The Buddhist Community at MIT is a non-sectarian and non-denominational organization fostering the practice and study of Buddha's teachings. We greatly appreciate your generous support and donation that help us fund public lectures, meditation retreats, and related events.
To make a contribution please contact Ven. Tenzin Priyadarshi through the Office of Religious Life at MIT.
Online contributions can be made through the MIT Giving Site (look for account #2737293).
Open discussion with Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi (MIT Community only) Selected Thursdays, at 5:35pm-6:30pm ET (2:35pm-3:30pm PT)
Planned schedule: Oct. 8, 22; Nov. 5; Dec. 3
Join us for an open discussion on Buddhism-related topics.
Protocol/etiquette for teaching sessions:
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
Our weekly meeting, with a period of meditation followed by open discussion. Open to anyone interested in practicing Buddhism or just curious about it. Join our "buddhism" athena mailing list to receive updates on times and locations.
Please join us for 30 minutes of silent meditation in the Barker reading room. Sit for a minute, or 30. Offered by the MIT Libraries. Please arrive promptly. Beginners welcome.
The MIT Chapel will be open for an hour of quiet group meditation. Guidance will be provided when group leaders are present. Open to MIT Community members.
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.
This three hour retreat in CyberSpace will include prayer and meditation sessions. Teachings will be based on the text by 12th Century Sakya master Sachen Kunga Nyingpo focusing on the Bodhisattva path. There will be a brief Q&A opportunity at the end of the retreat session.
Protocol/etiquette for teaching sessions:
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
Prayer-books and texts are generally circulated in advance.
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
Prayer-books and texts are generally circulated in advance.
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
The Sutra of Truly Remembering the Sublime Three Jewels, Session 2 Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 12pm ET (9am PT)
Venue: Send email to "info at Bodhimarga dot org" to receive login information.
Join us for teaching and meditation.
Protocol/etiquette for CyberDharma sessions:
Join the session a few minutes prior to the actual start time.
Whether you are using computer audio or a phone line, mute yourself unless you have to say something or it is a Q&A session. After you’ve asked your question be sure to turn your phone back to mute.
Be sure that your computer is connected to the network beforehand, and have the login information available.
When using video be sure that your camera is at a proper angle, or else choose not to transmit video.
Do not pace around or talk to your pets or yourself while your audio and video are on.
When using phone line be sure you are somewhere quiet. If you are by yourself, please use a headset.
Prayer-books and texts are generally circulated in advance.
Takafumi Zenryu Kawakami is the deputy head priest of Shunkoin Temple in Kyoto and annually teaches Zen meditation classes in English to 5,000 – 5,500 temple visitors. His travels and talks have brought him to the likes of MIT, Brown University, IDEO, TED x Kyoto, and the Mind & Life Institute, as well as business schools like HBS, INSEAD, IESE, and Sloan. He is a member of the US-Japan Leadership Program of the US-Japan Foundation
The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Professor Carlo Ratti request the pleasure of your company at the unveiling of the world's first Robotic Mandala drawn by Scribit - the write & erase robot - at the MIT CSAIL building.
Attendees will be able to complete the Mandala started by the robot in a participatory performance.
In partnership with MIT SENSEable Lab, CSAIL, and Scribit.
Joichi “Joi” Ito is an activist, entrepreneur, venture capitalist and scholar focusing on the ethics and governance of technology, tackling complex problems such as climate change, societal inequity, and redesigning the systems that support scholarship and science. As director of the MIT Media Lab and a Professor of the Practice in Media Arts and Sciences, he supports researchers at the Media Lab to deploy design, science, and technology such as AI, blockchain, and synthetic biology to transform society in substantial and positive ways.
Daiko Matsuyama is a Zen priest and vice-Abbot of Taizo-in within the Myoshin ji temples comples. Myoshin ji serves as the headquarters for Rinzai Zen. He has been a member of Kyoto’s Ambassadors for Tourism since 2011, and was listed as one of “The Top 100 People of the New Generation 2016” in Nikkei Business. Matsuyama was appointed as a fellow of US-Japan Leadership Program from 2016. In 2017, he became a visiting professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design.
