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This Week at Kurukulla Center
December 13, 2010 - December 19, 2010
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From the Director
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 Quick Links About Us Programs Calendar Audio Teachings Stupa Project Contact Us eNews Archive We need your support!  With over $8,000 of monthly expenses, we need your continued support. Please consider making a one-time donation, becoming a member, or increasing your membership. Thank you for all you do to support our center and the Dharma!  Kurukulla Center is affiliated with the FPMT. If you would like to receive the FPMT's monthly newsletter, please subscribe here.  In affiliation with the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.  Follow us on Facebook!  Visit us on our Blog! |
Dear Kurukulla Community, Following Geshe Tenley's morning talk, a large group remained to share a meal and thoughts about our future as a center without the guiding force of our dear Geshe Tsulga-la. Reminded that Geshe Tsulga developed KKC for future generations as well as for ourselves, we rejoiced that we are in a good situation to carry on Geshe-la's vision. Our center is vibrant and offers a range of programs which are attended by enthusiastic and devoted students. The appointment of Geshe Tenley as resident teacher and the continued presence of our two dear nuns, Tsunma-la and Ani Yeshe, bring stability and continuity. We are committed to continue to offer all our Buddhist programs free of charge but recognize that we must encourage supporters to give us the financial support that makes this possible. And we have an eye on the future including the long-term goal to fulfill Geshe Tsulga's wish that we expand our gompa, among other large projects. Thank you to all the attended! 
I wanted to make sure everyone knows that there are three separate pujas planned for this upcoming week at the Center. Two of them are regularly scheduled pujas, and the third is on Saturday in recognition fo the fourth "seventh day" after Geshe-la's passing. Monday, 7:00 pm Tara Puja Wednesday, 7:00 pm Guru Puja Saturday, 4;30 pm Guru Puja The Tibetan community is invited to the puja on Saturday, so it will be a big one. For those who were at prayers yesterday morning, you would have heard Ani Yeshe throw down the gauntlet, encouraging the westerners to make offerings that rival the Tibetans' offerings! As always, check our Calendar for updated information regarding events at the Center.
Kurukulla Center Cookbook Available
We are very happy to announce that as of next Sunday we will have copies of The Compassionate Kitchen: Vegan Desserts from Kurukulla Center, a cookbook compiled by SPC Tsültrim Davis with almost 50 different mouth-watering vegan desserts, all of which he has offered at the Center at one time or another! The cookbook costs $15 and will be available through the KKC bookstore. If you are unable to make it to the Center but would like a copy, please email Tsültrim at tsultrimdavis@kurukulla.org and he can arrange to have one mailed to you. All proceeds are to support the Center and its many activities.
End of the Year Annual Appeal We are just past halfway of reaching our year-end goal of $20,000, so please help us do so and ensure the sustainability of the Center. We have $7,500 to go. It is so important that the Center remain financially healthy so that we can fulfill precious Geshe Tsulga's wish that Kurukulla remain to benefit others for generations to come. We can do that only with your support.
Kalachakra tickets on sale Dec. 15
As I am sure you all know by know, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be giving a 10 day Kalachakra Initiation in Washington DC in July 2011. Tickets cost $475 for the entire event, and go on sale this Wednesday, December 15, at 12:00 pm (noon) Eastern Standard Time. You can find the link to purchase tickets or learn more about the program at the Kalachakra 2011 website.
Food Pantry Donations
We sent out a message earlier in the week, but wanted to remind everyone that Kurukulla Center has renewed our interest in making regular donations to a local food pantry. There is a box for donations in the hall across from the tea station. They accept any unopened foodstuffs, including fresh fruit and vegetables--but only if they will be fresh on Thursday when they are distributed, so don't bring any fresh fruit on Friday as it will sit around all week. In addition, paper goods and toiletries are also welcome and needed. If you have any questions feel free to speak to Barbara Melanson, who is coordinating these renewed effort, or to any member of the Management Committee.
HHDL in California
The good folk over at Thubten Dargye Ling, in Long Beach, California, just announced that on May 1, 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama will be conferring a Solitary Yamantake Initiation, which is a highest yoga tantra initiation. The most incredible part is that tickets to this initiation are absolutely free! HHDL will be giving a public talk later in the day, for which there is a fee, but the initiation itself is by donation only... That said, if you are able to help sponsor the event, I am sure they would be appreciative! Find out more about the initiation, as well as some other events they have planned preceding it, at their website. Thank you again for your wonderful support. Much love,  Debra Thornburg Director |
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Calendar of Events
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Monday, December 13
Prayers for Geshe Tsulga-la's Passing 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Join us for recitations of Chanting the Names of Manjushri and the King of Prayers, prayers requested of us both by our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga-la, as well as by his teachers at this time.
Tara Puja 7:00 pm - 8:45 pm Tara is a female Buddha and represents the enlightened activity of the Buddhas. Once a month, we pay homage to her by doing practices for this specially loved Buddha. Practices to Tara are said to remove obstacles to both our spiritual and worldly success. Since most of the recitation is done in English, the Tara puja is easily accessible to those unfamiliar with this type of chanting ceremony practice.
It is customary when attending a puja to bring offerings such as flowers, unscented tea lights, fruit or cookies, or to make monetary offerings to the ordained sangha or to Kurukulla Center itself. Although we encourage you to do so, it is not required.
