Japan Temple Tour

Your Invitation to join us on a JAPAN TEMPLE TOUR, October 9th - 17th, 2008. Visit several sacred sites, travel the trains and see amazing sights. Sleep at Temple Grounds, International Hostels and even one or two fancy hotels. Enjoy the food, but most importantly, change your life with an understanding of the Buddha-way of energy, practice and personal realizations. For more info: go to www.penlan.com or call Henry at 250. 715. 1976

Four Foundations of Mindfulness

The Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies presents

“Four Foundations of Mindfulness”, a community intensive weekend program.

Friday March 14th at 7 pm (Registration at 6.30 pm)

& Saturday & Sunday, March 15th & 16th, 9.00 to 4.30 pm

This weekend offers an opportunity for practitioners at all levels of experience to deepen their practice, through intensive meditation on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, as taught by the Vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.

The Four Foundations (Mindfulness of Body, Mind, Effort, and Livelihood) are a basic approach to the practice of shamatha and vipashyana. Traditionally, they are the first undertaking on the first path of accumulation.

The program will be taught by four senior practitioners from the Victoria Shambhala Centre - Martin White, George Howell, Kim Kelso & Jack Lalonde

Cost: $75.00 (includes lunch both days)

To help us plan the weekend, we request that you pre-register by email Victoria.shambhala@gmail.com

Co-ordinator: Marni Lalonde

If you have questions about this course please email the above or talk to one of the teachers, the co-ordinator or Linda Gould.

Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre

#1-2033 Belmont Avenue, Victoria BC, V8R 3Z7. 383-9108

www.shambhala.org/centers/victoria

A New Buddhist WebSite

*Dear All*

We are delighted to announce the launch of the first ever Buddhist Web 2.0 Powered Social Bookmarking site - Karmacino. The 'Digg' of Buddhism. Vote, submit, share and discuss on the latest Buddhist media, news and teachings from around the world.

The aim of Karmacino is to provide open, user driven content relating to Buddhism of all traditions, and also be accessible to non-Buddhists and other people of other religions. Updated daily, there are categories of News, Teachings, Science & Arts.

There are already several hundred stories in the archives built up over the last few months highlighting recent Buddhist world stories - from the Burma protests to the Dalai Lama's controversial US visit.

Karmacino is also the perfect place to watch the teachings of many popular monks and Buddhist teachers such as Thich Nhat Hanh and Ajahn Brahm.

As the popularity of Buddhism rises in the West, the Science world is now taking meditation practice more seriously as both a health benefit and a means of understanding the mind. Karmacino's archives hold some impressive, recent research studies. And have you noticed how the more modern science discovers, the closer it gets to what the Buddha taught?

The affect of Buddhism in the world is increasingly reflected in the Arts. The TV documentary 'The Boy Who Lived Before' is an amazing, scientifically based study on a case of reincarnation, available to view through Karmacino.

In Film and Music too, stories about the award winning film 'Buddha's Lost Children' to interviews with Radiohead's Thom Yorke and the influence of Buddhism in his life, are recent submissions by users to Karmacino.

All of the content is submitted and rated by you the user, providing the first fully democratic system of sharing and networking with Buddhists globally. Visit Karmacino and see what Buddhist media and stories the world is talking about right now.

You can start by finding out how to use Karmacino:

www.karmacino.com/faq-en.php

www.karmacino.com

The concept and people behind Karmacino
Located on opposite sides of the world, both Sol Hanna (Perth, Australia) and Glenn Marshall (Belfast, Northern Ireland) have been long time enthusiasts of Buddhism spreading in the West and the use of technology to advance this.

Sol, a teacher, historian and former novice monk, and Glenn, an award winning computer graphics artist, have merged their skills and experience in a unique way to create Karmacino.

The name was conceived as a fusion of 'Karma' and 'Cappucino' - and apt description perhaps of a Buddhist's 'middle way' lifestyle in today's world.

It was also a pointer to how the creators envisioned people using the site: sitting down with a cup of coffee to find out about the latest from the Buddhist world.

Getting the logo and artwork right was important also. The graphic creation of a Bodhi leaf and a Coffee/Latte embodies the 'Karmacino' philosophy, but also steers away from religious symbolism and gives the site a unique, fresh, modern aesthetic.

