Watch the livestream of the Heart Sutra Obstacle-Clearing Grand Puja taking place at Gaden Shartse Monastery in Mundgod, Karnataka State, India, on Sunday, June 21.
June 21 is the last day of Saka Dawa.
The following information comes from Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling, a Dharma center in Singapore.
Heart Sutra Obstacle-Clearing Grand Puja
"We have specially requested for the senior geshes to conduct the Heart Sutra Obstacle-Clearing Puja, widely known for its swift efficacy. This puja is specially performed to pacify obstacles such as negative influences brought about by spirit disturbances."
Heart Sutra Grand Puja, Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling Facebook.
Participate in the Puja
If you would like to make an offering and submit names for dedications then visit the Heart Sutra Grand Puja website. The deadline is 12:00 AM PT on June 21.
"Anyone who has faith in the Three Jewels, and would like to pacify obstacles through this skilful means can join. Commonly when people are harrassed by formless disturbances, they experience strange insomnia (out of the norm), horror dreams of being chased, awakening in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, or waking up in a state of shock at wee hours of the night. These are some common experiences by many we have come across and helped in the past. If you are experiencing any of the above, you are most encouraged to join this puja.
"There are a few items required (as referred from the puja text) to maximize the efficacy and blessing of the puja. Hence for this online live puja, kindly prepare:
1. Old worn shirt (preferably unwashed)
2. A few coins
3. Half-eaten biscuits
4. Dough "changbu"
5. Substitute
"Please note all of these items will be disposed of during the puja."
"Everyone can join and benefit from the puja even without these items. However having them will maximize the puja efficacy to help pacify formless attacks and obstacles.
"Jamie, our regular emcee, will be leading us with visualizations during the Facebook Live puja so we can all participate effectively. The procedures for different pujas vary, but our motivation and thoughts should always be propelled by compassion for the benefit of oneself and others. Motivation at the start, and dedication at the end is important.
We are all encouraged to recite the Heart Sutra or the Heart Sutra mantra during the puja."
"Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling (GSDPL) was established in the aim of propagating the pure teachings of Lord Buddha Shakyamuni, as well as promoting Tibetan Buddhism, especially the Gelug lineage of Lama Tsong Khapa, in Singapore. We hope to provide a conducive environment for one’s dharma study and meditation and be a place for dharma friends to gather and practise together.
"Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling is established by our dearest teacher, the late Khensur Kyabje Lati Rinpoche. We are a direct collegiate affiliate of Gaden Shartse Norling College, a distinguished monastic institution originating from Tibet, which later reestablished in Mundgod, South India.
"The first part of our name 'Gaden Shartse' symbolize that our roots hail from Gaden Shartse Monastery. The second part of our name “Dro-Phen Ling” was auspiciously conferred upon by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Gaden Monastery in the December of 2001.
"We managed to find an appropriate premise for the location of the centre, and officially started in July 2002. Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling continues to grow from strength to strength with a current base of 3,000 members."
Continue reading about Gaden Shartse Dro-Phen Ling on www.drophenling.com.
Saka Dawa is on June 5, 2020. A merit multiplying day, Lama Zopa Rinpoche says karmic results are multiplied by 100 million. Here are just five ways to make the most of Saka Dawa. These five events are listed in order of occurrence for those in PT zone.
Watch His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Livestream
Friday, June 5, 2020
(Thursday, June 4, 2020 in PT)
8:30 PM PT
His Holiness the Dalai Lama will confer the Ceremony for Generating Bodhichitta (semkye) on the occasion of the full moon day of Saka Dawa.
Those interested may watch the live webcast in Tibetan, English, Chinese and other languages on the official websites and Facebook pages of the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Request a reminder for the livestream on the Dalai Lama Archive YouTube channel.
