Lama Alan Wallace - Public Teachings While in Retreat, November 2023 - 2024

On Guru Rinpoche Day, November 22, 2023, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer a very meaningful public talk. This was held in the stillness of Manjushri Chapel at Miyo Samten Ling with the yogis in long-term retreat present.

This talk was inspired by the excerpt, Value of Observing the Mind, from The Royal Seal of Mahamudra, Volume One, by The Third Khamtrul Rinpoche Ngawang Kunga Tenzin.

This was the first of an ongoing series of teachings from Lama Alan.

El día de Guru Rimpoché, 22 de noviembre, 2023, Lama Alan salió de su retiro de silencio, por unas horas, para ofrecer una enseñanza muy significativa. Se realizó en la quietud de la capilla en Miyo Samten Ling, con la presencia de los yoguis que están haciendo largos retiros. Esta enseñanza se inspiró en el extracto, El Valor de Observar la Mente, del Sello Real del Mahamudra, Volumen Uno, por el Tercer Khamtrul Rinpoche Ngawang Kunga Tenzin. Esta fue la primera de una serie de enseñanzas que va a dar Lama Alan.

Lama Alan Public Talk Nov 22 2023 in Russian - Алан Уоллес – Заметки на пути к шаматхе

On Dakini Day, January 6, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours and continued this series of teachings. Once again, this was held in the stillness of Manjushri Chapel at Miyo Samten Ling with the yogis in long-term retreat present.

As we set out on our new year of Dharma practice, Lama Alan offered a talk entitled, “Stages of Practice on the Path to the Great Perfection.” At the request of one of his students, he began this talk by giving the Bodhisattva Vows, which are the foundation for all Mahayana practice, including Vajrayana and Dzogchen.

For those who wish to take these vows for the first time, and for those wishing to renew their vows, he encourages you to review the eighteen root downfalls and forty-six misdeeds, which are explained in a PDF that you will find on the media site. Of course, those who do not wish to take these vows at this time are still welcome to listen to the talk that follows.

El día 6 de enero de 2024, Día de Dakinis, Lama Alan salió por unas horas de su retiro de silencio para ofrecer otra enseñanza. De nuevo, se hizo en la quietud de la capilla de Manjushri en Miyo Samten Ling, con los yoguis que están haciendo largos retiros.

Al empezar un nuevo año en la práctica del Dharma, Lama Alan ofreció una enseñanza titulada, “Etapas de la Práctica en el Camino a la Gran Perfección”. Ante la petición de uno de sus estudiantes, empezó la enseñanza dando los Votos del Bodhisattva, que son la base para la prácticas Mahayana, incluyendo el Vajrayana y Dzogchen.

Para aquellos de vosotros que queráis tomar estos votos por primera vez, y para aquellos que deseen renovar sus votos, él te anima revisar las dieciocho caidas raíz y las cuarenta y seis transgresiones, que se explican en un pdf que encontraréis en la web, en la sección “media”. Por supuesto, aquellos que no queráis tomar estos votos en esta ocasión, sois bienvenidos a escuchar la enseñanza que sigue.

On Guru Rinpoche Day, February 19, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer another public talk. Once again, this was held in the stillness of Manjushri Chapel at Miyo Samten Ling with the yogis in long-term retreat present.

As we continue into the new year of Dharma practice, Lama Alan offered a talk speaking at length about cultivating attentional intelligence and he also guides us in a sadhana that is being shared with everyone, there is not an empowerment needed to participate.

We are delighted to share these precious talks from Lama Alan while he is in retreat in Crestone, Colorado at Miyo Samten Ling, may they inspire you.

Lama Alan Wallace - Guru Rinpoche Day February 19, 2024 Shower of Blessings - Sadhana Practice. This sadhana is being shared with everyone, there is not an empowerment needed to participate.

Lama Alan Día de Guru Rinpoche, February 19, 2024, Enseñanza pública, Grabación en Audio

El día de Gurú Rimpoché, 19 de febrero de 2024, Lama Alan salió del silencio del retiro durante unas horas para ofrecer otra charla pública. Una vez más, tuvo lugar en la quietud de la capilla Manjushri de Miyo Samten Ling, con la presencia de los yoguis que están haciendo largos retiros.

On Dakini Day, April 4, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer Part One of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization,” intended as a response to a talk that Khandro la offered on March 25, 2024, “A Spontaneous Discussion on Material Science and Buddhist Science of Mind.” You can listen to this talk from Khandro la here.

On Guru Rinpoche Day, April 18th, Lama Alan offered Part Two of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization.” Parts One and Two of Lama Alan’s talk are intended as in integrated whole, so he encourages you to listen to Part Two soon after hearing Part One.

On Dakini Day, June 1, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer Part Three of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” There is also a separate recording of the meditation that Lama Alan also offered.

On Dakini Day, June 1, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer Part Three of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” This is the audio of the meditation that Lama Alan also offered.

On Guru Rinpoche Day, July 16, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer Part Four of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” There are two parts to this talk, and this is the first of two.

On Guru Rinpoche Day, July 16, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer Part Four of his public talk, "Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” There are two parts to this talk, and this is the second of two.

