dated material do not delay - Rime Buddhist Center

RIME BUDDHIST
C e n t
In This Issue
Page 2
Meditations
e r
Page 3
Teachers from Many
Traditions Workshops:
Six Paramitas
Stages of Awareness
Tibetan Yantra Yoga
Page 4-5
Illuminations (Photos)
Page 6
Teachers from Many
Traditions Workshops:
Four Immeasurables
Exploring Self & No-Self
Drepung Gomang Monks
Page 7
Tibetan Refugees
Rime Member Profile
Losar Celebration
Special thanks
to Paul Kotz and
Tangent Press for
donating all of the
printing for our
newsletter!
Rime
Buddhist
Center
700 West Pennway
Kansas City, MO
64108
www.rimecenter.org
(816) 471-7073
Fax: (816) 471-7853
The Rime
Annual World Peace Meditation
Brings All Faiths Together
The Rime Center will host the 21st Annual
World Peace Meditation, an interfaith
gathering, on Monday, Dec. 31 at 5:30 a.m.
The program will consist of religious
observances from various cultures and faith
traditions, including Native American smudging,
Tibetan Buddhist chanting and meditation,
Christian prayer, devotional music, Sufi dancing
and the Muslim “call to prayer.”
Each of the 15 members of the Greater Kansas
City Interfaith Council will offer a prayer for
peace from each of their faith traditions.
A highlight of the event will be the presentation
of the Bodhisattva Award to Evelyn
VanKemseke, founder of Shawnee Community
Services, a service center for the homeless and
It’s time for the Annual Campaign!
Watch your mail for details. . .
Rinpoche to be in Residence
November-December
Phagyab Rinpoche will spend part of
November and December at the Rime
Center. Rinpoche recently visited the Center in
October to give teachings on Lojong.
Within the Buddhist tradition in general, there
are many historical and contemporary examples
of people who have attained levels of clairvoyance,
or the ability to see “extremely subtle phenomena.”
They can use their abilities to resolve
impediments to health, prosperity and family
harmony. True practitioners, however, will never
profess to have such an ability, for to make such
a claim violates core Tantric vows.
Phagyab Rinpoche is such a practioner and is a
Tibetan yogi who is widely renowned in Tibet
for his clairvoyance.
Although Rinpoche makes no claim to clairvoyance
or any other special faculties, he performs
“divinations” upon request to help people
resolve personal problems.
Winter 2007–2008
disadvantaged. The store she founded in 1990
supplies assistance in the form of clothing, food,
cash and appliances to about 24,000 people per
year. The Bodhisattva Award is presented to
those who work for the benefit of others.
The keynote speaker this year is Jim Eller, senior
minister at All Souls Unitarian Universalist
Church.
This year’s event is endorsed and cosponsored
by CRES, Harmony, KC, Interfaith Peace
Alliance and the American Friends Service
Committee — Kansas City Program and the
Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council.
The event is free and open to the public. Please
arrive by 5:30 a.m. and bring canned goods for
Harvesters food pantry.
Typically, when Rinpoche is presented with a
question or issue, he does a formal “check” the
following morning during his morning meditation
practice. After “checking,” Rinpoche suggests
what course of action to take, including which
Buddhist prayer rituals to have done, to best resolve
the issue at hand. If requested, he will assist
in having these rituals commissioned at his home
monastery in South India and will also suggest
the appropriate dana required in each case.
Although he is without his translator, Rinpoche will
be able to perform several blessings, including:
House blessings $100-$200*
Business blessings $300-$500*
Healing/energy blessings $150*
*Blessings are available on a sliding scale
according to income.
To make an appointment for a blessing, call
Lama Chuck at 913-897-5316

Meditations
By Chuck Stanford, Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje
The founder of the Rime Center, Lama Chuck Stanford was ordained in 1998 as
Lama Changchup Kunchok Dorje. Lama Chuck writes a monthly column on
Buddhism for the faith section of the Kansas City Star and is the Buddhist
member of the Kansas City Interfaith Council. In addition he is a
volunteer chaplain at Lansing Correctional Facility and regularly
visits Buddhist inmate groups at five area prisons.
