JEWEL HEART COMMUNITY MEETING

Thursday, September 20, 2017, 6:00pm – 6:45pm

MEETING NOTES

September 20, 2018

(A video recording of the meeting is at the bottom of this page)

Presented by Nancy Jefferies and Mark Magill  

• We are happy to have our third community meeting to provide an update to our Sangha and friends. As we mentioned we hope to do this every few months.
• We want to thank all of you for continuing to work with Jewel Heart as Sangha as we all work together to move Jewel Heart forward in the way Rimpoche wanted.
• We will have another community meeting before the end of year and expect Carole Corcoran and Philip Glass to join us.
• First, we just want to let you know that this session is being taped and will be available for streaming for about one week for members only. We wanted to give those members who have missed tonight and our friends at Jewel Heart Holland, Malaysia and Singapore and other affiliates the opportunity to listen in.

In our last two meetings we reviewed our relationship with other Jewel Heart Centers and how Jewel Heart is run and how decisions are made.

We will start tonight’s meeting by discussing programs, since May and going forward.

Then discuss the upcoming Membership Drive.

Then if there is time we will take a few questions.

We only have 45 minutes to talk so we will move quickly.

Before starting, we just want to review again that:

• Jewel Heart is a volunteer organization. We rely on the help and support of our members to carry out our mission of preserving Tibetan Buddhism and putting the heart of Gelek Rimpoche’s teachings into practice for the benefit of all.
• Rimpoche gave the board and the executive directors overall responsibility for the viability of Jewel Heart.
• The Program Committee, the Communication Committee, the Chapter presidents and dharma coordinators and many other volunteers, along with the Jewel Heart staff, are responsible for the planning and implementation of our programs.
• This is a group effort and each of us has the opportunity and responsibility of carrying on Rimpoche’s work for the benefit of ourselves and others.
• All courses, retreats, guest teachers, Jewel Heart teachers and facilitators, retreats, etc. are reviewed by the:
• Program Committee that Rimpoche put in place, including Mark Magill whom Rimpoche requested to work part time and oversee the programs before he passed away currently committee consists of Ann Warren from Cleveland, Mark Magill, Christine Wright and Kathy Laritz and Hartmut representing Staff and Programs. 
• Program Committee meets each week and makes recommendations
• The Executive Directors review the program decisions.
• Any questions are then brought to Philip Glass’s attention as Chair representing the Executive Committee.
• The Executive Committee reviews courses semiannually

 

We mostly have good news to report:

Because of Gelek Rimpoche’s kindness and relationships to so many great lamas, in addition to having Demo Rimpoche with us, we are grateful to have some of the most outstanding teachers from old Tibet visiting and teaching us.

This includes among others:

• Dagyab Rinpoche
• H. Drikung Rinpoche
• Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe
• Samdhong Rimpoche – when and if he can come
• Doboom Rimpoche – when and if he can come

Our plan is to benefit from the kindness of these great teachers by inviting them provide us with extensive teachings and initiations over the next couple of years.

Since we last met in March, we have had a number of extraordinary events:

• Demo Rimpoche became formally affiliated with Jewel Heart in May. He is our Resident Spiritual Adviserand we are very lucky to have him. He is visiting Jewel Heart Netherlands now and will be very active in the Fall, teaching and visiting the Jewel Heart centers. We will continue our close and growing relationship with him.
• Dagyab Rimpoche visited Ann Arbor in May giving a Black Heruka and Vajrayogini initiations and teachings and then came to NY to give a teaching and long life initiation here at the Jewel Heart NY Center. These were extraordinary teachings.
• Summer Retreat on Green Tara (based on Gelek Rimpoche’s teachings, Demo Rimpoche’s teachings and a Green Tara initiation by Demo Rinpoche).
• Consecration of Gelek Rimpoche’s Relics–Led by Demo Rimpoche, and Gyuto Tantric Monks, and our own Sonam, Loden, Kelsang and Jamyang. Followed by an elegant reception with the Weekend ending with a White Tara Initiation by Demo Rimpoche.
• Green Tara Workshop Webinar at end of July following up on Summer Retreat

 We have now started our Fall Program

• Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe teachings on Aryavada’s 400 Stanza’s are ongoing. GYT is teaching over two weeks and we are so grateful to have him.
• Six Perfections- begins on September 20 and goes through February.
  • Course runs for 15 sessions and we have some amazing guest speakers
  • Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe will provide an introduction and overview.
  • Other guests speaks include Thuben Jimpa, Geshe Negi, Glenn Mullen, Ven. Thubten Chodren, Joseph Loizzo and Robert Thurman, plus many of our own rising teachers including Mark Magill, Kimba Levitt, Cindi Lee, Dimitri Ehrilich, Hartmut Sagolla and Supa Corner.
• Lam Rim with Demo Rimpoche will start in Oct on Monday nights, free for members. We will present this in segments, and the course will be on-going.
• Demo Rinpoche will give live Jewel Heart Sunday Talks twice a month
• In December, Demo Rinpoche will celebrate Tsongkhapa Day with related weekend teachings.
• Demo Rimpoche will start and continue regular chapter visits.
• We will be having additional local workshops in 2018. Check the weekly Jewel Heart emails for updates.