All are welcome.
Tuesday, December 14
Morning Meditationwith Ven. Tsunma-la (Sue Macy) 6:30 am - 7:00 am Start your day on the right foot by calming your mind, setting your day's purpose to be a meaningful one and remembering to just breathe! Resident nun Tsunma-la leads basic meditations that help stabilize the mind by learning to focus on the breath. By using these simple techniques, you can bring a sense of tranquility to your day. If you plan to join Tsunma-la in the meditation hall (gompa) at Kurukulla Center, please arrive a few minutes early. We will start promptly at 6:30 am. Feel free to listen online! Prayers for Geshe Tsulga-la's Passing 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Join us for recitations of Chanting the Names of Manjushri and the King of Prayers, prayers requested of us both by our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga-la, as well as by his teachers at this time.
Yoga & Meditation with Wendy Cook 7:00 pm to 8:45 pm These classes include therapeutic movements, standing postures, back strengthening postures and hip openers. The last twenty minutes are spent in guided meditation, including breath awareness, visualization, and analytical techniques to enhance our inner good qualities. Suitable for both experienced and new students, you are welcome to attend on a drop-in basis. Please arrive a few minutes early and wear comfortable, fitted and modest clothing.
Wednesday, December 15
Prayers for Geshe Tsulga-la's Passing 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Join us for recitations of Chanting the Names of Manjushri and the King of Prayers, prayers requested of us both by our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga-la, as well as by his teachers at this time.
Guru Puja (Lama Chopa) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm The word puja means "to please" and has the connotation to please through offerings and practice. The Guru Puja lays the whole path to enlightenment on our mindstream, connects us more strongly to our teachers, allows us to accumulate skies of merit and purifies eons of negative karma. We perform this practice on the 10th and 25th of the lunar Tibetan calendar, a time that is special for making the "tsok" offering, a particular ritual inserted into the Guru Puja. We chant the first 2/3rds of this puja in Tibetan and the last 1/3 we recite in English.
To create merit, positive connection, it is traditional to bring offerings for the altar, which then becomes the basis for the visualized offerings made during the puja; cookies, fruit, flowers, tea lights (unscented), or saffron are suggested. All are welcome.
Thursday, December 16
Prayers for Geshe Tsulga-la's Passing 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Join us for recitations of Chanting the Names of Manjushri and the King of Prayers, prayers requested of us both by our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga-la, as well as by his teachers at this time.
Discovering Buddhism - The Spiritual Teacher with Ven. Tsunma-la (Sue Macy) 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm Relating to a Spiritual Teacher is from our Discovering Buddhism program. Taught by resident nun Tsunma-la, it covers the importance and role of a spiritual teacher in Buddhist practice, the ideal qualities of a teacher, and how students can gain the most benefit from the student-teacher relationship. Tonight is the class of the five week long module. It is recommended you attend all five sessions but it is not required. If you are unable to join us at our center, you can listen on-line to the live broadcast.
Friday, December 17
Morning Meditation with Ven. Tsunma-la (Sue Macy) 6:30 am - 7:00 am Prayers for Geshe Tsulga-la's Passing 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm Join us for recitations of Chanting the Names of Manjushri and the King of Prayers, prayers requested of us both by our precious teacher Geshe Tsulga-la, as well as by his teachers at this time.
Saturday, December 18
Guru Puja in recognition of the fourth "seventh day" after Geshe-la's passing 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm We will be performing a puja every 7 days, as is Tibetan Buddhist custom. This is a wonderful opportunity to engage in practice, born from Geshe Tsulga-la's generosity and compassion. Today we will offer a Guru Puja, and we expect the Tibetan community to join us as well.
The word puja means "to please" and has the connotation to please through offerings and practice. The Guru Puja lays the whole path to enlightenment on our mindstream, connects us more strongly to our teachers, allows us to accumulate skies of merit and purifies eons of negative karma. We chant the first 2/3rds of this puja in Tibetan and the last 1/3 we recite in English.
To create merit, positive connection, it is traditional to bring offerings for the altar, which then becomes the basis for the visualized offerings made during the puja; cookies, fruit, flowers, tea lights (unscented), or saffron are suggested. All are welcome.
Sunday, December 19
Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand Day 2 with Geshe Ngawang Tenley 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Pabongka Rinpoche's Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand is the seminal lam-rim text of the 20th century. It is a transcription of a 24 day lam rim teaching given in 1921. Offered as a "practical teaching," it is less scholarly than Je Tsongkhapa's Jang chub lam rim chen mo or The Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment and as such it is the text from which most modern lamas teach lam rim. Today Geshe-la gives commentary on Day 2. If you are unable to join us at our center, you can listen on-line to the live broadcast.Resident nun Tsunma-la continues the Morning Meditation series on Fridays with a variation on the stabilizing meditations that have been offered earlier. The focus is now using our analytical mind to investigate core Buddhist concepts as a way to deepen our understanding of them. If you plan to join Tsunma-la in the meditation hall (gompa) at Kurukulla Center, please arrive a few minutes early. We will start promptly at 6:30 am. Feel free to listen online! |
 Kurukulla Center for Tibetan Buddhist Studies 68 Magoun Avenue Medford, MA 02155 617.624.0177 http://www.kurukulla.org |
| May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes! |
Three Pujas this week
