Yeshe Tsogyal and The Dakini Principle

13 Sundays (12:30-2:30 pm)

September 10 thru December 17, 2017

Location: The Eileen Fisher Headquarters in Irvington

2 Bridge Street, Irvington, NY 10533

(No meeting, Nov. 5 and on holiday weekends).

Suggested Donation $200*

ABOUT THIS COURSE

This course will explore the Vajrayana understanding of the feminine principle in general, and it’s transformation in what is called the Dakini, and explore some of the main human manifestations of this principle. In particular we will focus on the life and example of Yeshe Tsogyal, who lived eighth century in Tibet. She had a human conception, birth, life and death, and became enlightened in a single lifetime. As princess of the kingdom of Karchen, she married the king of Tibet, Trisong Detsen, and became one of his queens. Her spiritual teacher was Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, who had a pivotal role in the transmission of Buddhism to Tibet. She was his most important student, and after his death she propagated the Vajrayana teachings throughout Tibet, and so was an important teacher in her own right. As an historical, real woman, Yeshe Tsogyal is important as an enlightened role model for women in a context that often seems lacking in female role models.

A sourcebook of readings will be provided either digitally or in hard copy at cost, and participants are also expected to obtain a copy of Lady of the Lotus-Born: The Life and Enlightenment of Yeshe Tsogyal, Translated by the Padmakara Translation Group.

The course will be facilitated by John Baker and Derek Kolleeny.

The prerequisites for participating in this course are that one must have participated in prior WBC Vajrayana Series course, or completed the equivalent of the WBC Foundation Curriculum. If you have not previously attended the series, and would like to obtain approval of the facilitators, please write to them and supply information about your practice and study background and desire to participate. Contact dkolleeny@verizon.net

Becoming, or femininity, is very intangible. The feminine principle has become–for a long time in the history of the human race, from as soon as philosophy was set up–a debatable point. People try to create chauvinistic barriers of all kinds, a masculine and feminine approach. But none of them have become particularly good ones, or at least enlightened ones. So if you resort back to tantric altitudes and ideas of feminine principle, you end up seeing everything as a real world that you cannot grasp. That seems to be the essence of the feminine principle-that real world that you cannot grasp. You cannot actually capture that in the form of chauvinism. Why? Because the feminine principle is the mother of all principles.

-Chögyam Trungpa, The Feminine Principle

* WBC maintains a policy of making our programs affordable to all. Those with limited income please offer what you can afford on our donation page here and include a note for the program you are offering towards. Thank you!

DIRECTIONS

Eileen Fisher Headquarters

2 Bridge Street, Irvington, NY 10533

As you face the river, the entrance is on your left, on the northwest corner of the building.

1. From Route 9, turn onto Main Street, Irvington. Continue down hill (west) towards the train station.
2. Turn right on N. Ashton
3. Turn left on Bridge Street, continue on to River Street
4. Eileen Fisher’s space occupies the 2nd brick building. Turn right into Second Parking Lot
5. Enter Eileen Fisher – Door facing River

For those who walk from the Irvington train station. As you face the river, it is the second large building on your left. You enter from the river side, with your back to the river as you go through the door.