Namchak Community Blog

The following blog is an excerpt from a conversation between Lama Tsomo and Konda Mason on June 6, 2020. Konda Mason is a dear friend of Lama Tsomo’s, an accomplished businesswoman, community organizer, activist, and meditation teacher. Konda: There's this tendency right now for white people to want to be an ally. I don't subscribe to the word...

This week we are sharing a meaningful article by our friend, Joshua Gorman. Joshua is on the Namchak Advisory Board and is coordinating the Campus Ambassadors Program along with the Namchak team. He is also awriter, changemaker, youth worker, community builder, founder of Generation Waking Up, and organizer at Thrive East Bay in Oakland, CA. Find...

Students today are facing complex challenges like no other generation before. We are excited to be launching a new program for college & university students to help them learn meditation practices, build community, and engage in social change. Are you or do you know a student leader who is looking to cultivate a more meaningful life and make...

We at Namchak are feeling the anger, grief, and frustration that so many of us are feeling at this time in response to the killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor. We are also feeling determined to understand what our individual and collective work is to do—and clarify how we begin to put that work into action....

Do you ever wonder how your practice can help you become more altruistic? Altruism and compassion are even more important during these uncertain times. Altruism at its core is giving selflessly to others with no thought of benefit for yourself. One way to cultivate this habit of mind is through mind training, or Lojong.Lojong is a practice said...

Have you been finding it difficult to get to a state of relaxation where you feel like you can actually meditate? If you need some extra help calming your mind before you practice, check out this short teaching about Tara by Khen Rinpoche. He provides an overview of how Tibetans traditionally prayed to Tara in times of fear and danger. He shares...

As we look forward to our cities and states slowly reopening, we may be asking ourselves: How do we move forward from here with presence and awareness? We asked Lama Tsomo for some advice and have summarized it below. We hope you find it helpful. Personal, community, world integration Our new reality is going to cause us to adjust yet again to a...

Greetings from Missoula, MT friends! We are currently in Phase 1 of reopening our beautiful state. While that may be cause for celebration for some, it is also cause for increased anxiety in others. I think I am somewhere in-between and unsure how to feel about it all. I am using this collection of teachings from Namchak Khen Rinpoche to design...

As the quarantine days continue to pass, I’m finding it more and more difficult to answer the question, “How are you doing?” When I take stock of my life, I have a job, food, shelter, security, health, and people I can at least call. Yet some days are just plain hard, and I struggle to allow myself to say, “I’m having a hard time.” I feel guilt...

This is the third installment of a Q&A series with Lama Tsomo about how to stay grounded during these trying times. Many people are finding themselves in close quarters with others, whether family or roommates. It can be a struggle to stay calm when we aren’t used to being together all the time and everything feels more frustrating. Do you...