Discovering Buddhism: Wisdom of Emptiness with Ven. Amy Miller

Dharma Classes, Guided Meditations
Discovering Buddhism: Wisdom of Emptiness with Ven. Amy Miller

6 Wednesday evenings, 6 - 7:30pm. Jan 25, Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, Mar 1, Practice Day: Mar 11 1-4pm

Hybrid: In person and via zoom

Discovering Buddhism Module 12: Wisdom of Emptiness, with Venerable Amy Miller in-person and online via Zoom. Co-hosted by Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, Tse Chen Ling Center in San Francisco, and Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek.

This will be the perfect opportunity to get together in person and support your local center!

All the 84,000 teachings the Buddha gave were ultimately to help us attain a direct perception of emptiness. That’s how important the profound experience of emptiness is on the path to enlightenment.

In this module of Discovering Buddhism, we will delve into the methods for bringing about the realization of emptiness, which is crucial for the attainment of liberation and enlightenment.

We will explore such questions as:

  • What is emptiness?
  • What is the relationship between emptiness, liberation, and enlightenment?
  • What is the relationship between emptiness and dependent arising?
  • What are the different ways to meditate on emptiness?
  • How can we realize emptiness?

We will also learn how to develop calm abiding (shamata), the ability to remain focused in meditation for long periods of time without distraction, and understand how best to use that to meditate on emptiness. We will also discuss the accumulation of merit and purification of obstacles, which are indispensable for generating realizations.

This is the 12th in a series of 14 modules covering the complete Buddhist path to enlightenment. Students may join at any point in the cycle yet for this module it is helpful to have some background in Buddhism. Discovering Buddhism is designed for students who wish to deepen their understanding of fundamental Buddhist concepts. Each module includes teachings, meditations, readings, assessment questions, and a short half-day retreat.

While there will be an online Zoom presence for this class, consider joining us in person to reconnect with your local Dharma community. We will be hosting three sessions at Tse Chen Ling Center and three sessions at Land of Medicine Buddha with the final 1-4 p.m. practice period at Land of Medicine Buddha.

Tse Chen Ling Gompa: January 25, February 8 and 22

Land of Medicine Buddha Gompa: February 1, 15, and March 1

Practice Period: Land of Medicine Buddha Gompa: March 11, 1-4 p.m.

ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR

Venerable Amy J. Miller (Ven. Lobsang Chodren) first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in the spring of 1987 during a course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Since then, she has spent her time engaged in meditation retreats, study, teaching, and Buddhist center management throughout the world. Before meeting the Dharma, Ven. Amy was a political fundraiser in Washington, DC, and also worked for Mother Jones Magazine in San Francisco, California.

Ven. Amy also trained as an emotional support hospice counselor during the peak of the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco and offers courses and retreats on death and dying and end-of-life care.
From 1992-1995, Ven. Amy managed Tse Chen Ling Center in San Francisco, California. She then served as director of Vajrapani Institute, also in California, from 1995-2004. From 1998–2002, she was also the manager of the Lawudo Retreat Fund (which supports the center in which the sacred cave of Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche is located) in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. In 2004, after resigning as director, Ven. Amy completed a seven-month solitary retreat at Vajrapani. For most of 2005 and 2006, she organized international teaching tours for and traveled with the esteemed Tibetan Buddhist master, Ven. Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche until Rinpoche’s death in 2006. Ven. Amy then became a touring teacher for the FPMT (the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition). From 2008-2014, Ven. Amy was the director of Milarepa Center in Barnet, Vermont.
Ven. Amy had the good fortune to visit Tibet in 1987 and again in 2001 as a pilgrimage leader for the Institute of Noetic Science in the United States. She has also led pilgrimages to India, Nepal, and Bhutan. The next pilgrimage Amy is leading is from April, 30 to May 18, 2023, to Lawudo Retreat Center in the Mount Everest region of Nepal. See Ven. Amy’s website below for more information.

