Courses in Buddhism and Meditation | The Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center for Meditation (FPMT), Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland

We are extremely fortunate that Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Losang Jampa will be teaching at our Center from May 17 to October 12, 2008. Khensur Rinpoche has agreed to teach on a wide variety of subjects to meet the needs of students at all levels.

As always, if you have questions about your Dharma practice, you can meet with Rinpoche and ask his advice. This is a very rare opportunity to get detailed, customized guidance on your daily meditation practice from a fully qualified guru. Consultations will be held by appointment only at: 8120 Erika Drive, Manassas, VA.

We are also fortunate that Tenzin Bhuchung, the translator who has served Khensur Rinpoche for the past two years will be accompanying Rinpoche during his visit. We would like to thank Khacholing Center, Minnesota for making Tenzin Bhuchung's translation services available here through its Dharma Outreach Program.

During Rinpoche's visit, the Discovering Buddhism class will not be offered. We plan on continuing in the Fall of 2008.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche encourages us to practice Lama Chopa with Tsok, Chittamani Tara, Medicine Buddha, and the Sanghata Sutra as important means for deepening our own Dharma practices and for building the Center. We welcome you to participate, please see below for specific dates.

In the listing below, Dharma classes are presented first followed by group prayers and other practices. And don't forget the monthly "virtual" Golden Light Sutra readings (first Sunday of the month) organized by Ven. Tenzin Lhamo, click here for more information.

Saturday, August 30, September 20
10:15 - 10:30 AM

Join us for a cup of tea and an informal overview of the Center. More info for newcomers...

For the Sake of Others: meditation on love and compassion

Saturdays: August 30 -- 10:30 am - 12:30 pm; September 6 -- 2:00 - 4:00 pm; September 20 -- 10:30 am - 12:30 pm; September 27 -- 10:30 am - 12:30 pm; October 4 -- 10:30 am - 12:30 pm

The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190
Suggested offering: $10

How do we guard our commitment to help rescue sentient beings from suffering? Conscientiousness or carefulness is the key practice to protect our commitment from deteriorating. Ven Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche explains these core practices as they are described in Chapter 4 of the great Indian master Shantideva's most famous work, A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life. More...

You are welcome to attend even if you have missed some of the classes. Please bring your own cushion if you prefer sitting on the floor.

Ven Khensur Rinpoche gives a commentary on the practice of the Lama Chopa puja. He will discuss the stages of the path section from the Guru Puja. Open to all. More...

Saturdays, August 30 - cancelled
September 6 - 12:45 - 1:45 pm
September 20 - 9:15 - 10:15 am
September 27 - 9:15 - 10:15 am
October 4 - 9:15 - 10:15 am

The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190

Meditation can help us be honest with ourselves, to recognize and bear witness to our thoughts and emotions. Mindfulness -- being aware of the constant movements of our minds, goes hand in hand with alertness or vigilance. Alertness is like a watch dog that warns us if a negative emotion is starting to overpower us.

Drawing on a wide variety of sources such as Kathleen McDonald's How to Meditate, teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, and selections from Shantideva's A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, we strengthen our mindfulness and concentration. Also, several prayers are used in the meditations to increase our understanding of key aspects of Buddhist thought -- first and foremost of these being love and compassion.

This is an informal meditation class that includes time for both silent and guided meditation and group discussion. The class continues through the early Fall meeting once or twice per month depending on the Center's calendar. While attendance at Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche's commentary on Shantideva is not a requirement, the class gives us an opportunity to meditate on some of the central themes.

Tuesday, August 26; Wednesday, September 10; Wednesday, September 24; Thursday, October 9
7:30 pm - 8:30 pm
8120 Erika Drive, Manassas, VA.

The Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) combines chanted prayers (in Tibetan), offerings, and meditation. It contains all the elements of the Lam Rim with a focus on the profound nature of guru devotion. Traditionally participants bring flowers, fruits and other food offerings. Led by Ven Khensur Rinpoche. Open to all. More...

A Commentary on "Parting from the Four Attachments"

Monday, September 1
2:00 - 4:00 pm
The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190

Suggestion donation: 0 - $15 members; 0 - $25 non-members; no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Jetsun Drakpa Gyaltsen was the son of the great founding master of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, Sachen Kunga Nyingpo. He is revered as a representative of the oral tradition instruction lineage of realized meditators. At the age of twelve, through a direct realization of the Bodhisattva Manjushri, he received the teaching known as "The Parting from the Four Attachments" which brought him to a very profound understanding of the path to enlightenment. The teaching itself is only one verse of four lines, but its meaning included the entire path leading to Buddhahood.

Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche provides a commentary on this seminal text in the Mind Training tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, Parting from the Four Attachments, Snow Lion Publications, 2003.

