Upcoming Events

Green Tara Sand Mandala with Lama Karma Chopal Jan 16th - 20th

Lama Chopal, a highly skilled Tibetan artist, will visit Albany KTC on Jan 16-20, 2008, and will construct a sand mandala of Green Tara with the help of members of Albany KTC, as well as lead us in the Green Tara practice. Those of us who were present at the Hubbard Interfaith
Sanctuary last March, will recall Lama Chopal's building of a Chenrezig sand mandala, and how he enlisted the help of many people, including children.
At that time he promised to return and do a sand mandala at our center. This should be a very exciting event.

Past Events 2007

Visit of Lama Karma Samten - October 5 - 7, 2007

Medicine Buddha Practice with Lama Tratop

Habitat for Humanity - October 13, 2007

Lama Karma Samten: The Six Perfections - October 5- 7, 2007

Albany KTC was quite fortunate to have the opportunity to spend a weekend with Lama Karma Samten and his assistant Kate. We were treated
to a series of profound and utterly accessible teachings on one of the principle teachings of Mayahana Buddhism: The Six Perfections. On Sunday,
Lama Samten gave a public talk to a standing room only audience at the Carondelet Hospitality Center. Many attendees remarked on Lama's skillful
delivery of such a difficult topic.

In addition to the time spent with our sangha, Lama Samten also found time to speak with almost 100 Community Hospice employees on the topic
of Living with Death and Dying. The event deeply touched those fortunate enough to attend.

Online audio of the talks is available in our Teachings section.

Meditation-Thon: September 13 - 16, 2007

Albany KTC's 2nd Meditation-Thon was a memorable event for all involved. Throughout the 4 day event at least one particpant was meditating
at all times. The event took place in Washington Park again this year, and participants had the opportunity to meet a lot of passerbys. A number
of individuals received meditation instruction for the first time, and said that they were thankful that Albany KTC was holding the event.
The event raised $3,500, with $3,000 going towards the completion of KTD monastery in Woodstock, NY. The $3,000 was matched by an
anonymous donor, and so $6,000 was raised for the completion of the monastery.

Albany KTC participated in The 6th Annual Walk for Hospice on June 9th. The event raised funds in support of The Community Hospice.
Our team had a wonderful time at the event, and we were happy to support such an important cause.

Day Long Medicine Buddha Practice - April 6, 2007

We were extremely fortunate to have Lama Sangye led us in the Medicine Buddha practice. The practice was similar to they manner that it is
done at Kunzang Palchen Ling, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche's center in Red Hook. About 15 individuals particpated, and all related a
powerful day of practice.

Chenrezig Sand Mandala with Lama Karma Chopal - March 26 - 30, 2007

Albany KTC and the College of St. Rose were truly blessed with the wonderful presence of Lama Karma Chopal throughout this event.
Lama Chopal was able to include just about everyone (KTC members, St. Rose Students, High School Students, and young children)
in the creation of an exquisite Chenrezig Sand Mandala. A closing ceremony was held on Friday at which the mandala was dismantled, sand
was given out to those in attendance as a blessing, and the remaining sand was poured into the Hudson River. The event was quite beautiful.
A photo album is available that captures some of the magic of the event.

Weekend Teaching by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche - February 2 - 4, 2007

Our sangha was fortunate to have received a profound teaching on The Three Vehicles of Buddhism by Bardor Tulku Rinpoche. In addition,
a Guru Rinpoche empowerment was bestowed Saturday evening.

2006

KTC Holiday Party

The Roths were kind enough to host our annual holiday party once again this year. There was quite a good turnout this year, and a wonderful
assortment of delicious foods. One highlight of the evening was when the Rothís neighbor, Amalia, performed a few traditional Tibetan songs.

Dharma In Action: Regional Food Bank 10/28/06: On Saturday sangha members met for two hours at the Regional Food Bank and,
along with other volunteers that morning, helped to box up over 2 tons of donated items. The morning was filled with smiles and a
whirlwind of activity as participants helped to box up the donations.

Report on Meditation and Medicine - Oct 1 and 8, 2007

On Sunday mornings Oct 1 and Oct 8 at 11:30 AM, Will Roth reported on the rapidly developing collaboration between Buddhist meditation
and visualization, and Western scientific medicine. In particular he centered his discussion on the Washington conference with the Dalai Lama
on Clinical Applications of Meditation.

Teaching by Khenpo Ugyen, Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels, Sept 15 - 17 2006

Khenpo Ugyen spent the weekend with us giving a teaching the Three Jewels. He also explained the benefits and commitments of taking
refuge in them. When we seek refuge from suffering, we need to examine who or what would be an appropriate object of refuge. According
to Buddhism the fit objects of refuge are the Three Jewels: the Buddha Dharma, and Sangha. Buddha is the teacher who himself transcended
all suffering, Dharma is his teaching that provides the path to liberation and Sangha is the assembly of practitioners who assist us in this journey.

Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin was enrolled in the first class of Karma Shri Nalanda Institute at Rumtek Dharma Chakra Center in Sikkim, the main seat
of the Gyalwa Karmapa in exile. His classmates included Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. He received the Acharya degree jointly from Nalanda
Institute and Sampumanand Sanskrit University in 1991. As a Khenpo, he taught Buddhist philosophy for six years at Nimalung Monastery in
Bhutan, and then served as Senior Abbot/Principal Teacher at Nalanda Institute at Rumtek from 1997 to 2002. In 2002, he left to go into retreat
at Tang Kunzang Drag Monastery in Bhutan, the birthplace and main seat of the great treasure-revealer, Terton Pema Lingpa. At the request of
His Holiness the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa, Khenpo Ugyen left his retreat and came to KTD Monastery in Woodstock to serve as a resident lama,
arriving in May of 2005

The Meditation-Thon was fundraiser to help raise money for the completion of the monastery at KTD. During the course of those five
days at least one participant was meditating at all times, day and night. The event was located on a small stage in Washington Park in
Albany during the day and at the nearby Little Moon Tibetan gift shop at night. We were able to meet our target of $5,000, and received an
additional $5000 in matching donations. In addition, we got the opportunity to talk to and sit with a variety of interested passersby.

Watch the Meditation-Thon Video