ALL CLASSES & EVENTS

Filtering by: “special events”
Steady in the Storm: A Residential Retreat in Hurleyville, NY
Apr
2
to Apr 5

Steady in the Storm: A Residential Retreat in Hurleyville, NY

Join us for an in-person, silent meditation retreat led by Lama Lekshe at Hurley House in Hurleyville, NY. The retreat will be an opportunity to study and practice somatic and heart-based meditation, and will include introduction to breath meditation, somatic practices, and 1-on-1 practice support from Lama Lekshe.

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Retreat: Going, Going Gone - Continuous Practice in Life and Death
Apr
24
to Apr 28

Retreat: Going, Going Gone - Continuous Practice in Life and Death

Join us for a Dekeling Community retreat at Ser Chö Ösel Ling Retreat Center in Goldendale, WA. Led by Lama Lekshe. In this retreat you’ll learn several Tibetan contemplations, practices, and rituals—each of which will enrich your capacity to live fearlessly, and to prepare you for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of death.

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Lojong: Tibetan Mind & Heart Training
Jun
6
to Jun 5

Lojong: Tibetan Mind & Heart Training

Lojong — often translated as “mind training” — is one of the great jewels of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Over the course of a year, Lama Lekshe will guide participants through all seven points and their fifty-nine aphorisms, with commentary, guided meditation, and practical instruction for carrying the teachings into daily life.

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DDSP - Side by Side in Dying
Aug
4
to Sep 1

DDSP - Side by Side in Dying

Being present with a dying person is one of the most profound things a human being can do. And yet, most of us have never been taught how. This three-session course focuses on the relational and practical skills that allow us to be genuinely useful — and genuinely present — with someone who is dying.

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Tibetan New Year: Losar Celebration Potluck
Feb
20

Tibetan New Year: Losar Celebration Potluck

Come join us for a Tibetan New Year: Losar Celebration at the Vicarage. We’ll celebrate the New Year and our practice together as friends and community. We’ll be eating momos (tibetan dumplings) from Himalayan Dumplings, a small local business owned by a Tibetan woman.

*Please bring light vegetarian side dishes to accompany the momos. There will be a mix of meat and vegetarian.

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Day of Practice at the Vicarage
Nov
22

Day of Practice at the Vicarage

Unhook from routine activities and devote a day to wholeheartedly cultivating calm abiding, clear seeing, and sympathetic joy.

Pith instructions will be offered by George Draffan and there will be time for Q&A and discussion, but the day will emphasize silent group practice.

We'll intersperse sitting meditation with mindful movement that supports health, balanced energy, and flexibility.

Bring a bag lunch. The vicarage is well supplied with meditation cushions and stools.

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November Meditation & Lunch Gathering in Corbett, Oregon
Nov
16

November Meditation & Lunch Gathering in Corbett, Oregon

Meditation & Teaching Gathering

Saturday, October 18th

Schedule

  • 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Meditation and Teaching Session

  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Community Lunch (optional)

Location

Corbett, Oregon
Private center - please register to receive the address

This gathering offers a beautiful opportunity to come together in practice, nourishment, and community. We look forward to sharing this time with you.

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Decoding a Thangka
Nov
11

Decoding a Thangka

Decoding a Thangka  

Back by popular demand, this class lets you in on the secrets of Buddhist scroll paintings called ‘thangkas.’ You’ll learn about the various kinds of thangkas and their uses, and how they are created. We’ll take one thangka and Lama Lekshe will ‘decode’ the small details, each of which is a dharma teaching in itself.

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Fall Garden Cleanup and Lunch at the Vicarage
Oct
25

Fall Garden Cleanup and Lunch at the Vicarage

Fall Garden Cleanup and Lunch at the Vicarage - Sat Oct 25 

Join us at the Vicarage for a 'come-one-come-all' Fall garden work party at the Vicarage on Saturday, October 25th. We'll arrive between 9:30 and 10:00 AM and work for 2 hours. After, you can join in a warm soup and bread lunch made by others (it's fine to bring something if you want, or not) and some time with sangha. We'll be done by 2 or 3 PM for those who stay for lunch. 

The projected forecast is 54 degrees with light rain. It's likely to change as we get closer. If it looks like it will be wet, consider bringing a change of shoes or socks to wear in the Vicarage, so we can keep the mud at bay. If you want gloves, bring some. At this point we only have 2 pairs over here. We have a few tools, but while we grow our collection, maybe you can bring your trowel or borrow one from a friend for the day? 

