Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha

Previous Teacher Residencies

This page is meant to be used as an historical archive. Here we list previous teacher residencies sponsored by the Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha. Information on this page was cut and pasted from the Teacher Residencies page (after the residency was over), and things are worded as if the residency is current or about to happen. So, please change everything, in your mind, to past tense as you read!
Jason Siff, June 8-30, 2005
Teacher:	Jason Siff
Activities:	(1) Dharma study group. Jason will provide a translation of a Buddhist text and the group will do an in-depth study of that text. Dates: Wednesday evenings, June 8, 15, 22, and 29. Time: 7:00-8:30 pm Place: Shannon McKee's home, 2128 Paeso Del Prado. Directions: From Interstate 40 exit Rio Grande and drive north. Turn right (east) at the second traffic light, which is Indian School. Go about 1 block and turn left(north) at the first street on your left, which is Meadow View. The First street on the right is Paseo Del Prado and Shannon's is the third townhouse on the right: #2128. (2) Dharma talks at Thursday Night Meetings, June 9, 16, 23, and 30. (3) Individual interviews. There will be sign up sheets at the Wednesday and Thursday meetings. Jason will be doing evening interviews on Wednesdays and Thursdays starting June 20. (4) A residential retreat, June 10-19, taught by Jason and Trudy Goodman, to be held north of Santa Fe at the beautiful Sangre de Cristo Center. The retreat is sponsored by the Santa Fe sangha. Contact Niki FitzCallagan, 2954 Plaza Blanca, Santa Fe, NM 87505: 505-471-2114 or 505-988-2922; nlfitzcybermesa.com. (5) Dharma talks at above retreat. The dharma talks at the Trudy Goodman and Jason Siff retreat at the Sangre de Cristo Center, north of Santa Fe, are open to anyone who would like to attend. Trudy will speak June 13, 15, 16, 18. Jason will speak June 14, 17, 18. Here's the schedule: Sit - 7:00 pm. Dharma Talk - 7:45 pm. Story - 8:30 pm. It is preferred that people come from 7 to 9 pm for everything, but if that isn't possible, it would be okay to come for just the talk and the story. (6) A non-residential retreat Saturday and Sunday, June 25 and 26, at Joan Granger's house in Albuquerque. (7) Potluck dinner at Joan's house on June 26 following the retreat. All are invited, including those who did not attend the retreat. See Directions to Joan's House.
Coordinator:	Terry Thompson, 505-268-2843, tgt44comcast.net.
Jason Siff, October 4 - November 16, 2006
Teacher:	Jason Siff
Interviews:	Jason will be available for individual interviews starting the second week of the residency. To schedule an interview, look for sign up sheets at sangha events or contact Terry Thompson (see below). The interviews will be held at the home of Jerilyn Bowen, 237 Aliso Drive NE, which is 3 blocks east of Carlisle and 1 block north of Central.
Activities:	Day Date Activity with Jason Time Location Wed Oct 04 Dharma study 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm The Wat Thu Oct 05 Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Fri Oct 06 Small group session 7:00 pm Thompson residence Sat Oct 07 Meditation workshop. Registration fee for the workshop is $10. Space will be limited so please sign up in advance. Send check made payable to Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha to Terry Thompson, 1821 Illinois NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. 8:00 am - 2:00 pm The Wat Sat Oct 07 Potluck dinner 6:00 pm Thompson residence Wed Oct 11 Dharma study, followed by discussion and refreshments 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm The Wat Thu Oct 12 Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Thu Nov 09 Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Fri Nov 10 Small group session on Buddhist philosophy 7:00 pm Home of Elizabeth Rappaport. For directions please send email to rapaportlaw.unm.edu. Sat Nov 11 Peer group workshop. Registration fee for the workshop is $10. Space will be limited so please sign up in advance. Send check made payable to Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha to Terry Thompson, 1821 Illinois NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110. 9:00 am - 3:00 pm The Wat Sat Nov 11 Potluck dinner and dharma discussion 6:00 pm Home of Hilary Heyl. For directions please call Hilary at 873-8683. Wed Nov 15 Dharma study 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm The Wat Thu Nov 16 Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat
Coordinator:	Terry Thompson, 505-268-2843, tgt44comcast.net.
