affiliated with the
Foundation for the
Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

We are honored to welcome Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Losang Jampa back for his fifth season with the Guhyasamaja Center.

See the calendar below for specific dates.

• Directions to The Unitarian/Universalist Church
• Center donation policy

Newcomers Orientation

Saturdays (see calendar below for dates)
The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190, lower level

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

For the Sake of Others: Meditations on Love and Compassion

CLASS CANCELLATIONS: Jan 30, Feb 6. Rinpoche will not be teaching Feb 13, please check back for more information about events scheduled for that day.

Saturday, Jan 23, Jan 30, Feb 6, Feb 13, Feb 20, Feb 27
10:30 am - 12:30 pm
The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190, downstairs

Suggested offering: $10 per class

Master Shantideva's most famous work is "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life" --- a beautiful and inspiring book-length poem. The text clearly reveals all the essential points the ultimate life of compassion -- for living as a bodhisattva, a being wholly intent attaining on Enlightenment for the welfare of all sentient beings. This book has served as an essential guide for Buddhist practitioners' daily lives for centuries.. And even the Dalai Lama himself openly says that he bases his approach to life largely on guidance from this text. Khensur Rinpoche will use both analysis and his own experience to reveal how Shantideva's guidance can transform our own lives through its insights and practices. (In Tibetan with English translation by Ven Tashi.)

Starting from Chapter 6, Patience. Recordings of Khensur Rinpoche's previous classes in this series are available on our website.

Suggested text: Shantideva's "A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life" translated by Allan Wallace.

Four Mandala Offering to Chittamani Tara Puja

Saturday, Jan 23
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
The Unitarian/Universalist Church, 1625 Wiehle Ave., Reston VA 20190, downstairs

Tara represents the quick wisdom and compassion of all the enlightened beings in a female form. Praying to Tara eliminates obstacles to the fulfillment of our wishes in general and in particular those of the spiritual path. Tara's meditation practice is quick to grant success. Tara breathes life into our spiritual practice and sustains us with boundless energy to traverse the spiritual path.

Lama Chopa with Tsok Offering

February 24, March 10
8:30 - 9:45 pm
8120 Erika Drive
Manassas, VA (private residence) Google Map

Here is a detailed description of the Lama Chopa practice.

Introduction to Buddhist Cosmology

Sunday, Jan 31 and Feb 28
1:30 pm - 5:00 pm
8120 Erika Drive
Manassas, VA (private residence) Google Map

Suggested offering: $50 members, $75 non-members for both classes.

We may think of cosmology as something distant from our daily lives and experiences. However, the Buddhist view is that the cosmology of the external universe is intimately interconnected with our own minds.. Understanding the nature of the universe around us and of our own minds go hand in hand. In recent decades, there have been numerous, fruitful dialogues between Buddhist masters (including H.H. the Dalai Lama) and Western physicists on the nature of physical phenomena and on the interdependent connections between mind and matter.

In this series of classes, Khensur Rinpoche will present some detailed descriptions of the Buddhist view of the universe. His presentation will include descriptions of realms of exerience beyond the direct experience of normal, human consciousness. The essence of Buddhist practice is a path unifying compassion and wisdom. These teachings will expand our wisdom about the nature of ourselves and world around us, while also helping us to empathically imagine alternate ways of experiencing the world, allowing us to develop a broader, deeper sort of compassion that embraces beings in all possible realms of experience. They will also include intersting points about realms of experience accessed solely via meditation.

Space is limited, please pre-register by emailing your name and the days you plan on attending to: registration [ at ] guhyasamaja.org (replace [ at ] with @).

Recordings posted on the websiteon listen.htm, click the "Misc" tab.

Vajrayogini Initiation and Commentary

Friday, March 12, Saturday, March 13, & Sunday March 14
1:30 - 6:00 pm Manassas, VA (private residence)

Suggested donation for the full 3 days — Center Members: $125 / Non-Members: $175. Google Map

Vajarayogini Initiation
The Vajrayogini initiation is closely associated with the Chakrasamvara Tantra, and this specific practice comes in a lineage from the great Indian master Naropa. This is a practice of Highest Yoga Tantra. Vajrayogini practice is said to be especially powerful and effective during these degenerate times; now, when it is more difficult than in past times to successfully complete other practices, Vajrayogini practice is especially effective. Also, it is only through the practices of Highest Yoga Tantra that we can attain enlightenment in a single brief lifetime.

Pre-requisites for the Vajrayogini Initiation include having already taken another complete intiation of Highest Yoga Tantra in the past (such as the initiation of Guhyasamaja, Chakrasamvara, Yamantaka, or Hevajra). Having taken such an initiation previously would also entail having already taken the tantric vows. Commitments that go along with taking this initiation will be set by Khensur Rinpoche himself but generally include at a minimum keeping the tantric vows, doing the practice of tsog twice per month on specific days of the lunar calendar, and some mantra recitations.

Tsog Commentary
The teaching on an overview of the Tantric path and on the practice of tsog on Saturday and Sunday will be based on verses from the Lama Chopa (Guru Puja) by the First Panchen Lama. As Tsog practice is a commitment that comes along with Vajrayogini initiation, these teachings will be extremely useful for anyone taking or who has taken that initiation. Tsog is also an important part of any practice of Highest Yoga Tantra. Making offerings to one's gurus in accord with these teachings is said to be a supreme skillful means for creating positive karma and for progressing along the path, and it was a core practice of all the past lineage lamas of the Tantric Buddhist traditions of India and Tibet. It's very rare to receive detailed teachings on this practice, and Khensur Rinpoche is extremely generous in offering to give these teachings here in the DC area this year!

Space will be limited for the initiation and for the teachings, so advanced pre-registration is definitely required to attend. One is not formally registered until we've received your registration form along with your donation. In the past we've had experiences of people registering for events but then not attending (then losing a space for someone else who may have wanted to attend) , so for events with limited spaces like this one, we only accept registration on receipt of both the form and the donation.

Unfortunately, the Center is not able to offer housing for out-of-town attendees. There are several reasonably priced hotels in Manassas.

Please print the registration form and mail it with your donation to: The Guhyasamaja Center, P.O. Box 1511, Centerville, VA 20122.

Questions about your registration? Email Lorne Ladner at: director "at" guhyasamaja.org (substitute @ for "at"). Please do not call the Center phone number with personal registration questions, the volunteer who answers the phone will not be able to assist you (sorry!).

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last updated: February 4, 2010

The Guhyasamaja Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
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