The Wood Sheep Year brings many interesting events and programmes around the world, centering around Je Tsongkapa’s lineage and doctrine. Discover a happier and more meaningful life by registering yourself today!
[Editor's note: If you would like your Dharma centre's activities to be featured on DorjeShugden.com, please write in to our editors at [email protected]]
Admin
USA & CANADA
Kadampa Meditation Centre San Francisco
Refuge Retreat
Requirement: Open to the public
Date: 21 – 22 February 2015
We can be protected from suffering and problems by seeking refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha; by applying effort to receiving Buddha’s blessings, putting Dharma into practice and to receiving help from Sangha. Through this reliance we can find true refuge within ourselves by developing love, compassion and wisdom.
Through continually receiving Buddha’s blessings we can maintain a peaceful mind all the time. Dharma is the actual protection and Sangha are the spiritual friends who guide us to correct spiritual paths. By seeking refuge through these three precious jewels, we can fulfil our own wishes as well as the wishes of all living beings.
For more information, visit http://meditationinsanfrancisco.org/retreats/retreats-at-kmc-san-francisco
EUROPE
Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre
Initation and Practice of Usnisha Vijaya
Requirement: Call to find out more
Date: 7 – 8 February 2015
Ushnishavijaya (Tsug tor nam par gyal ma in Tibetan or Namgyalma in its commonly used form) is a special emanation of Supreme Healer Vairochana and is one of the three main long life deities of the Ganden Nyingyu tradition, the other two being White Tara and Amitayus.
Ushnishavijaya is also considered an emanation of Prajnaparamita, the Perfection of Wisdom and Mother of All the Buddhas.
For more information, visit http://ahmc.ngalso.net/events/initation-and-practice-of-usnisha-vijaya-2/?lang=en
Madhyamaka Kadampa Meditation Centre
Learn to Meditate Weekend Retreat
Requirement: Open to the public
Date: 13 – 15 February 2015
These learn to meditate weekend retreats are ideal if you are seeking relaxation and gentle guidance to help you cultivate a spacious and balanced mind through meditation. These fun weekends give step by step instructions for those wishing to learn how to meditate.
Suitable for beginners and also for those wanting to refresh their meditation practice, these meditation weekends are a great way to learn basic meditation techniques, and to improve and deepen our experience of meditation and inner peace in the relaxing environment of Madhyamaka KMC.
For more information, visit http://www.madhyamaka.org/weekend-breaks/learn-to-meditate-weekends/
Tara Kadampa Meditation Centre
Amitayus Retreat
Requirement: For practitioners who have received Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerments
Date: 14 – 15 February 2015
Amitayus is the Buddha of long life, merit and wisdom. By engaging in Amitayus practice we can develop these qualities, which are essential for our spiritual development, and eventually attain the supreme happiness of enlightenment.
Everyone is welcome to attend but as Amitayus practice is a Buddhist Tantric ritual some previous understanding would be helpful to make the most of the sessions.
For more information, visit http://www.tarakmc.org/category/retreats-events/weekend-events/
Albagnano Healing Meditation Centre
Guru Puja Commentary
Requirement: Call to find out more
Date: 21 – 22 February 2015
The Guru Puja is a practice for Buddhist followers, a compendium of teachings of the Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions that show how to integrate Lam Rim, Lojong and Mahamudra practices and help us to meditate on the three principal Yidams of the Gelugpa School.
For more information, visit http://ahmc.ngalso.net/events/guru-puja-commentary-i%C2%B0-week-end/?lang=en
Gyaltsabje Kadampa Buddhist Centre
The Blessing Empowerment of White Tara
Requirement: For practitioners who have received Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerments
Date: 27 February – 1 March 2015
White Tara is a female enlightened being whose function is to bestow long life, wisdom and good fortune.
Gen-la Kunsang will be granting the empowerment, an empowerment is a special blssing ceremony to make a close connection with an enlightened Buddha and develop their good qualities. It consists of meditations, guided visualizations, and prayers, followed by teachings to explain the practice
For more information, visit www.meditateinsheffield.org.uk
ASIA
Kadampa Meditation Centre Hong Kong
Amitayus Retreat
Requirement: For practitioners who have received Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerments
Date: 27 February – 1 March 2015
Amitayus is the Buddha that embodies wisdom, good fortune and the power to remove obstacles to enjoying a long life. By receiving the blessings of Buddha Amitayus through receiving his empowerment, and by engaging in Amitayus practice, we will achieve these attainments ourself and ultimately reach the supreme state of enlightenment. We can also use this practice to help remove obstacles endangering the lives of others, especially our close friends and family.
During this weekend, Gen Kelsang Rabten will grant the Buddha Amitayus empowerment and give a commentary to The Yoga of Buddha Amitayus.
English
Indonesia
Tibetan
Rita Woo
January 29, 2015
Thank you, this comes in handy for dharma friends around the world!
