Gompa

Sorry, we had to cancel this month due to traveling leaders. Check it out for next month!

We will leave Monday morning, back just after the teachings on Friday for a conference in Baltimore with Dave Strevel.

We invite you to come meditate with us on Tuesday evenings this summer, while our introductory Buddhism in a Nutshell and Meditation 101 classes are on a break. The Tuesday Night Meditation Group will be led our Meditation 101 instructors. There will be a combination of guided meditation, silent meditation, and discussion. This is a great opportunity for those who have completed Meditation 101 or Buddhism in a Nutshell and would like to continue practicing with a group. Beginners are also welcome.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche will visit Kadampa Center to teach on the Seven Point Mind Training.

Meditation is a foundational tool of the Buddhist practitioner. We use different types of meditation in our practice, to clear and calm the mind, to review and deepen our understanding of teachings, to develop concentration, and so on.

Our First Saturday meditation practice will include three common modes of meditation:  breathing, concentration and review.  

Each Saturday will begin with a brief overview of meditation, based on notes taken from Geshe Gelek. This will be followed by periods of breathing meditation, concentration meditation, and review of topics such as Tonglen, the Eight Verses of Thought Transformation  or Verses from Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life (chapter 6, Patience).

Geshe Gelek says that practicing in a group enhances and increases the power of our meditation, with all of us benefitting from the shared energy and experience of others in the room.

These sessions are led by senior students.

When we take refuge in the Buddha with a qualified teacher, we are embracing the Buddhist path as our primary spiritual practice. Geshe Gelek will offer refuge and lay vows if students request it. If you wish to take refuge with Geshe-la, you must register by Wednesday, May 18.

Geshe Gelek will offer a Refuge and Five Lay Vows ceremony on this auspicious Buddha holy day. 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.

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.