Zone of Ahimsa - Stand By Me

4:30 to 8:30 Saturday December 12, 2015

Please join us for our annual celebration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Prize for peace and “Stand By” His Holiness by helping to further his vision of the Zone of Ahimsa, or Zone of Peace.

• Community Meeting -This is an opportunity to hear Emaho’s past year in review, Emaho's plans for the future, and the progress of projects in Tibet.
• Volunteer appreciation - Have you volunteered this year? Please come and be recognized for your efforts. Want to become more involved? Come find out how.
• Chili and Corn Bread Dinner with Dessert Bar – Warm up with mild or spicy vegetarian chili. Top it off with a yummy dessert.
• Blessing of the new children’s area, “Camp Ahimsa”
• Talk by Rinpoche  
• "Stand By Me" Video - Street performers across the world unite in song to support human rights throughout the world, including the Exile Brothers from Dharamsala
• Prayer -  Long Life Prayer for His Holiness.

Hearts on Fire! Saturday November 21

You're invited -- please save the date: Saturday, November 21

As Emaho is a 501 non-profit organization, its fundraisers are a vital part of our growth and sustainability. They are vital to providing for our teachers and for helping the Dharma flourish and grow. The fall fundraiser "Hearts on Fire" is our biggest fundraiser of the year. This year it will be held in our beautiful community center located at 11435 North Cave Creek Road, Phoenix, AZ 85020. Please come to show your support.

Pet Blessings by ZaChoeje Rinpoche

Starting at 8:00 AM - 11 AM bring pets or pictures of pets

All animals who arrive during these time will have the opportunity to be blessed. Something like that. 

Suggested donation $25 for any number of pets
Good for one adult admission to dinner and silent auction 

Dinner and Silent Auction

5:00 - 10:00 PM (dinner at 6:30) 
Adults $25; Kids ages 15-17 $10; under 15 free

Treasure Vase Grand Opening

If you're the "buy it now" type or want to get some of your holiday gift shopping done early, please note that the long awaited Grand Opening of our Treasure Vase store will be part of the Hearts on Fire fundraiser too. We have many new items including Thangkas. Don't miss it!

Can you help by donating an auction item?

If so please contact Melissa Smith at 623-505-8231 orcfo@emahofoundation.org. Variety is a big part of the fun! Donated auction items can be new or used. They can be unique or everyday items, fun or practical. Some examples of popular items are -- books/computer games/dvd's, kid's toys/furnishings, paintings/posters, small appliances, gadgets, tools, camping equipment, pet supplies, bath and beauty items, jewelry, art objects, handmade crafts and ornaments, hotel/dinner/theater packages, sporting or cultural event tickets, personal service or restaurant gift certificates, or cooking/music/golf lesson gift certificates. And, of course "theme baskets."

This is a special opportunity to receive the blessing empowerment of Buddha Shakyamuni in Tibetan Buddhist tradition. In this ceremony, we will establish a deep spiritual connection with Buddha Shakyamuni. By receiving this empowerment, we can awaken the supreme qualities within our consciousness and find the pure true nature of our mind.

This workshop will begin with an empowerment ceremony, and will be followed by two sessions of commentary teachings on "In Praise of Dependent Origination" by the great Jamgon Lama Tsongkhapa.

“In Praise of Dependent Origination”
Master Tsongkhapa gives poetical expression to his enormous appreciation of Buddha’s kind and compassionate teaching of dependent arising or origination, which is the essence of all wisdom that clears the darkness of ignorance.

All are welcome.

On Saturday September 5th and Sunday September 6th 2015 
10:00 am – 5:00 pm

Saturday

• 9:30 – 10:00 am On site registration**
• 10:00 – 12:00 Empowerment
• 12:00 – 2:00 pmLunch Break (pot luck)
• 2:00 – 3:30 pm Commentary teaching
• 4:00 – 5:00 pm Discussion session

Sunday

• 10:00 – 12:00 Oral transmission
• 12:00 – 2:00 pm Lunch Break
• 2:00 – 3:30 pm Commentary teaching
• 4:00 – 5:00 pm Discussion session

Suggested donation: $108

Nobody is turned away from lack of funds.

**Participants are encouraged to pre-register to guarantee a place at the empowerment. Registration can also be done at the event itself for those unable to pre-register.

