Program with Geshe Sherab August 2010

Geshe Thubten Sherab, a formal headmaster of the renowned Kopan Monastery, will be visiting Chokyi Gyaltsen Center (CGC) this August 2010, and will be giving us a flair for the Kopan Monastery dharma teachings and workshops. Geshe speaks very fluent English, and Mandarin translation can be provided if required.

Participation is free, but registration is required.

Calm Abiding Meditation

Date: 14^th August 2010 (Sat) & 15^th August 2010 (Sun)
Time: 2pm - 5pm.
Venue: Chokyi Gyaltsen Center

~ What is Calm Abiding Meditation? ~ Is Calm Abiding Meditation same as Meditation
~ What and why is it so important to do the Calm Abiding Meditation
~ Can Calm Abiding Meditation help us in our daily busy life?

You may have queries during this workshop and may consult with Geshe Sherab. The practice of calm abiding helps us develop concentration and mindfulness which is greatly needed in our everyday life. During the 2 days workshop, Geshe Sherab will guide us on how to practice calm abiding in our busy life.

Naga Puja

Date: 11th August 2010 (Wednesday) & 20th August 2010 (Friday)
Time: 8.30 pm
Venue: Chokyi Gyaltsen Center

Naga Puja is a powerful puja to pacify Nagas (a kind of being in animal realm which lives around us) which brings harm to people, such as Skin Disease and Cancer.

By participating in this puja, it brings protection to you not to receive any harm from Nagas. You may attend the puja or make offerings toward the puja and leave your name and dedications. It is due to the power of the puja, the power of the Buddha’s blessings, the power of your sincere faith and the power of dependent arising, that helps heal the sickness by a certain degree or complete recovery.

Please feel free to write to us fpmt.cgc@gmail.com or call Ms. Stephanie at (012) 428 2929 for any assistance.

The Journey of Reincarnation

It is part of our life that everyone will finally get on this journey. How do we prepare for this journey and how does this journey look like? What are the four elements & how do the four elements dissolve? When does our consciousness leave our body? What does Intermediate State Being mean? Do we take rebirth within 49 days?

Join us to find out about our special journey at the end of this life, so that we can plan our future lives. It is important for us to learn and plan properly before this journey begins, and the sooner we find out about this, we stand a better chance of not taking rebirth in the lower reams (eg, hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals) when death suddenly descends upon us.

The workshop will be concluded with an Extensive Medicine Buddha Puja dedicated for your good health and happiness from life after life.

21st August 2010 (Saturday)

2.30pm – 4.30pm Session 1 ~ How to prepare for and not be afraid of death ~ How to benefit the Dying and the Death 5pm – 7.45pm Session 2 ~ On Euthanasia & Practicing Charity with the Body ~ Dissolution of the Four Elements 8.45pm – 10.45pm Session 3 ~ Intermediate State Being

22nd August 2010 (Sunday)

2.30pm – 5.30pm Session 4 ~ The 12 Link & Formation of the Four Elements ~ Q & A 7pm – 8.30pm Extensive Medicine Buddha Puja 9pm – 9.30pm Public Blessing by Geshe Sherab

Kindly register with Ms. Stephanie at fpmt.cgc@gmail.com or 012-428 2929 for this workshop – The Journey of Reincarnation before 7th August 2010 (Saturday).

As for the donation for Extensive Medicine Buddha Puja, please write in your dedication and submit the list before 7th August 2010 (Saturday).

Interactive 5 Days Lam Rim Retreat

Date: 27th August 2010 (Friday) – 31st August 2010 (Tuesday)
Time: 10am – 5pm
Venue: Chokyi Gyaltsen Center

All the 84,000 teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni are contained in Lam Rim in the most structured manner, giving us a proper understanding of dharma starting with kindergarten level to advanced level. Often we attend dharma talk on an ad hoc basis, and the dharma topics seem so sporadical. Our understandings of dharma are so out of place. Learning dharma becomes so boring.

