Yeshe Wangmo's teachings at LHA, February 2010

Dechen Yeshe Wangmo New Orleans Events February 19-22, 2010

"Evolving not just for ourselves but to benefit all beings."

Practitioner, teacher, translator, and author, Dechen Yeshe Wangmo brought the wisdom and experience of the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition to life in the West, in her recent visit to LHA. Her Buddhist path began in Montreal, Canada in 1978. She was authorized as a teacher or lama in the Nyingma lineageof Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism in 1992. Ten years later, she founded Jnanasukha, dedicated to the female buddha Yeshe Tsogyal and the Dudjom lineage of The Dakini Heart Essence. Yeshe Wangmo is also a certified Hakomi Practitioner and Teacher. A long time resident of the Big Island of Hawai'i, she has visited New Orleans several times and this will be her first visit since Katrina. Her websites include: www.jnanasukha.org, www.yeshewangmo.net,www.leadershipmandala.com

The Sacred Sites of Yeshe Tsogyal in Tibet Slideshow & Travelogue
Friday, February 19, 7PM

Lama presented her slideshow of the first-ever pilgrimage to the sacred sites of Yeshe Tsogyal's life story in Tibet and also sharing her personal experiences in Tibet

The Lady Yeshe Tsogyal of Tibet: Myth & Archetype

Saturday, February 20, 10AM-12:15PM

The world of Tibetan Vajrayan Buddhism is filled with a vast array of spiritual archetypes and mythologies that provide guidance for the heroic journey to enlightenment. At any point in our own journeys, these "teachers" can offer us a more complete picture of who we are and where we are going. They can inspire, guide, and protect. The Lady Yeshe Tsogyal lived in eighth century Tibet. She was a spiritual and mundane heroine who battled personal and cultural limitations to succeed in realizing her true nature, which is the realization of all buddhas, regardless of gender. Lama Wangmo weaved and interpreted the mythology and archetypal aspects of Yeshe Tsogyal, suggesting how to pick up the thread of our own mythic life and recognize our worthiness and power.

The Quintessential Meditation Practice of Yeshe Tsogyal
Saturday, February 20, 2PM-4:30PM

"If you know me, you know that I reside in the hearts of all beings"

Yeshe Tsogyal This session included transmission, teachings, and practice of a concise Yeshe Tsogyal deity practice written by the great twentieth century master, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche. The practice was explained in terms of the three inner tantras of the Nyingma lineage.

Mountain Smoke Offering

Saturday February 20, 4:30PM-5:30PM

This fire ritual is part of the profound cycle of Dharma teachings called Accomplishment of the Awareness-Holders Vital Life-Force (Rigdzin Sokdrub), a heart-treasure which arose from the pure vision of the great Lhatsun Namkha Jigme (1597-1650). Its purpose is to purify and remove obstacles, both relative and ultimate. It is often done on a daily basis. This session included a short teaching followed by the practice itself.

Practicing Compassionate Presence: A Hakomi-Based Exploration
Sunday, February 21, 12-4PM

Drawing from neuroscience, spirituality, and psychotherapy, Hakomi has been evolving since the late seventies through the creative genius of Ron Kurtz, the founder of Hakomi. It is Yeshe's personal experience that Hakomi can play an important part in the ongoing process of cultivating a greater capacity to be more conscious of ourselves, more helpful to others, and more capable of participating in the task of reducing suffering in the world. In many situations, Compassionate Presence is the best gift we can offer to ourselves and others. To a certain extent this comes naturally, but if we want to be masterful, as the bodhisattvas are, we need to develop and practice more consciously. In this workshop, using parts of the Hakomi Method such as mindfulness and a mind-body interface, participants worked through a few gentle experiential exercies as a group, in pairs, or small pods. Participants were encouraged to gain more insight into their own meaning and practice of compassionate presence and into ways of being more skillful and effective.