In-Person Sunday Morning Pujas Return Nov. 6!

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With COVID cases on the decline and Franklin County now marked as “Green” in the Centers for Disease Control’s rating system, Columbus KTC’s Board recently decided to re-start our in-person chant practices (called “pujas”) on Sunday mornings.
Pujas will return in-person on Sunday Nov. 6, the first Sunday in November.
Tara Puja will be in the Main Shrine Room at 8:30 AM Sundays
A rotating roster of chant practices will be held at 10 AM Sundays in the Children’s Room:
  • First and Fifth Sundays: Chenrezig/Amitabha Puja
  • Second Sundays: Medicine Buddha Puja
  • Third Sunday Ngondro Class will still be virtual on Zoom at 9 AM; the Children’s Room will be open for individual Ngondro practice at 10 AM.
MASKS ARE STILL REQUESTED to be worn inside the KTC building. Our medical advisors say that masks offer an extra layer of protection since COVID spreads by aerosol droplets in the air.

KTC Director Kim Miracle Completes a Decade of Service to the Sangha

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After more than a decade of service to the sangha of Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling – the last seven years consecutively – Kim Miracle has completed her volunteer board service and will retire from the KTC administrative Board.

Her retirement, which begins Nov. 1, comes after completing the seven-year task of raising $3.2 million to rebuild the KTC meditation center after it was destroyed by an arson fire in January 2016.

Kim had previously served as KTC director in the 2010s, presiding over a volunteer development effort and overseeing visits by many visiting teachers.

After becoming center director seven years ago, Kim was helping the center organize needed repairs to its old 1924-vintage wooden church building when an arsonist struck, setting fires in trash bins in the KTC’s alley. One of those fires set the KTC building ablaze, with Kim being notified early in the morning of Sunday Jan. 31 that firefighters were trying to battle the fire.

While the building burned in the background, Kim was on the phone with Lama Karma Drodhul, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche’s nephew, telling them about the fire, and receiving the Rinpoche’s immediate advice – “don’t be sad – rebuild it.”

Kim was instrumental in building a coalition of experts who advised KTC on everything from tearing down our old building, to finding temporary housing, and beginning the work of designing a new building.

Over the next seven years, Kim, along with KTC’s lamas, Board members, and volunteers, invested thousands of hours of volunteer work to shepherd the project through government approvals, architect and contractor hiring, and overseeing construction work. Through their efforts, the new KTC building was opened in March of this year.

But even after the completion of this major project, there was more work to be done. In the last few months, Kim helped organize a sangha pledge drive, volunteer work parties, and meetings to help KTC set its strategic goals and create a vision statement for the future. Her contribution to KTC and its projects has been immeasurable!

The Columbus KTC Store is Open!

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Stop by the Columbus KTC Store on Sunday mornings between 10:30 am and 11:30 am. Storekeeper Anne and her team are excited to show you all the wonderful items including books, malas, incense and much more. Hope to see you there!

Reading Transmission Event with Lama Karma!

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Those of you who know Lama Karma Drodhul know that he has a unique gift for giving Tibetan-language Reading Transmissions – a blessing in which a Tibetan text is read quickly to a student as a way of offering a blessing for the student to recite and study the text.


At the conclusion of the Medicine Buddha Empowerment on Saturday afternoon Aug. 20, Lama Karma will give the reading transmission for the following sadhanas, which are common sadhanas recited at Columbus KTC:
Tashi Prayer

Chenrezig/Amitabha

Green Tara

White Tara (Situ Rinpoche and Jamgon Kongtrul)

Medicine Buddha

Milam Lungten

Ngondro


The event will begin sometime between 3 and 4 PM Saturday Aug. 20. If you do not plan to attend the empowerment, please come to KTC at 3 PM and remain in the Lower Level Community Room until the Empowerment is completed. The Transmission group will be invited up to the shrine room when the empowerment concludes.


There is no charge for the Reading Transmission, but it is customary to make a small monetary gift to the teacher giving the Transmission. 
There is no need to bring a copy of the sadhana texts with you. This will be a listening event only.