You will find the retreat to be very interactive, it will stir our curiosity of wanting to learn dharma, and after the 5 days, you can see all the 84,000 teachings of Buddha in one picture, and you can contextualize your understanding of dharma, and you will know how to debate, and most importantly, you won't be ignorant and you can't be fooled by superstitious belief that constrain your actions.

Here is the schedule for the Interactive Lam Rim Retreat:

10.00am - 10.30am Meditation
10.30am - 12.30pm Teaching - Session 1
12.30pm - 01.30pm Lunch Break
01.30pm - 03.00pm Q & A or Debate Session
03.00pm - 03.30pm Tea Break
03.30pm - 05.00pm Teaching - Session 2

Kindly register with Ms. Stephanie at fpmt.cgc@gmail.com or 012 - 428 2929 for Lam Rim Retreat and submit to us latest on 15th August 2010.

ABOUT GESHE THUBTEN SHERAB

Geshe Thubten Sherab was born in 1967 and he entered Kopan Monastery at the age of nine and he completed geshe studies at Sera Je Monastery in South India, followed by a year at Gyumed Tantric College . He then completed retreat and teaching assignments both in the U.S.A and Asia. He served as Headmaster of Kopan Monastery’s school for four years, overseeing debate training and tantric training activities.

Geshe Sherab understands and connects very well with Western and Eastern students, presenting the Dharma in accessible, warm and open manner.

Geshe is a title of Buddhist doctorate degree, obtained after over 20 years of Buddhist studies in a monastery. The person must pass all examinations on memorization, debate and writing.

You can download CGC's Timetable for August 2010 here:

DOWNLOAD CGC's TIMETABLE FOR AUGUST 2010

Photos from Wesak Day 2010

CGC's Dharma Activities For The Month Of June 2010

You can download CGC's Timetable for June 2010 here:

DOWNLOAD CGC's TIMETABLE FOR JUNE 2010

Light Offerings At CGC During Saka Dawa

Cittamani Tara Puja/Prayers‏ on Saka Dawa Month

WHAT IS SAKA DAWA?
The full moon day of Saka Dawa commemorates Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. As cited by Lama Zopa Rinpoche in the Vinaya text Treasure of Quotations and Logic, virtuous actions done on this day are multiplied one hundred million times

WHAT IS CGC DOING?
CGC will conduct extensive Cittamani Tara puja during this month. Please refer to CGC Calendar or write to us via emails, facebook and blog

WHAT IS CITTAMANI TARA PUJA/PRAYERS?
Tara is the principal female manifestation of enlightenment in the Buddhist tradition, and represents Buddha’s enlightened activities.

This Cittamani Tara practice has the ability to prevent natural calamities, clear worldly obstacles and purify negative karma swiftly. One will be able to dispel black magic, charms, disturbances from the formless, as well as prevent plagues, diseases and other harmful effects to oneself.

Through one’s sincere practice of Cittamani Tara, one will be able to remove one’s internal and external obstacles to our dharma practice. It can also help boost one’s spiritual growth, career, academic studies and many other benefits.

IS THIS FOR ME?
You should attend if you have any of the following problems: unhappy with life, obstacles in work or business, health problems, family problems, relationship problems, financial problems, obstacle in spiritual development, completely depressed and need guidance, everything seems so wrong.

You should attend if you are very happy and successful. Why? Because every time you experience happiness, you are consuming your good merits that you planted in many previous lives. And once these merits are exhausted, you will experience sufferings.

You can sponsor a puja if you are unable to attend. Write to us if you would like to sponsor a puja

WHAT SHOULD I DO DURING THE PUJA/PRAYERS?
Before the puja starts, you can make light offerings, and make a contribution to the offerings (flowers, fruit, biscuits etc). All offerings have been prepared by CGC on your behalf, so your contribution for the participation of the prayers is greatly appreciated.

