Archive for category: News

Webcast: Buddha’s Four Noble Truths Dharma Talk by Lama Adam

Sunday, April 12th, 12:00pm   

Two thousand five hundred years ago, a prince in northern India left his palace to find a solution to his people’s sufferings of aging, sickness and death. After six years of arduous spiritual retreat, he was at the brink of death when he discovered a “middle path” of meditation and discipline that brought him a spiritual illumination that showed him the answers he had sought. In that moment, Prince Siddhartha became Shakyamuni Buddha, “The Awakened Sage of the Shakya Clan.”

Today, the Buddha’s teachings are more needed than ever. In these times of fear and difficulty, the Buddha’s middle path of spiritual cultivation can help free us from suffering and its causes and nurture our own inner wisdom and compassion.

As a gift to our dharma friends and followers, Columbus KTC will present an hour-long talk on the Buddha’s first teaching, “The Four Truths Known by the Noble,” given by Lama Adam Berner, who just completed his Three-Year Retreat at Karme Ling Retreat Center in upstate New York.

May it be of benefit to you and your families and friends.  May all beings be free of fear in these difficult times!  

Find it on the Columbus KTC Facebook Live.

*Note: This talk is being presented IN ADDITION TO Lama Kathy’s Dharma Talk, which will be still be held this Sunday, 1pm on her Facebook page – Thanks!* 

Like most people, our Columbus KTC sangha was sad to see churches and meeting places closing down due to the COVID-19 public health emergency. 

But our resourceful KTC Leadership Team has created a “Virtual Dharma Center” online at the Zoom Conferencing website, and will be opening it for our Sangha THIS coming Sunday for an “abbreviated” version of our Sunday dharma activity schedule.

Sunday March 22 on Zoom:

8:30 – 9:30 AM – Green Tara Chant
10 – 11 AM – Combined Meditation Instruction and Silent Meditation Session
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Introduction to Buddhism Class, “The Meaning of Lineage.” 

Click here to access instructions on how to join the chant, meditation, and Intro Class activities on Zoom.


ALSO – on Sunday March 22 on YouTube & Facebook Live:

1 PM – KTC Resident Teacher Lama Kathy Wesley will continue her Dharma Talk, “Prayers for a Pandemic, Part 2.”

Click here for Lama Kathy’s YouTube Channel.

Click here for Lama Kathy’s Facebook Page. 

We will be meeting virtually until the public health emergency passes and meeting places reopen. 

Comments? Questions? Write to us at info@columbusktc.org.

March 13, 2020

Dear Dharma Friends:

Hope all of you are doing well. We are writing today to update you on how Coronavirus (COVID-19) is affecting our Columbus KTC sangha activities.

As you know, our “home” monastery, Karma Triyana Dharmachakra in Woodstock NY, has closed its campus to day visitors, and has canceled all programs from now through the end of May.

In addition, out of an abundance of caution, Columbus KTC will postpone two upcoming events – Lama Tsultrim Yeshe’s nyungne visit at the end of March, and Khenpo Urgyen Tenzin’s visit in the middle of April. Existing reservations these events will be refunded.

Today, after Ohio government and health officials announced the closure of all Ohio schools (including K-12) and barred assemblies of more than 100 people, our hosts at Congregation Tifereth Israel took the decision to close their temple building, effective immediately, until early April.

This means all Columbus KTC regular Sunday and Tuesday programs will be discontinued until further notice. 

We apologize for this development, but these are extraordinary times, and the safety and health of our sangha is of paramount importance.

In the coming days, KTC’s leadership and technical teams will meet to design ways to deliver Sunday dharma talks and weekly chants to you via the internet. We also will try to create a “virtual prayer list” that will connect us all and allow us to share our joys and concerns with one another. 

Meanwhile, in an effort to keep everyone safe, we encourage our dharma friends to take reasonable precautions in regard to their health:

• Remain at home if one is feeling unwell 
• Practice “social distancing” while out and about
• Wash hands frequently
• Be mindful to not touch one’s face 

Here’s a rundown of all the COVID-19 advice from the World Health Organization:https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

If you ask, “what prayers and practices can help us at this time?”
There are many spiritual practices that can lend us strength and comfort. Among the practices recommended by our teachers are the Tashi Prayer, the Chenrezig mantra OM MANI PEME HUNG, Medicine Buddha Mantra TAYATA OM BEKANZé BEKANZÉ MAHA BEKANZé RADZA SA MUNG GATÉ SO HA, and the Tara mantra OM TARÉ TU TARÉ TURÉ SO HA. 

In fact, shamatha meditation and any other spiritual practice can be dedicated to “the benefit of all sentient beings in general, but specifically for those experiencing illness.” 

If you have questions or concerns, write to us at memberatlarge@columbusktc.org. 

Please stay safe, and take care of one another. Thank you for being part of our dharma family. We will keep everyone in our prayers, this week and always.

Sincerely yours,
The KTC Leadership Team
Director Kim Miracle
Assistant Director Chuck Drake
Treasurer Gina Kim
Secretary Michael Stone
Member-at-large Eric Weinberg
Lama Kathy Wesley, adviser