Weekend event at Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre – January newsletter 2015

The newsletter for January is going out a little earlier in the month than usual as everything winds down for the Christmas and New Year holidays. Aro Ling Cardiff will be open as usual up to and including Friday 19th December and then closed until the new year. The first event of 2015 will be our regular first-Saturday-of-the-month meditation introduction: Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind, Saturday 3rd January 2015, 10 – 12. The regular events will roll on as usual from then (see below).

Aro Ling Cardiff is offering something new in January. Rather than a five week course, there will be a five session weekend event. Living, Dreaming, Dying will run from Friday evening, 16th January to Sunday lunchtime, 18th January. Attend one session, several sessions, or all five – the choice is yours.

Living, Dreaming, Dying

– a weekend retreat: January 16 – 18, 2015

£6 a session or £25 for the whole weekend – attend one, several or all sessions

Session 1:  Friday January 16th      19:00 – 20:30   Dream Yoga
– learn the practice of dream yoga and how to make sleep-time useful
Session 2:  Saturday January 17th  10:00 – 12:00   Living and Dying Every Day
– death and impermanence as the natural ebb and flow of existence
Session 3:  Saturday January 17th  14:00 – 16:00   Changing Mind Moments
– the realms of existence through which we move because of our emotional responses
Session 4:  Saturday January 17th  18:00 – 20:00   Tantric Empowerment
– transmission of the practice of Yeshé Tsogyel, the female tantric Buddha
Session 5:  Sunday January 18th    10:00 – 12:00   Death & Birth of Each Moment
- discovering the continuity of discontinuity through the nine bardos of the Aro Lineage
 
Ngakma Nor’dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin will lead this weekend of teachings. They
will explore how we can we live with honour and integrity, ensuring that we are
always existing as open-hearted human beings, rather than falling into other
less human states of mind. Learn the practice of dream yoga and discover how
dream consciousness differs from waking consciousness, and how we can make this
time valuable rather than a period of unconsciousness. Discover living and
dying, permanence and impermanence, as a natural and continual flow throughout
our lives, rather than fearing death as a single future definitive event.

On Saturday evening, Ngakma Nor’dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin will give empowerment
into the practice of Yeshé Tsogyel. She is the female tantric Buddha from whom
the Aro gTér Lineage originates, and was the Tibetan consort of Padmasambhava.

There are many delightful places to eat and drink in Whitchurch village. Book in advance to be included in numbers for lunch and dinner on Saturday 17th.

Regular events at Aro Ling Buddhist Centre in Cardiff will continue until Friday 19th December 2014, and then restart on Saturday 3rd January:
Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind – first Saturday of each month, 10 – 12, £5

Meditation Group – Tuesday, 19:00 – 20:30, requested donation £5

Tibetan Yoga – Wednesday, one hour classes at 14:00 and 17:30, requested donation £3
Children’s Story-time – Wednesday, 15:45 – 16:15, requested donation £1
Tibetan Yoga – Friday, one hour class at 10:30, requested donation £3
Guided Meditation – Friday, 12:00 – 13:00, requested donation £3                     

 Seasons Greetings 

 and a 

Happy New Year!

Distance Learning from Aro Ling Buddhist Centre in Cardiff

Aro Ling Cardiff has received a lot of interest in their amulet-weaving workshops, but not everyone is able to get to the centre. Ngakma Nor’dzin is therefore devising a distance-learning programme for this practice.

The first candidate lives in Singapore.

We will let you know when the programme is ready.

Contact us if you are interested in learning how to create an amulet, at aro.ling.cardiff@gmail.com and we will add you to our mailing list. There will be further workshops scheduled in 2015. Look out for them on the programme at aro-ling.org/cardiff.

The Sound of Silence - Soundcloud for Aro Ling Cardiff

At Aro Ling Buddhist Centre we are often asked for supportive material to help people with their practice, and we like to be as helpful as possible. To this end we have created a stream on Soundcloud : https://soundcloud.com/aro-ling-cardiff.

There are three files on Soundcloud at the moment to aid meditation practice: 10 minutes, 15 minutes and 20 minutes of silence with a bell at the end to signal the end of the meditation session. It can be distracting to be clock-watching while we are meditating, but sometimes we have limited time, so now you can run one of these files for your chosen length of practice and relax, knowing that a bell will sound at the end of the session.  Let us know if you would like longer sessions and we will be happy to make the files for you.

