Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Group

Introduction to Buddhist Meditation with Marc Ross
2021-01-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Introduction to Buddhist Meditation
Tuesdays, January 19 to February 23
6:30pm-8:30pm PDT
The benefits of meditation are vast. It calms the mind and is the foundation for every spiritual realization. Meditating 5 minutes a day and more can change our brains, our minds and our view of the world we live in.
Buddhist meditation is part of a tradition of techniques that go back at least 5,000 years. Like any other skill, proper technique makes meditation easier, more productive and saves you a lot of time. This class is perfect for those who are new to meditating and would like an introduction to the fundamental practices: posture, types of meditation, progressive stages of meditation and how to develop a meditation practice. Each class will have teaching, discussions, and practice.
Class materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/13UMpXdecyTVanhtJkzfASZARQaG0fP0h?usp=sharing
Marc Bio:
I was born in 1955 and raised as a Roman Catholic. For most of my young adult life did not follow a spiritual path. I fell in love with yoga in the early 1990’s and was certified as a yoga instructor in the Iyengar tradition. Through yoga I found Buddhism, and had a deep attraction to the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. I have been a practicing Buddhist since that time. My root teacher is Alan Wallace, who I have had an easy, natural connection with since meeting him in 2013. I have been blessed with the opportunity to teach meditation both in the US and in Europe.
Professionally I have practiced as a chiropractor and body worker for over 40 years, and am blessed with work that is a spiritual path.
Online ; Donation-based
Zoom Meeting ID: 224-735-8115
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Suggested donation: $10-:$20 to cover expenses, which include ongoing rent for our Center, fees to provide online services and supporting our teachers
No one turned away due to lack of funds.
To donate: www.diamondlightsac.org/donate or search “Diamond Light” on Venmo or Paypal

Cancelled this Week: Sunday Study Group
2021-02-21 10:00 - 11:30 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Cancelled this week! Will resume next Sunday!
Listen, contemplate, meditate
Lama Tsongkhapa describes the stages of studying Dharma: first is hearing the teachings, (or reading the texts and commentaries). The second is contemplation, where the student reflects on what they have learned, examines the felt meaning, and how it relates to one’s own life. The third is meditation, placing focused concentration on the subject, deepening our understanding, and achieving realizations on the truth and nature of the dharma.
Whether or not you are attending the Tuesday night Dharma classes, this study group provides a space to connect with others and discuss the teachings. Deepen your understanding of the Lam Rim topics by exploring the ideas presented, and participating in discussion with your dharma friends.
All are welcome.
The discussion will be led by David Drabble, a long-time meditator and Buddhist practitioner. David leads our Monday night Meditation in the Tibetan Tradition.
The discussion group is being held on Zoom. Click the link to join the group: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115 or type in the Meeting ID: 224 735 8115

Meditation’s Journey: Step-by-Step with Elaine Jackson
2021-03-02 18:30 - 20:30 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
5 Tuesdays March 2 – March 30, 6:30pm-8:30pm
Online via Zoom
Zoom Meeting ID: 224-735-8115
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
All Yogis/Yoginis of the past agree. Mind is the seed of everything we experience. By sincerely investigating the nature of our own mind, we can escape a vicious cycle of being perpetually confused while powerlessly losing control when overtaken by thoughts and emotions.
It’s important to become clear about what mind, thoughts and perceptions actually are, not in a theoretical way, but in actuality. Perhaps we haven’t paid much attention to our mind’s way of being when unoccupied with thoughts or perceptions. When there are thoughts, mental images or perceptions, the usual habit is to identify with them and be caught up in the show.
Instead, we can train in clearly recognizing the nature of mind itself. This is our true nature.
When we stop concretizing our self and our world, we are not swept down the river of misery when we don’t get what we want, or when we get what we don’t want, or when we lose what we love, nor are we dragged through life by unchecked desires until we crash and burn.
By recognizing our true nature repeatedly, our helpless involvement in emotions lessens. As a result, our attachment to emotions begins to lose intensity and fade away. We are free to create a world of joy.
How do we recognize our true nature?
We will explore just that. By practicing, step-by-step, we can progress along the Buddha’s path from our first attempt at watching the breath, through realizations…all the way to enlightenment.
About Elaine: Elaine Jackson is a founding member of Vajrapani Institute and has been a student of Tibetan Buddhism since 1977, studying with many of the greatest Buddhist teachers of our time. Every year for 12 years she engaged in a month-long solitary meditation retreat to deepen her practice.
She served as Executive Director of Vajrapani Institute for over five years just prior to entering a three-year meditation retreat completed in April, 2014. She lives a contemplative life off-the-grid in the Santa Cruz mountains while offering Dharma teachings and meditation support.
Suggested donation: $10-:$20 to cover expenses, which include ongoing rent for our Center, fees to provide online services and supporting our teachers
No one turned away due to lack of funds.
To donate: www.diamondlightsac.org/donate or search “Diamond Light” on Venmo or Paypal

