with Don Handrick

June 19 – June 24, 2018

Don Handrick will be visiting us for a week of teachings.

Tuesday, June 19
7:00pm–9:00pm
What's Positive Energy (Merit) Got to Do With It?
It is taught that the path to enlightenment encompasses the accumulation of the two factors of merit and wisdom, with both being essential components for the attainment of Buddhahood. In this session, we will examine the concept of merit or positive potential and explore the means of creating vast and extensive merit in our daily lives.

Thursday, June 21
7:00pm-9:00pm
Adopting an Attitude of Gratitude
Gratitude is undeniably a common practice of nearly every spiritual tradition as well as a part of society at large. In this session, we will explore how to use the teachings of the Buddha to unlock the richness of our lives through the constant expression of gratefulness towards all aspects of our lives. We will also discuss how, with an attitude of gratitude, we can tap into our natural state of joy and peace and share that spirit of well-being naturally with others, letting our heart become a source of light and love in the world around us.

Friday, June 22
7:00pm–9:00pm
Power of Listening
The Buddha taught frequently on skillful speech and yet there is quite obviously a need to complement all of our speaking with the skill of mindful listening in order for our communication with others to be truly useful and beneficial. Regardless of our role or profession, without attentive listening, our interactions with others can often become powerless and ineffectual. In this teaching, we will explore the practice of skillful listening and the benefits that arise from developing an ability to listen from our hearts, opening up to others with wisdom and compassion.

Saturday, June 23
10:00am – 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Sunday, June 24
10:00am – 12:00pm, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Weekend Retreat: The Eight Pillars of Joy
In The Book of Joy, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu discuss "true joy," which is a deeper and more dependable way of being that can be sustained and aid us through the many challenges of our lives. In the book, they outline eight pillars, or qualities, that are needed to cultivate true joy and provide a foundation for lasting happiness: perspective, humility, humor, acceptance, forgiveness, gratitude, compassion, and generosity. In this course we will explore our own potential for true joy by examining each of these eight qualities and discussing how we apply them in our daily lives.

Don Handrick is the resident teacher at Thubten Norbu Ling Buddhist Center in Santa Fe, NM, and he teaches for the FPMT at the Ksitigarbha Tibetan Buddhist Center in Taos, NM. Don also serves as a Buddhist teacher for Liberation Prison Project, which includes teaching Buddhism at a local prison in New Mexico. Don's study and practice of Buddhism began in 1993 when he read The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche. Over the next two years he practiced with Rigpa, Sogyal Rinpoche's organization, until he began attending classes with Venerable Robina Courtin at Tse Chen Ling, the FPMT center in San Francisco.

At the beginning of 1998, Don left the Bay Area to attend the FPMT's Masters Program of Buddhist Studies in Sutra and Tantra, a full-time seven-year residential study program in Tuscany, Italy, taught by the incomparable scholar and kind Spiritual Friend, Geshe Jampa Gyatso. By 2004, he successfully completed all five subjects of the program and received an FPMT final certificate with high honors. Soon after, Don moved to Santa Fe and served as the Spiritual Program Coordinator for Thubten Norbu Ling, and in 2006 he was appointed Resident Teacher.