SAKA DAWA—SACRED and CELEBRATORY MONTH from May 31 thru June 29,2022 – Special Day is June 14, full moon day

May 31, 2022 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

During this period, we commemorate the Birth, the Enlightenment, and the Parinirvana (passing on) of the Buddha. 

OM MUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI SHAKYAMUNI SVAHA


  The most holy day is the day of the full moon (the 15th Tibetan day), which is on Tuesday, June 14. 


During this entire period, the merit of all good that you think or do is multiplied many times, from 100 to 100,000 times to as many as one hundred million times.  On the other hand, your negative deeds and thoughts are also multiplied. 


Therefore, this is a perfect time to be focused on and dedicated to spiritually and ethically positive thinking and behavior.

WHAT TO DO
Here are some suggestions of what we might do during Saka Dawa.

*Respectfully clean your shrine and make offerings to the Three Jewels and your shrine space.
*Practice generosity to all beings. This includes the generosity of forgiving the people and situations that upset and enrage you. Forgive yourself, too, in order to awaken your own Buddha-nature.
*Practice meditation, especially with compassion and without grasping.  Do any of your Buddhist practices with focus and sincerity. 
*Recite long-life prayers for your gurus.
*Light incense and candles, place water bowls, and dedicate them to the Three Jewels. 
*Read biographies of the Mahasiddhas and of great Lamas. 
*Save and assist animals and insects.
*Be kind and patient with all people.

*Eat vegetarian or vegan. <–This is recommended by Lama Kunga RInpoche, especially on June 14th.
*You can also make mental offerings of all kinds. 
*Some people take the Eight Mahayana Precepts for a day or more, especially on the full moon day, June 14th.   
*Do purification practices, such as, Vajrasattva or Prostrations to the 35 Confession Buddhas.
*Spend a couple of days eating like an ordained person, which means, don’t eat after 1:00 pm. 
*Recite food offering prayers before you take food, and visualize the offering to the Three Jewels.
*With a view of emptiness, dedicate the merit of everything you do to all sentient beings.

                                   
For a copy of the Food Prayer used at Ewam Choden click HERE.

BIRTHDAY WISHES and LONG LIFE PRAYERS For HIS HOLINESS the 41st SAKYA TRICHEN

September 6, 2021 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

Ven. Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche with the Sangha and friends of Ewam Choden Tibetan Buddhist Center send prayers and wishes for the long life and good health of His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin.

May you continue to benefit countless beings in many ways.

Here is a link to His Holiness’ long life prayer.

LINK https://bf812545-ca0b-47fd-943a-83519625ddd2.filesusr.com/ugd/5ef71c_f2ec0e04dc974ef981c7c9d56dad24a5.pdf?index=true

Activity Completed–Have a rich, resourceful, and righteous New Year! LOSAR MEDITATION, TEACHING, and ACTIVITIES on ZOOM with Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche on Sunday, February 14, 2021

February 4, 2021 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

༄༅།།ལོ་གསར་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཞུ།   

It’s time to welcome a new year according to the Tibetan lunar calendar. This is the year of the METAL OX, 2148.

It is said that the OX represents stability, loyalty, and trustworthiness. In some Buddhist paintings, an ox and its herder show the path to realize our Buddha nature.
After a unique year of challenging difficulty for people throughout the world, we can look for an improvement.

Although the Ewam Choden Center has to remain closed. we are all very fortunate for Lama Kunga Rinpoche’s presence at Ewam Choden and we are grateful for his kind and inspiring Sunday morning compassion meditation sessions.

We are grateful for your continued support and encourage you to maintain your membership in the Center and to please be generous with your donations. The Center is in need particularly because of the lack of large events with visiting teachers during the past year. TO DONATE: Select the DONATE button on the front page of this website.

TO LOGIN TO THE LOSAR ZOOM MEDITATION ON SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 14, 2021 AT 10:00 am Pacific Time (US),

Please go to the page for ZOOM MEDITATION on the front page of this website.

completed–SAKA DAWA—SACRED and CELEBRATORY MONTH from May 23, 2020 – Special Day is June 5, full moon day

April 1, 2020 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

LKR offer khatak

 Click on photos to enlarge them.

Flower

The Life of the Buddha

Life of Buddha Thangka                                                                                                                               

SAKA DAWA  In Tibetan, Dawa is moon and Saka is a star that appears with the full moon at this time.  DURING SAKA DAWA, we commemorate the Birth, the Enlightenment, and the Parinirvana (death) of the Buddha. This is the fourth month of the Tibetan calendar, starting on May 23 in the year 2020.  The most holy day is the day of the full moon (15th Tibetan day), which is June 5th.  During the entire period, the merit of all good that you do or think is multiplied many times, from 100 to 100,000 times to as many as one hundred million times.  On the other hand,  your negative deeds and thought are also multiplied.  Therefore, this is a perfect time to be focused and dedicated to spiritually positive behavior.

