Mahasangha~Summer Meditation Challenge

Monday July 17th- Sunday August 6th, 2006

We all know that consistency in our meditation practice is important.
To this end, we invite you all to accept the Challenge!!

The rules are simple:

1. One point is scored for each day that you sit.
2. In order to qualify, each sit needs to be at least fifteen minutes long.
3. The Challenge lasts for twenty-one days.

Each of you is asked to choose your own level of commitment;

Level 1: Minimum 15 minutes each day.
Level 2: Minimum 30 minutes each day (1x30min or 2x15 min)
Level 3: Minimum 1 hour each day (1x60min, 2x30min, 4x15min or any combo=60min)

It doesn’t matter where you sit, or what time of day you sit. It also doesn’t matter how much time you sit on any given day above your Level. The important thing (in this challenge) is to consistently sit every day.

If you sit for two hours in one day, but don’t sit for the next two days, then you only get one point. However, at Level 1, if you sit for fifteen minutes each day for three days (for a total of forty-five minutes), then you would get three points because you are sitting consistently each day.

To register for the 2006 Summer Meditation Challenge, please respond with your name, telephone number, email address, and which Level you would like to be in. Contact Eshu eshu@zenwest.ca or phone (250)642-7936

Please invite friends and fellow practitioners to join in. In the Spring Challenge we reached a total of 541 points together. Lets see if we can beat it!

Salt Spring Island Vipassana Community~Week Long Retreat

Dear Sangha Members,

We are proud to announce our first residential week long retreat.

Week long Vipassana Retreat
Sept 9th – 16th, 2006

TEACHERS: Heather Martin and Howie Cohn

This week of intensive practice is suitable for both beginning and experienced practitioners, and - as with all our retreats - will include meditation instructions, guided Loving Kindness practices, Dharma Talks and individual interviews.

COST:
In-house accommodation $540 ($491 USF)
Camping $365 ($332 USF)
Commuting $260 ($236 USF)
Plus a donation to the teachers at the end of the retreat (Dana).
For details and registration, click here.
To visit the retreat section of our website visit:

Mahasangha~Dalai Lama Visit

Vancouver Dialogues 2006: Friday September 8 to Sunday September 10, 2006
Tickets On Sale Friday June 23, 2006

We are pleased to announce that tickets for the Vancouver Dialogues 2006 will go on sale Friday June 23, 2006. To order, visit Ticketmaster at www.ticketmaster.ca or call Ticketmaster at 604-280-4444.

Pricing and general information on the Vancouver Dialogues 2006 is available at www.dalailamacenter.org.
We look forward to seeing you at the Dialogues. Thank you for your continued support of the Center.

Inner Circle Passes
A limited number of Inner Circle Passes are available for the Dialogues, at $2,500 each -- see 'Join the Inner Circle' on the Dalai Lama Center web site for more information.

New Web Site Features
Several new features have been added to the DLC web site, including archived audio and video from the Dalai Lama's 2004 trip to Vancouver. Visit www.dalailamacentre.org today to see what's new.


Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education

2300 - 515 W. Hastings St.Vancouver BCV6B 5K3Canada
Tel: 604-215-2DLC (352)E-mail: info@dalailamacenter.org

Victoria Zen Centre~June one-day Intensive*

A reminder that this Sunday June 25, we will hold our monthly one-day intensive. The schedule runs from 6am-5pm, and includes chanting, sitting, walking, meal practice, and a period of care taking. Eshu gives a Zen talk during the mid-morning sitting, and conducts one-on-one meetings with each student. The cost for the day is $40 and includes two meals. (All fees for one-day intensives are included in intermediate and advanced membership).

Please contact the Centre no later than Friday June 23 if you would like to attend.

*Orientation by way of Consultation or Introductory Course is a prerequisite for Zen Training at the Sooke Zendo.

Yeshe Korlo Society~Fundraiser "An Evening of Indian Dance"

Please join us for a film on the dances of India. This film explores the lives of Sujata and Asoka, the famed husband and wife dance team, who performed on concert stages throughout the world. This remarkable couple, through their dance, blended the philosophies of the East and West. Theirs is truly a love story ‑ love for each other, love for the dance, love for humanity. They began their dance career together at a time when the world was split in two, after the Second World War.

Their performances revitalized classic dance of India and gave it legitimacy once again. This is archival footage and showcases their inspirational careers and lives dedicated to the art and spirituality of dance. They have expertise in many styles of dance, including Bharata Natyam, Kathakali, Kathak, and Indian folk dance.

Anyone who loves dance as an art form will thrill to this film of Sujata and Asoka and the story of their lives. (Arabesque Magazine)

Where: The Church of Truth
111 Superior St., Victoria, BC

Date: June 25, 2006

Time: 8:00 PM

Cost: $10 donation requested at the door

Cathryn Balk, a member of Yeshe Khorlo Buddhist Meditation Centre and teacher of middle eastern and flamenco dance, is offering the event as a benefit for Yeshe Khorlo (www.yeshekhorlo.ca). Lopon Sang-ngag Yeshe, resident teacher of Yeshe Khorlo, will be in attendance.

