Gompa

This special Medicine Buddha puja is sponsored by Venerable Lhamo  for her mother, Frances Hayashi, who died recently. Doing Medicine Buddha practice for sure benefits loved ones who are in the intermediate state (bardo), so we invite everyone in the community to come and say these prayers together in support of Frances's family. The puja is done in English, so easy to follow if you are not already familiar with the prayers.

The process of blessing, filling, and consecrating statues is very involved and messy! We've set aside the weekend for this event and canceled all regular programming. The basic schedule is:

Friday 6:30-8:00pm - drop in to watch Geshe Sangpo make butter sculptures; volunteers can help paint the insides of statues and set up the gompa.

Saturday 9:00am (all day) - the initial blessing of the statues and filling materials followed by the filling. Volunteers welcome to drop in and help. (End time for the day will depend on how fast the work goes and how many people help). Since this is an action tantra activity, helpers on Saturday shoud:

• Shower
• Wear clean (as in washed) clothes (it's a messy activity, so work clothes are good)
• Avoid eating black foods until the day's activity is finished (meat, eggs, onion, garlic, turnips and radishes)

Sunday morning 10:45-11:45am - the consecration ceremony (chanted in Tibetan). Anyone is welome to come - please note there will be no teachings or children's program.

All statues in the ceremony had to be pre-registered - additional statues are not being accepted at this time. However, anyone who would like to bring in other ritual items, such as prayer flags, malas, thangkas, bells/dorjes, mandala sets, etc. may bring them to be included in the blessing ceremony. Please delived them to the center by Friday the 24th at the latest - a special table will be set up in the gompa. ***Make sure to label each item you bring with your name and phone number. We suggest making an offering to Kadampa Center as well as all the sangha who attend that weekend for making this special opportunity available.

Anyone is welcome to drop in and observe. On Saturday, students are also welcome to help with the filling process - no experience necessary, and you don't need to have a statue being blessed to help out. We also would love volunteers to help coordinate lunch and a steady supply of tea for the sangha and workers - please contact Sarah at program@kadampa-center.org if you'd like to help.

We will discuss Part 1, The Course of Emotions, from Brave Parenting: A Buddhist-Inspired Guide to Raising Emotionally Resilient Children by Krissy Pozatek.

Reading is not a prerequisite for attending. Your day-to-day experience likely provides plenty of subject matter.

What you can expect:
An icebreaker or a little time to get to know other parents
Discussion based on a specific article or topic
Requests for special speakers as we develop specific questions
A group that provides friendships, support, encouragement, ideas, etc.
Connections between parenting goals and Buddhist teachings
Opportunity for everyone to participate

Currently, we do not have childcare available. Babes in arms welcome.
 

At the request of students, one of the Geshes will be offering a Refuge and Five Lay Vows/Precepts 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 ahead of time. To register, go to http://www.tfaforms.com/366849 and submit the form. The deadline to register is Tuesday, March 24th. 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.

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

In five classes, we introduce you to the major terms and concepts of Buddhism - a fast tour of the basics to enable you to take the next steps if you want more. Topics covered include the Four Noble Truths, different kinds of Buddhism (Theravada, Mahayana, etc.), Buddha's teachings organized in a graduated path to enlightenment, and a brief introduction to meditation. We'll let you know of additional reading you can do if you're interested, but there are no specific requirements. The course is based on the teachings found in the book Buddhism in a Nutshell by Ven. Amy Miller, an excellent supplement to the classes (and available in Kadampa Center's bookstore). This course will be led by Sandy Carlson.

In keeping with our tradition, these classes are offered on a donation basis. No pre-registration is needed. We do encourage you to attend all five classes to get the most benefit from the course, and offer a certificate of completion if you attend all five evenings.

Geshe Gelek reserved the space for a private blessing ceremony.

The center will be closed tonight due to winter weather.

Due to winter weather, the movie event had to be rescheduled for Monday, March 2nd. All advance purchase tickets will be valid for the new date.