Gompa

Many eons ago, seven bodhisattvas strongly prayed for the temporal and ultimate happiness of all sentient beings, that their names become wish-fulfilling in order to heal both the mental and physical sicknesses and diseases of sentient beings. They became the seven Medicine Buddhas, and the puja is prayers and offerings to create merit and make requests of the Buddhas. Just some of the benefits of this practice include healing of mental and physical suffering, helping those who have died, as well as removing obstacles and creating the causes of enlightenment.

Anyone is welcome to attend pujas, even if you are unfamiliar with the practice, and this puja is recited in English. Traditionally the offerings for the sangha and puja are sponsored by Dharma students, especially if they want to dedicate the puja to someone who is ill, dying, or generally in need of support and prayers.

Sponsorship of a Medicine Buddha puja is $60 - click here to sponsor this puja.

If you'd like to know more about sponsoring a puja, please contact pujas@kadampa-center.org for instructions about making the donation and sending your personal dedication.

Many eons ago, seven bodhisattvas strongly prayed for the temporal and ultimate happiness of all sentient beings, that their names become wish-fulfilling in order to heal both the mental and physical sicknesses and diseases of sentient beings. They became the seven Medicine Buddhas, and the puja is prayers and offerings to create merit and make requests of the Buddhas. Just some of the benefits of this practice include healing of mental and physical suffering, helping those who have died, as well as removing obstacles and creating the causes of enlightenment.

Anyone is welcome to attend pujas, even if you are unfamiliar with the practice, and this puja is recited in English. Traditionally the offerings for the sangha and puja are sponsored by Dharma students, especially if they want to dedicate the puja to someone who is ill, dying, or generally in need of support and prayers. Sponsorship of a Medicine Buddha puja is $50. Please click here to sponsor Medicine Buddha Puja.  Don't forget to include your dedication!

Medicine Buddha Puja for Tim Powell  Oct. 27, noon

Kadampa Center will dedicate our regularly scheduled Medicine Buddha Puja at noon Tues, Oct. 27 to benefit Tim.  As always, anyone who wishes may sponsor the puja for anyone’s benefit.

The Discovering Buddhism (DB) two-year course emphasizes an authentic yet culturally relevant presentation of the Buddha's teachings. Taught by FPMT registered teachers and facilitators, the classes lay a strong foundation of the entire Tibetan Buddhist path including how to integrate study and practice. This is an excellent “next step” for students who have taken the Buddhism in a Nutshell class and want to learn more. Students are also welcome to stay after class for a peer-led discussion group. There are no pre-requisites or fees, although donations are appreciated.

We ask that new students starting the course start at the first week of the module, on February 2, when we'll have volunteers ready to explain how the course works and how to access online teachings by becoming a member. This makes the transition easiest for new students, and we've found that attending the entire module is the least confusing for everyone (rather than starting in the middle, not having clear instructions, and finding the topic difficult after missing the early classes).

In the Presenting the Path module, get an overview of the entire Tibetan Buddhist path to awakening. Study the life story of the Buddha and discover a unique system for putting Buddhist philosophy into practice – the lam-rim, or “graduated path to enlightenment.” Led by Don Brown.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche recently gave advice to FPMT centers about how to be successful, and part of that advice was that we need to do practices of great merit such as reading sutras. The Inspiring Generosity Committee plans to join together to fulfill Rinpoche's advice, and invites anyone from the community who would like to join them in reading The Sanghata Sutra. We'll divide up the pages and all read quietly aloud together, reading the entire sutra at least once together. With great devotion in our hearts, we'll dedicate the merit to the success of Kadampa Center so we can serve you, our community, and all sentient beings.

The time the reading(s) will take will depend on how many people attend, but for sure it will be less than an hour.

During this session, students will review the answers on their exams for the Mind and its Potential module in a discussion format.

The Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour is a world-wide touring collection of sacred relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and many other Buddhist masters from India Tibet, Korea & China.

The relics were found among the cremation ashes of these Buddhist masters. They resemble beautiful, pearl-like crystals that Tibetans call ‘ringsel.’ Buddhists believe relics embody the master’s spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom and are deliberately produced by the master at his death.

His Holiness the Dalia Lama has graciously offered to this collection, eight relics of the historical Buddha that are over 2,500 years old. The tour also features relics from forty other Buddhist masters from different parts of the world, in all there are over 1,000 relics in this collection, making it the largest touring relic collection of its kind.
The tour was created in 2001 by the modern day Buddhist master Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Zopa collected the relics from all over the world, over a period of many years. The tour has now visited 68 countries and over 2.3 million people have visited the relics. Currently two collections are touring simultaneously, one tour is traveling in Europe/Asia and the other in the Americas.

Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour events are multi-faith, multi-cultural and are always free to attend. The exhibition is intended for all walks of life and faith, to learn about and to experience these historical relics.

*We encourage visitors to bring their pets at anytime during the event for blessings from the relics and to circumambulate the center's stupa. For the safety and comfort of all visitors (human and other animals), please make sure your pet is on a leash or in a crate/cage/container as you'd think is appropriate.

