Module 4: The Path to Liberation
with Jean Marie Robbins, Mark Nowakowski and Rhea Colmar
March 5 - April 9, 2026
Online
When: Thursdays 7pm - 8:30pm Eastern
- CAD $108.00 – Enroll Now
“The path is the goal.”
Chögyam Trungpa
This final module completes the arc of the foundational path. We revisit suffering and its origin, and begin to understand cessation not as an idea but as an experience. From here, we explore the eightfold path as a practical guide to living with clarity and purpose.
We also reflect on the meaning of taking refuge in the Buddha as example, the Dharma as path, and the Sangha as companionship. The course concludes with an introduction to the Mahayana view and a space to integrate what has been learned.
What We’ll Explore
- Review of the first two noble truths
- The cessation of suffering as a lived experience
- The eightfold path as a guide for daily life
- Taking refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha
- Integration of study and practice
- Introduction to the Mahayana view
Course Format
- Duration: 6 weeks
- Live sessions: Weekly, 90 minutes on Zoom
- Structure: Meditation, Dharma talk, discussion
- Access: Session recordings available for review
Open to all. You may take this module on its own or as part of the full series.
About the Leaders
Jean Marie Robbins
Joined Shambhala Chicago in 2014 and considers the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche her teacher. A retired school administrator and serial career changer, Jean Marie is now a Meditation Instructor in the Chicago sangha. She’s interested in how dharma practice and study can liberate us from personal biases as well as from the cultural conditioning at […]
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Mark Nowakowski
Mark Nowakowski met the Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1972 and has been his student ever since. He also studies and translates with many other Kagyü and Nyingma masters. Mark is particularly inspired by the works of Chögyam Trungpa and his teacher Khenpo Gangshar. He recently coordinated the translation and publication of Songs of Realization and […]
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Rhea Colmar
Rhea Colmar considers herself a student in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche as well as other contemporary Buddhist teachers. As a public health nurse, Rhea is interested in the intersection of meditation, health, and well-being, on both the individual and societal levels. She has a background in dance and massage & bodywork. Recently, she […]
Learn more about Rhea ColmarCategories : Online, Public Program