Is There Faith in Buddhism?
You may have recently seen in the news or in
a new book the story about Mother Theresa
questioning her faith all her life. Apparently, she
experienced what St. John of the Cross described
as the “dark night of the soul.” She continually
asked God why she didn’t feel his presence
and/or a connection with him.
Faith, in the monotheistic religions, means
believing in a metaphysical God who is personally
involved with our lives. Buddhism is
different because it isn’t based on such articles
of faith. First, the Buddha taught that our suffering
is caused not by outside influences but by
the clinging of our own mind – such as being
attached to expectations of some kind of pay
off. And second, in one of the famous sutras,
the Buddha said not to accept his teachings just
because he says they are true or out of respect
for him, but rather to examine them like a goldsmith
examines gold. And only when you know
there is some value, some benefit to you, should
you accept them. So the Buddha encouraged us
to question – to actually be skeptical.
I think an important question is what exactly
do we mean by the term faith? In the Lam Rim
Chen Mo teachings we are taught there are three
kinds of faith:
• Clear faith is when you see images of the
Buddha, that make you feel good, and they
give you a clear mind and faith in your own
Buddha nature. An example of this type of
faith is when you bow or prostrate coming
into the shrine room or to images of the
Buddha.
• Inspirational faith motivates you to do
spiritual practice. An example of this type
of faith is when we meet great teachers such
as His Holiness the Dalai Lama or one of
our root teachers who visit the Rime Center
regularly. When we actually see with our
own eyes their incredible compassion and
bodhichitta and witness the stability and
balance of their mind, it reminds us that this
is also possible for us.
• Trusting confidence – faith occurs when
you use your own intelligence to guide you
in your practice. An example of this type
of faith is when we experience the results
of our daily practice. We see that a daily
meditation practice can actually transform
our mind from its gross forms of clinging to
calmer mind states.
We are also taught to examine all the Buddhist
teachings from the Four Noble Truths to the
esoterica of the Vajrayana and ask three
questions:
• Does it work?
• Does it stand up to logic?
• What are the consequences of seeing things
differently?
Mary recently told me that she thinks a better
word for faith is certainty. In her hospice work
she visits patients of different faiths – other than
Buddhism. She finds that those who are certain
about their faith are happier and more at ease
when facing their mortality.
So, I think Mother Theresa had faith – I think
she had tremendous faith – because even
though her expectation of feeling a connection
was never realized she had certainty in what she
believed to be true. She had faith because
despite her disappointments she continued
serving the poor her entire life.
I think the message is very clear to us – the
problem for Mother Theresa wasn’t her faith
but it was her expectation of a pay off. And the
same is true for Buddhists. The Buddha taught
that whenever we have an expectation – such as
wanting to feel a certain way, or attachment to
an idea or a teaching, or how things are to go, or
even wanting enlightenment – we continue to be
trapped in suffering. The message is very clear
– through the meditation practice we must learn
to let go. We must let go of all expectations, let
go of attachments and let go of our ego clinging.
Join a Committee
Today
Committees meet at various
times and dates. If you are interested
in becoming involved and
serving on a committee, please
contact the following chairs:
Facilities Committee
Meets the 4th Sunday of the
month after the service at
12:15 p.m.
Teri Brody
barkitup2000@yahoo.com
Programming Committee
Meets the 2nd Sunday of the
month before the service at
9:30 a.m.
Marisa Stanley
risastanley@gmail.com
Gift Shop Committee
Meets the 3rd Sunday of the
month before the service at
9:30 a.m.
Mary Stanford
marystanford2000@yahoo.com
Finance Committee:
Finance & Fund Raising
Committee meets the 2nd
Sunday of the month after the
service at 12:15 p.m.
Bill Golden, treasurer
mochefbill@sbcglobal.net
Membership Committee
Meets the 1st Sunday of the month
before the service at 9:30 a.m.
Chris and Melanie Mikel
chrispmikel@gmail.com or
melaniemikel@gmail.com
Prison Outreach
Chuck Stanford
lama108@aol.com
Help Us Update Our
Mailing List!
If you no longer wish to receive
mailings from the Rime Center
or you have moved, contact us
at lama108@aol.com or
816-471-7073.