Hours

Friday: 6pm to 8pm - Opening Ceremony followed by viewing of the relics

Saturday: 10am to 7pm

Sunday: 10am to 5pm

Many volunteers are needed as well! To sign up, go to this special Volunteer Spot calendar: http://vols.pt/mwnJt5

The Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour is a world-wide touring collection of sacred relics of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni and many other Buddhist masters from India Tibet, Korea & China.

The relics were found among the cremation ashes of these Buddhist masters. They resemble beautiful, pearl-like crystals that Tibetans call ‘ringsel.’ Buddhists believe relics embody the master’s spiritual qualities of compassion and wisdom and are deliberately produced by the master at his death.

His Holiness the Dalia Lama has graciously offered to this collection, eight relics of the historical Buddha that are over 2,500 years old. The tour also features relics from forty other Buddhist masters from different parts of the world, in all there are over 1,000 relics in this collection, making it the largest touring relic collection of its kind.
The tour was created in 2001 by the modern day Buddhist master Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Zopa collected the relics from all over the world, over a period of many years. The tour has now visited 68 countries and over 2.3 million people have visited the relics. Currently two collections are touring simultaneously, one tour is traveling in Europe/Asia and the other in the Americas.

Maitreya Loving Kindness Tour events are multi-faith, multi-cultural and are always free to attend. The exhibition is intended for all walks of life and faith, to learn about and to experience these historical relics.

*We encourage visitors to bring their pets at anytime during the event for blessings from the relics and to circumambulate the center's stupa. For the safety and comfort of all visitors (human and other animals), please make sure your pet is on a leash or in a crate/cage/container as you'd think is appropriate.

Hours

Friday: 6pm to 8pm - Opening Ceremony followed by viewing of the relics

Saturday: 10am to 7pm

Sunday: 10am to 5pm

Many volunteers are needed as well! To sign up, go to this special Volunteer Spot calendar: http://vols.pt/mwnJt5

The Shakyamuni Buddha puja recalls the excellent qualities and deeds of the historical Buddha, and is an extensive prayer based on the seven limbs (prostrations, offerings, confession, rejoicing, requesting teachings, praying for long life, and dedications). Done in English, it's easy for anyone to follow and participate at their individual levels. Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, says that having this puja and making extensive offerings on the holy days is particularly important for centers to do to be successful, allowing for a place to serve our community and provide the Dharma, so everyone is invited to come participate!

Sponsoring offerings on a holy day is an incredible opportunity for practitioners to benefit the center, community, and collect unbelievable amounts of generosity karma and merit! Sponsorships on the holy day are $150, and sponsors are welcome to send a personal dedication to be read at the puja that evening. To become a sponsor, please email Sarah at program@kadampa-center.org, and she will help with details of payment and dedications.

Afterwards, at about 8:15pm, we need lots of helpers to take down the extensive offerings. No experience necessary, but we'd love to know if we can count on on you to help. Please sign up on Volunteer Spot if you can help - stay as long as you can, or until the job is done! (How long it takes will depend on how many people can help.)

Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, says that for centers to be successful, one of the most important things to do is to make offerings and do pujsa on the holy days. These are days when, according to sutra, merit is mulitplied 100 million times. We'll be setting up extensive offerings together, and depending on how many people can help, we will make them as extensive as possible! No experience necessary - there will be sangha and peers to help who you what to do. Feel free to bring your own contributions of flowers, food, tealights, etc. since our altar is for the community - here for you to make offerings and as part of your practice.

Sponsoring offerings on a holy day is an incredible opportunity for practitioners to benefit the center, community, and collect unbelievable amounts of generosity karma and merit! Sponsorships on the holy day are $150, and sponsors are welcome to send a personal dedication to be read at the puja that evening. To become a sponsor, please email Sarah at program@kadampa-center.org, and she will help with details of payment and dedications.

We'd love to know if you are coming - please sign up on Volunteer Spot if plan to be there! Setup begins at 1:00pm - how long it takes will depend on how many people come and help!

On this holy day honoring the Buddha's first teaching, Wheel Turning Day, it's particularly powerful to do practice. The center will be open all day for individuals who would like to come and do individual practice in the gompa. Group practices in the morning will be precepts (more information is below) at 5:00am followed by a light breakfast. After breakfast, probably around 7:00am, students are encouraged to stay and recite the Golden Light Sutra for world peace and as an incredibly powerful way to accumulate merit and create the cause for success in our practice.

Precepts

Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, encourages students to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts on holy days. They must be taken for the first time with a qualified teacher, and then can be practiced on any day. Those who have taken precepts previously from a teacher can take them as a group at the Center, or at home, at “first light” (5:00 am). Geshe Gelek is away so unable to provide the vows this holy day. If students come who have not taken the vows with a teacher before, they can still participate and will receive a lot of merit from practicing ethics, but will not be fully taking the vows during the ceremony.

For more information about the Eight Mahayana Precepts practice, please read Lama Zopa Rinpoche's commentary The Direct and Unmistaken Method.