Month: March 2021

The Buddha’s teachings, also known as the Dharma, contain many valuable practices for nurturing wholesome qualities of the mind and heart, such as the five powers of faith, enthusiasm, mindfulness, concentration, and wisdom. We often underestimate the power residing in these wonderful qualities, regarding them as “weak” in comparison to the strength of our anger, craving and close-mindedness. In fact, when we properly develop these wholesome qualities, they become  reliable supports that greatly enhance our resilience in the face of life challenges. This workshop features several sessions of guided meditations with explanations and time for Q&A or discussion. All are welcome; no prerequisite needed.

Most commonly a Medicine Buddha Puja puja is performed on behalf of sick people to assist with recovery from illness or an operation and those who are dying. It is also done to achieve higher rebirth for the deceased and is very powerful in bringing about success, both temporary and ultimate. The prayers invoke help from the Seven Medicine Buddhas and Buddha Shakyamuni.

The Tara Puja is a practice focusing on Tara, making offerings and giving praise, as a way of creating merits and strengthening our connection with our own enlightened potential. Tara is also known as the “Mother of all Buddhas” because she embodies wisdom – all buddhas are born from this wisdom, she is the manifestation of the Buddha’s omniscient mind.

“Reciting the 21 Taras’ prayer with devotion – remembering Tara singing praises and reciting mantras at any time of the day or night – protects you from fear and dangers, and fulfils all your wishes.” Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Green Tara is especially swift in granting the wishes of sentient beings.

Puja Dates

Audio recordings of previous classes can be found here

Shamatha, or calm-abiding, meditation aims to settle the disturbances and dysfunctions of our body and mind in meditation so that they can truly abide here and now peacefully and blissfully. This course will introduce the different conducive conditions we can bring together to facilitate this settling down of our body and mind. We will look at the steps and the process of shifting our meditative experience towards a state of deepening meditative absorption and the benefits we can gain from it.

All are welcome; no prerequisite needed.