Tenzin Priyadarshi is Director of Ethics Initiative at MIT Media Lab and is President of The Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT. His recent works focus on ethics and empathy learning. He is a Tribeca Disruptive Fellow and 2018 Fellow at Center for Advanced Study in Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University. As a Buddhist monk, he has also served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the Institute since 2001.
Rekha Malhotra aka DJ Rekha is a producer, curator, educator, and activist. She is the founder of one of NYC’s longest running club nights, Basement Bhangra (1997-2017), DJ Rekha has done sound design and production for Broadway and Nation Public Radio as well as remixes for artists ranging from Meredith Monk to Priyanka Chopra. DJ Rekha has performed at the Obama White House and internationally and serves on the board of the community organization, Chhaya CDC. She is currently a Masters Candidate in the Comparative Media Studies at MIT and produces the weekly podcast Bhangra and Beyond.
Rev. Takafumi Kawakami, Vice-Abbot, Shunkou-in (Myoshin-ji, Kyoto) and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder (MIT Hillel), moderated by the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi February 26, 2019, at 6pm.
As we hurtle toward an unknown future, as the limits of technology evaporate, and as the templates of politics and society take on unprecedented forms, let us take a moment to envision the world we'd like to work toward.
The Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, of Chuang Yen Monastery, will present the inaugural lecture of the MIT Global Studies and Languages' T.T. and W.F. Chao Distinguished Buddhist Lecture Series, "Forging a New Moral Vision in an Age of Crisis", and will lead a meditation session the following day.
Ven. Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. Born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he obtained a BA in philosophy from Brooklyn College (1966) and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont Graduate School (1972). Drawn to Buddhism in his early 20s, after completing his university studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the late Ven. Ananda Maitreya, the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk of recent times.
Robert A.F. Thurman is the Jey Tsong Khapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, President of the Tibet House U.S., a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of Tibetan civilization which he co-founded with Richard Gere and Philipp Glass.
Time chose Professor Thurman as one of its 25 most influential Americans in 1997. The New York Times recently said Thurman “is considered the leading American expert on Tibetan Buddhism.” He was the first western Tibetan monk and studied with the Dalai Lama which resulted in a friendship spanning more than 40 years.
Professor Thurman is a prolific author of several best-sellers.
(This event will be followed by a book signing of Prof. Thurman’s latest book, a graphic novel “Man of Peace”)
Modern scientific research into lucid dreaming draws a sharp distinction between the waking state and dreaming, and it has developed practical methods for inducing lucidity, namely, recognizing that we are dreaming while we are dreaming. The ancient Buddhist contemplative tradition of dream yoga points out deep similarities between the waking state and dreaming, encouraging us to become lucid at all times. To fully awaken to the nature of experience is to be a Buddha, an “Awakened One,” and that is the ultimate aim of dream yoga. During this talk, Alan Wallace will discuss the relation between lucid dreaming and dream yoga, including areas of complementarity and divergence.
Co-sponsored by Prajnopaya at MIT and Buddhist Student Club
Screening of "Under the Turban", a documentary film about being a Sikh and issues of identity amid a culture of discrimination. Will be followed by discussions with director Satinder Garcha.
Saturday, September 3, 2016, time to be determined.
Venue: To be determined.
More details to follow. Check here for more information as it becomes available.
His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche was recognized as the reincarnation of the Senior Tutor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the 6th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche.
The 7th Yongzin Ling Rinpoche began his studies at Drepung Monastic University in South India when he was ten years old and continues to be engaged in rigorous religious study there. In 1991 he gave his first teachings in South Korea and since then has given teachings and tantric initiations in India, Nepal, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, France, Holland and the United States.
Into the Magic Shop: The Neuroscience of Compassion and Altruism
Neurosurgeon James Doty, MD, will discuss topics from his book, "Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart". Dr. Doty is a professor in the Department of Neurosurgery at Stanford University and the director of the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE), where he researches the neuroscience of compassion and altruism. He is also a philanthropist funding health clinics throughout the world and has endowed scholarships and chairs at multiple universities. He serves on the board of a number of nonprofits, including the Charter for Compassion Internatinal and the Dalai Lama Foundation.
