Course dates: November 1-22, 2023
This free, four-week interactive course is designed to accompany Month 9 in the yearlong online program “Embracing Life with Wisdom & Compassion.” Open to all.
As we leave childhood, enter adulthood, and become members of society, each of us naturally adopts a distinct world view and sense of identity. This is part of the richness of diversity. But when we cling to our beliefs and identities with pride, assuming ours are right and the best, we limit the potential for rich connections with those around us — not only with people from other countries, cultures, and communities, but even with members of the same family. Who are we without our pride in who we are and what we believe? What motivates us to separate from and exclude others? How can we open to our pride with gentleness, allow our inherently peaceful nature to emerge, and cultivate more genuine connections and mutual understanding?
During this month-long course, we offer opportunities to join others in guided practice and to reflect on and open to any experiences of pride and exclusiveness with guidance and support. We will share with others what we have learned and gained. Our practices will support each of us to tap into our innate capacity for wisdom and compassion. As we heal and transform, we can discover that the imprints of pride we carry can loosen and release, allowing our natural capacity for gratitude and openness to arise. Through practicing together, we gain more trust in something larger than ourselves.
Each weekly session will include a guided practice and time for reflecting and sharing in small and large groups. There will be materials to support daily practice between sessions.
We encourage participants to attend two other free online offerings on the same theme of “Embracing Jealousy, Cultivating Openness,” which take place before the first class session begins. These include a teaching and guided meditation with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche on Thursday, October 26, at 12 noon New York time; and the continuous 24-hour Full Moon Practice session, which begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 28, and ends at 10 a.m. the next day.
Classes take place via Zoom on four consecutive Wednesdays beginning November 1, 2023. Each 90-minute class begins at 12 noon New York time. There is no fee to attend. Between weekly group sessions we ask participants to engage in daily meditation practice, both formally and informally. To register please complete the form below. You will receive an email from the instructors to confirm your participation in the program.
Access other offerings of the yearlong program, both live and recorded, at this link.
About the Instructors
Bea Ledyard has been a student of Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche and the Bön Buddhist teachings for more than 25 years. She has helped in the organizational development of The 3 Doors from its beginnings, and now serves as a teacher for the non-profit organization. Since the 1970s Bea has worked with children, adults, and couples as a professional counselor and workshop presenter. She currently resides in Bend, Oregon, and guides meditations both in person and on-line.
Phil Tonne has studied with Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche under the mentorship of Marcy Vaughn for more than 10 years. During this time Phil has focused on practices of The 3 Doors and trained as a presenter and teacher within the organization. His love of nature has led to a lifelong investigation of the world around him, including studying and advocating for the protection of rare plants, animals and landscapes. Each year Phil organizes botanical field crews who study vegetation along the Rio Grande near his home in Albuquerque, N.M. He considers both field work and meditation to be about discovering where we are.
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Photo by Christopher Sardegna