Events

This month’s Sangha gathering with Namchak translator Justin Kirkwood: Tuesday, April 4, 5:30-7:30pm MDT (click HERE to view in your time zone)

Join us in-person in Missoula with Justin or online via Zoom. Address and Zoom link sent upon registration.

Keeping the Peace: The Perfection of Patience

The core of Mahayana Buddhism, where we at Namchak find our roots, is bodhicitta, the mind of enlightenment. The Six Perfections also known as the Six Paramitas, are the ways to train in engaged bodhicitta. They are Generosity, Ethical Discipline, Patience, Joyful Effort (Diligence), Meditative Concentration, and Wisdom.

Building upon last month’s topic of Ethical Discipline, Justin Kirkwood will explore Patience or Forbearance. Traditionally it’s said that merits accrued over one-thousand years can be destroyed by a single moment of anger. Anger often calls us to act quickly and with force. However, the outcome is not usually what we wanted in the first place. We’ve probably all seen this play out in our lives: we act quickly out of anger only to regret our harmful behavior.

Imagine if we could meet with challenging persons or situations with a calm and undisturbed mind. What would that look like and how could that benefit our relationships? It is one thing to logically know that anger is a temporary emotion. When we practice the Perfection of Patience, we can experience anger as a passing emotion rather than grasping it and causing harm. Join us in this discussion and cultivate a greater sense of peace in our daily lives and interactions, not to mention, fewer regrets!

If you were not able to attend previous sessions on the six perfections, please watch the video below before the gathering.

About the teacher

Justin has been studying and practicing Buddhism for over twenty years and has been working as a Tibetan translator and interpreter for more than ten. He lived in India for eight years, studying and practicing with many great teachers and spent three of those years as a monk, studying Buddhist philosophy in a Tibetan monastic seminary. He now works at the Namchak Foundation as a translator of texts, as Namchak Khen Rinpoche’s interpreter, and as a meditation teacher.

About One Community

For one evening each month, we come together as a community to deepen our understanding of the dharma and connect with our fellow sangha members. Each gathering is facilitated by a different Namchak teacher, thought leader, or staff member and will revolve around our theme of the month. These gatherings are two hours in total. The first half will consist of a dharma talk, and the second half will offer an opportunity for participants to reflect on the teachings through small group discussions in short break-out sessions. These group discussions will be followed by a Q&A session with the teacher. Participation in small group discussions is encouraged but not required. You can always sit these out! We encourage Learning Circles and meditation buddies to attend together. Inviting friends, partners, family members, neighbors, and co-workers is always welcome.

Address and Zoom Link

Missoula address and Zoom link will be provided upon registration. Please note: Confirmation emails from Eventbrite often end up in spam/promotions tab. Please check there if you do not see the confirmation email.

Our Community Commitments

In order to co-create a brave, inclusive, anti-oppressive and learning centered space, in our community we each agree to:

• • Be inclusive of diverse opinions and backgrounds through treating each other with respect and appreciation.
  • Commit to words and actions of non-harm within our group interactions.
  • Learn by immersing in and committing to the practices at hand.
  • Hold personal sharing in confidence.
  • Be present, practice mindful listening, and not offer unsolicited advice.
  • Allow and invite for equal sharing of voices as well as the right to pass.
  • Take care not to speak for others in the group.
  • Assume good intent and come from a place of curiosity and care.
  • Come as we are with permission to be “raggedy.”
  • Be mindful of and take personal and collective responsibility for our own biases including the use of language that may “other,” “cancel,” or dehumanize any person, groups of people, and/or their experiences.
  • Ask for consent before hugging or initiating physical contact during in-person gatherings.
  • Use the “Ouch/Oops” tool to address hurtful comments and language in the moment and to allow space for repair.*

We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge

*Ouch/Oops . This is a tool for addressing hurtful comments/language in the moment. If someone says something hurtful, anyone can bring attention to it in the moment by saying “Ouch” and then explaining what was hurtful. If it is a word choice issue, be sure to give the first speaker the chance to rephrase and try again (remember, it’s okay to be raggedy, and we are all assuming good intent!) When someone says something that comes out wrong or hurts someone else, they should start with “Oops” – first, acknowledge the impact of their words, and then try again. This can also be done outside of the event if someone feels an “Ouch,” but does not feel comfortable sharing it with the group at that time. We aspire for this sangha to be a place of refuge.