Gompa

Investigate the role of the teacher on the spiritual path: the need for a teacher, the qualities of teacher and student, and how to relate to a teacher for greatest benefit.

Relating to the Spiritual Teacher is part of a two-year series of classes called Discovering Buddhism. In this course we explore 13 essential topics in Buddhism, from Meditation to Karma to Death and Rebirth, with much, much more! This is an excellent course of study for those who have the very basics and wish to start going a little deeper into Buddhist philosophy.

DB was developed by our affiliate organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, and is taught at Kadampa Center by senior lay students with many years of study and practice. Students who take the course together tend to develop great friendships with their Dharma buddies!

In keeping with our long-standing tradition, Kadampa Center does not charge a fee for any Dharma course. THese teachings are too precious to allow money to be an obstacle for anyone to hear them!  We do, of course, have expenses to offer the course, so we happily welcome any heart-felt donations.  No pre-registration is required.

This class is led by Don Brown.

Find out what it means to take refuge in the Three Jewels and the essential practices of refuge. Learn about the advantage of taking lay vows and their role in enhancing our spiritual growth.

Refuge in the Three Jewels is part of a two-year series of classes called Discovering Buddhism. In this course we explore 13 essential topics in Buddhism, from Meditation to Karma to Death and Rebirth, with much, much more! This is an excellent course of study for those who have the very basics and wish to start going a little deeper into Buddhist philosophy.

DB was developed by our affiliate organization, the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition, and is taught at Kadampa Center by senior lay students with many years of study and practice. Students who take the course together tend to develop great friendships with their Dharma buddies!

In keeping with our long-standing tradition, Kadampa Center does not charge a fee for any Dharma course. THese teachings are too precious to allow money to be an obstacle for anyone to hear them!  We do, of course, have expenses to offer the course, so we happily welcome any heart-felt donations.  No pre-registration is required.

This class is led by  Shankha Mitra, with visiting teacher Don Handrick on Monday, June 5.

The great sage Lama Tsongkhapa taught that the four-point analysis is the best tool to use for meditation on emptiness.

In this class, Geshe Gelek will teach how to do the four-point analysis meditation.

This class is designed for students who are interested in developing their understanding of emptiness, and/or those who attended the Basic Program class on the Heart Sutra.

Lama Tsongkhapa is the founder of our lineage, the Gelugpa tradition, in Tibetan Buddhism. He was a renowned scholar, practitioner, meditator, teacher and author.  His studies and meditations in all the major schools of Tibetan Buddhism resulted in the founding of the Gelugpa lineage.        Among his major accomplishments is writing the Lamrim, or the Great Treatise on the Path to Enlightenment, a step-by-step guide to the spiritual practices that lead to enlightenment. He also wrote several condensed versions of the Lamrim, including Foundation of All Good Qualities, the Three Principal Aspects of the Path, and Song of Experience. He also revitalized the monastic code in Tibet, established the annual Great Prayer Festival, established Ganden Monastery, the first of the great monasteries in the Gelugpa tradition, and wrote 18 volumes of teachings.  Lama Tsongkhapa Day is a celebration of the anniversary of his parinirvana. Practices recommended for this day include making offerings and reciting Lamrim texts, as well as Guru Puja.

At Kadampa Center, we will celebrate the day with a few events.

Lama Tsongkhapa Day honors a very powerful practitioner so there is great power in the merit of supporting it financially. Supporting this holy day's spiritual practices – whether you are able to attend or not – is an opportunity to collect great merit. If you are sponsoring but not attending, you can offer prayers for those who are participating in the events.

Geshe Gelek encourages students who have previously taken Eight Mahayana Precepts to take them at home before their altar.

At 10:30 am, we will do practices honoring Lama Tsongkhapa and meditating on the major points of the lamrim. Sponsor the morning practice ($75)

At 6 pm we will make light offerings to the stupa. Sponsor the light offerings ($50)

At 7 pm we will have Guru Puja. All are welcome to come and join in!  Sponsor the Guru Puja ($125)

In Guru Puja, we reflect on and celebrate the good qualities of all our teachers -- and Lama Tsongkhapa is such an important lineage teacher for us! This
beautiful practice includes many stanzas meditating on key points of the lamrim.

Auspicious practices for the day include:

Eight Mahayana Precepts  Geshe Gelek strongly encourages students who have previously received the precepts to take at least one precept today. There are great benefits to living in vows, even for a single day, and because this is a merit-multiplying day, it is especially beneficial to take precepts.

Center open for individual practice

Medicine Buddha puja  at 7 pm. You can sponsor this puja here.

Come join in celebrating His Holiness' 82nd birthday!

You are invited to join Kadampa Center and the Triangle Area Tibetan community to celebrate His Holiness’ 82^nd birthday. We will begin with a procession to enthrone an image of His Holiness. Geshe-la and the Tibetan community will offer prayers for his long life, and continued success in all of his extensive activities as the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people, and as a world-wide spokesman for basic human values of compassion and universal responsibility.

We also will offer prayers to promote the causes and conditions that will bring His Holiness to Raleigh in the very near future.

Our celebration is family-friendly as we enjoy Tibetan tea, rice and of course a birthday cake together. We will end the celebration with an opportunity to mark the day by offering katas.

“Love and Compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive”  ~ The Dalai Lama