Category Archives: Lineage

Newcomer Orientation- Event

Non-denominational
Join our Newcomer Orientation on the first Tuesday of each month

Join our Newcomer Orientation event on the first Tuesday of each month to get your questions answered and receive basic meditation instruction. This evening is a great way to check out the BDC, learn about our six different groups and what events we have coming up. No commitment needed. You do not need to pre-register and the evening is offered freely. Bring a friend!

The Bozeman Dharma Center is the culmination of an idea that has been simmering in this community for many years. Finally, in 2013, the right combination of support, leadership and volunteers made it possible to establish a shared home for Bozeman’s Buddhist groups – a place of refuge and silence where we can offer a full schedule of sitting practices, instruction and study of Buddhist teachings.

In the newcomer orientation event, learn about our programs which are meant to inspire practice and honor the inner life – solitude and silence, creativity and growth, compassion and wisdom.  In these fast-paced and extroverted times, there is a need for serene and quiet places to nurture our spiritual lives and to foster inner growth.

Whether you are just beginning to explore meditation and Buddhism, or have been practicing for years, you are welcome to join us in quiet sitting times, sangha meetings, study groups, weekend retreats and other programs.

Meditation is compatible with other religious traditions and it is not necessary to forgo any religious affiliation to explore these practices.  All are welcome regardless of religious affiliation, race, sexual orientation, political or socio-economic circumstances.

Vision and Mission

The VISION of the BDC is to realize our awakened minds and compassionate hearts for the benefit of all beings

The MISSION of the BDC is to provide a welcoming community to practice and study Buddhism in our contemporary world.

The OFFERINGS of the BDC are opportunities to explore the Buddha’s teachings through the practices of multiple traditions. We offer classes, retreats, sitting groups, and drop-in meditations in person and online.

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The Bozeman Dharma Center is committed to cultivating an awareness and appreciation of the value of diversity and to acknowledging the need to recognize and dissolve barriers that separate us from each other.

We open our doors and hearts to all social identities including all races, classes, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, abilities, cultures, and ethnicities.

Everyone is welcome in the spirit of an open heart and mind.

Class Canceled

Non-denominational

The Taoism, Ch’an and The Tang Dynasty Poets class is canceled for now. We hope to offer it again in the fall. Thank you for your patience and understanding. We’re sorry for any inconvenience.

Tang Dynasty poets class is canceled.

Class: Taoism, Ch’an and The Tang Dynasty Poets

Classes, Zen

This class on Taoism, Ch’an and The Tang Dynasty Poets is led by Michael G. Smith, PhD of the Bozeman Zen Group and will be held over two Wednesdays in June: June 19 and 26. The workshop will explore Tang Dynasty history and life, and the influence on its poets; important Taoist and Buddhist teachings relevant to Tang poets; and the challenge of translating poems written in a homophonous language into English. There will be time in each session for participants to craft poems modeled by the Tang poets, if desired. Register here.

Considered the golden age of China, the Chinese Tang Dynasty was a flowering periodically interrupted by uprisings, invasions, starvation and mass migration. Inspired by Nature and educated within the tenets of Taoism and Buddhism the Tang poets responded with plain-spoken poems of hardships and the natural world that resonate today. In this series we will discuss several poets, including Li Po, Du Fu and Cold Mountain, with respect to their historical context and respond with our poems written during the workshop and elsewhere.

Suggested Reading List – before class, if you can.

Awakened Cosmos|The Mind of Classical Chinese Poetry by David Hinton;
China’s Cosmopolitan Empire: The Tang Dynasty, by Mark Edward Lewis;
China Root: Taoism, Ch’an, and Original Zen, by David Hinton;
Finding Them Gone: Visiting China’s Poets of the Past, by Red Pine;
In the Same Light:200 Tang Poems for Our Century, translations by Wong May;
The Banished Immortal: A Life of Li Bai, by Li Bai and Ha Jin;
The Collected Songs of Cold Mountain, by Cold Mountain and Red Pine;
The Silk Dragon: Translations from the Chinese, by Arthur Sze.

Michael G. Smith leads a class on Taoism Ch’an and The Tang Dynasty Poets in two sessions on June 19 and 26.

Retreat: Welcoming Challenges in Difficult Times

Tibetan, Weekend Retreat

This weekend retreat on Welcoming Challenges in Difficult Times occurs June 7-9 and is led by Anam Thubten Rinpoche.

With all the countless blessings of our lives, many of us in the world are finding numerous challenges. Some of them have to do with what is happening in our personal lives and others are have to do with the larger situation, including political instability, cultural change, and the climate crisis. For many, anxiety is on the rise. Yet, there is a way that we can welcome all these challenges and grow from them by discovering wisdom and equilibrium within. In this retreat, Anam Thubten will offer Buddhist wisdom and meditation guidance on meeting these challenges with open hearts and minds. There will be a public talk on Friday, June 7, open to all. More info on the talk and the retreat here.

