Description
Summer Retreat Session 1
12 MP3s recorded at Summer Retreat from the Lotus Lake Temple
Advertising description: At this critical juncture, many are reconsidering traditional ideals of success. In this first week of our summer retreat, we’ll explore personal and collective meanings of success, to discover a deeper more authentic understanding of achievement. The Green Light set of empowerments will be bestowed: Green Wisdom Light, Medicine Buddha, Buddha Shakyamuni and White Tara.
Teaching Descriptions:
7-18-2025 day 1
The American Dream
Rinpoche began with a discussion about our unique path to success and how we seek success and fulfillment. She then asks “Was there a defining moment when my view of success changed and what caused it?” She then discusses Western attitude about success – Individual achievement, Material possession. Financial prosperity. What is our opinion of it? She then discusses the American dream. It is true? How do other see us as successful or failures? Stoic philophy says at times of difficulty we revert to our earliest level of training. She discusses various Influences – parents, society, peers, competitiveness and craving the feeling of winning. We dont like the feeling of competition and accumulation. It does not make us happy and has elements of a suffering mind and situation.
7-20-2025 day 3
Superstitions
RInpoche begins with laughter yoga. Rinpoche begins a discussion on Myths and stories about money, with a discussion about Chinese superstitions for good and bad luck. She mentions Mexican superstition not work on Americans. Our receptivity as Americans is reduced.
Principles for Dharma Success
Rinpoche continues the discussion on Superstitions with American superstitions. Rinpoche discusses 10 principles from Think and Grow Rich book from 1930s. We then discuss in break out groups on applying them to dharma practice point of view and report back to the full group.
7-21-2025 day 4
Hallmarks of Success
Rinpoche begins with a discussion about our externalized daily life. Many pathways to achieve internalized state. What are the hallmarks on success for Career, financial, material things.
Entitlement of Success
Rinpoche discusses the entitlement of success – expectation of respect and deference. She then discusses success by virtue of being close to authority: know famous movie star, politician I can call on to fix problems, family member of person with high police or military leader, work for influential or rich person. Craving for more success is the same and success breeds the desire for more success. We love the feeling of winning and the feeling of personal pride. What pieces do we keep and what pieces do we reject?
7-22-2025 day 5
Japanese view of success
Rinpoche begins with a story of the 8th DGR. What do Japanese people think about success? What motivates the Japanese people as a culture? Harmonious integration by hard work, discipline, deep respect for tradition, and Focus on maintaining strong relationships. How does our karma reflect past lives in these cultures.
Medieval Europe and Buddhist views of success
Rinpoche completes her discussion of Japanese success principles and begins discussion of Mideval Europe. What are the karmic tendencies we bring to our current life due to past lives and training? Rinpoche ends with a discussion of what are the Buddhist views of success.
7-23-2025 day 6
[Lama Chonyi on Zambala Wealth deity in Lama Chonyi section]
Success as Satisfaction
Rinpoche discusses her views of Zambala and wealth. She then discusses view of success in Ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome and China. She then begins a discussion of accumulation of what defines success? She discusses success as satisfaction as intellectual development, and approval of others with positives and negatives of social media. She ends with how the feeling of success fuels bodhisattva activities for eons.
7-24-2025 day 7
Success as Relationships
Rinpoche begins with a discussion of mandalas. What does my mandala look like? She then discusses success as relationships. What does a successful family look like? Unsuccessful families? What do they talk about? How does tolerance fit into a successful family?
Religious Views of Success
Rinpoche discusses views of success in Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Sikh, Jewish, Indigenous. She then discusses well being as success, what is well being and how do we have a stable sense of well being.
7-25-2025 day 8
Spirituality and Character Development
Rinpoche begins with a summary of what she wants us to accomplish this week. She then leads a discussion of spirituality and character development including a strong mind, mental toughness, and resilience. Ability to visualize a positive outcome Is an important part of spiritual development E.g. sadhana practice. We must accumulate short term successes to support us in long range success. Dignity and pride of accomplishment is healthy for accumulation of merit. She clarifies inappropriate pride and appropriate pride and the correct feeling tone we need for nutrition.
Buddhism as an Ethical System
Rinpoche discusses Buddhism as an ethical system that helps us change in virtuous ways. She ends with a discussion of aliens, Buddhas and Bodhisattvas