 

Ven. Amy was ordained as a Buddhist nun in June 2000 and has been teaching extensively since 1992. Her teaching style emphasizes a practical approach to integrating Buddhist philosophy into everyday life. She is happy to help people connect with meditation and mindfulness in an effort to gain a refreshing perspective on normally stressful living. Ven. Amy’s courses and retreats focus
 on establishing and maintaining a meditation and mindfulness practice, death and dying, overcoming anxiety and depression, battling addiction, dealing with self-esteem issues, and cultivating compassion and loving-kindness.

 

Ven. Amy is the co-author of Buddhism in a Nutshell and a contributor to Living in the Path, a series of online courses produced by FPMT. Based in the United States, between Pennsylvania and Land of Medicine Buddha in California, Amy teaches and leads retreats and pilgrimages around the world. Her teaching schedule and other information can be found at www.AmyMiller.com.

ABOUT DISCOVERING BUDDHISM

 

This is the fifth in a series of 14 Discovering Buddhism modules covering the complete Buddhist path to enlightenment. You can do each module individually, as a stand alone course, and they do not need to be completed in succession. Discovering Buddhism is designed for students who wish to deepen their understanding of fundamental Buddhist concepts. It aims to provide an experiential taste of the Buddha’s teachings and the skills we need to make our lives most meaningful. For more information on the Discovering Buddhism program, please click here.

We recommend that students join Discovering Buddhism courses at the start of any given module and make a commitment to attend the entire module.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN CERTIFICATION?

Certification is certainly NOT required to take this course, but it will be available for those who have interest in attaining the FPMT Discovering Buddhism Certification. Students who complete all modules and related certification requirements associated with the full Discovering Buddhism course will receive an official certification for this class from FPMT. If you plan to attend this Death & Rebirth Module with the aim of counting it towards your FPMT Discovering Buddhism Certification, please contact prior to this module’s start date, to indicate your commitment to completing all of this module’s ‘completion card’ requirements. (These requirements are likely to include full attendance of each class, completion of specific reading tasks, homework, meditation and an exam.) The FPMT Certificate program allows those who complete all 14 modules and the final retreat to apply for consideration to join the FPMT Teacher List as qualified to teach Discovering Buddhism-level courses at FPMT centers.

There will be a practice day required in order to suffice the requirements of certification. This will be held Saturday, August 20, 1 – 4pm

THE KINDNESS OF DONATIONS

Suggested donation: $25 per class, $108 for the 6-session series including the practice session, and $180 with sponsorship. For just the practice session, the suggested donation is $30.

Venerable Amy is allowing students to register for individual sessions including the half-day practice session even if they can’t attend the entire six-week course.
For this class, it’s best that they attend as many classes as they can and not just drop in, but anyone is welcome to attend the practice half day even if they have not joined the class.
We offer all Dharma teachings and center events on a “dana” basis. This means we’re grateful for your generosity but there is no required cost to attend and no one is turned away for lack of funds. Suggested donation amounts are provided, and we welcome you to offer what you can to help us sustain our programming and make the dharma and events like this possible. And of course, ordained sangha (ordained nuns and monks) are always welcome free of charge.

When you select your ticket(s) and make your offering below please consider that this registration includes all 6 classes and the practice day.

Date(s): 6 Wednesday evenings, 6 - 7:30pm. Jan 25, Feb 1, 8, 15, 22, Mar 1, Practice Day: Mar 11 1-4pm
Times: 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Instructor/Leader: Discovering Buddhism, In-Person, Ven. Amy Miller, Via Zoom
Type of event: Dharma Classes
Number of sessions: 6, 1 Practice Day
Level: All are welcome!
Participation: Consistent attendance is most beneficial
Location: Tse Chen Ling Gompa
iCal Link: iCal
Add to Google Calendar: 0
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Registration and Donations for Discovering Buddhism: Wisdom of Emptiness with Ven. Amy Miller

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