Rime Board Officers
Chuck Stanford, executive
director
Stephen Ludden, board chair
Mary Stanford, vice chair
Bill Golden, treasurer
Teri Brody, secretary
Board Members
Bernie Evans
Gabriele Otto
Matt Rice
Marisa Stanley
Toni Wills
2 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008
Photo by Michele Cavin Lowrie
Schedule
Friday, Jan. 25
7:30 p.m.
First teaching
Saturday, Jan. 26
10 a.m.–noon
Second teaching
Sunday, Jan. 27
10:30 a.m.
Dharma Talk
2–4 p.m.
Third teaching
Schedule
Friday, Feb. 15
7:30 p.m.
First teaching
Saturday, Feb. 16
10 a.m.–noon
Second teaching
Sunday, Feb. 17
10:30 a.m.
Dharma Talk
2–4 p.m.
Third teaching
Schedule
Saturday, Feb. 23
10 a.m.–noon
Yoga Workshop
Sunday, Feb. 24
10:30 a.m.
Dharma Talk
Massage
Feb. 20–25
8 a.m.–8 p.m
Rime Welcomes Teachers
from Many Traditions
Over the next several months, the Rime Center will host a number of prominent teachers who
will offer a wide variety of workshops, retreats, practices and teachings.
Six Paramitas Weekend Retreat
Ven. Geshe Thupten Dorjee, Jan. 25–27
This weekend retreat is devoted
to the study of the Six
Paramitas, also known as the Six
Perfections. They include
generosity, ethical behavior/virtue,
patience, effort, concentration/
meditation and wisdom.
For more information about Ven.
Geshe Thupten Dorjee, see his biography at
www.artibet.com/geshedorjee.shtml.
This informal weekend retreat
asks the questions “How
much do we really know about the
words mindfulness and awareness?”
Retreatants will study
several contemporary Buddhist articles
and discuss their doubts and
experiences. There will be periods
of lecture and meditation.
For more information about Lama
Bruce Newman, see his biography at
www.snowlionpub.com/pages/newman.php
Continued on page 6.
3 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008
Fees:
Residential Retreat (all teachings): $120 in
advance or $140 at the door, plus $25 per night
stay. Stay includes two meals per day (breakfast
and lunch). Retreatants are on their own for
dinner; there are many restaurants near the Rime
Center and the Rime kitchen is always available
for use.
Non-Residential Retreat (all teachings): $120
in advance or $140 at the door. No meals are
included.
Stages of Awareness Weekend Retreat
Lama Bruce Newman, Feb. 15–17
The workshop is designed for beginners, as
well as teachers and advanced practitioners.
Yantra yoga is a combination of yoga poses
similar to the familiar Hatha yoga and includes
breathing exercises, meditation, mantras and
mudras (hand gestures). The poses flow into a
series of movements, similar to Tai Chi, that create
a healing effect by moving energy through the
energy channels of the body.
Bring a yoga mat, pillow and blanket. Wear clothing
suitable for yoga and don’t eat within two
hours of the start of the workshop.
For more information about Lama Lobsang
Palden Rinpoche, see his biography at
Fees:
Residential Retreat (all teachings):
$120 in advance or $140 at the door, plus
$25 per night stay. Stay includes two meals
per day (breakfast and lunch). Retreatants are
on their own for dinner; there are many
restaurants near the Rime Center and the
Rime kitchen is always available for use.
Non-Residential Retreat (all teachings):
$120 in advance or $140 at the door. No
meals are included.
Tibetan Yantra Yoga, Mantras & Mudras Workshop
Lama Lobsang Palden Rinpoche, Feb. 23
www.lamalobsang.com.
Fees: $30 in advance for each half-day program,
$40 at the door.
This is not a residential retreat, but out-of-town
visitors may spend the night at the Rime Center
for $25 per night. No meals will be served, but
the kitchen will be available.
Call 773-262-8191 or 773-458-6354 or e-mail
blueberyl@sbcglobal.net to make a massage appointment.
Please pre-pay for massages through
the Rime Center by cash, check or credit card.
