Bodhisattva Training for Contemporary Life
with Stephan Pende
The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, one of the most revered texts in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, was written by the tenth century Tibetan master Tokme Zongpo. Its inspiring verses convey the entire Mahayana path of compassion. It describes the practices and attitudes of the awakening rebel who wants to heal, grow up, and wake up for the benefit of all.
Relating to traditional Buddhist practices and texts authentically can be difficult for us in the West. The texts are incredibly powerful but come from a different cultural context, making it difficult to move beyond intellectual understanding and perfunctory repetition toward allowing them to touch our hearts and transform our lives as they are meant to. In this course, we will challenge ourselves to bring the wisdom of this text into our own lives and relationships. This series will offer practical tools to awaken bodhichitta in daily life and meditations to deepen our experience of emptiness. We will also have an opportunity to find deeper peace in challenging times, discover meaning in uncertainty, and address anxiety by relying on kindness.
The teachings are suitable for beginners and experienced students.
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. To protect your privacy, we recommend being conscious about any personal information you share during the sessions. To further enhance anonymity, you may want to consider turning off video or naming yourself using abbreviations.
Additional Materials
The recommended text for this course is Reflections on Silver River by Ken McLeod.
“The Thirty-Seven Practices of All the Bodhisattvas” by Gyalse Tokme Zangpo
37 Practices of a Bodhisattva by Ken McLeod (Verses only)
Relating to a Spiritual Teacher: Building a Healthy Relationship
by Alexander Berzin (Book)
The Dynamics of a Healthy Student-Teacher Relationship by Dr. Alexander Berzin (Article)
Recordings
About the Teacher
Stephan Pende Wormland has studied and practiced meditation in multiple traditions for over 30 years. He was a monk in the Tibetan tradition for 11 years. During that time, he served as director of FPMT’s Nalanda Monastery and spent five years in group and solitary retreats. While Stephan’s main teacher is Lama Zopa Rinpoche, he has also received teachings from great Tibetan Masters of the four schools including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Sakya Trizin Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Kirti Thenshap Rinpoche, Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, and Choden Rinpoche. He has also practiced and studied with esteemed Western teachers like Peter Fenner, Alan Wallace, Rob Preece, Alex Berzin, Pema Chodron, Robert Thurman, and Ken McLeod.
Stephan has been the resident teacher for FPMT’s Center for Wisdom and Compassion in Copenhagen for many years and currently teaches meditation in Buddhist Centers around Europe. Since 2009 he has been studying Radiant Mind with Peter Fenner, completed the Nondual Teacher Training, and is a program adviser of Potential Project.
