VERO BEACH — A weekend devoted to “Basic Buddhism: Exploring the Foundation of Buddhism through Simple Truths” will take place in Indian River County on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 5 and 6.
“The Four Thoughts That Turn the Mind Towards a Spiritual Path” will be presented at the Emerson Center on Friday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m., sponsored by Sebastian’s Mangalam Dharma Center and the Sebastian Counseling Center. The speaker will be Dungse Jampal Norbu. The lecture is open to the public, is free, and does not require tickets or reservations.
Dungse (a title meaning heir to the lineage) Jampal Norbu was born in 1988, the son of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel, who has taught Buddhism classes in Indian River County the last three years, most recently in April. Dungse Jampal recently completed a five-year course of study at Guna Institute in Bir, India, under the guidance of Kongtrul Rinpoche. Jampal’s anecdotal style and firsthand curiosity about how Buddhism relates to actual experience imbue his teaching with a fresh perspective, and reveal a natural wisdom and humor.
Dharma is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. It encompasses everything that is considered correct, proper or decent behavior and can include vocation, religion, duty and how we relate to the world. In modern Indian languages, dharma can refer simply to a person’s spiritual path, and also refers to the teachings and doctrines of the founders of Buddhism.
The Buddhism weekend continues on Saturday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Mangalam Dharma Center, with a day-long seminar based on the “Four Noble Truths of Buddhism,” also led by Dungse Jampal. Lunch is included in the $60 registration fee, and pre-registration is suggested.
For information and registration, phone the Sebastian Counseling Center at 772-589-4488. The Mangalam Dharma Center is located at 11154 Hotchkiss Drive in Sebastian.
The Emerson Center, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Vero Beach, is handicapped-accessible, with lots of easy parking, located at 1590 27th Avenue on the southeast corner of 27th Avenue and 16th Street. For more information about Emerson Center programs, call 772-778-5249.
