Gelek Rimpoche to speak in Cleveland!
As part of his multi-city tour, Gelek Rimpoche, founder and spiritual head of Jewel Heart, will teach in Cleveland on May 14. Speaking on Engaging Wisdom and Compassion, Rimpoche will help us bring these teachings home to our everyday lives. Rimpoche, who is known for his understanding of contemporary American life, will provide accessible follow-up for those who were able to hear His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings and an excellent introduction for those who not able to attend the Ann Arbor events. This is a great opportunity to hear a great teacher, and will inspire all those interested in the spiritual journey, whatever tradition they follow.
Wednesday May 14, 7:00 pm
Unity of Greater Cleveland
3350 Warrensville Center Road, Shaker Hts.
(This venue has been scheduled to accommodate the anticipated larger audiences during Remote's multi-city tour.)
This talk is free and open to the public. Come and bring friends and family!
Volunteers needed If you are available to help prepare for Rimpoche's May 14 talk, please contact David 216-651-5501 dhunter101usa@yahoo.com We need volunteers both for the day of the event and beforehand.
Jewel Heart Sunday talks
Join us for introductory Buddhist-inspired talks on contemporary issues. Open to all, these sessions are wonderful for beginners as well as helpful for continuing students, and include guided meditation and time for questions.
Sundays (dates as noted)11:00 am - noon,
Free and open to the public (donations welcome)
Sunday May 4, "Making Friends With Our Own Minds" speaker Anne Warren
Sunday June 1, "Mind Training: Psychology and Buddhism" speaker Craig Hartman
JEWEL HEART STUDY PROGRAM
New Classes Starting
Registration for the following course will take place the first session. Please plan to come 15-20 minutes early. All courses are held at Jewel Heart Cleveland, 2670 W. 14th St.
Jewel Heart Cleveland offers its courses to all, regardless of ability to pay. If you are unable to afford any course fee, please speak to your instructor about the possibility of a partial or full scholarship.
The Healing Practice of White Tara - begins May 29
Tara is the mother goddess of Tibetan Buddhism, known for her quick and compassionate activity. She is particularly associated with healing and long life. This course uses visualization techniques relying on the feminine energy of White Tara to overcome physical, mental and emotional suffering.
4 week course $40, free for supporting members. Open to all.
Thursdays, 7:00 - 8:30pm Led by Susan Kirchner
Wonders of Compassion Bodhisattvacharyavatara, Chapter One
In this class, designed for those who have completed at least the Odyssey to Freedom, we will read and meditate on Rimpoche's commentary to Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Chapter One illuminates the qualities and benefits of bodhimind or bodhicitta, the altruistic aspiration to become fully enlightened for the sake of others.
Contact Anne aewarren@sbcglobal.net or 216-691-5950 if you are interested to preregister and receive the reading for the first class.
10 weeks, beginning May 21, Wednesday, 7-8:30 pm Fee $100 or free to JH members
Continuing Classes
Deepening Awareness
This course is based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulnesses, and complements Jewel Heart's other beginning meditation class Creating Space.
In this course, we begin to shift meditative awareness gradually from immediate physical sensation to more and more subtle mental phenomena, finally observing any phenomenon, inside and outside of the meditator's body-mind complex. The course is open to all, useful for Buddhist and non-Buddhist students.
Sundays, 1-2:30 pm. Continuing through May Led by Bill Kirchner
Course fee $80 for non-members, free to members
JH CLEVELAND ACTIVITIES:
Tibetan Language Class
Pema Shelling will continue to teach Tibetan Language most Sundays from 10am-noon (unless there is a dharma talk scheduled, in which case class is canceled). Students receive individual attention, and can join the class at any time. The current class includes some who are learning the alphabet and some who are reading Six Session Yoga in Tibetan. Either conversation or classical Tibetan can be learned according to one's interest.
Suggested donation: $10-20 per class. Since this class is not part of the Jewel Heart study program, the suggested donation applies to JH members as well. If you cannot afford this and wish to attend, please contact Anne 216-691-5950.
For class dates, call Anne or Pema-la 216-795-1776
Monthly Tsoh offerings!
We are holding regular monthly Lama Chöpa Tsohs. These offering ceremonies are a great opportunity to generate a lot of positivity, and to strengthen our connections as sangha members.
Tsoh dates and times for April 30th to end of June.
Wednesday, April 30, at 5:30pm.
Thursday, May 15th at 5:30.
Wednesdays, May 28, and June 11 at 5:30pm.
6th Annual Jewel Heart Summer Picnic
Winter was long and cold but by mid-June it will (probably) be over - even in Ohio! Join us for our annual summer picnic on Saturday, June 14th, from 4pm to ? at Bill and Susie Kirchner's house. Hot dogs and veggie burgers will be provided. Bring a side dish and a musical instrument if you play. Please RSVP by June 8th by calling (330)722-7770 before 8pm or email eklipse@zoominternet.net. Indicate if you need directions.
