A-Kyong Düd’dül Dorje

A-Kyong Düd’dül Dorje

Born on 1st September, A-Kyong Düd’dül Dorje was a friend of ’a-Shul Pema Legden. He joined with Aro Lingma and ’a-Shul Lama on their way South from Khordong. He was a ngak’phang Lama connected with ’a-Shul Lama’s family clan. He was a cousin on ’a-Shul Lama’s mother’s side of the family – a son of ’a-Shul Lama’s maternal aunt called Nor’gyal Pema. A-Kyong Düd’dül Dorje was a Dorje Phurba master. He was extraordinarily skilled in making phurbas in metal and wood, (as well as bone, ivory, and other materials). Whilst living at the Aro gar he made over one hundred and eleven wooden phurbas with the assistance of the disciples of Aro Yeshé. He was known for his deftness in carving and for the perfection of the expression which he gave to the wrathful faces on the phurbas.

[See Aro Encyclopaedia]

September Newsletter – Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre

Aro Ling Buddhist Centre
35 Merthyr Road, Whitchurch, Cardiff, CF14 1DB  07875 716644
September Newsletter 2015

Summer is coming to an end and it seems quite autumnal already. We hope you have had an enjoyable summer despite the rain. Although we may regret the end of the summer, at least there is the new programme at Aro Ling to look forward to – an additional evening meditation group every week, and four interesting courses to take us up to the end of the year.

During the recess with Aro Ling closed during the day, we have been doing a little tidying up and rearranging – including putting up picture rail. This makes the thangkas much easier to hang and really adds a finishing touch to the room.

Until 22nd September, Aro Ling Cardiff is only open for the Tuesday evening Meditation Group. From Tuesday 22nd September, 10:30am, the new programme commences. Please see details of daytime opening, weekly evening groups, and monthly events below. We look forward to seeing you at Aro Ling soon.

For full details of all events please go to aro-ling.org, meetup.com/arolingcardiff or check out the static pages of this blog.

Weekend events:
September 25 – 27: How to be Human
October 23 – 25: Myriad Meditations
November 27 – 29: Liberating Emotion
December 11 – 13: Dignity & Heroism

Weekly schedule
Tuesdays:
sKu-mNyé 10:30; Meditation & Song 12:00; Meditation Group 19:00 – 20:30
Wednesdays:
sKu-mNyé 14:00; Meditation & Song 15:15; Siop Siarad 16:15; sKu-mNyé 17:30
Thursdays:
Meditation Group 19:00 – 20:00 (starts September 24th)

Monthly schedule:
First Saturday of month: Discovering Spaciousness of Mind  10:00 – 12:00; an introduction to the Aro gTér Lineage and its practices, and to the Nyingma school of Buddhism; £5 donation requested.
Weekends – one weekend retreat a month Friday 19:00 to Sunday 12:00, 5 sessions; £6 a session or £25 for the weekend

sKu-mNyé is a physical yoga practice. It offers a range of movements, from simple and gentle to demanding and vigorous – so there is something for everyone. All are welcome whatever age or level of fitness. A wonderful form of exercise that is refreshing and invigorating. Each class is 1 hour and a
donation of £3 is requested.

Meditation groups and daytime meditation – beginners and experienced meditators welcome. Short periods of meditation are interspersed with yogic song and chant. Discover emptiness and self-awareness.  Daytime £3, evening £5 donation requested. Introductory session every first Saturday of the month – £5 donation requested.

Weekend events encompass teachings on Vajrayana Buddhism, practice in everyday life, and living as honourable people with humour and warmth. Some events include Vajrayana craft activities. The weekend is divided into 5 sessions and charged at £6 a session or £25 for the whole weekend.

Siop Siarad is hosted by Aro Ling and is a gathering for those learning Welsh through ‘Say Something in Welsh’. Games and activities.

August Newsletter – Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre

Well the weather is not very summery even though we are moving into August and peak holiday season. We hope you are having an enjoyable summer nevertheless.