Fees: $115 for 90 minutes; $145 for two hours.

Illuminations
Alternative Break
The Rime Center was fortunate to have the help of 10 volunteers
from Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa to clean the Rime Center
in October as part of their school’s “Alternative Break” program.
The program provides students who want to pursue volunteer
opportunities an alternative to the usual party destinations
associated with Spring Break.
While at the Rime Center, the students helped clean the new
bathrooms, a storage area, the shrine room and the front hallway.
The visit was organized by Grinnell student Zach Razavi at the
suggestion of this father, Saiid Razavi, a Rime member.
Thanks to Zach and his friends, as well as to Zach’s father.
Lama Chuck Addresses ku Class
Lama Chuck spoke to a graduate-level social work
class at The University of Kansas’ Edwards campus
in Overland Park Oct. 4. Pictured with Lama Chuck
(standing) is Holly Nelson-Becker, PhD, associate
professor of Social Welfare. Rime member Cassy
Kelly, who arranged the visit, is seated on the far left.
Paradoxes of
Buddhism
Blessed are the Beasts
Lama Chuck participated in the annual
Animal Blessing at Southmoreland
Park Oct. 7. The interfaith event is organized
every year by Rev. Bob Hill of
the Community Christian Church.
Pictured with Lama Chuck are Rime
members Lauren Hruby, left, and Teri
Brody, with their canine friends.
Peace
Award
Museum
Blessing
Lama Chuck, along with
other members of the
Kansas City Interfaith
Council, participated in a
blessing ceremony at the
Nelson-Atkins Museum
Sept. 30. Each representative
gave individual
blessings for the museum,
its staff, visitors and
programs and asked
forgiveness for any
transgressions the
museum may have
committed in the past.
Rev. Vern Barnet, DMn,
spoke at the Rime Center
in September on the Three
Buddhist Paradoxes. Rev.
Barnet has been ministerin-residence
at CRES, a
Kansas City educational
and inter-religious organization
he founded in 1982.
He also teaches religion courses at many area
colleges and writes a weekly religion column for
The Kansas City Star.
Lama Chuck
received the
2007 Peace
Award from the
Crescent Peace
Society, a local
Muslim group,
for his work in
promoting understanding, tolerance and
acceptance of religions and cultural
diversity in Greater Kansas City.
Presenting the award to Lama Chuck is
Hussain Haideri, MD, president of the
Crescent Peace Society.
4 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008
Bathroom Remodeling Completed
After a summer-long remodeling project, our new bathrooms are now
completed, thanks to the hard work of many volunteers.
The project would not have been possible without the leadership and
donations of:
• Jill Saunders of Dorfman Plumbing who acted as the contractor,
designer and lined up all of the labor.
• Dorfman Plumbing who supplied all of the fixtures for free or at cost.
• Chris McCready, a union tiler, who got his union, Bricklayers and
Allied Craftsmen Local Union 15, to donate all of the tile and all of
the labor for the tile installation.
• Doyle Barker and Rick Cooper who donated hours of labor to
sheeting rocking, mudding and painting.
• Tom Wienstroer and his son who did most of the bathroom painting.
• Adam Jones and Pennway Partners, owners of the building, for
their help and support.
Thanks for to all who helped complete this much-needed project.
Ven. Phagyab Rinpoche
Rime members had an opportunity to spend time with
Ven. Phagyab Rinpoche during his visit to the Rime
Center in September.
From left to right: Christina Lamb, Mary Stanford,
Marisa Stanley, Rinpoche, Staci Olsen, Marina Illich
(translator) and Alan Jon Snyder.
Welcome New members
The Rime Center welcomed new members to its sangha in
August. New members are, left to right: Eric Easton, Lestlie
Berryhill, Kurk VonSchlemmer, Jennifer Balke, Kam Pang,
Barbara Robinette-Moss, and Duane DeRead.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Rime
Center, sign up for the next membership classes beginning
Jan. 13 and Feb. 27. See the Spring 2008 Class Schedule
for sign-up information.
Refuge Vows
New Meditation
Instructor
Rime member Rose Schaumburg became an
accredited meditation instructor in August by
completing the Meditations Instructor’s course.
