International Kadampa Fall Festival
2019-10-02, 2019-10-03 | International Kadampa Retreat Center Grand Canyon, 6701 Mountain Ranch Resort Dr, Williams, AZ, 86046, United States
For information and registration, click HERE.

Meditation for Families & Kids
2019-10-27 09:00 - 10:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Through stories, songs, meditation, and crafts, children can learn simple Buddhist principles such as kindness, respect for others, and keeping a happy heart. A parent needs to accompany each child for this class.
Adults will find these introductory teachings valuable as well, and will be able to use what is learned in class throughout the week. Practicing meditation together can support a family life filled with loving-kindness, peace and harmony.
Cost per family: $10

Vajrasattva Purification Retreat
2019-12-20 19:00 - 20:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Everyone Welcome.
Purification practice ensures that the mental environment within which we plant the seeds of meditation is pure and level — not like stony ground.
All Buddhas appear in the form of Vajrasattva to purify the minds of living beings. For this reason the practice of meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva is superior to other purification practices. By relying upon Vajrasattva practice, we naturally become happier and begin to experience ever purer states of mind such as love, compassion, and wisdom.
Using Vajrasattva’s mantra, we concentrate on removing the negative karma in our mind by applying the Four Powers:

Reliance on the Compassion, Wisdom, and Power of Enlightened Beings
Regret for Engaging in Harm and Negativity
The Virtuous Opponent Force of the Mantra of Purification
The Promise to Refrain from Negative Habits of Body, Speech, and Mind

Each meditation session lasts 90 minutes and includes some instruction on the practice, as well as preparatory prayers and time for mantra recitation. Saturday sessions will be guided. Sunday sessions will be self-guided for those who are familiar with the practice.
You are welcome to join us for the entire retreat, or to drop in for any session you have time for. Any meditation retreat becomes more qualified and beneficial if sequential sessions are attended.
An introduction to the practice will be presented by our Resident teacher, Keli Vaughan, on Friday, December 20 at 7pm. This will help beginners and experienced meditators prepare for the retreat.

Retreat Schedule:
Friday
Introduction to Purification Practice 7:00-8:30pm
Saturday (guided)
Session 1 9:00-10:30am
Session 2 11:00am-12:30pm
Session 3 2:00-3:30pm
Session 4 4:00-5:00pm Heart Jewel
Sunday (self-guided)
Session 1 2:00-3:30pm
Session 2 4:00-5:30pm
$15 for each day’s program.
$40 for whole retreat.
Free for monthly members.

Vajrasattva Purification Retreat
2019-12-21 09:00 - 17:00, 2019-12-22 14:00 - 17:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Everyone Welcome.
Purification practice ensures that the mental environment within which we plant the seeds of meditation is pure and level — not like stony ground.
All Buddhas appear in the form of Vajrasattva to purify the minds of living beings. For this reason the practice of meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva is superior to other purification practices. By relying upon Vajrasattva practice, we become happier and begin to experience ever purer states of mind such as love, compassion, and wisdom.
Using Vajrasattva’s mantra, we concentrate on removing the negative karma in our mind by applying the Four Powers:

Reliance on the Compassion, Wisdom, and Power of Enlightened Beings
Regret for Engaging in Harm and Negativity
The Virtuous Opponent Force of the Mantra of Purification
The Promise to Refrain from Negative Habits of Body, Speech, and Mind

Each meditation session lasts 90 minutes and includes some instruction on the practice, as well as preparatory prayers and time for mantra recitation. Saturday sessions will be guided. Sunday sessions will be self-guided for those who are familiar with the practice.
You are welcome to join us for the entire retreat, or to drop in for any session you have time for. Any meditation retreat becomes more qualified and beneficial if sequential sessions are attended.
An introduction to the practice will be presented by our Resident teacher, Keli Vaughan, on Friday, December 20 at 7pm. This will help beginners and experienced meditators prepare for the retreat.

Retreat Schedule:
Friday
Introduction to Purification Practice 7:00-8:30pm
Saturday (guided)
Session 1 9:00-10:30am
Session 2 11:00am-12:30pm
Session 3 2:00-3:30pm
Session 4 4:00-5:00pm Heart Jewel
Sunday (self-guided)
Session 1 2:00-3:30pm
Session 2 4:00-5:30pm
$15 for each day’s program.
$40 for whole retreat.
Free for monthly members.

NYE Meditation
2019-12-31 18:30 - 19:45 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
“Only by creating peace within our own mind and helping others to do the same can we hope to achieve peace in this world.”
Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Please consider joining us during the early part of your New Year’s Eve. Together we can create a healthy world with a shift in the way we think and perceive. We make that shift through contemplation, prayer, and meditation.
Bring a friend! Celebrate our collective wish to remove suffering from our world. The evening’s program will include a guided meditation and prayers to Avalokiteshvara, Buddha of Compassion.
This event is free of charge, but donations are always welcome.

