|
|
Geshe Tsulga, Kurukulla Center’s beloved teacher for seventeen years and Geshe Tenley’s uncle and teacher, passed away November 21, 2010. During tonight’s Medicine Buddha puja we will remember Geshe Tsulga-la’s great kindness and dedication to the Dharma. It was under Geshe Tsulga-la that Kurukulla Center was able to purchase our property here in Medford.
After Geshe Tsulga-la passed away, Lama Zopa Rinpoche called him an Olympic Dharma Champion. Geshe Tsulga always kept His Holiness’ long life as most important, and told His Holiness that he doesn’t need to pray for him [when Geshe Tsulga was sick], but that it was more important for His Holiness to live a long life for the world, to help all the people, etc. Rinpoche said that Geshe-la’s attitude was amazing. Also, that Geshe Tsulga-la had no fear of death and this gives tremendous inspiration.
Puja is a Sanskrit word that means pleasing by making offerings. Making offering prayers to the Medicine Buddhas is the same as offering to numberless buddhas and brings inconceivable merit like the limitless sky. The special mantra of the Medicine Buddha quickly actualizes prayers that the Medicine Buddhas made in the past: to bring happiness to all beings by showing them the causes of enlightenment, pacifying their problems, fulfilling their positive wishes and, especially, helping those afflicted by illness. The Medicine Buddha practice is extremely powerful and beneficial for the sick and dying, helps those who have already passed away, allows those practicing healing methods to benefit others more profoundly and helps bring success in general.
We always recommend bringing offerings of some sort, food, unscented tea lights, flowers, etc, as a way of earning merit. By making donations at, or sponsoring, a specific puja, you are strengthening and empowering the merit you receive in relationship to that puja, in this case the merit we receive by celebrating our gurus and the immeasurable benefit they have offered all sentient beings through their teachings. Generosity is the first of the six perfected qualities of a bodhisattva, planting the seeds to ensure that we will have all the material things necessary in future lives to continue our study of Dharma and working for the benefit of all beings, and this puja is a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity. This does not necessarily mean making more offerings, but rather making offerings that are of high value to you, that you find delightful and want to offer your gurus and all buddhas, quantity and quality being factors but not defining marks for an offering. Offerings are not an obligation but an opportunity, so we encourage you to make the most of it.
All are welcome.
|