Aro Ling Cardiff will be open as usual for the first two weeks of August, and then closed for about a month – except for the Tuesday evening Meditation Group which will continue.

The programme for the autumn term will start on Tuesday 22nd September.
The main change to the schedule is the addition of another meditation group at 19:00 on Thursdays. This will be led by Ngakpa Samten and Ngakma Ta-tsal.
The Tuesday evening meditation group will continue to be led by Ngakma Nor’dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin.

There will be four weekend events in the autumn term:
September 25 – 27: How to be Human
October 23 – 25: Myriad Meditations
November 27 – 29: Liberating Emotion
December 11 – 13: Dignity & Heroism

For full details of all events at Aro Ling, please visit aro-ling.org or the Aro Ling Cardiff blog.

Weekly schedule

Tuesdays:
sKu-mNyé at 10:30; Meditation & Song at 12:00; Meditation Group 19:00 – 20:30

Wednesdays:
sKu-mNyé 14:00; Meditation & Song 15:15; Siop Siarad 16:15; sKu-mNyé 17:30

Thursdays:
Meditation Group 19:00 – 20:00 (starts September 24th)

Monthly schedule:

Saturday - first of month: Discovering Spaciousness of Mind  10:00 – 12:00
Weekends – one weekend retreat a month Friday 19:00 to Sunday 12:00, 5 sessions

sKu-mNyé is a physical yoga practice. It offers a range of movements, from simple and gentle to demanding and vigorous – so there is something for everyone. All are welcome whatever age or level of fitness. A wonderful form of exercise that is refreshing and invigorating.
Each class is 1 hour and a donation of £3 is requested.

Meditation groups and daytime meditation – beginners and experienced meditators welcome.
Short periods of meditation are interspersed with yogic song and chant. Discover emptiness and self-awareness.  Daytime £3, evening £5 donation requested.
Introductory session every first Saturday of the month – £5 donation requested.

Weekend events encompass teachings on Vajrayana Buddhism, practice in everyday life, and living as honourable people with humour and warmth. Some events include Vajrayana craft activities. The weekend is divided into 5 sessions and charged at £6 a session or £25 for the whole weekend.

Siop Siarad is hosted by Aro Ling and is a gathering for those learning Welsh
through ‘Say Something in Welsh’. Games and activities.

Rang-rig Togden

Rang-rig Togden

Born on 18th July, Rang-rig Togden was the sang-yab and disciple of Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér.  Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér and Rang-rig Togden were the parents of Khyungchen Aro Lingma. It was from Rang-rig Togden that the Aro tradition inherited the style of using the gÇod Drum to accompany awareness-spell and many other practices. Rang-rig Togden was a gÇod-pa when he met Jomo Pema ’ö-Zér, and from her he received the Dzogchen long-dé teachings of Jomo Chhi’mèd Pema. Rang-rig Togden is one of a small number of great male practitioners within the Mother Essence Lineage of the Aro tradition.

[See Aro Encyclopaedia]

July Newsletter – Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre

​​
The ​Aro Ling Buddhist Centre in Cardiff is a lovely place to be on a sunny day. The high vaulted ceiling with sky lights makes it bright and airy. The room is decorated in the traditional Nyingma style, with a deep blue ceiling, and stripes of orange and green on yellow and deep red. It is not
easy to express the atmosphere this manner of decoration evokes​. I​t is peaceful and calming, whilst ​also ​enlivening awareness.  

As we approach July and August, the season of holidays and retreats, there will be some periods when Aro Ling is closed. Aro Ling​ will be closed from 1st July​ to ​13th July​ ​completely, as we will all be away for the summer encampment retreat​. This retreat, ​for the students of Ngakma Nor'dzin and Ngakpa 'ö-Dzin​, takes place in Shropshire​. Aro Ling will then reopen ​as usual ​until ​mid ​August. From 17th August till 21st September all daytime and weekend
courses will be suspended, with only the Tuesday evening meditation group running.