Concentration Retreat Intro
2020-01-03 19:00 - 20:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
In this introduction to the practice of retreat we will review setting retreat boundaries and the levels of concentration we can accomplish through continual familiarity with one meditation object.
During the silent retreat that follows, the center will be open for meditators who wish to deepen their practice of concentration in four sessions. Silence will be observed within the center during retreat.
Each session will begin with the preparatory practices of prayers, up to visualizing receiving blessings from Buddha Shakyamuni and all the Enlightened Beings.
The remainder of the session will be in silence with no concluding prayers. Timed chimes will alert participants to each session’s end.
GUIDELINES FOR THIS 2-DAY RETREAT

Please come prepared with your meditation object. When training in developing concentration we practice meditating on the same object in all sessions. Examples of meditation objects: Equanimity, Death and Impermanence, Renunciation, Compassion, Taking, Giving, Emptiness of the Body
Please arrive early so you can start prayers on time. Coming late will disrupt others’ session.
Once the session starts, please be prepared not to leave your cushion or chair. This determination will support your practice as well as prevent disturbing each other’s practice.

Cost to attend whole retreat including introductory talk – $40.
Introductory talk on Friday – $10.
Each stand-alone session – $5.
Thank you for supporting Meditation in Santa Barbara!

Silent Concentration Retreat
2020-01-04 10:30 - 18:30, 2020-01-05 13:45 - 16:45 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
The center will be open for meditators who wish to deepen their practice of concentration in four sessions. Silence will be observed within the center during retreat.
Each session will begin with the preparatory practices of prayers, up to visualizing receiving blessings from Buddha Shakyamuni and all the Enlightened Beings.
The remainder of the session will be in silence with no concluding prayers. Timed chimes will alert participants to each session’s end.
SCHEDULE
Saturday:
Session 1 10:30 am – 11:45 am
Session 2 1:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Session 3 3:30 pm – 4:45 pm
Session 4 5:15 pm – 6:30 pm
Sunday:
Session 5 1:45-3:00pm
Session 6 3:30-4:45pm
GUIDELINES

Please come prepared with your meditation object. When training in developing concentration we practice meditating on the same object in all sessions. Examples of meditation objects: Equanimity, Death and Impermanence, Renunciation, Compassion, Taking, Giving, Emptiness of the Body
Please arrive early so you can start prayers on time. Coming late will disrupt others’ session.
Once the session starts, please be prepared not to leave your cushion or chair. This determination will support your practice as well as prevent disturbing each other’s practice.

Cost to attend whole retreat (including Friday introduction) $40, or $5 per session.
Thank you for supporting Meditation in Santa Barbara!

The Practice of Powa
2020-01-07 18:00 - 19:15 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
A Brief Teaching on Transference of Consciousness with Prayers
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.
Our Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan will give a brief introduction to the meaning of this practice before we engage in Powa as a group. Prayers are in English and we have copies for use and for purchase for your personal practice.
Donations for teachings accepted.

Guided Meditation Retreat (SB)
2020-01-19 09:00 - 15:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
The Four Noble Truths
In Buddha’s first Dharma teaching he said,
“You should know sufferings.
You should abandon origins.
You should practice paths.
You should attain cessations.”
Spend a day contemplating and meditating on Dharma. The schedule is built to provide walking breaks, tea breaks, and a lunch break.
$30 for day/ $10 per Session/ Free for Members of MBC
Session 1 9:00am-10:00am — What We Should Know
Session 2 10:30-11:30am — What We Should Abandon
Session 3 1:00pm-2:00pm — What We Should Practice
Session 4 2:30-3:30pm — What We Should Attain
All sessions will be guided by Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan.

Detox the Mind w/ Gen Rigpa (Thousand Oaks)
2020-01-25 18:30 - 20:30 | Fred Kavli Theatre – B of A Performing Arts Center, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks,, CA, 91362, United States
Location:
THE THOUSAND OAKS CIVIC ARTS PLAZA
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA 91362
Time:
Saturday, January 25th
6:30pm – 8:30pm
Cost:
Starting at $30
Who is Gen Kelsang Rigpa?
Gen Kelsang Rigpa is an American Buddhist monk, the Western US National Spiritual Director of the New Kadampa Tradition, and resident teacher at Kadampa Meditation Center in Hollywood, CA. Gen Rigpa has been studying and practicing Buddhism for almost two decades. He teaches classes, workshops, and leads retreats all over the country.

Please click HERE for info and registration!

