We are very pleased to announce the return visit to Minneapolis by His Holiness the Sakya Trizin this May for two days focused on transformation and transference! See the details here for full descriptions.
PLEASE NOTE:
Tickets: Online Registration Is Now Closed: Tickets Will Be Sold at the Door Beginning at 3:00 pm Both Days. Please Arrive Early to Purchase Your Tickets and Be Seated
[one_half] Saturday, May 3, 2014: 4:30 PM
Transformation and Transference: Teaching on Ngondro (The Foundational practices of Tibetan Buddhism) and Amitabha Phowa Transmission co-hosted by Minnesota
Sakya Center and the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota
Ngondro refers to a group of practices that form the foundation of practices in all 4 major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism and is also considered in and of itself a complete Buddhist spiritual path. Please see below for more detail on this practice. The Phowa practice (transference of consciousness at time of death) is considered one of the most direct and the quickest path for one to achieve enlightenment in Vajrayana. This is a rare and precious opportunity for beginners and experienced practitioners alike to learn about these unique and distinctly different Tibetan Buddhism practices.
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Sunday, May 4, 2014
9:30 AM: Refuge Ceremony
4:30 PM: Long Life Initiation (Thangtong Gyalpo Tsewang)
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin will bestow Thangtong Gyalpo Long Life Initiation. Mahasiddha Thangtong Gyalpo was known to live until the age of 125, having perfected secrets of longevity that practitioners can attain through supplication and prayer. His prayers are also considered to be effective against myriad adverse circumstances.
In addition, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin will be granting a Refuge Ceremony for people who want to take the refuge vow and receive a Dharma Name and private audience. No need to register. Private audience will be done on first come first serve basis. [/one_half_last]
Tickets: Online Registration Is Now Closed: Tickets Will Be Sold at the Door Beginning at 3:00 pm Both Days. Please Arrive Early to Purchase Your Tickets and Be Seated
Ticket Prices:
VIP PASS: $125 (including both days, priority check-in and preferred seating)
REGULAR INDIVIDUAL TICKETS:
ADULTS: $35 per day
CHILDREN (6-16): $10 per day
STUDENT TICKETS: Students over 16, with ID: $25 per day. Student tickets will be paid for and picked up at the door on the day of the event (cash or credit card accepted; please arrive 1 hour early to allow time to purchase your ticket and be seated).
Location of All Events
Minneapolis Convention Center
1301 2nd Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55403
Accommodation Recommendations
Hyatt Regency: 1300 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN 55403 (612) 370-1234
Millennium Hotel: 1313 Nicollet Mall, Minneapolis, MN, 55403 (612) 332 6000
Hilton Garden Inn: 1101 4th Avenue South, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 55404 (612) 339-6633
More about the Ngondro Practice
His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, considered King of the Vajrayana Practitioner by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will introduce us in English and Tibetan to the Ngondro practices, explaining in greater details what they are and why they are so important on the Vajrayana spiritual path and for our ultimate awakening. Upon popular request, His Holiness will also bestow profound Amitabha Phowa Transmission (mainly in English).
This 2014 teaching is a rare and precious opportunity for beginners and experienced practitioners alike to learn more about these unique practices. His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, who has been called the King of the Vajrayana Practitioners by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, will introduce us to the four major Ngondro practices in Tibetan and English, explaining in greater depth what they are and why they are so important on the Vajrayana spiritual path and for our ultimate awakening.
During the Buddha’s Third Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, he gave Vajrayana (Mantrayana) teachings, revolutionary and highly pragmatic, utilizing various meditational practices to purify, transform, and liberate emotions and to enhance the process of realization. Accordingly, the Vajrayana path is also known as the “Result” path among the Mahayana teachings, since by practicing properly one can attain the result of enlightenment very swiftly, even within a single lifetime.
Among the simplest yet most profound of Vajrayana practices is Ngondro, itself a complete Buddhist spiritual path and the basis of all other profound paths. Ngondro is the name given collectively to a group of four (or sometimes more) practices at the foundation of Vajrayana practice in the major lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. It includes the refuge (often with prostrations), Vajrasattva, Mandala Offering, and Guru Yoga. Some lineages then add other practices, depending on their emphasis.
By undertaking Ngondro practice, encompassing right motivation and right meditation, we can purify many lifetimes of negativity and accumulate merit in this life, both essentials for the realization of the Ultimate Truth. Many great masters have repeated their tradition’s full Ngondro practices over and over during their lives, and have credited this practice for achieving high realization.
The completion of Ngondro usually involves a great number of repetitions of its individual practices, just as western research also recommends. Lending support to traditional Buddhist conclusions, recent scientific studies show that performing an activity hundreds of thousands of times actually changes the wiring of one’s brain. Genius-level achievement results not simply from innate talent, but also from years of hard work and deliberate practice – meditation included.
One of the great teachers of the past, Patrul Rinpoche taught that since Ngondro is the foundation of all Vajrayana practice, it is even more important than so-called “main” practices. Contemporary teacher Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche encourages us, if our ultimate goal is enlightenment, Ngondro practice is a must. So, how can Ngondro help us now to transform our basic perceptions and train our mind, and realize its true nature? His Holiness the Sakya Trizin will provide valuable insights and instruction on the Buddhist path and on the four foundational practices of Ngondro.