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Events


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There's a lot of exciting Dharma possibilities coming up. Keep reading:

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Special Events at Sravasti Abbey

______________  August  ______________

______________   September  ______________

______________   October  ______________

  • October 10: Sharing the Dharma Day, 9:45 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

  • Friday, October 29: Lhabab Du Chen Buddhist Holy Day

______________ November  ______________

_______   December — January 2011  ________

______________   February  ______________

______________   March  ______________


Exploring Monastic Life with Ven. Thubten Chodron
August 9 thru 26

For qualified lay people who want to know more about monastic life as they explore the possibility of ordination, and for monks and nuns that have been ordained for five years or less.

Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron teaches from her experience of monastic life for over 30 years. In addition to receiving daily teachings, you’ll be living and practicing as a member of the Sravasti Abbey community—engaging in meditation, discussion, and offering service to the community.

Applicants must have taken refuge in the Three Jewels at least one year ago and must not be in a long-term relationship. Priority will be given to applicants under the age of 50.

Listen to August 2007 teachings >>>

Click here for more information and to download the application.

Labor Day Weekend Retreat — “Developing Meditative Concentration”
with Ven. Thubten Chodron
September 3 thru 6

Concentration is the ability to remain single-pointedly on a constructive object of medita­tion with a blissful and pliant mind for as long as one wishes. Also called “serenity,”or “calm abiding” or “meditative quiescence.” it is an essential skill for realizing the ultimate nature of reality and progressing to liberation and enlightenment. Join Ven. Thubten Chodron for an introduction to the helps and hindrances in cultivating meditative stabilization.

Retreat begins at 5:00 p.m. on Friday and ends after lunch on Monday. A dana offering and registration form are requested to reserve your place for the retreat.

Click here to register.

Celebrate! Consecration of New Retreat Cabin, Sharing the Dharma Day, and Long Life Puja for Ven. Chodron
Sunday, September 19

Join the community to dedicate our new guest teacher and retreat cabin. Venerable Chodron will give a Sharing the Dharma Day talk. Then we'll celebrate and make prayers for the long life, good health, and success of Sravasti Abbey’s founder and abbess, Ven. Thubten Chodron.

Call the office at (509) 447-5549 for details.

Lhabab Du Chen Buddhist Holy Day
October 29

Lhabab Duchen commemorates the Buddha's descent from the god realm after teaching the Dharma to his mother. A very meritorious day, it’s a good time to take the 8 Mahayana precepts, to make offerings, and to offer service to others. The community will celebrate this day from within the Compassion Retreat (below).

Shantideva’s Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life teachings & retreat
with Khensur Wangdak Rinpoche
November 24 thru 28

Rinpoche will teach on this well loved & widely practiced text which is oft quoted by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Composed by the Indian master Shantideva in the eighth century, the teachings elucidate methods for cultivating the bodhisattva ideal, the altruistic intention to become enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Venerable Khensur Wangdak Lobsang Tenzin was born in Tibet in 1934 and entered monastic life at age 10. He studied in Tibet and later fled to India in 1960. Receiving the highest Geshe Lharampa degree from Drepung Monastery he has both taught and been Abbot of Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India. He now resides in the USA at Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center.

White Tara initiation details yet to be confirmed.

Retreat begins at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday and ends after lunch on Sunday. A dana offering and registration form are requested to reserve your place for the retreat.

Click here to register.

2011 Winter Retreat — Lamrim and White Tara Practice
One-month retreat: December 3 - January 2
Two-week retreat: February 19 – March 5

Long retreat gives the opportunity to reflect on the steps of the gradual path and to deepen our relationship with the Three Jewels. The Abbey offers an excellent retreat environment that includes a peaceful setting, a disciplined retreat structure, qualified spiritual guidance, and a supportive practice community. 

Click here to read description and guidelines for the long retreats.

Varieties of Tibetan Madhyamika 
with Guy Newland
March 24 thru 28

Professor Guy Newland is a dynamic teacher who clarifies the subtle points of Buddhist phiosophy through lively exchange. He returns to the Abbey to further explore the Two Truths and the view of emptiness. We will look at some texts on Madhyamaka from Kagyu, Sakya, and Nyingma perspectives, exploring what those of us grounded in Tsongkhapa’s approach can learn. 

Guy writes, "I think there is a great deal to gain by studying in this way and in doing so we are definitely following the way of His Holiness the Dalai Lama."  

Professor of Religion and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Religion at Central Michigan University, Guy Newland has studied with Jeffrey Hopkins as well as many Tibetan scholars in the U.S. and India. He is an editor of the three-volume translation Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment and author of the Two Truths, Introduction to Emptiness, and Appearance and Reality.

Residential program begins at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday and ends after lunch on Monday. Commuters are welcomed. A dana offering and registration form are requested to reserve your place for the teachings.


Local & Ongoing Abbey Events

  • Fridays September 10 - October 8: Coeur d'Alene, ID: "It's All In Your Mind", Coeur d'Alene Meditation Class 6:00 p.m., Life Center Therapies for Well Being, 1319 Government Way. Contact .

  • Mondays October 11 - November 22 : Spokane Buddhist Meditation Class, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m.

  • Monthly Sharing the Dharma Day

  • Continuing Offering Volunteer Service Visits - Come share the Dharma with us!

