Foundation Program
2023-11-28 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-12-05 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-12-12 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-12-19 18:30 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
We are studying How to Understand the Mind by 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 Buddha’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 learn more.

Long Protector Puja
2023-11-29 09:00 - 12:30
This extensive sadhanaâ€”ritual prayers for spiritual attainmentsâ€”is called â€œKangsoâ€ in Tibetan, which means â€œFulfilling and Restoring Ritual.â€
Usually performed once a month in Dharma Centers in our tradition, it is used for fulfilling our heart commitment to practice Lamrim, Lojong, and Mahamudra, for restoring any degenerate or broken commitments we may have incurred, and to rely on the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden, regarding him as inseparable from our Spiritual Guide and Buddha.
All chanted prayers are free, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2023-11-29 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-06 18:30 - 19:45
Enjoy Karma: It’s Easier than You’d Think

Karma is a special instance of cause and effect, where our actions are causes and our experiences are effects. The mental action of meditation is a cause of peace and happiness.
Please join us for this drop-in series of classes to learn successful methods for creating peace and happiness with meditation. In this class we’ll also be looking at Buddha’s teachings on cause and effect – what actions to practice in order to experience happiness, and what actions to abandon in order to reduce our problems and suffering.

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation 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.

Practice Class: Introduction to Tantra
2023-12-03 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-12-17 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-12-24 10:30 - 11:45
â€œWithout inner peace, outer peace is impossible.â€ ~
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 visualization, meditation, and dedicating our prayers for world peace. Everyone is welcome â€“ 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
2023-12-03 12:15 - 13:00
Through practicing transference of consciousness â€” known as â€˜powaâ€™ â€” 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 Buddhaâ€™s Pure Land.
All chanted prayers are free.

Guided Lamrim Meditation
2023-12-04 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-11 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-18 18:30 - 19:45
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.

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2023-12-06 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-13 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-20 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-12-27 18:30 - 19:45
Happy No Matter What: Meditate

The holidays are an amazing time, full of joy, generosity and kindness. But they can also get very stressful.
For some of us, time with family members can bring challenges. And for people who don’t have family nearby, or who may have lost loved ones, there is another set of challenges.
We need a little help to make sure our holidays are a happy time. We need to sit, and contemplate, and meditate, changing our perspective on things that usually cause us stress and anxiety. We need to refresh our joy, our peace, and our acceptance with meditation practice.
Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation 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.

Tara Prayers
2023-12-08 18:30 - 19:15
This practice is offered on the 8th of every month. See calendar for day and time.
The Tara Puja Liberation from Sorrow includes a special prayer composed by Buddha, “Praises to the Twenty-one Taras”. Tara is a manifestation of the ultimate wisdom of all Buddhas. Each of the twenty-one distinct Taras is a manifestation of the principal Green Tara, also known as “Mother of the Conquerors.”
Mother
As children we turn to our mother for help and guidance. She protects us from immediate dangers, provides us with all our temporal needs, and guides and encourages us in our learning and personal development. In the same way, during our spiritual growth, we need to turn to our Holy Mother, Tara, for refuge. She protects us from all internal and external dangers, provides us with all the necessary conditions for our spiritual training, and guides us and inspires us with her blessings as we progress along the spiritual path.
Rescuer
“Tara” means “Rescuer.” She is so called because she rescues us from the eight outer fears of lions, elephants, fire, snakes, thieves, water, bondage and evil spirits; and from the eight corresponding inner fears of pride, ignorance, anger, jealousy, wrong views, attachment, miserliness and deluded doubts. Temporarily, Tara saves us from the dangers of rebirth in the three lower realms and ultimately saves us from the dangers of samsara and solitary peace.
Protector
If we rely upon Mother Tara sincerely and with strong faith, she will protect us from all obstacles and fulfill all our wishes. Since she is a wisdom Buddha, and since she is a manifestation of the completely purified wind element, Tara is able to help us very quickly. If we recite the twenty-one verses of praise we shall receive inconceivable benefits. These praises are very powerful because they are Sutra, the actual words of Buddha. It is good to recite them as often as we can.
All chanted prayer practices are free of charge, but donations are always welcome!

The Blessing Empowerment of Vajrasattva
2023-12-31 10:30 - 17:00
**PRE-REGISTER HERE. SPACE IS LIMITED.**
An empowerment is a blissful guided meditation through which we make a direct connection with a Buddha and receive powerful blessings.
Guru Vajrasattva is the Buddha of purification, from whom we can receive special power to purify the potentials of all our negative actions. When spiritual seekers develop a wish to purify the negative karma within their minds, all the Buddhas appear as Vajrasattva.
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso says, “Instead of blaming others whenever we experience problems, we should use our problems to improve our understanding of karma, or actions and their effects.” Improving our understanding of karma leads us to the conclusion – I must purify my negative karma BEFORE it ripens as suffering.