Saturday, September 13
10:30 am - 4:00 pm
The International Campaign for Tibet, 1825 Jefferson Place NW, Washington, DC 20036, 4th floor conference room, no elevator

Green Tara -- the Swift Liberator -- is one of the most well known bodhisattvas. She is the principle female manifestation of enlightenment and is considered the kind mother of all the Buddhas. According to legend, in one life she was the Princess Wisdom Moon -- a tireless practitioner who became a bodhisattva and vowed "Until samsara is empty, I shall work for the benefit of all sentient beings in a woman's body".

Prerequisites for receiving empowerments: None. Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche will offer refuge vows at the beginning for anyone who hasn't already taken them. The Bodhisattva vows are given during the ceremony. Please see the Shugden policy below.

10:30 am - 12:30 pm     Initiation
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm       Lunch on your own
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm         Commentary

Donations: For this event, we are not specifying a suggested donation. Your generous donations will be gratefully accepted at the door.

Here is an approximate break-down of the cost to the Center:

Room rental:             $200
Sangha and translator donations:                 $250
Monthly stipends, pro-rated:                        $250
Xeroxing:                   $50
Lunch:                       $30
TOTAL:                   $780

If you would like to sponsor any part of this initiation, please let us know. Initiations can be sponsored on behalf of an individual such as someone who has passed away or who is ill.

"When we practice generosity, we are applying the exact antidote to attachment"~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche

The Guhyasamaja Center does not charge for teachings. All aspects of our spiritual program are offered on a "dana" basis. Dana is a Sanskrit word meaning generosity. We humbly offer you an opportunity to practice generosity by making the Dharma teachings available to our community. We trust that if you feel the Buddha's teachings can help alleviate the suffering of even one other sentient being, you will be inspired to do all you can to share the Dharma, the ultimate medicine.

Please arrive 15 minutes early and bring your own cushion if you prefer a cushion to a chair. The initiation will be held in the 4th floor conference room, there is no elevator.

Registration required by September 8: email Patricia Harvey: registration at guhyasamaja.org (replace the at with "@"), or call 703-774-9692.

Guidelines for day of empowerment: on Saturday, please abide by the following until the empowerment is completed:

Parking is limited, take the Metro (Red Line) to Dupont Circle, it's about a five minute walk South on Connecticut Ave.

Prerequisites for receiving empowerments: Limited to Highest Yoga Tantra initiates.

A Restriction: FPMT has issued a new policy regarding the Shugden practice in accordance with the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has expressed the wish "not to have a guru-disciple relationship with anyone who is practicing Shugden." Likewise, Gyume Khensur Rinpoche has recently made a commitment at Sera Monastery with respect to the Shugden issue. Therefore, those who are doing this practice are requested not to attend any initiations or tantric teachings with Rinpoche.

10:30 am - 12:30 pm     Initiation
12:30 pm - 2:00 pm       Pot-luck lunch
2:00 pm - 4:00 pm         Commentary

"The existence of Buddha's teachings for a long time depends on the existence of the holy objects of Buddha. The teachings exist in the mind so how can they depend for their existence on the existence of these external holy objects? You have to think about this, you have to understand this. It is not easy to have the teachings in the mind. To have the scriptural understanding and the realizations of the teachings is not easy. For these, you need to have a lot of merit. The most powerful merit one can accumulate, and accumulate so easily, is in relation to holy objects of Buddha.

By making statues of Buddha and making offerings to statues of Buddha, one accumulates infinite, inconceivable merit that immediately becomes a cause of enlightenment. Every merit accumulated by making statues and by making offerings to statues immediately becomes the cause of enlightenment. Without doubt, every single one becomes a cause of enlightenment."

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche (http://lywa.org/)

The donation covers materials including a master copy of the mantras that you can take home and use to make more mantras, and an offering for Rinpoche and Ven Tashi. Any remainder is a donation to the Center Building Fund. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Benefits and Practices Related to Statues and Stupas, Parts 1 - 3. FPMT, see link for Part 3. These books may be helpful, however, you don't have to purchase them as the workshop covers most of the information.

Questions? Send Dina an email: gcregistration at yahoo dot com, or 703-774-9692.

Saturday, August 23
1:30 - 3:00 pm
The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190 (lower level)

Tara (the Liberator) is a Buddha in female form who represents in particular all enlightened beings' skilful activities. Contemplating Tara brings quick results in whatever we want and need – the ultimate happiness of enlightenment.

Join us for the Four Mandala Offering to Chittamani Tara, a practice that both Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche strongly recommended for strengthening the Center. Open to all. Please bring flowers and food offerings if you would like. Chanted in Tibetan.