Join the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi for a half-day meditation retreat on the topic of happiness. Lunch will be provided. Donations to MIT Prajnopaya encouraged. For more information email buddhist-officers at mit.
Join the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and the Buddhist Community for a vegetarian dinner to discuss Buddhist philosophy. All are welcome! No experience with Buddhism necessary. Event sponsored by the Graduate Student Council.
The Addir Fellows Program is organizing an interfaith panel discussion to build bridges of dialogue and understanding. Dessert will be provided. See the event poster.
Bodhicitta, the compassionate mind that aspires to attain full enlightenment in order to benefit others, is the quintessence of the Mahayana and Vajrayana paths of Buddhist practice. In this talk, The Venerable Tenzin will explore methods for cultivating the compassionate mind and heart of enlightenment.
A conversation between the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder on the definition, cultivation, expression, and results of happiness. A sushi dinner will be served. Free and open to the MIT Community.
A conversation between the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder. A kosher dinner will be served. Free and open to the MIT Community. See the event poster.
A conversation between the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder. A kosher dinner will be served. Free and open to the MIT Community. See the event poster.
Surf. Hike. Paint. Eat. Fifteen Sloanies and SOs will come together to examine the stillness at the heart of activity. These four events intend to create a safe, introspective space for us to look inward and perhaps discover a few things about ourselves and each other. We will head down to Rhode Island for surf instruction and beginner waves, take a silent walk in the woods, work like Jackson Pollock with color and canvas, and eat blindfolded in the dark. Events may incorporate group meditation (instruction provided). Sign up will be first-come-first-served; preference will be given to those who have not attended a previous event. Sponsored by (In)Sight @ Sloan and MIT Sloan Student Life.
A screening of the film "Thomas Keating: A Rising Tide of Silence", about the Catholic monk Thomas Keating. Discussion with producer/director Peter Jones and Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi will follow. Open to the general public.
Film description: "A Rising Tide of Silence" is a reflective portrait of Father Thomas Keating, one of today's most influential spiritual leaders. Interweaving historical footage, interviews, and extensive conversations with Father Thomas, the film traces his spiritual journey from an affluent New York City childhood, to an austere Trappist monastic life, to his rise through the Order, and his election as Abbot of St. Joseph's Abby in 1961.
While at the Monastery in the early 1970's Father Thomas introduced Eastern religious practices to the monks and became one of the originators of Centering Prayer. After resigning as Abbott in 1981, Father Thomas founded Contemplative Outreach in 1984 to bring Centering Prayer to a worldwide audience. A renowned theologian and author of more than 30 books, Father Thomas Keating is widely recognized for his ecumenical approach to spirituality. For those who encounter him, his example is a moving modern journey of faith.
Please join us for this half-day retreat based on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. The retreat will include teachings, meditation, and discussion. Free and open to all, donations encouraged. Register or inquire here or call (413)24-UPAYA.
A conversation between the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder. A kosher dinner will be served. Free and open to the MIT Community.
(This event is part of ReThinking Mindfulness Series at MIT)
Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. Born in
Brooklyn, New York, in 1944, he obtained a BA in philosophy from
Brooklyn College (1966) and a PhD in philosophy from Claremont
Graduate School (1972).
Drawn to Buddhism in his early 20s, after completing his university
studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received novice ordination
in 1972 and full ordination in 1973, both under the late Ven. Ananda
Maitreya, the leading Sri Lankan scholar-monk of recent times.
He was appointed editor of the Buddhist Publication Society (in Sri
Lanka) in 1984 and its president in 1988. Ven. Bodhi has many
important publications to his credit, either as author, translator, or
editor, including the Buddha — A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya
(co-translated with Ven. Bhikkhu Nanamoli (1995), The Connected
Discourses of the Buddha — a New Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya
(2000), and In the Buddha’s Words (2005).
In May 2000 he gave the keynote address at the United Nations on its
first official celebration of Vesak (the day of the Buddha’s birth,
enlightenment, and passing away). He returned to the U.S. in 2002. He
currently resides at Chuang Yen Monastery and teaches there and at
Bodhi Monastery. He is currently the chairman of Yin Shun Foundation.
Venue: Wong Auditorium, E51-115.
