Dear Friends,
A few weeks ago, in South Africa, I had the moving experience of visiting the Apartheid Museum and the home of Nelson Mandela. Throughout my visit, the words respect and compassion echoed deeply. One image especially struck me: a photograph of Rev. Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It brought me back to a moment years ago when His Holiness spoke at Rice University in Houston, TX. My teacher, Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche, created two beautiful calligraphies for that occasion, which were used to accompany His Holiness’ teachings.
Respect and compassion for oneself and for others. Respect for the powerful lineage that carries and teaches compassion. These reminders feel especially alive for me now as I continue to deepen into practice and teaching in the months ahead.
Most recently, I had the pleasure of teaching in Poland, where I also had the joy of receiving teachings directly from Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche. Next week, I will be teaching on the Six Session Practice, a powerful cycle Rinpoche developed when he first began teaching in the United States, that includes one of my favorite dzogchen practices called contemplative breathing. I will share these teachings at Shambhala Boulder as a preparation for Rinpoche’s upcoming teachings on Trekchö and Tögal.
Looking further ahead, in October, at Ligmincha International, Rinpoche will teach on phowa and preparing for death. I will be honored to moderate dialogues during this retreat with wonderful guest speakers, including Nikki Mirghafori, Dr. Leslie Blackhall, and Tibetan Doctor Tenzin Namdul. Then in November I will be in Europe and leading a fantastic trip to Morocco.
I warmly invite you to join us in these opportunities and to look for other upcoming events in my website alechaoul.com to deepen into practices that nurture respect and compassion for yourself, for others, and for the world.
Warmly,
Alejandro