To summarise:
July ​01 - ​13​:​ closed completely​  
July 14​ - Aug ​16:​ open as usual
Aug ​17​ - Sept ​21: ​only the Tuesday evening meditation group running  
Sept ​22​​:​ ​opening hours back to normal and the start of the ​autumn programme  

All these dates and changes to the schedule can be found at aro-ling.org/cardiff or on Meetup.com/aro-ling-cardiff.   

Regular events:
Saturday: Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind: first Saturday of each month, 10 – 12, £5      (NB August only - not July and September)  
Tuesday: sKu-mNyé (Tibetan Yoga) for the over 50s, 10:30 – 11:30 requested donation £3  Tuesday: Song &  Meditation, 12:00 – 13:00 requested donation £3  
Tuesday: Meditation Group, 19:00 – 20:30 requested donation £5  
Wednesday: sKu-mNyé (Tibetan Yoga), 14:00  –  15:00 requested donation £3 
Wednesday: Yogic Song & Mantra, 15:15 – 16:00 requested donation £3  
Wednesday: sKu-mNyé (Tibetan Yoga), 17:30 – 18:30 requested donation £3    

June Newsletter – Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre

June Newsletter – Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre

Aro Ling had a stall at the Whitchurch May Day Carnival organised by Welsh Hearts. The weather was kind and Ngakma Nor’dzin and Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin enjoyed chatting to people and selling bric-a-brac in aid of the Drala Jong appeal, whose aim is to establish a residential retreat centre in Wales. A week later Ngakma Nor’dzin, one of the main teacher’s at Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre, celebrated her 60th birthday. She teaches Tibetan Yoga, leads Meditation and Yogic Song, and with her husband, Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin Tridral, leads the weekend events and retreats. Do come and long and find out about the practices of the Aro gTér Lineage which is part of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism.

The regular scheduled events will continue through June and there will be a retreat on the weekend of June 12th to 14th. Full details for all events can be found at the Aro Ling website. All are welcome.

The Elements of our Emotions  
a weekend retreat June 12 –14
£6 each session or £25 for the whole weekend
(plus a small extra charge for materials, approx £3)

5 sessions: join us for 1 session, several or the whole weekend
(1) Friday 19:00 – 20:30
Saturday (2)10:00 – 12:00, (3) 14:00 – 16:00, (4) 17:00 – 19:00
(5) Sunday 10:00 – 12:00

Ngakma Nor’dzin & Ngakpa ’ö-Dzin will teach on the elements earth, water, fire, air & space. Our emotions and emotional responses are patterned by distortion of the elements. This distortion can be unravelled. Discover the enlightened qualities of the elements & how to liberate these qualities. The weekend will include the practice of working with emotional patterning—for ourselves or others—through weaving the elements to create namkha: woven thread crosses.

Regular events at Aro Ling Cardiff Buddhist Centre:
Discovering the Spaciousness of Mind – first Saturday of each month, 10 – 12, £5
Tibetan Yoga for the over 50s – Tuesday 10:30 – 11:30 requested donation £3
Song & Meditation – Tuesday 12:00 – 13:00 requested donation £3  
Meditation Group – Tuesday 19:00 – 20:30 requested donation £5
Tibetan Yoga – Wednesday 14:00 – 15:00 requested donation £3
Yogic Song & Mantra – Wednesday 15:15 – 16:00 requested donation £3
Tibetan Yoga – Wednesday 17:30 – 18:30 requested donation £3

Ma-gÇig Labdrön

Ma-gÇig Labdrön

Born on 1st May, Ma-gÇig Labdrön (Ma gCig Lap sGron – 1055-1145) ‘Unique Mother Torch of Practice’ was the incarnation of Yeshé Tsogyel. Ma-gÇig Labdrön took incarnation as Jomo Menmo and then as Khyungchen Aro Lingma. Ma-gÇig Labdrön was the great Tibetan yogini who was the originator of the practice of gÇod – the Visionary practice of cutting attachment to corporeal form (in terms of the dualistic proclivity to relate to ones corporeal form as a reference-point that proves ones existence).

[See Aro Encyclopaedia]