Mastering the Art of Happiness

NYINGMA
INSTITUTE
Bringing the riches of the Tibetan tradition to the Western world since 1972
FREE SUNDAY EVENING PROGRAMS
Tibetan Chanting: 5–5:45 PM
Lecture Series: 6–7 PM
Mastering the Art of Happiness
2014 Fall lecture series
Every Sunday, October–December, 6-7 PM. Free!
Peace, happiness, joy, and well-being—we all wish for these things. Offering them to ourselves
and others can form the core of a meaningful life. Fall talks explore both the techniques and art of
finding happiness through what we do and how we know ourselves. We learn to become our own true
friend as we cultivate a path that engages senses and mind, instilling both with joy and delight.
Sunday, October 5: Sylvia Gretchen on "Mastering the Art of Happiness."
In the same way that an artist cultivates beauty, we can cultivate happiness. The present moment is our
canvas and it is colored by a rich palette of sensation, thought, and feeling. Our inner experience becomes
a work of art, pervaded by joy. Sylvia Gretchen, the co-dean of the Nyingma Institute, will present ways to
practice this art.
Sunday, October 12: Ken McKeon on "Making Space for Joyfulness (in the face of pain)."
Not all our experiences are positive. We all face pain, illness, and disappointment. Meditation instructor
Ken McKeon will speak on how to break free from the compelling force of suffering, finding spaciousness
within all situations and circumstances.
Sunday, October 19: Barr Rosenberg on "Caring.”
Every moment in life is an opportunity for learning; every experience enriches our lives. We are the directors
of a magnificent play, and it is up to us to see that every moment of our lives is enacted with the uplifting
quality of true inspiration. Tarthang Tulku, Skillful Means.
Life’s meaning arises through caring—caring about our work, caring about love, caring for others. There
are many ways to care, but what is most important is to express caring in the best way we can. Doing our
best for a minute is so much more valuable than an hour lost in frustration or boredom. For the sake of
caring, we can rise above the limitations that seem to constrain us and discover that the power to reshape
our world resides within our own mind. This talk by the co-dean of the Nyingma Institute Barr Rosenberg
explains how our lives change for the better when we care about caring.
(over for more information on the lecture series)
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Sunday, October 26: Santosh Philip on “Beauty in Space and Time.”
Our reality can open to a realm where time, space, and knowledge are undivided, without beginning or end.
Awareness can become familiar with this unity… Then we begin to explore avenues towards beautiful new
realms. Tarthang Tulku, Mandala Gardens.
The beauty of nature—the color of the sky, a blossom, the rugged bark of a tree—can inspire and uplift
our spirits. Nyingma Institute instructor Santosh Philip will discuss how the experience of beauty can also
deepen meditation and how meditation can further deepen enjoyment of the world around us.
Sunday, November 2: Olivia Hurd on “Transforming the Past.”
Throughout our lives, we have been taught how to view and interpret our experience—what to consider ‘good’
and what to consider painful; what to expect in life and what to expect from ourselves.... Tarthang Tulku,
Knowledge of Freedom.
Painful memories can shape our lives, dictating negative responses that bind us to conditioned patterns of
action imprinted within our body and mind. Unaware of this process, we do not see that the present moment
is dimmed and distorted by the force of past conditioning. Nyingma Institute instructor Olivia Hurd will
discuss how skillfully observing mental images can help us break free from the constricting hold of the past.
Sunday, November 9, 6-7 PM: Sylvia Gretchen on “The Healing Beauty of Tibetan
Sacred Art.”
The purpose of Tibetan sacred art is healing at the deepest level of being. An integral part of the spiritual
path, its images speak to us through color, form, and symbolism. In this illustrated talk, Sylvia Gretchen,
co-dean of the Nyingma Institute, will describe key Tibetan images and ways to utilize their healing presence.
Sunday, November 16, 6-7 PM: Donna Morton on “Nutrition to Support Mental and
Physical Ease.”
The food we eat nourishes our senses and connects us to the world around us. In this talk, nutritional
consultant and Nyingma Institute instructor Donna Morton will discuss how certain foods support a calm
mind and a relaxed body, while others set the stage for physical and emotional imbalances. Donna will suggest ways to make healthy choices in your diet, making meals part of your mindfulness practice.
Sunday, November 23, 6-7 PM: Mary Gomes on “Self-Compassion.”
Directing compassion toward ourselves can encourage gentler and wiser responses to our experiences of
suffering. In this talk, Sonoma State psychology professor Mary Gomes will share some of the work in psychology incorporating self-compassion, including practices to bring this quality into our everyday lives.
Sunday, November 30, 6-7 PM: Jack van der Meulen on “Peaceful Mind; Open Heart.”
An open heart and a peaceful mind help us negotiate life’s challenges. Tibetan Yoga instructor Jack van
der Meulen will offer nonconceptual movement practices that lead to open, receptive, states of tranquility
from which we can act with integrity and kindness.
Sunday, December 7, 6-7 PM: Ken McKeon on “Engaging Immediacy.”
We can engage knowledge that frees us to embody our lives fully, participating as the agents of our own
creativity. Nyingma Institute instructor Ken McKeon will lead a process of inquiry that penetrates outworn assumptions, seeing unities in place of dichotomies.
Sunday, December 14, 6-7 PM: Caz Verde on “Compassion in Action.”
The depth and vastness of the Buddha’s teachings (the Dharma) restore the foundation, purpose, and direction of human life, inspiring a way of living oriented toward loving-kindness, compassion, and selflessness.
In this talk, Path of Liberation Program graduate Caz Verde will recount stories of women and men from
India and Tibet who became masters of these teachings.

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