Registration required. Click here to register, and here to make a donation towards these programs.
The mindfulness movement has grown in a remarkable way in the past few years and is accelerating. Where has this movement come from? Where is this movement going? What has been accomplished by it? What are the further applications? What impact can it have on the wellbeing of individuals and of society as a whole? ReThinking Mindfulness seeks to promote a probing and constructive conversation — and as provocative as necessary — about the mindfulness movement.
Join some of the leading thinkers and practitioners to explore and enhance our understanding of this modern phenomenon with ancient roots.
Speakers: Bhikkhu Bodhi, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Alan Wallace, Tenzin Priyadarshi, Chade-Meng Tan, Joi Ito, Pat Christen, Pattie Maes, Kevin Slavin, Tinsley Galyean, Judson Brewer, Christopher Germer
Join the Buddhist Community for a celebration of the Buddha's
birthday. All are welcome! No experience with Buddhism necessary.
Vegetarian food will be provided. We will escort people to the kitchen from the dorm lobby; please RSVP to minhtue90@gmail.com and ask for contact information to be let in.
A conversation between the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi and Rabbi Gavriel Goldfeder. A kosher dinner will be served. Free and open to the MIT Community.
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. Vegetarian food will be provided.
Come and join us for a day of mindfulness, relaxation and yoga. Relax your mind while stretching out your body. Enjoy a light lunch and find out about wellness resources at MIT.
Bring a towel and wear comfortable clothes. No experience required.
Jointly organized by Community Wellness at MIT Medical and the MIT Buddhist Student Group, and sponsored by the GSC.
Daniel Goleman is an internationally known psychologist who lectures frequently to professional groups, business audiences, and on college campuses. Working as a science journalist, Goleman reported on the brain and behavioral sciences for The New York Times for many years. His 1995 book, Emotional Intelligence (Bantam Books) was on The New York Times bestseller list for a year-and-a-half; with more than 5,000,000 copies in print worldwide in 30 languages, and has been a best seller in many countries. Goleman's latest book is Ecological Intelligence: How Knowing the Hidden Impacts of What We Buy Can Change Everything. The book argues that new information technologies will create "radical transparency," allowing us to know the environmental, health, and social consequences of what we buy. As shoppers use point-of-purchase ecological comparisons to guide their purchases, market share will shift to support steady, incremental upgrades in how products are made -- changing every thing for the better. Social Intelligence: The New Science of Human Relationships, was published in 2006. Social intelligence, the interpersonal part of emotional intelligence, can now be understood in terms of recent findings from neuroscience. Goleman's book describes the many implications of this new science, including for altruism, parenting, love, health, learning and leadership.
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. Vegetarian food will be provided. Mr. Home Nguyen, a TEDx speaker and a war-refugee, will share
with us about the power of mindfulness in healing conflicts as he details
his physical journey from the war-torn Vietnam to America to achieve peace
within.
Mr. Nguyen is an adjunct professor at Teachers College, Columbia
University, where he designs and teaches programs on Self-Awareness,
Mindfulness and Contemplative Practices.
Free and open to the MIT Community only. Please register: click here.
Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing, a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. Masters of traditional Tuvan instruments as well as the art of throat singing, Alash are deeply committed to traditional Tuvan music and culture. At the same time, they are fans of western music. Believing that traditional music must constantly evolve, the musicians subtly infuse their songs with western elements, creating their own unique style that is fresh and new, yet true to their Tuvan musical heritage.
What does throat singing sound like? "Imagine a human bagpipe-a person who could sing a sustained low note while humming an eerie, whistle-like melody. For good measure, toss in a thrumming rhythm similar to that of a jaw harp, but produced vocally-by the same person, at the same time." -Newsweek (March 17, 2006)
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. Vegetarian food will be provided.
Venue: 4-303
Free for MIT students, $45 otherwise. Please register here.
Acharya Shantideva begins Chapter 8 of A Guide to the Boddhisattva's Way of Life by emphasizing the importance of stabilizing one's mind -- but that is only the beginning. He goes on to explain how craving and vagaries of daily life keep one distracted, trapped, and unable to see the true nature of reality. In this retreat we will discuss the short- and long-term benefits of settling the mind, along with other antidotes to the traps, like the practice of mind training.
