Gompa

Meditation 101 is an introductory course on basic Buddhist meditation techniques for complete beginners, and includes Buddhist meditations that can be used by anyone to create more peace and happiness in daily life. Presented in five sessions. Students are encouraged to come for the whole class, but drop-ins are welcome. The basic Buddhist meditation techniques covered include:

• what is meditation?
• breathing meditations
• mindfulness meditations
• visualization meditations

Registration requested. Click here to register.

In keeping with our long-standing tradition, Kadampa Center does not charge a fee for any Dharma course. These teachings are too precious to allow money to be an obstacle for anyone to hear them!  We do, of course, have expenses to offer the course, so we happily welcome any heart-felt donations. 

Led by Venerable Ngawang Lhamo

We offer this Medicine Buddha Puja to benefit two members of Kadampa Center's community who recently passed away. The puja will be at 12 pm Monday, January 14. Jared Citron, a member for about two years, passed away January 2.  Jose Moreno, close friend of our member Julie Quetel, passed away in December 22.  We will dedicate our prayers for their peaceful and happy passage through the bardo and beneficial rebirth. Medicine Buddha Puja is particularly beneficial for those who have passed away and are passing through the bardo. In this beautiful prayer service, we recollect the qualities of the seven Medicine Buddhas and pray for a beneficial rebirth.

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 vowed that their prayers will be actualized during these degenerate times when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are in decline. When they became enlightened, one of the ten powers of a Buddha is the power of prayer - that means that all the prayers that have been made get fulfilled. As the Buddha's holy speech is irrevocable, you can wholly trust in their power to quickly grant blessings to help all sentient beings in these degenerate times. They are called the Seven Medicine Buddhas, the main one is `Lapis Buddha of Medicine, King of Light'. Buddha Shakyamuni taught the teachings on the Medicine Buddha, and according to one tradition, is also considered as one of the Medicine Buddhas, and hence the Eight Medicine Buddhas.

The seven Medicine Buddhas manifested in order to pacify the obstacles to the achievement of temporary happiness, liberation and the ultimate happiness of full enlightenment. They are powerful in healing diseases as well as for purification. The Medicine Buddha practice can be used to help purify those who have already died and liberate them from suffering. It is also very powerful in bringing about success, both temporary and ultimate.

The reason why the Medicine Buddha practice brings success is that in the past when the seven Medicine Buddhas were bodhisattvas practicing the path to enlightenment, they promised and made extensive prayers to actualize all the prayers of living beings of the degenerate time when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are in decline. They generated a very strong intention to become enlightened for this reason; this was their motivation for meditating on and actualizing the path.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, "It is very important that the elaborate Medicine Buddha puja with extensive offerings be done regularly. The offerings should be as extensive and as beautiful as possible, and done in order to benefit all sentient beings."

Sponsoring pujas is a great way to create merit and honor those who have passed.  Sponsor this puja here.

Awakening the Warrior Within:  Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement

A weekend workshop with Venerable Amy Miller

Lojong or “mind training” is a profound part of Mahayana Buddhism that teaches us how to transform problems into opportunities for spiritual growth. Join this insightful workshop that can lend support to life’s greatest challenges.

Discussion on the famous lojong prayer, The Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Langri Thangpa and Master Atisha’s 59 slogans will be included as a blueprint for practicing the bodhisattva path along with tonglen meditation.

Open to all levels although some Buddhist background is helpful. 

Venerable Amy's workshop will run 7-9 pm Friday, and 10 am - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.   We will break for lunch for 90 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. Students are strongly encouraged to bring a bag lunch so we can get to know each other and discuss the teachings over our meal.

We encourage students to bring a bag lunch Saturday and Sunday, so we can discuss the morning's teachings over our meal.

Registration requested so we can prepare enough materials for all at the course. Click here to register.

Want to serve the teacher? Volunteer!  There are lots of little tasks that don't take too much time and reap heaps of spiritual benefit!  Sign up here to volunteer.

Learn more about Venerable Amy and her teaching schedule at other centers at her website.

Sponsor the teachings here

Awakening the Warrior Within:  Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement

A weekend workshop with Venerable Amy Miller

Lojong or “mind training” is a profound part of Mahayana Buddhism that teaches us how to transform problems into opportunities for spiritual growth. Join this insightful workshop that can lend support to life’s greatest challenges.

Discussion on the famous lojong prayer, The Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Langri Thangpa and Master Atisha’s 59 slogans will be included as a blueprint for practicing the bodhisattva path along with tonglen meditation.

Open to all levels although some Buddhist background is helpful. 

Venerable Amy's workshop will run 7-9 pm Friday, and 10 am - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.   We will break for lunch for 90 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. Students are strongly encouraged to bring a bag lunch so we can get to know each other and discuss the teachings over our meal.

We encourage students to bring a bag lunch Saturday and Sunday, so we can discuss the morning's teachings over our meal.

