Rinpoche speaking at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Photo courtesy of Alexander Dogaev.
In mid-June 2018, Rinpoche visited Israel for the first time for a series of dharma teachings with the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his visit, Rinpoche and KF executive director, Cangioli Che, made plans with Dr. Eviatar Shulman, Senior Lecturer in the Departments of Religious Studies and Asian Studies to deepen KF’s support of the Buddhist studies program at the university.
“When I was first invited to speak at the university and they asked me to speak about meditation, I was really surprised,” Rinpoche said. “The academic world is where people seriously, scientifically, observe the outer world, inner world, and secret world, which I appreciate very much. That’s how it should be. It complements with what Buddha himself said, to never take his teachings at face value. You have to analyze it. You have to test it. You experience it and you decide.”
While in Israel, Rinpoche held a three-day workshop on meditation for 80 university students, one of the few instances that Rinpoche has been asked to teach meditation in an academic setting. He also held a public talk, What Makes You Not a Buddhist, to a standing-room only crowd of 250 people.
Such a great blessing for a deeply troubled and contentious part of the world.
May this seed ripen and lead to a true shift in the
minds of beings entangled in all this strife and enmity.
Thank you Rinpoche, for your public talk in Jerusalem and for the wonderful aspiration words at the wailing wall, that you shared now. It was a precious and blessed opportunity to be at your presence, and to thank you personally for your teachings. May your aspirations for the region, and for the world, become realized.
Will there be a transmission of Rinpoche’s teachings in Israel available on KF or on Siddharthasintent ?