Gompa

Chenrezig is the Buddha of Compassion, and by doing practices related to Chenrezig we try to develop this perfection of enlightened compassion within ourselves. During this one-day retreat with Geshe Gelek, we'll learn a basic visualization and focus on saying Chenrezig's mantra (the short one is widely known: OM MANI PADME HUM). Also, if you have a prayer wheel, please bring it to use during the practice, since they are traditionally filled with Mani mantras as well. Please also bring a vegetarian potluck dish for lunch - entrees are particularly helpful, and should be brought in a crockpot if hot (we don't have cooking facilities). Bringing a list of ingredients helps people with allergies enjoy, and helps us serve Geshe Gelek and other sangha who have dietary restrictions.

According to Lama Zopa Rinpoche:

Without creating the karma we cannot find success, for example, finding a job may be unbelievable difficult, so even if we make unbelievable effort, we are unable to find success. By practicing Dharma, we are able to purify negative karma and collect extensive merits. So by reciting OM MANI PADME HUM and other methods it becomes so unbelievably easy to have success and all the happiness. By realizing that just by generating compassion, you—the one person—are able to liberate numberless sentient beings from each realm, from the oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to full enlightenment. This is most amazing, so these are the benefits that we get by reciting this mantra even just one time. Then the particular benefit of this mantra is that we generate great compassion to all sentient beings.

Therefore this is the best thing that we can do for world peace. Reciting these mantras is unbelievably important, it makes our mind more peaceful, more calm and more compassionate to others. Even if we don’t know Buddhist philosophy—the hundreds of volumes of Buddha’s teachings and the 200 volumes of the commentaries of the great highly attained holy beings, the Indian great pandits, as well as the many teachings written by the enlightened Tibetan lamas. So without even learning all of this, just by chanting these mantras, it makes our life so peaceful and we can benefit others so much. Even if we have no intelligence or no understanding of Dharma, we get unbelievable benefits by reciting these mantras. We purify past negative karma, collect extensive merits and our mind becomes more compassionate to others. In this way, so many sentient beings don’t receive harm from us; they receive peace and happiness from us and we go towards enlightenment day-by-day. 

Resources

For the entire teaching on the benefits of prayer wheels and Mani practice, see: http://www.lamayeshe.com/index.php?sect=article&id=772#sthash.AYFlbsC1.dpuf

A limited number of prayer wheels will be available through our bookstore, along with books on Chenrezig practice and prayer wheels. Recommended titles:

Teachings from the Mani Retreat (available as an ebook or free online) by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Cultivating a Compassionate Heart by Ven. Thubten Chodron

Wheel of Great Compassion by Lorne Ladner

During the brainstorming session for 2015 programs, one idea you came up with was a course or support group focused on parenting. We are excited to announce a Parent Discussion Group that will meet once a month, beginning this month.

The first meeting will be Thursday Jan 22 from 7 - 8:30 pm
We will discuss Pam Cayton's article Parenting as a Path

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.

Many of us hold anger in our hearts either because we blame others for harming us or ourselves for our mistakes. Learn the Buddhist method of fogriveness through purification. The basis of purification practice is the four opponent powers - regret, reliance, remedy, and resolve. This allows us to see harm done to us by others as the result of our karma, as well as letting go of our own mistakes and reducing or eliminating their harmful effects. Done well, this practice helps eliminate guilt, grudges, anger and frustration.

Geshe Gelek will be teaching a once-a-month class on different types of purification (Confession to the 35 Buddhas with prostrations, Vajrasattva, Dorje Khadro, and purifying broken vows). Learn about the four opponent powers of regret, reliance, remedy, and resolve to admit and let go of our mistakes in a positive way. We can also begin to see the harm of others as purification, and the chance to practice keeping our resolve not to repeat bad behaviors ourselves. Through reliance on the holy beings who represent the perfect qualities we are striving to emulate, we have various ways to remedy the mistakes. Geshe-la will teach on the different methods and rituals so you can find what works best for you.