The Awakening Warrior with Rob Preece
2021-03-05 08:00 - 16:30 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Co-sponsored by Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Group and Vajrapani Institue
4-Day Online Retreat
Friday March 5, 2021-Monday March 8, 2021
8am-4:30pm PST
Please plan to attend all days, no partial retreat available, Space is limited so register now!
Register Here: https://bookwhen.com/diamondlightsac/e/ev-swfa-20210305000000
Sliding scale $200-$300
Scholarships available, please email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
This retreat will be open to anyone who has a background in the Tibetan tradition and who is interested in deepening their relationship to Arya Tara and the practice of Mahamudra. No specific empowerment is required to attend.
The term Bodhisattva is sometimes translated as The Awakening Warrior. At this time the qualities of the warrior are needed perhaps more than ever as we find ourselves in a world that is in such turmoil. We need to find the courage, the heartfulness, to transform adversity into the path of awakening. To maintain an open, compassionate heart when there is so much insecurity and fear in the world around requires that we find an inner resource of stillness and clarity that is grounded and unshaken.
The Awakening Warrior discovers a deep relationship to Source, our Buddha-nature, and embodies this in the world to serve the welfare of others. Arya Tara in her various manifestations embodies the awakening warrior in a female aspect that is so significant for these times. She is most familiar in her green aspect as an embodiment of All Accomplishing Wisdom, but she also has manifestations that express the enlightened activities of Peace, Increase, Power and Wrath. If we are to begin to embody our potential Bodhisattva qualities in order to support those suffering at this time, Arya Tara can be our guide and inspiration if we open to her presence.
During this retreat we will begin to explore our relationship to the qualities of the Bodhisattva Tara and her different aspects. Meditation deepening our relationship to Green Tara will be combined with Mahamudra and the embodied practice of Kum Nye.
This retreat will be open to anyone who has a background in the Tibetan tradition and who is interested in deepening their relationship to Arya Tara and the practice of Mahamudra. No specific empowerment is required to attend.

About Rob Preece:
Rob has been a practicing Tibetan Buddhist since 1973. In 1980 he went to India and was in retreat for around five years exploring in depth the practice of tantra, meditating under the guidance of his teachers Lama Thubten Yeshe, Gen Jhampa Wangdu and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Returning to the West, in 1985 he began a Jungian based psychotherapy training, gradually developing a synthesis of Jungian and Buddhist understanding. He worked as a psychotherapist for around 28 years and then began to focus upon spiritual mentoring. Since 1985 he has been leading meditation retreats, following the influence of Lama Yeshe who particularly encouraged his integration of a more Western approach to tantric practice. He is an experienced Tangkha painter as well as the author of The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra; The Wisdom of Imperfection; and most recently Tasting the Essence of Tantra. Today he teaches retreats in the UK with his wife Anna and also in Europe and the US.

Cancelled this week - Sunday Study Group
2021-03-28 10:00 - 11:30 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Cancelled this week! Will resume next Sunday
Listen, contemplate, meditate
Lama Tsongkhapa describes the stages of studying Dharma: first is hearing the teachings, (or reading the texts and commentaries). The second is contemplation, where the student reflects on what they have learned, examines the felt meaning, and how it relates to one’s own life. The third is meditation, placing focused concentration on the subject, deepening our understanding, and achieving realizations on the truth and nature of the dharma.
Whether or not you are attending the Tuesday night Dharma classes, this study group provides a space to connect with others and discuss the teachings. Deepen your understanding of the Lam Rim topics by exploring the ideas presented, and participating in discussion with your dharma friends.
All are welcome.
The discussion will be led by David Drabble, a long-time meditator and Buddhist practitioner. David leads our Monday night Meditation in the Tibetan Tradition.
The discussion group is being held on Zoom. Click the link to join the group: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115 or type in the Meeting ID: 224 735 8115

The Myths We Live By with Karuna Cayton
2021-04-06 18:30 - 20:00 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
The Myths We Live By with Karuna Cayton
6 Tuesdays April 6 – May 11, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Drop ins and beginners welcomed!
Online via Zoom
Zoom Meeting ID: 224-735-8115
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Most of us as humans are constantly looking for ways to fix our internal problems and our external world. Join Karuna Cayton as we explore the source of our problems from a fundamental Buddhist perspective. We see the world and ourselves in a “mythological” way and as a result we generate numerous “mini” myths that further compound our problems in life. Together we will explore the Myth of Permanence, The Myth of Happiness, The Myth of Randomness, and many others, understanding what they are, where they come from, and what we can do to see reality more clearly.
As seen on a Sussex Directories Inc site
Karuna Cayton has been a practicing Buddhist for over 45 years. From 1975-1988 he lived at Kopan Monastery working fot the late Lama Thubten Yeshe. Upon returning to the US he got his Masters in clinical psychology and has worked for over thirty years Karuna has worked as a psychotherapist (MFT31860), teacher, business psychologist, and coach to help people achieve a more balanced life. His mission is to interpret the ancient teachings of Buddhist thought into modern language and interventions…without changing the purity of these universal ideas.
Suggested donation: $10-:$20 to cover expenses, which include ongoing rent for our Center, fees to provide online services and supporting our teachers
No one turned away due to lack of funds.
To donate: www.diamondlightsac.org/donate or search “Diamond Light” on Venmo or Paypal