Read Geshe Tenzin Zopa's Advice for the Livestream
"🌹🙏Yesterday one student expressed that she wish to have meaningful life in dharma but her life is always busy with work and family responsibilities. Asking advice on how to turn all her ordinary life style in to most meaningful journey to accumulate vast merits and extensive purification of karma while continuing her ordinary responsibilities. She express that since long time she wanted to take one practical and most meaningful practice in her life that hopes to fulfills her spiritual wishes and highlight the meaning of her life as some one who met the Buddha dharma.
"🙏So my answer to her is:
"First of all I rejoice and congratulate to you for this precious aspirations.
"How wise and great of you to have an understanding and feel the urgency to turn your ordinary life in to most beneficial life for yourself your family members and all other sentient beings wellbeing.
"If you agree with me I humbly suggest you to take the bodhisattva vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama on coming Friday 5th June 2020 at 9am India time. You can find the link on https://www.dalailama.com/schedule
"If you able to make it then this would be most blessed most special and most fortunate for you in your life. His Holiness is not an ordinary teacher he is actual enlightened compassionate Buddha Chenrezig appears in human Guru form to liberate us from oceans of Samsaric sufferings through dharma transmissions. He is embodiment of all the past present and future Buddha’s compassion.
"Receiving the bodhisattva lineage blessings or seeding of altruistic mind (compassion/bodhichitta) directly from compassionate Buddha himself is greatest blessing and most effective seedling of altruism in our mind stream. Without any doubt this seedling of altruism in our mental continuum will grow to numberless virtues, sustainable inner peace leading up to the fruition of full enlightenment.
"Some more receiving the bodhisattva vows on full moon of Sakadawa month, the month Gautama Buddha chose to display major deeds of Buddha like birth in this southern world, renouncing the worldly life and manifesting in to Parinirvana etc. Siddhartha Gautama have chosen the full moon day to display the deeds of gaining full enlightenment (the ultimate cessation from all contaminations, afflictions and obscurations.)
"Accomplishing the full fruition of altruistic seed that he have inspired to stabilised in his mental continuum when he was as an ordinary like us in many live times a go.
"Such a blessed month and a day that every single virtues and meritorious prayers multiples 100 million times as stated in the Vinaya sutra.
"đź‘ŤIf you have decided to receive the bodhisattva vows then I have this humble suggestions to you. In order to create as much as meritorious interdependent conditions from our side to received the vows and blessing in most beneficial way as possible. It would be beneficial at-less this simple and basic preparatory protocol are present from our side for this visual platform for individual beginners like me and you to get ready to receive the dharma.
"🙏1. Fresh up both body and mind as if you would do when you physically go to attend dharma teaching from a guru.
"2. Do 3 prostrations and seat comfortably on cushion or chair or wherever is convenient or comfortable.
"3. Generate sincere respect and conviction towards preceptor HHDL.
"4. Generate genuine positive motivation of wanting to actualise full enlightenment for the benefits of all sentient beings.
"5. Make a sincere request in your heart to HHDL to grand the bodhisattva vows while offering the mandala practice if you know how to offer mandala offering. If not then just simply visualise and offer from depths of your heart the entire universe including your own body speech and mind, all virtues of past present and future in the form of wish granting jewels or immortal blissful nectar in infinite way to the preceptor and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
"6. While feeling how fortunate for this opportunity then follow the live stream of the granting of the bodhisattvas vows accordingly with full attention.
"🙏7. At the end on completion of the ceremony. Conclude with mandala offering practice as a gesture of appreciation on granting of the vows. Or just simply visualise and offer from depths of your heart the entire universe including your body speech and mind, all virtues of past present and future in the form of wish granting jewels or immortal blissful nectar in infinite way to the preceptor HHDL and all Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
"8. Then Rejoice (feel deeply happy) for being so fortunate to received the most precious blessing in my mental continuum the bodhisattva vows that which is more precious then entire material wealth of entire universe. Feel truly happy of becoming spiritual family member a child of all the Buddhas and bodhisattvas.
"Feel truly blessed to received spiritual lineage blessing of most precious mind of Buddhas and bodhisattvas from enlighten compassionate Buddha HHDL himself. Feel full confident with inner joy in knowing that from this present life to all future lives up to full enlightenment I will be fully guided by perfect enlighten mahayanic guru the compassionate Buddha chenrezig.