Brian Lesage, March 15-25, 2007
Teacher:	Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation for eighteen years. He has studied in both the Zen and Theravada schools of Buddhism. He was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996 and underwent intensive training for four years. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S. He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses in a variety of settings for the general population and has also taught adjudicated teens and prison inmates. He is a co-founder of Equanimity Development Institute, an organization that provides meditation instruction and Somatic Experiencing®, a naturalistic approach to healing trauma, for individuals dealing with various difficult circumstances such as addiction, chronic pain, and stress. He is currently mentoring under Vipassana meditation teacher Eric Kolvig.
Activities:	(1) Dharma talks on March 15 and March 22 at Thursday night meetings. (2) Dharma study on Saturday, March 17, 10:00 am to 1:00 pm at the Wat. Bring a bag lunch. We'll eat together at noon, after two hours of study. The study will focus on our experience of Buddhist practice as it is currently unfolding in this country, drawing on an edited talk given by Stephen Batchelor entitled The Agnostic Buddhist and an excerpt from an interview of Batchelor conducted by Andrew Cohen. (3) Interviews: Brian will conduct hour-long interviews Sunday, March 18, and Monday, March 19, morning and evening. To sign up, contact Andrea Escher, 898-7351, aescher1gmail.com. If these dates don't work for you, it may also be possible to schedule an interview on March 17 or March 20. Interviews will take place at the home of Mel Schneider, 1802 Valencia Dr. NE (corner of Constitution and Valencia, between San Mateo & San Pedro). (4) One-day retreat on Saturday, March 24. (5) Potluck in Brian's honor on Saturday, March 24 at 7:00 pm at the home of Andrea Escher and Todd Tibbals in the north valley. All are invited to join the fun, bring a dish to share. For info, call Andrea at 898-7351 or 818-9637. Andrea and Todd live at 7316 Guadelupe Trail NW, in the Albuquerque north valley. Directions from I-25 North: Exit at San Mateo/Osuna. Drive west on Osuna to 4th St., turn right and proceed north approximately one mile to Roehl St. You will see Moses Kountry Store. Turn left and go west on Roehl to Guadalupe Tr, about two blocks (Roehl Ts into Guadalupe Tr). Turn right and go north. House is 5th on right, prayer flags on front porch.
Coordinator:	Jerilyn Bowen, jbowen1unm.edu, 505-255-1436
Bhante Dhammaratana Thera, July 1-20, 2007
Teacher:	Bhante Dhammaratana was born in Detroit and worked primarily as a mechanic in lay life. After he graduated from the University of Michigan he became interested in Buddhism from reading The Tassajara Bread Book. Becoming inspired in the Path he came to Bhavana in 1991 where he served as a lay resident. He received full ordination by Bhante Gunaratana in 1992. Bhante Dhammaratana became a monk because of a desire for a more enduring happiness found by serving and being sensitive to others.
Activities:	July 5 Dharma Talk see Thursday Night Meetings July 7-8 Retreat/Study on the Four Noble Truths   July 12 Dharma Talk see Thursday Night Meetings July 13 Dharma Talk at POCAS 6:30 at the Wat, same time and place as our Thursday night meetings July 14-15 Retreat/Study on Impermanence   July 19 Dharma Talk see Thursday Night Meetings
Interviews:	If you'd like to set up a private interview with the Bhante, contact Ted Ulinski, at email or phone number below.
