We’re excited to share what’s new to the Wisdom Experience this June and hope these resources continue to provide you with moments of inspiration, adventure, and awakening all month long.
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As you read the rest of the newsletter, remember to keep an eye out for the membership level icon in the corner of each image. These mark what level of membership the content is available to.
During the month of June, The Power of Mantra and the film Never Give Up – The Heart of Compassion are available to Free members.
A mantra—literally “that which protects the mind”—is a series of Sanskrit syllables that evoke the energy of a particular buddha or bodhisattva. It works as a sacred sound that brings blessings to ourself and others, and as a tool to transform our mind into one that is more compassionate and wise.
In clear and succinct teachings, Lama Zopa shows us why we need different mantras and how each mantra works. He also explains their importance and power, giving specific instructions for practicing them. The exquisite, full-color illustrations of the deities that accompany the text make The Power of Mantra a beautiful guide, one suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. In this book, beloved teacher Lama Zopa Rinpoche guides us through the most popular mantras in Tibetan Buddhism: Shakyamuni Buddha, Chenrezig, Manjushri, Tara, Medicine Buddha, Vajrasattva, and more.
Embark on a transformative journey to Bodhgaya, India, in the captivating documentary Never Give Up – The Heart of Compassion where you’ll explore the profound teachings of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa and witness the incredible stories of three remarkable women inspired by his wisdom to manifest compassion in action.
Meet Joy, a compassionate soul who dedicates her life to caring for the street dogs and animals of Bodhgaya. Discover Dominique, whose tutorial school for the children in a local village empowers them through education and ignites a path toward a brighter future. Witness Lillian who, with the support of hundreds of the Karmapa’s monks, fearlessly tackles the daunting challenge of cleaning the pollution of Bodhgaya. Join these three remarkable women as they put the teachings of His Holiness into action, sacrificing personal comfort to work for the benefit of others in Bodhgaya.
Filmed by directors James Gritz and Fernanda Rivero Never Give Up – The Heart of Compassion includes interviews with great contemporary spiritual teachers like Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Ponlop Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, and Matthieu Ricard. The film is an inspiring testament to the indomitable human spirit and the power of compassion to create profound change.
Don’t forget, you can invite your friends to sign up for a Free membership to join you.
Be sure to register for our upcoming Wisdom Dharma Chats episodes next month in July!
Join us and our special guest, Thupten Jinpa, on Wednesday, July 10 at 7:00 PM EDT for a special episode of Wisdom Dharma Chats filmed live in New York City with an in-studio audience. Thupten Jinpa Langri was educated in the classical Tibetan monastic academia and received the highest academic degree of Geshe Lharam (equivalent to a doctorate in divinity). He also holds a BA in philosophy and a PhD in religious studies, both from the University of Cambridge, England. Since 1985, he has been the principal translator to the Dalai Lama, accompanying him to the United States, Canada, and Europe. He is an accomplished author and translator. His Wisdom Publications credits include the Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics series, multiple titles in The Library of Tibetan Classics series, the Wisdom Academy courses Tsongkhapa’s Madhyamaka, How The Mind Works, and much more. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host Daniel Aitken and Jinpa will discuss his upcoming Wisdom Academy course Mind Training, and much more.
This is a live event that will have both an in-person and Zoom audience.
To register to watch this Wisdom Dharma Chat live over Zoom, register here.
To attend this Wisdom Dharma Chat in person at 132 Perry St. #2B, New York, NY 10014, reserve your ticket here. Seats are limited. Please only reserve a ticket if you plan on coming in person.
Come back and join us and our special guest, H. E. Khangser Rinpoche, on Saturday, July 20 at 7:00 PM EDT for a special episode of Wisdom Dharma Chats filmed in New York City with a live studio audience. Please note this is not the normal day and time of our typical Wisdom Dharma Chat events. At the age of five H. E. Khangser Rinpoche was recognized as the eighth reincarnation of Khangser Rinpoche. By 2005 he had earned both the geshe lharampa degree and a doctorate degree in tantra, both with the highest honors in the top division. Rinpoche is a great scholar who has achieved mastery in both the Geluk and Nyingma Buddhist traditions. In 2023, Rinpoche came in line to one day become the Gaden Tripa, the supreme head of the Geluk lineage, which is considered the largest school in Tibetan Buddhism. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host Daniel Aitken and Rinpoche will discuss and celebrate his new release A Monk’s Guide to Finding Joy and much more.
This is a live event that will have both an in-person and Zoom audience. Seats are limited for both so please be sure to register.
To register to watch this Wisdom Dharma Chat live over Zoom, register here.
