Karma Kagyu Teachings for Our Times ~KTD News ~ Feature Articles and More…..
densal.org
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“Zanskar is vital to the survival of Tibetan Buddhism” –His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Zanskar a Tibetan enclave, ringed by high Himalayan mountains in northwest India, one of the most remote places on the planet, has been safe until recently. But threatened by the twin crises of receding glacier melt and political obliteration, that’s all changing. The Dalai Lama instructed two monks from Zanskar’s Stongde Monastery to do everything in their power to insure that Tibetan Buddhism thrives.
The Frederick Marx film is a testament to the devotion of these monastics who were determined to preserve Tibetan Culture by leading 17 Tibetan children to monasteries in India.The monks are building a school to educate the children in Tibetan language, culture, history, and religion. Presently, the government school teaches none of those subjects, and is closed most of the year. The nearby private school also doesn’t teach those subjects and is additionally unaffordable for the area’s poor families. The children will be educated in the best Western curricula. The monks are racing against the clock. While they complete the school they are also placing local children in other schools and monasteries in the city of Manali and beyond which requires a grueling trek through a 17,500 foot pass.
The film screening will be followed by a talk with Frederick Marx internationally acclaimed, Oscar and Emmy nominated producer/director.
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TUESDAY, JULY 31
Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) Monastery
Hosts
ONE VOICE FOR LAOS
“Teens For Change”
Enjoy a free, heart-warming multimedia presentation by Ulster County teenagers and two adults upon their return from volunteer service in the Deak Kum Pa Orphanage in Luang Prabang, Laos. The group’s service in Laos is the culmination of sixteen (16) months of awareness building and fundraising in the Hudson Valley.
When: Tuesday, July 31, 2012
4:45 pm: Free guided tour of the Tibetan Buddhist monastery
5:30 pm: Teens for Change Photography Show
6:00 pm: Vegetarian banquet ($10)
Reservations required: 845.679 5906, ext. 1121
7:30 pm: Multimedia Presentation
Where: Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) Monastery
335 Meads Mountain Road, Woodstock
For More Information Contact: Pamela Boyce Simms: 845.679 5906, ext. 1121, ktd.development.pbs@gmail.com
On Tuesday, July 31 Karma Triyana Dharmachakra (KTD) Monastery will celebrate the outstanding work of One Voice for Laos.
Buddhist teachings are grounded in “bodhichitta;” the aspiration to develop kindness and compassion in order to deliver all beings from suffering. KTD monastery therefore welcomes and encourages exemplary youth such as One Voice for Laos who give selflessly of their time and talent to compassionately improve the quality of lives of others.
KTD offers the aspiration that the example of this extraordinary group of young people will serve as a beacon that draws other youth toward compassionate service to life.
ONE VOICE FOR LAOS – July 31 Multimedia Presentation
Jesse Pouget Ditkoff, Caleb Rudge, Rachel Castellano,
Hudson Talbott and Evelyne Pouget
BACKGROUND
This is the third, local One Voice project to benefit an important cause. The first, launched in 2001, was a benefit for Woodstock’s Family of Woodstock after the World Trade Center tragedy on September 11th. The second project, One Voice For Haiti, was a benefit for 4 Haitian Orphanages devastated by the 2010 earthquake.
This year’s project, One Voice For Laos, launched 16 months ago to support an orphanage of 600 children in Luang Prabang, has been powered by a dedicated crew of humanitarian-minded local teens.
Under the guidance of One Voice Founder, Evelyne Pouget, a Woodstock artist and activist, the teens organized and produced a wide variety of creative fundraising events, including three teen dances, flea market, art show, 5K run, pool party, cabaret, can shakes, multimedia show, and a series of live presentations to local organizations.
In addition, they created a blog, multi-media presentations, slide shows, logos, videos, Facebook group, a documentary, eight promotional posters, spoke on the radio, designed and sold t-shirts, wrote proposals, articles and letters to the editor, met with town officials, secured sponsors, met with mentors, and participated in several planning meetings to ensure the best possible results.
To date, the One Voice for Laos project has raised $15,000 for the orphans.
Posted in Engaged Buddhism, Youth | Tagged bodhichitta, compassionate service, engaged Buddhism, karuna, maitri, youth | Leave a Comment »
As we treasure a precious human embodiment, so we treasure the Earth; and are called to protect this sacred platform for the evolution of sentient beings.
KTCs currently in the slide show above are, Hartford, CT, Dallas TX and Santa Monica CA.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Chenrezig, Chenrezik, earthcare, eco-Buddhism, ecology, environment, khoryug, KTC Network, Pujas | Leave a Comment »
The 25th year anniversary edition of the distinguished scientific journal, Conservation Biology, carries an article by His Holiness the 17th Karmapa. Titled “Walking the Path of Environmental Buddhism through Compassion and Emptiness,” the article lays out His Holiness’ personal reasons for becoming an environmentalist, his masterful explanation of the overlap between Buddhist philosophy and environmental ideology, and his calls to action to protect the environment. His Holiness was personally requested by the editors of the journal to contribute to this 25th Year edition and asked to write a piece from his own perspective that would provide a spiritual basis for environmental action and a personal narrative that could inspire the scientific community.
Posted in Environmental Buddhism | Tagged 17th Karmapa, eco-Buddhism, engaged Buddhism, Karmapa | Leave a Comment »
Time to Comment on Fracking is Now
The public has only until Dec. 12 to comment on proposed environmental review and regulations related to fracking in New York State. Riverkeeper is participating in two events in the next week that will inform the public about both the facts about fracking and the process for commenting.
drilling rig – Jay Simpson calendar graphic
The deadline to comment on the state’s fracking regulations is Dec. 12, 2011
Understanding the Facts on Fracking
When: November 16, 2011: 7-8:30 PM
Where: Esopus Library, 128 Canal Street, Port Ewen, NY
Now is your chance to do your part to prevent risky “fracking” in New York State. There is less than one month left for the public to comment on the state’s flawed draft environmental review and regulations on this controversial gas-drilling technique. Join Riverkeeper Wednesday, Nov. 16, at 7 PM at the Esopus Library to learn the facts on fracking and how together we can make a difference in protecting our region’s water and quality of life.
