Meditation master came to Dawson

On April 24, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche, a meditation master in the Dzogchen Buddhist tradition, gave a presentation attended by nearly 200 students.

“He spoke about how many sources of dissatisfaction in the modern world stem from neglecting humanity’s inner dimension,” said Humanities teacher Daniel Goldsmith, who invited him to Dawson.

“We have gone to the moon and yet we know so little about our own minds! His talk sparked a lively Q & A session, where students asked thoughtful questions about meditation practice, the nature of attachment and desire, and how to cultivate lasting happiness.”

Students from three classes attended: Enlightened Consciousness, a Humanities course taught by Daniel, Julian Nemeth’s Buddhist Ethics, and Nathalie Kepka and Phil Legace’s Intro to World Religion.

Student response was very positive, Daniel reported. “We ran out of time for the Q & A because there were so many good questions! There is something about Tibetan teachers that is special in the way they teach not only with their words, but also with their presence.”

“You could feel his deep groundedness and understanding in his body, not just through his words. I think that his presentation resonated because there is such a deep thirst in our culture for someone who can speak to these essential aspects of our being that often get overlooked in the rush to be efficient and productive. The message he repeated again and again is the importance of working with our minds. It’s no use to have technological progress if in the end we’re going to be miserable. And the only way to generate happiness and satisfaction is through the hard work of knowing our minds from the inside.”