The Power of Purification with Geshe Tsultrim
2021-05-18 18:30 - 20:00, 2021-05-25 18:30 - 20:00, 2021-06-01 18:30 - 20:00, 2021-06-08 18:30 - 20:00 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
6 Tuesdays May 18 – June 22, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Discover the power of purification through the Vajrasattva Deity. Join Geshe Tsultrim as he teaches the aspects of Vajrasattva and the purification practice. This class is open to practitioners of all levels, no initiations or empowerments required.
Click on the Zoom link to join: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through Venmo: search “Diamond Light”
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org
Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim is part of the Gaden Shartse Monastery in south India. “Geshe” is a degree that is earned after several years of intensive study and passing the highest-level exams. It is the monastic equivalent of a western “Ph.D.” degree. Having successfully passed these exams, Geshe Tsultrim is an expert on Buddhist philosophy. He is also a skilled artist, specializing in traditional Tibetan art. Geshe Tsultrim has been teaching in the United States since 2001.

The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life with Jay Nair
2021-11-02 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life with Jay Nair
3 Tuesdays November 2nd, 9th, and 16th, 6:30pm-8:00pm
This class will be in-person and online (Jay will be teaching online from home).
How to attend:
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
A Bodhisattva is a spiritual warrior who blends compassion and wisdom to reach ultimate peace for the benefit of themselves and others. Join Jay Nair to learn how to harmonize one’s life with Bodhisattva practices and wisdom.
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org or email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
About the Teacher:

Hailing from a traditional South Indian Yogic family, Jay Nair grew up by the banks of river Periyar, has been practicing some type of yoga and socially engaged spirituality from early on in life and studying modern Mindfulness since 2010. He also received training in Tibetan and Vipassana practices, and participated in many long term yoga meditation retreats. Jay Nair is trained in Indian Music and started performing solo concerts at the early age of ten. Since then Jay has been performing and recording Indian and world fusion music. IT Engineer by profession, Jay is a blend of Science, Art and Spirituality and believes Technology and Consciousness transforms each other.

Gratitude Celebration with Amie Diller and Jay Nair
2021-11-23 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Join Lama Amie Diller and Jay Nair for a night of music, stories and meditation that inspire graditude.
Tuesday November 23, 6:30pm-8:00pm
This class will be in-person and online
How to attend:
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95814 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
For more info visit: www.diamondlightsac.org

Hailing from a traditional South Indian Yogic family, Jay Nair grew up by the banks of river Periyar, has been practicing some type of yoga and socially engaged spirituality from early on in life and studying modern Mindfulness since 2010. He also received training in Tibetan and Vipassana practices, and participated in many long term yoga meditation retreats. Jay Nair is trained in Indian Music and started performing solo concerts at the early age of ten. Since then Jay has been performing and recording Indian and world fusion music. IT Engineer by profession, Jay is a blend of Science, Art and Spirituality and believes Technology and Consciousness transforms each other.

Amie Diller stumbled on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center at age 18, dropped out of college, and embarked on a life-long passion for the study and practice of Buddhism. For the last 15 years Amie has been practicing & teaching internationally in the Tibetan Gelugpa Buddhist tradition. Being a certified nurse-midwife and mother have also brought great joy, along with fertile ground for practicing in the world with a wise and compassionate heart. She is the Spiritual Director at Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Center.

Mahaprajapati: The Woman Who Raised the Buddha with Diane Wilde
2021-12-07 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Mahaprajapati: The Woman Who Raised the Buddha
Tuesday December 7, 6:30pm-8:00pm
This class will be in-person and online (Diane will be teaching online from home).
How to attend:
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95814 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org
Mahaprajapati was the Buddha’s mother (actually his aunt who nurtured and raised him). Oddly, little was written about her or her influence over her son, or the establishment of the female sangha — both lay and monastic. Ancient stories about her made their way to China, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Thailand but were excluded from the Pali Canon except for one volume, the Therigatha – “versus of the elder nuns.” Her life experience, her approach to teaching and her relationship with the women of her sangha was generally ignored by the monks of her time, and even now. New research and access to ancient “herstory” are now slowly becoming available. What this new information offers is a picture of a compassionate woman, a gifted leader — who was beloved by her entire community. Mahaprajapati and her community of women had to approach the Dharma with a different sensibility due to the misogyny of that time. Their approach to the Dharma, which we will discuss, may be what is needed in today’s world as Buddhism continues to evolve.
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
About the teacher:

DIANE WILDE (Community Teacher and Buddhist Minister)
DIANE WILDE was born in Verona N.J. In her mid-twenties, she moved to California where she married, had two sons, and was a small business owner for thirty-five years. In 2001 she was a founding member of Sacramento Insight Meditation. In 2003 she began attending yearly Vipassana silent retreats, and also began annual thirty day silent solo self-retreats at her home. Her eldest son was sentenced to prison on drug related charges just prior to her husband’s death. This event caused her to volunteer in prison as a meditation teacher for over eighteen years. She became a Buddhist prison chaplain and in 2010 founded Buddhist Pathways Prison Project (aka Boundless Freedom Project). She completed a two year mentorship program at Sacramento Insight Meditation in 2006 where she is currently a Community Dharma Teacher. She is a 2008 graduate of Sati Center’s Buddhist Chaplaincy program and in 2012 graduated from Spirit Rock Meditation Center’s Community Dharma Leadership Training Program. In 2015 after two additional years of study, she was lay-ordained as a Buddhist minister by Gil Fronsdal. Her Pali/ordination name is Reverend Vimuttipala, meaning “Defender of Freedom.” She is a board member of Sati Center for Buddhist Studies in Redwood City, as well as the Sacramento Dharma Center.

Buddha's Enlightment with Lama Amie Diller
2021-12-14 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Join Lama Amie as she discusses the Buddha’s enlightenment through teaching and stories!
Tuesday December 14, 6:30pm-8:00pm
This class will be in-person and online
How to attend:
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95814 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
For more info visit: www.diamondlightsac.org

Amie Diller stumbled on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center at age 18, dropped out of college, and embarked on a life-long passion for the study and practice of Buddhism. For the last 15 years Amie has been practicing & teaching internationally in the Tibetan Gelugpa Buddhist tradition. Being a certified nurse-midwife and mother have also brought great joy, along with fertile ground for practicing in the world with a wise and compassionate heart. She is the Spiritual Director at Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Center.

Volunteer Event: Care Packages for those in need
2021-12-21 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Join us to put together care packages of survival supplies for those experiencing homelessness.
Tuesday December 21, 6:30pm-8:00pm
at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818
upstairs, parking lot in back.
More details about this event will be provided in December!

Closed for the Holidays
2021-12-28 | CA

New Year's Retreat with Lama Amie Diller
2021-12-30 - 2022-01-01 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
***RETREAT FULL***
Visions of Wholeness and the Mandala of the Awakened Feminine
with Lama Amie Diller
3-Day Retreat — Limited Capacity for In Person Retreat, Remote option available
Thursday December 30, 2021-Saturday January 1, 2022
*Exact times to be determined
Please plan to attend all days, no partial retreat available
Retreat Cost = $150
Scholarships available, please email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
The Buddhist mandala is an archetypal symbol of wholeness and a wonderful invitation to live in alignment with our heart’s deepest longings. We’ll explore and practice with the 5 Buddha Families in their feminine forms, in connection with the 5 elements, and in relationship to the pscyho-spiritual nature of our original wholeness.
The teachings will be based on a new book by Rob Preece – The Mandala and Visions of Wholeness: Within Tibetan Buddhism and Jungian Psychology (Essence of Tantra Series).
Purchase the book here!
The weekend will include a New Year’s ritual as well as tips for continuing your individual practice.
Pre-registration required. Register here.

Amie Diller stumbled on Tassajara Zen Mountain Center at age 18, dropped out of college, and embarked on a life-long passion for the study and practice of Buddhism. For the last 15 years Amie has been practicing & teaching internationally in the Tibetan Gelugpa Buddhist tradition. Being a certified nurse-midwife and mother have also brought great joy, along with fertile ground for practicing in the world with a wise and compassionate heart. She is the Spiritual Director at Diamond Light Tibetan Buddhist Center.

A Skillful Approach to Emotions with Sunil Joseph
2022-01-04 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
A Skillful Approach to Emotions with Sunil Joseph
4 Tuesdays January 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th; 6:30pm-8:00pm
How to Attend:
This class will be in-person and online (Sunil will be teaching online from home).
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
Description:
What if our emotions were messengers from a deeper intelligence attempting to guide us to fulfillment? Emotions are generally viewed as irrational, confusing, challenging, disruptive, threatening, unreliable, messy, etc. This is caused, in large part, by the fact that we are not taught how to listen to our emotions and understand their messages. Emotions are the currency of human relationships. Our ability to navigate our emotions and the emotions of our loved ones has a direct impact on the quality of all our relationships and thus our lives.
In this class, we will introduce Marshall Rosenberg’s model of emotions as messengers helping us enrich life within self and others. This class will deepen both your cognitive vocabulary and your somatic (bodily) awareness of emotions. It will introduce Rosenberg’s method of compassionate inquiry into emotions to discover their underlying life-serving messages. About 20% of our class time will be spent on theory related to the model. The remaining 80% of our time will be invested in experiential learning. Please bring some paper and something to write with. You are encouraged to experiment with the model and make your own conclusions about its value in your life. No prior knowledge or experience is necessary. All are welcome. You can drop-in to one or more sessions if you cannot attend the whole series since the core principles will be woven into each session.
Cost:
Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org or email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
About Sunil:
I have been a student of empathy-based approaches, including Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Mindfulness, etc., since 2004. I completed BayNVC’s NVC Leadership training in 2008 and have been sharing NVC with groups and individuals since then. I completed the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program offered by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach in 2021. I am currently a trainee facilitator with GRIP Training Institute, grip-traininginstitute.org, which offers a 1-year healing and accountability program to incarcerated populations. For more: myempathycoach.com.

