First Light Prayers for World Peace
2026-01-01 07:30 - 10:00 (America/Detroit) | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
On Thursday January 1, 2026, please join the Columbus KTC Sangha and begin the New Year with a First Light Prayers for World Peace Ceremony at 7:30 AM.
We will meet in person in our beautiful shrine room, and will webcast our annual prayers on Zoom . We hope you can join us as we offer lamps and pray for the light of awakening to pervade the world.
Following the Lamp Offering prayer program, in-person guests are invited to join us for a simple breakfast in the Community Room, followed by a short Dharma Talk given by Lama Kathy in the KTC Shrine Room, which will be webcast on YouTube and Facebook.
Program will conclude at 10. Stay as long as you wish, or join us on Zoom and on our webstream.
For those attending First Light Prayers “virtually,” we encourage you to have a candle ready in a candle holder to hold in offering while reciting our yearly Lamp Offering Prayers for World Peace.
NOTE: We will need volunteers to assist with greeting and hospitality (snacks!) for this event. Write to welcome@columbusktc.org and
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Looking forward to seeing everyone!

Sunday Dharma Programs (Hybrid)
2026-01-04 08:00 - 12:30, 2026-01-11 08:00 - 12:30, 2026-01-18 08:00 - 12:30, 2026-01-25 08:00 - 12:30 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
After six years of waiting – after an arson fire moved us into borrowed spaces for four years, and a pandemic kept us from meeting in person for two years more – Columbus KTC opened its new location on Sunday March 20, 2022!
Although we’re returning to in-person programs, we will still be serving our Zoom and livestream audiences. So you might see signs in the Classroom and Shrine Room reminding you that by entering the room, you agree to be seen on camera for the folks watching from home.
You can find the full schedule for the current week and instructions to join our online sessions in our virtual shrine room.

To help support these virtual programs and other activities sponsored by Columbus KTC, please consider making a donation.

KTC Kids Class
2026-01-04 11:30 - 12:30, 2026-01-18 11:30 - 12:30 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Thanks to the work of a dedicated core of volunteers, the KTC Children’s Class started with smiles and applause in October 2023.

Meeting in the Children’s Room on the lower level of the KTC from 11:30 to 12:30 on the First and Third Sundays of the month, youths ages 5-10 practice meditation together, hear stories told by the Buddha about virtuous actions (called Jataka Tales), do yoga poses, make crafts, play games and light candles on the special Youth Shrine and pray for those in need.

Activities are aimed at younger children, but those up to age 12 are welcome to attend.

Please register your child ahead of time through our Eventbrite link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/ktc-childrens-program…

Questions or interested in volunteering? Please email kids@columbusktc.org.

Chenrezig Chant
2026-01-06 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-13 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-20 19:00 - 20:00, 2026-01-27 19:00 - 20:00 | Zoom Meeting
Virtual Chenrezig Chant occurs weekly on Tuesday evenings.
See the Virtual Shrine Room for the most recent Zoom link.

Midday Meditation
2026-01-07 12:15 - 13:30, 2026-01-14 12:15 - 13:30, 2026-01-21 12:15 - 13:30, 2026-01-28 12:15 - 13:30 | Zoom Meeting
Virtual Midday Meditation occurs each Wednesday afternoon from 12:15-1:30.
See the Virtual Shrine Room for the most recent Zoom link.

Shamatha Retreat
2026-01-10 09:30 - 15:00 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Mindfulness Meditation is our foundation as practicing Buddhists. By practicing basic quiet sitting meditation (called Shamatha in Sanskrit), we develop more awareness of our thoughts and motivations. As a result, an innate gentleness toward ourselves and others emerges.
Extended periods of shamatha meditation help us deepen our practice by giving us a chance to work with thoughts, distractions, and resistance that may not come up in shorter meditation sessions.
Lama Tom Broadwater will present brief talks prior to the morning and afternoon portions of this event. During the retreat, Lama Tom will also be available for interviews with participants who would like to discuss their practice.
Paul Goldstein and other KTC Meditation Instructors will act as umdzes.
The program will be offered in-person only at KTC. Those attending should bring a vegetarian sack lunch. Water, coffee, and tea will be provided.
To promote a mindful atmosphere, Functional Talking (i.e., only for essential quick communication) will be strongly encouraged.
If you’d like to attend only part of this retreat, you are welcome to do so. When you arrive, quietly join the retreatants in the shrine room.
ABOUT LAMA TOM
Lama Tom Broadwater became a student of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in1999. He completed a 3 year retreat in 2012. He currently serves as an Associate Lama at Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling Buddhist Meditation Center in Columbus OH. Coal miner 4 years. Social worker and social administrator 35 years. Married 45 years. Father of two daughters and 3 grandchildren.
ABOUT PAUL GOLDSTEIN
Paul Goldstein is a meditation instructor for Columbus KTC and leads the volunteer meditation instructor team. Paul tried several types of meditation before finding a spiritual home at KTC more than twelve years ago. Paul is married and has two daughters.
Register here

