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Crisis as Opportunity
Dharma Talk with Bhikshuni Karma Lekshe Tsomo
at the INDUS Restaurant Suk. Soi 26
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Schedule: Saturday 18th January 2014
- 9:30am Meet bright and early at the Indus on Soi 26
- 9:50 Dhamma talk on the Conflict as Opportunity
- 10:30 silent meditation
- 11:00 Questions
- 11:30 finish – you are welcome to bring small food offerings for our guest speaker.
“Crisis as Opportunity”
Humanity today faces many urgent challenges: the economy crisis, global warming, continuing conflicts, new diseases, natural disasters, and the stress of living in an unpredictable world. How can we learn to maintain equanimity amidst chaos and integrate the Buddha’s teachings in daily activities? How can we act as resources of understanding and compassion for lay followers navigating troubled waters? This presentation introduces the Buddhist teachings on transforming all circumstances to the path of Dharma.
Karma Lekshe Tsomo
While on a trip in India, Lekshe heard the teachings of Dalai Lama. She was convinced that she wanted to become a nun, and dedicate her life to service. Except for one problem: no monastery would accept her, because she was a woman.
So, Karma Lekshe started her own nunnery in the Himalayas and sure enough, became a Buddhist nun.
Today, decades later, she has drastically altered Buddhism’s view of women. As a PhD in comparative philosophy, author of several books, founder of a Himalayan nonprofit, professor at University of San Diego, president of International Association of Buddhist Women, Karma Lekshe is actively involved in interfaith dialogue and grassroot initiatives for empowerment of women.
Professor Tsomo received a B.A. in Oriental Languages (Japanese/Chinese) from the University of California, Berkeley; an M.A. in Asian Studies, an M.A. in Religion (Asian), and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Hawai‘i, Manoa. In addition, she studied at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives and the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics in Dharamsala, India for 15 years. Since 2000 she has been an Associate Professor at the University of San Diego.
Scholarly and Creative Work
Professor Tsomo’s doctoral research focused on death and identity in China and Tibet. She is the author of Sisters in Solitude: Two Traditions of Monastic Ethics for Women and Into the Jaws of Yama, Lord of Death: Buddhism, Bioethics, and Death. Click here for all the titles by Lekshe Tsomo
She has produced several educational videos: “Sacred Ground: Consecrating a Village Temple in Spiti Valley,” “Women in Buddhism: Unity and Diversity,” and “Living and Dying in Buddhist Cultures.” click here for a full bio
Location:
The Indus Restaurant [website]
#71, Sukhumvit Soi 26, Bangkok
Go to Phrom Phong BTS Station
Walk along Soi 26 for 700 meters (takes 6-8 minutes walking)
