Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Group

Dharma Talk with Geshe Tsultrim
2019-06-25 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Topic to be announced!

Closed for the Holiday!
2019-07-04, 2019-09-02, 2019-11-11, 2019-11-28 | Sierra 2 Center, Room 14, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States

Emptiness: A Practical Course for Meditators with Ryan Caputi
2019-07-10 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-07-17 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
4 Wednesdays January 10, 17, 24, 31 6:30pm-8:30pm
Based on the Wisdom Academy Course, Emptiness: A Practice Course for Meditators explores teachings on emptiness that point to a series of understandings and practices leading to deep insight and a radical experience of liberation.
What You’ll Learn:
Why the Buddha considered the belief in self to be a primary cause of our suffering
How the sense of a self is created over and over through our own mental activities
How meditation on emptiness can slow or stop this activity of “selfing”
How volition, action, personality, and karma can all be seen to lack a self
How our experiences of the world can all be seen to be insubstantial and ungraspable
The content of the course is based on Guy Armstrong’s Emptiness: A Practical Guide for Meditators.
Beginners and experienced students are welcome.
at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento CA 95818
parking lot in back, ADA accessible
cost: suggested donation $10-$20 per class, no one turned away for lack of funds
www.diamondlightsac.org
Ryan has been a student of Lama Amie Diller and Tibetan Buddhism for the past 6 years. During this time he has completed the 18 Courses of the Asian Classics Institute, receiving the title of “Maroke,” and has also completed several short group and solo meditation retreats. Ryan is a yoga teacher and has casually studied yogic philosophy in tandem with his Tibetan Buddhist studies. He lives happily with his two cats, Sam and Ash, in downtown Sacramento.

Dharma Movie Matinee: Travellers and Magicians
2019-08-18 14:00 - 17:00 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Join us as we beat the heat on a Sunday afternoon and bring our dharma practice to the movies! Diamond Light will be showing Travellers and Magicians, written and directed by Khyentse Norbu. Light snacks provided, bring a snack to share if you are able!
More about the movie: Travellers & Magicians (Dzongkha: ཆང་ཧུབ་ཐེངས་གཅིག་གི་འཁྲུལ་སྣང) is a 2003 Bhutanese Dzongkha language film written and directed by Khyentse Norbu, a reincarnate lama of Tibetan Buddhism, who is also known as Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. The movie is the first feature film shot entirely in the Kingdom of Bhutan. The majority of the cast are not professional actors; Dendup, a well-known Bhutanese radio actor and producer, is the exception. This movie is among the first to take a Himalayan Buddhist perspective. Travellers & Magicians was met with overwhelming critical acclaim, earning a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 93% of critics who rated it out of 59 critic reviews giving it a Certified “Fresh” rating.
When: Sunday August 18 at 2pm
Where: at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818
for more info email: diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
www.diamondlightsac.org

Yoga: Mastering Sun Salutations
2019-09-13 18:00 - 19:30, 2019-09-20 18:00 - 19:30, 2019-09-27 18:00 - 19:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Mastering Sun Salutations as the First Step to Create a Successful Daily Practice
In order to be good at something, practice is the key, a consistent practice. Together, let’s explore the “how to” create a successful daily practice, follow through and avoid a burn out.
What makes a successful daily practice? First, define your goal, create a plan, learn how to implement and secure a no fail agreement with yourself. Sometimes, this is not possible when you are not sure where to begin. Let’s begin with sun salutations, understanding the different types, memorizing the sequence and learning the movements. Once you master the movements, you are well on your way.
We will conclude with 15 minutes of singing bowl.
This will be a recurring event every Friday; 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 15, Sacramento CA 95818
Donation Based
Presenter:
Adelfa Marie Samson, Yoga Teacher
Www.TrinityOfYoga.com