WHAT IN PARTICULAR CAN WE DO?  Respectfully clean your shrine and make offerings to the Three Jewels and your shrine space. Practice generosity to all beings. This includes the generosity of forgiving the people and situations that upset and enrage you. Forgive yourself, too, in order to awaken your own Buddha-nature. Practice meditation, especially with compassion and without grasping.  Do any of your Buddhist practices with focus and sincerity.  Light incense and candles, place water bowls, and dedicate them.  Read biographies of the Mahasiddhas and of great Lamas.  Save and assist animals and insects. Be kind and patient with all people.  You can also make mental offerings of all kinds.  Some people take the Eight Mahayana Precepts for a day or more, especially on the full moon day, June 9th.  Eat vegetarian or vegan.  Spend a couple of days eating like an ordained person–nothing to eat after 1 pm.  Recite food offering prayers before you take food, and visualize the offering to the Three Jewels.

Here are the traditional Sakya food offering prayers used by Lama Kunga Rinpoche at Ewam Choden.

CLICK ON THE  WORDS AFTER THE ARROW TO OPEN A DOWNLOADABLE PDF FILE    —–>  FOOD OFFERING PRAYERS

HERE are photos taken during Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche’s last trip to India.

Bodhgaya   and   Sarnath

Bodhigaya              LKR Sarnath       

Buddha statue

(Thangka photo courtesy of http://www.himalayanart.org/items/30696)

CANCELLATION OF ALL EVENTS AT EWAM CHODEN until further notice – posted on 3/13/20

March 13, 2020 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

Ven. Lama Kunga RInpoche wants you to know that he is sorry we have to do this.
He wants everyone to be as safe and healthy as possible.
On the other hand, we want our precious Lama to be as safe and healthy as possible.
Therefore, Sunday compassion meditation, empowerments, classes, and all other activities at Ewam Choden will not be conducted for the time being.
We’ll send an announcement of any change.

Meanwhile, you may do the (Sunday) Chenrezig meditation at home, saying prayers and mantras for the benefit of all sentient beings.

Send an email if you have any comment or question.  info@ewamchoden.org

Completed—ANNUAL MEMORIAL PRAYERS on Thursday, November 21st, 2019 at 7:00 pm at Ewam Choden

October 7, 2019 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche will conduct the annual Memorial Prayer service at Ewam Choden.

Annually, Ewam Choden holds a gathering to offer prayers for the benefit of all of our friends, relatives and countless sentient beings who have passed on in this year and in previous years. 

The event is open to everyone.
You may bring a photo of a special person or animal you wish to include.   You may bring tea candles or flowers to set up near the shrine.   The gathering begins at 7 p.m. and lasts for one and a half to two hours.


 

Completed–LOSAR (Tibetan New Year) ORACLE SOUP PARTY on FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2020, 7:00 pm, at Ewam Choden.

October 7, 2019 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

Welcome to the Tibetan New Year Celebrations at Ewam Choden !
༄༅།།ལོ་གསར་ལ་བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས་ཞུ།      Losar La Tashi Delek    New Year’s Greetings!   
The new year is 2147, the year of the Male Iron Rat.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME !

FRIDAY EVENING, 2/21/19 at 7:00 pm at Ewam Choden:   ORACLE SOUP POTLUCK PARTY

Everyone is welcome to a LOSAR potluck party at Ewam Choden on Friday, February 21st at 7:00 pm.  From the Oracle Soup, you will receive a special dumpling in which your unique fortune for the new year can be found.  Join Rinpoche and Sangha friends for a delicious potluck meal.


TIBETAN LOSARoracle (1)

Completed—NEW YEAR’S EVE PRAYERS on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31st, 2019 at EWAM CHODEN at 11:00 pm

October 5, 2019 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

Pray for compassion and peace, health and prosperity as you ring in the solar new year 2020.

 On Tuesday, December 31st, starting at 11:00 p.m., Lama Kunga Rinpoche will lead some meditation and the recitation of auspicious prayers.

Everyone will welcome the New Year with light refreshments, and wishes of peace and joy for all sentient beings. 

Everyone is welcome.

new years 2020

Prayer Wheel

COMPLETED—EMPOWERMENTS with HIS EMINENCE GYANA VAJRA RINPOCHE April 21-22, 2019

April 2, 2019 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

His Eminence Gyana Vajra Rinpoche has kindly agreed to bestow the following two empowerments. 

 

 VAJRAKILAYA TORMA EMPOWERMENT on Sunday, April 21, 2019.   There is no prerequisite. This event is open to everyone.  The requested donation is $55.

