Date(s) - October 13, 2016 - December 8, 2016
7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
A six week Seminar with
Kasumi Kato and Abby Lindemann
For over a thousand years, the people of Tibet have preserved a unique form of Buddhism that was originally taught and practiced in ancient India. The hallmark of the Tibetan tradition is a graded approach to meditation, spiritual study, and ethical living embodied in the “three vehicles” of Buddhism: the Foundational, Great, and Vajra Vehicles. The Foundational Vehicle stresses basic principles like non-violence, impermanence, and interdependence, while the Great Vehicle builds upon these principles by leading the meditator to an experience of the dream-like nature of reality and the open-hearted intention to help all beings achieve enlightenment. The Vajra Vehicle provides an array of meditation techniques designed to strip away the causes of suffering and uncover the radiant awareness that underlies all experience. In Tibetan Buddhism, these three vehicles are practiced as a unity.
In this six-class seminar, we will explore the rich history, philosophy, and meditative traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. The first two classes will focus on the history of Tibet and the development of the four main lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. In the third and fourth classes, we will discuss the practical philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism and the four schools of thought that form the core of its philosophical traditions. In the final two classes, we will explore the main forms of meditation practiced in Tibet, paying special attention to Path of Liberation teachings taught by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche.
The detailed outline for this course is as follows:
- The Early Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the Nyingma Lineage
- The Later Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet and the Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug Lineages
- The Philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism: Core Teachings of the Foundational Vehicle
- The Philosophy of Tibetan Buddhism: Core Teachings of the Great Vehicle
- Meditation in Tibet: Mind Training and the Preliminary Practices
- Meditation in Tibet: Working with Perception, the Subtle Body, and Pure Awareness
There are no prerequisites for this class.
Classes will include presentations by Tergar Practice Leaders Kasumi Kato and Abby Lindemann, as well as guided meditations and discussion. Video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche will be made available online.
When:
Thursday evenings, 7-8:30pm
October 13, 20; November 10, 17; December 1, 8
Cost:
Base fee: $90
Sponsor fee: $120*
Student/Senior (65+): $60
Work-study: (prior permission required) $45
* Those who pay the sponsor fee help support those who cannot afford to pay the full workshop fee.
Contact:
Tergar Meditation Community – Madison
[email protected]
(608) 616-5429
Kasumi Kato grew up in northern Japan, where she learned to meditate from a young age. For the last fifteen years, she has studied yoga, meditation, massage, and other healing arts throughout the world. She has received extensive training in mindfulness and other forms of meditation, including participation in numerous meditation retreats, workshops, seminars, and solitary retreats. In addition to her spiritual practice, Kasumi has received two Master’s degrees and currently teaches Japanese at UW-Whitewater. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time outdoors, and volunteering for the causes she is passionate about.
Abby Lindemann first discovered Buddhism as a teenager while living with a Tibetan Buddhist family during a service trip in Nepal. She received her BA in psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and her MA from Naropa University in Contemplative Psychotherapy. She was a Research Coordinator and Clinician at the University of Colorado-Boulder on National Institute of Mental Health funded research of Mindfulness based Cognitive Therapy, which introduced mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation to women during pregnancy. Abby is pursuing her doctorate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and currently is a Clinical Psychology Intern in the Department of Psychiatry at Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute and Clinics. She enjoys being outdoors, listening to live music, exploring new places, and spending time with her nephews and niece.
Location
Tergar Madison, Madison WI, United States