Pre-registration is requested. 
You will find the FREE registration for the Reading Transmission Event at the very bottom of the “Tickets” list on the Eventbrite site for Lama Karma’s weekend program:https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-everyday-wisdom-of-meditation-with-lama-karma-drodhul-tickets-377880890917?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

Bodhisattva Vow Offered at KTD Aug. 6 and 7 

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Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin, who recently visited Columbus KTC, will be giving the Bodhisattva Vow in a special two-day ceremony at our “home” monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock, NY the first weekend in August. The program will run from Saturday Aug. 6 to Sunday Aug. 7. For details visit: https://ktdevents.org/reg/1fmBeH.php?eID=0806TE_22

Lama Karma Drodhul to Give Medicine Buddha empowerment Aug. 20th

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Good News! Based on results of our sangha survey, we have asked Lama Karma Drodhul to give us the Medicine Buddha Empowerment during his visit to Columbus KTC in August. The empowerment, preceded by the Refuge Vow ceremony (for anyone who would like to begin their Buddhist path) will be at 3 PM Saturday Aug. 20 at KTC. The Refuge Vow ceremony is free of charge, but we request a $25 donation for the empowerment.

Want to register for Lama Karma’s visit? https://www.eventbrite.com/e/377880890917

Medicine Buddha is the embodiment of enlightened purification and healing for mind and body.

The empowerment will be a blessing for all, and is a permission-blessing to learn the visualization and meditation of Medicine Buddha that is recited monthly on Second Sundays at KTC. Interested in Refuge? Write to Lama Kathy at lamakathy@columbusktc.org.

KTC Chant Practices Return to Zoom

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Also, due to the pandemic surge, KTC will be moving all of its chant practices (including Sunday morning Green Tara, Medicine Buddha and Chenrezig) back to a virtual environment starting Sunday July 23. Tuesday night Chenrezig will remain virtual as well. We will let you know when we plan to resume in-person chanting.  May all beings benefit!

Pandemic Surge Postpones KTC Nyungne 

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We are sorry to announce that due to the upsurge in COVID-19 cases in Central Ohio, our medical advisors have recommended that we postpone our Nyungne Retreat, originally set for Aug. 5-8.  We hope to reschedule the retreat when case counts begin falling again. 

Meanwhile, Lama Tom Broadwater will be offering a second pre-Nyungne class in August or September, to review the prayer text, the visualizations, and the melodies. Details in next week’s newsletter. 

SAVE THE DATE! Lama Karma Drodhul to Teach on “Everyday Wisdom of Meditation” at KTC Aug. 19-21

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We are delighted to announce that the upcoming Aug. 19-21 visit with Lama Karma Drodhul, originally planned as a Zoom-only workshop, now will be an IN-PERSON and VIRTUAL lama visit!
Lama Karma, who has completed two three-year retreats and published a wonderful biography of his uncle, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, will be teaching on “The Everyday Wisdom of Meditation” and will offer a Refuge Ceremony and Vajrayana empowerment as well.
WATCH this newsletter for more details and registration information, which will be shared soon!

And while we are on the subject …


Help Select The Empowerment for Lama Karma’s Teaching Weekend in August
Lama Karma Drodhul has graciously agreed to offer an empowerment to bless our Dharma students during his in-person visit to KTC in August. The empowerment will be offered during an afternoon session on Saturday, August 20, 2022.

Empowerments are special blessing ceremonies in which a lama ritually purifies and blesses a student and authorizes them to visualize themselves as a Buddha or Bodhisattva. It is a powerful method of developing an awakened mind. 

In May, Khenpo Ugyen Tenzin bestowed the Chenrezig empowerment; which blessing would you like to have next?


Choices are:
– Amitabha Buddha

– Medicine Buddha

– Green Tara


Please complete this survey before 12 noon by Sunday, July 17th. 

Pop-Up Refuge Ceremony THIS Saturday July 16 at 12:30 PM!

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We’ve had some requests for a near-term Refuge Ceremony so folks can participate in the Nyungne Reading Transmission on Saturday afternoon. 


So we will offer a Refuge Ceremony at 12:30 PM Saturday July 16 at KTC. 


Refuge is a short ceremony that begins a person’s Buddhist path. In the ceremony a student takes the Buddha as their teacher, the Dharma as their path, and the Sangha as their community. 


Want to read more? Here’s a link to an article about Refuge.


If you wish to participate in the ceremony – this week, or during Lama Karma Drodhul’s visit August 19-21 – please contact Lama Kathy at lamakathy@columbusktc.org.


The ceremony is free of charge.