Venerable Robina Courtin
September 28 to October 9, 2000
Class series: "Advice from a Spiritual Friend"
Sept. 29, 30; Oct. 1, 2, 4Class series: "Everlasting Rain of Nectar"
Oct. 6-8NEW: Teachings on Suffering
Oct. 9, 11
Northwest premiere: "Chasing Buddha"
Seattle Central Community College Handicapped accessible
Thurs., Sept. 28
7:00 pm-8:45 pm
1701 Broadway
Rm. 1110, lower level
Directions
Suggested admission $7
(see note about dana)
This film, which appeared at the 2000 Sundance Film Festival, chronicles the life of Venerable Robina Courtin, a Buddhist nun for over 20 years and former Catholic, communist and militant feminist. Teaching Buddhism to prison inmates in penitentiaries across the United States, Robina shatters the stereotype of a Buddhist — her tough, aggressive and yet loving style leaving an indelible impression on everyone she meets.
FROM THE DIRECTOR: As Robina is also my aunt, I had heard endless outrageous stories about the "Crazy Buddhist Nun" in the family — roaming the world for over thirty years. I was fascinated by her ability to continually transform herself — always with an uncompromising, tireless, energy.
Venerable Robina will take questions after the screening.
Class series: "Advice from a Spiritual Friend"
Location: Dharma Friendship Foundation
Fri., Sept. 29, 7:00-8:45 pm
Sat., Sept. 30, 10 am to noon, 2:00-4:00 pm
Sun., Oct. 1, 10 am to noon, 2:00-4:00 pm
Mon., Oct. 2, 7:00-8:45 pm
Wed., Oct. 4, 7:00-8:45 pm
Happiness and suffering come from the way we perceive and interpret things, not the things themselves. The cause of our dissatisfaction, according to Buddhism, is the instinctive clinging to a limited sense of self, which causes us to respond with attachment, anger and the rest.
These teachings, based on the text "Advice from a Spiritual Friend" by Geshe Dhargyey and Geshe Rabten, will help us to become familiar with the workings of our own minds and hearts so that, by slowly loosening the grip of ego-grasping, we can begin to open up our marvelous potential for clarity, contentment, love and the other qualities that Buddha says are innate within us.
Dana information
Class series: "Everlasting Rain of Nectar"
Location: Dharma Friendship Foundation
Fri., Oct. 6, 7:00-8:45 pm
Sat., Oct. 7, 10 am to noon, 2:00-4:00 pm
Sun., Oct. 8, 10 am to noon, 2:00-4:00 pm
We spend our lives being seduced by the outside world, believing completely that happiness and suffering come from "out there." But "everything we experience is our own karmic appearance," says Lama Zopa Rinpoche. "Everything is made up by our own minds."
Purification practice is about transforming our own minds and deciding what kind of person we want to become. In the process, we transform not only ourselves, but the very world that we experience. These teachings, based on the text "Everlasting Rain of Nectar" by Geshe Jampa Gyatso, which explains the daily purification practice of the 35 Confession Buddhas.
Dana information
Suffering
Location: Dharma Friendship Foundation
Mon., Oct. 9, 7:00-8:45 pm
Wed., Oct. 11, 7:00-8:45 pm
Suffering is an important topic in Buddhism. The Buddha's First Noble Truth says, in essence, that in life, there is suffering.
This is a last-minute change in subject matter, so we can't give you too many details about these talks, except to say that Ven. Robina will speak on the subject of suffering. And it's a safe bet she's not going to talk about how to suffer more!
Dana information
About Venerable Robina
Venerable Robina Courtin was born in Melbourne, Australia, and brought up as a Catholic. During the ’60s and ’70s, she became actively involved with the radical left, joining a support group for black and Chicano prisoners and espousing the cause of radical feminism. In her quest for a spiritual path, she began studying martial arts.
In 1976, she attended a course on Tibetan Buddhism given by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. She subsequently went to the lamas’ monastery in Katmandu, Nepal, and in November 1977 ordained as a Buddhist nun.
Venerable Robina has served as the editorial director of Wisdom Publications, and she is currently editor of MANDALA, the newsmagazine of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). In addition to this and her busy teaching schedule, she provides spiritual direction to many prison inmates.
She is known for her direct and highly energetic teaching style, and her ability to make the Buddhist teachings "tasty" and meaningful for one’s daily life.
Dana
The Dharma teachings of the Buddha are freely offered to everyone.
In order to cover facility, publicity, and transportation costs, and to support the teachers who kindly share the Dharma with us, we encourage people to give dana, the Sanskrit word for "offering."
If you are uncertain how much to give, we recommend $10 for each evening session, $15 for each all-day (Saturday or Sunday) session. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
People who would like to offer more to support the teacher and Dharma Friendship Foundation are certainly welcome to!
More about dana
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