The graphics and artwork are a good example of Glenn's skills in 3d and 2d digital graphics, enlivening the idea of modern Buddhist art on Karmacino's facade.

Sol, who guides the technological and WWW strategy of the site, is passionate about keeping Buddhism up to date with the latest internet technologies, connecting and networking like minded people around the world.

Both Glenn and Sol met online and through their discussions discovered that they shared a common vision to use emerging web technologies to connect Buddhists across the globe regardless of nationality or tradition. With inspiration they created their own modern Buddhist website to help monks and Buddhist leaders have their teachings shared and distributed via web 2.0.

Thus Karmacino was born, the 'Digg' of Buddhism - where users openly and democratically share their discoveries of great teachings and inspirational stories, so that they may benefit and help each other on the modern, spiritual path.

www.karmacino.com

Peace,
Glenn & Sol.

(Apologies if this email has inconvenienced you, you are not on a mailing list, this is a one off message announcing the launch of the site, thank you.)

New Years Day Celebration

Blessings to everyone in our Mahasangha-BC Islands as together we work for peace and harmony in the wonderful place we live. Please accept this notice as an Invitation, EveryOne Welcome to our New Years Day, GanTan Mahayana Nichiren Celebration, Service and Social. 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 1st, 2008 3437 Drinkwater Road, Duncan for information on finding us visit www.penlan.com and click on Buddha House. Wishing one and all health and continuing success in the coming year. Respectfully, Ajari Henry

Two Buddhist Movies at Cinecenta in January

COMING IN JANUARY TO CINECENTA!

JAN 13 (2:30 matinee & 7:00 & 9:00)

JAN 14 & 15 (7:00 & 9:00)

MILAREPA: MAGICIAN, MURDERER, SAINT

Directed by Neten Chokling (India/Bhutan, 2006, 90 min; Tibetan with subtitles

“I cry, weep, and feel a strong sense of faith each time I hear the story of Milarepa , the great yogi of Tibet.” –the Dalai Lama

"Milarepa, a picturesque fable filmed in the mountains of northern India, shows us how most roads to spiritual enlightenment are paved with suffering. Set in the 11th century, this Tibetan film retells the story of Thopaga, an impoverished villager who would eventually became the enlightened Milarepa, one of Tibet's most revered saints. But his path to bliss followed a traumatic chapter marked with tragedy, injustice, vengeful sorcery and the destruction of his village. When his affluent father dies, young Thopaga (Jamyang Lodro, who played a soccer-crazy monk in Khyentse Norbu's The Cup), is forced to live with his scheming uncle and aunt. Instead of honoring the dying man's wishes to bequeath his money to Thopaga, the uncle refuses. Thopaga learns the ways of black magic from a mystic. But he learns that retribution compounds, rather than solves, injustice. First-time director Neten Chokling (who played the other soccer fan in The Cup) combines old-time lore with modest special effects to evoke this otherworldly story. But what really reaches us is the collective presence of the cast, most of them monks and other acting amateurs. They seem uniformly imbued with inherent grace and effortless spiritual bearing. And their smallest of gestures exude the kind of un-self-conscious gravitas that constitutes all fables.” –Washington Post

“It would have been impossible to shoot this film in Tibet. Chinese authorities still forbid the depiction of superstition in films. So the film was shot on the Indian side of the Himalayas, where Chokling -- who's a lama himself -- heads a monastery.”—Hollywood Reporter “THIS FILM IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD!”–Spirituality & Practice

JAN 20 (2:30 matinee & 7:00 & 9:00)

JAN 21 - 24 (7:00 & 9:00)

Find Nirvana in the kitchen.

