End-of-Year Purification Retreat: Shakyamuni Buddha Practice with Jon Landaw

As this tumultuous and extremely challenging year draws to a close, many people hope that 2021 will bring about a shift in our national consciousness, away from mistrust, hostility and fear and towards a peaceful resolution to the many conflicts that divide us. More than ever, we need to generate a heart-felt sense of our shared humanity; without that, the gulf between “us” and “them” will only grow wider and the conflicts and dangers we face will only grow more destructive.

As Shakyamuni Buddha taught over 2500 years ago, the cause of all this misery and conflict is to be found in the mental and emotional afflictions that currently distort our view of the world—and of our fellow beings—and which serve to perpetuate and increase our dissatisfaction and suffering. But he also taught that in the depths of our heart there exists an untapped potential to awaken from this sleep of ignorance and access a limitless treasure of compassionate wisdom capable of bringing us the peace and happiness we all desire.

During this weekend, Jon Landaw—a long-time student of Lama Yeshe and Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche—will offer a meditative purification practice, centered on the figure of Shakyamuni Buddha, designed not only to help cleanse ourselves of the afflictions at the root of our alienation and dissatisfaction, but also to introduce ourselves to the radiant, indestructible purity that has always been an essential aspect of our deepest nature. 

Everyone is welcome to join us in this uplifting practice and help make 2021 brighter for oneself and others.

About the Teacher

Jon Landaw was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1944. He received his A.B. degree in English Literature from Dartmouth College in 1965 and spent three years teaching English as a Second Language with the Peace Corps in Iran (1966-69).

Jon worked as English editor for the Translation Bureau of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India at the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (1972-77) producing numerous texts under the guidance of Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. As a student of Lama Yeshe and Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche since the mid-1970’s, he has edited numerous works for Wisdom Publications, including “Wisdom Energy” and “Introduction to Tantra.” He is also the author of “Prince Siddhartha,” a biography of Buddha for children, “Images of Enlightenment,” published by Snow Lion in 1993 and “Buddhism for Dummies”. As an instructor of Buddhist meditation, he has taught in numerous Dharma centers throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere.

Jon is known for his ability to present traditional Buddhist ideas in ways that are accessible and relevant to our everyday life. He and his wife currently live in Santa Cruz, California where he teaches regularly at the nearby Land of Medicine Buddha center.