Yogi Lama Gursam
May 7 - 8, Thursday-Friday, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
May 9 - 10, Saturday-Sunday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Awam Tibetan Buddhist Institute, 3400 E Speedway, Suite 204, Tucson AZ
(Located just east of Whole Foods in the Rancho Center)
Yogi Lama Gursam has been a very popular teacher with our sangha for many years and we are glad to welcome him back to Tucson!
Thursday, May 7, 7:00 pm - Loving-kindness in Everyday Life (Suggested donation - $20)
Lovingkindness in Tibetan Buddhism refers to the wish that all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness. This happiness can be in any form - relative or ultimate, the latter being the ultimate happiness of enlightenment. Lama will share with us how to integrate these into our experience of everyday life for the benefit of us, and all other beings.
Friday, May 8, 7:00-9:00 pm - Yeshe Tsogyal Empowerment (Suggested donation - $25)
Yeshe Tsogyal was the consort of Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) when he came to Tibet (late 8th century) to assist in overcoming difficult spirits that were interfering with the construction of Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. Importantly, he advised Yeshe Tsogyal that contrary to custom, "the woman's body is better" than that of a man "if she develops the mind bent on enlightenment". She became one of his most important students and is noted for having written down numerous teachings from him, many of which are said to have been hidden away as "treasures" (termas) to be found in the future by tertons when times would be more appropriate for those teachings. She is also said to be an emanation of Vajravarahi, Sarasvati, and sometimes Tara. Padmasambhava is said to have predicted her rebirth as Machig Labdron (11th century), the originator of several Chod practice lineages.
Saturday-Sunday, May 9-10, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm - Tsa Lung Practice Retreat (Suggested donation - $40 each)
Lama requests that participants in the weekend Tsa Lung practice retreat be prepared to sit on the floor (unless unable to due to a health condition, in which case one may sit in a chair) and be prepared for hard work every day. He recommends only a very light breakfast or none. You will also need to bring your own yoga mat and water bottle.
Tsa Lung practice involves visualization and yoga practice involving the channels, winds, and drops within the psychic channels of the body. These are associated with the advanced completion-stage practices of Highest Yoga Tantra and are most suitable for those with a solid background in the preliminary practices, outer tantra practice, and generation-stage practice of Highest Yoga Tantra.
The meaning of Tsa Lung is tsa, which are the subtle channels of the physical body, and lung, meaning wind. Inside each of these physical channels wind must flow. Tsa Lung works with both the body and the breath. It is a technique that combines movements with holding the breath. Because you are holding the breath, the movements can penetrate deeper into the body and open more of the smaller channels, the very subtle chakras. It is only possible to open these small chakras with the breath. Movement alone is not sufficient. Something more subtle, such as the breath, must be used to reach these subtle places.
For the purpose of Tsa Lung practice there are two types of wind: the wisdom wind and the karmic wind. The karmic wind is what blocks the chakras. When the wind is flowing in the channels we call it the wisdom wind. Actually it is the same wind, but if it is blocked it is the karmic wind and if it flows it is the wisdom wind. When you hold the wind and use special techniques to move it to various chakras in the body, you are able to open all of your subtle chakras. This means that all of your karmic winds are transformed into wisdom winds. We also have both coarse and subtle breath. All speech is coarse breath and the breath itself is the subtle breath.
Yogi Lama Gursam went to monastery at a very young age, received teachings as a monastic, and studied and practiced as a monastic. Then Lama Gursam went to study in Tibetan University Sarnath, Varanasi, India to get both bachelors and masters degrees in Buddhist Philosophy, History, and languages. Upon graduation he received a special award for scholastic achievement from His Holiness the Dalai Lama. After the university, Lama Gursam was requested to assist His Holiness Chetsang Rinpoche. Lama volunteered for five years as an assistant, as a teacher, and helped with many other duties. Lama Gursam then completed the traditional three year retreat. Since then, every year Lama has gone on retreat in various mountains, including some of Milarepa's caves. He then returns for six months each year to provide teachings in the West. He also leads pilgrimages to holy places in India and Nepal. Lama teaches in English, and always tries to focus on the practical application of the Dharma in everyday life.