In observance of the Great Occasion (Du Chen) of the Buddha’s Descent from Heaven (Lhabab) where he taught Abhidharma to his mother (and other gods) to repay her kindness, KTC presents a morning prayer session you can attend before going to work, and a Stupa Offering Puja that folks can attend on their lunch break.
It is said that the positive effects of dharma practice on the Great Occasions are multiplied many hundreds of times, so this is an ideal time to be with your Dharma family for practice.
To take advantage of the blessings of this day, KTC will offer a session of Aspirational Prayers beginning at 10 AM.
The one-hour program will include a prayer of offering and praise to the Buddha, as well as one of the five main “monlams” (aspiration prayers) recited in the Kagyu tradition.
Saying these prayers helps us accumulate a mind of virtue, which in turn helps us see the power of love and wisdom in our lives and sets our spiritual course – both now, and in the future.
Here’s a rundown of the prayers we will be reciting:
- The Tashi Prayer (usually recited before the Chenrezig practice at KTC) can be downloaded at this link
https://www.columbusktc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/8-Auspicious-Tashi-prayer-1.pdf - Refuge and Dedications
https://www.dropbox.com/s/1l8qrfwy71xexhf/refuge%20and%20dedications%20.pdf?dl=0 - The Lama Rinpochema Prayer (usually recited in place of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoché’s longevity supplication)
https://www.columbusktc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Lama-Rinpochema.Both-translations.pdf - Praise of the Twelve Deeds of the Buddha
https://www.columbusktc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Praise-of-the-12-Deeds-of-Buddha.pdf - The Aspiration for Mahamudra Prayer
https://columbusktc.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Chakchen-Monlam.pdf
At 11 AM, we will spend an hour making offerings to our KTC Stupa and reciting the Stupa Offering Puja created by our founder, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche. Making offerings to a stupa on the holiday is especially powerful and effective.
Here’s a copy of the Stupa Offering Puja for downloading:
http://www.lamakathy.net/resources/pdf/stupa_practice.pdf
You can attend one or both of the practice sessions, which are free of charge.