August 3, 2004 Note: We are using a new "VCR-like" MP3 recording
system to speed up the posting of the recordings to this page. The
unfortunate drawback is that if class starts a few minutes late, there
will be a few minutes of silence at the beginning of the file. You
can use your media player to skip this silent passage manually.
(If class starts really late - sometimes 20 minutes! - there will
be that much silence.)
Live Broadcast From Kurukulla Center
If you have troubles with this link to the left, you may try pasting in
the following URL into QuickTime directly:
rtsp://67.103.190.196/kkcqt2.sdp
Please be patient as the live connection will take about 20 seconds
to start with the sound.
Regularly scheduled classes are held at the following times:
Sundays 10AM-12Noon, EST (-5 GMT)
Wednesdays 7-9PM, EST (-5 GMT)
For information on these classes, and other scheduled classes,
please view our Calendar.
If you need to get the Free RealPlayer, you
may download and install it from this link. Available for Windows, Macintosh, Linux.
Library of Recorded Teachings
We are delighted to offer audio files of selected
talks by our resident lama Geshe Tsulga and visiting and senior
teachers. As our community grows, more and more members participate from
a distance and are not easily able to attend teachings. With this new
service, a much wider audience can now benefit from the easy
availability of these Dharma recordings.
All audio recordings are available in MP3 format, unless otherwise listed. Most MP3 average
20MB. If you have a 56K Modem, it will take 2 hours to download each file. Broadband users
will have a much shorter download time.
His Holiness The Dalai Lama Visits Kurukulla Center
On September 12, 2003, Kurukulla Center hosted a very
special visit from His Holiness The XIV Dalai Lama.
His Holiness addressed the students and the visitors in
the back garden.
Kurukulla Center is honored to welcome Venerable
Choden Rinpoche for a series of teachings in November 2004. Rinpoche will
teach on Atisha's A Lamp for the Path and give a Yamantaka and
Kurukulla Empowerment.
Lines of Experience
The Lines of Experience, a Lamrim prayer written in 25 verses by Lama
Tsongkhapa, one of the most eminent scholar and practitioners in
Buddhist history, is introduced and discussed by Ven. Choden Rinpoche,
himself an eminent scholar-practitioner. This very personal prayer
speaks of the practices Je Tsongkhapa followed and the view he
cultivated to become closer to liberation. This is an excellent
introduction to the path to enlightenment texts for newer students and
an excellent opportunity for more experienced students to review the
points of the path.
Oral Transmission of Two Dharma Treatises: The Ornament of Clear Realizations and Seventy Topics
Tonight Venerable Choden Rinpoche continues the
respected Buddhist tradition of formally passing on the teachings from
teacher to disciple. Rinpoche recites the texts in Tibetan and in so
doing secures the survival of the lineage from the time of Shakyamuni
Buddha up to the present. For much of this year, Geshe Tsulga has been
teaching these texts so we are very fortunate to receive the blessing of
the lineage from this great guru and lineage holder. Prior to imparting
the oral transmission, Rinpoche will give an explanatory talk.
Oral Transmission of Two Puja Texts: The Guru Puja & Medicine Buddha Puja
We regularly perform these two pujas at Kurukulla
Center. By receiving these transmissions, our practice of them will be
great enhanced. The oral transmissions will be prefaced by an
explanatory talk.
Seven Point Mind Training
Kadampa Geshe Chekawa's Seven-Point Mind Training is
the main Tibetan source for the genre of teachings generally known as
"mind training." Although all the Buddha's teachings were meant for
training the mind, the connotation of mind training is the development
of bodhicitta, the determination to reach enlightenment for the sake of
all sentient beings.
Rinpoche will give commentary on this great mind transformation or
"lo.jong" text which can be found here.
Based on two famous lines from Nagarjuna's Precious Garland, "May the
negativity and suffering of others ripen on me and may all my virtue and
happiness ripen on them," these teachings give clear practical
instruction in overcoming self-cherishing - the main hindrance to
enlightenment - and transforming problems into happiness.
Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche - Special Visit Summer 2005 To Milarepa Center
Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche was born in the province of Amdo Ð eastern
Tibet Ð in 1926, and at age six was recognized as the reincarnation
of the former abbot of the Kirti Gompa. At the age of nine, He was
ordained as a monk. Rinpoche received teachings from many high Lamas
of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Lama Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche is one of the holders of the tantra of
Kalachakra lineage, having received that empowerment when he was 14
years old. At the age of 32 and having completed his monastic
studies he was appointed as the Abbot of Kirti.