The empowerment is a blissful guided meditation through which we connect to Buddha Vajrasattva’s enlightened mind. By receiving these inspiring blessings, we can develop our own practice of purification and gain the confidence we need to progress along the spiritual path. Through the power of our continued practice and Vajrasattva’s blessings we can cultivate the pure compassion of a Bodhisattva, someone who can bring enormous relief to our suffering world.
Everyone is welcome!
PRE-REGISTER HERE
$60 for Empowerment Day +New Year’s Day Vajrasattva Purification Retreat
$50 for Empowerment Day only

Empowerment Day Schedule:
10:30 AM – 11 AM – Walk up Registration and check-in
11 AM – 1 PM – Blessing Empowerment
1 PM -2:30 PM – Lunch Break
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM – Empowerment Commentary
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva (Practice)

New Year’s Day Vajrasattva Retreat Sessions
10:30-11:30am
12:00-1:00pm
5:00-6:00pm
6:30-7:45pm

New Year's Day Retreat: The Purification Practice of Vajrasattva
2024-01-01 10:30 - 19:45
What are we wishing for in the new year? There is nothing greater than a peaceful heart; warm, friendly feelings towards others; joy and contentment. If our mind is pure, nothing can keep us from fulfilling our spiritual wishes.
When human beings develop a sincere wish to purify negative karma in their own mind, all the Buddhas appear as Buddha Vajrasattva. Vajrasattvaâ€™s path is the practice of taking stock of oneâ€™s own negative actions and promising to improve. Our Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan will give the Blessing Empowerment of Buddha Vajrasattva on Sunday, December 31, followed by a New Year’s Day guided Vajrasattva retreat.
This special retreat opportunity is perfect for anyone wishing to make their New Year align with their wish to purify negative habits and tendencies.

Schedule
New Year’s Day Vajrasattva Retreat Sessions
10:30-11:30am, 12:00-1:00pm, 5-6pm, 6:30-7:45pm

Each stand-alone retreat session is $10.
Cost for the whole retreat is $20. No pre-registration required: pay when you come or pay HERE.
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Prayer booklets will be available for use or for purchase at our center. You can also purchase a downloadable e-publication of the prayers HERE.

Lunchtime Guided Meditation
2024-01-02 12:30 - 13:00, 2024-01-09 12:30 - 13:00
Simply breathe. Relieve stress. Find joy.

Our Lunchtime Meditations are great for beginners and experienced meditators. Drop in any Tuesday at 12:30 for 30 minutes of peaceful meditation.
Cost per class: $5

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2024-01-03 18:30 - 19:45, 2024-01-10 18:30 - 19:45
Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation 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.

Blissful Path Retreat
2024-01-06 - 2024-01-08
Suitable for Highest Yoga Tantra practitioners and those who are planning on receiving HYT empowerments in Brazil in 2024.
Saturday introduction to the practice â€“ 3:00-4:15pm with Resident Teacher Kadam Keli, followed by Session 1 of retreat — 4:45-6:00pm
Sunday
9-10am (guided session)
10:30-11:30am (guided session)
12:30-1:30pm (guided session)
2-3:15pm (guided session)
Monday
9-10am (self-guided session)
10:30-11:30am (self-guided session)
5-6pm (self-guided session)
6:30-7:45pm (self-guided session)

Blissful Path prayer booklets are available for purchase in our bookstore. These prayers also appear as an appendix in the texts The Mirror of Dharma and Modern Buddhism.

Cost for whole retreat $35
Saturday teaching only $15
Each guided session $10
Free for Foundation Program members

Introduction to Vajrayogini Retreat
2024-01-06 15:00 - 16:15

Quick Path to Great Bliss w/ Offerings
2024-01-09 17:00 - 19:30
*Highest Yoga Tantra practitioners only, please.

Vajrayogini Day Offering to the Spiritual Guide
2024-01-10 10:30 - 12:30
Everyone is welcome to join us for this beautiful prayer practice.
Offering to the Spiritual Guide is a special Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa in conjunction with Highest Yoga Tantra. It was compiled by the first Panchen Lama, Losang Chökyi Gyaltsän, as a preliminary practice for Vajrayana Mahamudra. The main practice is relying upon the Spiritual Guide, but it also includes all the essential practices of the stages of the path (Lamrim) and training the mind (Lojong), as well as both the generation stage and completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra.
This puja (prayer practice) normally takes place on or near the 10th & 25th of the month.

Lamrim Wisdom Retreat
2024-01-13 - 2024-01-18
Meditating on the cycle of Lamrim meditations is the same as meditating on all of Buddha’s 84,000 teachings. Join us in this Lamrim retreat to create good momentum in the mind for the new year! All sessions will be guided by our Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan.

Saturday introduction to the retreat — 3:00-4:15pm with Kadam Keli, followed by Session 1 of retreat — 4:45-6:00pm — Meditation on the Preciousness of our Human Life

Sunday — Initial Scope Meditations (4)
9-10am — Meditation on Death
10:30-11:30am — Meditation on the Danger of Lower Rebirth
12:30-1:30pm — Meditation on Going for Refuge
2-3:15pm — Meditation on Karma

Monday — Middling Scope Meditations (4)
9-10am — Meditation on Renunciation
10:30-11:30am — Meditation on our Determination to Recognize, Reduce, and Abandon the Root of Samsaric Rebirth
5-6pm — Meditation on our Determination to Engage in the Actual Path to Liberation
6:30-7:30pm — Meditation on our Determination to Attain True Cessations

Tuesday — Middling Scope Meditations (2)
5-6pm — Meditation on Cherishing All Living Beings
6:30-7:30pm — Meditation on Universal Compassion

Wednesday — Great Scope Meditations (2)
5-6pm — Meditation on the Supreme Good Heart, Bodhichitta
6:30-7:30pm — Meditation on our Determination and Promise to Practice the Six Perfections

Thursday — Great Scope Meditations (2)
5-6pm — Training in Meditation on Emptiness
6:30-7:45pm — Meditation on Relying on our Spiritual Guide

The retreat introduction with Kadam Keli on Saturday is $15.
Each guided retreat session is $10.

Registering for the whole retreat is $35.
This retreat is free for Foundation Program members.
