December 13, 2024

Dear Friends of the Guhyasamaja Center,

It is that time of the year again, when we rejoice on all the positive actions and changes that took place during the year. The center continued to successfully share many opportunities for spiritual development by offering teachings and classes from our own teachers, as well as from invited guest teachers. Join me in rejoicing for a great 2024!

During the year Dr. Lorne Ladner taught the series: “Revealing your Buddha Nature: Exploring Chapter One of the Sublime Continuum (Uttaratantra) on Our Potential for Enlightenment and on Refuge.” These teachings were widely attended by local students as well as some from other states. Dr. Ladner is currently, and will continue through 2025, teaching on Chapter 4 of the Abhisamayalamkara, Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations, as part of FPMT’s Basic Program.

Venerable Damchoe started teaching the FPMT Discovering Buddhism Series which is now on the Module 6: All About Karma. Throughout the year, she also taught on the practice of Prostrations to the 35 Buddhas, Vajrasattva Purification practice, Meditations on White Tara, Prayers to the Six-Syllable Great Compassionate One, Meditations on the Lamrim, as well as leading various retreats on topics from Impermanence to the Three Principal Aspects of the Path. She is also studying under the FPMT’s Master’s Program!

In May of this year, the center was graced by the presence of His Eminence Kyabje Ling Rinpoche for a visit and center blessing. The center also invited Kadampa Center’s Geshe Gelek Chodak for a weekend of teachings on the Thirty-seven Practices of Bodhisattvas, and Geshe Thubten Sherab on two different occasions for teachings on The Eight Verses of Mind Training.

Finally, in September, I attended FPMT’s North American Regional Meeting held at the Land of Medicine Buddha Center in Soquel, California. In this meeting, the FPMT Board of Directors provided a series of workshops and opportunities to discuss the future of FPMT. There was time to engage with other center directors and collaborate on ideas and best practices, and the regional office briefed the Three-Year Plan created to better support North American centers.

Of course, in 2025 we will continue to offer as many dharma teachings as we can! One teaching that you sure will not want to miss is a visit from our most beloved Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa on March 7-9. Rinpoche is a highly realized master in the Gelug Lineage of Tibetan Buddhism and was our resident teacher for a 5-year period. This and other practical teachings will continue at the center, but we need your support to make it happen!

We need your financial support now more than ever before to continue to create the causes for the Buddha Dharma to flourish in our area and in our hearts and, in the future, to establish a larger center with a resident teacher. Our center continues to be a non-profit organization, and our volunteers and local teachers do not receive any payment. Our financial goal continues to be making at least enough to meet the ongoing center expenses while offering programs to our community.

Please consider this time of the year to make a donation to the center to help offset our costs: From offering teachings and visits from authentic Buddhist Masters, to supporting our mortgage and utilities costs, every donation helps. If you would like to support the center with a donation online, make a donation via Paypal (click the “donate” button on the upper right side). Or if you prefer, you can send a check to the Guhyasamaja Center, P.O. Box 1511, Centreville, VA 20122. As we ring in the new year, let us rejoice that together we can create the causes for a bright future!

Sincerely with love and gratitude,

Gabe Mata

Director, Guhyasamaja Center