HOW TO COOK YOUR LIFE

Directed by Doris Dörrie (Germany, 2007, 93 minutes; rated PG)

“Tasteful in more ways than one, this mischievous and charming documentary serves up a heapin' helping of Zen priest, cook and bestselling food author Edward Espe Brown, steeped through the happy, healthy worldview of director Doris Dörrie.” –Variety

“The Food Channel puts very little emphasis on this, but according to master chef Edward Espe Brown, the essential ingredient for good food is a touch of Zen. Of course, Brown also happens to be a Zen priest. Brown is the Bay Area author of The Tassajara Bread Book and The Tassajara Recipe Book, among other well-known titles, and a longtime teacher of meditation and Zen techniques. Now he is the subject of an amusing and insightful documentary by German filmmaker Doris Dörrie (Men, Nobody Loves Me, Enlightenment Guaranteed). How to Cook Your Life certainly will do much better than other documentries on religious or self-help topics because its focus is on a thing everyone can relate to -- food.
Food preparation and cooking are the lighthearted means by which Brown expresses his Zen philosophy, bringing every thing down to tasks we all perform almost every day. Dörrie and her crew sat in on cooking sessions with Brown and a class of enthusiastic students of all generations at several Buddhist centers in California and one in Austria. Brown makes a charismatic central figure as he is a modest yet self-assured man with an easy laugh and the instincts of a natural-born teacher.
The movie's title sums up the Brown approach best. The act of cooking serves as an apt metaphor for the Zen approach to life. We are not cooking the food, he insists, but rather the food is cooking us. In other words, treat each task with the utmost care and concentration, for these are, in fact, spiritual acts.” –Hollywood Reporter

“The art of Zen and vegetable preparation is at the heart of director Doris Dörrie's delightful documentary Brown became the head cook at the Tassajara Mountain Centre in California when he was in his early 20s, and has been practicing the art of Zen Buddhism and cooking for more than 40 years. As a chef, he is typically short-tempered and exacting, but as a Buddhist master he is exactly the opposite. Dörrie sets her camera on Espe Brown as he travels, offering cooking seminars based upon the principles established 800 years ago by Master Eihei Dogen Zenji, the founder of the Japanese Soto-Zen school. From washing rice, to preparing vegetables, every action could be a path to Zen. A charming taskmaster who regularly punctures his holiness with moments of self-deprecation and humour, Espe Brown's observations on modern culture, cooking and human foibles are often as acerbic and hilarious as they are profound. A COMPLETE JOY OF A FILM.” –Vancouver International Film Festival

cinecenta

student union building, university of victoria

www.cinecenta.com

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ORGANIZED BY THE VICTORIA BUDDHIST DHARMA SOCIETY

Sunday, December 16, 7:00pm at the UVIC. INTERFAITH CHAPEL

NO ADMISSION CHARGE

"Dr. Khenpo Ngawang Jorden studied the five branches of Buddhist philosophy at Sakya College in India under Khenchen Appey Rinpoche.

Khenpo Jorden later taught at Sakya College before going to America to study at Harvard University where he completed his PhD in Buddhist Studies. In addition to his teaching commitment at the IBA, Khenpo Jorden is currently teaching at the University of Chicago in the USA."

http://www.sakyaiba.edu.np)

Invitation to Consecration of Gangteng Gompa in Bhutan

One Day with the Buddha

ONE DAY WITH THE BUDDHA, A Spiritual Day For You in the beautiful Cowichan Valley.
Saturday, October 20th, 2007
A day of personal empowerment, Buddhist teachings, and meditation practice. Info: www.penlan.com, phone: 250. 715. 1976

Yeshe Khorlo Society ~ BUDDHIST STUDIES

with Lopon Sang-ngag Yeshe

TEACHINGS and MEDITATION INSTRUCTION
Sunday Afternoons - 1 - 3 p.m.

MEDITATION PRACTICE
Thursday Evenings - 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

contact: information@yeshekhorlo.ca or telephone 658-0357

Ask about additional teachings, meditation practices, events & weekend retreats

All Classes By donation: Suggested Donation $10 per Class

Yeshe Khorlo Buddhist Meditation Centre
839 Foul Bay Road
Victoria, BC

Yeshe Khorlo Society ~ Why Vajrayana Buddhism?

A Talk by Lopon Sang-ngag Yeshe
followed by Questions & Discussion
Translator: Eric Forgeng

Are Vajrayana practices involving visualization, mantra recitation, elaborate ceremonies and rituals actually the teaching of the Buddha? When and how did they become part of Buddhist practice? What is the significance of all the symbols, gestures and music? What is their purpose and benefit in meditation practice? How do they hasten our awakening to the ultimate nature of reality and our skill in generating true compassion towards all sentient beings?

