August 14 – Diligent Joy & the Morning Blues

Being joyous and diligent doesn’t always come easy for those of us who struggle with the morning blues and lack of motivation in our lives. Having a deeper understanding of the qualities of diligence allows us to deeply connect with and transform our states of mind, no matter how "bad". Diligence allows us to act in conformance with valued directions even in the presence of morning depression, laziness or lack of motivation. In this way we can often kindle the joyous aliveness that seemed so out of reach.

Tomas is a Buddhist practitioner since 2002. He has studied mostly in the Tibetan tradition and received teachings from Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche and other Tibetan masters. With Greg Goode he has been studying Buddhist philosophy and its stereological applications, which is one of his main interests today. Tomas grew up in Germany, holds a doctoral degree in mathematics and works as a research scientist in the computer industry.

Carlos is a Creative Director in NYC, specializes in developing identities for media brands across the globe. He’s been a Buddhist practitioner since 2001 and a student of The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche since 2004. Currently he’s the co-director of the Nalandabodhi center in NYC serving as a study and practice instructor. He has received teachings from many masters including His Holiness Dalai Lama, His Holiness 17th Karmapa, Tai Situ Rinpoche, Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, and many more.