Mindfulness of Emotions with Sunil Joseph
2019-09-14 10:00 - 16:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Emotions are messengers from our heart telling us how much something or someone matters to us. For instance, sadness arises when we lose something or someone we love. Anger arises when our boundaries are crossed. Gratitude arises when we feel seen and heard.
When we fully receive the messages contained in our emotions, their work is complete and they can depart. At times these messengers can feel so overwhelming and challenging that we avoid them or drown them out as a way to care for ourselves. The emotions we avoid linger in our bodies and impact our capacity for aliveness and joy.
In this daylong, we will use Mindfulness and Compassionate Communication practices to increase our felt awareness and vocabulary of our emotions, notice when we are overwhelmed, find ways to resource ourselves and practice listening to our emotions in a non-judgmental way. To support our learning in this group format, we will practice with low intensity experiences in this class. This class is not a substitute for therapy.
We will also explore how we can use this quality of receptive, listening awareness to support each other. As Zen teacher John Tarrant says, “attention is the most basic form of love. Through it, we bless and are blessed.”
No prior experience is necessary. All are welcome. The day will be a combination of teaching and experiential exercises to integrate theory with our felt experience.
10 am – 4:30 with a lunch break from 12 noon to 1:30 pm.
At Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento CA 95818
parking lot in back, ADA accessible
Cost: $20-$60, no one turned away for lack of funds
To register: email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
pay at the door, or to pay online: http://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/
scholarships available! email for more info
About the instructor: Sunil Joseph has been a student of Compassionate Communication and Mindfulness since the early 2000s. Sunil attended BayNVC’s Leadership program in 2008 where he learned to share Compassionate Communication with others. Sunil is currently enrolled in Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach’s Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification program. Sunil is passionate about creating a safe, non-judgmental space where our humanity can be held with compassion.

Yoga Philosophy and Meditation
2019-09-17 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-09-24 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Ancient Indian Yoga philosophy has close ties to Buddhism. Having a physical practice that supports our meditation and spiritual practice can be useful throughout our changing lives. Join Adelfa Samson as she leads us through meditation, a chair yoga practice and the benefits of yoga practice for a Dharma practice. Discover the benefits of chair yoga, and it is not just for seniors!
About Adelfa: Adelfa has been a yoga practitioner since 1995 and a teacher since 2003. She studied and trained with masters both in the US and in India. She trains and teaches students to become Yoga Teachers in the east and west tradition and blends the philosophy in both philosophy to gel the individual in harmony. She authored a book called “Yoga for Daily Living.” https://trinityofyoga.com/team/adelfa-marie-samson/
2 Tuesdays, September 17th and 24th 6.30-8.30 PM
at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento CA 95818
parking lot in back, ADA accessible
www.diamondlightsac.org
Suggested donation: $10-$20 per class, No one turned away for lack of funds. Pay online: http://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/, check/cash at the door, or Venmo search for Diamond Light

Emotional Tech: Cultivating Emotional Balance
2019-09-19 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Emotional Tech: An introduction to Cultivating Emotional Balance.
Feeling sometimes swept away by emotions? Explore how recognizing emotions and embodied states of emotion can facilitate genuine happiness for ourselves and those around us.
In this brief introduction, over three Thursday evenings, we’ll discuss a Western scientific understanding of emotions, familiarize ourselves with the emotional episode timeline and learn how contemplation (meditation) can promote healthy emotional states and constructive responses to daily life stressors. We will explore various guided meditation practices and their applications as well as uncover and discuss how emotional states impact our daily decision making.
Dan Downey is a certified Cultivating Emotional Balance teacher, martial arts student, skateboarder and yoga siromani. He has explored meditation and martial practice for nearly twenty years and has found satori on the streets for nearly forty decades.
Come explore cultivating emotional balance.
Thursdays, 6:30-8:30 PM
September 19, 2016 | September 26, 2019 | October 3, 2019
at Diamond Light Mediation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento CA, 95818
ADA accessible, parking lot in back

Emotional Tech
2019-09-26 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-10-03 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818