Dharmata Foundation is happy to invite you to participate in this weekend retreat. Through the essential wisdom of Buddhism and his personal experience on the spiritual path, Anam Thubten brings alive the timeless teachings of the Buddhist tradition and invites everyone to participate.

The retreat will be held at the Triple Tree Owner Center on Triple Tree Rd, Bozeman, on Saturday June 8 and Sunday June 9 from 10-5 each day. To honor the sacred container of this retreat, everyone is asked to attend the entire retreat, concluding Sunday at 5 pm. We expect this retreat to fill to capacity.

Please register early. Sliding scale options and some scholarships available.
Participants are asked to commit to attending the entire retreat.

Welcoming Challenges in Difficult Times: Retreat with Anam Thubten Rinpoche

Film: Wandering… But Not Lost

Tibetan

Tergar Bozeman is excited to offer a screening of the film Wandering… But Not Lost detailing the account of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche’s four-and-a-half-year wandering retreat on Friday, May 31 from 7-9 PM.

The Wandering . . . But Not Lost film is an intimate account of Rinpoche’s four-and-a-half-year retreat (June 2011 – November 2015) interspersed with the master’s own guidance in applying Buddhist wisdom to our daily modern lives.

Under cover of darkness and with no word of his plans, much-beloved Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Master Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche walked away from his life on the international stage to live that of a wandering yogi. Unheard of among eminent teachers today, such a practice is rife with hardships. For Mingyur Rinpoche, these challenges—begging, finding food and shelter, illness, and all the attendant risks of wandering incognito from place to place with the barest of possessions—present fertile ground for deepening insight into the true nature of the mind.

Layered over this story is exotic footage of ancient and holy places, such as Langtang, Nubri, Dolpo, and Lapchi where Tibet’s most famous yogi and poet Jetsun Milarepa (1052-1135) lived in solitary meditation. Kushinagar, where the Buddha passed away, Varanasi, Rishikesh, Ladakh, and Amritsar are also featured, along with one of the holiest Hindu shrines on the subcontinent: Vaishno Devi, reached by an arduous 14-kilometer hike up a mountain path full of joyous Hindu pilgrims.

About the Directory/Producer

The director and producer of the Wandering But Not Lost film is Paul MacGowan. In the video production business for over 33 years, Paul MacGowan has brought his well-honed skills to a wide range of film and video projects. His credits include award-winning films, such as an editor on Jeff Stimmel’s The Art of Failure: Chuck Connelly Not for Sale (2008), winner of the 2009 Emmy Award for Outstanding Programming in Arts and Culture, and recipient of a New England Emmy in 2001 as producer/director for Lives in Transition, a documentary that aired on Public Television. Paul’s other documentary producer/director work includes Herb Savel Carves the Holocaust in Wood, Speak Out for Understanding I & II, It’s the Numbers Game and A Joyful Mind, a film made with Mingyur Rinpoche about what it means to meditate, on what modern science reveals about its benefits, and on how meditation and mindfulness can be used in workplaces and schools. Paul is a longtime meditator and Buddhist; he attended Naropa University in 1981 and first travelled to Nepal 1983 where he met Mingyur Rinpoche’s brother, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and
practiced under his guidance.

No registration necessary. Donations to support Tergar Bozeman are gratefully accepted. Suggested donation $5-$15.

Image of the Film Wandering...but not lost

Guest Teacher: Khenpo Norgay Rinpoche

Tibetan

Guest teacher Khenpo Norgay Rinpoche will offer a public talk on Cultivating Compassion using Tonglen Meditation at the Bozeman Dharma Center on Saturday, May 18.  This events is hosted by the Palyul Tibetan Buddhist Sangha, No registration necessary. Suggested donation of $10 to support the teacher.

Additional teachings will be given May 16th-19th

For further information please contact: Palyul Montana
Email: info@palyulmontana.org
Phone: 406-587-2907

Khenpo Norgay Rinpoche

Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche was born in the Tashigang District of Bhutan in 1965. After completing Jigme Sherubling High School in 1986, he joined Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, the prestigious Buddhist studies and research center, at Namdroling Monastery in Mysore. At the Institute he studied under Khenchen Pema Sherab, Khenpo Namdrol Tsering and Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso and other visiting professors, including Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok and Khenpo Pema Tsewang from Tibet.

He completed the Shedra program at the Institute in 1995 and joined the Institute staff, teaching there for three years. He was formally enthroned as Khenpo by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche in 1998 and was assigned by His Holiness to teach at the Buddhist college at Palyul monastery in Tibet.

