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GURU PUJA WITH TSOG
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Join us for a Guru Puja with Tsog as we celebrate all our precious teachers!
Thursday, January 9, from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
This monthly offering takes place in person only at Kadampa Center.
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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:
- Make your sponsorship donation HERE.
- 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:
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bringing food offerings (see below for ideas),
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coming at the posted time (6:30 pm) to help with setup, and
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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 (6:30pm) 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 your SPC (Linda Saah) or 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).
