Tibetan Buddhist Monk to Conduct Workshop

Khenpo Tsering Samdup, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, will return to Santa Barbara to conduct a weekend program entitled “A Friend in the World: The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva.” According to the advance publicity, he will explores how the Bodhisattva ideals of compassion and loving kindness can transform our lives and the lives of others.

A khenpo is a Buddhist scholar who has studied the Buddha’s teachings for anywhere from nine to 15 years. Khenpo Tsering Samdup began his training at the Shri Karma Nalada Institute on the border of Tibet, now part of India, and in 1990 received the degree of acharya, which is characterized as the equivalent of a PhD in Buddhist philosophy. In 2002 he was appointed the headmaster of Shri Diwakar Vihara Buddhist Institute in Kalimpong, India, and he also continues to teach throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, and America.

“Khenpo Tsering combines a rare blend of great humor, kindness, and superior knowledge that make meeting him a pleasure and learning from him an experience,” said Dawa Tarchin Phillips, resident teacher of the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center of Santa Barbara, in a written statement. ”Santa Barbara benefits from his visits and lectures especially in times like these when people are looking for answers that offer alternatives to existing ideas.”

4-1-1: The weekend course is scheduled on Friday, July 9, from 7 to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, July 10 and 11, from 9:30 a.m. to 12 noon and 2 to 5 p.m.. It will take place at the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center, 30 West Mission Street, #7. The fee is $100, or $25/session, and everyone is welcome. For information or to preregister, call (805) 252-6137, or visit the Bodhi Path Buddhist Center Web site.