The classes are on the second Saturday of every month from 9:30am - 12:30pm starting February 14th. The culmination of these classes will be a purification retreat with Geshe Gelek the last weekend of July (24-26) at the lovely Avila retreat center in Durham. More on that later...but save the date!

Want to do some reading to prepare? Some good books include:
Everlasting Rain of Nectar by Geshe Jampa Gyatso
Becoming Vajrasattva by Lama Yeshe
Peacock in the Poison Grove by Geshe Sopa

Guided meditation has many benefits, including helping serve as instructions for daily practice as well as having the power of practicing together as a group. Join Geshe Gelek the first Saturday of every month for teachings and practice on different types of meditation. Geshe-la will choose topics best suited to the students who attend, and the class time may vary depending on the depth of the topic.

Students are also invited to bring a lunch and stay for the Food for Thought group that follows at noon!

Geshe Gelek is unable to come tonight. We'll be back to our regular schedule next Friday.

Transforming Negative Emotions: Practical Coping Methods for Realistic Healthy Living

When negative mind states such as stress, anxiety, depression, anger, or jealousy get engaged, how do we stop the dysfunctional looping and maintain a healthy presence? This weekend program will explore a deeper understanding of what happens, offer techniques to interrupt unhealthy habits, and introduce meditations that can guide us to a more balanced reality. Tonglen and loving kindness meditation will be included. All events are open to anyone, with no pre-registration required.

Schedule

Friday, June 26, 2015, 7:00pm - 8:30pm: Opening introductory teaching

Saturday, June 27, 2015, 10:00am - 3:30pm: Retreat with teachings and meditation; vegetarian potluck lunch*

Sunday, June 28, 2015, 9:00am - 12:00pm: Retreat with teachings and meditation continued

*Saturday potluck - please bring a vegetarian dish to share; entrees are particularly helpful, and hot dishes need to be brought in a crockpot (we don't have a way to heat dishes in the kitchen). Labeling ingredients helps people with dietary issues (vegan, gluten-free, etc.) tell if they can enjoy your offering!

      Sponsor Ven. Amy's visit

About Venerable Amy Miller

Amy J. Miller (Ven. Lobsang Chodren) first encountered Tibetan Buddhism in the spring of 1987 during a course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. Since then, she has spent a great deal of time engaged in meditation retreats, study, teaching, and Buddhist center management throughout the world. Prior to meeting the Dharma, Ven. Amy was a political fundraiser in Washington, DC and also worked for Mother Jones Magazine in San Francisco, California.

From 1992-1995, Ven. Amy managed Tse Chen Ling Center in San Francisco, California. She then served as Director of Vajrapani Institute, also in California, from 1995-2004. From 1998-2002, she was also the Manager of the Lawudo Retreat Fund (which supports the center in which the sacred cave of Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche is located) in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. In 2004, after resigning as Director, Ven. Amy completed a seven-month solitary retreat at Vajrapani. For most of 2005 and 2006, she organized international teaching tours for and traveled with the esteemed Tibetan Buddhist master, Ven. Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche until Rinpoche’s death in 2006. Ven. Amy then became a touring teacher for the FPMT (the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition). From 2008-2014, Ven. Amy was Director of Milarepa Center in Barnet, Vermont.

Ven. Amy has also had the good fortune to visit Tibet in 1987 and again in 2001 as a pilgrimage leader for the Institute of Noetic Science in the United States. She has also led pilgrimages to India, Nepal, Bhutan, Darjeeling, and Sikkim for the Liberation Prison Project and Milarepa Center. The next pilgrimage she will be leading will be to Burma (Myanmar) in September, 2015. Contact Effie@hightreks.com for more information.

