Date: March 25, 2012

Times: 6 to 9 p.m.

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Join us for an evening of celebration of Dhardo Rinpoche. The evening will be devotional in nature and will provide the opportunity for a personal connection with someone whom Sangharakshita considered a living Bodhisattva. It is a rare and special privilege to experience Dhardo Rimpoche, and this celebration of him is not to be missed.

Dhardo Rinpoche was a Tibetan monk who, although a high-ranking lama of the Gelugpa school, spent most of his life in the Indian village of Kalimpong where he founded an orphanage and school (ITBCI, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute) for Tibetan refugees. ITBCI has existed since 1954 up until the present.

When Sangharakshita was in Kalimpong the two became friends. After Sangharakshita left India and subsequently founded what is now the Triratna Buddhist Community, he kept in close communication with Dhardo. In subsequent years, many members of the Triratna Buddhist community traveled to Kalimpong to see this wise and compassionate teacher who considered Sangharakshita’s disciples his own disciples.

Dhardo Rimpoche died in 1990 but many of his followers continue to feel a connection to him. Some of Dhardo’s ashes have been embedded in three Tibetan tsa-tsas (Buddha statues) and have recently arrived here all the way from Kalimpong. They will reside at Aryaloka and eventually be placed within a Dhardo Rimpoche stupa, which is now in the early planning stages. At this celebration we have the special honor of sharing the shrine room with him as we participate in a Dhardo Rimpoche puja. There will be an opportunity to reverence him with spontaneous expressions of appreciation and we will end with the chanting of his teaching: Cherish the Doctrine, Live United, and Radiate Love.

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	Led by:	Viriyalgita
	Times:	6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
	Venue:	Aryaloka
	Registration:	No registration necessary
	Fee:	Donations appreciated
	Level:	Open to All
	Directions:	Directions Page

In this issue:

• “Getting Unblocked: Working with the Five Hindrances in Meditation” by Saddhamala
• Reflections on 2011 from the Aryaloka Buddhist Center Council
• “Releasing the Butterfly: Living with Impermanence” by Ashley Davis Bush
• Movie Review: “Travelers and Musicians,” by Daniel Bush
• Tom Gaillard shows that the year’s finances end on a positive note
• Online Insight: The Best Buddhist Blogs
• New additions at Buddhaworks, the Aryaloka bookstore
• Men’s sangha spends a day with Asian culture at the Museum of Fine Arts
• Upcoming arts events at Aryaloka
• Sheila Groonell writes about the fun of contemplative movement
• Poetry from our sangha members

Start Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012
End Date: Saturday, March 31, 2012

Register for this Event

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Indulge in a day of silence with Saricitta. This is an opportunity to experience the benefits of silent practice with other women. The day will include both sitting and walking meditation, a simple vegetarian lunch, time for reflection, and a closing puja. Women’s day retreats are an opportunity for women in the sangha to spend time together in meditation and discussion around aspects of the Dharma. One of the days’ primary purposes is to support spiritual friendship within the women’s sangha and create an environment in which women can practice together and build relationships with each other. The format and theme of each women’s day retreat varies depending on the preference of the leader and needs of the women’s sangha. Open to all women.

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At Aryaloka, we strive to make our programs available to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our fee structure allows you to pay according to your means. The Sustaining price is for people comfortably paying their rent or mortgage, and who can afford the occasional meal out and movie. The Sustaining price level also helps Aryaloka offer lower prices to those who could otherwise not afford to attend. Any payment above this price is a tax-deductible donation. Mid-Level prices are for those who have a regular income and are paying their mortgage or rent. Prices at this level contribute to the range of Aryaloka’s operating costs. The Base-Level price is for those without an income or with an income low enough that making ends meet is a challenge. Those whose circumstances are not included above can call the office to arrange alternate pricing.

	Led by:	Saricitta
	Times:	10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
	Venue:	Akasaloka
	Registration:	Registration Page
	Fee:	Sliding scale $72/60/48
	Level:	Open to All
	Directions:	Directions Page
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Start Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2012
End Date: Friday, March 16, 2012

Register for this Event

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Do you want to communicate compassionately? This workshop is for you if you would like to deepen the quality of connection with your family, students, colleagues, and neighbors; stay connected in times of conflict; become more present; learn how to take a “time in;” learn how to shift from a paradigm of demands, rewards, and consequences to a paradigm of self-responsibility, connection, trust, mutual support, and interdependence; learn about the value of journaling.