It is possible to follow Aro Ling Cardiff at Soundcloud, and there is an app for mobiles that can be downloaded, so that you can always have your timed silence with you for a meditation session.

These sound files are also available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/arolingcardiff

Events and news:Aro Ling Buddhist Centre - December Newsletter

The days are short, Christmas lights are twinkling, and it is almost the end of the autumn programme. It has been a most successful few weeks. Thank you for your support.

The stall on the evening of 16th November looked good and attracted a lot of interest. Aro Ling Buddhist Centre looks forward to welcoming new visitors who chatted to Nor’dzin and ’ö-Dzin that evening.

Next week—Sunday 30th November till Sunday 7th December—Nor’dzin and ’ö-Dzin will be on retreat with their students, so Aro Ling Buddhist Centre will not be open during the day for Tibetan Yoga and other daytime activities. The evening events will continue as usual however, with Meditation Group on Tuesday at 7pm, and the last evening of the Wearing the Body of Visions course on Thursday at 7pm. The Saturday morning event: Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind will also run as usual.

Thursday 4th December will be a special evening at Aro Ling, because Ngakma Nor’dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin will be giving a tantric empowerment. These do not occur very often and this is only the second time since the centre opened in September 2013. It is an opportunity not to be missed! Transmission will be given for the mantra of Ma-chig Labdrön, one of the greatest female tantric practitioners of Tibet.

The new programme for the start of 2015 is being arranged. There will be two new courses: Living, Dreaming, Dying; and the Songs of the Owl-Faced Dakini.  Living, Dreaming, Dying will be running on Saturday mornings in January, and the Songs of the Owl-Faced Dakini will be the Thursday evening course starting later in January. The dates will be confirmed and on the website soon: aro-ling.org/cardiff.

After the retreat closure next week, the regular drop-in events will continue as usual until the 19th December, and then there will be a break for the holidays. The first event after the 19th December will be in the new year on the 3rd January 2015: Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind, 10 - 12. All other activities will then recommence as usual from 3rd January.

Regular on-going drop-in events:

Tuesday – Meditation Group, 19:00 – 20:30, requested donation £5

Wednesday – Tibetan Yoga, one hour classes at 14:00 and 17:30, requested donation £3

Wednesday – Children’s Story-time, 15:45 – 16:15, requested donation £1

Friday – Tibetan Yoga, one hour class at 10:30, requested donation £3

Friday – Guided Meditation, 12:00 – 13:00, requested donation £3

Saturday - first Saturday of each month: Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind, 10 - 12, £5

If you wish to call in to Aro Ling Cardiff at a time outside of the scheduled class times, or are interested in Pulse Diagnosis, please phone to arrange this in advance: 07875 716644.

Remember, remember, the 6th of November . . . November newsletter

The clocks have changed and suddenly we are into dark nights and winter fires. In the run up to Christmas Aro Ling Cardiff has a few interesting events for you to enjoy.

The Body of Visions begins on 6th of November. This is a five week course, but each evening can be attended as a separate event if preferred. The cost is £6 per evening, or £25 for the whole five weeks (saving £5 overall). 7 – 8:30 pm, Thursdays.

Week 1: The path of transforming ordinary appearance into realised appearance (November 6th). What is Sutrayana? What is Vajrayana? What is Tantra? What is Dzogchen? How do these paths differ and how do we practise them? What does it mean to wear the Body of Visions? Discover the principle of the path of transformation and how to engage with this powerful practice in everyday life. 

Week 2. Tantric imagery – a visual presentation (November 13th). Tibetan Tantric imagery is rich and extraordinary. This visual presentation will explore the symbolism and inspiration of Tantric imagery, including ancient pictures of practitioners in Tibet.

Week 3: Padmasambhava – Guru Rinpoche, the tantric Buddha (November 20th). The life story and manifestations of Guru Rinpoche offer an insight into the path of transformation. The practices given to the Nyingma tradition by Padmasambhava are as powerful and as relevant today.

Week 4: Yeshé Tsogyel and other important women in Tibetan Buddhism (November 27th). Yeshé Tsogyel is the female tantric Buddha and the source of the Aro Lineage. Hear the inspiration stories of these Enlightened Women and learn their practices. 

Week 5: Empowerment and the Vajra Master (December 4th) – more details next newsletter.

