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Wednesday, June 25th - Thursday, July 3rd, 2008

It is our great pleasure to announce that His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Her Eminence Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche will be granting us their teachings again this year during the third annual Lotus Garden Shedra Program.

This year's Shedra Program will be held from Wednesday, the 25th of June through Thursday, the 3rd of July. New participants are welcome to attend.

A shedra is a monastic college, a place of learning where the various fields of knowledge of the buddhadharma, particularly the sutras, vinaya, abhidharma, and secret mantra, may be studied in depth. In this way the meaning and view of buddhadharma can be truly imbued within those who study at the shedra in order that their meditation and conduct may be in accord with the teachings of the Buddha and thus be a source of true benefit. With the direction and blessings of such great teachers as HE Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and HE Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, it is our aspiration that the Shedra Program might be a fertile seed for establishing the full blossoming of such a shedra at Lotus Garden, and that this will be of great benefit for all.

During this year's Shedra Program, HE Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche will be continuing to bestow teachings from the Bodhisattvacaryavatara, a text written in the 7th century by the great Indian master Shantideva. HE Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche will continue to bestow her commentary on the Mahayana-Uttaratantrashastra, a text attributed to the great bodhisattva Maitreya, and written down by the great Indian scholar Asanga in the 4th century.

Both the Bodhisattvacaryavatara and the Mahayana-Uttaratantrasastra are texts which are common to the curriculum of the traditional shedras of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Additionally, this year's Shedra Program will continue the course on the "History of Buddhism" taught by Lopön Rita Gross. Lessons in kyudo, or Japanese imperial court archery, taught by Sensei Ken Rawie will also continue, establishing a beginning foundation for the contemplative arts curriculum which will be further developed in the future.


His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche

HE Dzigar Kongtrul RinpocheRinpoche was born in the Northern Indian province of Himachal Pradesh to Tibetan parents and grew up in a monastic environment. Recognized as an incarnation of Jamgön Kongtrül Lodrö Thaye, he received extensive training in all aspects of Buddhist doctrine. In particular he received the teachings of the Nyingma lineage, especially that of the Longchen Nyingthik from his root teacher, H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Rinpoche also studied extensively under Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Nyöshul Khen Rinpoche and the great scholar Khenpo Rinchen.

In 1989 Rinpoche moved to the United States with his family and in 1990 began a five-year tenure as a professor of Buddhist philosophy at the Naropa Institute. Rinpoche also founded Mangala Shri Bhuti at this time, an organization established with the vision of furthering the wisdom and practice of the Longchen Nyingthik lineage.

Later, Rinpoche moved to southern Colorado and established the mountain retreat center, Longchen Jigme Samten Ling. Rinpoche currently spends much of his time there in retreat and guides students in long-term retreat practice. When not in retreat, Rinpoche travels widely throughout the world teaching and furthering his own education.


Her Eminence Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche

HE Mindrolling Jetsun Khandro RinpocheJetsün Khandro Rinpoche is the daughter of Kyabje The XIth Mindrolling Trichen, and is one of the most renowned Tibetan lamas currently teaching in the many accomplished female masters, Khandro Rinpoche received teachings and transmissions from some of the most accomplished masters of the 20th century, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche, His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, His Eminence Trulzhig Rinpoche, His Eminence Tenga Rinpoche, His Eminence Tsetrul Rinpoche, and His Eminence Tullku Ugyen Rinpoche. Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has thus come to hold the lineages of both the Nyingma and Kagyu schools.

Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche has established and heads the Samten Tse Retreat Centre in Mussoorie, India, which provides a place of study and retreat for monastics and western lay practitioners. She is also actively involved in the administration of Mindrolling Monastery. In addition, Rinpoche heads various charitable projects, and projects of Buddhist education and scholarship in India. Rinpoche teaches extensively in both Europe and North America, and is the spiritual director of Lotus Garden.


Lopön Rita Gross

Rita Gross decided to devote her life to studying comparative religions during her collegiate years, and first began to study Buddhism in 1965 during graduate studies at the University of Chicago, where she received a Ph. D. By 1973, personal experiences led her to be interested in Buddhist practice, and soon thereafter she became a student of Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche. She began to study with Her Eminence Minling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche in 1995.

Rita Gross has written many books and articles, and has taught extensively, both as a professor and as a Buddhist teacher. She is professor emeritus of Comparative Studies in Religion at the University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire and serves as a lopön at Lotus Garden.


Kyudo Instructor Ken Rawie

Ken Rawie has been practicing Buddhism for 33 years, and Kyudo for 25 years. He lives near Washington, DC, and practices Kyudo according to the teachings of Kanjuro Shibata Sensei XX, bowmaker and archer to the Emperor of Japan.

Tuition for this program is $660.

If you have any questions about this or any other program at Lotus Garden, please contact the Lotus Garden office at 540.778.2405, or by email at admin@lotusgardens.org.


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