Additionally we have a strong program for 2019

• Winter Retreat 2019 February 8-17
  • 10-day Yamantaka Mantra Retreat with Fire Puja for this wishing to be able to perform and participate in self-initiation in the future.
• H. Drikung Rinpoche Ann Arbor March 22, 23 2019
  • Phowa and teaching on Anapana Smriiti Sutra(Mindfulness of Breathing)
• Glenn Mullin Jewel Heart chapter Tour March-April ( we are still working out the details)
• Dagyab Rinpoche around October 14 (Columbus Day) one week AA plus NY weekend
  • Vajrayana initiations and teachings

Other events currently in the planning stage:

• Jewel Heart Summer Retreat
  • Depending on availability of Samdhong Rinpoche/Doboom Rinpoche there could be a shorter practice-oriented Jewel Heart summer retreat, focusing on Lam Rim, following teachings of Gelek Rimpoche and Demo Rinpoche. We should know more shortly.

• Tent Pole Webinars Fall 2019 ( looking at possible topics)
  • Symposium Beyond Mindfulness: invite guest speakers for individual talks and panel events.
  • Invite individual guest speakers for all day or weekend teaching in their own right and follow up with Jewel Heart instructor-led event (guided meditation, workshop, etc.)

 

RECENT AND UP-COMING CHAPTER PROGRAMS

Ann Arbor

• Free Meditation Course and other regular programs
• Strong attendance weekly for Sunday programs
• Informal Discussion after talks are well attended by new and longtime students

Bloomfield Hills

• Bodhisattva’s Way of Life and White Tara with courses and vajrayana study group
• Demo Rinpoche public talk – October 20 morning – In Search of Satisfaction

Chicago

• Alternate Sundays with GOM, White Tara, Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life and practice tsohs.
• Recently JH sangha participated by recording JH chants with artist James Webb’s traveling Prayer exhibit with Chicago Institute of Arts  http://www.artic.edu/node/8180

Cleveland

• JH Course Programs and Sangha activities
• Recent Open house during the Tremont Walkabout where surrounding communities visit organizations in their area.
• Demo Rinpoche October 26, 27, 28
  • Fri –  public talk Practicing Wise Compassion in Today’s World
  • Saturday, The Eight Verses of Mind Training
  • Sunday, Oct. 28  lunch meeting and discussion with Cleveland SC Exec Comm,  Dharma instructors and past officers

Houston

• Meditation at Jung Center

Nebraska

• Weekly 3 Principles of the Path
• Kimba Levitt recent guest speaker August 24/25
  • Public Talk – Accepting the Unacceptable
  • Workshop – Intro to Ganden Lhagyema

New York

• Vajrayogini study group
• Yamantaka study group
• Yamantaka Self Initiation workshop – October 13-14

Northern CA

• Just finished Odyssey to Freedom
• Next is SEM – Nature of the Mind

West Michigan

• New study group with strong interest
• programs by Supa Corner and Kimba Levitt and local JH sangha
• Foundation of All Perfections on Tuesdays

Malaysia

• Check the link in the Chapter section of the website for updates

Netherlands

• Check the link in the Chapter section of the website for updates

 

MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN

• We want to thank all of the current members of Jewel Heart for their membership and contribution to Jewel Heart
• Membership is a way to honor Gelek Rimpoche as well as his wish for Jewel Heart to continue to present and preserve his authentic Buddhist teachings to benefit all.
• For Sangha members, membership is a way solidify your relationship with the Sangha and should be taken very seriously.
• For non-practitioners, Membership as a Friend of Gelek Rimpoche is a way to support the preservation of authentic Tibetan Buddhism and all of Gelek Rimpoche’s work. These teachings are relevant for all time, especially this time.
• Membership is currently supporting 20 percent of Jewel Heart 1m budget.
• Rimpoche set membership at a suggested price of $480 a year, which comes to $40 a month, hoping that Jewel Heart could eventually support itself through membership and offer teaching and retreats for free.
• Members enjoy:
  • Priority registration,
  • selected programs for free or a discount
  • access to the members resource page
• We are launching a membership drive next week.
• If you are not a member we hope you will become a member.
• If you are a member, we hope you will give gift memberships to family and friends, even if they are not practitioners to support this important cause.
• We now have the capacity to offer gift memberships on the Jewel Heart website.
• Please join us to make this membership drive successful