Cultivating Emotional Balance: Three Day Intensive with Dave Smith and Lani Potts
2022-01-28 - 2022-01-30 | Online event
3-Day Online Retreat
Friday January 28, 2022 – Sunday, January 30, 2022
9am-5pm PDT (9am-12pm and 2pm-5pm)
Please plan to attend all days, no partial retreat available
Retreat Fees: $300
Scholarships available, please email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
Space is limited! Preregistration required, Register now: https://bookwhen.com/diamondlightsac/e/ev-stv2-20220128000000
The Cultivating Emotional Balance (CEB) training was sparked during a meeting between behavioral scientists, a neuroscientist, a monk, a philosopher, and the Dalai Lama in 2000, as a new approach to understanding our emotional lives. Combining contemporary emotion based scientific research with contemplative practices and psychology drawn from Buddhism, the Cultivating Emotional Balance training gives participants new tools to use emotion as a path for transformation.
Join an original format for learning and integrating the basic tools of Cultivating Emotional Balance. In this workshop, participants develop attention, restore motivation, identify the root causes of enduring happiness, explore anger and sadness, investigate different pathways of empathy, practice self-compassion, and build connections through vulnerability and trust.
Our goal is to support the participants in acquiring tools for cultivating emotional balance in daily life. Your guides are CEB teachers, Lani Potts and Dave Smith. Together, they are a dynamic duo with experience teaching the fundamental concepts of CEB.
Day 1:
– Lay the groundwork for emotional awareness
– Learn how to track emotions
– Cultivate a basis of joy in meditation and stabilize attention in the body.
Day 2:
– Investigate the roots and strategies for working with the emotions of anger and sadness
– Develop mindfulness, introspection and compassion for your mental and emotional habits.
Day 3:
– Explore your internal longing for contentment and flourishing,
– Reflect on on genuine well-being and a meaningful life
– Meditations that establish the clarity of intention and commitment to you and others well-being.
Each day focuses on learning and practice:
9am-12pm PDT Emotion Awareness Workshop:
– Includes powerpoint instruction, small group breakouts, activities, and interactive discussion
2pm-5pm PDT Contemplative Practice and Meditation:
– Includes guided practice and instruction on contemplative themes.
– These sessions will be recorded
**Can be watched the next morning for those in later time zones.
As a Dharma practitioner and certified Cultivating Emotional Balance teacher, Lani Potts also brings to CEB her training and experience as a yoga and meditation teacher along with a long-established Buddhist meditation practice. Lani is a recently retired educator with over 38 years of experience as an elementary teacher, principal, teacher and administrator coach, and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. In her “retirement,” Lani actively teaches CEB, coaches CEB teachers and students, and serves as the Cultivating Emotional Balance Program Director. She also teaches mindfulness and meditation as part of a UCSF study on mindfulness with cancer patients and lives in San Jose, California.
Dave Smith is an internationally recognized Buddhist Meditation teacher, addiction treatment specialist, CEB trained teacher, and published author. He has extensive experience bringing meditative interventions into jails, prisons, youth detention centers and addiction treatment facilities. Dave teaches residential retreats and classes, provides training and consulting in both secular and Buddhist contexts and works with students through his meditation mentoring program. He recently founded the Secular Dharma Foundation and lives in Paonia, Colorado.

The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life with Jay Nair
2022-02-01 18:00 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life with Jay Nair
Tuesdays March 8, 22, and 29th 6:30pm-8:00pm
This class will be online (Jay will be teaching online from home).
How to attend:
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols.
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
A Bodhisattva is a spiritual warrior who blends compassion and wisdom to reach ultimate peace for the benefit of themselves and others. Join Jay Nair to learn how to harmonize one’s life with Bodhisattva practices and wisdom.
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org or email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
About the Teacher:

Hailing from a traditional South Indian Yogic family, Jay Nair grew up by the banks of river Periyar, has been practicing some type of yoga and socially engaged spirituality from early on in life and studying modern Mindfulness since 2010. He also received training in Tibetan and Vipassana practices, and participated in many long term yoga meditation retreats. Jay Nair is trained in Indian Music and started performing solo concerts at the early age of ten. Since then Jay has been performing and recording Indian and world fusion music. IT Engineer by profession, Jay is a blend of Science, Art and Spirituality and believes Technology and Consciousness transforms each other.