Ten Rime members took Refuge Vows Sept. 9. (Photo above.)
Taking refuge signifies the practitioners’ aspiration to follow
the Buddhist path.
In the front row, left to right, are: Carol Tharp, Pamela
Folken, Zach Folken, Rusty Powlas, Andrew Turner, Bernard
Hamblin and Scarlett Cooley.
In the back row, left to right, are: Bill Sterling, Susan
McKinney, Mary Beth Shannon, Elita January, Jennifer
Kaneer, Anne Vincent and Lacy Hagen.
5 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008

Schedule
Friday, March 7
7:30 p.m.
First teaching
Saturday, March 8
10 a.m.–noon
Second teaching
Sunday, March 9
10:30 a.m.
Dharma Talk
2–4 p.m.
Third teaching
Schedule
Friday, April 4
7:30 p.m.
First teaching
Saturday, April 5
10 a.m.–noon
Second teaching
Sunday, April 6
10:30 a.m.
Dharma Talk
2–4 p.m.
Third teaching
Note: These teachings, as
with all Dharma teachings,
are available to everyone
regardless of ability to
pay. Discounts, a limited
number of scholarships and
work/study programs are
available to those in need.
However, scholarship forms
must be submitted one week
prior to the start of the
teachings for review by our
scholarship committee.
Call the Rime Center at
816-471-7073 for details.
Newsletter Comments
or Ideas?
Please contact:
Michele Cavin Lowrie
OneL_Michele@hotmail.com
Teachers from Many Traditions
(continued from page 3.)
Four Immeasurables Weekend Retreat
B. Alan Wallace, March 7–9
This retreat will focus on
meditation, with teachings,
guided meditation and discussion.
Featured will be a sequence of
meditation practices designed to
cultivate the Four Immeasurables
– loving kindness, compassion,
empathetic joy and impartiality.
These practices will be followed by teachings on
tonglen and Bodhichitta.
For more information about Alan Wallace, see his
biography at www.alanwallace.org.
Fees:
Exploring the Dimensions of Self
and No-Self Weekend Retreat
Matthew Flickstein, April 4–6
Having a healthy self-image and knowing that
we create our own reality is essential for
our psychological well-being. At the same time,
knowing who we are beyond our own creations is
essential for our spiritual well-being.
This retreat will explore the dimensions of self
and no-self through meditation, contemplation,
dharma talks and discussion. It will be a journey
into the realm of time, space and emptiness.
For more information on Matthew Flickstein, see
his biography at www.forestway.org/teach.htm.
Drepung Gomang
Monks
May 15–24
Monks will create a sand mandala
at Union Station May 19-24,
2008. The concluding ceremony will
be on Saturday, May 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Performance of their program “Sacred
Music, Sacred Dance” will be at the
Rime Center on Saturday, May 17 at
7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 each and
available at the gift shop.
The monks are also available for
house and business blessings.
Residential Retreat (all teachings): $140 in
advance or $160 at the door, plus $25 per night
stay. Stay includes two meals per day (breakfast
and lunch). Retreatants are on their own for
dinner; there are many restaurants near the Rime
Center and the Rime kitchen is always available
for use.
Non-Residential Retreat (all teachings): $140
in advance or $160 at the door. No meals are
included.
Fees:
Residential Retreat (all
teachings): $120 in advance or $140 at the door,
plus $25 per night stay. Stay includes two meals
per day (breakfast and lunch). Retreatants are on
their own for dinner; there are many restaurants
near the Rime Center and the Rime kitchen is
always available for use.
Non-Residential Retreat (all teachings): $120
in advance or $140 at the door. No meals are
included.
Special Tuition
Requests
The Gesche with the
Drepung Gomang monks
left photos and bios of
children from Ladakh (in far
northwest India – an
all-Tibetan community).
Instead of asking for $30
per month sponsorship, he
is requesting sponsors who
will pay
these
children’s
school
tuition
of $300
per year,
paid $25 Tenzin Wangal
per month.
Stenzin Dorgee
Member Profile
Refugees in Need of Help
Many Tibetan refugees in India are
still looking for American sponsors.
