How do Buddha’s teachings on inner peace translate into world peace?

Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, an international Buddhist master of the Dzogchen Lineage, will speak on the subject from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. next Saturday at the Quaker House in Manoa, 2426 Oahu Ave.

The Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation USA of Washington state is sponsoring the event for a suggested donation of $25. Robert Lapham, spokesman and Buddhist teacher, said Rinpoche will discuss how to achieve enlightenment by focusing on decreasing one’s negative thinking, the root of all suffering, and respond with positive thinking instead. It is a gradual process, and "There is no magic answer," he said.

"As I begin to understand there is nothing I want more than to stop my incessant bad habit of negative thinking, how I look at situations begins to change. Now an obstacle becomes a challenge — how can I learn from this situation and respond differently with positive thinking?" he said.

Recognized as the reincarnation of 19th-century Tibetan Master Gedun Chopel, Rinpoche is the spiritual leader of a monastery in Nepal and a university in India, Lapham said. Since 2008, Rinpoche has spent six months a year at the Dzogchen Foundation’s Retreat Center in Eugene, Ore., giving intensive student training, and the rest of the year traveling to more than 40 countries to teach.

He is the author of more than 30 books on Buddhism, including the recently published "The Buddha Path," a daily practice text in English.

No one will be turned away from the meeting for financial reasons. Seating is limited. Do not contact the Quaker House for information, but call Lapham at 360-390-8367.