We are happy to announce that Ven. Losang Samten, Tibetan scholar, spiritual teacher, artist, and friend to many in the Lake Tahoe area will return once again to share his deep understanding of Tibetan Buddhism.  Classes often include chants, a talk, story telling, and guided meditation.  All are welcome.  Suggested donation is $10 to $20 for the following classes:

Wednesday, August 25  7-9 pm, So. Lake Tahoe  Ancient Teachings in Modern Times –Buddhism in the 21st Century – Part One   Location:  Blue Angel Café upstairs in the loft ,1132 Ski Run Blvd. South Lake Tahoe, CA    (530) 544-6544  Feel free to attend Part One, Part Two on Aug.30 (see below), or both. The Blue Angel Cafe

Thursday, August 26  7-9 pm, Squaw Valley  Love and Compassion in Buddhism and Christianity  Losang will lead a discussion and meditation on Love and Compassion in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition followed by a discussion of Love and Compassion in Christianity with Art Domingue, Minister at the Squaw Valley Chapel.
Directions to Squaw Valley Chapel: From Hwy. 89, take Squaw Valley Road toward the mountain. Turn left at the end of the road.  Turn right at the stop sign on Squaw Peak Road. The road curves to the right.  The chapel is around the bend at 444 Squaw Peak Rd, Olympic Valley, CA  96146  www.squawvalleychapel.org

Friday, August 27   10:30 am to noon, Truckee  Fundamentals of Buddhist Practice  Losang Samten will be the Special Guest at the ongoing “Fundamentals of Buddhist Practice” class at For Goodness Sake, at 10157 Donner Pass Road in historic downtown Truckee.  Go to www.goodnesssake.org for directions and updated information.  (530) 550-8981

Friday, August 27  7-9 pm, Truckee  Generating the Mind of Enlightenment – the altruistic intention to become enlightened for the benefit of all sentient beings.  “Whatever happiness there is in this world, all arises from wishing others to be happy.  Whatever suffering there is in this world, all arises from wishing myself to be happy.”  Shantideva
Location:  The new Sierra College Tahoe-Truckee campus, 11001 College Trail, Truckee, CA  96161
Directions: From Interstate 80 or Donner Pass Rd in Truckee, head South on Route 89. After the roundabout, enter the left turn lane and turn left on to College trail.  (530) 550-2225

Sunday, August 29  6-8 pm, Tahoe’s West Shore Dorje Namjum Purification Ceremony  Losang will lead us through an ancient Tibetan ceremony of healing and purification for ourselves, others, and the universe through prayer, meditation, and visualization as transmitted to him by the Dalai Lama.  Location:  9045 Manzanita Drive, Rubicon Bay. From Tahoe City “Y,”  drive 14 mi. south on Hwy. 89, turn right on Scenic, right on Woodland, slight right on Manzanita.  From So. Tahoe “Y”,  drive 14 mi. north on Hwy. 89, turn left at the second Scenic Dr. and follow above directions.   530-525-1900  Bring a cushion if you wish.

Monday, August 30  7-9 pm, So. Lake Tahoe   Ancient Teachings in Modern Times –Buddhism in the 21st Century – Part 2  at the Blue Angel Café upstairs in the loft (1132 Ski Run Blvd. South Lake Tahoe, CA)  (530) 544-6544 (Part 2 offerred Aug.25 – come to Part 1, Part 2, or both) The Blue Angel Cafe

Wednesday, September 1   7-9 pm,  So.Reno  Medicine Buddha Healing Meditation – Losang will lead us in visualization, guided meditation, and chants.  Medicine Buddha is said to be the manifestation of the healing energy of all enlightened beings.  Location:  14255 Black Eagle Court, Reno. From Hwy. 395 in So. Reno, take the Mt. Rose Hwy. west for 2.5 miles, go north (right) on Saddlehorn and take 3rd right on Black Eagle Ct.  House is on the left.  (775) 622-8813  Bring a cushion if you wish.

For additional Information contact:   Dave & Jan Arnett: 530-525-1900  arnett@sierra.net
For additional Information about Losang Samten, his schedule, or his new book, go to www.losangsamten.com

The Venerable Losang Samten, a renowned Tibetan scholar and a former Buddhist monk, was born in Chung Ribuce, of central Tibet. In 1959, he and his family fled to Nepal and later moved to Dharamsala, India. His education includes studies at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts and the Namgyal Monastery which is the monastery of the 14th Dalai Lama. In 1985, he earned a Master’s Degree in Buddhist Philosophy, Sutra, and Tantra, from the Namgyal Monastery, which is equivalent to a Ph.D. In 1994, Losang received an Honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He was granted an Honorary Doctorate of Art from the Maine College of Art in 1995. He taught Tibetan Language at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia from 1994 – 1997 and was awarded the National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts in 2002. In 2004, he was awarded a Pew Fellowship in the Arts.

In 1988, Samten came to the US as instructed by His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, to demonstrate the meditative art of sand painting. This was the first time a Tibetan mandala was shown in the west. Since then, he has created sand mandalas at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, Chicago Field Museum, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology of University of Pennsylvania, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, Harvard University, Columbia University, New York University, Trinity College of Hartford, Connecticut, among numerous others (see list below). He has served as the religious technical advisor and sand mandala supervisor as well as actor for Martin Scorsese’s film Kundun.

Losang Samten is spiritual director of Tibetan Buddhist Center of Philadelphia; Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center of Middletown, Connecticut ; Chenrezig Himalayan Cultural Center of El Paso,Texas, and a frequent visitor, teacher in Chico and Lake Tahoe (where he has created numerous sand mandalas and participated in the Tibetan Cultural Festival ). He travels extensively, sharing his knowledge of Buddhist philosophy and meditation, and his skill in the Tibetan ritual arts. His ability to incorporate the qualities of practicing loving kindness, patience, and understanding with those he meets has touched the hearts of many.

“I believe artists have a responsibility to serve humanity…”
-His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Tashi Delek friends.
Please join us in Auburn and Grass Valley this weekend for two events with Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim

AUBURN: DHARMA TALK: Death, Dying and the Internediate State.
Friday, July 30th, 7:30
AHmBiance
884 Lincoln Way, Upstairs, (across from Clock Tower)
Auburn, CA, 95603

GRASS VALLEY: ART TALK
Saturday, July 31st, 7:00 pm
Summer Thyme’s (in BookTown)
134 S. Auburn
Grass Valley, CA 95945

Geshela was born near Amdo the eastern region of Tibet and became an artist at a very early age. Geshela trained in philosophy and sacred art at the historic Gaden Shartse Monastic University in southern India and for 10 years served as sand mandala master for many Sacred Arts Tours, visiting over 50 countries. Geshela is currently the director of Thubten Dhargye Ling, Tibetan Buddhist Center in Long Beach.

Geshela is a renowned “Thangka” artist. Thangka which means “roll able scroll” is one of the major sciences in Tibetan Buddhism. Its origin can be traced back to the time of the historic Buddha. The main themes of Thangka paintings are spiritual. Tibetan masters refined their well-developed arts through research and studies of different traditions from various countries. Tibetan Thangka painting’s precision, lines, measurements, costumes, implementations and ornaments are based upon Indian art forms. The drawing of figures incorporate Nepalese styles and the background scenarios incorporate Chinese art forms. Thus, the Tibetan Thangka paintings became quite a unique and highly distinctive art form.

Geshela’s Thangka paintings will be available for viewing at the Art Talk in Grass Valley Saturday night in Grass Valley.