Gompa

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.

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

The center will be closed due to snow and ice.