Eli Buchen
February 1, 2015
Great news to see dharma being spread all over the world…and people getting initiations and practices.
Zach
February 2, 2015
Dear Admin
You have made some mistakes on the advertising the NKT empowerments are open for everyone to come to even the Amitayus retreat.
Regards
zach
Sushilla Kapur
February 7, 2015
Wow ! It looks like the DS centres are very proactive in organising activities and initiations to spread the pure teachings of Je Tsongkhapa
Dalai Lama should set things right
August 13, 2018
Dear Dalai Lama,
Since you started the cruel ban against the 350 year Dorje Shugden practice, how has it benefit your Tibetan society and Buddhism in the world? Things have become worse and most educated Tibetans can see this. They don’t speak out not because they don’t see your ban as wrong, but you instill fear in them and not respect. It is like fear of a dictator. I am sorry to say so. Everyone is divided. There is no harmony. Before your ban there was more harmony and unity.
By enacting the ban, you split the monasteries, split so many families, split regions in Tibet apart, split your disciples from you, split your own gurus from you, split Tibetan Buddhism apart. You have created so much disharmony.
It is not democratic what you have done to ban a religion within your community. You always talk of tolerance and acceptance and democracy and yet you do not accept and tolerate something different from your beliefs. When people practice Dorje Shugden you ostracize them, ban them from seeing you, ban them from using Tibetan facilities. You know you have done that. There are videos that capture your speech and prove this point. You even had people expelled from monasteries just because they practice Dorje Shugden. Some of the monks you expelled have been in the monastery for over 40 years. Many older monks shed tears because of this.
Many young educated Tibetans lost confidence in you as they saw the damage the Dorje Shugden ban created and they lose hope. Many have become free thinkers. They reject what you have done. So many people in the west left Buddhism because of the confusion you created with this ban against Dorje Shugden which is immoral.
You could of had millions of people who practice Dorje Shugden to support, love and follow you, but you scared them away. They are hurt and very disappointed. They loved you and respected you deeply before the ban. It has been 60 years and you have failed to get Tibet back. Your biggest failure is not getting Tibet back after 57 years in exile. Now you are begging China to allow you to return to Tibet to the disappointment of thousands of people who fought for a free Tibet believing in you. So many self-immolated for a free Tibet and now you want Tibet to be a part of China with no referendum from Tibetans. Just like a dictator, you decide on your own. It was your government and you that lost Tibet in the first place. Your policies and style of doing things do not benefit Tibet and Buddhism. You have been the sole ruler of Tibet your whole life and you still have not gotten our country of Tibet back for us. Our families and us are separated. Yet you create more pain by creating a ban to further divide people. Please have compassion.
No other Buddhist leader has banned or condemned any religion except for you. It looks very bad. You are a Nobel laureate and this is not fitting of a laureate. You should unite people and not separate them by religious differences.
You said Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi did not do right to the Rohingya people in Myanmar due to religious differences, but you are doing the same thing to the Shugden Buddhists within your own society. There is a parallel in this. You separate the Shugden Buddhists from the others in Tibetan society.
You have lost so many people who would have loved and supported you. You have lost so much support around the world. The Shugden Buddhists who love you number in the millions. When you are fast losing support from governments and private people, it will not do you well to lose more.
After you are passed away in the future, the rift you created between the Dorje Shugden and non-Dorje Shugden people will remain for a while and that will be your legacy. Disharmony. You will be remembered for this. Not as a hero but a disharmony creator.
Dorje Shugden will spread and further grow, but you will be no more as you are a human. No one wishes you bad and in fact we hope you have a long and healthy life, but we have lost so much hope and have so much despair because of you. All the hundreds of Dorje Shugden lamas, tulkus and geshes are maturing and there are hundreds of Dorje Shugden monasteries in Tibet who will not give up Dorje Shugden. You have made a mistake. These hundreds of teachers and teachers to be will spread Dorje Shugden further in the future.
The gurus that gave us Dorje Shugden as a spiritual practice and you have called these holy gurus wrong and they are mistaken in giving us Dorje Shugden. How can you insult our gurus whom we respect so much? If they can be wrong, then you can be wrong. Then all gurus can be wrong. So no one needs to listen to any guru? You have created this trend. It is not healthy. Your own gurus practiced Dorje Shugden their whole lives. Your own gurus were exemplary and highly learned.
Dalai Lama you have created so much pain with this ban against so many people due to religion. You are ageing fast. Are you going to do anything about it or stay stubborn, hard and un-moving. You show a smile and preach peace and harmony wherever you go. But will you do the same to your own people? Please rectify the wrong you have done. Please before it is too late. You can create harmony again or you can pass away in the future with this legacy of peace. May you live long and think carefully and admit what was a mistake in having this unethical ban against Dorje Shugden religion.