Geshe Dhonam at TCCL Buddhist Centre. Photo / Supplied
Geshe Dhonam at TCCL Buddhist Centre. Photo / Supplied
Tibetan New Year, generally known as Lhosar, is celebrated by Tibetan people and Buddhist practitioners around the world during the first 15 days of each year according to the Tibetan calendar. In the western world, this translates to February 12 to 27 this year. As in most cultures, New Yearis a time for exchanging best wishes, but Lhosar is also a time for sharing cultural and spiritual practices.
This year a highly respected Tibetan Lama will visit Whanganui during Lhosar and introduce The Eight Verses — a text that is recited and meditated on by Buddhists in order to train the mind to be more pliant and less reactive. In a world where stresses are becoming more acute as a result of crises such as Covid and climate change, it becomes more important to look within our own minds for means to achieve peace.
The skills of mind training have been at the heart of Buddhism since ancient times yet are highly relevant to today's problems.
Geshe Dhonam is a lama skilled in these ancient methods. He was born in Tibet and entered Drepung Monastery in South India at age 13 where he trained for 22 years to gain the Lharampa degree (comparable to a western doctorate in Buddhist philosophy) as well as the insight of a mature monk. Internationally he has taught in India, Mongolia and Russia, and he will resume periodic overseas travel when borders re-open. However, during the past 20 years he has been based in Auckland, teaching regularly in Auckland, Wellington and now, at the request of several local practitioners, in Whanganui.
This teaching is open to members of the public. It will be held on Saturday, February 20, from 10am to noon, and 2pm to 4pm. On Sunday, February 21 at 10am there will be a one hour Q&A follow-up session open to those who attended the Saturday sessions. There is no fixed charge but a koha is appreciated.
Events will be held at the Trashi Chang Chup Ling Buddhist Centre at 7 Waitote St in Castlecliff. There's limited space so please ring Paul Jacobsen on 0275545543 if you are keen to attend.