After escaping from T’bet in 1959, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche taught
Tibetan orphans at the Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala,
India. At the age of 45 he began a fifteen-year meditation retreat
in a small stone hermitage above Dharamsala, "big enough for a bed,
prostrations, and a stove". He spent seven years in meditation on
Lam Rim, three years on "Seven Point Thought Transformation", and
some generation and completion stage tantra. Two years were spent
only on generation and completion stages and in the final 3 years,
Rinpoche repeated all of the above.
Rinpoche has given Kalachakra commentary to His Holiness the Dalai
Lama and is a teacher of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has
said of Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, "He is a great Kadampa master who
shows real Kadampa Tradition...so completely renounced. There's not
one slightest worldly activity, not the slightest eight world
dharmas, no self cherishing thought. Even talking, everything is as
much as possible pleasing to sentient being's minds."
Rinpoche has been giving teachings around the world in many
countries included: Australia, Germany, Holland, Hong Kong, Italy,
New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.
Our resident teacher Geshe Tsulga continues
with the text called The Path to Bliss Leading to Omniscience, a
lam.rim (steps on the path) text, composed by the First Panchen Lama, which he
began two weeks ago. The text covers all of the essential points of the
Buddhist spiritual tradition.Thisis a great class suitable for
new and continuing students alike. A copy of the root text and a
commentary on it by the Dalai Lama are available in the Kurukulla
bookstore. The tradition of lam.rim is core and foundational to all our
other practices. One needs to hear, study, contemplate and meditate on
these teachings over and over again. Studying this text is a wonderful
opportunity and Geshela is an living embodiment of them.
Resident teacher Geshe Tsulga introduces us to a short text by
the great Tibetan meditation master Pabongkha Rinpoche How to Meditate
on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment (Lam Rim). Previously
Geshe-la has given us a solid philosophical foundation in the stages of
the path teachings and most recently guidelines on meditating on the
lamrim. This new class will focus on increasing our experiential
understanding of these topics. Learning to contemplate and meditate on
the Lam Rim has very direct and practical applications in our daily life
-- learning to respond in balanced and realistic way to whatever life
brings our way.
In anticipation of Sakadawa on Wed, June 18 which commemorates Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment and parinirvana, resident teacher Geshe Tsula relates stories of the major events from Shakyamuni Buddha's life.
Tara is a beloved female Buddha, the enlightened activity of all the
Buddhas. Reciting her Praises is a practice done daily by thousands and
for millennia. Geshe Tsulga kindly gives a commentary on these Praises,
for the first time since he has been in the West. For a copy of the
Praises please click
here
Also, we recommend this book as a reference for Geshe-las teachings on
the Twenty-one Taras
It contains the verses themselves, and also the First
Dalai Lama's commentary that Geshe-la is using, his praise to Tara,
"Leg-tri-ma," that Geshe-la mentioned, and much more material as well.
Our resident teacher Geshe Tsulga gives teachings on the text
A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life by
Shantideva, one of the great texts of Mahayana Buddhism.
From September, 2003 Geshela began Chapter VI the section on Patience.
Geshe Tsulga - Oral Transmission of "The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in 8000 Lines"
The 8000 Lines is one of the Buddha's principal works in the Perfection of Wisdom literature and was taught to show us the ultimate nature of reality and how we evolve into bodhisattvas and buddhas.
In these five sessions, Geshe Tsulga will recite the entire sutra in Tibetan, thereby giving listeners the oral transmission (Tib: lung), which he received from his teacher. This unbroken lineage can be traced back to the Buddha himself. This rare and precious opportunity to receive the imprints and blessings of the perfection of wisdom will be presented in the traditional manner. You may attend any part of the transmission, but to receive the entire transmission, you should be on time and not miss any sessions. White flowers are appropriate for the altar.
If you have Edward Conze's English translation, The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines and Its Verse Summary, please bring it with you. The sponsors hope to have copies available for everyone, but this text is not easily available.
These sessions are fully sponsored. After the final session there will be opportunity to make an offering to Geshe-la.
Geshe Tsulga - The Three Principal Aspects of the Path
The Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Lama Tsongkhapa is a concise
summary of the essential points of Mahayana Buddhism. It covers the
entire scope of Buddhist teachings which are divided into three main
categoriesrenunciation, bodhicitta and the wisdom realizing emptiness.