Coordinator:	Ted Ulinski, tedjulinskimsn.com, 899-3677
Jason Siff, April 24 - May 22, 2008
Teacher:	Jason Siff has been teaching meditation for over twenty years, first as a Theravada monk in Sri Lanka and then as a layman in Southern California. He teaches a form of awareness meditation grounded in the teachings of Early Buddhism, which has subsequently been developed through his in-depth work with students over the years. He has written four "Dharma" novels, as well as articles on meditation, translations of Pali Suttas, and one non-fiction book, Unlearning Meditation. His website is www.skillfulmeditation.org.
Flyer:	Click here
Interviews:	Jason will be available for individual interviews during his residency. To schedule an interview, look for sign up sheets at sangha events or contact Karen Hastings (see below).
Activities:	Day Date Activity with Jason Time Location Thu Apr 24 Sitting and Dharma Talk 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Sun Apr 27 Potluck Brunch for Jason and Jacquelin 10:00 am Home of Hilary Heyl (contact Hilary at 505-873-8683 for directions) Tue Apr 29 Sitting and Dharma Talk at Santa Fe Sangha 6:30 pm Mountain Cloud Zen Center 7241 Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM Wed Apr 30 Dharma Study Group on Buddhist Theories of Consciousness. The group will use as a text The Buddhist Unconscious: The alaya-vijnana in the context of Indian Buddhist thought by William S. Waldron. 6:30 pm The Wat Thu May 01 Sitting and Dharma Talk 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Sat Sun May 03 May 04 Introductory Meditation Workshop. Registration is required. Sat noon - 5:00 pm Sun 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Albuquerque Zen Center Wed May 07 Dharma Study Group See April 30, above for topic. 6:30 pm The Wat Thu May 08 Sitting and Dharma Talk 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Thu May 10 Meditation Workshop in Las Vegas Registration required. Contact Yvonne Bond, ybondnewmexico.com, 505-454-8831. 10:00 am to 4:30 pm Open Heart Zendo 819 Highland Drive, Las Vegas, NM Wed May 14 Dharma Study Group See April 30, above for topic. 6:30 pm The Wat Thu May 15 Sitting and Dharma Talk 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat Sat May 17-18 Weekend Workshop Registration is required. 9:00 am - 3:00 pm Center for Action and Contemplation Wed May 21 Dharma Study Group See April 30, above for topic. 6:30 pm The Wat Thu May 22 Sitting and Dharma Talk 6:30 pm-8:15 pm The Wat
Coordinator:	Karen Hastings, 505-268-2678, karenavsdukecity.sent.com.
Recordings:	(This section was added after the residency ended.) Here are audio recordings of talks by Jason during the residency. (The link will take you to a page on the Skillful Meditation Project website from which you can listen on-line or download files containing talks given during the residency.)
Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia, October 22 - November 17, 2008
Teacher:	Gloria Taraniya Ambrosia has been a Dhamma teacher since 1990. She is a student of the western forest sangha, the disciples of Ajahn Sumedho and Ajahn Chah, and is a Lay Buddhist Minister in association with Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery in California. She served as resident teacher of the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts from 1996 through 1999. Taraniya serves as one of the three Core Faculty at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies where she does most of her teaching. If you'd like to hear some of Gloria Taraniya's talks, you can listen to them on-line (or download them) at Dharma Seed. And here is an interview with Gloria Taraniya (date and interviewer unknown).
Dharma Talks:	Taraniya will join us for our regularly scheduled sitting and dharma talk on Thursdays, October 23, October 30, November 6, and November 13. See Thursday Night Sittings for time and place. Topic for the talks will be The Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Mindfulness meditation involves moment-to-moment observation of the body/mind process through calm and focused awareness. This practice, which begins with awareness of the breath and expands to include awareness of emotional and mental states, helps meditators develop the capacity to be with things as they are and to have insight into the true nature of reality. During this weekly gathering, we shall closely examine the Buddha's instruction regarding the meditation practice and discuss what it means. We shall also have ample time to do the practice itself and examine it through our own experience.
Day Retreats:	Day retreats with Taraniya will be held November 2 and November 15.