Please join us for a discussion with Don Seckler, an accomplished Kyudo
(Japanese Archery) instructor at MIT, on Meditation and the Art of
Archery. Come to relax, enjoy a good discussion about meditation and
Japanese culture.
The event is open to all. Japanese snacks will be served.
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. Vegetarian food will be provided from Grasshopper restaurant.
Our guest speaker for this dinner
is Ms. Leslie Hubbard (formerly Sister Suchness) from Thich Nhat Hanh's
tradition, coming to share her experiences with mindfulness and relaxation.
The Buddhist Community will be doing a short prayer session on Thursday,
6pm at the Chapel for the victims of the recent bombing attack. One of the
prayers is the Four Immeasurables, a traditional Buddhist prayer:
"May all beings have happiness and the cause of happiness.
May they be free of suffering and the cause of suffering.
May they never be disassociated from the supreme happiness which is without
suffering.
May they remain in the boundless equanimity, free from both attachment to
close ones and rejection of others."
The prayers will be followed by the usual meditation session until 7pm.
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. Vegetarian food will be provided from Grasshopper restaurant.
Our guest speaker for this dinner
is Ms. Leslie Hubbard (formerly Sister Suchness) from Thich Nhat Hanh's
tradition, coming to share her experiences with mindfulness and relaxation.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Free for MIT students, $45 otherwise. Please register here.
Acharya Shantideva begins Chapter 8 of A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s
Way of Life by emphasizing the importance of stabilizing one’s mind -
but that is only the beginning. He goes on to explain how craving and
vagaries of samsara keep one distracted, trapped, and unable to see
the true nature of reality. In this retreat we will discuss the short
& long-term benefits of settling the mind and of other antidotes to
the traps, such as the practice of “Lojong.”
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Free for MIT students, $45 otherwise. Please register here.
The Dhammapada, attributed to the Buddha, is a beloved Sutra in 423 short verses that reflect on right living and how to end suffering. During this retreat we will contemplate these insightful verses and how they capture the essence of Buddhist teaching.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Free for MIT students, $40 otherwise. Please register here.
Whatever joy there is in this world
All comes from desiring others to be happy,
And whatever suffering there is in this world
All comes from desiring myself to be happy.
- Shantideva, Bodhicaryavatara, VIII.129
In the Buddhist view, a principal cause of human unhappiness and suffering is the deeply
rooted belief in what is called “self-cherishing.” Self-cherishing can manifest in many
ways: through greed, vanity, pride, hurt pride and countless other diminishing qualities.
At the core, one finds a small, scared, and finite self, always scrambling to protect
one’s individual needs.
Shantideva, the great Indian yogi scholar, states that joy and lasting happiness come from
wishing others to be happy. How is this accomplished? How does an individual make the
transition from self-absorption to a genuine caring for others? In this retreat we will
explore the long tradition of Buddhist “mind training” and the different techniques that
have been taught and practiced for centuries, touching on Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara,
Eight Verses on Mind Training by Langri Thangpa, and Chekawa’s Seven-Point Mind Training.
We will practice some of these techniques in meditation sessions during the retreat.
Venue: MIT
Limited tickets will be available sometime after Aug. 25, 2012. See here for details.
On the occasion of the 10-Year Anniversary Celebration of
Prajnopaya at MIT, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has graciously agreed
to bestow a teaching based on Acharya Kamalashila’s “Stages of
Meditation.” Regardless of the level of practitioner, developing an
understanding about meditation techniques, as well as gaining clarity
on one’s motivation, form the basis for cultivating a compassionate
and enlightened mind. This teaching will give insight on how to
practice in the 21st Century and how contemplative practice is
relevant to our daily lives.
Stages of Meditation (Sanskrit. Bhavanakrama; Tibetan. Gomrim Barpa) offers lucid instructions on cultivating a meditative mind. In great detail, it instructs practitioners on acquiring familiarity and developing expertise in two forms of meditation that will lessen suffering and ultimately lead to enlightenment. These two are shamatha or calm abiding and vipashyana or stainless insight. Kamalasila clearly outlines why both methods are essential to the practitioner’s development and why both must be grounded in compassion.