Ven. Amy was ordained as a Buddhist nun in June 2000 by the great Tibetan master, Ven. Choden Rinpoche, and has been teaching extensively since 1992. Her teaching style emphasizes a practical approach to integrating Buddhist philosophy into everyday life. She is happy to help people connect with meditation and mindfulness in an effort to gain a refreshing perspective on normally stressful living. Ven. Amy’s courses and retreats predominantly focus on establishing and maintaining a meditation and mindfulness practice, death and dying, overcoming anxiety and depression, battling addiction, dealing with self-esteem issues, and cultivating compassion and loving kindness. She is also often involved in leading a variety of retreats.

Ven. Amy is the co-author of Buddhism in a Nutshell and a contributor to Living in the Path, a series of online courses produced by FPMT

Based in the United States, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ven. Amy teaches and leads retreats and pilgrimages around the world.

      Sponsor Ven. Amy's visit

We have a special opportunity this month!  Geshe Gelek has kindly offered to teach The Practice of Tara that Fulfills All Wishes -- our monthly Tara practice -- at this session.  Tara is a female Buddha whose qualities include enlightened action and removing obstacles, and a section of our altar is filled with statues representing her 21 aspects.

If you're curious about Tara, if you know a little bit and want to learn more, this is a great chance to discover or deepen your understanding of her.

Geshe Gelek translated this special practice for us, and assures us that doing the practice will greatly benefit not just our center and community, but have the best benefit of helping all sentient beings. His teacher, (the Abbot of Sera Je Monastery) Khen Rinpoche Lobsang Delek, also said when he visited in 2011 that we have a special connection to Tara, so doing her practice is incredibly beneficial for our community, harmony working together, and the success of Kadampa Center.

This practice is for all levels of students and is done in English. It begins at 6:00pm with the group setting up an altar of extensive waterbowl and sense offerings. Once that's finished, we say prayers that include the Praises to the 21 Taras, mantras, and the opportunity to do prostrations if desired.

Traditionally the offerings for the sangha and altar are sponsored by Dharma students, especially if they want to dedicate the merit to their loved ones in need of support and prayers. Sponsorship of Tara practice is $150 - if you'd like to sponsor this practice, please contact pujas@kadampa-center.org for instructions about making the donation and sending your personal dedication.

This special Medicine Buddha puja is sponsored by Donna Seese for her mother, Rosemary Seese, 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 Rosemary's family. The puja is done in English, so easy to follow if you are not already familiar with the prayers.

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 April 13, 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 All About Karma module, learn the essential facts about the law of cause and effect. Explore ways to deal with life most effectively and take control of your future!  Led by Robbie Watkins.

Basic Program

Kadampa Center is now offering FPMT's Basic Program, taught by our resident teacher, Geshe Gelek, and facilitated by Shankha Mitra. This five-year program was designed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for students who have completed basic levels of study and have a regular Buddhist practice to gain a profound knowledge of the key aspects of the entire Buddhist path.

Pre-requisites and Pre-registration

Information about the pre-requisites and the form to register are available on the Basic Program page. This class is currently only for students who reistered and attended the earlier Tenets classes in July and August last year - new students who meet the BP pre-requisites will be able to register when the next module begins. The class will be recorded but not streamed since students need to attend in person to fully participate.

Tenets

Based on the idea that the Buddha taught different things to different people in line with their capacities, Tibetan scholars systemized the numerous trends in Indian Buddhist thought and taught the four schools of Tenets (Drubtha) as a means to approach the most profound philosophical teachings via more accessible levels. The text that is the basis for study of this subject gives a brief overview of the assertions on minds, objects, selflessness and the nature of attainment within each of the schools, culminating in the tenets of the most highly esteemed school, the Madhyamikas.

Accoding to Geshe Gelek, the benefits of studying tenets includes increasing our understanding of emptiness and greatly increasing our understanding of the nature of all things. In other words, understanding Asanga’s point of view of emptiness means our view of our world and its reality will progress.  From a very practical point of view, it helps us to improve our understanding of conventional world – and mainly the conventional world is our “self” – so we better understand the empty nature of the self.

Geshe Gelek said strongly that a basis of lam-rim is usually taught first and is an important part of our practice, so this class should not take the place of or distract from Wednesday night's lam-rim course.