"9. Then with deep aspirations dedicate the vast merits accumulated in bodhicitta accordingly or simply think and dedicate the merits to be the complete cause of all sentient beings temporary happiness up to the ultimate happiness of full enlightenment.
"10. Then dedicate in emptiness accordingly. Or just simply thinking or understanding that the dedicator the self the substance the merits and the objective the fruition of the merits all in the nature of lacking of inherent existence which only exists in the nature of interdependent arising.
"11. Then move on with daily life with understanding and feeling much meaning in having the blessing of inner guru the practice of 6 perfections the virtues GPS to meaningful life, inner protection of oneself inseparable from compassionate guru, firm confident in virtues life, sustainable inspiration faith and conviction in freedom from all samsara and its causes, full of methods to help yourself and help all other through the tools of loving kindness compassion and wisdom.
"🙏I share this humble conversation and suggestions from ignorance person like me in the hope of some assistance to those of beginner like me in the pursuit of spiritual blessings in virtual platform.
"With lots of prayers and best wishes. Geshe Zopa, June 3, 2020"
Take the Eight Mahayana Precepts from Lama Zopa Rinpoche before dawn on June 5
Join a Guru Puja led by Yangsi Rinpoche and Maitripa College
Join the global Maitripa College Community on Saka Dawa, one of the most important holidays in the Tibetan calendar, remembering and rejoicing in the life and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha.
Watch an Annual Interfaith Celebration on Facebook Live
Friday, June 5
4:00 PM - 5:00 PM PT
Kurkulla Center shared in an email newsletter, "In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, we call the month of the fourth full moon following Tibetan New Year 'Saka Dawa.' We believe that during Saka Dawa the result of all our actions -- positive and negative -- are greatly increased. Therefore it is a time to be especially virtuous and diligent in our activities, to practice our faith well, and to benefit others. The full moon of Saka Dawa is when the Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and passing are observed.
"Friends from all faiths will join us for an evening of prayer and reflection, and we will particularly dedicate and pray for those who affected by the Covid-19 pandemic - those who have died, become ill, or have been affected adversely in other ways, both in the United States and around the world."
"We are very honored to announce that our special guests will include His Eminence Ling Rinpoche and Medford, Massachusetts Mayor Breanna Lungo-Koehn. Representatives from all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism and the Buddhist traditions of Thailand, Cambodia, Burma, Vietnam, China, Nepal, and Bangladesh will also participate, as well as community spiritual leaders from the Islamic, Christian, and Jewish faiths.
"Visit our Facebook page on Friday, June 5, shortly before 7:00 PM ET to watch the event live."
This teaching is part of an online course organized by Tibet House New Delhi and Choe Khor Sum Ling in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India "Two Truths in Four Buddhist Tenet Systems with Emphasis on the Ultimate Reality According to Prasangika Madhyamaka."
Schedule listed in IST:
Saturday, 6th June 2020 1st session: 10:30 am - 12:00 noon IST
Sunday, 7th June 2020 2nd session: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm IST 3rd session: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm IST
Monday, 8th June 2020 4th session: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm IST 5th session: 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm IST
Download the text that will be used during the course, "Staircase to Emptiness" from "Blaze of Non-Dual Bodhicittas," from www.bodhiwisdom.org.
Thousand-arm Avalokiteshvara, Choe Khor Sum Ling Facebook.
Choe Khor Sum Ling, a Dharma center in Bangalore, Karnataka State, India, is organizing a virtual Nyung Na purification retreat from May 31 until June 6, 2020. Everyone is welcome to join.
The retreat will be led by American monk Venerable Tenzin Gache with support from other sangha members who are also in Maratika, Nepal.
