Compassionate Activism | with Venerable Robina
March is International Women’s Month at Jamyang! An opportunity to spotlight some of the incredible female teachers in our rich tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Join Venerable Robina for this two-part online teaching all about how to practice Compassionate Activism, and why doing so is especially relevant for our time.
What is Compassionate Activism?
The point of Buddhist practice is finally to help others: compassion in action. But our actions – helping our next-door neighbour or helping stop the destruction of the planet – need to be grounded in wisdom. As the Dalai Lama says, “Compassion is not enough; we need wisdom.”
First we need to develop our own marvelous potential to live our lives with self-confidence, contentment, and courage. The key to success is to recognize our own suffering and how it’s caused by our own attachment and anger, as well as other unhappy emotions. We become intimately familiar with our mind – the whole spectrum of our thoughts, feelings, and emotions – and learn to unravel and deconstruct them and, finally, change them. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “We can mold our mind into any shape we like.”
Now we can go beyond our narrow sense of self and realize everyone else is in the same boat, now we can begin to be of benefit to others. This brings optimism and confidence that every small action counts and we develop the courage to never give up. The great bodhisattvas are fierce in their determination to never give up on sentient beings.
About the Teacher
Ordained since the late 1970s, Ven. Robina has worked full time since then for Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s FPMT. Over the years she has served as editorial director of Wisdom Publications, editor of Mandala Magazine, executive director of Liberation Prison Project, and as a touring teacher of Buddhism. Her life and work with prisoners have been featured in the documentary films Chasing Buddha and Key to Freedom.
Schedule
Session 1: Friday 20th March, 7pm – 8:30pm GMT
Session 2: Friday 27th March, 7pm – 8:30pm GMT
How to Join?
These teachings are offered entirely online. Please register below to receive the zoom link.
Donation
Jamyang operates on a generosity model. Please select the donation option that is most suitable for your situation.
Jamyang is a non-profit charitable organisation that relies on the kindness of our donors, including students and community members. The donations, or Dana, given when registering for events and teachings support the Centre’s operations, allowing us to deliver our activities. If you’re able to give a little more, that’s wonderful; if a little less, that’s fine too. These donations help with essentials like feeding residential volunteers, housing our monastics, and keeping our doors open. However, we wish to emphasise that the Dharma is always offered freely and no-one is ever excluded because of their financial status, please do not hesitate to request a reduced rate.
For Monastics
We would like to offer this teaching to ordained sangha members free of charge. If you are ordained sangha please register here.
