Chanted Prayers
If you enjoy meditating with others, chanted prayers are a great opportunity for you to engage in group meditation. These chanted prayers are also known in Sanskrit as “puja”, meaning “offering ceremony”, or as “sadhanas”, which means “methods for accomplishing attainments”. Using ancient prayers translated into English, we receive the blessings, protection, and guidance of the holy beings. We can make requests for ourselves or for others who need help or protection. These spiritual practices create a strong connection with the Buddhas, and help us purify our negativity and fill our mind with positive, healing energy. Everyone is welcome to attend these pujas in person which are free to attend. If you come to a tsog puja, feel free to bring an offering of ready-to-eat food and drink (not animal products or alcohol). If you wish, you are welcome to make a donation towards the offerings.
OFFERING TO THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE CHANTED PRAYERS Bi-monthly on 10th and 25th of the month, and on special dates throughout the year. See dates and times below. Offering to the Spiritual Guide Chanted Prayers. Offering to the Spiritual Guide Puja (or Lama Chopa in Tibetan) is traditionally done on the 10th and 25th of every month. The main practice within the sadhana (or prayer booklet) is relying on the Spiritual Guide, but it also includes all the essential practices of the stages of the path (Lamrim) and training the mind (Lojong). We develop a strong conviction that our Spiritual Guide is a Buddha, in particular the same nature as Je Tsongkhapa. We make prostrations and requests and receive profound blessings. In this way, our compassion, wisdom and spiritual power naturally increase. Because Je Tsongkhapa is an emanation of Manjushri, his faithful disciples never experience difficulty in increasing their wisdom. There are many other benefits of engaging in this beautiful practice. Everyone is welcome. You may like make a donation as an offering. Dates and times: Sunday 10th November: 7-9pm Monday 25th November: 7-9pm
Wishfulfilling Jewel Regular times: Weekdays: 8.30-9.35am | *Saturdays: with Tsog offering: 7 – 8pm | Sundays 8.30-9.35am Wishfulfilling Jewel is the heart practice of Kadampa Buddhism. In the first part we visualize our Spiritual Guide as Je Tsongkhapa and make prayers and requests to purify negativity, accumulate positive energy and receive blessings. We then make prayers to our Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden. We make requests to overcome all inner and outer obstacles to our Dharma practice, and for the creation of favourable conditions that nurture and increase our Dharma realizations. A tsog offering is made during this practise.
Melodious Drum: Extensive prayers to the Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden – in person only This monthly practice consists principally of prayers to our Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden. A Dharma Protector is an emanation of a Buddha or Bodhisattva whose main functions are to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent practitioners from attaining spiritual realizations, and to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice. Dorje Shugden always helps, guides, and protects pure and faithful practitioners by granting blessings, increasing their wisdom, fulfilling their wishes and bestowing success on all their virtuous activities. This practice includes a tsog offering so if you wish you may make a donation towards the offerings. (3.5 hours) Dates and times of next Melodious Drum puja: Thursday 28th November | 2.30 – 6pm Sunday 29th December | 2.30 – 6pm
Prayers to Buddha Tara: Liberation from Sorrow Tara is a female Buddha, a manifestation of the ultimate wisdom of all the Buddhas. Her name means ‘Rescuer’ because she rescues us from all outer and inner fears. Ultimately she rescues us from all suffering and guides us to full enlightenment. Like a mother she protects us from all internal and external dangers; she provides us with all the necessary conditions for our spiritual training, and guides us and inspires us with her blessings as we progress along the spiritual path. These prayers include praises to the twenty-one manifestations of Tara. Because these are Sutra, the actual words of Buddha, they are particularly powerful and blessed. On 8th of each month: Powa Prayers for the Deceased Powa, or transference of consciousness, is a profound method for transferring the consciousness of the deceased to the Pure Land of Buddha. After a person dies and before they take their next rebirth, there is an opportunity for those who have some connection with them to guide their consciousness’ away from the painful rebirths of samsara and into the pure lands, worlds created by minds experiencing things in a pure way. Powa Ceremony, a beautiful and powerful ritual practice drawn from the Buddhist tantras, enables us to benefit the deceased by coming together as a group and making prayers and offerings on their behalf. Then, through the power of our compassionate intention, strong prayer, and concentration on the practice, we transfer the consciousness of the deceased to the Pure Land of the Buddha of Compassion so that they will experience a pure and lasting peace and finally be freed from the painful cycling of suffering and it’s causes. By engaging in this practice we ourselves will create a great collection of virtue, which will also lead us into the pathway to the Pure Land of a Buddha. We perform this Powa Practice on behalf of those who have recently died, traditionally within forty-nine days of their death. Everyone is welcome. You may like to make a donation as an offering. Dates for Powa Prayers: Friday 18th October 5pm Friday 22nd November 5pm Friday 20th December 5pm
check calendar for the time
MAHAYANA PRECEPTS: 24 HOUR FASTING AND PURIFICATION PRACTICE On 15th of the month | 6.30 – 7am The practice of taking and keeping the 8 Mahayana Precepts These 8 actions are: Although it states that we promise to refrain from eating after lunch, it is customary to eat ONLY lunch by 12.30pm. To keep our mind settled we avoid foods such as alcohol, meat, eggs, onion, garlic or spices. By taking these precepts with Bodhichitta motivation, refraining from harmful actions, and keeping a pure and peaceful mind free from distractions, gradually we come to purify our negative karma and painful mental habits (the source of all our misfortune). Eventually we will purify our mind completely, at which time we will become an enlightened being, with the power to directly benefit all beings. Once we have taken the precepts with a preceptor, we can take them again on our own as often as we wish.
On 15th of the month we set aside a special day to engage in this special fasting and purification practice. To do this practice we must first receive the precepts from a qualified preceptor. During the ceremony we explicitly promise to refrain from 8 actions in particular, and all harmful actions in general for 24 hours.
SOJONG (ceremony for ordained Sangha only)
To be announced..
