Prices
  • $20.00 to $200.00 – In-Person (Suggested Donation $100)
  • Maximum $100.00 – Online Participant (Suggested Donation $65)

Date & Time Details: Saturday, December 13, 2025
9:00 am – 5:00 pm PT

Location: In-Person in the Gompa and Online via Zoom

Address: 5800 Prescott Road, Soquel, CA, USA

Contact: Liah Gilvar-Parke
[email protected]

Email us about program

Daylong Retreat: Meeting Political Unrest with a Compassionate Heart

With Geshe Tenzin Legtsok

December 13, 2025

In-Person and Online Via Zoom

Saturday, December 13

9:00 am – 5:00 pm

We are living in a time of social and political turmoil. For some, this unrest may feel distant, while for others, its impact is deeply personal. Either way, many of us are struggling to navigate this moment. In this daylong retreat, Geshe Legtsok will guide us in exploring the difference between outrage and anger, help us navigate the relational challenges that arise, and invite us to reflect deeply—with a compassionate mind—on how to respond to these times without anger, attachment, or indifference. 

We will explore Buddhist perspectives on nonviolence and compassion, as well as examine how Buddhists have taken compassionate stands against injustice throughout history. Compassion does not have to lead to complacency—true compassion is active and works for the well-being of all people, including those we may have labeled as “bad” or “other.” We can cultivate compassion for those we disagree with, without condoning harmful actions. Through teachings, meditations, and discussion, we will work to release the narrative of “us vs. them” and instead reflect on the conditions we wish for all beings.

Schedule:

9:00 am – 10:30 am—Opening Session

10:30 am – 11:00 am— Tea Break

11:00 am – 12:30 pm— Session 2

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm—Lunch

1:30 pm – 3:00  pm—Session 3

3:00 pm – 3:30 pm—Tea break

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm—Closing Session

Leader

Geshe Tenzin Legtsok
Geshe Tenzin Legtsok graduated from Sera Jey Monastic University in South India where he studied classic Indian Buddhist treatise and their Tibetan commentaries in the tradition of ancient Nalanda University. He has been ordained as a Buddhist monk since 2001. Born in Virginia, USA in 1973, he obtained a Bachelor…
Learn more about Geshe Tenzin Legtsok