Singing Bowl - Sound Bath and Sound Healing
2019-10-01 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Jay Nair and Del Marie Samson Collaboration
Punctuate the night into calmness, to decompress and destress. Singing bowls are used by musicians, sound healers and yoga practitioners for therapy and meditation. Follow with OM chanting and kirtan and create heart vibrations. End with guided meditation allowing the vibrations to bask in thy inner self.
Experience a magical chakra healing and restoration and begin your weekend feeling light, energized and at peace. Don’t let this event blow your mind but let it heal your heart. Be a part of this; discover that you too have a voice.
Donation based. A suggested donation of $20 to share and help with the venue, no one will be turned away from lack of funds.
https://trinityofyoga.com/event/singing-bowl-soundbath-and-sound-healing/
Jay Nair hails from a traditional South Indian family, by the banks of river Periyar in Kerala, Jay has been exposed to yoga and Indian spirituality since his early childhood. Trained in Indian music, and performing since the age of ten, Jay has been singing, and making music in many genres of Indian music in Hindi, Sanskrit, Pali, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Tibetan. In 2013, Jay composed and sang the complete “Heart Sutra” sanskrit text for the movie “Journey of the Heart”. Jay also draws from the western musical traditions of jazz, folk, and bluegrass concentrating on their commonalities while improving and innovating. In 2018, Jay collaborated with Sacramento based, guitarist Ross Hammond to record “Songs of Universal Peace,” blending Indian classical music, Sanskrit poetry, Appalachian folk music, and R & B. Listen to “Songs of Universal Peace” at Nairjay.com.
Jay moved to the U.S. in 2001, and now resides in Sacramento, California where he works as an information technologist engineer. In his spare time Jay enjoys sharing his love of cooking, music, meditation and walking. He also regularly performs and records music, leads dharma singing circles, and music based meditations and mindfulness.
Adelfa Marie Samson, E-RYT 500, YACEP®, A yogi since 1995, Adelfa studied yoga from prominent masters, gurus and swamis in India for decades. She is well-versed in kirtan. She has memorized these schlokas and she shared in her book, Yoga for Daily Living, Balancing Body, Mind and Spirit for Health, Happiness and Peace. She is the Director of Training in one of the yoga schools in Bangalore, Kishore. She conducts retreats, teaches yoga in many disciplines and speaks at International Yoga Festivals in Tamil Nadu and Rishikesh, India. Prior to her yogic and holistic life, she built career in America’s corporate world and was a business owner. She has now traded in her corporate suit for yoga pants. When she is not on her mat, she carries her passport to an unknown destination in her hiking boots.
at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento CA 95818
ADA accessible, parking lot in back

How Things Exist: The Wisdom of Emptiness with Emily Hsu
2019-10-08 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-10-15 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-10-22 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-10-29 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
According to Buddhism, we experience unnecessary pain and problems due to misunderstanding how things exist. We believe that things exist in a more substantial way than they actually do, and this is the root of all our troubles, difficult emotions, and painful circumstances. But by realizing the nature of reality – emptiness – we will be able to gradually reduce and ultimately eliminate our difficult emotions, enjoy a peaceful, stable and joyful mind, and eventually achieve enlightenment.
This four week class is a continuation of a class begun last spring, but new students are welcome. We will begin with a review of the main points from last time, and then continue exploring how things actually exist, what our fundamental mistake is, how emptiness and dependent arising are compatible, and various ways to meditate on emptiness. We will also learn how to apply this understanding in our daily lives.
4 Tuesdays October 8-October 29
at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento CA 95818
parking lot in back, ADA accessible
www.diamondlightsac.org
Suggested donation: $10-$20 per class, No one turned away for lack of funds. Pay online: http://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/, or check/cash at the door.
Emily Hsu is an FPMT registered teacher who graduated in 2004 from FPMT’s seven-year Masters Program of Sutra and Tantra at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa in Italy. In 2005 she completed a ten-month solitary retreat to integrate the material, and since that time has mainly been teaching and doing some retreat every year. She taught at Ocean of Compassion (Gyalwa Gyatso) Buddhist Center and other Bay Area centers for ten years, with the last four years as resident teacher until leaving in 2016 to do longer retreat.
Emily teaches Basic Program, Discovering Buddhism, introductory courses, meditation, and leads retreats, with particular emphasis on emptiness, bodhicitta, Lamrim, and calm abiding (shi-ne or shamatha) meditation.

Yoga Practice – Teacher Training Orientation – Meet and Greet
2019-10-16 18:00 - 20:00 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Trinity of Yoga and Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Group is delighted to offer this two hour yoga class to expand your yoga practice. Whether you are looking for asana to relax the fatigued body or dharma combination, there is yoga for you.
Format:
The first hour will be asana in the classical Hatha tradition. Then a ten minute break followed by pranayama, dharma, mantras, chanting, meditation and all yoga related questions.
This course is perfect for those who are interested in taking a Yoga Teacher training, and would love to learn more about what a teacher training entails. This orientation and meet and greet will prepare you for 200 Hours Yoga Teacher Training Course Adelfa will be leading in Spring 2020. The course is for those who plan to become Yoga teachers or simply want to deepen their understanding of this holistic lifestyle.
If you complete the Teacher Training in 2020, you will be a certified Yoga teacher and you will be eligible to apply for 200RYT with Yoga Alliance. ®
Donation based. No one turned away.