To attend this Wisdom Dharma Chat in person at 132 Perry St. #2B, New York, NY 10014, reserve your ticket here. Seats are limited. Please only reserve a ticket if you plan on coming in person.
If you weren’t able to join us live, you can now watch the recording of our Wisdom Dharma Chats episode with special guest, special guests, Klaus-Dieter Mathes and Péter-Dániel Szántó. During this Wisdom Dharma Chat host, Daniel Aitken, and our guests discuss the latest volume in the Studies in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism series, Saraha’s Spontaneous Songs, and much more.
Discover all of the books in our Reading Room under the “Explore” menu on our website. Books in our Reading Room are available exclusively to Plus, All-Access, and In-Depth members.
Featured in the Reading Room
Mahāmudrā
by His Eminence Zurmang Gharwang Rinpoche
“Gharwang Rinpoche’s work serves as a definitive manual, guiding aspiring mahāmudrā students along the complete path, beginning with a clear presentation of the preliminaries, through a detailed presentation of śamatha and vipaśyanā, and concluding with enlightening instructions on the actualization of the result.”
—from the foreword by His Holiness the Sakya Trichen
The Two Truths In Indian Buddhism
by Sonam Thakchoe
“Sonam Thakchoe has given us a wonderful gift. This study of Indian Buddhist accounts of the two truths is comprehensive and erudite, grounded in meticulous scholarship and careful attention to a vast array of important Indian Buddhist texts, with the relevant passages translated with great precision in lucid English. . . . This will become the standard reference for future study of the Buddhist doctrine of the two truths as it developed in classical India.”—Jay L. Garfield, Smith College, Harvard Divinity School, and the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies
Also in Your Reading Room
Exclusively for In-Depth, Plus, and All-Access members
- The Secret Revelations of Chittamani Tara by Pabongkha Rinpoche, translated by David Gonsalez
- Sublime Continuum and Its Explanatory Commentary translated with commentary by Bo Jiang
- Ecodharma by David R. Loy
- The Numerical Discourses Of The Buddha by Bhikkhu Bodhi
- and many more!
New Releases & Back in Stock
The following books were released in May, are available to purchase early on our website, or are now back in stock:
- The Jhanas by Shaila Catherine
- The Blazing Inner Fire Of Bliss And Emptiness translated by David Gonsalez
- Sounds Of Innate Freedom, Volume 2 translated by Karl Brunnhölzl
- Dependent Origination In Plain English by Bhante Gunaratana And Veronique Ziegler
- A Monk’s Guide To Finding Joy by His Eminence Khangser Rinpoche
This episode of the Wisdom Podcast, recorded live as a Wisdom Dharma Chat features special guest, H. E. Kalu Rinpoche. Rinpoche is the Lineage Holder of Shangpa Kagyu. He was born in 1990 and recognized by H. H. the Dalai Lama and H. H. the 12th Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa. Kalu Rinpoche completed the traditional three-year retreat between January 2004 and September 2008. After graduating he traveled, gaining experience in the modern world, before returning to Sonada to give the full Shangpa transmission. Rinpoche continues to connect traditional Shangpa Kagyü teaching to a modern, digital world. His work makes these teachings accessible, ensuring they will remain available for generations to come.
In this episode host Daniel Aitken and Rinpoche discuss:
- his current Wisdom Academy course The Illusory Body and Mind;
- his upcoming Wisdom Academy course Niguma’s Dream Yoga;
- the subtle body;
- his books;
- and much more!
In-Depth and All-Access members are welcome to enjoy Beyond Distraction, the newest addition to the Wisdom Experience course catalog. Learn how to overcome distraction in meditation practice and develop clarity in your relationships, work, and other activities in this course with highly-respected teacher, author, and jhana expert Shaila Catherine. The mind can be a potent tool to spark extraordinary achievements, inspire good works, and advance toward spiritual realization. However, it can also produce the opposite. For many people, thoughts run rampant and seem to oppress or control their lives. The Buddha tells us that before enlightenment, he sometimes found his mind preoccupied by thoughts connected with desire, ill will, and harm. Through meditation, he figured out how to respond to thoughts skillfully and developed a step-by-step approach to calm the restless mind.
Following the Buddha’s pragmatic approach, insight meditation teacher Shaila Catherine offers an accessible approach to training the mind, guided by the Buddha’s pragmatic instructions on removing distracting thoughts.
You’ll learn to overcome habitual modes of thinking, develop deeper concentration, and discover insights into emptiness that are vital for a liberating spiritual path. You’ll recognize that a thought is just a thought, and with this realization, you will find yourself on the path to a life of remarkable freedom. Start learning now!