Please join us for our potluck on Saturday. It is an opportunity to be with Rinpoche during his brief time back in Arizona and to re-connect with sangha members. Please contact Donna at donna@emahofoundation.org about the dish you plan to bring.

Please help us celebrate this August, ZaChoeje Rinpoche's birthday month.

For the third year we are offering the popular Work A Day for Rinpoche Fundraiser. Dedicating a day of your wages for Rinpoche and the Dharma has become a meaningful show of support for our kind and generous teacher and the work he does.

Please join others taking delight in helping to further the tireless work and vision of Rinpoche as he helps share the joy and possibilities of the Dharma.

Wherever the day takes you for that one day, you bring Bodhichitta to all your actions as you dedicate the day to Rinpoche.

We will send a card with your name to Rinpoche as a spiritual supported who has worked a day in mindfulness. We wish ZaChoeje Rinpoche a long life --

'"Perfectly trained in listening, contemplating, and meditating upon the tradition of Lama Tsong Kampa you are skilled in delivering countless beings to ultimate liberation may you live long for the glory of dharma"
From ZaChoeje Rinpoche's Long Life Prayer, written for him by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

Please donate a day's wage, or any amount you are able to offer in honor of Rinpoche. On a day of your choosing, as you Work A Day for Rinpoche, you can aspire to move through the day with thoughts of Bodhisattva intention and gratitude for finding an auspicious lineage master from whom to receive the Dharma.

You can choose any amount you wish to donate by using the PayPal button below, or you can mail your donation directly to Emaho Foundation at PO Box 1563 Litchfield Park AZ 85340-1563.

It's exciting that Geshe’s first language class was such a success. He has received requests for additional classes.

We are happy to announce that starting Saturday, September 12, Geshe is offering three different language programs. The Tibetan language is a syllabary script based on the writing system of the ancient Sanskrit language of India. It was developed for translating precious spiritual texts. Even learning a little Tibetan is beneficial in helping us to better understand our practice of Dharma.

8:30am-9:30am Intermediate Tibetan (Tibetan 2), 8 classes.
For those who have taken beginning Tibetan with Geshe or for those of you who have a rudimentary understanding of the written language, please join Geshe continuing your study. In this class you will continue building a basic vocabulary and start to shift from learning the alphabet, spelling and grammar to developing vocabulary and learning the nuances of meaning. The intent of this class is to get the student ready to study Tibetan texts, deepening the student’s understanding and practice.
Suggested donation for the Intermediate Tibetan language classes is $108.00

9:30am-10:30am Beginning Tibetan (Tibetan 1), 8 classes.
This class is designed for students who have no previous knowledge of classical Tibetan.
The first series will consist of 8 classes. Learning the history of the Tibetan language and being able to recognize and pronounce characters, aids us in realizing the full potential of our Buddhist studies. Included in the curriculum is language history, recognition and pronounciation of the characters of the alphabet, basic grammar, phrase construction and useful vocabulary.
Suggested donation for the first eight class series on Tibetan language is $108.00

For those of you who took the first class, you are welcome to come sit in without a suggested donation.

10:30am-11:30am Learning to write Tibetan script, 8 classes.
This class is open to students taking either Beginning Tibetan or Intermediate Tibetan. In this hour Geshe will begin to teach students to write the beautiful Tibetan script. Starting with learning to write the alphabet we gain confidence and will learn to write mantras helping us deepen not only our understanding of the Tibetan language but of our practice of Dharma. 8 class series.
Suggested donation for the full class, $50.00

Classes

Intermediate Tibetan $108.00 USDBeginning Tibetan $108.00 USDTibetan Script $50.00 USD

If anyone is interested in one-on-one classes, please contact Geshe for an appointment.

This year’s Summer Blast Fund raiser is at the Mountain Club Clubhouse in Prescott. Join us any time between 11 am and 8 pm. There will be a Tibetan Yoga class led by a certified yoga instructor, followed by a meditation led by Geshe Lobsang, and homemade Mexican food. After an afternoon of relaxation, hiking, biking, or exploring downtown Prescott and its annual Street Fair, we will gather for a talk by Geshe, who will describe his harrowing journey from Tibet to India when he was 12 years old.

There will be a raffle for “Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva” DVD Collection and Tibetan Yoga DVDs for sale, both taught by ZaChoeje Rinpoche.
Finally, we will clean up and depart our summer oasis at around 8 PM.

Read more, see the map, and register online:

Registration is required by August 5th. We need to know the number of attendees, so we can prepare enough food for lunch.