No class tonight - back next week!
2022-02-22 08:00 - 17:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States

Healing from the Source: Vajrasattva Retreat with Rob Preece
2022-03-04 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
4-Day Online Retreat
Friday March 4, 2021-Monday March 7, 2022
7am-5pm PDT
Please plan to attend all days, no partial retreat available
Sliding scale $200-$300
Scholarships available, please email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
This retreat will be open to anyone who has a background in the Tibetan tradition, no specific empowerment is required to attend.
Space is limited so register now: https://bookwhen.com/diamondlightsac/e/ev-s8ku-20220304000000
We each have within us an innate source of health, vitality and wisdom known as our Buddha Nature. In the Tantric tradition we can awaken a relationship to this source of healing through the practice of Vajrasattva. This retreat offers an opportunity to experience the extraordinary nature of this way of healing and, combined with the practices of Mahamudra and Kum Nye, it can begin to enable the liberation and transformation of the energy of emotions, stress and tension held in the body.
Traditionally the practice of Vajrasattva is one of the preliminary practices for Tantra. It is regarded as profound foundation of awakening to our innate nature that can become a resource throughout our life. The practice of Mahamudra opens us to the innate, pristine nature of the the mind and the experience of non-duality.The practice of Kum Nye is valuable in deepening our capacity for meditation and freeing energy that can become stuck within sitting practice.
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During this retreat we will also begin to explore the practices associated with the cultivation of Tummo or “inner heat” and will be particularly appropriate for those who have worked with Rob before. We will be exploring the healing potential of this practice as it opens up our relationship to the energy body.
This retreat is for those who have some experience of meditation within the Buddhist tantric tradition, it is not considered an introduction for those without experience. Anyone wishing to attend who has not worked with Rob before may be asked to give some clarification of their background of practice.

Rob Preece
Rob has been a practicing Tibetan Buddhist since 1973. In 1980 he went to India and was in retreat for around five years exploring in depth the practice of tantra, meditating under the guidance of his teachers Lama Thubten Yeshe, Gen Jhampa Wangdu and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Returning to the West, in 1985 he began a Jungian based psychotherapy training, gradually developing a synthesis of Jungian and Buddhist understanding. He worked as a psychotherapist for around 28 years and then began to focus upon spiritual mentoring. Since 1985 he has been leading meditation retreats, following the influence of Lama Yeshe who particularly encouraged his integration of a more Western approach to tantric practice. He is an experienced Tangkha painter as well as the author of The Psychology of Buddhist Tantra; The Wisdom of Imperfection; and most recently Tasting the Essence of Tantra. Today he teaches retreats in the UK with his wife Anna and also in Europe and the US.

Diamond Light Sangha Meeting
2022-03-15 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
We thank you, each one of you, from the depths of our hearts for your years of participation and support. You enabled Diamond Light to come into existence, together created a vibrant Sangha, and have kept the center not only open but thriving during these difficult times. Truly reason to rejoice.
It is time for our spring All Sangha meeting to start planning the next year for our community here at Diamond Light. The Board of Directors Woudl like to have an all sangha meeting to discuss next steps!
Let us know you are coming! RSVP here: http://evite.me/UAFnyV4EQe (feel free to join even without an RSVP)
Please fill out the survey: https://forms.gle/89UP4xWunUhNF1xdA
And join us for our Meeting on Tuesday March 15th from 6:30pm-8:00pm (this will be during our regular Tuesday night class time).
You can join online: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Meeting ID: 224 735 8115
Or in person at Diamond Light Meditation Center (please wear a mask and stay home if you are sick): 2791 24th Street, Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818

Mourning: A Compassionate Path to Healing with Sunil Joseph
2022-04-05 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Mourning: A Compassionate Path to Healing, with Sunil Joseph
4 Tuesdays April 5, 12,19, and 26th, 6:30pm-8:00pm
How to Attend:
This class will be in-person and online (Sunil will be teaching online from home).
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols: We are still requiring masks, and please stay home and join online if you are sick!
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
Class Description:
We have all acted in ways that we later regretted. Acknowledging our actions even to ourselves can be difficult when we feel ashamed about what we did. We may judge ourselves to be a bad human being and keep beating ourselves for what we did. Similarly, we may be carrying resentments towards people for the way they hurt us. This unresolved pain can keep us stuck in the past. In this series of 4 classes we will look at how the process of mourning in NVC can help us compassionately heal our shame, resentment, and regrets.
Cost:
Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org or email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
About Sunil:
I have been a student of empathy-based approaches, including Nonviolent Communication (NVC), Mindfulness, etc., since 2004. I completed BayNVC’s NVC Leadership training in 2008 and have been sharing NVC with groups and individuals since then. I completed the 2-year Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program offered by Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach in 2021. I am currently a trainee facilitator with GRIP Training Institute, grip-traininginstitute.org, which offers a 1-year healing and accountability program to incarcerated populations. For more: myempathycoach.com.

