SPIRITUAL: Holy Day

Join us for the power of group practice to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts, followed by a light breakfast, on the celebration of Saka Dawa. This day marks Shakyamuni Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana (passing from this life).

The Eight Mahayana Precepts are a set of eight vows taken for a period of 24 hours, from sunrise on one day to sunrise the following day. The vows include no killing, stealing, sexual activity, lying, sitting on high beds, taking intoxicants, wearing perfume or jewelry, or eating after noon. Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, encourages students to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts on holy days.

These precepts must be taken from a qualified master the first time; afterward the student may take them at home before their altar.

Following the precepts ceremony, there will be a light breakfast and a group reading of the Vajra Cutter Sutra.

Geshe Gelek will offer precepts if students request it. If you wish to take precepts for the first time, please register here.

On this auspicious holy day, Saka Dawa, Geshe-la will offer Refuge, the Five Lay Vows, and Bodhisattva Vows. It is especially wonderful to be able to take these vows on a Buddha holy day, when the karmic effects of our actions increase exponentially! Taking refuge vows is making a commitment to Buddhism as one's spiritual path. It also creates a karmic bond with the teacher who offers the vows. When you take refuge in the Three Jewels, the refuge master conferring the vows will also give you a refuge name in Tibetan. The Five Lay Vows are a set of basic ethical principals, vows not to kill, take what has not been given, lie, take intoxicants or commit sexual misconduct (that is, have sex with someone else's partner) Bodhisattva Vows are a set of 18 principals that areguides to which actions to practice and which to abandoned in order to be of greatest benefit to others, develop compassion, and overcome selfish ways of being.

You can learn more about these vows in this Mandala Magazine article. The Five Lay Vows are lifetime vows, so they only need to be taken once, and should be taken with the confidence you will keep them.

Those who have already taken refuge are welcome to attend and renew their vows.

Geshe Gelek recommends anyone interested in taking refuge should read the refuge section in the book Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand (available in our bookstore). He also taught a class on refuge in 2013 for students interested in the ceremony - you can listen to it in the recordings section of our website.

The ceremony will likely be in Tibetan, but it is first explained in English what you are saying. Please arrive by 6:30. At the end of the ceremony, it is traditional to offer two katas (white offering scarfs, available in the bookstore) - one to the Buddha statue on the altar, and one to the teacher giving the vows, who returns it by placing it over your head as a blessing. While we often have spare ones to lend, it is best to buy them so you are actually making an offering of your own. It is also auspicious to give the teacher a gift, typically money (any amount) in an envelope, in appreciation for the incredible gift he has just given you with this opportunity. The center will also be giving you a copy of the FPMT booklet on refuge and how to practice it daily. 

Lay Vows and Bodhisattva Vows

Following the refuge ceremony, Geshe-la will offer the five Lay Vows and the Bodhisattva Vows.

Thanking the teacher

If you take any vows with Geshe-la, it is auspicious to thank him by offering and kata and a small gift, typically money (any amount) in an envelope. 

As with all our programs, we offer the Dharma and many resources freely to the community, and rely on your donations to cover the costs involved. Please consider supporting the center by making an offering in the donation boxes, through the bookstore, online, or by mailing a check.

If you have any questions, please email Donna at program.donna@kadampa-center.org

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.

At Kadampa Center, we will celebrate the day with a few events.

Lama Tsongkhapa Day honors a very powerful practitioner so there is great power in the merit of supporting it financially. Supporting this holy day's spiritual practices – whether you are able to attend or not – is an opportunity to collect great merit. If you are sponsoring but not attending, you can offer prayers for those who are participating in the events.

Geshe Gelek encourages students who have previously taken Eight Mahayana Precepts to take them at home before their altar.

