Recognizing that people's level of knowledge, experience and commitment on the Buddhist path in this community is very diverse, we decided to put on two courses this year: one on Tuesdays for beginners who are exploring the Buddhist path, and one on Wednesdays for experienced Lam Rim students who would like to deepen their study and practice.  

Both courses will use study and practice in a balanced way, using lectures, books and scriptures meditations, video and audio tapes, as well as questions and answer sessions and discussions. The beginners course will follow the "Discovering Buddhism" video series, touching on all the vital points of Tibetan Buddhism as presented in the lineage of the Dalai Lama's tradition. The course for experienced students will deepen each subject covered in the beginners course from the evening before, using scriptures, books, audio tapes, advanced practices, and discussions.

Course Dates:

12 Lam Rim Study and Practice Sessions for Beginners
Tuesday evenings, 22 February - 10 May 2005
Venue to be confirmed
 
This course will follow the "Discovering Buddhism" video series, touching on all the vital points of Tibetan Buddhism as presented in the lineage of the Dalai Lama's tradition.
Cost: £60 (10% discount for Shambala Trust Members)

12 Lam Rim Study and Practice Sessions
for Experienced Students
Wednesday evenings, 23 February - 11 May 2005
Venue to be confirmed

This course will deepen each subject covered in the beginners course from the evening before, using scriptures, books, audio tapes, advanced practices, and discussions.
Cost: £60 (10% discount for Shambala Trust Members)

Book both courses for the special price of just £108!
(10% discount for Shambala Trust Members)

Advanced booking is necessary as spaces are limited. All proceeds will go towards
the Shambala Trust and the creation of a Dharma Centre in the Community. For
bookings and more information please contact Thomas Warrior on 01309 690690.

Ven. Sangye Khadro (Kathleen McDonald) is back in May

Many of you will remember Ven. Sangye Khadro's visit to our community in September 2003, when she gave a public talk in the Universal Hall on September 11 followed by a weekend workshop on How to Meditate and three evenings of teachings on The Stages on the Path to Enlightenment. These events were very popular and successful and in the end we all begged her to come again. Well, the good news is that she will be back in May this year to shower us again with her gentle wisdom and compassion.

For those of you who haven't had the privilege of meeting Sangye Khadro, here is a quick biography: Venerable Sangye Khadro was born Kathleen McDonald in California in 1952 and has been a Tibetan Buddhist Nun for 30 years. In the last three decades, she has been traveling around the world, teaching, studying and doing retreats. An inspiring role model and a wise counsel, Ven. Sangye Khadro is one of the foremost teachers of Buddhism in the West today. Her warm, gentle and unassuming manner of teaching paired with her ability to present the Dharma in a contemporary and personal way has been touching and transforming the hearts of spiritual seekers around the world. Kathleen is also the author of the best-selling Dharma book "How to Meditate", an excellent introduction and beautifully simple guide book on Buddhist meditation.

We are currently working out the programme for her visit and details will be published in another News Flash as soon as we have them, but we already know that she will be giving:  

- a public talk in the Universal Hall on Friday 13 May, followed by  
- a weekend retreat on the "Four Immeasurables" on 14 and 15 May.  

She also agreed to give some evening talks in the following week and she will be available for private Dharma talks as well. Venues for all these events are still to be confirmed. Please mark these dates in your diary now if you don't want to miss these special events!

Shambala Trust Membership Programme

Have you considered becoming a member of the Shambala Trust? To be able to continue our work and fulfill the objectives of the Trust we very much depend on your ongoing financial support. One great way of supporting the Trust while enjoying a number of benefits and discounts is to become a member of Shambala Trust.  

For a small yearly fee of £48 (that’s just £4 per month) we offer you the following benefits:

- 10% discount on all our courses and events
 - 10% discount on all our merchandise in Shambala Shop
 - free use of Shambala Trust Library
 - free Dharma book when you join

Joining is easy! Just follow this link: http://www.shambalatrust.co.uk/membership.html

About the Shambala Trust

The Shambala Trust was founded in 1995 and was registered as a Scottish charity in 2001. The founder members are Thomas and Maris Warrior and Eva Ward, all active members of the Findhorn Foundation and Community. Margo van Greta, head of the Spiritual and Personal Development Department of the Findhorn Foundation, and James Mitchell, a businessman from Edinburgh and active supporter of the Trust for many years, joined as Trustees last year.

The Trust aims to create an inter-denominational Buddhist Centre and Centre for Interfaith Dialogue to offer a home to the many students and practitioners of all Buddhist traditions in and around the local community, to offer regular courses, study and practice groups, a space for individual and group retreats, and to promote inter-religious tolerance and understanding.

The inspiration for this project was conceived by Thomas Warrior who had a powerful vision during a retreat at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal in 1995. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama appeared in his meditation with a clear message suggesting the creation of a dharma centre in the northeast of Scotland. The centre is to be a place of inter-faith exchange and to serve the needs of students and practitioners of all Buddhist traditions in the area.

Thomas shared his vision with his friends and teachers who have since lent tremendous support to this vision, through prayers, guidance, gifts and donations. Among them are His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup (abbot of Kopan Monastery) and Lama Zopa Rinpoche (spiritual director of Kopan Monastery).

The project also enjoys the continued support of His Eminence the Khentin Tai Situpa (head of the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism) and Lama Yeshe (abbot of Kagyu Samye Ling Tibetan Centre in Scotland), who both visited the Findhorn Foundation and Community to offer teachings, refuge and initiations.

The Trust welcomes donations and loans towards the creation of the centre as well as dedicated volunteers in the areas of fundraising, building and administration. For more information on the Trust activities please visit our web site on http://www.shambalatrust.co.uk or contact Thomas Warrior, Tel. 01309 690690.

May these words immediately end all suffering such as war, sickness, strife, wrong views, etc. and the causes of suffering of all sentient beings in the six realms of existence. May whoever listens, sees, touches, remembers, talks or even thinks about this letter never be born in the lower realms, receive only perfect human rebirths, meet perfectly qualified Mahayana virtuous friends, and quickly achieve the state of Guru Shakyamuni Buddha's perfect and supreme Enlightenment.