TIME:  2:00 pm.  Arrive earlier to check in.   LOCATION:  Gyuto Foundation,   6401 Bernhard Ave, Richmond, CA 94805   Please don’t contact Gyuto about this event !

REGISTER and PAY FOR the VAJRAKILAYA TORMA EMPOWERMENT at the door.
Online registration is now closed.
NO CREDIT CARDS OR PAYPAL CAN BE USED AT THE DOOR.  CASH OR CHECK ONLY.
Please arrive early.
 ——————————————————————————————————
 

VAJRAPANI BHUTADAMARA EMPOWERMENT on Monday, April 22, 2019.  This event is open to everyone. The requested donation is $35.  Cash or check only.

TIME:  7:00 pm.  Arrive earlier to check in.   LOCATION:  EWAM CHODEN
THERE IS NO ADVANCE REGISTRATION FOR THIS EMPOWERMENT.  Please register at the door.  Since space is limited, arriving early will assure your spot.

 ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

HE Gyana Vajra R (1)

HE Gyana Vajra Rinpoche    HE Gyana Vajra.smileHE Gyana Vajra throne

ABOUT HIS EMINENCE GYANA VAJRA RINPOCHE

Khöndung Gyana Vajra Rinpoche was born in Dehradun, Northern India, on 5th July 1979, the tenth day of the fifth lunar month of the Tibetan lunar calendar, on the holy birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava. Rinpoche’s birth was accompanied by auspicious signs, blessing the Sakya Dolma Phodrang with the arrival of a second lineage holder of the glorious Sakyapa Khön Tradition.
Rinpoche was given the Sanskrit name of Gyana Vajra (Tibetan: Yeshe Dorje), a practice that began with the birth of his noble father, His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin.

At the age of four, Rinpoche began to read and write in Tibetan, and was remarkably proficient in his learning. Under the guidance of his noble father and of Venerable Lama Rinchen Sangpo, his early years were dedicated to the study of religious texts, reading, writing, grammar, memorization of the main Sakya prayers and the performance of rituals.
At an early age, Rinpoche joined the Sakya Centre, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin’s main monastery, where he undertook his training in the principal rituals and prayers of the Sakya Tradition. After successfully completing the course of studies at Sakya Centre, Rinpoche joined Sakya College and pursued its curriculum of Higher Philosophical Studies under the guidance of the late Venerable Khenpo Migmar Tsering.
Throughout his life, Rinpoche has received from His Holiness the Sakya Trizin most of the major initiations, empowerments, oral transmissions, blessings and pith instructions that are inherent to the Sakya Tradition, notably the profound Lamdre teachings of ‘Taking the Result as the Path’. Furthermore, Rinpoche has received numerous common and uncommon teachings from some of the preeminent teachers of Tibetan Buddhism of our age, including His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama, the late H.E. Dorje Chang Chogye Trichen Rinpoche, H.E. Luding Khenchen Rinpoche, Khöndung Ratna Vajra Rinpoche, H.E. Luding Khen Rinpoche, H.E. Jetsun Chimey Luding Rinpoche, the late H.E. Deshung Rinpoche and the late H.E. Khenchen Appey Rinpoche.
Rinpoche has, for several years, assisted His Holiness the 41st Sakya Trizin during his noble father’s teaching tours both in India and abroad, while he himself has regularly turned the wheel of Dharma in centers across the world, giving teachings and initiations to disciples in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia. Rinpoche is fluent in English, Tibetan and Hindi.
(from https://www.glorioussakya.org/history/hegvs/)

 

Completed for now. May resume again.–TIBETAN READING & WRITING LANGUAGE CLASSES WITH VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE at Ewam Choden

February 6, 2019 by  
Filed under Completed Special Events

BEGINNING and CONTINUING TIBETAN LANGUAGE CLASSES

tibetan

We are very happy to announce that Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche has kindly offered to hold another series of two different weekly classes in Introductory Tibetan Language, Reading and Writing.
Open to everyone, the classes start at the beginner level. There is also a continuing class for people who began last Fall or anyone with prior experience.
Handouts and practice sheets of the daily studies are provided at the classes.

LOCATION:  Ewam Choden
TIME: 7:00 p.m. (to about 8:30 p.m.)
DAY:  Tuesdays for Beginning and Wednesdays for Continuing
FEE:  $20 per class, or one payment of $120.
Pre-registration isn’t required, but it’s a good idea to email your intention to attend.

THE BEGINNING CLASS will meet on the following Tuesdays:
2/19, 2/26, 3/5,  3/12, 3/19, 3/26

THE CONTINUING CLASS will meet on the following Wednesdays:
2/20, 2/27, 3/6, 3/13, 3/20, 3/27

NOTE that there could be an unplanned change in a date, requiring an additional day to be set.

Email Ewam Choden if you have any questions.

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