SUGGESTED DONATION

Adults:     $50
Youth:        $5 (7-18 years old)
Children:   Free (6 and under)
Family:     $100
Raffle tickets:  $5
Tibetan Yoga DVD: $20 

LOCATION

910 Clubhouse Rd Prescott AZ 86303 (call 602-799-2497 if you get lost)

There is a street fair in downtown Prescott, the area around the courthouse may be congested. Please e-mail us if you would like some additional maps to go aroud the courthouse.

(For a larger version of the map below, click here to go to the Mountain Club website.)

DETAILS

We will meet around 11 AM Saturday morning.  After drinks and appetizers, we will have a Tibetan Yoga class, followed by a  meditation with Geshe Lobsong. 

This is followed by a homemade Mexican dinner with enchilada casserole, tamale pie, pinto beans and all the fixings.  We then will have the afternoon to hike or bike around Mountain Club, scale Thumb Butte, or check out downtown Prescott and the Street Fair at the plaza. 

For those who prefer R&R, you can read, meditate or just relax in the screened in patio in the cool pine forest.  We will gather back around 5 PM for a talk by Geshe.   He will describe his harrowing journey from Tibet to India when he was 12 years old.  Following his talk, we will have light dinner (more lunch goodies) and dessert. 

There will be a raffle for “Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva” DVD Collection and Tibetan Yoga DVDs for sale, both taught by  ZaChoeje Rinpoche.

Finally, we will clean up and depart our summer oasis at around 8 PM. 

SCHEDULE 

11:00 - 11:30 am    Mountain Club Clubhouse  
11:30 - 12:30 pm    Tibetan Yoga Class taught by a certified Yoga Teacher followed by a meditation offered by Geshe Lobsang
12:30 -   2:00 pm      Lunch (Mexican Food)
  2:00 -   5:00 pm      Hiking, biking, street fair, relaxing etc.
  5:00 –   6:00 pm     Talk by Geshe Lobsong   “Exodus from Tibet”   
  6:00 –   8:00 pm     Light dinner (Mexican Food) and dessert (Raffle winner announced)
                                        Clean up and departure

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TRIP

• The weather is unpredictable.  We will be protected from the rain if the monsoons should kick up, but having a spare change of clothes, umbrella and light jacket would be a good idea.

• However, it could be hot and a wide brimmed hat and sunscreen might be in order

• A yoga mat or pillow for additional comfort when meditating or practicing would be useful.

• Water will be provided at the clubhouse, but bring a portable bottle for your afternoon excursion.
  
  
• The annual Mountain Artist Guild will be having an art fair at the downtown plaza, about a mile away from the clubhouse.  It is a great option for your afternoon excursion.

• Other Prescott downtown establishments of interest include: The Tibet Gallery and Nectar Apothecary

• Bring your bicycle.  Prescott has challenging hills to work off the lunch and get a good work out.

• Maps will be available for getting around the city and destination points.

• Thumb Butte and QuartzMountain are two great trails a short distance from the clubhouse.  Nominal parking fees may be incurred at the Thumb Butte trailhead.

• Link to Mountain Club Clubhouse for map and more information http://www.themountainclub.us/themountainclub/page.html?page_id=35

White Tara Workshop
Saturday June 6 and Sunday June 7
10 am - 4 pm

Bringing fearlessness and balance of wind element with Tara practice.

In Tibetan Buddhism, the female Buddha Tara is the manifestation of the completely purified wind element and the pure activities of all Buddhas. She actually represents the wind element of our body and the courageous nature of our mind. She also represents the ability to act and to accomplish our goals.

During this workshop, Rinpoche will teach us on how to invoke the fearlessness quality in our mind and how to balance the wind element in our body by using the methods of Tara practice.

To attend this workshop, you are NOT required to have an empowerment of Tara.

Suggested donation $108. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.

Please join us Friday, May 29, at 7:00 pm as we start our popular popcorn and movie night. The first film in our center, with its huge screen and incredible sound system, will be "Kundun." Tibetans refer to His Holiness the Dalai Lama as Kundun, which translates to "The Presence."

This epic biographical film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is based on the life and writing of the 14th Dalai Lama.

The film is a favorite of many sangha members. Come relax and enjoy.

Suggested donation $10. No one is ever turned away for lack of funds.

