Stillness Flowing:
Emptiness in Tibetan Buddhism
with Venerable Losang Gendun
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Sep 15, 17, 22, 24, 29 & Oct 1, 7-9pm EDT
IN-PERSON & ONLINE
Note: Registration will be available soon.
Join us as we seek to unlock the potential insights from one of Buddhism’s most profound ideas: emptiness. Emptiness can be both a delightful and elusive concept. Whether your exploration of emptiness is just beginning, or you are looking to grasp its many nuances, this course can benefit all students. Through a combination of guided meditation, contemplation, and accessible discussion, Venerable Gendun will share a variety of ways to understand emptiness and the rewards for doing so.
We will journey through the four major Buddhist philosophical schools recognised in the Tibetan tradition—Vaibhāṣika, Sautrāntika, Yogācāra, and Madhyamaka — discovering how each system progressively deepens our understanding of reality’s ultimate nature. We will also introduce the various grounds and paths that can be used to understand the relative contributions of each tradition and incorporate them on our own journey.
No philosophy degree required! By examining different views of emptiness, we can better understand how Buddhism developed through four major philosophical traditions and discover how these traditions successively deepen our understanding of reality’s ultimate nature. Discover how emptiness isn’t merely negation but the key to compassion, wisdom, and genuine presence in our complex modern world. As Venerable Gendun says: “to know oneself to be empty is to know oneself to be full of others.”
Important Note
This is an in-person and online event. For online, the events will be administered using Zoom*.
After registering, the system automatically sends a confirmation and/or a receipt email that contains the Zoom meeting link and/or other instructions. If you don’t immediately receive the system email(s) or you have any other questions, please contact us at registration@shantidevanyc.org.
*Zoom is an interactive video-conferencing tool that allows participants to see one another and ask questions. You will need a computer, a tablet or a smartphone with the Zoom application to attend. If you are using Zoom for the first time, please login earlier to allow any necessary installations on your device.
Registration
Suggested: $20 per session
Other offering options: free, $5, $10, $30
The suggested amount helps support teacher offerings and expenses, direct costs and rent. Shantideva member benefits will apply automatically if you have a membership in MindBody.
Shantideva Center may publish recorded sessions in the public domain (e.g., on YouTube). By registering for this event, you are agreeing to give your consent to this process. Please be conscious of any personal information you share. Recordings are typically made to spotlight only on the teacher or facilitator so participants are usually not visible.
Time zone: US Eastern Daylight Time (GMT/UTC-4)
For questions regarding registration, please email registration@shantidevanyc.org for assistance.
Additional Materials
If you are a registered student, you may access the course materials on our password protected page. Please refer to the confirmation email (or receipt email) for the page link and password. Please contact us at registration@shantidevanyc.org if you have questions about accessing this page.
Sponsorship
Due to Ven. Gendun’s extended stay, our costs for hosting will be substantially higher than normal – anticipated to be around $5,000 for flights, housing, transportation, food and other miscellaneous expenses. We welcome your support to enable these precious teachings to happen. Any amount is greatly appreciated and very karmically beneficial! Please donate using the registration process below.
If you just wish to help sponsor the teachings, you can do so via this link using any card or PayPal. Please remember to select “Ven. Losang Gendun – New York Visit 2026”. If you plan to attend in-person or via Zoom, please also notify us at registration@shantidevanyc.org.
Here is a teaching by Lama Zopa Rinpoche about the immense benefits of offering to the Sangha.
Food Offerings
Dana for the Teacher
About the Teacher
Venerable Losang Gendun has dedicated nearly four decades to practicing Buddhism and has served as a Bhikshu (Buddhist monk) in the Tibetan tradition for the past 18 years. Prior to his ordination, he worked in diverse fields such as palliative care, technology, refugee organizations, and commercial management. His extensive training includes ten years of studying Buddhist philosophy and practice in monasteries across France, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Additionally, he spent over four years in retreat, immersing himself in Tibetan sutra and tantra, as well as the Burmese Theravada Forest Tradition.
For the last 15 years, Ven. Gendun has been a dedicated teacher, sharing his knowledge of Buddhist philosophy, psychology, and meditation worldwide. He serves the aspirations of H.H. the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche as part of the FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition). Ven. Gendun is also a member of Mind & Life Europe, a multidisciplinary laboratory that brings together researchers and contemplative practitioners to explore the nature of experience.
Beyond his Buddhist affiliations, Ven. Gendun serves as an interreligious canon at the Peace Cathedral in Tbilisi, Georgia, and feels at home at a Mevlavi Sufi dargah in Istanbul. In 2023, he founded The Buddha Project, which engages in long-term guidance for Buddhist meditators, scientific research, art projects, and intercontemplative social engagement.