This two-day residential workshop is suitable for parents, teachers, and anyone wanting to develop lasting relationships. It introduces you to the steps of the NVC process for use in expressing yourself to others, listening to others, and listening compassionately to yourself. It will give you sufficient information and practice to start using NVC in your daily life. It is run in an experiential style, working with examples from participants’ lives. It uses the NVC Dance Floors for active, integrated learning. It’s challenging, moving, supportive, and fun!

Trainer – Shantigarbha, a CNVC.org certified trainer from the UK.

Program for the workshop – The workshop starts on Wednesday March 14 at 7:00 p.m .and continues until Friday March 16 at 3:30 p.m. This Basic Training will be followed by a Deepening + Empathy (intermediate) training, which starts on Friday March 16 at 7:00 p.m.

Training fees – Accommodation, food, and tuition are included in the training fee. We want to make this training accessible to as many people with different financial resources as possible, whilst supporting ourselves to continue sharing this work. In order to do this, we propose that you choose your own fee from the range of $150 – $400. Suggested guideline for choosing a fee – choose the lower end if you are struggling to pay the rent. Choose the upper end if you are regularly eating out well and/or paid for by your employer. When you book, please say the amount you are offering to pay. If you are unsure how to decide, feel free to get in touch with us. To prepare for the workshop, please read Marshall Rosenberg’s “Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” or watch the DVD, “The Basics of NVC.”

	Led by:	Shantigarbha
	Times:	7:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
	Venue:	Aryaloka
	Registration:	Registration Page
	Fee:	Sliding scale $400-$150
	Level:	Open to All
	Directions:	Directions Page

An Appeal for Generosity

The Aryaloka Buddhist Center is growing fast and attracting more people who want to learn about and live the Dharma. Our mission is to create the best possible conditions for you to explore, practice and share the Buddhist spiritual path for the benefit of all beings.

The annual appeal is a vital funding source for Aryaloka along with Sangha night donation, retreats and other programs. Unlike the other sources, though, the monthly pledge provides the bedrock of certainty to our monthly income, and enables us to better plan and dedicate the resources towards teaching and spreading the Dharma throughout the region.

Aryaloka is fueled by a considerable volunteer force, and for that we are deeply grateful. Income from retreats and Sangha night donations only cover a portion of the Center’s annual costs. Additional funding is still needed to pay for our small staff, utilities, building maintenance and upkeep, including meeting unexpected (and costly!) issues like squirrel control or the losses from Hurricane Irene.

Hello Aryaloka sangha!

We have a new look and lots of new and improved functionality on the latest version of the Aryaloka website. There will be an expanded presentation at some point soon, during the 25th Anniversary evening series of talks, that will go into more detail. But for the moment, here are a few spots you might want to take a look at and explore…

Events Calendar

The new events calendar allows you to see our upcoming events at a glance. Each event has a rollover that gives you a quick teaser of what it’s about, and by clicking on the event it will take you to a more detailed description. Events are also labeled with different colors to reflect the group that they are for (for instance, Introductory events are in orange).

Online Registration

An enormously useful addition to our website. You can now register AND pay for events online using our online registration system. Payments can be made by credit card or PayPal account through PayPal.

Online Donation

Again, using your credit card or PayPal account, it’s easy-peasy to make donations. You can make an ongoing pledge to our Mandala of Supporting Friends or a one-time donation. For pledges, the funds will be automatically charged and you’ll be supporting Aryaloka without ever even having to think about it.

“Life as a Buddhist” Section

Part of our ongoing efforts to inform those new to Buddhism on what it’s all about, the Life as a Buddhist section gives an overview of what Buddhist practice is, and in particular, how it’s practiced in the Triratna Buddhist Community.

Vajra Bell Online

As editor of the Vajra Bell newsletter, this is one of my favorites. Now, in addition to being able to download the Vajra Bell, you can read it online in a snazzy new format. And keep your eyes peeled for more changes coming to the newsletter… (pique your interest?)

The Web kula hopes you enjoy what we’ve put together!