Sunday Contemplations at Orgyen Hermitage 2022
“Living with Wisdom, Compassion and Non-clinging Engagement:
the heart of dharma from a universal perspective”
For a number of years we have hosted periodic Sunday gatherings at our home in the Bay of Plenty, N.Z. In the mornings, between 10 and 11:45am I would give a class which was then followed by a shared lunch. These gatherings became a time for remembering what is deeply meaningful and important, and for helping to strengthen a sense of dharma community both locally and throughout the world.
With the coming of covid and the various periods of ‘lock-down’ we began to Zoom the gatherings and gradually more and more people joined us. The audience throughout these classes included a dozen to twenty people meeting in our home and 50 to 70 people joining via zoom. Participants, ranging in age from early 20s to mid 80s brought with them a wide diversity of backgrounds and interests. People joined from Canada, USA, Brazil, Australia, NZ and Europe. Some logged in from hospital beds, mountain tops and moving vehicles. Some had extensive experience in Buddhist study and practice, and some had little or none. Regardless their situation and circumstance, all felt moved to find a meaningful way of living.
Click here for a general outline of contents and the links to the 11 classes.
Winter solstice Teachings, June, 21, 2020, Orgyen Hermitage
Winter Solstice
darkness into light
lockdown into what?
Essential dharma for a rapidly changing and challenging world. This was our first gathering ‘in the flesh’ after nearly 3 months of lockdown due to the corona virus pandemic. The class was simultaneously shared via Zoom. The audio is a little distorted at the beginning but it quickly becomes clear.
Heart Teachings of Mahayana and
a Sadhana of Samantabhadra
This retreat took place at Orgyen Hermitage, 4 – 23, March 2019. Each morning, participants would assemble in the Buddha Grove, (in the house if it was raining) and Tarchin would teach a section of the sadhana. Then, people would return to where they were staying and spend the rest of the day, experimentally exploring these themes.
Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Dan Burgess-Milne and Stephen Martin-Rolsky, 17 classes were recorded and uploaded.
These videos could be used as a support for deepening study in the midst of whatever life circumstances you are living. You may find it helpful to download and print a copy of the sadhana (click here to download) and then to have it with you as you watch and listen to each class.
Video Class 3 – Preparation and Contemplating Bodhicitta
Video Class 4 – Contemplating Bodhicitta
Video Class 6 – Bodhisattva Vow
Video Class 7 – The Four Immeasurables
Video Class 8 – Essential Practice
Video Class 9 – Essential Practices (con’t)
Video Class 10 – Essential Practices and Deepening Adhitthana
Video Class 11 – Yoga of Skilful Fabrication
Video Class 12 – Communal Contemplation and Reflection
Video Class 14 – Sevenfold Training
Video Class 15 – Sevenfold Training (con’t)
Video Class 16 – Sevenfold Training (con’t)
Video Class 17 – Yoga of Effortless Naturalness
Totality, Emptiness, and Mind Only
Glimpses of ‘Hwa Yen’ – the Heart of Mahayana: Class on Essential Practice
Queenstown, New Zealand, 13 October 2018
In this class Tarchin addresses essential dharma practice in a broad and universal sense.
(Class recorded by Ian Moore)
Technical Note: The recording is 1 hr: 36 min in length. If you can’t get enough volume with the usual controls, most video players will have a setting that allows you to boost the volume. To do this, download this video file to your device and then open it using a program such as VCL. Go to VCL audio preferences and you should be able to boost the volume to a satisfactory level.
Click here to watch or download “Essential Practice, 13/10/18”
Green Dharma Treasury 