Our resident teacher, Lopon Sang-ngag Yeshe, will address these questions and whatever other questions we wish to ask about Vajrayana Buddhism in this, the first of our Sunday Afternoon Teachings of the fall season. The rest of the fall program will be announced next week.



Everyone is invited.

Place: Yeshe Khorlo Centre, 839 Foul Bay Rd., near the junction of Richardson & McNeill.

Cost: Suggested Donation $10

If you wish to receive a tax-deductible receipt for charitable donations at year's end, please place your donation in an envelope bearing your name and address.

Parking: Please park on side streets, instead of Foul Bay Rd., including in front of or behind the Centre. Thank you.

This message has been sent by Yeshe Khorlo Nyingmapa Buddhist Meditation Centre. For further information about our Centre, teachers, programs and activities, please contact: information@yeshekhorlo.ca

One Day with the Buddha

A spiritual day for You. A day of personal empowerment, spiritual development, meditation and realizations. Third Saturday of month, your choice, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 15. Info at www.penlan.com, call 250. 715. 1976 or e-mail: buddha@penlan.com. Mahayana Nichiren Buddha House, Cowichan Valley, Duncan.

Life of Buddha and History of Sangha

The Shambhala School of Buddhist Studies presents

“Life of Buddha and History of Sangha”

with Marni Lalonde

Tuesday evenings 8 pm to 9 pm (after sitting practice 7 pm to 8pm)

October 30^th, November 6, 13, 20 & 27

With an intensive day, Saturday Nov. 24^th

In this course we will study the life story of Shakyamuni Buddha and the evolution of the early Buddhist community of practitioners. We will also briefly survey the spread of the teachings through various cultures over the past 2500 years. This course can give us a greater appreciation for the unique transmission of buddhadharma to the West, in which we take part through our own study & practice.

Marni Lalonde is a senior practitioner and a student of the Sakyong, Mipham Rinpoche. She is a past Director of the Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre. Marni will be teaching this program with the assistance of Silas Rosenblatt.

Shambhala Community Study Programs cost $45-$60

(sliding scale depending on your financial means)

To register, please contact (rangdral@yahoo.com)

Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre

#1-2033 Belmont Avenue, Victoria BC, V8R 3Z7. 383-9108

www.shambhala.org/centers/victoria

Course Co-ordinator: David Clarke

"I would rather have democracy and freedom for the people (of Burma) that nirvana for myself."

Panhandling with Buddha - Public Talk

Eric Remy Jordan

Award-winning Entrepreneur, Executive in Residence at the UVic Faculty of Business and Zen Buddhist.

4 days and 3 nights on the streets of Vancouver's Downtown East Side.

Street retreats are not simulations of homelessness, but are a form of intensive spiritual practice where the experience of temporarily living and sleeping on the streets is the teacher.

What are the lessons learned by one participant in the first Vancouver Street Retreat?

7pm - Wednesday October 17th, 2007

Cornet B108, UVic

Sponsored by The Victoria Zen Centre and UVic Interfaith Services

For more information call (250) 642-7936

Alcvin Takegawa Ramos Shakuhachi Sound Meditation Music at UVIC!

Sponsored by the Victoria Zen Centre and UVic Interfaith Services

“Deeply evocative of Zen sound and spirit; transcendental, meditative music of the Soul. Simply beautiful.”

featuring:

Alcvin Takegawa Ramos on shakuhachi flutes

Shakuhachi Sound Meditation Performance:
Friday, October 19th at 7:30 pm
University of Victoria Interfaith Chapel
Next to Parking Lot #6 on the outer Ring Road

Donations are thankfully accepted : Call (250) 642-7936
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Alcvin Takegawa Ramos “Deeply evocative of Zen sound and spirit; transcendental meditative music of the Soul. Simply beautiful.”