  • Thursdays: Dharma discussions in Coeur d'Alene

  • Thursdays: Dharma discussions in Spokane

Spokane Buddhist Meditation Class
Mondays October 11 through November 22, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.  
Unitarian Universalist Church of Spokane
4340 West Fort Wright Drive

Vens. Semkye and Jigme offer meditation instruction and practice, emphasizing Buddhist methods for working with difficult emotions like anger, jealousy, and craving. The course is designed to encourage and support a daily meditation practice for beginners as well as experienced meditators. 

While the course is based on teachings from the Buddhist tradition, anyone of any faith can practice meditation. The greatest benefit comes from attending all sessions, but drop-ins are welcome.  There is no charge, and donations are appreciated.

To register call or email Sara — 509-533-3222   — or write Sravasti Abbey, 

Sharing the Dharma Day
Sravasti Abbey

“Taming the Mind – Teachings for a more peaceful mind.” Anyone can use these ideas to live more happily. All are welcomed.

Please join Ven. Thubten Chodron and Abbey residents for all or any of the sessions each month. Meet other like-minded folks and explore ideas together.

Monthly teachings are based on readings from Taming the Mind by Ven. Thubten Chodron. This book is available from Snow Lion Publishers or at Sravasti Abbey.

Page numbers refer to the suggested reading for that particular month. Page numbers follow the topics listed below for the suggested reading for that particular month.

Session 1: 10:00 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. – Meditation
11:00 a.m. – Noon – Dharma talk

Session 2: 12:15 p.m. – Vegetarian potluck lunch & informal Dharma discussion/Q&A

Session 3: 1:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Contemplation and discussion of topic of the month

Session 4: 3:00 p.m. Tour of Buddhist artwork or grounds (weather depending) for newcomers

Monthly teaching dates and discussion topics for 2010:

September 19 Speaking of the Faults of Others: How We Make Ourselves and Others Miserable (pages 121-126)
October 10 Ruminating: Living in the Past and Future (pages 127-132)
November 7 Being Responsible for Our Lives: Lesson from an Inmate
(pages 133-136)

Dharma in Coeur d'Alene

Join Coeur d'Alene Dharma Friends every Thursday. Meditation from 5:00-6:00 p.m. and live web-teachings with Venerable Chodron from 6:00-7:00 p.m. followed by a thirty minute discussion. Life Center Therapies for Well Being, 1319 Government Way, Cd'A.  Contact   for more information or call (208) 665-5862.

Click here (http://calendar.yahoo.com/cdadharma) for event calendar

Dharma in Spokane

Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Meditation Group meets on Mondays from 6:30-8:00 p.m. in the new chapel at 4340 W. Fort Wright Drive. From time to time throughout the year, nuns from the Abbey offer Dharma talks and meditation instruction. The group continues to meet between these sessions for meditation and book study. Contact or call (509) 981-8658.

Offering Service Weekends

Need a break from the city? Join the Abbey community on an Offering Service Visit.

The opportunities are many, and the work is varied. Working in the Abbey's beautiful forest is fun, and your effort protects and preserves the Abbey land. Or you may serve in the kitchen, weed the garden, or any number of activities that help to spread the Dharma and/or benefit sentient beings.

Visitors have the opportunity to live in spiritual community, sharing in practice, Dharma discussions, and service. Your visit can be short or longer. Many people add a few offering service days when they come for a retreat or program.

Please contact the to find a time that works for your schedule.

Volunteer Parties with the Abbey community
July 31 & August 7 9:30 - 5:30

The Abbey has 240 beautiful, mostly wooded acres, and caring for the land is an aspect of our Dharma practice. Come offer service in the forest or gardens, clean the buildings, prepare meals, or a variety of other activities indoors and out.

It's fun to work in a team, sharing the Dharma while enjoying the Abbey's beautiful rural setting and working with like-minded friends.

Check out the Visiting the Abbey pages on the website and  to schedule a visit.

On-Line Events

Tele-teachings/Live Video with Venerable Chodron
Thursdays at 6 p.m. Pacific Time

You can’t contemplate or meditate on the Dharma without first hearing teachings, but if you live in a remote area or far from your teacher, what can you do?

A Presentation of the Establishment of Mindfulness by Gyalwa Chokyi Gyaltsen

Ven. Chodron teaches from a Tibetan commentary that elucidates the Buddha's instruction for developing meditative concentration.

Head to http://www.sravastiAbbey.org/live and tune in for the live broadcast on the internet using uStream.TV. Ask questions in real time using the chat box! No registration necessary.

Or - just use your telephone. Dial into a central number (long distance charges apply.)  You can dial in alone or set up your speakerphone and invite Dharma friends to join you for teachings and discussion. You must register so we can send you the teleconference’s phone number and access code.

Click to send an email to register or ask for more information on telephone teachings

Click here to hear audio or read transcripts of past teachings.

We look forward to sharing these “tele-Dharma” teachings with all of you!

Prostrations from Afar - Ongoing

Join up with other practitioners to do '100,000' prostrations. Read about joining in with others for support and community.

View instruction videos on prostrations from Venerable :

  • Instructions (Quicktime -22 MB) (Windows Media - 16 MB)
  • Demonstration ( Quicktime - 58 MB) (Windows Media - 29.8 MB)
    Be patient it takes around 5 minutes to download each one.
    Internet Explorer users: Look at the lower left hand corner of your browser, there is a download icon.
    The Quicktime versions require the latest Quicktime update. Download it here.

Practitioners from around the world are participating in the prostrations from afar. During previous monthly teleconferences, Ven. Chodron answered participants’ questions. You can listen to the recordings of the teleconferences at Venerable's website.

Info:

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