On Dakini Day, August 28, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer the fifth installment of his talk series entitled “Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” Lama Alan continues with the theme of cognitive intelligence, picking up exactly where his previous talk on July 16 left off.

The last lecture in this series focused on the cultivation of cognitive intelligence by way of the vipaśyanā practice of exploring the phenomenological nature of the mind. The core practice discussed was the close application of mindfulness to the mind in a radically empirical and pragmatic way, identifying core mental afflictions when they arise, and investigating the factors of origination and dissolution of mental processes. This is a prime example of Buddhist contemplative science taught in the Buddha’s first turning of the wheel of Dharma.

In this lecture Lama Alan continues with the theme of cultivating cognitive intelligence by way of the more advanced vipaśyanā practice of exploring the actual nature of the mind through philosophical and contemplative inquiry. The text that is the basis of this talk is an excerpt from the Kagyü master Karma Chakmé’s Great Commentary to Mingyur Dorjé’s Buddhahood in the Palm of Your Hand, which will be published by Wisdom Publications in Lama Alan’s forthcoming book, Śamatha and Vipaśyanā: An Anthology of Pith Instructions (New York: Wisdom, forthcoming) co-composed and translated with Eva Natanya. This teaching presents a direct path to realizing the emptiness of inherent nature of the mind, based on the Buddha’s philosophical teachings on the transcendence of wisdom in the second turning of the wheel of Dharma. Insight into the essential, empty nature of the mind is an immediate prerequisite for fathoming our buddha nature, or pristine awareness, which is the central theme of the Buddha’s third turning of the wheel of Dharma.

While we encourage you to watch Parts 1–4 of this series in advance of listening to this talk, at a minimum, please listen to Part 4.

On Guru Rinpoche Day, October 12, 2024, Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours to offer the sixth installment of his lecture series entitled “Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.” In this talk, Lama Alan focused on the theme of “The Cultivation of Emotional Intelligence.”

This public talk from Lama Alan coincided with the CCR’s Ghatika Monthly event. It was a joyous gathering and the chapel was full with contemplatives-in-training, as well as our friends in the local community. If you would like to receive reminders from the CCR about future Gahtika Monthly events you can register here.

The following is a description of this month’s talk from Lama Alan: As long as we are primarily devoted to the pursuit of our own individual happiness by way of sensual pleasures and the pursuit of financial stability, influence, and reputation, our emotions will constantly fluctuate between elation and depression, hope and fear. The development of emotional intelligence is rooted in prioritizing genuine well-being over mundane happiness, where the former is cultivated from within and the latter is pursued outwards. Moreover, the sole focus on our own well-being as our highest priority destabilizes our emotions, whereas expanding our field of caring to all those around us is a direct path to ever-increasing emotional intelligence. In this lecture Lama Alan will address the theme of emotional intelligence by way of the cultivation of the “four immeasurables” of loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and impartiality. These four virtues will be discussed within the contexts of the Pali canon, Mahayana Buddhism, and Dzogchen. They are foundational for all schools of Buddhism and are indeed so universal that they can be practiced by everyone, irrespective of their beliefs.

To provide context for this lecture, we encourage you to listen to Parts 1–5 of this series.

You will find the video recording here, as well as Lama Alan’s prior talks.

Lama Alan’s notes for this public talk are indicated as “October Talk - The Cultivation of Emotional Intelligence” and “October Talk - The Four Immeasurables Chart.”

During Lama Alan’s talk, he mentions the Fall 2010 Shamatha Retreat, where he offered detailed instructions on the cultivation of śamatha and the four immeasurables. This was the first 8-week retreat he offered in Phuket, Thailand. We invite you to register for this free 8-week retreat here.

Lama Alan emerged from retreat silence for a few hours on Dakini Day, November 25th, to offer his final installment of his lecture series entitled “Believers, Contemplatives, and the Future of Human Civilization: A Buddhist Response to the Current Metacrisis.”

In this final lecture in the series, focusing on the cultivation of spiritual intelligence, Lama Alan gave a commentary on Atiśa’s pith instructions on Mahāmudrā. The core of these instructions is realizing the actual nature of one’s mind—here and now—as the dharmakāya, and all appearances to one’s mind as the light of the dharmakāya. To fathom this, one must comprehend the mind’s essential nature, manifest nature, and defining characteristics. With this view, one meditatively rests the mind in its natural state, observing how thoughts arise from and dissolve back into the dharmakāya. Atiśa then goes on to present a concise description of the four yogas of Mahāmudrā, culminating in the perfect enlightenment of a buddha. He concludes his pith instructions with guidance on one’s conduct between formal meditation sessions.

By fathoming the actual nature of one’s mind, one comprehends the nature of all phenomena and the ultimate ground from which they arise. To actually realize this would be the culmination of spiritual intelligence, which transcends the limits of cognition and the divisions among the great philosophical and contemplative traditions of the world.

To provide context for this lecture, we encourage you to listen to Parts 1–6 of this series, although as Lama Alan explains in this talk it can also be a stand-alone talk.