If you'd like to come, but you're not physically able to garden, email Lekshe and she'll send you the list of inside tasks that we could use some help with. No bending or lifting in these jobs. 

We'll put the garden to sleep for the season, while leaving some seed pods and so on for the birds and other creatures. Excellent practice. 

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Ngöndro Series : Mandala Practice
Oct
24

Ngöndro Series : Mandala Practice

Ngöndro Series

Ngöndro is a series of practices taught in every school of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The practice of Ngöndro helps clear away obstacles and strengthens the accumulation of merit and wisdom. Gradually body and mind are ripened with view, meditation, and experience conducive to forward momentum in understanding and direct experience.  


Ngöndro consists of two categories of practice: 


  • the ‘outer preliminaries’ of The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Dharma (precious human birth, impermanence and death, karma and the defects of samsara). Students work individually, guided by Lama Lekshe or Teacher George for this practice for about 7 hours over time.

  • and the ‘inner preliminaries’ of Refuge, Vajrasattva Practice, Mandala Offering and Guru Yoga, each of which require a little over 100,000 repetitions of a brief practice. 


In 2026, our Ngondro students will receive instruction in Vajrasattva, Mandala and Guru Yoga. (Sincere students just beginning can get ‘catch up’ teachings from our teachers.) There is an on-going, open Ngöndro Practice Group as well.


2026 Ngondro: Vajrasattva Practice 

Vajrasattva practice is a powerful way to purify body, speech and mind from confusion and previous harmful actions. Our traditional approach uses recitation of liturgy, visualizations, and mantra recitation, as well as extending the practice beyond formal mediation to daily life.

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Meditation & Lunch Gathering in Corbett, Oregon
Oct
18

Meditation & Lunch Gathering in Corbett, Oregon

Meditation & Teaching Gathering

Saturday, October 18th

Schedule

  • 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM: Meditation and Teaching Session

  • 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM: Community Lunch (optional)

Location

Corbett, Oregon
Private center - please register to receive the address

This gathering offers a beautiful opportunity to come together in practice, nourishment, and community. We look forward to sharing this time with you.

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Ngöndro Series : Vajrasattva Practice
Oct
17

Ngöndro Series : Vajrasattva Practice

Ngöndro Series

Ngöndro is a series of practices taught in every school of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The practice of Ngöndro helps clear away obstacles and strengthens the accumulation of merit and wisdom. Gradually body and mind are ripened with view, meditation, and experience conducive to forward momentum in understanding and direct experience.  


Ngöndro consists of two categories of practice: 


  • the ‘outer preliminaries’ of The Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind to Dharma (precious human birth, impermanence and death, karma and the defects of samsara). Students work individually, guided by Lama Lekshe or Teacher George for this practice for about 7 hours over time.

  • and the ‘inner preliminaries’ of Refuge, Vajrasattva Practice, Mandala Offering and Guru Yoga, each of which require a little over 100,000 repetitions of a brief practice. 


In 2026, our Ngondro students will receive instruction in Vajrasattva, Mandala and Guru Yoga. (Sincere students just beginning can get ‘catch up’ teachings from our teachers.) There is an on-going, open Ngöndro Practice Group as well.


2026 Ngondro: Vajrasattva Practice 

Vajrasattva practice is a powerful way to purify body, speech and mind from confusion and previous harmful actions. Our traditional approach uses recitation of liturgy, visualizations, and mantra recitation, as well as extending the practice beyond formal mediation to daily life.

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FULL | Hurley House 2025 III - Mind Like the Sky Retreat
Oct
6
to Oct 12

FULL | Hurley House 2025 III - Mind Like the Sky Retreat

From October 7-12, we will host a special meditation retreat led by beloved teacher and American Tibetan Buddhist nun Lama Lekshe, to support us in raising funds to continue the renovation of the Hurley House in Hurleyville, New York.

Mind Like Sky is part of a traditional sequence of Tibetan meditation instruction: “Body like a mountain, breath like the wind, mind like the sky.”

How many times have you been in nature and felt the captivating effect of mountains, wind, and sky? The body is energized but relaxed. The mind rests comfortably. The heart is stirred by the endless energy and beauty of life. In Tibet, windswept mountains and azure sky are impactful teachers of how to relax into the bare essence of human experience. Resting in that place—before story, before all conceptual overlay and the ‘noise’ of modern life is a deep peace and access to wise knowing and clear seeing. 

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