On Sunday November 16th Aro Ling Cardiff will be having a street stall at the event in Whitchurch Village for switching on the Christmas lights. Do come and see us. There will be a few items for sale and we will be available to take people over and show them around Aro Ling if you have not already visited. Collect a leaflet giving details of our activities, and will be happy to give you more details, and to answer questions about Nyingma Buddhism and the Aro Lineage. The event starts at 5 pm.

Our regular event on the first Saturday of the month will be on 1st November. Do come along at 10 am to Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind. 10 – 12, requested donation £5

The following Saturday (8th) our final Saturday morning course for 2014 will begin: Weaving the Elements. This two hour event from 10 – 12 will teach on the emotions with regard to the elements earth, water, fire, air and space, and how we can liberate our emotional patterning through weaving thread crosses and amulets.
This event can be attended as separate weeks for £6 a morning, or the whole course for £20.

Regular on-going drop-in events:

Tuesday – Meditation Group, 19:00 – 20:30, requested donation £5

Wednesday – Tibetan Yoga, one hour classes at 14:00 and 17:30, requested donation £3

Wednesday – Children’s Story-time, 15:45 – 16:15, requested donation £1

Friday – Tibetan Yoga, one hour class at 10:30, requested donation £3

Friday – Guided Meditation, 12:00 – 13:00, requested donation £3

If you wish to call in to Aro Ling Cardiff at a time outside of the scheduled class times, please phone to arrange this in advance.

For more details

please visit aro-ling.org 

or phone 07875 716644

Tibetan Yoga, Vajrayana, Children’s Stories – October Newsletter

The Autumn programme is up and running. Please note that enrolment for the Vajra Romance Course is now closed. The Saturday morning Tibetan Yoga course that runs for three Saturdays from 11th October is filling up, so if you are interested in that please book your place as soon as possible.

We have made a few tweaks to the schedule – such as moving the Wednesday afternoon Tibetan Yoga session forward half an hour to 2 pm so that it fits in more conveniently with school times. We have also added a couple of new regular events: Children’s Story-time on a Wednesday afternoon and Guided Meditation Friday lunchtime. Buddhism has such a wealth of wonderful stories, do come along with your children and hear some after school on a Wednesday. At 12 noon on a Friday Ngakma Nor’dzin will lead a session of guided meditation that will include mantra, song and visualisation.

Monday	closed
Tuesday	19:00–20:30	Meditation Group – open group, all welcome
Wednesday	14:00–15:00	Tibetan Yoga – through these movements Mind finds itself in its own free space
Wednesday	15:45–16:15	Children’s Story-time – stories from Buddhist Traditions
Wednesday	17:30–18:30	Tibetan Yoga – through these movements Mind finds itself in its own free space
Thursday	19:00–20:30	Courses on Vajrayana Buddhism – for details see below
Friday	10:30–11:30	Tibetan Yoga – through these movements Mind finds itself in its own free space
Friday	12:00–13:00	Guided Meditation – enjoy a delightfully different lunchtime break
Saturday	10:00–12:00	1st Saturday of the month: Meditation – discover the spaciousness of Mind, & learn how to start or establish a regular practice
Saturday	10:00–12:00	Other Saturdays – courses & events – for details see below
Sunday	closed (unless we are running a weekend event)

Upcoming courses:

The Body of Visions – the rich and dramatic symbolism of inner Tantra

Thursdays, 5 week course, 19:00 – 20:30, 06 Nov – 04 Dec, £6 per night, or £25 for the course

These five weeks will explore tantric theory and imagery, and practices of vision, voice, gesture, and music. It will include an evening of empowerment, and a presentation of Tibetan Tantric arts. Attend for particular evenings or for the whole course.

Week 1: The path of transforming ordinary appearance into realised appearance

Week 2. Tantric imagery – a visual presentation

Week 3: Padmasambhava – Guru Rinpoche, the tantric Buddha

Week 4: Yeshé Tsogyel and other important women in Tibetan Buddhism

Week 5: Empowerment and the Vajra Master

Tibetan Yoga – through these movements Mind finds itself in its own free space.

Saturdays, 3 week course, 10 – 12, 11 – 24 October, £15 for the course

Tibetan Yoga offers a range of exercises suitable for all ages, abilities and body types. The exercises range from simple to challenging, from low impact to high impact. It is an enjoyable practice that can benefit everyone.

Weaving the elements – release neurosis into the skies of the elements

Saturdays, 4 week course, 10 – 12, 08 – 29 November, £6 per session, or £20 for the course
Weave the elements earth, water, fire, air & space into thread cross designs & amulets to release oneself or others from neurosis & health problems. Discover the significance of the elements to our emotional state.

