Gaden Choling Mahayana Buddhist Meditation Centre

 
About the Course

Lama Chopa/Guru Puja (Offering to the Spiritual Guide) is a core practice of our Geluk Tradition, with special focus on the extensive prayers for the realization of the various stages and paths of Lamrim. Visiting teacher Chuck Damov will be leading this course, which will run twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm at Gaden Choling, beginning Tuesday, November 11 and ending Thursday December 18 inclusive. Even if you can't make every class, or both Tuesday and Thursday each week, you are still welcome and encouraged to participate as your schedule allows. This course is open to everyone. Suggested donation is $10 per class, though this will not be any barrier to those without financial means.

Here is Chuck's introduction to this new course:

'As most of you know, the Lama Chopa [aka Guru Puja] means "the Ceremony of Offering to one's Lamas". It is a central meditation practice in our Gaden Tibetan Buddhist tradition of Lama Tsong.khapa. It is a wonderful method to develop and maintain a healthy lama - disciple relationship.

It is the ceremony performed when students offer prayers for long-life to their lama. I understand Zasep Rinpoche has accepted to be offered this Lama Chopa long-life puja by Gaden Choling dharma students next year for his 60th birthday. So this course will be a good opportunity to enhance understanding of the long-life ceremony.

The Lama Chopa practice also contains the essence of all levels of Buddhist meditation, both sutra and tantra. It has a beautiful meditation on the entire path to Enlightenment, which will be the main focus of this course. Therefore this course will include spiritual study and meditation of benefit for people interested in Tibetan Buddhism generally, as well as for people already committed to Zasep Tulku Rinpoche as their lama.'

The course runs twice weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm at Gaden Choling, beginning Tuesday, November 11 and ending Thursday December 18 inclusive. 12 Classes: Nov. 11, 13, 18, 20, 25, 27, Dec. 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18. From 7:30 to 9:30 pm, at the Gaden Choling centre.
 

Special Practices Associated with the Course

Weekly Tsa Sur practice for the deceased: From 6:45 to 7:15 every Tuesday until December 9th. Chuck will lead the Tsa Sur offering practice for those who have passed away. It is being led primarily for our Dharma sister's brother who passed away recently. Please join us every Tuesday before Lama Chopa class to do this special practice, for acquaintances who have passed or for all beings. Please email if you would like more details.

Lama Chopa Retreat Weekend: Sat. Nov. 29 and Sun. 30 from 10-5, including some time for introducing the long-life puja, which is inserted into the Lama Chopa puja. This will be a practice-teaching retreat weekend which will allow students to deepen their experience of this profound and core practice.

Shamata-Mahamudra Weekend Retreat: Weekend of Friday December 19 to Sunday the 21st, ending with a Lama Chopa tsog puja on Sunday afternoon, which is the sacred anniversary of Lama Tsong.khapa. This retreat will be practice oriented and will allow students to deepen their meditative experience of Samantha-Mahamudra.
 

Study Materials

Course Syllabus, with Schedule

Syllabus, including course outline, schedule, what to bring, and recommended additional resources.

Commentary Outline (version 11/27/08, complete version)

This outline highlights the key practices in the commentary course, arranged by 1. Preliminary practices, 2. Main practices, 3. Concluding practices, and 4. Between-session practices. The outline will be expanded to include additional material as the course proceeds.

Course Questionnaire

A set of ten questions to assess your familiarity with some basic information from the course material. Also, there is a version with the answers included.

Primary Text: Kha Dro Ten Zug: Dakini Long Life Puja for the Holy Lamas

This booklet will be handed out in class. It includes: The Guru Puja, Long-life Prayer Ceremony for Venerable Lama Lozang Tendzin Gyaltsen Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, Tsog Offering, and the Graduated Path Lam Rim Meditation Prayer.

Illustration: Merit Field for the Tibetan Buddhist Gelug Lineage

Also called the Gelug Refuge Tree, this depicts the lineage and associated beings of the Geluk school, including teachers, dakas, dakinis, and dharmapalas. A copy will be available in class. This illustration is also available from other sources in various forms, such as a small poster from Snow Lion Publications (shown above).

Book: Great Treasury of Merit: How to Rely Upon a Spiritual Guide. by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. (Tharpa Pub., 1992).

Although not required for the course, this book is highly recommended for anyone who has committed themselves to the Geulg lineage. This book is a good choice if you wish to go deeper into the material presented in the course. Available from amazon.ca and other sources.