At 10:30 am, we will do practices honoring Lama Tsongkhapa and meditating on the major points of the lamrim. Sponsor the morning practice ($75)

At 6 pm we will make light offerings to the stupa. Sponsor the light offerings ($50)

At 7 pm we will have Guru Puja. All are welcome to come and join in!  Sponsor the Guru Puja ($125)

In Guru Puja, we reflect on and celebrate the good qualities of all our teachers -- and Lama Tsongkhapa is such an important lineage teacher for us! This
beautiful practice includes many stanzas meditating on key points of the lamrim.

Auspicious practices for the day include:

Eight Mahayana Precepts  Geshe Gelek strongly encourages students who have previously received the precepts to take at least one precept today. There are great benefits to living in vows, even for a single day, and because this is a merit-multiplying day, it is especially beneficial to take precepts.

Center open for individual practice

Medicine Buddha puja  at 7 pm. You can sponsor this puja here.

This day marks Shakyamuni Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana (passing from this life).

This is an especially auspicious day for spiritual practice — the karmic effects of all actions, positive and negative, are multiplied exponentially!

Our schedule at Kadampa Center will include:

Eight Mahayana Precepts, at 5:15 am, followed by a  group reading of the Vajra Cutter Sutra. The precepts begin before dawn and end at sunrise the following day. These precepts must be taken from a qualified master the first time; afterward the student may take them at home before their altar. Geshe Gelek will offer precepts if students request it. If you wish to take precepts for the first time, please register here.

Medicine Buddha Puja at 12 pm.

Geshe Gelek will offer Refuge in the Three Jewels, as well as the five Lay Vows and the 18 Bodhisattva Vows, beginning at 7pm. If you are taking refuge for the first time, please register here by Tuesday, June 6. Those who wish to renew their vows may attend also.

Lama Tsongkhapa is the founder of our lineage, the Gelugpa tradition, in Tibetan Buddhism. He was a renowned scholar, practitioner, meditator, teacher and author.

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 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.

At Kadampa Center, we will celebrate the day with a few events.

At 12 pm we will have Guru Puja.

In Guru Puja, we reflect on and celebrate the good qualities of all our teachers -- and Lama Tsongkhapa is such an important lineage teacher for us! This
beautiful practice includes many stanzas meditating on key points of the lamrim.

Following the puja, we will recite selections from the Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga.

The Center will be open from 9 am to 5 pm for those who wish to do personal practices.

When he was 41, Shakyamuni Buddha ascended to Tushita to repay his mother's kindness by giving teachings to liberate her from samsara. After three months, he returned to earth to continue his teachings at the request of his disciples. As a Buddha Holy Day, this is an auspicious day for practice, when the karmic effects of actions are multiplied exponentially, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

At Kadampa Center, we will gather in the afternoon after Sunday Dharma for a group reciting of sutras and prayers. Students who wish to are encouraged to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts at home, and anyone is welcome to circumambulate the stupa.

This is a merit-multiplying day, when the karmic effects of all our actions (negative as well as positive) are multiplied a million times, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, so any virtuous practice on this day is especially auspicious!

When we take refuge in the Buddha with a qualified teacher, we are embracing the Buddhist path as our primary spiritual practice. Geshe Gelek will offer refuge and lay vows if students request it. If you wish to take refuge with Geshe-la, you must register by Wednesday, May 18.

Geshe Gelek will offer a Refuge and Five Lay Vows ceremony on this auspicious Buddha holy day. For details about these vows, please see this Mandala magazine article. The Five Lay Vows are lifetime vows, so only need to be taken once, and should be taken with the confidence you will keep them.

Geshe Gelek recommends anyone interested in taking refuge should read the refuge section in the book Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand (available in our bookstore). He also taught a class on refuge in 2013 for students interested in the ceremony - you can listen to it in the recordings section of our website.