Happy First Birthday Aro Ling Cardiff - an interview with Ngakma Nor'dzin

Ngakma Nor’dzin teaching amulet weaving.

Q:  In September 2013 you opened a Buddhist Centre—Aro Ling Cardiff— in Whitchurch Village. What inspired you to begin such a venture?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  I was inspired by the success of a similar venture in Bristol.  The teachings of the Aro Tradition are so precious and relevant to our everyday lives that I wanted to make them available to the people of Cardiff as well.

Q:  What were your hopes for the Centre when you began looking for a place?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  I wanted to offer a space for meditation that people would find welcoming and inspiring.  It also needed to be convenient for me and easy to access.

Q:  Why did you choose Whitchurch as the place for the new Centre?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  I have lived in Whitchurch for nearly 30 years.  It is my home and an area of Cardiff that I love.  Whitchurch village is a pleasant place to be and has a good feeling of local community.  I felt the centre could become a real asset to the community and the village.

Q:  What have you had to change in your life to take on the running of a Centre?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  I had to reduce other commitments so that I had more time available, and t​he main manifestation of this was with regard to our horses. We owned two horses at the time and they took up a lot of my time. We ga​ve our gelding to​ the place where they are liveried, and put our old mare on retirement livery. This meant that they could stay together and both be happy and cared for without needing​ my attention day by day.

Q:  What does the Centre offer to the people of Whitchurch and Cardiff?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  The Centre offers teaching on Vajrayana Buddhism, Tibetan Yoga and Buddhist arts and crafts. We offer meditation instruction and group practice. There is also a small reference library. 

Q:  ​When are you open?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  Something is available every day except Sunday and Monday. There is something available during every part of the day: morning, afternoon and evening at some point in the week. Our
schedule can be found at aro-ling.org/cardiff, and at meetup.com/arolingcardiff.

Q:  ​Do you offer courses?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  ​Yes, and we hope to increase these as Aro Ling Cardiff moves into its second year. Our evening courses ​are usually on Thursday​ evenings for around five weeks, ​and​ explore particular Buddhist teachings in some depth.  We also run Saturday morning courses, including a regular introduction to meditation practice on the first Saturday of each month.​

Q:  What tradition of Buddhism does the Centre teach?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  The Aro Tradition – which is a small branch of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Q:  In what way does this tradition differ from other Buddhist traditions?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  It has an emphasis on Vajrayana practice, embracing ordinary life as the path of Liberation.  The ordained practitioners in the Aro Tradition are not monks or nuns b​ut​ tantrikas, yogis and yoginis, who live an ordinary non-celibate lifestyle whilst maintaining their commitment to practice and the Vajrayana vows.​ This tradition embraces romance, marriage and family life as a powerful means of gaining realisation.

Q:  Would you say that this approach is particularly suited to Western people?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  Absolutely – that is why it is so valuable and so important that people learn about this style of practice.  The householder tradition was well-known in Tibet, but it is the monastic style of practice that has mostly been imported to the West. It is vital that something other than renunciation and a monastic style of practice is available to those who do not find this works for them but still feel an affinity to Buddhism.

Q:  How do you make the Centre and it’s activities known to the public?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  We advertise as much as we can afford! Leaflets are delivered locally a couple of times a year and we advertise in The Local Advertiser.  I have a notice board at the end of the drive that advertises our activities.  We use Facebook, Twitter and Meetup and other social networking. ​We produce flyers and posters and simply try to let as many people know of our existence as possible.

Q:  Aro Ling Cardiff has been open for a year. Has the response to the Centre met with your expectations?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  ​The response has been most encouraging.​ The first courses were better attended than I expected and this has evolved into a regular group for meditation on a Tuesday evening. The furtherance of awareness of Vajrayana Buddhism and the Householder Lineage is the primary purpose of the centre, and this is going well.

Q:  What are your plans for the future?

Ngakma Nor’dzin:  ​We are hoping to offer more courses as these have been popular, and we will continue with the Saturday opening. ​There will be Tibetan yoga sessions and opportunities for craft work. We are hoping to get a projector so that we can do visual presentations and show Buddhist films. We will continue to invite guest teachers​ from time to time and may have weekend teaching events and retreats as well.  ​I hope that we ​will​ be able to​ expand what we are able to offer and giving a more detailed view of the amazing scope of the Aro teachings and practice.