Wonderwell Calendar

All the great meditation masters point out the importance of honesty for practitioners. In this spirit we have to be able to ask ourselves, “Are we really practicing?” This is a subtle and indispensable question from the beginning to the end of the path. Elizabeth will examine this topic in what will be a lively weekend of talks, discussion and practice.

Elizabeth is known for her willingness to question the entire path in order to reach a place of genuine practice and awakening. She asks audience to engage in the practice of open questioning with her while she takes a fresh look at all the assumptions and beliefs we have about spirituality. Audiences repeatedly comment on how this approach has reinvigorated their meditation practice and how they relate to their lives as a whole. Natural Dharma Fellowship is honored to host Elizabeth for this lively weekend.

Elizabeth Mattis-Namgyel has studied and practiced the Buddhadharma for 25 years under the guidance of her teacher and husband, Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche. After meeting Rinpoche in Nepal, she became his first Western student. She has been intimately involved with Rinpoche's work in bringing Buddhist wisdom to the West, in particular to the development of Mangala Shri Bhuti, an organization dedicated to the study and practice of the Longchen Nyingthig lineage.

Elizabeth has an academic backround in both Anthropology and Buddhist Studies, but her learning is also grounded in practice. After many years of solitary retreat, Rinpoche appointed Elizabeth as Retreat Master at Longchen Jigme Samten Ling, Mangala Shri Bhuti's retreat center in southern Colorado. She has edited Rinpoche's two books, It's Up to You and Light Comes Through and is presently working on a book of her own, tentatively titled, The Power of an Open Question and teaching the Buddhadharma in the United States and Europe.

Elizabeth delights in wrestling with difficult and juicy 'koans' that tend to plague modern day practitioners, while maintaining a deep respect for the tradition she comes from.

Retreat Schedule:

Friday:

5-6 pm Registration and settling in

6pm Dinner

7:30-8:30 pm Evening meditation session

Saturday:

7-8:30am Yoga

8:30 am Breakfast

10am-Noon Teaching Session with Elizabeth

12:30 Lunch

2-4pm Teaching Session with Elizabeth

4:30-6 pm Yoga

6pm Dinner

7:30-8:30pm Meditation Session

Sunday:

Saturday:

7-8:30am Yoga

8:30 am Breakfast

10am-Noon Teaching Session with Elizabeth

12:30 Lunch

2-4pm Teaching Session with Elizabeth

4pm Retreat concludes