Renunciation is turning away from that which does not lead to ultimate
happiness, bodhicitta is the determination to lead all sentient beings
without exception to enlightenment, and wisdom is the correct view of
reality. The great Tibetan scholar and practitioner Lama Tsongkhapa
masterfully summarized these vast teachings into a fourteen verse poem,
which resident teacher Geshe Tsulga will use as the basis for his
explanation on how to develop these fundamental insights.
Debate is a vital technique used by Tibetan Buddhist scholars to sharpen
their understanding of the ideas presented in Buddhist texts. The form
it takes in Tibetan monasteries is quite different from what most of us
Westerners are familiar with. This is an on-going series geared to
Western students new to debate. Although no specific background is
necessary, a commitment to study and do homework assignments is
required. An enthusiasm to learn the subject and willingness to
participate fully is also recommended.
Geshe Tsulga - Oral Transmission of Lam Rim Chenmo
The Lamrim Chenmo or Great Treatise on the Stages of
the Path to Enlightenment by Lama Tsongkhapa remains one of the most
revered spiritual treatises in the world of Tibetan Buddhism. It
encompasses the breadth and depth of the Buddha's sutra teachings and
organizes them into a threefold division based upon the motivation of
the spiritual practitioner, excluding any directed toward material gain
in this life.
During these sessions, Geshe Tsulga recites the entire text in Tibetan,
giving listeners the oral transmission (Tib: lung) he received from his
teacher. Receiving the transmission is considered to carry enormous
benefit for one's understanding.
The transmission follows a traditional presentation. You may attend any
part of the transmission, but to receive it in its entirety, you should
be on time and not miss any sessions. If you have the three volumes of
the Snow Lion Publication Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to
Enlightenment, please bring them with you.
Technical difficulties with new recording system. Corrected files will be posted in a few days
Geshe Tsulga - Ornament of Clear Realizations
The spiritual realizations a bodhisattva gains
along the path to enlightenment are the subject of The Ornament of Clear
Realizations. This text was written by Maitreya to illuminate the
spiritual levels of insight that are presented in a hidden manner in the
Perfection of Wisdom sutras. Our study will focus on the realizations
described in Chapter 4.
This class will focus on Chapter One of the Tathagata Essence or
Uttaratantra text by Maitreya. This highly influential text explains why
high states of understanding and even enlightenment are possible for
every sentient being. It serves as a bridge between the sutrayana or
shared teachings and the more esoteric and restricted vajrayana
teachings. This topic is of great consequence for all Buddhist
practitioners regardless of our background. When we understand that all
of us without exception possess buddha-nature, the inherent purity of
the mind free from defiled mental states, we gain the confidence that
with effort we can evolve to a state of enlightenment. This insight
prevents us from either the arrogance that we are superior to others or
the self-loathing that doubts our own abilities. The text also explains
in great detail the meaning of the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma and
Sangha, an understanding that is foundational for all Buddhists. An
electronic version of the text will be distributed by email to all those
attending the class.
Geshe Tsulga teaches the "Seventy Topics",
an outline of the entire sutra path to enlightenment as presented
in Maitreya's highly respected Ornament of Clear Realizations.
This is a challenging subject but considered well worth our
time and effort as it brings many benefits in the long-term.
We are fortunate to have a patient and well-qualified teacher
like Geshe-la to guide us through this text.
Our resident teacher Geshe Tsulga gave a course of
teachings on tenets, or the philosophical views of the four main schools
of Buddhism. Here are some of the classes from the fall schedule.
For the past two years, Geshe Tsulga has blessed
our center by giving us teachings on one of the Lamrim or path to
enlightenment texts by the great Tsongkhapa. Lamrim texts are treasured
because they summarize the key points of the Buddha's teachings in a
concise and progressive manner; it is like having a blueprint to an
enlightened state of mind.
Geshe-la will teach on the first five-bodhisattva perfections -
generosity, ethical conduct, patience, enthusiastic effort and
concentration.
Dharmarakshita wrote this text centuries ago, yet
its message remains valid and profoundÐ all of our misfortunes originate
from not understanding that true happiness comes from giving up the
self-cherishing mind. Powerful images are used to inspire us to make
good use of our precious human life and break through our limited view
of what we can attain.