Schedule, beginning May 9:
Every Saturday 9:30-10:30 - Tibetan Language classes
Every other Saturday 11:00-12:00 - The Great Exposition on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim)

We are pleased to announce Geshe-la Lobsang Chophel will begin Saturday teachings. The first classes begin Saturday May 9.

From 9:30-10:30 Geshe-la will offer Tibetan Language classes.  The first series will consist of 8 classes. Learning the history of the Tibetan language and being able to recognize and pronounce characters, aids us in realizing the full potential of our Buddhist studies. Included in the curriculum is language history, recognition and pronunciation of the characters of the alphabet, basic grammar, phrase construction and useful vocabulary.

The suggested donation for the first eight class series on Tibetan language is  $108.00.

From 11:00-12:00 every other Saturday Geshe will offer teachings on The Great Exposition on the Gradual Path to Enlightenment.  The classes are designed for people new to Buddhism as well as the more advanced student.  The classes are a fantastic opportunity to study in a traditional, personal Tibetan Buddhist setting with a revered Geshe.

Geshe will teach and help us study the three principal aspects of the path, leading us ultimately to the full realization of the aspects of renunciation, bodhicitta, and emptiness.

His Holiness The Dalai Lama says of the Lam Rim;

"Of the many works of the Tibetan master Tsong-kha-pa, none compare in terms of popularity and breadth of influence with The Great treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim Chen Mo), which has been treasured by practitioners and scholars alike for centuries. What distinguishes it as one of the principal texts of Mahayana Buddhism is its scope and clarity. The various stages of the path are presented so clearly and systematically that they can be easily understood and are inspiring to put into practice."
--- H.H The Dalai Lama

The suggested donation for the Lam Rim classes is $15.00 a class.

 It has always been the policy of Emaho to offer the Dharma without consideration of cost.  The kind and generous suggested donations we receive go solely toward taking care of the expenses we incur running the center and providing space for practioners and our kind teachers.

Emaho is a totally volunteer organization. Your donations and time are Emaho’s heartbeat.

Sunday, April 26, 10 am - 2 pm

Zachoeje Rinpoche will share with us the fascinating history of his region in the far reaches of Tehor, Tibet, and will talk abut the significance of preserving the unique Tibetan culture that is on the verge of extinction.  He will share his projects in this vast region, talk with us about the building of the new Za Gonsar Tashi Ganden Choephel Ling Monastery, nunnery for the nuns, his plans for the health and welfare of the people living in the beautiful, remote highlands of Tibet.  Rinpoche will share slides and take questions.  After the talk there will be a Tibetan lunch at Emaho Tibetan center. 

Suggested donation $50.00

Please register online by emailing us at mail@emahofoundation.org.  It is extremely helpful for us if you register online for the sake of lunch preparation. 

Saturday April 11, 10 am - 4 pm
Sunday April 12, 10 am - 4 pm

In samsara we create many problems for ourselves and others by not understanding the nature of life, unless we have great understanding that guides us.

Buddha drew this Wheel of Life painting to help us understand the nature of life. He categorized the process of cyclic life into twelve components, known as the "Twelve Links of Interdependent Origination."

Learning about and contemplating these simple yet powerful teachings can give us the clarity and insight we need to balance our life and enjoy the ride of life without struggling over the struggles.

Rinpoche will share with us some new tools and techniques, that if utilized, will bring balance and happiness into our life and the lives of others. Rinpoche will convey the essence of the most profound Buddha's teachings with ease, directness, and humor.

This workshop will be held at the spacious and peaceful setting of Emaho Tibetan Center at Cave Creek Road in the Phoenix metro area.

Please join us on Saturday April 11 and Sunday April 12 from 10:00-4:00pm.

Suggested donation $108.00

Please know that no one is ever turned away from teachings for lack of funds

Please mark your calendar to join ZaChoeje Rinpoche at Emaho’s annual retreat, Friday evening May 22, Saturday May 23, and Sunday May 24. This year’s retreat will be held at our spacious Emaho location at Cave Creek Road in Phoenix, Arizona.

By request ZaChoeje Rinpoche has graciously agreed to bestow the White Tara empowerment and teach us how to practice the sadhana. The White Tara practice is known as the Wish Fulfilling Wheel (Drolkar Yishin Khorlo).

The empowerment ceremony is a Buddhist tradition handed down from master to student going back to Shakyamuni Buddha himself. The transmission of this White Tara empowerment allows the practitioner to engage in the White Tara practice to benefit oneself and others by bringing spiritual and material enrichments.