Alcvin is a unique shakuhachi musician who is keeping the tradition of learning and playing the koten honkyoku (original zen pieces for shakuhachi) strong while exploring and expanding the boundaries of the instrument. Born and trained in Japan, Alcvin is the foremost teacher and performer of shakuhachi in Canada. He was the first non-Japanese to win a prize in the all-Japan Shakuhachi competition and received his shihan (masters) license from one of the greatest shakuhachi masters in history, Katsuya Yokoyama. In 2003 he and his wife opened the Bamboo-In Shakuhachi Retreat Centre on the beautiful Sunshine Coast of British Columbia.

Alcvin has taught and performed all over North America, Europe, and Japan and pursues an active solo as well as collaborative career with the shakuhachi and has played with many distinguished artists such as John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Hun Huur Tuu Mongolian Throat Singers, Christopher Blasdel, Toshinori Kondo, Kazutoki Umezu, Kaoru Kakizakai, Teruo Furuya, Kazushi Matama,Takeo Yamashiro, Joseph Pepe Danza, Uzume Taiko, the Vancouver Symphony, and opened for sitar virtuouso, Anoushka Shankar.

Through his deep passion and vision, Alcvin has mesmerized audiences with his extraordinarily unique sound that draws from the musical roots of traditional of Japan while expressing an energetic, modern spirit.

If it was possible to hear the breathing of atoms, it would probably sound like the shakuhachi of Ramos: simple, complex, intense, deep; his music is a visceral adventure of the spirit, rich in heart and unexpected vibratory realizations. He is truly one of a kind shakuhachi player, that is a meeting of East and West as well as the ancient and very new.


www.myspace.com/alcvintakegawaramos

Support for Burmese freedom

Local vigil and support for Burmese freedom struggle

Many of us have heard recently reports concerning the brutal repression of Burmese Monks leading the struggle for democracy in Myanmar. Reports are conflicting due to the stemming of information from the region, but many now believe that the military government has massacred hundreds of peaceful protesters as well as jailed many more.

This Thursday at 7pm at the Victoria Shambhala Centre we are inviting anyone who feels a sense of concern for our Burmese brothers and sisters in the dharma to practice Tonglen and discuss possible local responses to this crisis including the international day of action for a free Burma happening this Saturday, Oct 6th.

If you cannot make it this Thursday but would like to be involved or you have any questions please contact Silas at silasmail@gmail.com



http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/worldnews.html?in_article_id=484903&in_page_id=1

www.guardian.co.uk/burma/archive/0,,970918,00.html

WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1 - Protest - Look below for details of worldwide protests. Contact US Campaign for Burma to sign up to hold a march, vigil or any sort of event in your area- thelma@uscampaignforburma.org
2 - Spread the word - Invite your friends to this group, email all your family and friends, write to local newspapers
3 - Write to your elected official - they will respond if enough people contact them.
4 - Wear red clothes on Friday. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=18267307704
5 - Email the companies that still operate in Burma, their email addresses are listed here http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=24957770200&topic=3071
6 - Sign up for the petition!
•http://www.uscampaignforburma.org/action/action.html
•http://www.petitiononline.com/BUR_2007/petition.html
•http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/h.php/?cl=20589575

The Arts and Meditation

The Art of Meditation

Coming to Your Senses

Oct.12th 7-9pm, Oct. 13th 9-5pm

W/Charles Blackall and Hamish Tucker

Cost $45, lunch included

Please do not let finances prevent you from participating

To be genuine the creative process requires that we first perceive our world directly before we can represent it in an art form or use it as a launching pad for expression. Are we sensing things as they are, or just as we think or imagine they are?

Shambhala Art Part One explores, the nature of our perceptions and how our thoughts influence what we perceive. We will learn through meditative discipline, the source of creativity and the meaning of pure expression. We will learn that when our senses including our mind are synchronized, that our expression becomes vivid, possessing greater richness and accuracy.

