Emptiness, Dzogchen and Tonglen

An Invitation from the Christchurch Buddhist Centre,

for Dharma Teachings:

Emptiness, Dzogchen and Tonglen

Lama Mark Webber

March 23-24 & 25, 2018

Please join us for a rich weekend of teachings from Lama Mark Webber on the essential topics of understanding Emptiness, Dzogchen and Tonglen (Sending and Receiving). These teachings are open to all.

When: Friday 23 March: 7:00 pm – 9pm

Saturday and Sunday, 24 & 25 March: 9:30am—11am & 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Contact: Erin Lummis, 03-9818380, erinlummis34@gmail.com

Costs: Gompa: New Verandah & Maintenance: $10 per class 

Lama Mark: Donation/Koha/Dana.  The Lama gives his time & wisdom freely.  Please give as generously as you are able.

General: Bring your lunch if you wish to sit in the garden.  There are plenty of local cafes if you prefer.  You may wish to bring pen and paper and comfortable cushion.

Friday Evening, March 23: Teaching, explanations and meditations on the nature of emptiness (Skt. śūnyatā). The understanding and experience of emptiness is at the heart of all of Buddhism, its meditations and philosophy. And compassion without emptiness is devoid of bodhicitta, profound intent; the enlightenment mind. Lama Mark will give quotations and commentaries from classic teachings from the three cycles of the Buddha’s teaching and have us contemplate emptiness in the class.

Saturday (2 sessions), March 24th: Bodhicitta and Tonglen: Without bodhicitta — the union of compassion and emptiness — there is no Mahayana and Vajrayana paths and practices. Lama Mark will give a reading transmission and explanations for Lama Chekawa Yeshe Dorje ’s 12th century famous mind training called Lojong and Tonglen¹. Tonglen, which is part of Lojong, is taught and practiced within all schools and lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Also there will be readings and explanations from Khunu Lama’s Gyaltsen’s verses on bodhicitta called the Jewel Lamp. It is a high yoga, and at the heart of most sadhana practices. On Sunday afternoon, there will be a group session to practice Tonglen, led by Lama Mark.

Sunday (2 sessions), March 25th: The Heart of Dzogchen: a reading transmission of Padmasambhavas’s text called “A Garland of Views, A Guide to View, Meditation and Result in the Nine Vehicles² and Lama Mark explanations. He will also give out a recent teaching he composed outlining and clarifying the requisites of the path for all those following Vajrayana teachers. These sessions include teachings on the three buddha-bodies (Skt. Trikāya) as this is an essential understanding for all practices within the Dzogchen/Mahamudra paths. The weekend of teachings will finish with a reading transmission of Je Gampopa’s Precious Garland of the Sublime Path³

1. Jamgon Kongtrul: Ken McLeod (tr.) (2005). The Great Path of Awakening: The Classic Guide to Lojong, a Tibetan Buddhist Practice for Cultivating the Heart of Compassion. Shambhala. Boston.

2. Padmasambhava. A Garland of Views, A Guide to View, Meditation and Result in the Nine Vehicles. Shambhala. Boston. 2015.

3. Printed copies will be made available.