Registration requested so we can prepare enough materials for all at the course. Click here to register.

Want to serve the teacher? Volunteer!  There are lots of little tasks that don't take too much time and reap heaps of spiritual benefit!  Sign up here to volunteer.

Learn more about Venerable Amy and her teaching schedule at other centers at her website.

Sponsor the teachings here

Awakening the Warrior Within:  Lojong and How It Inspires Everyday Enlightened Engagement

A weekend workshop with Venerable Amy Miller

Lojong or “mind training” is a profound part of Mahayana Buddhism that teaches us how to transform problems into opportunities for spiritual growth. Join this insightful workshop that can lend support to life’s greatest challenges.

Discussion on the famous lojong prayer, The Eight Verses of Mind Training by Geshe Langri Thangpa and Master Atisha’s 59 slogans will be included as a blueprint for practicing the bodhisattva path along with tonglen meditation.

Open to all levels although some Buddhist background is helpful. 

Venerable Amy's workshop will run 7-9 pm Friday, and 10 am - 4 pm Saturday and Sunday.   We will break for lunch for 90 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. Students are strongly encouraged to bring a bag lunch so we can get to know each other and discuss the teachings over our meal.

We encourage students to bring a bag lunch Saturday and Sunday, so we can discuss the morning's teachings over our meal.

Registration requested so we can prepare enough materials for all at the course. Click here to register.

Want to serve the teacher? Volunteer!  There are lots of little tasks that don't take too much time and reap heaps of spiritual benefit!  Sign up here to volunteer.

Learn more about Venerable Amy and her teaching schedule at other centers at her website.

Sponsor the teachings here

A Special Animal Liberation/Blessing According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, it’s incredibly important to do practices to benefit animals and lead them to liberation: “It’s not enough that you look after animals and they give you comfort. You must do something of practical benefit for them. This is what you can do every day:​ Circumambulate with them around holy objects, chanting mantras. Recite prayers in their ears to plant the seed of all the realizations of the path to enlightenment. This makes a huge difference. It has incredible results, enabling them to have a good rebirth in their next life, to be born as a human being, and meet the Dharma.”
		Join us for a special animal liberation! It begins with a pet blessing. Bring your critters to the center (see below for important details) to have your pet circumambulate the stupa and receive a special blessing and mantras by the Kadampa Center nuns. After the blessing, we’ll continue with an animal release of earthworms, who would otherwise have been used as bait, into the woods and soil around the center. You are also welcome to purchase and bring earthworms ​to release.
Important Details for the Pet Blessing Dogs must be on leashes, all other animals must be in cages. In order to keep all the dogs and cats happy, please keep your pet under your control and be ready to follow our instructions at the site. We will have water available to keep the pets from getting thirsty​. ​If the weather is bad, animals will be invited inside the building for the blessing and circumambulation of a special altar.

Sponsor Animal Liberation $75

Lama Tsongkhapa is the founder of our lineage, the Gelugpa tradition, in Tibetan Buddhism. He was a renowned scholar, practitioner, meditator, teacher and author.  His studies and meditations in all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism resulted in the founding of the Gelugpa lineage.       Among his major accomplishments is writing the Lamrim, or the Great Treatise on the Path to Enlightenment, a step-by-step guide to the spiritual practices that lead to enlightenment. He also wrote several condensed versions of the Lamrim, including Foundation of All Good Qualities, the Three Principal Aspects of the Path, and Song of Experience. He also revitalized the monastic code in Tibet, established the annual Great Prayer Festival, established Ganden Monastery, the first of the great monasteries in the Gelugpa tradition, and wrote 18 volumes of teachings.  Lama Tsongkhapa Day is a celebration of the anniversary of his parinirvana. Practices recommended for this day include making offerings and reciting Lamrim texts, as well as Guru Puja.

Please watch our calendar for a schedule of events for the day.

Seven weeks after attaining enlightenment at Bodhgaya, Shakyamuni Buddha gave his first teaching at the Deer Park in Sarnath. We celebrate this day as Chokhor Düchen.

At this teaching, the Buddha expressed his profound realization of the nature of existence in the Four Noble Truths:

    The Truth of  the Nature of Suffering
    The Truth of the Origins or Causes of Suffering
    The Truth of the Cessation of, or Liberation from, Suffering
    The Truth of the Eight Fold Path as the means to attain ultimate happiness and freedom from suffering.

This teaching, referred to as the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, led to the formation of the Sangha, the community of disciples committed to following the Buddha's example of living simply, following the Path, and teaching the Dharma. Accordingly, every year at this time, the FPMT encourages its Centers to celebrate the presence of the sangha community. Our website includes a Sangha Support and Offerings page with valuable information, including a previous year's talk and Q&A about sangha with our director, Robbie Watkins.

Kadampa Center events include:

3 pm  Animal Blessing and Liberation

You can sponsor Holy Day events - amazing merit!  Click here to sponsor Chokhor Düchen