Shambhala Art’s purpose is to explore the creative and viewing processes from the viewpoint of a meditative discipline. Shambhala Art does not teach a particular skill or technique. It is about the source of inspiration, its manifestation, and how it speaks to us. http://www.shambhalaart.org/

To Register or enquire please email victoria.shambhala@gmail.com

Victoria Shambhala Meditation Centre
#1-2033 Belmont Avenue • Victoria • BC • V8R 3Z7 • 383-9108

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Non Credit Buddhist Courses at UVIC

Pali for Beginners-Part-1

Since the time of the Buddha, generations of monks and nuns have transmitted the Buddha’s teachings orally in Pali. Still used in the Buddhist countries of Southeast Asia, Pali is a rich, rhythmical language.. Learning to chant the precepts in Pali , and learning by heart verses of the Dhammapada, is a powerful way to deepen one’s spiritual practise. In this 10-week course we will explore the history of Pali, look at the language and uncover the many layers of meaning in such words as Kamma, Dhamma and Nibbana.

Date Wednesdays October 10^th to December 12; 19h00-21h00

Zen Meditation for Better Living

Health and well-being benefits can result from the practice of meditation. Zen Meditation goes beyond critical or chronic life circumstances to include healthy relationships and spiritual well-being. Zen strives for mindfulness, inclusive of the ordinary and the acute. Stillness reveals patterns, the habitual reflexes of the mind and body. Mediation is the recurrent opportunity to reset some of those defaults. Develop a deeper appreciation of how meditation can fit into and add value to your life.

Date: Tuesday October 2^nd - November 6^th: 19h00-21h00

What is Tibetan Buddhism

According to Buddha all unhappiness, sickness and disease can be viewed through understanding the causes of suffering.. Buddhism’s underlying concepts are methodical, and simplistic to practice with implications for greater health, happiness and inner peace. The focus of this course is to outline and impart this knowledge within the context (art, artifacts, photographs and videos) of the Tibetan culture Techniques will be offered that will adi in developing balance, compassion , well-being, happiness and peace.

Date: Saturday December 1^st 10h00-17h00 1 session only

Contact UVIC Continuing Education at 250-472-4747 for more information

School for Himalayan Children

………………………………………………………………..

Shirley Blair, Director of Thrangu Rinpoche’s School for Himalayan Children

will be speaking

at the Shambhala Centre on

Friday September 28^th at 7 pm.

2033 Belmont Ave.

Once a year Shirley travels around the world speaking about the school and showing slides of the children and their activities at the school.

This is an information session and fundraiser for the school and all are welcome to attend.

Shirley spoke at the centre last year and it was a great evening with lots of interesting anecdotes, slides and discussion.

Everyone welcome and this is open to the public so please invite your family and friends.

Please come and learn about what’s going on in Nepal and how the school is striving to keep Tibetan culture and language alive and well.

Himalayan people are Tibetan in heritage.

For more information please call 217-8658 Emma Lee

see the links below for info about the school and the works of Thrangu Rinpoche.

HYPERLINK "http://www.rinpoche.com/"

HYPERLINK "http://www.himalayanchildren.org/school/index.html"

World Peace Day - 2007

Annual Peace Day gathering, Chemainus Peace Pole, Friday, 21st September

All faiths and everyone interested in peace is invited to meet at the Chemainus Peace Pole and make offerings for peace. Our Mahayana Nichiren Buddha Group will gather to chant for peace for two hours from 11:00 a.m. to 13:00 p.m. Join us and others in making offerings for peace on earth. Info: 250. 715. 1976

Victoria Multifaith Society - General Meeting

Mark your calendars!
The Victoria Multifaith Society
General Meeting
Will be held 3 p.m. – 5 p.m,
Sunday, September 9th, 2007.
At the Hindu Temple
1934 Cultra Ave., Saanichton (map here)

Members and friends welcome!

Music, discussion and plans for the upcoming year will be on the agenda,
followed by refreshments
provided by the Hindu Community.

RSVP requested.



http://members.shaw.ca/victoriamultifaithsociety/events-in-region.htm




Learning Circles
To learn about one another’s faith traditions through interchange and discussion
Are you interested in attending some or all of these free sessions?

Please register at multifaithsecretary@gmail.com

Proposed Schedule
DATE FAITH
Sept. 11, 2007 Jewish
Oct. 9, 2007 Bahá’í
Nov. 13, 2007 Buddhist
Jan. 8, 2008 Hindu
Feb. 12, 2008 Muslim
Mar. 11, 2008 Sikh
Apr. 8, 2008 Christian
May 13, 2008 Unitarian
June 10, 2008 Native American