Discovering a Path Toward Radiance
Thursday Reflections……..
When did you begin your spiritual journey?
For some, it happens in an instant—a spark that changes everything. For others, it unfolds slowly, step by step, as if we’ve been walking the path all along.
For me, this journey began with gratitude. I have to thank my father, Venerable Tarthang Tulku, for being both my mentor and my inspiration—guiding me toward the living experience of Dharma. I am also deeply indebted to my teacher, Venerable Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, and to so many great Theravada masters who have illuminated my way.
You could say it’s a traditional Buddhist beginning, yet along this path, I have also been moved by the teachings of my Sufi Mother, and by many other wise voices arising from a diversity of traditions—and from the secular world. I have been equally inspired by the deep wisdom of those walking more Western tracks, whose lives in science and education continue to open new ways of seeing.
Of course, having been brought up in the West with a full education from kindergarten through university, there have been many great beings and mentors who have helped shape who I am today.
At Dharma College, our mission is to reimagine wisdom for the spiritual but not religious—for those seeking a path that unites heart and mind, ancient insight and contemporary understanding, while remaining deeply rooted in authenticity. Ultimately, our inquiry asks how we might embody wholeness and walk the path toward radiance.
All along, I’ve been blessed to meet people whose hearts incline naturally toward the spiritual—a living reminder that awakening can take many forms. As I celebrate my father’s 90th birthday tomorrow, I know that the best gift I can offer is to live the wisdom he has so lovingly imparted, and to dedicate that growth in service to others. For this, I pray that you too will be inspired.
While I may not know you personally, I hope that we can accompany you on your own journey—to discover what we call the path toward radiance.
Each of us has felt, even for a fleeting moment, that shimmer of awareness—a sparkle of wonder that arises before thought, before definition. That is the space we invite you to explore here at Dharma College:
a space between the thoughts,
alive, open, and full of wonder—
and yes, touched by a sparkle of light.
A Special Heartfelt Dedication
Please join me in celebrating my father’s extraordinary vision as we honor his 90th birthday tomorrow—a life whose devotion to wisdom and compassion has borne extraordinary results and fruitions.
May his aspirations and wishes be fully accomplished, and may the light of his work continue to inspire generations to come.
with all best wishes,
Start Your Journey Today:
Enriching the Senses, Awakening to Life
Online Class:
The senses provide us with untapped richness that can heal and enliven our bodies and minds. Viewing a brilliant sunset, smelling the first flowers of spring, or hearing the sound of a loved one’s voice, our senses can become direct pathways to the heart of our being, filling our lives with satisfaction and joy. In this practice-oriented course, we will learn accessible methods to appreciate the senses throughout daily life. In the process, we will enhance our ability to direct how the senses and mind can positively shape our inner world. The more that we tune into the nourishing qualities of our senses, the more happiness and ease we discover for sharing with others.
(No prerequisites; open to all)
Level 100 | Online
Thursdays, 10-11:30 Pacific Time, Oct 30-Nov 20th (4 classes); Nov 27 off for Thanksgiving; Dec 4 and 11th (2 classes); review class of key practices on
Dec 18th
$99
Welcome to a Calm Place
This self-paced course contains an introduction to calmness meditation, the basis for insight into the experience. All of us experience periods in which we seem to lose control, almost as if external events require us to respond in various ways. Calmness meditation is a key life skill here, allowing more control and flexibility in our range of responses. This is the part one subject of a series of eight half-hour classes, entitled ‘Welcome to a Calm Place’, in which a set of simple three-minute daily exercises introduce the state of calm. In learning to manage our habit of reacting reflexively to external events, we find a more spacious way of living and create a platform to generate a more creative way of life.
Level 100 | Self-Paced
Awaken into Your Schedule
$40
Moving Meditation; Integrating Body,
Mind and Senses
We move… gently, smoothly and slowly.
We are still.
We feel.
We breathe.
We relax. Stress and tension dissolve.
Whoever we are, we can learn simple, time-honored ways to integrate body, mind, breath and senses into natural balance.
This is not an exercise class for physical fitness. Not at all! Through slow gentle movement, we can make a very surprising discovery… we can feel completely at home in our own skin.
In each moment, body, mind, breath and senses come together in a natural balance.
Instead of feeling pressured by time, there is flow and nourishment.
Instead of being stuck in our heads, there is all-pervading wholeness, connection, lightness and ease.
Open awareness directly embraces all experience as it appears.
(No prerequisites; open to all)
Level 100 | Online
Every Tuesday November 4th to December 9th from 9-9:45 am Pacific Time
$99
