Walking the Diamond Path: Further Explorations into Vajrayana
With Lama Liz Monson
July 8 - August 11, 2021
Live Online + unlimited access to course recordings
A six-week course, Wednesdays – July 8 through August 11, 2021
5:00–6:30 pm EDT
Thousands of years ago, the Buddha predicted that the teachings of the Vajrayana would become a key element on the path to restore sanity and clarity to the world and to the minds and hearts of beings. Today, we see a deep need for methods and techniques by which we can navigate the uncertainty, injustices, suffering, and instability of our current circumstances, from the COVID-19 virus to the rapidly escalating effects of climate change. The Vajrayana provides us with just such methods, offering a comprehensive plan for transforming our relationship to the difficult from one of resistance and avoidance to one of liberative enthusiasm.
Join Lama Liz for the second six-week series exploring the Vajrayana. During this course, we will continue our journey into the sacred world (the view, meditation and conduct) of Vajrayana Buddhism. Along the way, we will explore such topics as the Four Empowerments that ripen; the Three Bodies of a Buddha; Vajrayana practice and the Bardo; and the relationship of Vajrayana view and practice and the natural world. We will continue to investigate how the transformative technologies of tantric practices work to purify, melt, and dissolve our karmic patterns of reactivity and suffering. We will also explore how these expedient methods remain nestled within and enhanced by the practices of compassion and natural awareness found within all stages of Buddhist practice.
This course is open to all. No previous experience with Vajrayana philosophy or practice is necessary although some experience with Buddhist practice, doctrine and ideas is helpful. You are welcome to register for this retreat if you haven’t attended Walking the Diamond Path: What is Vajrayana?.
Please note: Participation in this course is NOT authorization to practice the Vajrayana. The goal of this course is to provide insight and information about the Vajrayana path so that participants can decide for themselves if they are interested in practicing Vajrayana. Actual Vajrayana practice requires permission and transmission of the respective teachings. Anyone who is interested in Natural Dharma Fellowship’s Vajrayana track can email vajrayana@naturaldharma.org for more information.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION. Please read carefully! The Zoom link will be emailed to all those registered two days before the course begins. If you don’t see an email from Natural Dharma Registrar or Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, it may have mistakenly gone to your spam/junk folder or Promotions or Update categories. Contact the registrar at retreats@wonderwellrefuge.org on Tuesday, Feb. 2 if you have not received the Zoom link.
The same Zoom link will be used each week, so you may want to save it in your calendar so that it is easily accessible. It will also be available in the dashboard of your user account beginning three days before the retreat begins.
PROGRAM COST – It is Natural Dharma Fellowship’s aspiration that no one be turned away from our teachings and retreats because they are unable to pay the full cost. In order make our courses affordable for all who wish to attend, we are offering a three-level fee structure that takes into account people’s differing financial circumstances:
- Benefactor – for those who can afford it, this fee level helps provide support for those with limited financial resources and assists with the care and maintenance of Wonderwell Mountain Refuge
- Course fee – for those who can cover the basic cost of a retreat or course
- Supported – for those with limited financial resources or recent financial hardship
The pricing options for a particular retreat are based primarily on its length and are intended to give you an idea of what it costs to offer that retreat. The amounts listed are suggestions. You may write in any amount that fits your financial situation. Any amount offered above the Course Fee level will be considered a tax-deductible donation and will be acknowledged as such.
USER ACCOUNTS & RESOURCES
A new feature of our website—user accounts—provides a secure place where materials from your retreats can be posted and accessed. If you don’t have an account already, you’ll want to set one up as soon as you register.
- Paid resources – retreat recordings and other retreat materials, including Zoom links – will only be available in the dashboard of your user account.
- If you haven’t already created an NDF user account, please visit our website to Create an account as soon as possible.
- User accounts are manually synced with the retreat 24-48 hours prior to its start. Please be aware that this does not happen automatically with registration. It is a separate, manual operation.
- You must have a user account set up 48 hours prior to the start of an event for access to any pre-retreat materials provided by the teacher.
- If you register less than 48 hours before a retreat, we cannot guarantee you will have access to your account when the program begins. In that case, your account will be synced 24-48 hours after the program has finished.
Please visit the Technical FAQ page on our website for useful information about user accounts, helpful tutorials, as well as answers to many other questions. You can contact support@naturaldharma.org with questions about your user account.
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About the Teacher
Lama Liz Monson
Lama, Managing Teacher, Spiritual Co-Director Elizabeth Monson, PhD, is the Spiritual Co-Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship and the Managing Teacher at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge in Springfield, NH. Liz was authorized as a dharma teacher and lineage holder in the Kagyu Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism after over 30 years of studying, practicing, and teaching Tibetan Buddhism […]
Learn more about Lama Liz MonsonCategories : Lama Liz, Meditation Retreat, Multi-week courses, Vajrayana