Buddhist Compassion: Caring for Ourselves and Others with Karuna Cayton
2022-05-03 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Buddhist Compassion: Caring for Ourselves and Others
With Karuna Cayton
5 Tuesdays May 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31st, 6:30pm-8:00pm
How to Attend:
This class will be in-person and online (Karuna will be teaching online from home).
In person: 2791 24th Street Room 14, Sacramento CA 95818 (upstairs, parking lot in back)
Be sure to follow the Diamond Light COVID-Protocols: We are still requiring masks, and please stay home and join online if you are sick!
Join live online with Zoom: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
(Meeting ID: 224 735 8115)
Class Description:
The Buddhist theory and practice of compassion is unique and inspiring. Compassion is seen as both the antidote to other’s problems as well as the direct antidote to one’s own struggles. It’s a win-win: good for others and oneself. In this class we will not only look at the buddhist presentation of compassion but also how it is applicable to your everyday life in today’s world. These days it seems problems have become extraordinary – worldwide pandemic, political divisiveness, economic uncertainty, climate change – is compassion the extraordinary solution to these complex problems? Let’s explore.
Cost:
Suggested donation of $10-$20 per class to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through our business page on Venmo (@diamondlight)
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org or email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com
About Karuna:
As seen on a Sussex Directories Inc site
Karuna Cayton has been a practicing Buddhist for over 45 years. From 1975-1988 he lived at Kopan Monastery working fot the late Lama Thubten Yeshe. Upon returning to the US he got his Masters in clinical psychology and has worked for over thirty years Karuna has worked as a psychotherapist (MFT31860), teacher, business psychologist, and coach to help people achieve a more balanced life. His mission is to interpret the ancient teachings of Buddhist thought into modern language and interventions…without changing the purity of these universal ideas.

The Heart Sutra with Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim
2022-06-07 18:30 - 20:00 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Discover the wisdom of emptiness! Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim will use the Heart Sutra to explore emptiness and how it can transform our world. Beginners welcome!
8 Tuesdays June 7-July 26, 6:30pm-8:00pm
Hybrid options for attending:
You can attend in person:
2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818 (parking lot off 4th Ave, the room is upstairs).
Please wear a mask!
Or Click on the Zoom link to join: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through Venmo: search “Diamond Light”
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org
Geshe Lobsang Tsultrim is part of the Gaden Shartse Monastery in south India. “Geshe” is a degree that is earned after several years of intensive study and passing the highest-level exams. It is the monastic equivalent of a western “Ph.D.” degree. Having successfully passed these exams, Geshe Tsultrim is an expert on Buddhist philosophy. He is also a skilled artist, specializing in traditional Tibetan art. Geshe Tsultrim has been teaching in the United States since 2001.

Inner Heart: The Sweet and Swift Path with Cindy Lee
2022-09-06 18:30 - 20:30 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
INNER HEART TUESDAYS:
The Sweet & Swift Path
Study and practice Lobsang Chukyi Gyeltsen’s Steps on the Path using his insightful instructions and devotional meditations.
Tuesday nights in September 9/6-9/27
6:30pm-8:30pm PDT (Wednesday late morning Asia-Pac)
To receive the recordings, register Here for Inner Heart Tuesdays: https://www.cindylee.org/events/inner-heart-tuesday-evenings-usa
Hybrid options for attending (Cindy will be teaching online from home):
You can attend in person:
2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818 (parking lot off 4th Ave, the room is upstairs).
Please wear a mask!
Or Click on the Zoom link to join: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
These four classes are offered by suggested donation of $10-20 per class. No one turned away due to lack of funds
Donate Through Diamond Light and direct your donation to Registration Fees for Cindy Lee’s class. All donations go toward the teacher and Diamond Light.
WEEKEND RETREAT
This course will culminate in an optional weekend retreat on the weekend of 9/30 – 10/2
Register Here for Inner Heart Retreat: https://bookwhen.com/diamondlightsac/e/ev-s7n9-20220930000000
Cindy will be teaching on Tuesday evenings Sept 6-Sept 27, 6:30pm-8:30pm PDT. This retreat will expand and deepen on the Tuesday teachings. You can also attend and benefit from the retreat without attending Tuesday nights. Tuesdays will be hybrid, feel free to join us at Diamond Light Mediation Center in Sacramento (2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818), or from the comfort of your home! Cindy teaching from home.
About Cindy: Cindy Lee has trained in the Indo-Tibetan traditions of Buddhism and Yoga for over 25 years.
Co-teaching at international workshops and retreats for more than a decade with her late husband, Brian K. Smith (Lama Marut) Cindy continues their collaborative work of sharing the dharma with the intention of integrating wisdom and compassion in daily life.
Cindy received a Graduate Diploma in media and worked as a lecturer at Swinburne University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in literature and her dharma classes can include both in-depth textual study and creative approaches to practice techniques, influenced by her academic and artistic interests.
As an artist, Cindy has explored the intersection of multimedia, performance and insight, most recently in the creation of live events that investigate and illuminate themes such as the “Yoga of Sound”, “Buddha Nature” and the “Five Buddha Families”.
For more about Cindy, visit:
https://www.cindylee.org/events

