“Grandmother Dharma” Teacher Dagmola Returns

H.E. Sakya Dagmola returns to Santa Barbara for a weekend retreat “The Essential Meaning of Ngondro, Preliminary Practices in Tibetan Buddhism”, this weekend April 14-15. Dagmola, who is a senior teacher and acting head Lama of Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in Seattle – which was one of the first dharma centers in the West – has been a frequent visitor to Santa Barbara over the years, though her last residency was more than four years ago, when she spoke about Guru Yoga in the Sakya tradition.

The retreat is hosted by Tara Ling Santa Barbara, part of a national organization of Tara Ling Centers that were founded by Lama Dagmola, who is one of a handful of revered Tibetan women teachers in the West. (She was an early Tibetan teacher of famed Santa Barbara Buddhist scholar/educator/retreat leader Alan Wallace.) Dagmola will lead two sessions on both Saturday and Sunday, each a combination of dharma teachings, practice, and relevant questions and answers. Refuge & Bodhichitta – cultivating the spirit of awakening, takes place 10 am to noon Saturday, followed by Refuge & Bodhichitta – cultivating the spirit of awakening, from 2 to 4 pm. A Mandala Offering – cultivating merit and wisdom – is from 10 am to noon on Sunday, before the weekend workshop closes with Guru Yoga – Cultivating devotion and Buddha nature transmission, teachings, and practice from 2 to 4 pm.

The retreat takes place at EMID, 224 Vereda Leyenda, near Winchester Canyon in Goleta. There is chair seating, and you are welcome to bring mats or cushions for practice. Tea and light snacks will be provided. A $20 donation is suggested for each session, or $75 for the full weekend, and a catered hot vegetarian lunch is available for an additional $10 each day. Advanced registration by emailing Vidya Gauci at vidya@taralingsb.com or calling 448-8516 is appreciated, though you can also register at the door from 9 to 9:45 am both days. All are welcome to attend, and no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

More Buddhist Meditation at Bodhi Path

Elsewhere in the Buddhist-teaching community, Bodhi Path hosts a Sangha-led discussion on resident teacher Dawa Tarchin Phillip’s recently concluded course on “Reducing Harm: 10 Ways to Act Like a Buddha Until You Become One” from 7 to 9 pm this Thursday, April 12, where the session will aim to help in digesting the teachings and receive answers to questions. On Wednesday, April 18, Bodhi Path offers a special Awakening Through Community evening featuring a potluck, teaching, and celebration to support the renewal of La Casa de Maria Retreat and Conference Center, which suffered devastating losses in the January 9 Montecito debris flow. 

All are invited to bring a vegetarian dish to share both physical and spiritual nourishment in celebrating the role of community as part of the path of awakening. The concept, beyond basic fundraising, is to realize the power of support of community to discover, give, and receive the love and compassion needed to overcome our own challenges with grace and courage. All donations at the 6 to 9 pm event will benefit recovery at Montecito’s La Casa de Maria.

Bodhi Path will not hold its regular teaching/meditation session next Thursday, April 19, as that’s the day before Phillips begins a three-day mini-retreat at the center. Members and visitors alike are invited to experience a deeply personal exploration of awakened presence through mindfulness and meditation, a weekend to discover several personal access points to greater freedom, purpose, and well-being in your life, and gateways to experience the transformative power of presence in all areas of today’s busy world. The retreat features periods of silent meditation, personal inquiry, wisdom teachings, interactive transformational exercises, and Q&A sessions aimed at guiding participants to naturally take their practice – and life – to the next level. The cost for the April 20-22 Awakened Presence retreat is $399. Register online at https://awakeningpresence.eventbrite.com.

Mahakankala’s Mindfulness Offerings

Meanwhile, Mahakankala Buddhist Center, located just a block off lower State Street, launches a new series, “Love More, Worry Less”, on Wednesday, April 11. The meditation and mindfulness series explores methods to transform the way we view ourselves and others via a guided breathing meditation, a lecture/discussion from a resident teacher, and a second closing meditation based upon the evening’s topic. No problem if you missed the first night, as there is no requirement to attend the whole series that is open to both beginners and those with meditation experience. Class fee is $10.

