Acharya Richard John 2019 NorCal Visit

We are excited to announce that Acharya Richard John will be teaching in the
Bay Area from November 8th through the 24th at four of our centers.
We invite you to join us for any of these public programs!

BERKELEY
November 8th through 10th
While still a monk in Tibet and only nineteen years of age, Chökyi Gyatso, the 11th Trungpa Tulku, was a renowned teacher and master of Mahamudra and Dzokchen. Many of his songs of realization and instructions were recently brought to the West by Karma Senge and translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee.

This song, Don’t Wander! , gives pith instructions for the path in only five lines. It can be understood as both a mahayana and vajrayana teaching. In this weekend program we will take both approaches.

DAVIS
November 16th through 19th
The first meditation practices taught by the Buddha were the Four Foundations of Mindfulness . The view of the dynamic unfolding of the path is known as the Four Dharmas of Gampopa . The Shambhala stages of attainment, as well as the application in daily life, are the Four Dignities .

These teachings are beautifully aligned, and we will apply them in this four-day meditation retreat. Beginning each morning with the Four Dharmas, each day will include teachings on one dignity, and pith instructions for the corresponding meditation.

SANTA ROSA
November 21st
What strange times these are. The setting sun concept of “truth” has devolved into “whatever you want to believe.” But the radiance of the Buddha’s truth–the Dharma–is also flourishing.

The deep longing to understand reality has led each of us to the Buddhist path, and a classic teaching on the unfolding of this path is the Four Dharmas of Gampopa . Gampopa’s incomparable pith instruction describes the personal experience of discovering truth. It has the simplicity of mahamudra and dzogchen, while being utterly accessible to any practitioner.

SONOMA
November 23rd
This program is open to everyone. We will study and practice this text as instructions for the bodhisattva path, incorporating some of the key slogans of Lojong (mind training).

While still a monk in Tibet and only nineteen years of age, Chökyi Gyatso, the 11th Trungpa Tulku, was a renowned teacher and master of Mahamudra and Dzokchen. Many of his songs of realization and instructions were recently brought to the West by Karma Senge and translated by the Nalanda Translation Committee. This song, Don’t Wander! , gives pith instructions for the path in only five lines. It can be understood as both a mahayana and vajrayana teaching. In this weekend program we will take both approaches.
Acharya Richard John  was an early student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Richard John was appointed acharya by Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche. For many years he has taught Shambhala Buddhist programs throughout North America.

He completed the first three-year group retreat at Gampo Abbey, and leads annual 10-Day Mahamudra Retreats at SMC, Dorje Denma Ling, Karme Chöling, and Casa Werma. Richard and his wife Liz live in Halifax, Canada.