Venerable Rene Feusi was born in Switzerland and first
encountered Buddhism in 1979 at the age of 20, when he attended the
annual November course at Kopan Monastery in Nepal. When he has 26 he
took getsul (novice) ordination and full (getsul) ordination one year
later. In 1988 Ven Rene entered Nalanda Monastery in France and studied
with Geshe Tegchok for four years during which time he also completed
the traditional 900,000 preliminary practices. Between 1993 and 1995 he
completed a 2 1/2 year solitary retreat at Osel Ling in Spain which
focused on Calm Abiding practice. Since then Ven Rene has continued to
study, retreat, teach and guide students in meditation and retreats
worldwide. He is currently the resident teacher at Vajrapani Institute
in CA.
Ven. Rene kindly gave two weeks of teachings during the Winter 2008.
Dr. Nick Ribush - The Meaning of Life: Suffering & Liberation
Suffering happens when we have experiences we don't want. Buddhism
addresses this in two ways. First, we learn how to deal with difficult
situations in a skillful manner. Then, we learn the causes so we can
stop creating them and avoid suffering altogether. Veteran teacher Nick
Ribush describes the practical Buddhist tools to bring these teachings
into everyday situations.
Of the many meditation techniques in Buddhism, they all share the need
for a calm, focused mind. When our minds are concentrated, they become
serviceable and we experience inner peace and spaciousness. We
will learn techniques to stabilize the mind and overcome obstacles.
The first three trainings on the bodhisattva path are generosity,
morality and patience. By engaging in these practices, our minds become
more tranquil and our relationships more harmonious. Over these three
weeks, we will discuss these perfections in detail and how to actualize
them in our lives.
The Seven-Point Mind Training by Chekawa, the twelfth-century Kadampa
master, is a brief, moving text of essential advice for integrating the
Dharma into one's mind. It uses pithy sayings to help readers better
recall and apply the teachings in all aspects of their lives.
When Geshe Chekawa came across Langri Tangpa's Eight Verses, he was so
struck by the fifth verse, especially the line that says "give the
victory to others," that he sought out Geshe Sharawa, a disciple of the
author, to find out how to put these words into practice. The secret
oral teachings Chekawa received became the basis for the Seven-Point
Mind Training. After that, the mind-training teachings became well known
and became an essential part of every Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
While all the teachings of the Buddha can be considered "mind training,"
the genre of teaching by this name (Tibetan: lojong) presents specific
practices for enhancing our bodhichittaÑthe determination to reach
enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beingsÑwith particular
emphasis on techniques for exchanging self and others.
In the class, Nick Ribush will go through the root text with reference
to several of the many English-language commentaries now available,
especially those contained in the new Wisdom book, Mind Training,
translated by Geshe Thupten Jinpa.
Although Tantric Buddhism, or the Vajrayana, is currently very
fashionable many of us are uncertain about just what tantra is. How
does it differ from Mahayana Buddhism? Why is it said to be the fastest
path to enlightenment yet the one with the most pitfalls? What about
the deities Ð who are they? And how do I know if I am ready for tantra?
With the visit of Choden Rinpoche to Kurukulla Center in November,
these questions are even more pressing as he will give the Yamantaka
empowerment, a highest yoga tantra.
This six-week series from the Discovering Buddhism program provides an
opportunity to learn about the Tantric path, its four classes and its
place in Buddhism. Also, the importance of the guru, the actual
initiation, tantric vows and the sadhana practice will be covered.
There will be time set aside for questions about this compelling and
mysterious path.
Required Reading: Introduction to Tantra by Lama Yeshe, Wisdom
Publications.
Reciting the
refuge prayer (I go for refuge to the Buddha, to the Dharma and to the
Sangha) is a common thread through the diversity of Buddhist teachings.
Some of us may have heard or even said these words many times but are not
certain what exactly they mean. Others may be unfamiliar with these words
but still find Buddhist teachings appealing and valuable for dealing with
life's complexities. So what exactly is refuge and what does this prayer
mean?
During this 6 week course from our Discovering Buddhism series, Nick Ribush
helps us investigate the meaning of refuge and its place in Buddhism. What
does it mean to go for refuge in the "Three Jewels?" Who do we go to for
refuge? Why is it important to do so?
The Discovering Buddhism program is designed for students with a background
in any type of Buddhism that are interested in exploring Tibetan Buddhism in
more depth. Readings by contemporary Buddhist teachers such as His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche are assigned as well as
occasional homework to supplement the weekly lectures. There is also ample
time for questions.
