Medicine Buddha Puja
The Medicine Buddha puja purifies and heals on all levels: physical, mental, spiritual, and environmental. It is considered particularly powerful for people who are sick or have recently died, and for bringing both temporal success and the ultimate success of enlightenment.
We practice The Concise Essence Sutra Ritual of Bhagavan Medicine Buddha called The Wish-Fulfilling Jewel by Panchen Losang Chokyi Gyaltsen.
You are welcome to come as an observer or participant in this beneficial practice within a supportive community. There is no charge to participate, and you are welcome to make an offering of food or flowers to create merit, or positive energy.
Because this is a practice belonging to Action Tantra, it is best not to eat black foods (including meat, eggs, onion, garlic, and radishes) on the day of the puja. It is also best to avoid these foods in offerings. For food offerings, plant-based options are fantastic!
Teachings and Pujas with Ven. Sangye Khadro
In-person & Online
Awakening the Kind Heart: How to Meditate on Compassion
Thu Oct 22 & Tue Oct 27, 7–8:30pm EDT
Sat-Sun. Oct 24-25, 10:30am-4:30pm EDT
A kind heart already exists within us, it’s just a matter of learning how to bring it out. In this intensive course of study and practice, Ven. Khadro will teach and lead students in discussions and meditations on the four immeasurables: love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. They are called immeasurable because they extend to all sentient beings. Ven. Khadro (Kathleen McDonald) is the author of Awakening the Kind Heart: How to Meditate on Compassion, which shares the same teachings and meditations that will be explored in this course.
Heruka Vajrasattva Tsog
Wed Oct 21, 7:30-8:30pm EDT
This Heruka Vajrasattva practice and tsog offering–requesting verses combined with the recitation of the hundred-syllable mantra of Vajrasattva–has the power to purify negative energy.
Important Note
This is an in-person and online event. For online, the events will be administered using Zoom.
After registering, the system automatically sends a confirmation email (if opted in) and/or a receipt email that contains the Zoom meeting link and/or other instructions. Some email domains like Yahoo, AOL are rejecting the auto emails. If you don’t immediately receive the system email(s) or you have any other questions, please contact us at registration@shantidevanyc.org.
Sadhana During Practice
Sadhana and center prayers are provided for in-person attendance or screen-shared online. You are encouraged to download them onto your device, or to bring a printed copy if preferred.
FPMT – The Foundation Store
Please visit the link(s) below to have your own copy of the most up-to-date version.
Registration / Schedule
Open donation: free, $5, $10, $21, $35, $50, $108
Your generosity makes it possible for us to share the Dharma and continue working together for the benefit of all sentient beings.
Time zone: US Eastern Daylight Time (GMT/UTC-4)
For questions regarding registration, please email registration@shantidevanyc.org for assistance.
Prayer Requests
If you would like to request a dedication for yourself or someone else who might benefit from this practice, please email prayers@shantidevanyc.org and provide basic information including the person’s name, city of residence, dedication message, etc. Please provide a 24-hour notice for prayer requests.
Puja Sponsorship
You are welcome to sponsor all or part of the puja. Great merit is created by your contribution. Sponsorship is processed through registering above, even if you will not be attending the puja. Please make sure to email prayers@shantidevanyc.org with your prayer request. We are grateful for your generosity! “If someone offers a small flower or rice to a Buddha statue, a stupa or scripture then the benefit extends from then up to Enlightenment. Amazing, amazing. It is said in the sutra Piled Flowers, on top of that benefit, you achieve ultimate happiness – liberation from the causes of delusion and karma and on top of that full Enlightenment – all the realizations and omniscient mind.” —Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Recordings
For ongoing events, the latest recording is usually shown by default. Please select desired session if it’s a playlist.
Teachings are searchable in Recorded Teachings and on our YouTube channel. And playlists can be found here.
About the Puja Leaders
California-born, Ven. Sangye Khadro ordained as a Buddhist nun at Kopan Monastery in 1974, and is a longtime friend and colleague of Abbey founder Ven. Thubten Chodron. Ven. Sangye Khadro took the full (bhikshuni) ordination in 1988. While studying at Nalanda Monastery in France in the 1980s, she helped to start the Dorje Pamo Nunnery, along with Ven. Chodron. Ven. Sangye Khadro has studied Buddhism with many great masters including Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Yeshe, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, and Khensur Jampa Tegchok. She began teaching in 1979 and was a resident teacher at Amitabha Buddhist Centre in Singapore for 11 years. She has been resident teacher at the FPMT centre in Denmark since 2016, and from 2008-2015, she followed the Masters Program at the Lama Tsong Khapa Institute in Italy. Ven. Sangye Khadro has authored several books, including the best-selling, How to Meditate, now in its 17th printing, which has been translated into eight languages. She has taught at Sravasti Abbey since 2017 and is now a full-time resident.
Native New Yorker, George Michael Cuesta, first came to the Dharma in this life while on a family vacation in Thailand in November 2005. At Wat Doi Su Thep in Chiang Mai, he was amazed by the giant stupa, the circumambulating pilgrims, the monks, the nuns, the incense, the water offerings, the chanting, the thangkas, and the ubiquitous statues of the Buddhas. Upon departure from the temple, he purchased “What the Buddha Taught” by Walpola Rahula and read it from cover to cover on the long plane ride home to New York City.
George then began practicing Dharma in 2006 and started practicing with Shantideva Center in October 2008 after an inspirational teaching with Venerable Robina Courtin, his kind teacher with whom he took Refuge Vows at Columbia University. George has been a licensed psychologist in the State of New York since 1996, and he has dedicated decades of his life serving Veterans and their families, to promote psychological healing and well-being.
George recently completed the Master of Arts degree in Buddhist Studies at Maitripa College, Portland, Oregon in May 2024 under the guidance of Yangsi Rinpoche. At around the same time, he also completed the Discovering Buddhism course under the guidance and direction of Geshe Namdak at the Jamyang London Buddhist Centre. He returned to New York City in September 2024 and resumed his volunteer participation with Shantideva Center.
