Foundation Program
2023-02-07 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-02-14 18:30 - 20:30, 2023-02-21 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 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 learn more.

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Lunchtime Meditation
2023-02-08 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-15 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-22 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-03-01 12:30 - 13:00
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
2023-02-08 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-02-15 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-02-22 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-03-01 18:30 - 19:45
Class Fee $10 – Keeping a Balanced Attitude

It doesn’t matter what is going on in the world; we can have a peaceful, confident attitude if we loosen our tight grip on our worldly concerns. This doesn’t mean neglecting our responsibilities – it means having a balanced attitude that can accept the ups and downs of life.
Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the eveningâ€™s topic. There is no requirement to attend the the whole series.

Please arrive a few minutes early to settle.

Lunchtime Meditation
2023-02-09 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-16 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-23 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-03-02 12:30 - 13:00
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.

Meditation for World Peace
2023-02-12 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-02-19 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-02-26 10:30 - 11:45, 2023-03-05 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 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
2023-02-12 12:15 - 13:00
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
2023-02-13 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-02-20 18:30 - 19:45, 2023-02-27 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.

Lunchtime Meditation
2023-02-14 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-21 12:30 - 13:00, 2023-02-28 12:30 - 13:00
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.

Long Protector Puja
2023-02-28 17:00 - 20:30
Join us In Person
If you enjoy meditating with others, chanted meditations are a great opportunity to engage in group meditation. These chanted meditations are also known in Sanskrit as pujas, meaning “offering”; and the prayers we recite are sadhanas, meaning “methods for receiving attainments”.
Our prayers are in English. We request the blessings, protection and guidance of the holy beings. We can make requests for ourselves or for others who need help or protection. These spiritual practices create a strong connection with the Buddhas, and help us purify our negativity and fill our mind with positive, healing energy.
Heart Jewel puja includes a period of silence for meditation on Lamrim. By relying upon this practice, we can purify negativity, accumulate merit, and receive blessings. In this way, we will naturally accomplish all the realizations of the stages of the path to Enlightenment and attain a very special Dharma wisdom.
All chanted prayers are free.

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class
2023-03-01 18:30 - 19:45
Class Fee $10 – Overcoming Anxiety

Everyone from time to time experiences anxiety. It’s a feeling in the mind – no more, no less – but sometimes it’s so strong it can affect our physical well being. Instead of letting anxiety call the shots, what if we reverse-engineer it by simply stopping the thoughts that give rise to it? What if we think in new ways? Learning to focus on something that makes our mind peaceful is what it means to practice meditation.

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the eveningâ€™s topic. There is no requirement to attend the the whole series.

Please arrive a few minutes early to settle.
