Lama Yeshe Ling continues its tradition of presenting an accessible practice retreat over the New Year’s Holiday. We are very happy to announce that, in addition to our kind teacher, Geshe Sonam, we will have several guests leading sessions during this year’s retreat: Paula Chichester, Annie Bien, and Dave Gould. In this way, we will have a chance to experience the practice in very diverse and rich ways as each person brings their own way of approaching the practice.
*** In-person retreat update: We apologize but due to the recent coronavirus outbreak and our small temple space, the New Year’s Retreat will be ONLINE ONLY. We hope to roll out in-person events again in March. You can learn more about the current COVID situation here.
Our retreat schedule is posted below.
You can also learn more about our guest facilitators lower on the page.
Help us to make offerings to our teachers and guest leaders, and to support our centre as you are able. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to offer your support. Thank you!
When: December 29, 30 and 31st.
The timing of each day’s sessions will be:
1st session: 10:00 to 11:30 am EST
2nd session: 1:00 to 2:30 pm EST
Where: Please register here to watch online. (this is a very simple and quick registration process by email),
You can watch the sessions live-streamed on Facebook. and on YouTube.
As explained above, this retreat will be online only.
This event allows students to receive instruction from Geshe Sonam on a Guru Yoga sādhanā practice. We will use The Sadhana of the Inseparability of the Spiritual Teacher and Avalokiteśvara to practice the meditation and mantra recitation together as a group. This is the practice that Geshe Sonam gave the initiation for this past summer. This retreat will be accessible and relaxed, with two sessions each day and open to everyone.
Avalokiteśvara is the Buddha of compassion and the patron deity of Tibet. The mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is a powerful invocation of his compassionate energy. In a time of great conflict and distress in the world, this practice provides an opportunity to ground ourselves in the principles of love, compassion, and peace.
You can download The Sadhana of the Inseparability of the Spiritual Teacher and Avalokiteśvara here.
Learn more about the benefits of chanting OM MANI PADME HUM in this teaching by Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche here.
*** The teacher/facilitator of each session may be subject to change
| EST | Friday, December 29 | Saturday, December 30 | Sunday, December 31 | |
| 1st session | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Geshe Sonam | Geshe Sonam | Geshe Sonam |
| 2nd session | 1:00 – 2:30 pm | Dave Gould | Annie Bien | Paula Chichester |
Paula Chichester
Paula Chichester is known for her friendly, experiential teaching style that evolved from more than 4 decades of training in Tibetan Buddhist meditation, healing arts, yoga and chi gong. Her ability to distill and impart the essence of these disciplines is inspired by her main teachers, Lama Thubten Yeshe and Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. Coming out of years in meditation retreat, her heart is dedicated to helping create a world of balance, compassion, wisdom and joy. If you would like to learn more about Paula, please take a look at her website, Brave View.
Annie Bien
Annie Bien is an English translator of Tibetan scriptures and a writer of fiction and poetry. She began translating Buddhist texts for Khyongla Rato Rinpoche, of the Tibet Center, then for 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, and currently with Khenpo Pema Wangdak of Vikramaśila Foundation. She teaches meditation and Dharma at Shantideva Center (FPMT) in Brooklyn, NY. She has written two poetry collections, published flash fiction in literary journals, won writing awards, and co-written an upcoming historical novel on the Sixth Dalai Lama with Robert Thurman. She is also a certified Qigong instructor with Shifu Yan Lei. http://anniebien.com
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Our programs are given freely, and we also rely on your generosity – this is the traditional and pure way of the Buddha Dharma. Offering support for the Dharma can be a limitlessly powerful act. This is the highest, most long-term form of generosity, which is to share with others the path to full awakening. When we support the Dharma we create causes for us to encounter the Dharma frequently, and we create the merit to be able to integrate the teachings in our minds easily. Offering support deepens our connection to Dharma teachers and connects us as a community.
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