“Cultivating Open Hearts in Times of Crisis” with Dr. Renée Ford & Dr. Nathaniel Rich

Wednesday November 12, 7:00 pm CT

We are in crisis mode these days. Distrust and anger are closing our hearts and silencing our voices. We find ourselves constantly turning away from each other, especially those with whom we feel or think we have differences of opinion. Even worse, increasingly we believe that those differences are a direct threat to our way of life. Unfortunately, all these closures and silences lead to deeper distrust and anguish. We seem to have forgotten how to be open-hearted to our neighbors, how to listen to them, and how to understand that opinions do not define the entire person. When we focus on one part of someone, we lose sight of the whole. 

Closed hearts cause us to forget that our neighbors are also friends, mothers, fathers, or siblings to others. They go to sleep and eat meals just like us. They enjoy being with friends and family. They enjoy hobbies. They love. They wish to be happy. They wish to never experience suffering – just like we do. Our closed hearts blind us to this array that is our neighbor. 

Human beings are always more than their opinions. They are dynamic. In some ways, each one of us is an almost infinite display of emotions, thoughts, and states of being, and we blind ourselves to the whole when we fixate on only one part of a person – especially when we see them with a closed heart that fails to recognize their other qualities. 

Fortunately, our hearts also open. When we allow our hearts to open, we make room to recognize the wholeness of others. At the very least, an open heart opens a space in which to hear the other person without feeling threatened. An open heart allows us to see that our neighbor’s opinion is only one infinitesimally small part of the whole. Our open hearts can see the whole person. 

This Compassion Week event hosted by Dawn Mountain, with Dr. Renée Ford and Dr. Nathaniel Rich, focuses on how to cultivate an open heart. Incorporating Buddhist-inspired practices on open-heartedness/tenderness (brtse ba) and a unique embodied practice called Focusing, developed by the American psychologist Eugene Gendlin, Dr. Ford and Dr. Rich will introduce practical instructions for how to open our hearts.

Practical Instructions from Longchenpa on “All Creating Majesty” 

Lama Tenzin Samphel with Lamas Rigzin & Namgyal 

November 14-16

How we see the world is an open door to the view of reality.  In this retreat, we carefully, gently investigate our own way of seeing. This is an accessible, and unique method highlighted in Longchenpa’s distillation of the “All Creating Majesty”, and the first time it is taught in the West. Because of its special, accessible qualities, Lama Tenzin Samphel is opening it to all interested students. We invite you to share a liberating appreciation of your own experience. 

Lama Tenzin Samphel has a gift for teaching Western students. Every year he includes meditations and observations that benefit both newer and more long-term students. For those starting in this year, year five, we will send a transcript of year one and encourage you to catch up on the prior years at your own pace.

Treasury of Basic Space (The Precious Dharmadhatu Treasury)

Lama Tenzin Samphel, with Lamas Rigzin and Namgyal 

Nov. 21-23

Chöying Dzö is one of Longchenpa’s famous Seven Treasures, exquisite poetry illuminating the centrality of the dharmadhātu to the awakening described in Dzogchen. Lama Tenzin’s teaching also draws richly and selectively from Longchenpa’s own commentary on this work, translated by Richard Barron as A Treasure Trove of Scriptural Transmissions. 

Many accomplished masters rely on reading the Chöying Dzö in their daily practice. Those of you who have been with us for this ongoing teaching have experienced first-hand how Lama Tenzin Samphel transmits key principles for realization. We have been immersing ourselves annually in this text since 2013 and are now reaching the culminating sections of this text, a great gift, not to be missed. 

This course is for those who have completed Ngongro.  If you have completed and have not yet joined, please contact us about connecting with this teaching. 

Sustaining the Radiance

Saturday December 6, 12:00-1:30 pm

This is an event for all: students old and new and curious people everywhere to catch up on our latest offerings and celebrate together how Dawn Mountain sustains our lives for the better whether you are a Buddhist practitioner or curious to see how Tibetan Buddhism philosophy and practices can help us cope with the uncertainty of modern day living.

This event is also a fundraiser.  You will be asked to consider contributing if you feel so inspired.  Our wish is for you to appreciate and acknowledge how Dawn Mountain nourishes us and at the same time give all of us the opportunity to help sustain Dawn Mountain as we continue to promote our values of compassion, community, transformation and tradition.

We especially encourage those of you that are in the Houston area to attend in person.  We will be serving a light lunch following the presentation.  It would be a wonderful opportunity to socialize together as we celebrate sustaining and being sustained by Dawn Mountain.  Feel free to bring a friend or significant other who may be curious to learn about us and what we have to offer.

For those of you attending at a distance, through Zoom, we plan to create breakout rooms where you can also socialize for a while during the event.

As much as anything else, this is an opportunity to get to know and/or be reacquainted with Dawn Mountain and all we have to offer.  Let us celebrate together!

WE ASK THAT YOU REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 30, 2025. This is especially important if you are attending in person to give us the necessary time to arrange the catering for food.

Events with Our Lamas in Other Organizations

The events listed below are not hosted by Dawn Mountain. Please reach out to the host organization for any issues with registration.

Green Tara of Adzom Drukpa in Leipzig, Germany June 15-18

Dakini Ngondro and Becoming Yeshe Tsogyal from Osel Nyingthig of Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, (Bodhicharya, Berlin) ] June 19-22.

Chenrezi—The Great Compassionate One –Full Practice Drupchö,  Ganden Chokhor, Switzerland June 23-28  (if you are  new to Chenrezi practice , contact [email protected])