He has received all the major empowerments of the Rinchen Terzod, Nam Cho, Nyingthik Yabshi and Nyingma Kama from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche as well as the Mipham Kabum from His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.

Because of his knowledge and experience, and fluent command of the English language, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has assigned him to teach students in the United States in conjunction with the ongoing teaching programs offered by Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche.

Guest Teacher: Anushka Fernadopulle

Insight

We’re thrilled to welcome guest teacher, Anushka Fernandopulle, a guiding teacher at Spirit Rock and IMS, who’s featured on many apps and mindfulness pods. During her stay in Bozeman, Anushka is offering many opportunities for practice:

Guest at MindSpace on Tuesday, May 14

Two Wings of the Dharma: Classes on Wednesdays, May 15 & 22:

Over two Wednesday classes evenings, Anushka will share teachings and meditations that develop the two wings of dharma practice: Wisdom and Compassion. This first one will explore the essentials of Wisdom or Insight practice that reveals to us the nature of our experience and ‘purifies’ the heart-mind. Appropriate for all levels of meditation experience.

Come to one or both as your schedule allows, prior registration requested. Zoom option. PLEASE REGISTER HERE

Guest at Bozeman Insight, Thursday May 16: Q&A with the Insight sangha to hear stories, highs and lows from Anushka’s journey in the dharma. These informal, conversational evenings are entertaining and inspiring and help us get to know the teacher. Everyone welcome to drop in, room or zoom.

Mindfulness for LGBTQI+ Community, Friday, May 17: This evening is for queer meditators or wanna-learn meditators of all stripes and rainbow colors. Anushka will offer an evening of Mindfulness instruction, practice and Q&A just for LGBTQI+ people. Come meet other mindful folks and let’s see if there’s interest in launching a Queer sangha at the Dharma Center. Offered freely.

Mindfulness in Nature: Daylong retreat on Saturday, May 18 (In person only):

Anushka will teach the art of savoring nature’s beauty with mindfulness. There will be a long lunch break for hiking and being out on the Triple Tree trails.

This day is appropriate for those new to meditation or practitioners with experience. Please pre-register through the Dharma Center’s website. Zoom option will not be available. Registration is now open here.

Anushka Fernandopulle
Anushka describes her background:

I have trained in Buddhist meditation for over 30 years, primarily Vipassana or Insight Meditation (the source of secular Mindfulness).  After studying Buddhism at Harvard, I spent four years in full-time meditation training in the US, India and Sri Lanka. I was invited to teach Dharma in 1998 and later went through a four year meditation teacher training program with Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, Sharon Salzberg and other leading Western Buddhist meditation teachers. I joined the Teacher’s Council at Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 2011.  My work has been featured in publications like Tricycle, Lion’s Roar, Turning Wheel, Inquiring Mind, as well as on my blog on the Huffington Post about dharma and politics.

Give Big 2024

Non-denominational

This year, the BDC is fundraising to support our many teachers, local and visiting, who provide Dharma teaching at our space and on Zoom. We call our campaign – Teachers are the vessel of the Dharma – they bring forth the teaching of the Buddha, the freedom from suffering. We are fortunate that our teachers offer in person and online teachings.

Our $13,000 goal is for travel and hosting costs of visiting teachers as well as offer financial, administrative, and marketing support to our local teachers. 

If you are able, please make your gift soon, 

With warm bows to all,

Karen DeCotis
BDC Executive Director

Give Big Now

Event: Insight Teacher Jill Shepherd

Insight

Join the Bozeman and Butte Insight Communities in welcoming Insight Teacher Jill Shepherd (via Butte’s Zoom Room-see below) for a morning of meditation, instruction, and conversation on Sunday, May 5 from 10-11:30 AM.

Jill Shepherd

Jill Shepherd began practicing insight meditation in Thailand in 1999, and since that time has lived and worked at several meditation centers and monasteries in the US, Australia, England, and Thailand.

She recently spent seven years on staff at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, where she participated in several long retreats and Buddhist study programs, as well as offering weekly meditation classes at a nearby men’s prison.

She is a graduate of the IMS / Spirit Rock teacher training program in the US, under the guidance of Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal.

Currently, she divides her time mostly between the USA, Australia and New Zealand, teaching vipassana and brahma vihara retreats and offering ongoing study and practice groups focused on bringing the dharma into daily life. She also leads courses and non-residential workshops exploring the relational practice of Insight Dialogue, as developed by Gregory Kramer and colleagues.

You can learn more about Jill here.

Freely offered over the Butte sangha’s zoom (no need to register). Donations to support the teacher gratefully accepted.

https://zoom.us/j/567641174
Meeting ID: 567 641 174
pass code 628468