Inner Heart Weekend Retreat: The Sweet and Swift Path with Cindy Lee
2022-09-30 18:30 - 20:30 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Inner Heart: The Sweet and Swift Path with Cindy Lee
3-Day Online Only Retreat
Friday Sept 30, 2022-Sunday Oct 2, 2022
Schedule:
Friday: 6:30pm-8:30pm PDT (Intro and Welcome)
Saturday: 2:00pm-8:30pm PDT (Meditation, Dharma Talk and Kirtan)
Sunday: 2:00pm-5:30pm (Mediation and Dharma Talk)
Please plan to attend all days, no partial retreat available
Sliding scale: $80-$150
Scholarships available, please email diamondlight.sac@gmail.com to request a scholarship.
Pre-Registration required. Register here: https://bookwhen.com/diamondlightsac/e/ev-s7n9-20220930000000
Study and practice Lobsang Chukyi Gyeltsen’s Steps on the Path with insightful instructions and devotional meditations.
Cindy will be teaching on Tuesday evenings Sept 6-Sept 27, 6:30pm-8:30pm PDT. This retreat will expand and deepen on the Tuesday teachings. You can also attend and benefit from the retreat without attending Tuesday nights. Tuesdays will be hybrid, feel free to join us at Diamond Light Mediation Center in Sacramento (2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818), or from the comfort of your home! Cindy teaching from home.
About Cindy: Cindy Lee has trained in the Indo-Tibetan traditions of Buddhism and Yoga for over 25 years.
Co-teaching at international workshops and retreats for more than a decade with her late husband, Brian K. Smith (Lama Marut) Cindy continues their collaborative work of sharing the dharma with the intention of integrating wisdom and compassion in daily life.
Cindy received a Graduate Diploma in media and worked as a lecturer at Swinburne University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in literature and her dharma classes can include both in-depth textual study and creative approaches to practice techniques, influenced by her academic and artistic interests.
As an artist, Cindy has explored the intersection of multimedia, performance and insight, most recently in the creation of live events that investigate and illuminate themes such as the “Yoga of Sound”, “Buddha Nature” and the “Five Buddha Families”.
For more about Cindy, visit:
https://www.cindylee.org/events

Dharma Essentials: Wisdom and Compassion with Jay Nair
2022-10-04 18:30 - 20:30 | 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Wanting a spiritual practice and don’t know where to start? Have you been studying Buddhism for awhile and wanting to discover where to go next? Tibetan Buddhism offers a complete path to enlightenment, starting with the basics. Join Jay Nair as he continues the Dharma Essentials course – a beginners look at wisdom and compassion
Tuesdays October 4th – November 22nd
6:30pm-8:30pm
Hybrid options for attending:
You can attend in person:
2791 24th Street, Room 14 Sacramento CA 95818 (parking lot off 4th Ave, the room is upstairs).
Please wear a mask!
Or Click on the Zoom link to join: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Cost: Suggested donation of $10-$20 to cover the cost of the class and support the teacher. No one turned away for lack of funds. You can give online: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/ or through Venmo: search “Diamond Light”
For more info: http://www.diamondlightsac.org

Hailing from a traditional South Indian Yogic family, Jay Nair grew up by the banks of river Periyar, has been practicing some type of yoga and socially engaged spirituality from early on in life and studying modern Mindfulness since 2010. He also received training in Tibetan and Vipassana practices, and participated in many long term yoga meditation retreats. Jay Nair is trained in Indian Music and started performing solo concerts at the early age of ten. Since then Jay has been performing and recording Indian and world fusion music. IT Engineer by profession, Jay is a blend of Science, Art and Spirituality and believes Technology and Consciousness transforms each other.

Online: Tibetan Buddhist Meditation
2022-12-05 18:30 - 19:30 | Onlie via Zoom, 2791 24th Street, Sacramento, CA, 95818, United States
Starting June 5, Monday Meditation is back in person! Join a community of meditators to learn meditation techniques and practices. Led. by long time meditator and Buddhist practitioner David Drabble, join a supportive group to grow your meditation practice.
Every Monday from 6:30pm-7:30pm
In person at Diamond Light Meditation Center
2791 24th Street Room 14 (upstairs)
Sacramento, CA 95818
parking lot in back off of 4th Ave, ADA accessible
Also offered on Zoom:
Click the link to join: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/2247358115
Meeting ID is: 224 735 8115
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Donation Based we suggest $10-$20 per class. No one turned away for lack of funds.
Ways to Donate:
Website: https://www.diamondlightsac.org/donate/
PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/diamondlightsac
Venmo: https://account.venmo.com/u/diamondlight
