Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha

Teacher Residencies

Below, we list residencies that we have scheduled. Details might change at any time so please check back for revisions and new information.

Brian Lesage, February 16-26, 2012
Everything and Nothing: Emptiness and Interdependence on the Spiritual Path
Flyer: Here is the residency flyer.
Teacher: Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation since 1988 and has taught meditation since 2000. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. He was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S. He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide. Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is anaturalistic approach to healing trauma. You can also visit his website for Somatic Experiencing at www.liberatingawareness.com.
Practice
Discussions: 		Brian has said: Practice discussions are an opportunity to explore any aspect of one's spiritual practice. Since spiritual practice encompasses the entirety of life, the discussions may center on anything that is relevant to one's journey. If you'd like to schedule individual time with Brian, sign-up sheets will be on the table at the Wat or contact Mel at 345-9165 or melmelschyahoo.com. The following times will be scheduled for practice discussions:

At Andrea's house in Los Ranchos:
Fri, 2/17: 11:00 am, 12:15 pm
Sat, 2/18: 10:00 am, 11:15 am, 12:30 pm
Mon, 2/20: 11:00 am, 1:30 pm
Tue, 2/21: 10:00 am, 11:15 am, 12:30 pm, 5:00 pm, 6:15 pm, 7:30 pm
Wed, 2/22: 10:00 am, 11:15 am, 12:30 pm
Fri, 2/24: 12:15 pm

At Alexcia's office next door to the Wat:
Mon, 2/20: 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm
Wed, 2/22: 6:30 pm, 7:45 pm

Study
Materials: 		Brian has provided study materials for the study groups to be held the evenings of February 17 and 24. You can get to the materials via links in the calendar below, on those dates.
Activities:
Date Day Activity with Brian Time Location
02/16/12 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk on Emptiness at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm The Wat
02/17/12 Friday Morning meditation and practice discussion 7:00 am to 8:30 am Home of Mel Schneider
1802 Valencia Drive NE
(at Constitution)
02/17/12 Friday Evening study group: Emptiness. For reading go to this web page: Emptiness by Thanissaro Bhikkhu 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Please check back for location.
02/19/12 Sunday Meditation and dharma talk on Interdependence at Sunday night meeting 6:30 pm Bhava Yoga Studio
02/20/12 Monday Morning meditation and practice discussion 7:00 am to 8:30 am Home of Mel Schneider
1802 Valencia Drive NE
(at Constitution)
02/23/12 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk on Emptiness at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm The Wat
02/24/12 Friday Morning meditation and practice discussion 7:00 am to 8:30 am Home of Mel Schneider
1802 Valencia Drive NE
(at Constitution)
02/24/12 Friday Evening study group: Interdependence. Here are study materials for you to download and print: Interdependence by Andrew Olendzki 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Alexcia's office, next door to the Wat.
02/25/12 Saturday Mindful hiking on the Domingo Baca Trail. This is a moderate to strenuous hike but we will stop at points along the way. Bring your lunch, plenty of water, rain gear, and warm clothing. If you have questions, please contact Rhonda Arkana, 505-349-8680, arkaname.com. 10:00 am to 4:00 pm We'll meet at Starbucks, 12251 Academy Rd. NE, near Tramway. From there we'll carpool to the trailhead at Elena Gallegos open space on Sims Road. If you wish, you can meet the group at the trailhead, near the bathrooms at the far north parking loop.
02/26/12 Sunday Half-day retreat 9:00 am to 1:00 pm The Source
02/26/12 Sunday Meditation and dharma talk on Interdependence at Sunday night meeting 6:30 pm Bhava Yoga Studio
Contact: Valerie Roth at 688-9005 or valerie.roth2gmail.com

Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia, September 5-30, 2012
Teacher: Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia has been a Dhamma teacher since 1990. She is a student of the western forest sangha, the disciples of Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Chah, and is a Lay Buddhist Minister in association with Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California. She served as resident teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts from 1996 through 1999. Taraniya serves as one of the three Core Faculty at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies where she does most of her teaching.

Please check back again for more information about the residency with Taraniya, but do mark your calendar now.

A note about dana: Dana for the teacher is appropriate at all events, including practice discussions and group discussions. Dana (pronounced dah-na) is a Pali word meaning generosity. Dating back to the time of the Buddha, there has existed an interdependence between those who offer the teachings and those who receive them. In keeping with this tradition, our teachers offer the teachings freely and generously. We reimburse our teachers' travel expenses to and from Albuquerque and give them a small per diem for expenses incurred in Albuquerque. This does not cover their expenses at home or other expenses they may have such as health insurance. At sittings, study groups, and retreats, students will have the opportunity to offer voluntary contributions (dana) to the teachers so that they can pay their own living expenses and continue to teach. We hope that you'll be generous to our wonderful teachers. If you'd like to read more about dana, here is an essay from the Cloud Mountain Retreat Center site: The Practice of Dana.

General Contact: Our general contact person for teacher residencies is Valerie Roth, valerie.roth2gmail.com, 505-688-9005. Feel free to contact Valerie if you have any questions or comments.

Other residencies in our area: See Vipassana Retreats and Residencies in the Region.

History: See Previous Teacher Residencies.

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