heart of Tantra. If you are interested, and wish to have the Zoom link and/or be added to the email list for the discussion group, contact [email protected].

---

Address:

301 S Blount Street, Suite 104, Madison, WI 53703
Click here for a parking map

Our Meditation Center is open
Tuesdays from 2 pm to 6 pm
and Wednesdays from 10 am to 1 pm

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (608) 440-3757
FaceBook: Tergar Madison
SoundCloud: Tergar Meditation Community

Suggestions and Comments for Tergar Madison Leadership:
If you would like to offer input to the Board of Directors and others in Tergar Madison leadership, please follow this link.