Save the Date
Ven. Thubten Chodron will be visiting Jewel Heart Cleveland again this summer for 3 talks Friday, Saturday and Sunday Aug. 15, 16, 17. Friday and Saturday talks will be at 7:00pm and Sunday's talk will be mid-morning. See the July/August newsletter for details.
Hessler Street Fair, May 17 and 18, noon to dusk
For a fun afternoon of music, food, shopping, and people watching, head to University Circle for the famous Hessler Street Fair. Be sure to visit Ujjen-la at the Jewel Heart booth!
Silent Auction
Begin saving those rare and "priceless" items for the annual silent auction. Although the dates have not been finalized it will coincide with Ven. Thubten Chodron's talk.
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HHDL visit includes Jewel Heart consecration
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Gelek Rimpoche and thousands of Buddhists make for a busy but meaningful weekend. In addition to three teachings and a lecture on sustainability, HHDL visited the new Jewel Heart center in Ann Arbor where, according to Dharma coordinator Anne Warren, "he performed a brief consecration ceremony, received a mandala, tea, and other offerings from Gelek Rimpoche and briefly addressed the Jewel Heart board, the Event Committee and a small number of senior students.
Anne added, "He also spoke briefly to participants in a Tibetan language conference held at the Jewel Heart center during the weekend's teachings and stopped for group photos before returning to Crisler Arena (University of Michigan) to finish his teaching. This really brought home to me His Holiness' ability to follow a schedule planned down to the minute, without any anxiety, time pressure, or loss of equanimity and concentration!"
About 25 members of Jewel Heart-Cleveland along with a number of friends and relatives attended the teachings.
Just "being in the presence of this awesome person," as David Hunter wrote, was the highlight for many in the audience. Miriam Sullivan wrote, "This was my first time seeing HHDL, and it was very moving-to put it simply. He embodies all that I strive to be." And Jason Stone's highlight: "Being about 100 feet from the Dalai Lama."
The teachings, by all accounts, were complex. David wrote, "I have heard him on two other occasions and am always amazed at the level of his wisdom and his ability to communicate complex ideas in understandable terms." But Carla Everstijn noted that she brought a non-Buddhist friend who was surprised at the depth of the teaching and didn't understand much of it.
All agreed that if you haven't heard HHDL, you should make plans to do so. "Everyone should hear him at least once even if means sacrificing other things," wrote David.
Miriam wrote, "I gained a tremendous amount of insight into my own practice," adding "I have a greater appreciation for my own existence than I had before seeing HHDL."
David wrote that he found the most meaningful part was "the idea of the interdependence of all beings. What affects one person ends up affecting everyone, and we have the power to change the course of relationships by making good decisions based on positive motivations."
Carla wrote that she found his explanation of dependent origination particularly meaningful. For Miriam it was HHDL's emphasis on "the importance of respecting all forms of religious and spiritual beliefs" that was most meaningful.
And finally Susie Kirchner wrote, "Perhaps the highlight of the event for me was at the very end of the last session when His Holiness led the entire auditorium in a recitation of three verses on Generating the Mind for Enlightenment. Then, just as he turned to leave the stage and the audience was completely quiet, the sweet voice of a very young child called "Goodbye, Dalai Lama."
-- Joe Harper
Before the teachings
Anne Warren wrote, "Friday evening, April 18, a near capacity crowd at Hill Auditorium in Ann Arbor enjoyed a lively conversation about the relation between spiritual practice and artistic creativity. Panelists Philip Glass, Richard Gere, Bobby McFerrin and Gelek Rimpoche brought a variety of perspectives, the main conclusion being that art comes from inner development after a lot of hard work."
Ann Arbor teachings online
For those who couldn't attend, the teachings are available online at
http://blog.mlive.com/annarbornews_multimedia. HHDL also gave the University of Michigan's Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability Sunday afternoon, and it is online at the same site.
CLEVELAND CHAPTER NEWS
John Lozano donated 2 boxes of books to the JHC library. These have been divided into general circulation books and those that will be kept at the center as reference only books. Anne will be sending a Thank-you note on behalf of JHC. Last month's poetry event was a huge success. $101 in donations were raised for JHC. Thanks to everyone who made this event a success.
COMING RETREATS:
Memorial Weekend Retreat "Inner World of Mind"
Friday, May 23 - Monday, May 26 Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY
Summer Retreat: "Compassion in Action" Friday, June 27-Sunday, July 6 Ann Arbor, MI
Labor Day Retreat: Friday, August 29 - Monday, September 1 Ann Arbor, MI
Fall Retreat: Friday, October 10 - Monday, October 13 Garrison Institute, Garrison, NY
Cleveland
2670 W 14th Street
Cleveland, OH 44113
PHONE: 216-687-1617
For information about any of the events in this newsletter, contact Bill or Susie Kirchner at (330) 722-7770 evenings before 8PM or email
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May all beings have happiness.
May they be free from suffering.
May they find the joy that has never known suffering
May they be free from attachment and hatred.
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