Programs

Suggested donation – $21.00 - $54.00

Date & Time Details: Sundays 11 am - 1 pm

Location: On Campus & Online

Address: 412 Glimmerglen Road, Cooperstown, NY, USA

Contact: [email protected]

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Sundays at Samye: A Morning of Practice & Study

With Michael Friedman

April 13 - December 21, 2025

Register now

Each Sunday, our sangha gathers for a morning of meditation, practice, and Dharma study. Whether you join for one session or the full rhythm of the morning, Sundays at Samye offer a welcoming space to deepen practice and explore the Buddhist path together.

Schedule

 

  • 8:00 am – Open Meditation

A quiet, self-guided time for personal practice in our Library. The space will be open to all who wish to sit in silence, rest in meditation, or engage in their own contemplative practice. Basic meditation instructions are available on handouts for those new to the practice, so everyone can feel supported in cultivating mindfulness and calm presence.

 

  • 9:00 am – Treasury of Blessings Practice

A traditional group practice centered on visualizing Shakyamuni Buddha as the embodiment of awakened wisdom and compassion. Learn more about this profound practice here.

 

  • 11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Dharma Class with Lama Michael

Our weekly teaching and discussion, currently exploring:
 The Practical Bodhisattva: How to Be a Spiritual Hero in Everyday Life.

 

About the Current Course: The Practical Bodhisattva

 
Guided by Lama Michael Friedman, this course explores the Bodhisattva’s path through meditation, essential texts, and group dialogue. Our atmosphere is informal, the meditation simple and accessible, and while some familiarity with the Dharma can be helpful, it is not required — a good practitioner always cultivates beginner’s mind.
 
This cycle draws on three core texts, along with supplementary readings:

  • Ornament of Precious Liberation, translated by Ken Holmes
  • Enlightened Courage: An Explanation of the Seven-Point Mind Training by Dilgo Khyentse
  • The Way of the Bodhisattva by Shantideva (Shambhala Classics edition)

 
Copies are available in the Samye NY gift shop.
 
A typical class includes 30 minutes of meditation, followed by questions, answers, and lively exchange. After dedication prayers, many participants linger for tea in the Lotus Barn.
 

For questions, you are welcome to reach out to Lama Michael directly: [email protected]
 

Teacher

Michael Friedman
Michael Friedman has spent 50 years in an intensive study of philosophy in general and the nature of mind in particular. He completed the traditional three-year retreat in 1989 in Dordogne, France under the guidance of H.H. Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and Taklung Tsetrul Tulku Pema Wangyal, and at present teaches weekly at Samye Hermitage New York.
Learn more about Michael Friedman