Prajnopaya is Honored and Delighted to host:
Stages of Meditation: Buddhism for the 21st Century
A Teaching by His Holiness the Dalai Lama
Date: October 16, 2012 (9:30 AM-11:30 AM)
(It is recommended that you arrive early to allow yourself ample of time for security. Please be seated in the auditorium by 9AM)
Venue: Kresge Auditorium | MIT | Cambridge, MA
Your generosity enables us to host such precious teachings. To become a sponsor or for major gifts, please contact Linda Krause.
Tickets for this event are no longer available.
About the Teaching:
On the occasion of the 10-Year Anniversary Celebration of Prajnopaya at MIT, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has graciously agreed to bestow a teaching based on Acharya Kamalashila’s “Stages of Meditation.” Regardless of the level of practitioner, developing an understanding about meditation techniques, as well as gaining clarity on one’s motivation, form the basis for cultivating a compassionate and enlightened mind. This teaching will give insight on how to practice in the 21st Century and how contemplative practice is relevant to our daily lives.
About the Text:
Stages of Meditation (Sanskrit. Bhavanakrama; Tibetan. Gomrim Barpa) offers lucid instructions on cultivating a meditative mind. In great detail, it instructs practitioners on acquiring familiarity and developing expertise in two forms of meditation that will lessen suffering and ultimately lead to enlightenment. These two are shamatha or calm abiding and vipashyana or stainless insight. Kamalasila clearly outlines why both methods are essential to the practitioner’s development and why both must be grounded in compassion.
About the Author:
I supplicate the esteemed Padmaśīla [Kamalaśīla],
Who, having elucidated according to the Sutras and Tantras, the stages of meditation
In the union of calm abiding and special insight on the Madhyamaka view, free from extremes,
Flawlessly clarified the teachings of the Conqueror in the Land of Snows.
-HH the Dalai Lama, Praise to 17 Pandits of Nalanda
Kamalashila (Sanskrit. Kamalaśīla; Tibetan. Pemé Ngang Tsul) (c. 740-795) was one of the great masters of famed Nalanda University, and the main disciple of the Nalanda abbot Shantarakshita. He composed Stages of Meditation while living in Tibet, the first Indian yogi scholar to write a text on Buddhadharma while there.
Support the Teachings:
If you would like to support this Special Teaching or ongoing Dharma activities of Prajnopaya, we urge to you to make a tax deductible contribution here.
To become a sponsor or for major gifts, please contact Linda Krause.
Your Generosity Supports Precious Teachings and Virtuous Activities.
Music:
TRANSFORMATION
A Solo Recital by Adrian Anantawan
BORN OF THAI-CHINESE ETHNICITY, Adrian Anantawan began the violin at nine, and has since established himself as “a rising star in classical music” (Globe and Mail). In 2001, he was accepted into the Curtis Institute of Music with a merit-based full scholarship, and completed his bachelor degree under the tutelage of Ida Kavafian. In past summers, he has also studied with Pinchas Zukerman and Itzhak Perlman. Adrian also holds graduate degrees from Yale and Harvard Universities, and is a winner of the Rosemary Kennedy International Competition. He currently serves as the conductor of the Dudamel Orchestra at the Conservatory Lab Charter School in Boston, MA.
MIT Students:
Enrolled MIT students may submit their name for a lottery for complimentary ticket through this site. Lottery will open on September 15, 2012. You will require a valid MIT student ID to pick up your ticket and to enter the venue.
Helpful Links:
Please be Mindful:
-Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.
-You will need a physical ticket to gain admission to each event. E-tickets or print outs will not be accepted.
-Be sure to bring your ticket(s) and a Photo ID.
-No recording devices of any kind will be permitted. Your phone/ smartphone should be turned off before security and should remain off during the duration of the event.
-Please arrive early. Allow yourself ample of time to go through security.
-Refrain from bringing large bags and bagpacks. They will not be permitted.
Press & Media Inquiry:
Members of the press will need special badge to access the event. If you are an accredited member of the press, please contact Kimberly Allen, MIT News Office, allenkc@mit.edu, 617.253.2702. You will be informed once your request and credentials have been reviewed. We may be unable to accommodate any last minute requests. Thank You for your understanding.
Through the generosity of many, we were pleased to provide free and low cost tickets to students of Boston Public Schools, colleges, and universities. Given the high demands from all quarters and limited seatings, we had to restrict the distribution of tickets to those who responded first. We will make the videos of the events available in time.