Half-Day Retreats:	Half-day retreats with Taraniya will be held October 26 and November 16. Participants will practice mindfulness techniques while sitting, walking, and moving about throughout the day. Dhamma reflections will focus on fine-tuning the meditation practice. This retreat is suitable for beginners and seasoned meditators alike.
Sutta Study:	Sutta study will be offered Tuesdays, October 28, November 4, and November 11 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. Please sign up by contacting Kelly Klein at kklein.mettagmail.com. When you sign up for the study Kelly will let you know the location. The sutta study topic will be The Removal of Distracting Thought, MN20 In one of the Buddha's talks, he outlined five strategies that we can use to deal with persistent thinking,, especially when it is unskillful or unwholesome. Sutta #20 from the Middle Length Discourse of the Buddha outlines these five strategies, replacing unskillful thoughts with their opposite, contemplating the consequences of sustaining unskillful thoughts, deliberately turning to something else, slowing down the thought process by investigating what's happening, and beating down the thoughts to remove them from the mind. During this class, we will examine each of these with an eye to using them well in our daily lives.
Interviews:	Taraniya will be available for a limited number of individual and group practice discussions/interviews. There is no specific fee for these sessions; they are offered on a dana (generosity) basis. There will be a basket available for participants who wish to make an offering to Taraniya. Here's what Taraniya says about the practice interview of dhamma discussion: The Practice Discussion or Interview provides an opportunity for the meditator to articulate what is going on with them, in practice and in life. The act of reporting in this way is significant in that it helps the meditator to make conscious the realizations that are often lurking just below the level of awareness. I often find that meditators don't particularly need answers; they just need to bring the issues more fully into awareness. In such instances, there may be little or no need for my input. At other times, however, it is clear that the meditator wants input or that there is some obvious question or confusion that we need to examine. Then I offer instruction on the teachings and the practices. Individual and small group discussions will be scheduled as follows: Tuesdays, Oct. 28, Nov. 4, Nov. 11: 5:30 and 6:00 (1/2 hour individual). Sunday, Oct. 26: afternoon and evening (45 minutes, 3 individual, 1 group). Saturday, Nov. 1: morning and afternoon (45 minutes, 5 individual). Sunday, Nov. 16: afternoon and evening (45 minutes, 3 individual, 1 group). To sign up for an interview, call Christine Hall at 268-3895.
Flyers:	All the residency information is contained in these handy documents: Courses and Details.
Coordinator:	Valerie Roth, valerie.roth2gmail.com, 505-688-9005
Recordings:	(This section was added after the residency ended.) See Dharma Recordings for links to talks Gloria Taraniya gave during the residency.
Brian Lesage, March 5-22, 2009
Teacher:	Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation for twenty years. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. He was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S. He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide. Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma.
Series:	As a part of some of the activities listed below, Brian will offer a series of talks on bringing the heart of the practice to life through going for refuge. He says: "Going for refuge in the Triple-Gem, the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, is a fundamental aspect of the path of Awakening that is not only the beginning point of practice but contains the profundity and depth of the Buddha's teachings."
Activities:	Date Day Activity with Brian Time Location 03/05/09 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat 03/10/09 Tuesday Study group on Dependent Origination. Here are study materials: PDF or Word Document. Pre-registration is required. Please call Christine at 268-3895. 7:00 pm Christine's home. Here are address and directions. 03/11/09 Wednesday Individual practice discussion/interviews with Brian. Call Andrea at 898-7351 to sign up.   Andrea's home. Here are address and directions. 03/12/09 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat 03/14/09 Saturday Day-long retreat 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Rigdzin Dharma Center. See day-long retreat for map and directions. 03/17/09 Tuesday Study group on Dependent Origination. Pre-registration is required. See above March 10 for study materials and other info. 7:00 pm Christine's home. Here are address and directions. 03/18/09 Wednesday Individual practice discussion/interviews with Brian. Call Andrea at 898-7351 to sign up.   Andrea's home 03/19/09 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat 03/21/09 Saturday Hike 9:00 am - 3:00 pm (meet at 8:45) Meet at Smith's parking lot, 200 Tramway SE (at Central) 03/21/09 Saturday Potluck 6:00 pm Home of Debra and Gary Serrino. Call them at 792-1101 for directions. 03/22/09 Sunday Half-day retreat 9:00 am - 1:00 pm The Source
Coordinator:	Rhonda Arkana, 349-8680, arkanamac.com. Feel free to contact Rhonda if you have any questions about the above activities.
