We are the Rising Tide.
Becoming Beings of Wisdom and Love—Bodhisattva Training.

Join the Dharma Refuge sangha as we engage the profound path of the Bodhisattva—a being whose life is dedicated to BEING the rising tide that benefits all beings. This ongoing program of study and practice will begin with one of Tibet's most revered texts, The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva. This ancient wisdom will inform and transform our modern lives through teachings, discussions, and meditation training. 
Sessions will be offered during our regular Saturday and Wednesday practice times, on select dates each month. See the schedule below.
This program will be offered in person at our center. We hope to offer Zoom access and recordings - this will be dependent on our AV support. Our ability to offer program, practice, and study opportunities depends entirely on the generosity of our volunteers and donors. Please consider supporting our vision: A World of Bodhisattvas.

Read, study, and engage with community. 
Train in limitless love and compassion. 
Awaken the Bodhisattva within.

The Way of the Bodhisattva was written in the eighth century by the scholar and saint Shantideva. It is considered an indispensable practice manual for wise and joyful living, inspiring the greatest teachers from the Tibetan Buddhist Tradition.

Program Overview
This program will utilize the "three wisdoms" of Buddhism. This is a methodology for learning and realization. When we engage in hearing, meditation, and contemplation (the three wisdoms), we move from an intellectual understanding into a direct experience, grounding our wisdom and compassion in the core of being. With this approach, the Dharma comes to life, and its transformative capacity empowers the realization of our vast and loving nature.

Saturday mornings 10:00 AM -12:00 PM (2x a month, on scheduled dates):
  • pre-recorded video teaching on select verses offered by our root teacher, Anam Thubten Rinpoche
  • live teachings and interactive Q/A with Dharma Refuge's guiding teacher, Sue Kochan
  • contemplation, facilitated discussion, and integrated support with senior Dharma Refuge practitioners and lineage advisors, Deborah King and Bob Brown
Wednesday evenings (second Wed. of each month):
  • practice-focused teachings, guided meditation support, and Q/A with live-streamed guest teacher, Paul Condon. (Note: Many of the practices taught to support our blossoming as Bodhisattvas will be based on Sustainable Compassion Training)
  • integrated pre-recorded video teachings on "the six paramitas" (the practices of a Bodhisattva) by guest teacher Greg Seton will be offered throughout the study of this text. These dates will be announced in our newsletter.

Our sessions will focus on the key trainings introduced in Shantideva's text, which he wrote to awaken the qualities of wisdom and compassion directly, intimately, and honestly within his own life. Together, we will open up these teachings and make them relevant and transformative in our lives for the benefit of all beings!
Schedule
Below are the dates for the balance of 2023. This program will continue into 2024 and possibly beyond. When we complete The Way of the Bodhisattva, we plan to introduce other classical Bodhisattva texts. 

Dates are subject to change (weather, illness, etc.). Changes will be shared on this page, in our weekly newsletter, via special announcements, and on Facebook.
Saturdays 10:00 AM to noon
(Recorded video teaching by
Anam Thubten Rinpoche,
with live teaching by Sue Kochan)
  • September 9, 16
  • October 21, 28
  • November 4, 11
  • December 2, 9
2024 dates to be announced
Wednesdays 7:00 - 8:30 PM
(Live-streamed teaching
by Paul Condon)

  • September 13
  • October 11
  • November 8
  • December 13
2024 dates to be announced
Registration, Tuition, and Generosity

This program is generously offered by Dharma Refuge, its dedicated volunteers, and guest teachers.
  • There is no registration required. Everyone is warmly welcomed. You can drop in for any sessions that fit your schedule.
  • We are not charging tuition. This program is being offered freely, and Dharma Refuge is underwriting our guest teacher, Paul Condon. We ask that you consider donating what you can afford to Dharma Refuge and program teachers.
Why study this text?
  • This text represents the essential and indispensable teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. It conveys the altruistic motivation of Bodhicitta and its application in daily life through the six paramitas.
  • Through study and practice, we aspire to accumulate the power of heart and mind that enables us to work with all situations in life with steadiness (equanimity), clarity, and great compassion. 

H.H. Dalai Lama says that if he knows something of compassion, it's because of this text.
His Eminence Garchen Rinpoche has encouraged students to recite the Dedication Chapter as part of their regular practice. Anam Thubten Rinpoche has offered his own beautiful translation of the Commitment Chapter.  Read Rinpoche's "Commitment Chapter" to inspire personal practice. Download a copy for daily recitation.

Join us and follow in the footsteps of all the great Bodhisattva masters who’ve relied on this text to walk a path of courage and love. 

Be sure to watch for program and date updates in our newsletter (sign up).
“The Buddha, Shakyamuni, our teacher, predicted that the next Buddha would be Maitreya, the Buddha of love…. It is possible that the next Buddha will not take the form of an individual. The next Buddha may take the form of a community, a community practicing understanding and loving kindness, a community practicing mindful living. And the practice can be carried out as a group, as a city, as a nation.”

—Thich Nhất Hanh, “The Next Buddha May Be A Sangha”
The volunteer support to offer programs like this at Dharma Refuge is considerable. We appreciate your willingness to make contribution in support of our work. We offer the Dharma freely, thanks to your generosity.
 
Sustaining membership and one-time donations by participants help to cover:
  • our technology platform costs and recent AV upgrades to support both online and live sessions
  • underwriting of Dharma Refuge (dana) offerings to guest teachers
  • an annual retreat and training budget for our teacher Sue Kochan, who works as a volunteer
Everyone is welcome. No previous experience is required. All you need is an open heart. Drop in for any and all sessions as your schedule allows.
NOTE:
We hope to enable joining these sessions via Zoom. Our ability to do this will depend on our A/V capacity, which we are currently assessing.

Whether or not Zoom is available, we do plan to record these sessions and make them available for later viewing.

We'll keep you updated as our plans progress.

Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86875356946?pwd=MkUyNWk4YjNMQnlwaFFkeFpmZTVpUT09 
Accompanying Reading - OPTIONAL

If you'd like to study this text we recommend Pema Chödrön's contemporary commentary. It's not necessary to read this to participate. Our focus will be on direct experience and transmission of this wisdom to enliven the bodhisattva heart within!

Becoming Bodhisattvas is available in print, through Kindle or through Audible. It is available in paperback form through leading retailers.  Note: this book was initially published under the title No Time To Lose. So don't be confused when you look online! Both are the same book, and you can purchase either one.
Bodhisattvas respond to the cries of the world with a warm, wise, and wakeful heart. Undertaking the training of a Bodhisattva, we rise together as the healing force we long to be for ourselves and our world.
 
—Sue Kochan