White Tara embodies the great compassionate nature and abundant activities of all the Buddhas. It will allow us to live a long, healthy, enriched life.
During the retreat Rinpoche will teach and share with us the profound practice of White Tara.

Schedule

Friday

6:00 pm Doors open
7:00 pm to 8:30pm Welcoming ceremony and introduction

Saturday

7:00 am Coffee and tea
7:30-8:30 am Tibetan meditation
8:30-9:30 Light breakfast
10:00 am Empowerment
Noon-1:30 pm Lunch
2:00-4:30 Introduction on how to practice
5:30-6:30 pm Dinner
7:00-8:00 Practice

Sunday

6:30 am Coffee and tea
7:00-8:00 Tibetan meditation
8:30-9:30 am Breakfast
10:00-noon Practice
12:30-1:30 pm Lunch
2:00-4:15 pm Practice and tsok
5:00-7:00 pm Dinner
7:00 pm Retreat closes

Registration closes May 18

Suggested donation $175

Registration is required so that we can plan meals and have Sadhanas ready.

Kindly register online before May 18 with Paypal or send a check to Emaho Foundation, PO Box 1563, Litchfield Park AZ 85340-1563.

Please understand that the option for the empowerment only is not available this time.

March 21, 1:00 pm
ZaChoeje Rinpoche

This empowerment is open to all. Kurukulle is known as 'Rig jay Ma' in Tibetan, which means 'She who brings understanding.' Kurukulle is the enchantment deity in Vajrayana Buddhism. She represents the charismatic and magnetism qualities of enlightenment. By practicing this, we learn to evoke our own ability to bring success and abundance into our own lives. Also, it will help us to protect ourselves and others from the acts of negative people and forces.

We are expecting a large group for this event. Carpooling and rsvp is very much appreciated. There is overflow parking on Cortez St. going east from Cave Creek Rd., lining the north side of the Nature Preserve. People can park along this street.

UPDATE (Feb. 1):
The total number of mantras chanted on January 25, 2015:

4,320,000 - Tibet and India
200,380 - Emaho
82,021 - New Zealand

We thank everyone for their participation!

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On Sunday January 25 Rinpoche, together with our new resident teacher Geshe Lobsang Choephel, will lead our annual Mantrathon with four sessions of Chenrezig practice and mantra recitation.

Our annual Mantrathon is held with wishes for a peaceful year, a year of benefical resolution to world problems, a year of healing and happiness.

The Mantrathon will be a worldwide community event, with practitioners from Tashi Gaden Chopeling monastery in Tibet, the people in Rinpoche’s region in Tibet, monks of Drepung Loseling monastery in India, Rinpoche’s students in New Zealand, friends from Japan, the sangha from Yakima, and friends in New Mexico.

Rinpoche will lead the four-session Mantrathon. We will send out a stream of mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum, to surround ourselves and the world in loving kindness.

The suggested donation is $ 60. The Dharma is always free. Donations help us to support a Dharma center and two teachers. However, no one is turned away for lack of funding. The mantrathon will be in a larger room upstairs at the new center. 

It is also possible to accumulate the mantras at home.

Please let us know by e-mail mail@emahofoundation.org whether you plan to attend.  This will help us to have Sadhanas and luncheons ready.

Schedule
You are welcome to stay all day, or spend as much time as your schedule permits.  You may also join us from home.

7:00am bagels, juice, coffee and tea

First session
7:30am-9:30am
Break
9:30am -10:00am

Second session
10:00am -noon
Lunch: we provide soup and bread
Noon - 1:30pm

Third session
1:30pm -3:30pm
Break
3:30 pm -4:30

Fourth session
4:30pm -5:40 pm

GOAL AND MANTRA COLLECTION

The marathon is a global fundraiser in which we raise money to continue the work of ZaChoeje Rinpoche and to support Emaho’s three-fold mission. Most importantly Emaho’s Mantrathon welcomes the new year with wishes for a peaceful year, a year of beneficial resolution to world problems, a year of healing and happiness.

The mantras will begin at sunrise and end at sunset. In Phoenix, sunrise is 7:29 am and sunset is 5:21 pm.  Around the world people will adjust, following Phoenix time (Mountain Standard Time).

Please keep track of your mantra collection. We will tally and announce the number of Om Mani Padme Hums chanted globally.