Viva Nepal!
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Thank you so much for viewing!
I have put together this Gofundme campaign as a way to raise support for an upcoming pilgrimage to Nepal I will be attending, led by personal mentor and Buddhist teacher Dr. Miles Neale as well as his teacher, renowned Tibetan monk, Geshe Tenzin Zopa.
During this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey, we will walk in the footsteps of the Buddha, stopping to meditate and to receive teachings and blessings. The second leg of the journey will be spent at Kopan Monastery, home to one of the largest nunneries in the world and among only a few that offer the Geshe-ma degree (Doctorate of Divinity), empowering women to be the next generation of spiritual leaders. (YES)
Over the last several years, my voice as a yoga instructor has been strongly guided and influenced by the teachings I received from Miles through the Nalanda Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness, a certificate program which illuminates the psychology and neuroscience underpinning ancient techniques and practices of Indo-tibetan Buddhism.
I was most strongly inspired by the intricate and powerful visualization practices of Tibetan meditation, one in particular called the Jewel Tree Refuge. This meditation utilizes the creative intelligence of the mind to draw upon positive emotions elicited by inspirational figures in order to enhance our innate potential for evolutionary development, altruistically-motivated problem solving, and pro-active societal engagement, all accelerated through the use of heroic, role-modeling imagery and supported within the context of a safe, healing environment.
Being so inspired, this year I began to offer the Jewel Tree Refuge as a part of my teaching. In March, I taught a lecture series, illuminating the multitudinous aspects of the meditation. I then took it on the road, teaching a group of women on retreat in Barbados in May. And I hope to continue to bring this out into the world for any and all with a curious and thirsty heart. My long-term goal is to include a one-month stint a year, traveling as a volunteer to areas of the world in need of such healing modalities to establish or help to establish a yoga/meditation program. May this be the seed that flourishes into many coming to know their basic goodness through inspiration and connection.
I hope for this pilgrimage to nurture a deep, experiential understanding of the Buddha's teachings; so that I may return, capable and confident, to offer them right back out with the same passion and clarity with which my teachers have transmitted them to me.
I am incredibly grateful for any amount you can share to help me fulfill this vision. Thank you thank you thank you!
BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES NEEDED BY OCTOBER
Cost of pilgrimage (including food, housing in Kathmandu and Kopan Monastery, as well as expenses for Neale and Zopa, expert guides, and entrance fees for holy sites) : $4200
Cost of roundtrip flight from NYC to Kathmandu : $1200
TOTAL COST (not including passport/visa fees, medical clearance, travel insurance, and personal expenses) : $5400
Below are some additional references for your viewing pleasure!
A detailed preview of the pilgrimage
More info on Kopan Nunnery
Preorder Miles book : Gradual Awakening
A video of Miles artfully describing the benefits of Tibetan visualization
*A portion of the proceeds from this pilgrimage as well as from Miles book go to support Kopan Nunnery
I have put together this Gofundme campaign as a way to raise support for an upcoming pilgrimage to Nepal I will be attending, led by personal mentor and Buddhist teacher Dr. Miles Neale as well as his teacher, renowned Tibetan monk, Geshe Tenzin Zopa.
During this once-in-a-lifetime spiritual journey, we will walk in the footsteps of the Buddha, stopping to meditate and to receive teachings and blessings. The second leg of the journey will be spent at Kopan Monastery, home to one of the largest nunneries in the world and among only a few that offer the Geshe-ma degree (Doctorate of Divinity), empowering women to be the next generation of spiritual leaders. (YES)
Over the last several years, my voice as a yoga instructor has been strongly guided and influenced by the teachings I received from Miles through the Nalanda Four Year Program in Sustainable Happiness, a certificate program which illuminates the psychology and neuroscience underpinning ancient techniques and practices of Indo-tibetan Buddhism.
I was most strongly inspired by the intricate and powerful visualization practices of Tibetan meditation, one in particular called the Jewel Tree Refuge. This meditation utilizes the creative intelligence of the mind to draw upon positive emotions elicited by inspirational figures in order to enhance our innate potential for evolutionary development, altruistically-motivated problem solving, and pro-active societal engagement, all accelerated through the use of heroic, role-modeling imagery and supported within the context of a safe, healing environment.
Being so inspired, this year I began to offer the Jewel Tree Refuge as a part of my teaching. In March, I taught a lecture series, illuminating the multitudinous aspects of the meditation. I then took it on the road, teaching a group of women on retreat in Barbados in May. And I hope to continue to bring this out into the world for any and all with a curious and thirsty heart. My long-term goal is to include a one-month stint a year, traveling as a volunteer to areas of the world in need of such healing modalities to establish or help to establish a yoga/meditation program. May this be the seed that flourishes into many coming to know their basic goodness through inspiration and connection.
I hope for this pilgrimage to nurture a deep, experiential understanding of the Buddha's teachings; so that I may return, capable and confident, to offer them right back out with the same passion and clarity with which my teachers have transmitted them to me.
I am incredibly grateful for any amount you can share to help me fulfill this vision. Thank you thank you thank you!
BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES NEEDED BY OCTOBER
Cost of pilgrimage (including food, housing in Kathmandu and Kopan Monastery, as well as expenses for Neale and Zopa, expert guides, and entrance fees for holy sites) : $4200
Cost of roundtrip flight from NYC to Kathmandu : $1200
TOTAL COST (not including passport/visa fees, medical clearance, travel insurance, and personal expenses) : $5400
Below are some additional references for your viewing pleasure!
A detailed preview of the pilgrimage
More info on Kopan Nunnery
Preorder Miles book : Gradual Awakening
A video of Miles artfully describing the benefits of Tibetan visualization
*A portion of the proceeds from this pilgrimage as well as from Miles book go to support Kopan Nunnery
Organizer
Tiffany Marie Chandler
Organizer
Brooklyn, NY