Brian Lesage, February 18-28, 2010
Teacher:	Brian Lesage has practiced Buddhist meditation for twenty years. He has studied in the Zen, Theravada and Tibetan schools of Buddhism. He was ordained in the Rinzai Zen tradition in 1996. His training in Vipassana Meditation includes doing extended meditation retreats in Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, and India as well as numerous retreats in the U.S. He leads retreats and teaches meditation courses nationwide. Brian also has a private practice in Somatic Experiencing, which is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma.
Flyer:	Brian Lesage Ten-Day Residency February 18-28, 2010
Individual Discussions:	Sign-up sheet for individual practice discussions will be at the table at the Wat or call Tiska at 256-3785.
Activities:	Date Day Activity with Brian Time Location 02/18/10 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk at Thursday night meeting on Gateways to Freedom: The Hindrances. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat 02/19/10 Friday Buddhist Movie Night: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter ... and Spring 6:30 pm Mark Steele's House 02/20/10 Saturday Study Group: We will examine Engaged Buddhism in the larger context of Buddhist practice and we will also examine it in terms of our own spiritual practice. Text: Excerpt from Interbeing: Fourteen Guidelines for Engaged Buddhism by Thich Nhat Hanh. For a copy, send email to tiskaunm.edu. 9:00 am to 1:00 pm RigDzin Dharma Center, 322 Washington St. SE 02/21/10 Sunday Meditation and dharma talk on The Second Noble Truth at Sunday night sitting. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm Bhava Yoga Studio, located at 520-A Central SE (corner of Walter and Central) 02/22/10 Monday Group: Engaged Buddhism (continued). Text: (1) Excerpt from The Bond Between Women by China Galland; for a copy, send email to tiskaunm.edu. And (2) What's Buddhist about Socially Engaged Buddhism by David Loy. The article can be found at: http://www.zen-occidental.net/articles1/loy12-english.html. 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm RigDzin Dharma Center, 322 Washington St. SE 02/25/10 Thursday Sitting and dharma talk on Gateways to Freedom: The Aggregates at Thursday night meeting. 6:30 pm - 8:15 pm The Wat 02/27/10 Saturday Hike: Bringing Mindfulness into the Outdoors. Please join us for a mostly silent hike with periods of mindful hiking interspersed with sitting meditation and time for discussion. We will hike the Domingo Baca at Ellena Giegos Open Space. This is a lovely desert hike that winds its way to a canyon with pretty little water falls. The round trip is approximately 4 miles and 400 feet elevation gain. The trail is meandering and not obvious in parts. To ensure that you will be able to find your way back, it is best to do the entire hike with the group. If you must leave early, on your own, it must be during the first 20 or 30 minutes, while the return trail is easy to follow. Bring plenty of water, a snack, hat, sunscreen, and good hiking shoes. Dress in layers. Parking fee is $2 per car. 8:30 am to 1:30 am Meet group at shopping center on NE corner of Montgomery and Tramway, by McDonald's. Look for hike leader Sandra Schroeder with her silver Toyota. We will car pool to Elena Gallegos, leaving promptly at 8:30. 02/27/10 Saturday Potluck 5:30 pm Andrea's House 02/28/10 Sunday Half-Day Retreat 9:00 am to 1:00 pm The Source which is located at 1111 Carlisle Blvd SE
Contact:	Tiska, 256-3785, tiskaunm.edu. Feel free to contact Tiska if you have any questions about the above activities.