During the puja/prayers, you will be given a prayer text, all you have to do is to follow the chant leader. While doing the prayers, it would be best if you could try to understand the meaning of the texts.

At the end of the puja/prayers, we will do extensive dedication. Primary dedication is for us to achieve enlightenment, and you could also dedicate your merits to remove any obstacles you are facing. Mother Tara is known for her quick action to remove our obstacles.

Download CGC's Timetable for Tara Puja/Prayer for Saka Dawa Month of May 2010:

DOWNLOAD TIMETABLE

Extensive Benefits of Sera Jhe Food Fund

Before Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche established Sera Jhe Food Fund, many of the monks in Sera Jhe Monastery in South India were refugees from Tibet or from refugee families; they had very little money for quality food and consequently, were often malnourished and ill. Now, for the first time, they are well-nourished, content and full and this makes a dramatic difference in the energy they are able to devote to their studies.

In 1997, six years after starting Sera Jhe Food Fund, when Rinpoche visited the monastery, many of the older geshes, some with tears in their eyes, thanked Rinpoche and spoke of how the fund was benefiting the monastery. Monks could now attend all the debate sessions instead of taking time out to prepare meals and the fund also removed from teachers the great burden of providing for students who had no resources.

“Taking responsibility for supporting these practitioners is extremely worthwhile because they are preserving and spreading the entire teaching of the Buddha.”

“If you offer with the recognition that they are the Guru’s pores then that is an unbelievable way to collect merit. When you offer to many Sanghas who have the same Guru then you are making offerings to that many pores of the Guru. So this is easiest way to collect skies of merit by offering. By offering event just one candy, flowers or even one grain of rice to a statue of Buddha or even a visualized Buddha you collect skies of merit but here it is much more powerful than offering to the 3 jewels (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha) as well as all the statues, stupas and scriptures existing in all directions, so no question if offering to really the same Guru’s disciple. These benefits should be understood so that when you make offerings to the Guru’s pores you think correctly. This is the best business.”

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche

CGC's Activities For Saka Dawa (May & June 2010)

May and June are very powerful months because whatever deeds done (starting from 14th May - 13th June), all karmic results are multiplied one hundred million times. It is thus very important for us to be mindful to create only virtues, practice dharma, be kind and compassionate toward others. If we concentrate on doing virtues during the Saka Dawa period, the merit that multiplies 100 million times will become a very good "investment" for the rest of the year.

During this whole period, CGC is offering you various opportunities to create extensive merit.

1) According to Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche's advice, CGC must do extensive light offering, The Center is targeting to offer 100,000 lights. So, join us in this extensive light offerings by offering RM1 per light, and the merit will be dedicated to your family, relatives, friends and loved ones.

2) CGC will also participate in Rinpoche's heart project of making food offering everyday to over two thousand monks in Sera Jhe Monastery. As Rinpoche explained:

"Offering food to the monks of Sera Jhe is a way of collecting unbelievable merit because all the monks are the pores of the Guru. They are all disciples of the same Guru – His Holiness the Dalai Lama. By offering to pores of the Guru one collects more merit than offering to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, as well as numberless statues, stupas"

3) Also according to Choden Rinpoche's advice, for CGC to carry out its activites successfully and smoothly in order to fulfill the wishes of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, CGC needs to perform daily Tara Puja to clear obstacles, and request blessing from Mother Tara to grant success. Hence CGC will be doing Tara Puja every night on the whole of Saka Dawa month.

Please see attached files for more details of the activities for the month of May, a form for you to join in any donation to support these activities and the 10 benefits of light offerings.

The Chinese Lamrin classes have been postponed to November 2010.

You can download CGC's Timetable for May 2010 here:
DOWNLOAD CGC's TIMETABLE FOR MAY 2010


You can download CGC's Donation Form here:
DOWNLOAD CGC's DONATION FORM


You can download The 10 benefits of light offerings here:
DOWNLOAD CGC's ARTICLE