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Announcements

Note: The museum trip has been postponed to a date to be determined.

Also, the May 12 retreat now starts at 10:30am, not 10am.

Upcoming Events

Buddhist Community Dinner

Tuesday, May 1, 2012, at 6pm
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
(optional RSVP to eep at mit dot edu by April 29)

Join the Buddhist Community for food and informal conversation ranging from life @ MIT to Dharma theory and practice. All are welcome! No experience with Buddhism necessary.


Dhammapada Part II (On-Campus One-Day Retreat)

Saturday, May 12, 2012, 10:30am-4:30pm
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Free for MIT students, $40 otherwise. Please register here.

Details TBA


Dharma and Art (excursion to "Seeking Shambhala" MFA special exhibit)

TBD
Venue: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston

Students should bring their IDs for discounted admission. We will meet in front of the Huntington St. entrance.

From http://www.mfa.org/exhibitions/seeking-shambhala:

Shambhala, in both physical and spiritual senses, has been part of Tibetan Buddhist art and culture for centuries. “Seeking Shambhala” explores this spiritual realm within the Tibetan tradition, and brings to the fore two contemporary artists’ personal journeys to Shambhala.

In 1906, the Museum acquired a set of 17th-century Tibetan paintings depicting the mythical Shambhala kings and the Buddha. Tibetan Buddhist scriptures state that there have been and will be 32 kings (we are currently in the reign of the 28th) and that the last will usher in an age of enlightenment.

The paintings have been recently conserved and restored back into traditional thangka (hanging scroll) mounts. “Seeking Shambhala” presents these 23 paintings along with Buddhist ritual implements, sculpture, and other objects, putting these colorful, complex images in context. Also on view will be works by Japanese graphic artist Tadanori Yokoo, including his SHAMBALA series of prints produced in 1974. The contemporary Tibetan artist Gonkar Gyatso, whose collage titled The Shambala in Modern Times was shown at the 53rd Venice Biennale, will also be represented.

Shambhala MFA image



Regular Activities

Morning Meditation Sessions

Mondays, 9am-9:30am
Venue: MIT Chapel, basement

Regular morning meditation sessions led by Elliott, one of our group's leaders. Contact him at hedman at mit dot edu to coordinate if interested.

Silent Meditation Sessions

Thursdays, 6pm-7pm. Resumes Thursday, January 12, 2012.
Venue: MIT Chapel

An hour of quiet meditation. Instructions will be provided at the beginning. Open to MIT Community members.

Cyber Dharma: Teachings with the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi

Thursdays at 8pm
Venue: Room 4-303

Weekly teachings with The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi. When Venerable Tenzin is not on-campus in person, he teaches through live interactive webcast. Current texts for discussion are His Holiness the Dalai Lama's How to Expand Love and Acharya Shantideva's Guide to a Bodhisattva's Way of Life. Previous teachings have covered: Acharya Nagarjuna's Exposition on Bodhichitta, HH the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness, Patrul Rinpoche's Words of My Perfect Teacher, Foundations of Buddhism, and others.

Register here to receive updates on the Thursday Teachings.


Interesting Links

  • The Buddhist Community now has a Library of Buddhist books. Stop by before or after the Thursday meditation to discuss borrowing.
  • The Benefits of Meditation, from the MIT News Office, about MIT and Harvard researchers finding a neurological benefit to meditation.
  • The Campus Chapel as an Interfaith Laboratory, in the Chronicle of Higher Education: The White House encourages colleges to bring religious communities together for interfaith services and conversation.
  • New links on our Media Gallery page!

Programs supported in part by the Office of Religious Life (MIT); Dean of Student Life (MIT); Prajnopaya; and the Lenz Foundation.

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Welcome! The MIT Buddhist Community is a group of keen individuals interested in the study and practice of Buddhist meditation and Buddhist philosophy.