Volunteer Opportunity - Tidying up the Center!
2019-10-19 10:00 - 12:00 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Diamond Light Meditation Center hosts weekly yoga and meditation classes! The past three years has seen growth and vibrant use of the the space. Over time, things have been moved out of place and left behind creating a cluttered and crowded feel.
We need your help to tidy up the Center and create a great space to meditate, learn and relax! If we have 6-10 volunteers helping, we should be able to each take an area and get it completed quickly.
Let’s put on some music, chat, make it fun and then go out to lunch 🙂
What: Center Tidy Up
When: Saturday October 19, 10am-12pm
Who: everyone who has a connection to Diamond Light and is willing to help!

Yoga Practice – Teacher Training Orientation – Meet and Greet
2019-10-23 06:00 - 20:00, 2019-10-30 18:00 - 20:00 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Whether you are considering to get certified as a Yoga Teacher, or simply want to deepen your understanding of yoga, this YTTC is for you; to gain comprehensive knowledge, skills and tools; to teach and live a yogic and holistic lifestyle.
Master Trainer: Adelfa Marie Samson, ERYT500, YACEP®, Author.
Bio: Adelfa has been a yoga practitioner since 1995 and a teacher since 2003. She was first trained San Francisco and San Diego, California followed by continuous studies in India from prominent masters and gurus. Her teaching style aligns with the traditional classical Hatha but she is also trained in Ashtanga, Gentle and Restorative, Kundalini, Senior, Vasistha and Vinyasa yoga.
Adelfa is certified, trained and teaches Ashtanga and Vinyasa, Kundalini, Classical Hatha, Gentle and Senior Yoga and Vasistha Yoga, Pilates, Pranayama and Ayurveda. She is excited to offer a Yoga Teacher Training beginning in February-March 2020. She also conducts workshops local and global and organizes adventure hikes.
Prior to her yogic and holistic life, Adelfa graduated with a Business Management degree and her career was in America’s corporate world in industries like finance, utilities and manufacturing and was a business owner. She has now traded in her corporate suit to yoga pants.
Donation based. No one turned away.

Meditation, Jung, and the Hero’s Journey with Amie Diller
2019-11-05 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-11-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-11-19 18:30 - 20:30, 2019-11-26 18:30 - 20:30 | Diamond Light Meditation Center, 2791 24th Street, Room 14 (upstairs), Sacramento, CA, 95818
Steps on the Path to Buddhahood: Meditation, Jung, & the Hero’s Journey
with Amie Diller
November 5th-December 17th, Tuesdays 6:30-8:30 pm at Diamond Light Buddhist Center
Have you been curious about Buddhist practice, but don’t know where to begin? Have you attended Buddhist teachings, but don’t know how to meditate on the subjects you’ve studied? Have you wondered how to integrate the Western understanding of our psyche with Buddhist practice? In an age where people look outward for direction and inspiration, the Buddhist path of Lam Rim Meditations provides time-honored template for looking inward and going deep for the answers we seek.
This class will be based on the “Stages of the Path” (lamrim) tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and
teach you the fundamentals of Buddhist meditation, and give you the tools you need both to begin a daily meditation practice and to deal with problems and difficulties once you have started to meditate.
No two hearts are the same and so no two journeys are the same, and yet, it helps to have a travel guide suggesting what your next milestone should be. Together we will journey through the Lam Rim traditional text, weaving together guided meditations, myth, movies and Jungian “imaginal” play to bring our own heart’s journey alive. Undertaking a spiritual journey is an archetypal quest, filled with both transcendent moments and looming pitfalls. Together we’ll make this journey, using traditional Buddhist Lam Rim meditations, Jung’s imagery and the archetype of the Hero’s Journey.
Beginners are welcome and encouraged, as well as more advanced students wanting to review the “steps on the path” in an experiential format.
Cost: $10-$20 per class, no one turned away for lack of funds
Amie Diller is a Buddhist teacher in both the Tibetan and Zen traditions. A mother and midwife, she has also had a longtime interest in Jungian Psychology and the mythic perspective.