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.
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.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
(optional RSVP to eep at mit dot edu by February 19)
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.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Free for MIT students, $40 otherwise. Please register here.
Acharya Shantideva, the great 8th century Indian scholar-yogi, begins his discussion on Patience, Chapter Six in The Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, with this thunderclap verse:
"Whatever wholesome deeds,
such as venerating Buddhas, and generosity
that have been amassed over a thousand eons,
will be destroyed in a moment of anger."
Shantideva proceeds to outline why anger, hatred, and other negative emotions are not only corrosive and dangerous to this life, but also to future lives. Using battle imagery he underscores the necessity of eliminating even the slightest traces of these seemingly real, but in fact illusory enemies, that reside in one's mind and keep one in misery.
During this retreat, Ven. Tenzin Priyardarshi will combine both teaching with meditation techniques to deepen one's understanding of the dangerous hold
+that negative emotions can have in life.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
(optional RSVP to eep at mit dot edu by December 8)
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.
A full day of meditation and Buddhist teachings with MIT's Buddhist
chaplain. Teachings will derive from the Dhammapada, one of
the most popular and revered texts in Buddhism. In the words of the
Buddha himself, orally transmitted by his students and collected in
423 short verses, it captures the essence of Buddhist
teaching. Compiled in the third century BCE, the text is part of the
Pali Canon, the Sutta-pitaka (collections of sermons) of the Tripitaka
and can he found in the Khuddaka Nikayan (collection of little
texts).
The Dhammapada is an inspiring text that covers moral teachings and
teachings on mindfulness as well as on how to obtain happiness and
find a way out of suffering.
Join us for a mindfulness workshop offered by students of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh. See here, or view the promotional flyer (pdf) for more information.
(Dedication ceremony of the new temple) Sunday, October 2, 2011
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
(optional RSVP to eep at mit dot edu by September 3)
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.
Buddha Nature refers to the realization that all beings, without
exception, have the same nature and potential for enlightenment. Just
as clouds temporarily cover the sun, so too can ignorance temporarily
obscure our Buddha Nature and hinder our development of compassion and
wisdom. Meditation practice can allow us to see the true nature of
things and develop these naturally present seeds of enlightenment.
Join the Buddhist Community for food and informal conversation
ranging from life @ MIT to Dharma theory and practice. All are
welcome! Inspriration for this discussion session will derive from
this four-line verse from Training the Mind.
Venue: 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Please RSVP by April 19 by emailing "eep" at mit dot edu.
Join the Buddhist Community for food and informal conversation
ranging from life @ MIT to Dharma theory and practice. All are
welcome! Inspiration for this discussion session will be derived
from
this four-line verse from Training the Mind.
Venue (changed!): 4-349 (Pappalardo Room)
Please RSVP by March
11 by emailing "eep" at mit dot edu.
Join the Buddhist Community for informal conversation ranging from
life @ MIT to Dharma theory and practice. We will venture on a
gastro-spiritual journey in search of food and enlightenment.
Venue: Meet in E25 lobby.
Please RSVP by Feb.
4 here (ignore payment
instructions; just hit 'continue').
Join the Buddhist Community for informal conversation ranging from
life @ MIT to Dharma theory and practice. We will venture on a
gastro-spiritual journey in search of food and enlightenment.
As long as space remains; And living beings endure May I too remain To dispel the miseries of this world Shantideva, 7th Century Indian Buddhist Pandita
Welcome! The MIT Buddhist Community is a group of keen
individuals interested in the study and practice of Buddhist
meditation and Buddhist philosophy.
Led by MIT's Buddhist Chaplain, the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi,
we participate in weekly teachings, regular meditation exercises, and
periodic all-day retreats.
Undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni are all welcome!
Events and regular meeting announcements are made on our "buddhism" Athena mailing list. Add yourself to list "buddhism" using the blanche command on Athena, or use the moira web portal here (MIT email addresses only; contact the student group leaders in person if you wish to receive announcements at a non-MIT address).
Event announcements are also made on
our (lower traffic) "dharma"
mailing list (open to MIT affiliates and invited guests).
