Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2022-08-31 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-07 18:30 - 19:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Class Fee $10 – Living Lightly

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and brief prayers, and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone.
Please arrive a few minutes early to settle, whether in person or online.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84060006948

Lunchtime Meditation
2022-09-01 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-08 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-15 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-22 12:30 - 13:00 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Thursdays
A Joyful Path

Everyone is welcome to drop in at the Center for lunchtime meditations.
Joy is a state of mind. In these lunchtime meditations we will hear about different Buddhist views that cultivate joyful minds. These Introductory meditations are based on Lamrim, the backbone of Kadampa Buddhism.

Thursday Evening Meditation Class
2022-09-01 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-08 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-15 18:30 - 19:45 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Class Fee $10 – Living Lightly

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and brief prayers, and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone.
Please arrive a few minutes early to settle.

Lunchtime Meditation
2022-09-06 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-13 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-20 12:30 - 13:00 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Tuesdays
Simply Breathe

Everyone is welcome to drop in at the Center for lunchtime meditations.
During these half hour sessions we are guided through a simple guided breathing meditation. This type of meditation is perfect for beginners and advanced meditators. By focusing on the breath all our worries, distractions, and obsessive ways of thinking fall away and we experience inner peace. Our mind is refreshed and relaxed and we’ll find it easier to deal with day to day stress.

Lunchtime Meditation
2022-09-07 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-14 12:30 - 13:00, 2022-09-21 12:30 - 13:00 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Wednesdays
Stress Relief

Everyone is welcome to drop in at the Center for lunchtime meditations.
Let go of your stress and concerns, unwind, and enjoy a place of peace in the middle of your work week. In our busy lives, we need to nourish our mind as well as our bodies. Come enjoy a relaxing lunchtime break with a guided breathing meditation.

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2022-09-07 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-14 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-21 18:30 - 19:45 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States

24-Hr Tara Prayers
2022-09-08 | CA
Worldwide puja joined by many from around the world to pray for the welfare of the world.

This puja is currently streamed online at: https://kadampa.org/liberation-from-sorrow

Meditation for World Peace
2022-09-11 10:30 - 11:45 | CA
“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.” ~
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

Prayer and meditation are neither small nor passive actions. Rather, they are a force for change in our shared world. Join us to bring peace to our world through the action of meditation, and dedicating our prayers for world peace. Everyone is welcome – you do not need to be a Buddhist to attend.
Class is $10, payable through our Donate page.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/98408612855

Meeting ID: 984 0861 2855

Each class consists of a guided breathing meditation, a short teaching on the practice of wisdom and compassion, and prayers (in English) to the Buddha of Compassion. Prayer booklets and downloaded e-prayer booklets can be purchased HERE.

Meditation for World Peace
2022-09-11 10:30 - 11:45, 2022-09-18 10:30 - 11:45 | CA
“Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.” ~
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche

Prayer and meditation are neither small nor passive actions. Rather, they are a force for change in our shared world. Join us to bring peace to our world through the action of meditation, and dedicating our prayers for world peace. Everyone is welcome – you do not need to be a Buddhist to attend.
Class is $10, payable at the center or through our Donate page.

Each class consists of a guided breathing meditation, a short teaching on the practice of wisdom and compassion, and prayers (in English) to the Buddha of Compassion. Prayer booklets are available for use at the center. Prayer booklets and downloaded e-prayer booklets can be purchased HERE.

Powa Prayers
2022-09-11 14:30 - 15:15 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Through practicing transference of consciousness — known as ‘powa’ — with faith, compassion, and concentration we can transfer the consciousness of those recently deceased to a higher rebirth or to the Pure Land of a Buddha. The Powa Ceremony can be done either by a group of practitioners or individually on behalf of one or more deceased persons, or countless deceased beings. By engaging in this practice we also create a great collection of virtue, which will also lead us into the pathway to a Buddha’s Pure Land.
All chanted prayers are free.

Guided Lamrim Meditation
2022-09-12 18:30 - 19:45, 2022-09-19 18:30 - 19:45 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Transform Your Life

In these meditation classes we will familiarize ourselves with the minds of Lamrim.

Lamrim is a special set of meditations presented by the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha and clarified by the great Tibetan Buddhist Master Je Tsongkhapa. Lamrim condenses all the essential teachings of Buddha into a practice that modern people can use in their daily life.

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation, preparatory prayers, and culminates with a second meditation based upon the eveningâ€™s topic. Drop in to any or all classes in this course. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience.

Please arrive five minutes early to settle.
Suggested donation is $10, and you can donate HERE.

Quick Path to Great Bliss
2022-09-13 07:30 - 09:00, 2022-09-20 07:30 - 09:00 | CA
*Highest Yoga Tantra practitioners only, please.

Foundation Program
2022-09-13 18:30 - 20:30, 2022-09-20 18:30 - 20:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
We are studying How to Understand the Mind by living Buddhist Master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. This book offers us deep insight into our mind, and shows us how an understanding of its nature and functions can be used practically in everyday experience to improve our lives.

Through systematic study and meditation on this program we can deepen our understanding and insight of Buddhaâ€™s teachings, gain confidence in our meditation practice, and transform our lives by transforming our own mind. By learning to understand our own experiences of difficulty, problems, and suffering, we will be better able to support to those around us, and impact their lives in a more positive, meaningful way.

This study program requires enrollment, with a commitment to attend scheduled classes. Classes meet on Tuesday nights. Please click here to see Winter/Spring 2022 schedule.

Please ask to speak with our Education Program Coordinator, Mindy Thomas, or Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan for information about enrollment. (805) 563-6000

Buddha's Return from Heaven Day
2022-09-22 10:30 - 12:30 | CA
Join us for a special Offering to the Spiritual Guide practice to celebrate Buddhaâ€™s Return from Heaven Day.

The following explanation is an extract from a talk given by Geshe Kelsang on this day in 1991:
â€˜On this day we celebrate Buddhaâ€™s return from the desire god realm called Land of the Thirty-three Heavens, where he had been to visit his mother who had been reborn there.
Traditionally this day also marks the end of the summer retreat. Every year, during the summer months, Buddha did a three-month retreat with his disciples. His reason for doing this was to avoid harming insects and other animals.
If we go out a lot during the summer months we will naturally kill more insects and other animals than at other times of the year. The nature of Buddhadharma is compassion â€“ an unbiased compassion that is not just for human beings but for every living being, including animals.
In fact, we should have stronger compassion for animals than for human beings because animals suffer more. Human beings have better conditions and are more fortunate than animals. Because animals have so much suffering and no freedom, out of compassion Buddhists should try not to kill or disturb them. So, for three months during the summer, Buddha advised his disciples to retreat, staying always inside and living carefully and conscientiously.
One year during the annual summer retreat Buddha went to the Land of the Thirty-three Heavens. After his mother died she had taken rebirth in this god realm, so-called because it has thirty-three different types of god.
The king of this realm is called Indra. The Indra who was king at that time was also Buddhaâ€™s disciple and he invited Buddha to go there. So Buddha went to benefit his mother and also, at Indraâ€™s request, to benefit the other gods living there. He stayed three months, and then returned on this day.
This day is therefore very special. It is said that if we engage in any kind of virtuous action on this day it becomes especially powerful and our merit greatly increases. For example, if we offer one single light offering this action is multiplied to become millions of light offerings.
On this day we should especially remember Buddhaâ€™s kindness.â€™
