A FILM FESTIVAL FOR HEART & MIND
BuddhaFest
June 14 - 17, 2012
A celebration of mindfulness
Films Talks Meditation Music
Join us for the third annual BuddhaFest, when we look at how the Western world is waking up to mindfulness as a practice -- and as a way of life. We'll explore the profound effects mindfulness is having on so many of us, and how it's helping to transform our society.
The festival will be held at Artisphere in Rosslyn, VA, just minutes from Washington, DC. There's free parking, and it's two blocks from the Rosslyn metro.
Last year BuddhaFest filled over 3,000 seats, and so many people told us the experience was moving, insightful and fun. A real feeling of community sprang up over the four days. Please watch for announcements about tickets and special hotel rates. Attend individual events, join us for a day or two, or be here for the entire festival!
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FEATURING THESE LEADING TEACHERS AND SPEAKERS
TSOKNYI RINPOCHE
Author of Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love (April 2012)
For over 15 years, Tsoknyi Rinpoche has been teaching students worldwide about the innermost nature of mind in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Rinpoche is one of those rare teachers whose lighthearted yet illuminating style appeals equally to beginners and advanced practitioners alike. He is truly a bridge between ancient wisdom and the modern mind.
SHARON SALZBERG
Author of Real Happiness and Lovingkindness
Sharon Salzberg is one of the leading meditation and spiritual teachers in the world. She co-founded the Insight Meditation Society with Jack Kornfield and Joseph Goldstein, and is the author of eight books.
CONGRESSMAN TIM RYAN
Author of A Mindful Nation (March 2012)
Tim Ryan is the United States Representative for Ohio's 17th congressional district, currently serving his fifth term. A mindfulness practitioner and a long-time champion of efforts to improve the health and well-being of American families and children, Congressman Ryan is also a public advocate for mindfulness-based programs in schools, the military, and the health care system.
TARA BRACH
Author of Radical Acceptance
Tara Brach, Ph.D., is a leading western teacher of Buddhist meditation, emotional healing and spiritual awakening. She has practiced and taught meditation for over 35 years, with an emphasis on Vipassana, also called mindfulness or insight meditation. Tara is the senior teacher and founder of the Insight Meditation Community of Washington.
RICK HANSON
Author of Buddha's Brain and Just One Thing: Developing a Buddha Brain One Simple Practice at a Time
Rick Hanson, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned neuropsychologist and author, and founder of the Wellspring Institute for Neuroscience and Contemplative Wisdom. His work has been featured on the BBC, NPR, Consumer Reports Health, and U.S. News and World Report, and his articles have appeared in Tricycle Magazine, Insight Journal, and Inquiring Mind. He edits the Wise Brain Bulletin, and his weekly e-newsletter - Just One Thing - has over 30,000 subscribers. He also appears on Huffington Post, Psychology Today and other major websites.
JONATHAN FOUST
Jonathan Foust has practiced meditation since 1972. A senior teacher and former president of Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, he has been teaching yoga and meditation for over twenty years in both residential and corporate settings.
Jonathan leads three weekly meditation classes as well as retreats in the DC area and around the country. He is the creator of the "Year of Living Mindfully" program and offers private sessions in Focusing, a body-oriented therapy that is powerfully synergistic with mindfulness meditation.
VENERABLE PANNAVATI BHIKKHUNI
Co-Abbot and Founder of Embracing Simplicity Hermitage in Hendersonville, NC, Ven. Pannavati is a Buddhist monk ordained in both the Theravada and Mahayana traditions. She was honored with an Engaged Buddhism Award at the 2011 Women's Buddhist Conference in Chicago for her work, which includes launching a youth development program for homeless and at-risk youth.
The group gave her an Outstanding Women in Buddhism award in 2009. She has a doctorate in religion and is a former Christian pastor, an initiated yogi, and a Taoist monk.
New to BuddhaFest?
Here's what some people have said:
"Profoundly moved and inspired."
"Insights from BuddhaFest, big and small, abound."
"The community of good souls...was unbelievable."
"Accessible to all and intimate at the same time."
2011 WAS A GREAT YEAR FOR BUDDHAFEST
THANK YOU to all of you who helped make our June 2011 film festival such an amazing event, with audiences totaling over 3,000. Thank you also to everyone who joined us in our nation's capital in September for a remarkable commemoration of the tenth anniversary of 9.11 We were moved and inspired by your courageous and open hearts, as you shared stories that helped so many of us take important steps towards continued healing.
Watch our slide show or visit the picture gallery. These wonderful photographs were shot by Danuta Oftinowski.
For more information on our programs, please check out the "Archives of Previous Events" section.
BuddhaFest is Sponsored by