The Regular Pujas

Please see the calendar for exact dates and times. The prayers are chanted in Tibetan, but the texts also have a translation to follow. You can print the texts from HERE.

  • White Tara

    DAILY 8am-9am

    Tara, as the mother of all Buddhas, is a female energy deity and is in general involved in protection. Tara has multiple manifestations and in each form she takes a different color and offers a different energy or virtue to help us on our spiritual paths.

    White Tara is especially a deity for health, healing, longevity and compassion, and in particular White Tara increases all of ones qualities, and grants protection from untimely death.

    You can attend the puja also through Zoom on Saturdays. The link is in the Newsletter.

  • Chenrezig

    ALTERNATE FRIDAYS 7pm-8pm

    Chenrezig is the embodiment of compassion and through this practice we aim to awaken the same qualities of loving-kindness and compassion in ourselves. It is easily accessible and, as such, is a great introduction to Tibetan Buddhist practice and prayer for people new to this tradition. Chenrezig practice can be practiced without empowerment but if you have a chance to take it, is is recommended. If you are doing this practice regularly, it is recommended that you will get a reading transmission for the practice.

    You can attend the puja also through Zoom. The link is in the Newsletter.

  • Medicine Buddha

    ALTERNATE FRIDAYS 7pm-8pm

    The Medicine Buddha, (Sangye Menla), is the Buddha of health and healing, both the outer, physical, and the inner, mental. His form is a deep blue colour, like that of the lapis lazuli semi-precious stone. His practice is considered to be a very powerful method for healing and increasing the restorative powers of oneself and others. Also it helps to overcome the inner sickness of attachment, hatred and ignorance, and so to meditate on the Medicine Buddha can help to decrease physical and mental illness and suffering.

    You can attend the puja also through Zoom. The link is in the Newsletter.

  • Guru Rinpoche

    EVERY LUNAR 10th DAY
    (please see calendar for the Western date)

    Prayers to Guru Rinpoche are considered to be increasingly potent during these difficult times, and he is often invoked for protection and the removing obstacles.

    Once a month we will do Konchok Chidu, “The Embodiment of the Precious Ones”, puja which is a Guru Rinpoche sadhana that encompasses the Three Roots.

    Konchok Chidu sadhana is also a Guru Yoga practice, one of the most profound, the highest and most secret way of accomplishing the mind of Guru Rinpoche. It helps to avert spiritual obstacles and pacifies all negativity on the path to enlightenment.

    You can attend the puja also through Zoom. The link is in the Newsletter.

  • Mahakala

    DAILY 5pm-6pm
    (Sundays 3.30pm-4.30pm)

    EVERY LUNAR 29th DAY
    led by Lama Rabsang
    (please see calendar for the Western date)

    Mahakala is a Dharma Protector. The main form of Mahakala for the Karma Kagyu is Dorje Bernakchen (The Black-Cloaked Vajra). Mahakala puja helps to clear obstacles to our Dharma practice and creates auspicious circumstances for the spreading of Dharma, a strong, harmonious Sangha and long life for the Gurus.

    Appearing in a very majestic yet frightening form, Mahakala stands in the midst of a mountain of flames to symbolize that no enemies of the Dharma can withstand this wrathful appearance; the sharp chopper, which he holds aloft in one hand, symbolizes the cutting through of negative patterns, aggression, hatred, ignorance, the five poisons.

    In person only.

  • Amitabha

    We occasionally conduct Amitabha puja when requested. This puja is connected with the Pureland called Dewachen. Within this buddha-realm resides Buddha Amitabha, known in Tibetan as Öpamé, meaning 'Immeasurable Light' or 'Limitless Radiance' because light-rays from his body pervade every buddha-realm, illuminating them all. He is also known as Buddha Amitayus, or in Tibetan Tsépamé, meaning 'Immeasurable Life', because the extent of his life cannot be calculated. His body is as red as ruby, which symbolises the warmth of his compassion extending to all beings.

    Due to Amitabha's strong wishing-prayers, anyone who makes a sincere wishing-prayer to go to Déwachen can be reborn there, even though one has not purified unvirtuous karma nor liberated oneself from the disturbing emotions.

What is a Puja?

Puja (sadhana) translates as ‘means of accomplishment’. A sadhana is a ritual text presenting the means to accomplish one or several deities, who in essence are the ultimate state of a buddha. Despite the different forms of deities, their essence is always the same enlightened mind. In the sadhana practice we develop an enlightened vision of the world: we visualize ourselves as a buddha or deity, and our surroundings as a pure realm or ‘buddha field’, while recognizing that all sounds are mantra, and all thoughts are primordial wisdom. This process is at first artificial, something which is developed or generated through the practices of kyerim (creation) and dzogrim (completion), but the visualizations correspond to the visionary experience of enlightened beings. By adopting these new habits of perception, we can weaken the ordinary habits of gross perception based on ignorance and emotional tendencies, and put ourselves in touch with a more subtle level of experience. There are three components needed in order to engage in a specific sadhana practice: the empowerment (Tib. wang), the oral transmission (Tib. lung), and the secret instruction (Tib. tri) which are all granted or bestowed by a qualified master for each specific practice. The empowerment or wang is to mature or ripen us. The oral transmission or lung is to connect us. The secret instruction or tri is to liberate us. In the sadhanas of the outer tantras (kriya tantra, charya tantra or upayoga tantra, and yoga tantra) we invoke the presence of the deity in the sky before us, as in guru yoga. In the sadhanas of the inner tantras. (eg. mahayoga, anuyoga, and atiyoga).