Artists Present Their Work as Buddhist Practice
At a Rich and Moving Portland Event

Six of Portland’s finest artists, who also practice Buddhism, presented 15-minute segments of the essence of their artistry at a unique Portland celebration of the arts March 1.

The “Arts as Buddhist Practice” event was held in the sanctuary of the First Congregational Church in downtown Portland, and organized by Jacqueline Mandell, with support from Northwest Dharma Association.

In lieu of a single annual meeting, this year the association coordinated separate events in Portland and Seattle, on successive weekends, focused on Buddhism and the arts. The Seattle event was March 8.

Several people attending the Portland gathering called it “a splendid and rich evening.” The artists said they had to work hard to contain the wealth of their knowledge and…

Using Dharma to Ease Congressional Gridlock
Seattle Attorney Nurtures Harmony for Congress

(Editor’s note: Late in 2013, Seattle divorce attorney Carol Bailey, also a long-time dharma student and practitioner, realized she could apply her skills helping people work through disagreements to ease discord in Congress. This is her story.)

In late 2013 I attended an annual gathering of Seattle attorneys where President Barack Obama’s personal attorney Bob Bauer was the guest speaker. I was deeply disturbed to hear him discuss the poisoned personal relationships among Congressional members.

I have always been very patriotic about the best parts of our country and concerned about the well-being and future of America. The fact that Congress was derailed by negative personal relationships and neglecting, actually harming the citizens, really bothered me. As I drove home,…

Seattle Mindfulness Center Launches,
Offers Mindfulness-Based Therapies

What started out as a recurring fantasy for clinical psychologist Dr. Neha Chawla is now the Seattle Mindfulness Center, which opened its doors Jan. 1.

Chawla’s vision was to create a cohesive, reliable and trustworthy place for people to turn to for secular mindfulness instruction, classes and mindfulness-informed therapy.

The Seattle Mindfulness Center is housed in a two-story yellow 1902 house in north Seattle’s Phinney Ridge neighborhood. Newly remodeled, the building includes five therapist’s offices, a large waiting room, and a suite for a massage therapist or acupuncturist. It also provides a community sitting room for meditation, and for secular mindfulness-based classes.

Visitors, who packed a recent open house, shared in the excitement about the center.

Chawla said the group…

A Dharma Lecture: How to Perform a Retreat

On Jan. 19, students were blessed to receive core instructions on how to perform retreat, from Venerable Khenpo Jampa Rinpoche, at Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in north Seattle.

Khenpo-la taught in front of the monastery’s altar, which features a large gleaming statue of the Buddha Shakyamuni flanked by statues of Padmasambhava, Green Tara, and the first and fifth patriarchs of the Sakya lineage. These statues are in turn surrounded by butter lamps, incense braziers, and offerings of fruit and flowers.

Khenpo-la came to Sakya Monastery in 2009, and currently resides and teaches there. He is originally from Derge, a city in the Kham region of eastern Tibet.

A group of about 15 students sat in a semi-circle around Khenpo-la

His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Visit
Vancouver, B.C., to give teachings in October

His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be returning to Vancouver, B.C., from Oct. 20 through 23 of this year, five years after his last visit there.

His Holiness also recently visited Portland, in 2013, for a program that focused on the environment, and climate change.

Most of the fall visit to Vancouver will be educational programs sponsored by the Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education, in Vancouver. Please check that site for updates.

According to that group’s website, the center “Educates the heart and fosters compassion through creative learning, facilitating and applying research, and connecting people and ideas.”

Here’s a video about His Holiness’ 2009 visit. Here’s what Victor Chan, who co-founded Dalai Lama Center for Peace and Education in…