Virtual Retreat on the Powerful 'Nyung Nä' Practice During Saka Dawa
"Nyung Nä is an intensive purification practice taught by the Buddha of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara, to Bhiksuni Lakshminkara in medieval India. Of the eighty-four Mahasiddhas, those most famous great yogi practitioners of ancient India, only four were women. Gelongma Palmo (Lakshminkara) was one of those four.
"The practice was refined and systematized by His Holiness Kelsang Gyatso, the 7th Dalai Lama. Nyung Nä involves visualization, chanting, prostrations, and mantra recitation of Avalokiteshvara, as well as fasting. The full practice involves complete abstaining from food, drink, and speech on the second day.
"The benefits of Nyung Nä include gaining an experiential taste of deep purification in a short time, and making a strong positive connection with Avalokiteshvara, the essence of great compassion. Based on these two days of practice, participants may then choose subsequently to attempt the full practice, or be inspired to engage in other purification practices. This practice contains great blessings and is highly praised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche as a supreme method for transforming the mind. Doing even one Nyung Nä for just two days is said to be as effective as three months of other purification practices and is extremely powerful for healing illness, purifying negative karma, and opening the heart to compassion.
"The virtual retreat will be led by Venerable Tenzin Gache who is an experienced Nyung Nä practitioner and who is currently pursuing Geshe studies (a 20 year study programme in Buddhist philosophy) at Sera Jey Monastic University in Bylakuppe (Karnataka). Due to lockdown conditions, he is temporarily residing at Maratika Monastery in Halesi, Nepal, and will lead the retreat from there. Venerable Gache will be supported by Venerable Tenzin Namjong and other FPMT Sangha also currently in Maratika.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Four-armed Avalokiteshvara, www.rainews.it.
"IMPORTANT REMINDER: We are exceptionally fortunate that His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be bestowing the full two-day empowerment of 1,000 Armed Avalokiteshvara on the mornings of May 29th and 30th (https://www.dalailama.com/live—available in various languages–9 am to 10:30 am Indian Time). This empowerment enables you to participate fully in the retreat. Those of you who are unable to view this empowerment, and who have not previously received such an empowerment, are still welcome to participate, but during the self-generation as Avalokiteshvara should instead visualize the deity at your crown."
Watch Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul explain the importance of Saka Dawa and give practice advice on the Tibet House New Delhi YouTube channel.
On May 22 and 23 Venerable Geshe Dorji Damdul gave a two-day course on Dependent Arising organized by Dharma Friends of Israel. Watch the recordings on the DFI - Israel YouTube channel.
Yangten Rinpoche
For Tibetan speakers, watch Yangten Rinpoche speak about Saka Dawa without translation on the Voice of Tibet YouTube channel.
Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services
I received the following email from Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services on May 23 with opportunities to create merit during Saka Dawa. Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services is a great resource.
Gompa Tibetan Monastery Services Facebook.
"We hope this note finds you safe and well.
"May 23rd, 2020, marks the start of the sacred month of Saka Dawa, which traditionally is a time held in high esteem for engaging in dharma practice and in meritorious deeds.
"At www.gompaservices.com you can view teachings by senior lamas, participate in special Saka Dawa events at the partner monasteries, and easily sponsor prayers and pujas at any of forty-five partner monasteries and nunneries in India and Nepal.
"Gompa member-supporters can also send offerings and dedications to the partner monasteries and nunneries during this special month, or at any time, with no transfer fees via the 'Offerings to Sangha' service, can view year round high production quality webcasts of all courses and teachings given by senior lamas, and sponsor prayers and pujas at any time with no arrangement fee.
"Announcements of all teachings and other special events will be posted regularly throughout this special month on the Gompa site and on the Gompa Facebook page.
"If you are not yet a Gompa member-supporter, we invite you to join Gompa and to enjoy the many benefits of being a member-supporter. For details, please go to www.gompaservices.com/join.
"At this auspicious time we send our heartfelt thanks to everyone who is helping Gompa to provide online services for the senior lamas of all traditions and for fifty-seven monasteries and nunneries throughout India and Nepal. This is only possible with your kind support.