Medicine Buddha Workshop (Part 2)
2026-01-17 09:00 - 12:00 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
Mantra meditation is one of the easiest and most accessible practices of Tibetan Buddhism.
Visualizing oneself as a Buddha or bodhisattva while reciting a mantra and making aspirations for the benefit of beings is a powerful way to connect to our own inner goodness and send love, compassion and wisdom to other beings.
Since many mantra meditation texts (called “sadhana” texts) are recited in Tibetan, they can be a little difficult to approach. But KTC wants to help everyone feel comfortable and welcome to attend our weekly sadhana practices, so we are offering regular Sadhana workshops to acquaint people with the practices.
This session will cover the Medicine Buddha healing mantra practice. It will be led by Cathy Lhamo Jackson.
Practitioners of all experience levels are welcome to attend. There are no special prerequisites for this class. Students will receive links to download a PDF of the Medicine Buddha chant practice and a PDF of a teaching outline for the class.
ABOUT TICKETS: We offer tickets on a donation basis to benefit the Columbus KTC Operations Fund. You can donate any amount you wish – even as little as $1. It is all appreciated!
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE financial means, or have difficulty registering online, please write lamakathy@columbusktc.org and she will register you at no cost.
Students must have an internet connection, email capability, and download the Zoom application in order to attend. Zoom software is available here: https://zoom.us
Can’t attend but want to help KTC’s operations fund?
Hop over to our KTC donations page at this link:
https://www.columbusktc.org/donate/

Link to download the Medicine Buddha sadhana:
https://columbusktc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Menla-KTD-Book.Medicine.Buddha.pdf

Register here

Ngöndro Retreat
2026-01-24 09:30 - 15:00 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
In our Tibetan Karma Kagyu tradition, Ngöndro is a set of special preliminary practices that a student is required to complete before their formal introduction to Mahamudra meditation.
These preliminary practices include Refuge and Prostrations, Vajrasattva mantra meditation, Mandala offerings, and Guru Yoga.
During this day-long retreat, Ngöndro students will be practicing these preliminary practices as a group, chanting, prostrating, and making Mandala offerings.
Those not doing Ngöndro are welcome to attend and practice silent sitting meditation (Shamatha) with the understanding that the shrine room will not be in a quiet Shamatha mode!
Lama Tom will provide four brief talks at intervals during the retreat. He will also be available for interviews with participants who would like to discuss their Ngöndro practice.
Chuck Drake will act as umdze.
The program will be offered in-person only at KTC. Those attending should bring a vegetarian sack lunch. Water, coffee, and tea will be provided.
To promote a mindful atmosphere, Functional Talking (i.e., only for essential quick communication) will be strongly encouraged.
If you’d like to attend only part of this retreat, you are welcome to do so. When you arrive, quietly join the retreatants in the shrine room.
ABOUT LAMA TOM
Lama Tom Broadwater became a student of Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche in1999. He completed a 3 year retreat in 2012. He currently serves as an Associate Lama at Columbus Karma Thegsum Chöling Buddhist Meditation Center in Columbus OH. Coal miner 4 years. Social worker and social administrator 35 years. Married 45 years. Father of two daughters and 3 grandchildren.
ABOUT CHUCK DRAKE
Chuck Drake currently serves as KTC’s administrative Director. Chuck took refuge with Khenpo Karthar in 1981 and, in 1988, he attended a summer-long Buddhist seminary at Rocky Mountain Dharma Center in Colorado. Chuck started attending Columbus KTC regularly in 2012. He has also served as Treasurer, Assistant Director, and as a Meditation Instructor. Chuck is married to Mylynda Drake. He has two adult children, two adult step-children, three cats, and a dog. Except for his KTC duties, he is now retired.
Register here

Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of the Columbus KTC Fire
2026-01-31 10:00 - 12:00 | Columbus KTC, 645 W. Rich St., Columbus, OH, 43215, United States
It’s been 10 years since an arson fire devastated the old wooden church building that was the home of the Columbus KTC from 1990 to 2016.
In observance of the 10th Anniversary, KTC will recite prayers of auspiciousness and of appreciation for the masters of our Karma Kagyu lineage, recite the Green Tara Sadhana and the Diamond Sutra to remove obstacles for the center, and make an outdoor incense offering (called Sang in Tibetan) to accumulate good circumstances for KTC’s future.
The two-hour observance will include a short tea and coffee break between the Green Tara sadhana and the Diamond Sutra and Sang offering for hot drinks and snacks.
By joining in these practices, we celebrate the resilience of our KTC sangha and re-commit ourselves to KTC’s future as a beacon of mindfulness in Central Ohio.
We will have sadhana booklets available for in-person participants who wish to chant. Links to download the prayers will be included for those who wish to participate via Zoom.
All are welcome
There is no charge to attend, though donations to support Columbus KTC are always appreciated.
Pre-registration is requested. You can register on Eventbrite at this link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/commemoration-of-the-10th-anniversary-of-the-ktc-fire-tickets-1979682854710?aff=oddtdtcreator

Program for the Observance:

Tashi Prayer
Mahamudra Lineage Prayer
Green Tara Sadhana
Coffee/Tea Break
Diamond Sutra in English
Sang Puja
Dedications and Aspirations
