Known as the meditation that can change one forever, the Heart Sutra is one of the most beloved practices of Buddhists all over the world. It is a chanting meditation and teaching which unravels the hidden assumptions behind the way we perceive ourselves, others, and all of reality. The Heart Sutra addresses the biggest questions of life from the Buddhist perspective including the four Extremes, god, godlessness, self, and identity. It addresses the defining perspective of Buddhism – emptiness – and its misinterpretations. Both philosophy and practice, the heart sutra awakens the vast view of a world that flows beyond reification and clinging.
“The Heart Sutra made a late appearance at a time when Tantric Buddhism had begun to flourish. The patriarch who compiled the Heart Sutra wanted to encourage followers of Tantric Buddhism to practice and recite the Heart Sutra, so that’s why he presented the Heart Sutra as a kind of mantra. This was also a skillful means. Thay has used the phrase, ‘The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,’ because in the mantra there is the expression pāragate which means ‘gone over to the other shore, the shore of wisdom’. Pārāyana and pāramitā have both been translated as ‘crossing over to the other shore.”
Thich Nhat Han
Dates and Times
December 1-3, 2023
About the Teacher
Shugen Roshi
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi is the Head of the Mountains and Rivers Order, abbot and resident teacher of Zen Mountain Monastery, and abbot of the Zen Center of New York City. He first encountered the Dharma and began his meditation practice in 1975. After studying undergraduate mathematics and receiving a degree in classical music (performance and composition), Shugen Roshi began studying with his primary teacher, John Daido Loori Roshi in 1984. He entered full-time monastic training in 1986 and was fully ordained in 1988. He received dharma transmission from John Daido Loori, Roshi in 1997 and continued his studies and practice at ZMM. After spending ten years as the resident teacher at the Zen Center of NYC in Brooklyn, NY (2004-2014), he returned to Zen Mountain Monastery in 2015 where he lives and teaches full time. His teachings on Zen, social justice and environmental stewardship have appeared in various Buddhist journals, and The Best Buddhist Writing 2009 (Shambhala Publications). His book of poetry, “O, Beautiful End,” a collection of Zen memorial poems, was published in 2012.
Pema Khandro, PhD
Pema Khandro is an internationally renowned teacher and scholar of Buddhist philosophy. She is the founder of Ngakpa International and its three projects, The Buddhist Studies Institute, Dakini Mountain and the Yogic Medicine Institute. In her work as a Buddhist teacher she is an authorized Lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma and Kagyu traditions and was enthroned to carry on the lineage of her predecessor, the first Pema Khandro, an early twentieth century yogini from Eastern Tibet. She has led a vibrant world-wide community since 1999. Through the Buddhist Studies Institute, she also offers a complete curriculum of training in Tibetan meditation and Buddhist Philosophy. She has a bachelor’s degree in Sociology, a Master’s degree specializing in Tibetan studies, and a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from the University of Virginia. Her scholarly research focuses on the history of Dzogchen and on Women in Tibetan Buddhism.
Tuition
Early Enrollment Tuition & Date (Until Nov 9): $199
General Tuition & Date (After Nov 9): $277
Financial Aid Considerations
Financial aid scholarships are available.
The course costs are set at a minimum fee already, with financial aid built into all tuition rates. Because we are a non-profit organization, the costs of all activities and overhead of our organization must be covered by the participants of the courses or donations and all courses are offered at below cost. For those who are experiencing genuine financial hardship and wish to enroll in the course, please fill out the Financial Aid application in advance: https://forms.gle/xwYaTamt2autMLKa9
Monastics always attend as our honored guests, please click here:
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Applications must be received in advance.