The Department of Environmental Conservation’s proposed environmental review and regulations are complex and lengthy. Riverkeeper Watershed Program Director Kate Hudson will explain what fracking is, so you more fully understand what is at stake; highlight the problems with the state’s proposal, so that your comments will be well-informed; and guide you through the commenting process, so that your concerns count. After the presentation, use a library computer or your own laptop to send a message to the DEC and Gov. Cuomo: Don’t Frack with New York’s Water!
An Interactive Forum on Hydrofracking
When: November 21, 2011: 7 PM
Where: 80 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY
PANEL
This is a non-partisan, non-political forum for informational purposes, sponsored by the Town of Rhinebeck. For more information contact Cynthia Philip at cphilip@webjogger.net or call the Town Hall at 876-3409.
Posted in and Watershed Protection | Leave a Comment »
Transition Woodstock Public Awareness Session
Woodstock Food Security
Woodstock Community Center
November 4, 2011
PRESENT
28 Guest participants
7 Transition Woodstock Initiating Team Members including one Presenter
3 Guest Presenters
_________________________________________________
OUTCOMES & NEXT STEPS
1. Transition Woodstock will conduct a series of public awareness sessions on various sustainability topics leading up to a comprehensivepublic event in July, 2012.
A major aspect of the July 2012 event will be the formation of issue-specific working groups of people interested in implementing projects which move Woodstock away from fossil fuel dependency and toward sustainable, resilient lifestyles.
Participants from each Transition Woodstock Public Awareness session conducted to date, i.e.:
who expressed interest in delving more deeply into each of these topicsare encouraged to form independent working groups. Formation of issue-
specific working groups prior to the July 2012 event will provide animportant foundation and momentum for future work.
2. December 2, 7:30 PM, Reformed Church of Woodstock: Transition Woodstock presents: Energy Conservation- Winter Weatherization
MEETING SUMMARY
Introduction to the Transition Initiative and the Transition Woodstock Initiating Team, Vickie O’Dougherty
Neighbor Introduction Questions: Moderator, Polly Howells
Guest Speaker Introduction – Susan Moran
Adrianna Natsoulas: Andrianna’s upcoming publication, Food Voices: Stories of Food Sovereignty Movement was written against the back drop of the goals set forth in the 1996 World Food Summit. The Summit was called in response to the continued existence of widespread undernutrition and concern about the capacity of agriculture to meet future food needs. During that Summit, a famers’ movement, called La Via Campesina, coined the phrase “Food Sovereignty,” which addresses the goals of the Summit. Food Sovereignty is the right of people to determine their own food and agriculture systems. It calls for a governance and distribution system imbedded in communities and environmental sustainability. It ensures the health, cultural, political and economic needs of a community are securely met.
Inspired by this international peasant farmer and fisher movement which promotes the implementation of alternatives to the current industrial food model, Andrianna focused her research on five countries in the Americas. The countries she chose are Venezuela, which has incorporated food sustainability into its constitution and is implementing a plan and Ecuador which has a food sovereignty constitutional provision but is not yet implementing it. Brazil was chosen to investigate the struggle of its disenfranchised landless people’s movement to reclaim their land. And Haiti, often viewed as being as a lost cause, was selected as a study in countries that need to be left alone to pursue their own strategies for food sovereignty.
Adrianna interviewed 80 people in the selected countries about five ingredients of food sovereignty:
1. Community
2. Trade reorganization to create local markets
3. Governance: democratic control of local government
Examination of:
4. Consolidation and protection of access
5. Environmental Stewardship
Megan Reynolds
The Woodstock Land Conservancy (WLC) works to ensure that natural environments will be protected and has safeguarded 1000 acres of land for perpetuity.
Megan and the WLC work to promote conservation values and sound agriculture by encouraging community involvement with local food systems, and the maintenance of family farms. To that end WLC pairs available land with farmers.
In response to a question about Woodstock’s potential food self-sufficiency at some future point Megan commented that the Woodstock area was a subsistence farm area. Woodstock could institute a land-link model with smaller tracts of land to connect people who want to farm with land. There are currently many young farmers looking for land. A community clearinghouse for methodically paring prospective farmers with land owners who have acreage to offer was discussed. A participant who had land he was willing to offer for farming volunteered to explore exploring the land pairing clearinghouse with a small group of interested persons.
Mention was also made of the need to bring grain milling back into the area.
Megan’s work with the Woodstock Farmers Market is to encourage residents to by food locally and invite farmers to build the local food supply in order to address gaps in the local food system.
Mila Funk
Mila spoke of permaculture as a way of working with the land that mirrors the perfection of nature. Permaculture initially referred to “permanent agriculture” but is now a more expansive term representing a design system for sustainable culture. Permaculture is a way of looking at human culture through ecological lenses; and fostering community diversity at many levels including biodiversity.
Permaculture design encourages us to start small.
Melody Newcomb
Rotational Gardening is a system whereby for one year, each member of a group of gardeners specializes in growing one main crop, related family of crops or crops with similar nutritional or horticultural requirements. The harvest is then distributed among group members.
The system serves to break pest and disease cycles, build and improve soil fertility and provides a way to share and simplify work. Community-building is an inherent result.
Posted in Food Sustainability | Leave a Comment »