Refugees who make it to India
have survived an incredible ordeal escaping
from Tibet over the Himalayas.
When they arrive in India they have few
if any job skills and they live in abject
poverty.
Tsering Lhakpa
Age 21
Tenzin Nyidon
Age 5
Name: Matthew Rice
Hometown: Homerville, Ga. After moving when I was
a small child, I still consider Georgia home.
Role at the Rime: I’m a board member and was the
Chair a few years ago. As a senior student, I help
facilitate classes. I have worked in the gift shop, have headed several
committees and I manage the Rime Center’s Myspace profile.
Day Job: I help manage a residential program for Mosaic, a non-profit
organization that works with people with developmental disabilities.
Hobbies: Music, movies and the Internet, especially Myspace. Most of
my time is spent with college classes and studying the Buddha dharma.
What led you to Buddhism? I was searching for a spiritual path and
wanted to find a non-Christian path. After searching online, I stumbled
onto the Four Noble Truths. They seemed to make sense and resonated
with me. I also like the fact that the Buddha wants you to test his
teachings to see if they work, rather than accept them with blind faith.
Something about you that most people don’t know: When I was
fourteen, my family joined the Society for Creative Anachronism – an
international organization dedicated to researching and recreating
the arts and skills of pre-17th century Europe. One of our big events
was the Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs. I performed with
others in the fighting demonstrations and had to make my own armor,
so I learned a lot about metalworking and leatherworking. I stopped
participating after high school, but my parents can still be found at the
blacksmith’s forge every year.
Karma Dolma
Age 19
Thupten Gakey
Nun, Age 19
You can help for as little as $30 per month.
This small amount can allow a Tibetan refugee
to have a roof over his/her head, food to
eat and even an education. Please consider
sponsoring a refugee – you can literally
save a life and you will have a friend for
life. For more information, please contact
Lama Chuck at lama108@aol.com.
Minyak
Lobsang Palden
6 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008 7 The Rime Jewel - Rime Buddhist Center Newsletter Winter 2007-2008
Nga Wang
Phuntsok
Passang Dolma
Lobsang Gelek
Monk, Age 8
Losar Celebration
Feb. 9, 5–7 p.m.
On the Tibetan calendar, the Year of the Male Earth Rat
begins Feb. 8. The Rime Center will hold a Losar
celebration Feb. 9.
The Rime’s Tibetan New Year celebration will begin at 5 p.m.
with a variety of activities including the traditional throwing of
the I-Ching, linked verse poetry, and the making of tsa tsa votive
tablets and
prayer flags.
At 6 p.m. Lion
Dancers from
Kansas City’s
Vietnamese
Buddhist
Temple will
perform, and
at 6:30 p.m.
there will be a
potluck dinner.
Be sure to bring a dish to share.
Damdul
Age 74
Pasang Ghuti
Age 17
Participants
created
prayer flags
at the last
Rime Center
Losar
Celebration

RIME BUDDHIST
C e n t
RIME BUDDHIST
C e n t
e r
e r
Rime Buddhist Center
www.rimecenter.org
(816) 471-7073
Fax: (816) 471-7853
Services:
Tues, Wed, Thurs: 6–9p.m.
Sunday: 10:30 a.m.–noon
Rime Buddhist Center
700 West Pennway
Kansas City, MO 64108
Return Service Requested
DateD Material Do Not Delay
Don’t forget. . .
The gift shop has perfect holiday gifts for
everyone on your list!
New Tibetan Clothes Items:
Women’s dresses (chupas) and men’s shirts
Upcoming Events
Phagyab Rinpoche in residence: Nov. and Dec.
21st Annual World Peace Meditation: Dec. 31
Ven. Geshe Thupten Dorjee: Jan. 25–27
Losar Celebration: Feb. 9
Lama Bruce Newman: Feb. 15–17
Lama Lobsang Palden Rinpoche: Feb. 23
B. Alan Wallace: March 7–9
Matthew Flickstein: April 4–6
Drepung Gomang Monks: May 15–24
Check out our website for class schedules,
dharma talks, and more information:
www.rimecenter.org
Non-Profit
Organization
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PAID
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Kansas City, MO