The format is the same for Mahakankala’s ongoing Sunday morning series of Guided Lamrim Meditations for world peace, with the addition of preparatory prayers in English following the first meditation that are aimed to serve as a force for change in our shared world. The 10:30 to 11:45 am sessions also have a suggested donation of $10. Also, Mahakankala’s 12:30 to 1 pm Lunchtime Meditations are offered every Tuesday-Thursday with a suggested cost of $5. Each day has a special focus: “Simply Breathe”, “Stress Relief”, and “A Joyful Path”, respectively.

Mahakankala Buddhist Center is at 508 Brinkerhoff Ave. in Santa Barbara. Call 563-6000 or visit www.meditationinsantabarbara.org.

Cow(spiracy)-abunga! Tuttle Talks

Speaking of good karma, Friday the 13^th might turn out to be a lucky day for both you and the planet as Will Tuttle, Ph.D., delivers the lecture/presentation “Healing our World: A Deeper Look at Food”, based on his best-selling book The World Peace Diet. The talk covers the hidden dimensions of our culture’s food system, which is perhaps not a new conversation, but Tuttle also offers new connections and information on how to make positive changes that nurture wellness, awaken insight and awareness, and bring healing to the world. Tuttle is a featured expert in Cowspiracy and other documentary films and is a former Zen monk and Dharma master in the Zen tradition. The book has received raves from noted environmental activists including Julia Butterfly Hill (who lived in a 1,500-year-old California redwood tree for 738 days in the late 1990s), who calls it “a guide to empower yourselves and others in making dietary choices that are powerful beyond what you can possibly imagine,” and John Robbins, author of the 1987 book Diet for a New America: How Your Food Choices Affect Your Health, Happiness, and the Future of Life on Earth. Tuttle’s talk at Unity of Santa Barbara takes place from 7 to 8:30 pm and carries a $15 suggested donation.

Also at Unity

Artist and Unity member Barbara Eberhart teaches a Healing Art Workshop from 12:30 to 3:30 pm on Sunday, April 15. No skills are necessary for the workshop that uses art as a tool to help express thoughts and emotions and in so doing let them go, and all materials are included in the $25 donation…. Atlanta-based singer-songwriter Jennifer Ferren leads a “Spectacular You!” event featuring a concert, workshop, and talk at Unity at 7 pm on Wednesday, April 18. All are invited to “Come raise the world’s vibrational level with Active Participation, Shared Humor & Jamming Sing-Alongs.” Admission is $20.

Unity of Santa Barbara is located at 227 E Arrellaga St. Call 966-2239 or visit www.santabarbaraunity.org.

Free Support Groups for Fire/Mudslide Trauma 

Cottage Health has launched “How We Heal”, a series of free support groups to help area residents as they continue to cope with post-disaster stress and anxiety. Peter McGoey, LMFT, leads a Process Group from 6 to 7:30 pm on Fridays in the Gaviota Conference Room for adults to individually process trauma in a safe space, a psychodynamic group with mostly verbal interventions. Gonzalo Gonzalez, LMFT, leads a Spanish-language group on Mondays in the same location…. The DBT/Skill Building/Seeking Safety Group meets 6 to 7:30 pm on Mondays in Gibraltar #1, where Tinka Sloss, LMFT, runs the adults-only, skill-specific sessions taught in a psychoeducational fashion. Following a series of skills acquisition, participants will have the ability to practice them in a safe space. Stephanie Molina, LMFT, leads similar groups for children, on Tuesdays at 427 W Pueblo Street, Suite B. Ages 7-12 are from 3:30 to 4:30 pm, teens 4:30 to 5:30, which will also include hands-on expressive therapeutic activities such as art therapy…. Chaplain Pam Washburn and the Cottage Spiritual Care Team are running a non-denominational spiritually based support group on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 pm at Sacred Space…. And survivors who directly experienced the disaster, including first responders and patients who were treated at Cottage Hospital are welcome to a special survivors group led by LMFTs Layla Farinpour and Peter McGoey from 6 to 7 pm on Tuesdays in the Gaviota Conference Room.

All of the groups are free and aim to assist in recovery with personal attention to each individual’s unique situation. Attendance for each session is not required but is encouraged. Length of program will be tailored to fit each person’s individual need. Visit www.cottagehealth.org/services/psychiatry-and-addiction-medicine/how-we-heal-support-groups.