An Extraordinary Lineup
For BuddhaFest Saturday
June 22 starting at 10am
At Artisphere in Rosslyn
Arlington, VA
Robert Thurman and Sharon Salzberg
We're very much looking forward to having Bob and Sharon together to open the day. This is going to be quite a session, full of deep wisdom and humor.
The Buddha discovered that the path to happiness flows out of understanding the reality of our lives, such as our interconnection with all other beings. From this state, love and compassion arise naturally. This is why Robert Thurman calls Buddhism "a joyous science of the heart."
Buddhism: A Joyous Science of Kindness and Wisdom
Saturday, June 22 10am - 12pm
Meditation and respect for life are the foundations of Buddhist practice. "Kindness is compassion in action," says Sharon. "To know your mind is to begin to transform your mind. To change your actions is to begin to transform the world."
Robert and Sharon will draw from Buddhist texts and traditions, and from their personal insights and experiences, to help us awaken from the daily trance of fear and anxiety. Through guided meditations, talks and discussions, we will learn specific techniques to cultivate lovingkindness, unveil inner wisdom, and turn compassion into action.
DIGITAL DHARMA: ONE MAN'S MISSION TO SAVE A CULTURE
Saturday, June 22 2:15 pm
Director Dafna Yachin takes questions from the audience after the screening
We were surprised at how engaging a movie about the preservation of ancient texts could be! If you didn't know about Gene Smith's heroic work, you will be amazed to find out how important his contribution to Buddhism has been. There is something sacred and profound about making sure that important texts, from any wisdom culture, are preserved for future generations. Digital Dharma makes that abundantly clear in an engrossing and cinematic way that focuses on the teachings of Tibetan Buddhism.
The film uncovers Smith's 50-year journey with renowned scholars, lamas and laypeople, as they struggle to find, preserve and digitize more than 20,000 volumes of ancient Tibetan text. Crossing multiple borders - geographic, political and philosophical - Digital Dharma is an epic story of a cultural rescue, revealing how one man's mission became the catalyst for an international movement to provide free access to the story of a people.
In 1959, Tibetan villages were attacked and hundreds of monasteries were destroyed, causing irreplaceable ancient Sanskrit and Tibetan writings to disappear. This tumultuous time put the history of the entire Tibetan culture in peril - and called a man from Ogden, Utah to his destiny.
E. Gene Smith became the unlikely leader in an effort to rescue, preserve and share the riches of a 1,500-year-old seemingly lost Tibetan literary culture. Smith's mission crossed geographical, political and philosophical borders to rescue this chronicle of mankind's advancements - from the medical to the mystical.
With Buddhist thought at its core, his goal was to digitize the more than 20,000 volumes he rescued in order to provide free access to the story of a people. With technological advancement speeding forward, Smith's vision was to make these texts accessible to everyone, even in the most remote monasteries and villages, and to preserve the knowledge they contain for humanity. His inspiring and undaunting efforts have become a gift to the world.
WATCH THE TRAILER
Khen Rinpoche Lobzang Tsetan
Do you know about the Panchen Lama? The story of how the Panchen Lama and the Dalai Lama have incarnated in pairs over the centuries is a cosmic story of devotion. They incarnate in order to serve -- but also, to find and identify each other in subsequent incarnations. For more on that, you can check out my blog post in the Washington Post, where I speak with Khen Rinpoche on the topic of the next Dalai Lama. The blog post is here.
We are fortunate to have the abbot of the Panchen Lama's monastery in exile with us, to lead us in this healing practice of love and devotion. In order to have compassion for others, we have to have compassion for ourselves. Tonglen is a powerful and liberating practice where we breathe in the pain and suffering of others and breathe out relief and happiness. It is a method for overcoming our fear of the suffering that is all around us by connecting with it and purifying it.
Ultimately, Tonglen is a method for awakening the compassion that is inherent in all of us.
Awakening Our Compassion: The Heart Practice of Tonglen
Saturday, June 22 1pm - 2pm
Rinpoche heads the monastery of the Panchen Lama, which has been reestablished in exile in India. Please join Rinpoche for a five-point teaching on Tonglen from the Nalanda tradition of Shantideva. Rinpoche will be accompanied by translator and scholar David Gardner. The teaching will discuss:
- Cultivating Equanimity
- Recognizing the Faults of self-cherishing
- Understanding the Benefits of cherishing others
- Learning how to switch self and other
- Practicing Tonglen based on compassion and love: taking in others' pain, giving out peace and happiness.
The teaching will end with a Tonglen meditation.
New This Year!
Tibet Fest
Saturday, June 22, 3:30pm - 7:30pm
Artisphere Ballroom
It's sort of like an indoor picnic. Come hang out with us and our Tibetan friends as we set up camp inside Artisphere. Tibet Fest is a family friendly event inspired by Tibetan Buddhist culture and the global concern for its survival inside Tibet. Experience and explore the rich traditions of Tibet through an afternoon of activities for the whole family -- from making prayer flags, to sending His Holiness the Dalai Lama a birthday card. There will also be a Tibetan market so you can take home a piece of Tibetan culture.
The afternoon will include guest speakers and meditation. Join us and share in the dance, food, music and spirit of Tibetan culture.
Free admission for children 12 and under.
Presented in partnership with International Campaign for Tibet and Capital Area Tibetan Association
 An Evening of Sacred Music:
The GuruGanesha Band in Concert
Saturday, June 22, 8pm
Spectrum Theatre
Get ready to sway and groove and move with the divine rhythms of kirtan! The GuruGanesha Band delivers a unique blend of kirtan, raga, rock and deeply meditative folk music. Their vocals are a group effort, with plenty of rich two and three part harmonies, plus knockout lead vocals by Paloma Devi, who will blow you away with her powerful voice and soulful presence. We've seen their shows twice now, and we just loved them.
The audience is fully encouraged to participate, whether singing along, dancing joyfully in the aisles, or simply sitting in meditative resonance with the music. Come share a magical evening that will transport you into higher realms. This is going to be a real treat!
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