Beginning on 9 October, Siddhartha’s Intent (SI) will begin a six-week online program on the nature and practice of Buddhist meditation. The program will run from 6.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. (Australian Eastern Standard Time) every Thursday until 13 November, and will be based on Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche's teaching The Path is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation.
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche, founder of Siddartha's Intent.
From www.siddarthasintent.org
This is a precious opportunity for people of all backgrounds and capabilities to learn the essence of Buddhist meditation in the comfort of their own home, regardless of their location.
The Path is the Goal is one of numerous books by the renowned Tibetan lama Chögyam Trungpa (1939–87), who played a major role in the transmission of Buddhism to the West. The 11th Trungpa incarnation, Rinpoche was a holder of both the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages, and is well known for pointing out how our ego can surreptitiously make use of our “practice” to serve its own aims. In the book, Chögyam Trungpa writes: “The practice of meditation is a way of unmasking ourselves, our deceptions of all kinds, and also a way of bringing out the subtleties of intelligence that exist within us.” The online study of this clear and profound work is for both the experienced practitioner and those new to meditation.
Cover for "The Path is the Goal." From www.siddarthasintent.org
Students will be required to read specific sections prior to the online classes, during which SI instructor Jakob Leschly will unpack and summarize the text using a live PowerPoint presentation. Participants will also have the option to download a recording of the teaching if they are unable to participate in real time.
A short trial session will be held on 2 October, one week before the first online teaching, to enable participants to fine-tune the process of logging in and to test their computer’s speakers and microphone.
Siddhartha's Intent Australia, originally Siddhartha's Intent Southern Door, was founded in 1986 by its spiritual director, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. It was the first center established among the international network of Dharma centers known as Siddhartha's Intent, which share the collective vision to create an environment which facilitates connection with the wisdom of the Buddha through the Khyentse lineage and the Rime (unbiased) tradition.
Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche was born in Bhutan in 1961, and is recognized as the reincarnation of Dzongsar Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö. He is the grandson of Dudjom Rinpoche, a close student of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and the primary custodian of the teachings of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo. Rinpoche is also a renowned film-maker and author.
The program's instructor, Jakob Leschly, was appointed by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche as a resident teacher in Australia. He began his pursuit of Buddhism in 1974 and has studied with numerous great lamas. He has completed a three-year retreat, has a BA in Tibetan studies, and is both a translator and a teacher. “The practice of Buddhist meditation allows us to uncover and experience an innate heritage of wisdom and all its qualities,” he says. “The peaceful presence and mindfulness of shamatha meditation allow us to awaken to the wider perspective of vipashyana, which is a more insightful and compassionate appreciation of our reality.”
Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche teaching in Sydney, July 2014.
From australia.siddarthasintnent.org
Siddhartha's Intent Australia offers numerous opportunities for study and practice. One ongoing program is “The Two Gates,” consisting of: 1) The Gate of Knowledge, which provides the threefold Buddhist conditions for cultivating wisdom—namely study, enquiry, and meditation— in three cycles; and 2) The Gate of Practice, which consists of the “Dharma Das” program, following Rinpoche's instructions on study, meditation, and the integration of practice in everyday life. There are also weekend workshops, meditation and discussion groups, vipashyana retreats, and regular tsog offering practices.
For further information, see www.siddharthasintent.org.
The Path is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was reprinted by Shambhala in 2011.