The ceremony will likely be in Tibetan, but it is first explained in English what you are saying. Please plan to be there at least 15 minutes before the ceremony starts. At the end of the ceremony, it is traditional to offer two katas (white offering scarfs, available in the bookstore) - one to the Buddha statue on the altar, and one to the teacher giving the vows, who returns it by placing it over your head as a blessing. While we often have spare ones to lend, it is best to buy them so you are actually making an offering of your own. It is also auspicious to give the teacher a gift, typically money (any amount) in an envelope, in appreciation for the incredible gift he has just given you with this opportunity. The center will also be giving you a copy of the FPMT booklet on refuge and how to practice it daily.

As with all our programs, we offer the Dharma and many resources freely to the community, and rely on your donations to cover the costs involved. Please consider supporting the center by making an offering in the donation boxes, through the bookstore, online, or by mailing a check.

We will have a group reading of the Diamond Cutter (Vajra Cutter) Sutra as one of our practices that morning. Geshe Gelek recommends that we begin a daily reading of any sutra on the first day of the month of Saka Dawa, May 13, in preparation for the group reading. You can download a copy of this sutra from FPMT.

We will celebrate Shakyamuni Buddha’s Birth, Enlightenment, and Passing into Parinirvana this year on Saturday, May 21 (known in Tibetan as Saka Dawa). The karmic effects of all actions performed on this day are multiplied exponentially, according to Lama Zopa Rinpoche, citing the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic.

Kadampa Center will offer two opportunities on this day that are especially beneficial to newcomers to Buddhism. We are incredibly fortunate to have a qualified teacher who is happy to offer these two sets of vows when students request them.    

The first of these is taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts. https://kadampa-center.org/eight-mahayana-precepts  These are 24-hour vows that are taken just before dawn. They are vows not to kill, steal, lie, take intoxicants, engage in sexual activity, eat at the wrong times, sit on high thrones or wear jewelry.  It is incredibly powerful to live in these vows even for a single day.   The first time you take these vows it must be from a qualified master. Geshe Gelek will offer the precepts on Saka Dawa if students request him to do so. If you would like to take precepts from Geshe-la, please register by emailing Patrick McGinity You must register for precepts by Sunday, May 15.

If you are planning to attend the Light of the Path Retreat in August, this is a good opportunity to take these vows from a qualified master.  Each day of the retreat begins with the precepts,  but if you have not taken them from a master, you may miss out on this aspect of retreat.

Another wonderful opportunity for newer students of Dharma is the chance to take refuge and lay vows. Geshe Gelek will offer refuge and lay vows if students request it.
When we take refuge in the Buddha with a spiritual master, we are embracing the Buddhist path as our primary spiritual practice. Lama Yeshe said, “Buddhist refuge is a process of turning inward that begins with our discover of our own unlimited potential as human beings.”  If you wish to take refuge with Geshe-la, you must register by Wednesday, May 18.

Our schedule for Saka Dawa:

5:30 am  The  Eight Mahayana precepts STARTS PROMPTLY AT 5:30  If you haven’t taken the precepts previously and wish to do so, please contact Patrick McGinity

          Followed by light breakfast

7 am Group reading of the Diamond Cutter Sutra and other practices

        The gompa will be open all day for personal practice

4:30 pm Set up offerings for Tara practice  This may happen earlier in the day if people are present and interested in helping

6 pm Refuge and Lay vows with Geshe Gelek

7 pm The Practice of Tara that Fulfills All Wishes 

Click here to sponsor Tara Practice.

We will have a group reading of the Diamond Cutter (Vajra Cutter) Sutra as one of our practices that morning. Geshe Gelek recommends that we begin a daily reading of any sutra on the first day of the month of Saka Dawa, May 13, in preparation for the group reading. You can download a copy of this sutra from FPMT.

Because Saka Dawa is a merit-multiplying day, it’s an auspicious time for any practice, individual as well as group, and to make offerings of any kind, including financial offerings to the sangha (see more at https://kadampa-center.org/sangha-support-and-offerings), lights to the altar or stupa or flowers to the altar or stupa.

Sponsor lights or flowers: