Gompa

Community Gathering and Annual Meeting

Join us for our annual meeting, with a twist of fun, food and socializing!

Following Geshe Gelek's teachings, we will remain in the gompa for quick updates from our board of directors on Kadampa Center's present and future (spoiler alert - things are looking good!) - including ways you can get involved more deeply at KC. 

After a few brief presentations, we'll open the room for questions.

To attend online, please remain on Zoom after the teachings end. The meeting will not be on YouTube. 

There will be delicious finger food, prepared in our own new kitchen!

16 Guidelines Meditation Series on Sunday Mornings

Join us on Sunday mornings for guided meditations based on the 16 Guidelines. 9:00 - 10:00 AM (ET) on Sundays May 11 - August 24, 2025 Drop in to any, or attend all, of the sessions during this new 16-week series. Attend in person at Kadampa Center or via Zoom!

HOW TO PARTICIPATE ~ join us for any or all sessions

1. In person at Kadampa Center.

2. Join online via Zoom by clicking HERE. 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SERIES

The 16 Guidelines Meditation Series is a secular program developed by the Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) and reviewed by the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Traditional (FPMT) Education Services Department. This series contains 16 guided meditations on cultivating positive inner qualities. Inspired by Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for Universal Education, this series aims to bring happiness, solve problems, and foster a better world through practical and accessible meditative practices.  

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE 16 GUIDELINES (16G)

The meditations in the 16 Guidelines Meditation Series are taken from the 16 Guidelines for Life program. Each guideline is based on a positive quality. Discoveries in neuroscience have shown that we have the potential to develop and transform our minds in a positive way. Practicing these guidelines can help strengthen our existing positive qualities and deepen our connection with others for a more meaningful and happier life. The 16 Guidelines (16G) were inspired by an ethical code written by King Songtsen Gampo in 7th century Tibet to guide his citizens. The code played a crucial part in the transformation of Tibet from a warlike nation into a civilization renowned for its peace and serenity. The 16G are a modern presentation of this ancient wisdom without any religious dogma. 

DISCOVER MORE

• Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) website

• Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Traditional (FPMT) Education Services website

• Universal Education for Compassion and Wisdom

2025 Dharma Movie Series:  As part of our Spiritual Program, Elise Strevel, Outreach Coordinator and Buddhism in a Nutshell instructor, is hosting dharma-related movies introducing Buddhist teachers and their work to our Kadampa community of students. She will be providing a brief intro to each showing and lead an educational discussion afterward.

2025 Dharma Movie Series:  As part of our Spiritual Program, Elise Strevel, Outreach Coordinator and Buddhism in a Nutshell instructor, is hosting dharma-related movies introducing Buddhist teachers and their work to our Kadampa community of students. She will be providing a brief intro to each showing and lead an educational discussion afterward.

Join us on Tuesday, March 4, from 7 - 8:30 PM (EST) as Venerable Lobsang Thrinley (formerly known as Joey Gooch) shares his experience of becoming an ordained monk and what life is like living at Nalanda Monastery in France.  Attend in person at Kadampa Center, join on Zoom, or watch via Live Stream on YouTube.

Located in the countryside near Lavaur, France, Nalanda Monastery is a modern-day Buddhist monastery in the Tibetan Gelugpa tradition and, like Kadampa Center, is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT).  Nalanda is named for the great Indian monastery that produced highly acclaimed Buddhist scholars, including Lama Atisha, Chandrakirti, Nagarjuna, and Shantarakshita, whose works we continue to study today.

Kadampa Center is happy to host an evening with Venerable Thrinley, a resident of Nalanda Monastery, who will speak about his experience and the traditions at the monastery.

Learn more about Nalanda Monastery HERE. 

TIBETAN NEW YEAR ~ LOSAR ~ YEAR OF THE WOOD SNAKE
LOSAR TASHI DELEK!  HAPPY NEW YEAR! Join us on Sunday, March 2, 2025 from 10:30 am - noon (EST) All are welcome!

With the recent passing of His Holiness's brother, the annual Losar event held at Kadampa Center will take on more of a "spiritual" feel, than celebratory, this year.  On February 9th, Gyalo Thondup, the second-eldest brother of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, passed away at the age of 97.  Geshe Gelek and Geshe Sangpo will lead us in prayers and practices to honor Gyalo Thondup, including an incense offering, called sang-sol, outside at the stupa.  We will also have the opportunity to make khata offerings to His Holiness.

During this holy day event, we will learn about Losar, or Tibetan New Year, and how it is prepared for and celebrated in Tibetan culture.  Bring your appetite, as the Kadampa Center community will be treated to delicious, traditional Tibetan tea and Losar treats!

NOTE: The regularly scheduled Family Program, typically held on the second Sunday of each month, is canceled in March.

HOW TO ATTEND THE LOSAR CELEBRATION

• Attend onsite, in person at Kadampa Center!

• Join on Zoom HERE.

• Watch via live stream on YouTube HERE.

MORE ABOUT LOSAR AND THE FIFTEEN DAYS OF MIRACLES

Tibetan New Year ~ Losar ~ falls on Friday, February 28th this year.  Kadampa Center's celebration takes place on Sunday, March 2nd ~ all are invited!  Losar marks the beginning of the Fifteen Days of Miracles, which culminates on the fifteenth day of the Tibetan lunar calendar and is knows as Chotrul Düchen.  Throughout these fifteen days, Guru Shakyamuni Buddha showed miraculous powers to inspire faith in his followers.  Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised us that this is an especially auspicious time to do spiritual practice because, as Buddha Holy Days, our merit multiplies exponentially.  For FPMT centers, Losar is a particularly special time as it commemorates the anniversary of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe’s passing (parinirvana) at dawn of Losar in 1984.

GURU PUJA WITH TSOG with GESHE GELEK Join us for a Guru Puja with Tsog as we celebrate all our precious teachers!  Geshe Gelek will be attending this month's Guru Puja! Wednesday, May 7, from 6:45 - 8:30 pm This monthly offering takes place in person only at Kadampa Center.

SPONSOR GURU PUJA WITH TSOG

Anyone is welcome to sponsor a puja and offer a dedicaton to benefit themselves, a loved one, world peace, all living beings, etc. ~ whatever you choose.

Here's how to sponsor this Guru Puja with Tsog:

1. Make your sponsorship donation HERE.
2. Submit your dedication HERE.

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING A GURU PUJA WITH TSOG AT KADAMPA CENTER

During his last visit to Kadampa Center, Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Delek advised us that it is most beneficial for our community to come together twice a month to do Guru Puja with Tsog practice – and especially for students who have taken Highest Yoga Tantra initiation.

The puja will be led in English and Tibetan.

Students are requested to participate fully in the practice by:

• bringing food offerings (see below for ideas)

• arriving by 6:45 pm to prepare offerings and help with setup

• staying after the puja to help with cleanup

MORE ABOUT GURU PUJA WITH TSOG

Guru puja (Lama Chöpa in Tibetan) is a practice of making offerings and requests to all the Buddhas and holy beings, but especially the root guru, who, according to the teachings, is the root of the path to liberation.  As part of the puja, we perform a special practice called Tsog, in which we make extensive food offerings to the teacher, and share the food among ourselves as well.

Traditionally, students who attend a Guru Puja with Tsog bring food offerings – fruit, cupcakes, candy, snacks – festive items that can easily be shared and distributed (via paper lunch bags) to take home among all who are present.  This creates great merit for all of us who bring the food offerings!  When everyone participates in this way, our gompa is blessed with a bountiful offering to make to the holy guru.  Because this is a community practice, all students who attend will participate in preparing for the puja by setting up the offerings in the gompa, as well as in returning the gompa to "default" setup following the prayer service.  Students are requested to arrive at the posted time (6:45pm) and then remain afterwards to assist with cleanup.

This puja also includes chanting and playing instruments - cymbals and drum.  Geshe Sangpo has kindly offered, if students are interested, to teach us how to play these instruments so we can fully take part!  Please let our Puja Coordinator (Donna Seese) know if you are interested.

Anyone is welcome to attend pujas, even if you are unfamiliar with the practice.  This puja is chanted in Tibetan, and we will have the English translations of the whole puja available to follow along.  We plan to occasionally read the lamrim verses in English so both English- and Tibetan-speaking students can hear and understand these teachings.  Traditionally the financial offerings for the sangha and puja are sponsored by Dharma students, especially if they want to dedicate the puja to their spiritual teachers or loved ones in need of support and prayers (see above for how to sponsor the puja).

2025 Dharma Movie Series:  As part of our Spiritual Program, Elise Strevel, Outreach Coordinator and Buddhism in a Nutshell instructor, is hosting dharma-related movies introducing Buddhist teachers and their work to our Kadampa community of students. She will be providing a brief intro to each showing and lead an educational discussion afterward.