SPIRITUAL: Holy Day

Geshe Gelek will lead us in this powerful Vajrasattva practice, which is beneficial for purifying obstacles to spiritual development, negative karma and illness. It is the most powerful purification practice in daily life.   Purifying these negative and self-destructive habits allows space for positive experiences and beneficial states of mind to flourish in your life. 

This practice is very powerful for beginners and longtime practitioners alike, and for observers of all faiths.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains about the practice of purification: "The Vajrasattva purification practice, which is more powerful than negative karma, can prevent you from experiencing the problems that negative karma would otherwise bring you. If you don't want relationship problems, business failure, illnesses such as cancer or aids, notoriety, or the criticism of others, the practice of Vajrasattva is extremely important."

Geshe Geshe Gelek will offer a Refuge and Five Lay Vows ceremony. 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.

In order to participate, you must register here ahead of time.  The deadline to register is Sunday, May 31. Students who would like to refresh their refuge vows may come as well, but should not register.

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 practice that morning.

Geshe Gelek recommends that we begin reading the sutra at home on the first day of the month of Saka Dawa, May 19, in preparation for the group reading.

Download a copy of the Sutra from FPMT

Join us for the power of group practice to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts, followed by a light breakfast, on the celebration of the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing into parinirvana.

Saka Dawa is a holy day when karmic results are multiplied one hundred million times, as cited by our Spitiual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic. Rinpoche encourages students to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts on holy days. This is a set of vows that are taken for 24 hours, from just before dawn to the sunrise of the following day. 

The first time a student takes these precepts it must be from a qualified teacher. Geshe Gelek will give the vows on Saka Dawa. Those who have taken precepts previously from a qualified teacher can take them at home, at “first light”.

More Information
 

The center will be closed due to a winter weather advisory calling for freezing rain and hazardous driving conditions.

Our Spiritual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, recommends the recitation of The Sanghata Sutra on the Days of Miracles. Join together with other students for a group recitation of the sutra at 7:00am. According to Geshe Gelek, the benefits of doing practice with as a group are more powerful, with many minds thinking the same positive thoughts at the same time - it's so rare! In a group, the sutra can also be divided up amongst the students, and a complete recitation takes much less time than when done alone. How long the recitation will take depends on how many people attend - we estimate an hour at most.

Students are also encouraged to read the sutra at home with a special dedication by Lama Zopa Rinpoche found at http://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/fifteen-days-of-miracles/.

Join us for the power of group practice to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts, followed by a light breakfast, on the final holy day of the 15 Days of Miracles. Please plan to arrive at 5:45am so the practice can start right at 6:00am.

Following breakfast, at around 7:00am, students are invited to stay and recite The Sanghata Sutra as a group. Lama Zopa Rinpoche recommends reciting this particular stura during the Days of Miracles.

The Day of Miracles are holy days when karmic results are multiplied one hundred million times, as cited by our Spitiual Director, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, in the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic. Rinpoche, encourages students to take the Eight Mahayana Precepts on holy days. This is a set of vows that are taken for 24 hours, from just before dawn to sunrise of the following day.  Those who have taken precepts previously from a qualified teacher can take them at the center, or at home, at “first light”.

If there are Kadampa Center students who haven’t taken the vows before and wish to do so, we can invite one of our resident Geshes to offer the vows, but as is traditional only if requested by the students. Please contact our holy day coordinator, Patrick McGinity, if you haven’t previously taken precepts and want to make this request, or have questions about the practice.

For more information about the Eight Mahayana Precepts you can also go to http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=503&chid=973

It's particularly auspicious on Lama Tsongkhapa Day to make light offerings, so the center will offer at 6:00pm and provide tealights and holders to make light offerings. You can place your candles on the stupa, and according to Padmasambahava, "All those who make light offerings to the stupa will eliminate all the darkness of ignorance." Alternatively, you can also place your candles on Kadampa Center's altar, which is there for our community to use to create merit through making offerings and prostrations. We'll also have decorated luminaries thanks to the children's program, for light offerings along the center's walk, so light one of those as well! The best prayer to read while making these offering is the Light Offering Prayer by Lama Atisha, found in this collection of offering practices: http://fpmt.org/wp-content/uploads/teachers/zopa/advice/pdf/extoffringprctce_bl.pdf

Drop in anytime between 6:00 - 6:45pm to make your offerings, and then please stay if you can for Guru puja at 7:00pm.

Sponsors of the light offerings as welcome as well. For $35 you can help provide these offerings, and we'll read a personal dedication for you at the puja. To be a sponsor, please contact Sarah at program@kadampa-center.org so we know to thank you, and include your dedication (or indicate if you prefer to be thanked anonymously). You can then make your donation online, by cash in the donation box, check, or credit card in the bookstore - please indicate the money is a sponsorship for Lama Tsongkhapa Day.

Want to do light offerings at home? This is the perfect day to hang your Christmas lights - say a prayer and offer them!