Chicago Special Events September – December 2013
Tsoh for Gelek Rimpoche
October 27, noon
We are happy to announce that we will be conducting a tsoh celebration in honor of Gelek Rimpoche’s birthday. Please come around 10 a.m. to help set up. Brenda Rosen asks for a $10 contribution to cover the cost of offerings.
Feeding Those in Need with The Night Ministry
Nov. 18
We will prepare and serve a meal with The Night Ministry in Rogers Park, Chicago on the evening of Nov. 18. Volunteers are needed to cook chili and brownies, contribute other items, and help serve. A signup sheet and detailed list of what’s needed can be found at this link.
Jewel Heart Stocking Project and Holiday Celebration
We will gather at the center Sunday, Dec. 7 at noon to celebrate the holidays by undertaking a compassionate project and enjoying some refreshments and socializing. Susan Androff has arranged with The Night Ministry to prepare holiday stockings filled with essentials for those who are homeless or otherwise in need. See list of items we need, below.*
Ven. Thubten Chodron Teaches in Chicago
Ven. Thubten Chodron, Abbess of Sravasti Abbey, author of many books, and teacher of the Dharma around the world, will teach at Jewel Heart Chicago during the weekend of April 4-6, 2014. Stay tuned for further details!
Gelek Rimpoche Teaches in Chicago
We are particularly happy to announce that Kyabje Gelek Rimpoche, spiritual director of Jewel Heart, will teach at the Chicago center on April 18, 2014. Stay tuned for further details!
Ongoing: Books for Chicago Women in Prison
We are helping the group Chicago Books to Women in Prison by collecting books for women who are incarcerated. The group seeks the following types of paperback books:
- Self-help
- Recent non-texytbook medical books (AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis C)
- Recovery/addiction
- Meditation/yoga
- Daily affirmations
- Spiritual/religion (Wicca especially needed)
- Parenting
- Dictionaries
- Blank soft-cover journals
- African-American fiction
- Chicago fiction
- Lesbian/queer fiction
- Latin-American history and culture
Ongoing: Meditations with Family Rescue Counselors
Megan Rotko is leading weekly meditation sessions with counselors for Family Rescue, an organization that helps women dealing with domestic violence issues in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.
*Items for Stocking Project:
1. Mesh or cloth or felt stockings. Size should be approximately 9″ wide at top, 12″ across the foot, and 18″ long. A drawstring at the top is helpful, but not required.
2. Toothbrush/toothpaste (small size)
3. Pair of adult thermal socks
4. Small first aid kit (99¢ size)
5. Small pack of tissue
6. Full size deodorant
7. Lip balm
8. Hand cream
9. Hand warmers
10. Pair of magic gloves (I think these stretch to fit all sizes)
11. Small memo pad/pens
12. Assorted candy, chocolates, breath mints and gum
13. Deck of cards
Chicago Programs September – December 2013
Tibetan Buddhism with Gelek Rimpoche
The spiritual director of Jewel Heart, Gelek Rimpoche, will give weekly Sunday morning talks on Tibetan Buddhism from 9–10 am CT. Speaking from Ann Arbor and New York and other locations, these talks will also be live video webcasts. All talks can be viewed at the Chicago center.
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Compassion in Action
A new transcript on The Six Perfections will provide a framework for our introductory overview of compassion. This course combines discussions on compassion with practical applications of compassion through helping people and groups around the Chicago area. The first session will be devoted to an overview of the course and a discussion of projects we might pursue in the coming months.
$80 for non-members; free for members
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to noon; projects may require availability at other times as needed.
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Learn-Think-Meditate: Concentrated Meditation
Concentrated meditation is an essential tool that helps develop peace and joy as well as the power to deeply understand wisdom. Emphasis is on concentrated meditation practice with light guidance. Beginners welcome!
Free, donations welcome.
7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Ongoing: Every Wednesday evening.
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The Healing Practice of White Tara
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.
$40 for non-members; free for members
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Nov. 17, 24, Dec. 8, 15.
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Lojong with Brenda Rosen
NEW CLASS. We all experience difficulties and problems in life. Lojong (“mind training”) is a revolutionary Mahayana technique that teaches us to use these difficulties to awaken unlimited, unconditional compassion for ourselves and others. This class, based on Gelek Rimpoche’s brilliant commentary to Geshe Chekawa’s 12th century Lojong text, Training the Mind in Seven Points, includes reading and discussion, individual and guided meditation, and new experiential exercises designed to help us use the 59 pithy slogans of the Lojong as a practical roadmap to engaged and compassionate living. All are welcome, beginners and experienced meditators alike. Facilitated by Brenda Rosen and Rochelle Winter.
$120 for non-members; free for members
Sundays, 10:30 a.m. to noon, beginning Jan. 5, 2014.