Our beloved teacher, Ven. Geshe Tsulga, has requested that
while he is in India this winter, we put the teachings he has so kindly
been giving us into practice. As Geshe-la constantly emphasizes, the
essence of our practice should be purification and accumulation of merit
through the seven-limbs of prostration, offering, confession, rejoicing,
requesting, beseeching and dedication. Our spiritual director, Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, has compiled a daily meditation practice around the seven
limbs that contains a wealth of purification and merit-generating
practices and will be the basis of these classes. Geshe-la has strongly
requested all of us to attend these sessions while he's away.
Success in following both the sutra and tantra paths to
enlightenment depends upon developing and maintaining a proper
relationship with a spiritual teacher. The classic text on how to do
this remains Ashvagosha's Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion, written more
than 2,000 years ago. As the Foundation of All Good Qualities says,
correct devotion to the spiritual teacher is the root of the path. The
basis of these classes will be an in-depth commentary on the root text
by Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey, which itself was based on commentaries by
Lama Tsong Khapa and Pabongka Rinpoche.
A direct encounter with the inevitability of our death is
key to making good use of our life. Geshe Tsulga often reminds us of
the importance of doing so and says that it is one of the best ways to
transform our minds. In this five-week course, veteran teacher Nick
Ribush leads us through a comprehensive presentation of death and the
realms of existence according to Buddhism. He will also lead us in a
guided practice of the nine-point meditation on death.
David Kittlestrom - The Science of Stilling the Mind
The Buddha, along with all the great masters of India and
Tibet, was very clear about the need to develop attention in order to
successfully tread the path to enlightenment. Without a basic level of
mental stability, we cannot let go of attachment, we cannot do tantric
visualizations, and any insights we have will be fleeting and
ineffective. Thus, if we want our practice to bear fruit, we must learn
to still the mind. In Buddhism, this practice is called shamata, and
there are very clear instructions for how to cultivate it and how to
evaluate progress. Essentially, the practice is one of learning to let
go and calm the inner commentary, so that the mind can naturally settle
into a place of stillness and equanimity.
Perfecting this skill requires fulltime effort in seclusion for many
months, and the result is effortless attention for hours on end,
accompanied by unimaginable bliss. But even small improvements in our
faculty of attention can lead to great enhancement in both our Dharma
and worldly pursuits. In this five-week workshop, we will experiment to
see how far we can go amid busy lives. Participants will be expected to
meditate at home between classes. Together, we will look at ways to
create conditions conducive to the practice, and support one another in
gradually increasing our powers of attention.
The mind is elusive and yet so powerful. It is hard to
describe yet we see its workings everywhere. In Buddhism the study of
the mind is of central importance. Appropriately this topic serves as
the theme of the first course in the Discovering Buddhism program. This
series delves into the nature of the mind, why it is so crucial to
Buddhist practice and what techniques we can use to transform our minds
so as to gain inner peace and reduce mental disturbances.
When the external conditions of our life are going well, it
is easy to be happy. But for many of us, when those conditions change
into difficulties we respond with unhappy states of mind. Is it possible
to maintain a steadiness of outlook and a calm optimism regardless of
what the world brings us? Ven. Ngawang will speak about how to cultivate
and sustain a positive attitude and kind heart by practicing the
trainings of the bodhisattva path. This class is suitable for both
newcomers and more advanced student.
After hearing Buddhist teachings, the next step is to begin
to put them into practice. In this course we are shown just how to do
this. Ven. Tsunma-la will help us assemble the tools to develop a
successful daily meditation practice so that our efforts lead to
realizations in the mind.
The Ornament summarizes the Buddha's vast Perfection of Wisdom teachings,
describing the paths followed by bodhisattvas, hearers and solitary realizers and the fruits of their practice.
This essential Mahayana text is difficult to comprehend without the interpretation of a skilled teacher.
Ven. Ngawang Tenley, who is near completion of his geshe degree at Sera Je Monastery,
continues the commentary this winter while Geshe Tsulga is away.
Although this class is open to anyone, a background in the Lamrim teachings or familiarity with Buddhist
philosophy is recommended for this intermediate level series. However, even without familiarity with the topic,
Geshela has emphasized it is highly beneficial to listen in order to receive imprints which lays the foundation for understanding in the future.
