Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Instructor: Dr. Reginald Ray
Location: Shrine Room
Suggested Donation: $20
One of the most important developments in the modern world is the transplantation of Buddhism from its traditional Tibetan context into the West. How this may best happen is far from obvious. To what extent ought we to emulate our Tibetan teachers and attempt to reproduce their spiritual traditions, as given, in our environment? Where and to and what extent should we be open to adjustments and changes in the tradition to render it more accessible and more effective for Western people? And most fundamentally, what does it mean to be faithful to the truth and reality of the Tibetan dharma in the deepest sense? Dr. Reginald Ray will discuss the complexity of practicing Tibetan Buddhism in a western context.
Dr. Reginald “Reggie” Ray is the author of Indestructable Truth, an excellent introductory book on Vajrayana Buddhism written for Westerners. He is currently on a North American tour, teaching “The Spirituality of the Body: Explorations of Tibetan Tantra.”
He brings us four decades of study and intensive meditation practice within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition as well as a special gift for applying it to the unique problems, inspirations, and spiritual imperatives of modern people. He currently resides in Crestone, Colorado, where he is President and Spiritual Director of the Dharma Ocean Foundation, a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the practice, study and preservation of the teachings of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and the practice lineage he embodied.
Dr. Ray received his PhD from the Divinity School of the University of Chicago in 1973 and is a current faculty member of the Buddhist Studies Department at Naropa University. He has written extensively on the history and practice of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. His most recent work, Touching Enlightenment, explores the process of awakening by working directly with the body. Reggie continues to teach Buddhist Studies at Naropa University both in the classroom and online, while working regularly with his dedicated dharma students who travel from all over the globe to attend his programs in Crestone, Colorado.
Suggested Donation: $20. Tickets may be purchased through the Sakya Monastery office by phone (206-789-2573) or in person, by check or credit card. Please do not leave credit card information on the office voicemail. The Sakya Monastery office is open Mon – Fri, 8:00 am to noon. Tickets are also available through the Dharma Shop (check our online calendar for shop hours). Seating is limited – advance purchase is highly recommended. Fifteen minutes prior to the lecture, remaining seats will be made available on a Pay-As-You-Wish basis.
Note: A special offer for Sakya Monastery Members! Members in good standing can purchase their tickets one week early–beginning November 9th. Please follow the directions above to make your purchase.