Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog 

Geshe Zopa will be the Vajra Master and Jennifer Kim will be the umdze for the online Heruka Vajrasattva tsog offering ceremony. This practice has the power to purify negative energy, which is the main thing preventing us from actualizing the path to enlightenment. The practice consists of a series of requesting verses combined with the recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva. This Heruka Vajrasattva practice includes tsog: an offering ceremony that represents assembling all of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas in a visualization of a sacred dance. 

To register or learn more about this ceremony, please click here.  All are welcome to participate.

Attachment and Enjoyment – Licking Honey from a Razor’s Blade

In this thought-provoking analogy, attachment is like honey on a razor blade. The honey tastes so sweet and delicious when we are enjoying it, that we are unaware of the harmful consequences of attachment. This is the deceptive quality of attachment. Geshe Zopa will experientially guide us so that we can see how our mind infused with attachment leaves us unfulfilled, and contrast this with cultivating an attitude of enjoyment aligned with true happiness.

Breaking Free from the Endless Prison of Samsara

And from the two the seven come,

From seven the three come once again—

Thus the wheel of existence turns and turns.

          Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination by Ārya Nāgārjuna (v. 3)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama frequently mentions that the philosophical view of Buddhism is dependent arising, and its conduct is not harming others. Geshe Zopa will elaborate on Ārya Nāgārjuna’s extremely concise text to illuminate how all our experiences of happiness and unhappiness arise from their related causes and conditions. We will gain a deeper understanding of our habitual psychological processes that keep us trapped in a cycle of discontent, and most importantly, insight into how we might thrive and flourish.

Post-Teaching Snacks – Mezze After Middle Way

After Saturday’s teachings on the Middle Way, join us for a delicious mezze platter with healthy delights to nourish our bodies after we’ve just nourished our minds. Then stay for an energetic Tara puja to help clear away karmic obstacles for success.

Cittamani Tara Puja 

Join us to clear away obstacles and accumulate energy on the path to enlightenment! Geshe Zopa will be the Vajra Master and Jennifer Kim will be the umdze for this practice invoking Cittamani Tara, who is well-known as a source of swift assistance in all temporal and spiritual matters. She is called upon to bring worldly success, protection from all negativities and fears, and swift assistance on our spiritual journey. 

To register or learn more about this ceremony, please click here.  All are welcome to participate.

The Heart of the Path – Guru Devotion

In Buddhism, the teacher-student relationship is precious because teachers connect our minds with the Dharma, the source of ultimate happiness. But must we regard all dharma teachers as our Guru? What does Guru devotion mean? Might a teacher be just a spiritual friend or spiritual mentor? What are the benefits of having a teacher? How do I find a teacher suitable for me? How do I practice after my teacher passes away? In the context of our contemporary culture, what are the misunderstandings that might arise from cultural expectations and language differences?

Geshe Zopa has the perfect background and perspective to discuss the complexity and nuances of teacher-student relationships, and this is an ideal opportunity to directly ask Geshe-la all your questions.

Please join us on March 23 for a viewing of “Unmistaken Child,” a documentary film which follows the 4-year-journey of Geshe Tenzin Zopa to identify the reincarnation of his beloved teacher, the renowned master Geshe Lama Konchog.

For more information on this topic, please explore the book and articles by Dr. Alexander Berzin:

Wise Teacher Wise Student: Tibetan Approaches To A Healthy Relationship (Book)

Spiritual Teachers (Articles)