Long Protector Puja
2020-04-27 17:00 - 20:30 | Mahakankala Kadampa Buddhist Center, 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
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. Prayer booklets in English are provided for use during the puja.

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Wednesday Evening Meditation Class via Zoom
2020-05-06 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-13 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-20 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-27 18:30 - 19:30 | 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Please send us your email through our Contact form if you would like to receive and invitation to join this class online.
When the otherwise incessant flow of our distracting thoughts is calmed through concentrating on the breath, our mind becomes unusually lucid and clear. We can practice remaining with this state of mental calm for a while in meditation.
Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic.
Drop in to any or all classes in this course. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience.

Class Fee $10

Thursday Evening Meditation Class via Zoom
2020-05-07 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-14 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-21 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-05-28 18:30 - 19:30 | 1825 State Street Suite 202, Santa Barbara, CA, 93101, United States
Please send us your email through our Contact form if you would like to receive and invitation to join this class online.

This meditation class series explores ways of thinking about other people that will uplift our mind. By carrying these ideas into our daily life, we can maintain a light, joyful attitude towards others, whatever life throws our way.
Guided by Buddha’s Lojong teachings, we will learn how to identify obstacles in our mind that lead us away from peace — and how to oppose these inner obstacles by improving our capacity to love others.

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Drop in to any or all classes in this course. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone.

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class via Zoom
2020-06-03 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-06-10 18:30 - 19:30, 2020-06-17 18:30 - 19:30 | CA
Waking Up to the Clarity of the Mind

Our world seems more chaotic than ever, and our own body, speech, and mind are constantly in motion. In our Wednesday classes we will acknowledge the difficult and sometimes crazy appearances all around us, then practice settling our mind and observing its clear, pure nature. Simply observing the contrast between the tumultuous world and the lucid, quiet mind that perceives it answers the question, “Why meditate?” And dedicating our meditation for everyone’s happiness and freedom creates positive results.

Sign up here to receive an invitation to attend our online Zoom meditation classes

Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Drop in to any or all classes in this course. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone.

Offering to the Spiritual Guide Puja: Celebrating the Birth of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
2020-06-04 18:00 - 20:00 | CA
Everyone is welcome and invited to join us for a beautiful prayer practice to celebrate the birth and the excellent deeds of our kind Spiritual Guide, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche.
We have prayer booklets in English, and it is traditional to bring a small food offering for the shrine.
About these special prayers:
The words of Offering to the Spiritual Guide explain the entire path to Enlightenment. This practice 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.

24-Hr Tara Prayers
2020-06-07 18:00 - 19:30, 2020-06-08 10:00 - 11:30 | CA
https://kadampa.org/liberation-from-sorrow

Thursday Evening Meditation Class via Zoom
2020-06-11 18:30 - 19:30 | CA

Foundation Program via Zoom
2020-06-12 18:30 - 20:30 | CA
Class schedule for Winter/Spring 2020 can be found below.

Enrolling in FP means you become a ‘Supporting Member’ of MBC — all other regular classes and retreats are included with your monthly $75 membership.
The Foundation Program is a unique, structured study program that enables us to gain deeper understanding and experience of Buddhist teachings and to develop a regular meditation practice. It is ideal for those who have a general understanding of Buddhism but who wish to learn more.
We are studying Joyful Path of Good Fortune, living Buddhist Master Geshe Kelsang Gyatso’s extraordinary explanation of Lamrim meditation. Lamrim is a special presentation of all Buddha’s teachings in the order in which they can be practiced easily in our busy lives. Taken as personal advice, we can contemplate each Lamrim instruction, allowing the meaning to guide us to very precise meditation objects which improve our ability to maintain a stable experience of peace in our own mind.
Through the systematic study and meditation that the Foundation Program offers we can deepen our understanding and insight of Buddha’s teachings, gain confidence in our meditation practice, and transform our lives by reducing and eventually eliminating our personal experiences of difficulty, problems, and suffering. Consequently, we can offer support to those around us and have a positive and meaningful impact on their lives as well.
To maintain the integrity and quality of the class discussions there is an attendance, memorization, and study requirement for this program. Anyone who is interested in trying out the foundation program is asked to attend two consecutive classes before deciding whether or not to join the class.
Please call us at (805) 563-6000 or email us at info@MeditationInSantaBarbara.org if you would like more details about enrollment in this book study program.
Schedule for Winter/Spring 2020 section:
February
Tuesdays: 4, 11, 18, 25
Friday: 28
March
Tuesdays: 3, 10, 17, 24
Friday: 27
April
Tuesdays: 7, 14, 21, 28
Friday: 24
May
Tuesdays: 5, 12, 19, 26
Friday: 1
June
Tuesdays: 2, 16, 23, 30
Friday: 12