For more information please contact Cathryn Balk at faridehdancearts@shaw.ca

http://www.institutefortraditionalstudies.org/faridehdancearts.html

Victoria Zen Centre~June One-Day Intensive

Monthly One-Day Zen Intensive-Sunday June 25, 2006*

The schedule for our silent one-day intensive in Sooke runs from 6am to 5pm, and includes chanting, sitting, walking, meal practice, and a period of care taking. Eshu gives a Zen talk during the mid-morning sitting, and conducts one-on-one meetings with each student. The cost for the day is $40 and includes two meals. (All fees for one-day intensives are included in intermediate and advanced membership).

*Orientation by way of Consultation or Introductory Course is a prerequisite for Zen Training at the Sooke Zendo.

Victoria Zen Centre~Summer Introduction to Zen Meditation

June 17th - August 5th (Saturdays 9:00-11:30am)

While Buddhist philosophy and literature are already familiar to many people in our culture, the DOING of practice is a complete mystery for most people in the West. The tradition of Zen is based predominantly on the doing, and as such, this introductory series is focused on providing participants with some EXPERIENCE of Zen Meditation. Be prepared, as the activity of sitting meditation is a physical practice that takes some getting used to. The fee for this eight week course is $395* and includes:

• Eight weekly sessions for a total of twenty hours of class time.
• A meditation cushion for each participant.
• Weekly course materials and practice manual. Small class size (max 8).
• Teachings and group discussion on eight core aspects of Zen. One-to-one meetings with Eshu.
• One free practice consultation with Eshu upon completion.

For programme information:

Shambhala Centre~Retreat with Acharya Jenny Warwick

Acharya Jenny Warwick's 10th annual Weekthun (1-week) retreat is still accepting registrations.


The retreat will take place this year at the Sea-to-Sky retreat center near Whistler, BC. The retreat will include six days of practice and teaching in an exquisite high forest environment. Set into a park and resting above a sapphire blue mountain lake, this center is truly unique, and under the protection of Dzongzar Kyentse Rinpoche. This is an ideal setting for those new to retreats, or experienced practitioners looking for a good environment for practice.


The week will be directed by Martin Evans, a senior student of Trungpa Rinpoche, and until recently the director of the Vancouver Shambhala Center.To register for the retreat, contact Robin Rieck at robinrieck@msn.com or 360-676-0315. Cost is $325US/$350CA.

To view the full poster, see:

Shambhala Centre~Mid-Summer's Day Community Celebration

Please Join Us to Celebrate the Summer Solstice

Midsummer Day is a Shambhala celebration associated with the summer solstice. It is an opportunity for anyone who has a connection with our local community to get together for an afternoon of relaxed socializing - like a picnic but held at a household. Everyone is welcome and warmly invited to come. (Bring your friends). It's relaxing and fun.

This year's mid-summer's day celebration will be held on Sunday June 18, 2006.
The event will be hosted by Marni and Jack Lalonde and held at their residence at 1645 Chandler Ave.

The celebration will begin at 11:30 with a lhasang and will be followed by a pot- luck lunch. Jack and Marni have a great yard for Children, and for people to enjoy this holiday.

Please feel free to bring the beverage of your choice. You will also need to bring lawn chairs. Hope you can join us for a bit, or the whole afternoon. It would be great to see you.

If you have any questions or would like to volunteer with planning and set-up please contact Marni at 388.4239.

Victoria Zen Centre~Fundamentals of Zen Practice

(Alternating Thursdays 7:30-9:30pm September 7th, 21st and October 5th, 19th)

The Fundamentals programme is an intimate introduction to four of the foundational teachings of Mahayana Buddhism and Zen;

1. Sange (repentance/purification)

2. Taking the Threefold Refuge

3. Receiving the five Sila (precepts)

4. The Four Bodhisattva Vows

These four teachings are the basis of the Jukai Ceremony (commonly considered formally “becoming Buddhist”) which, at the Victoria Zen Centre, takes place upon completion of the Eldership Programme. Taking part in the Fundamentals Programme is a wonderful way to discern whether pursuing the path to Eldership is of interest to you.

*Completion of the Introduction to Zen Meditation Course or an Orientation Consultation is required to enrol in the Fundamentals Programme.

Welcome to the Mahasangha Blog

Welcome! Over the past year, several Buddhist groups in our area have come to work together to build a greater sense of community among practitioners of different traditions. The information exchange has continued to grow and develop, and with that some problems have occurred. My hope is that by creating a forum in which each group can post their events, and those interested can subscribe to be notified of postings, we can alleviate the issue of repeat mailings (ie.spam).

Eshu Bhikkhu