Weekly Schedule
Daily Practice in the Garchen Stupa (except during teaching events--please check Events schedule below)
- Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, 9:00-9:30 am:
"Light Amassment of Blessings"--H.E. Garchen Rinpoche's Guru Yoga Practice
Weekly Practice in the Garchen Temple (except during teaching and rental group events--please check Events schedule below)
- Sundays, 2pm-3pm:
White Tara Practice
Events Schedule
REGISTERING FOR EVENTS
Preregistration is required for all events. Please see download the registration form for each event at the end of the description. To inquire about work-study opportunities, please email the institute at questions@garchen.net or call (928) 925-1237.
LONG-LIFE EVENT HONORING H.E. GARCHEN RINPOCHE EVENT NOW FULL! NO MORE ROOM
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED - ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE NO LONGER POSSIBLE
Join us via streaming:
UStream Service (external link)
Streaming Schedule (Pacific Standard Time)
May 24 (9am - noon): Namgyalma Practice
May 24 (2-5pm): Namgyalma Practice
May 25 (9am - noon): Long Life Ceremony
May 25 (2-5pm): Namgyalma Empowerment
H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, Ven. Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Thubten Nima, Ven. Lama Abao, and Ven. Lama Bunima
May 21-25, 2013
Long-Life Ceremony in Celebration of the Seventy-Sixth Birthday of Our Root Guru, the Supreme Garchen Rinpoche, Who Possesses the Threefold Kindness
by Ven. Lama Abao
H.E. the Supreme Garchen Rinpoche has carried out dharma activities in many countries around the world, most of all in the United States, to whatever extent he has been able. It is therefore my hope that all of us who for many years have had the fortune of meeting him and receiving his teachings on what we should and should not do, his empowerments and transmissions, assemble in order to gather merit and purify our obscurations together.
In the month of Saka Dawa, in the period of the waxing moon (the first fifteen days of the lunar month), three major Buddhist festivals coincide: the birth of our teacher, the Buddha Shakyamuni, the Buddha’s enlightenment, and the Buddha’s passing into parinirvana. At this time, according to the tradition of following the lunar calendar, we will hold a Nyungne Retreat May 21-23, 2013, and on May 24 we will accumulate a thousand long mantras of Ushnishavijaya and a thousand-fold offering.
On May 25, the lunar calendar day of the full moon, in the morning we will offer a long-life ceremony to Rinpoche. By bringing to mind Rinpoche’s kindness and offering with pure intention, a small flower will become a sacred offering substance and a small symbolic mandala will fully comprise the four continents and MountMeru. Thus, by relying on these humble substances we will conclude the ceremony for Rinpoche’s long life. In the afternoon Rinpoche will kindly bestow the Ushnishavijaya Empowerment. He said it will be most auspicious to receive the empowerment immediately after having accumulated the merit of 1,000 recitations of the Ushnishavijaya mantra.
Tilopa said to Naropa, “Son, all appearances arise interdependently. Thus, until you have realized the truth of non-arising, do not separate from the twofold accumulation, which is like two wheels of a chariot.” With this in mind, the performance of a prayer ceremony for the long life of the root guru is a most supreme method for self and others to accumulate merit and the greatest long life practice. These are the truthful and authentic words of the past masters. Likewise, the benefits of perfectly observing the Nyungne vows are ineffable. Since it is very rare to have such a fortunate opportunity, we hope that you will consider the great significance and join us for this gathering. Should you be unable to come but sincerely rejoice in this practice, it is taught that you will receive the same merit as those who physically attend.
Click here to download the registration form for this event (Microsoft Word format)
May 21-23: Nyungne Practice with H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Thubten Nima, Ven. Lama Abao, and Ven. Lama Bunima
IMPORTANT: Partial attendance is not possible for Nyungne Practice—you must attend the full 2-1/2 days
- May 21: Practice from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm (vegetarian breakfast and vegetarian lunch served on this day)
- May 22: Practice from 7:00 am – 7:00 pm (no meals served on this day)
- May 23: Practice from 5:00 am – 8:00 am (vegetarian breakfast served after practice concludes)
- May 23: The remainder of this day will be spent making tormas and doing other preparatory activities for the Long-Life Ceremony
The Nyungne practice of the eleven-faced, thousand-armed form of Chenrezig (Skt. Avalokiteshvara), the Buddha of compassion, is for purifying negative karma and accumulating merit and wisdom in a short but intensive retreat setting. This intensive practice requires maintaining the eight Mahayana precepts on the first day and on the second day adding vows of fasting and silence (fasting begins after the noon meal on the first day and continues until breakfast on the third day; if your health does not permit a complete fast there is another option for those who can do partial fasting). Meditation sessions include prayers, offerings, prostrations, and extensive mantra recitation, cultivating all three vehicles of Buddhism. Practicing Nyungne with great devotion increases peace in oneself and the world, brings happiness and good fortune, and leads to rebirth in Buddha Amitabha’s Pureland of Dewachen.
It is said in the text called the Collection of the Intentions of All Tantras that if practitioners of the Mahayana do a Nyungne even once, they will purify all the wrongdoing accumulated throughout forty thousand eons and achieve rebirth as either a human or deva. If done eight times consecutively, the state of a stream enterer is attained and rebirth in Dewachen is guaranteed. If performed twenty-five times, the state equal to a once-returner is attained and all wrongdoing of the previous eighty thousand eons is purified. Performed fifty times the state equivalent to a non-returner is achieved and all wrongdoing for the prior eight hundred million eons is purified. If the nyungne is performed 108 consecutive times, arhatship is attained and all the wrongdoing and obscurations of the past one billion eons is purified and birth in Dewachen in the direct presence of Buddha Amitabha is assured.
Please join us for this deeply purifying and beneficial practice!
May 24 (9:00 am – 5:00 pm): Accumulation of 1,000 Ushnishavijaya Mantras with H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Thubten Nima, Ven. Lama Abao, and Ven. Lama Bunima
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED - ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE NO LONGER POSSIBLE
Join us via streaming:
UStream Service (external link)
Streaming Schedule (Pacific Standard Time)
May 24 (9am - noon): Namgyalma Practice
May 24 (2-5pm): Namgyalma Practice
Ushnishavijaya (Tib. Namgyalma) is one of the three long-life deities in Tibetan Buddhism, the other two being White Tara and Amitayus.
According to Buddhist scriptures, soon after attaining enlightenment the Buddha manifested thirty-two major and eighty minor marks. One of the major marks was the ushnisha, a protuberance at the crown of the head that served as a physical reminder of his great intelligence. A feminine deity of Tibetan Buddhism, Ushnishavijaya is the deification of this distinctive mark of the Buddha. Her name means “victorious goddess of the Ushnisha,” and refers to her exceptional intelligence.
She is seated in the vajra posture and has three faces, each manifesting a third eye. The right face is peaceful, the forward face is semi-wrathful, and the left face is wrathful. She has eight hands, and each is either in the form of a mudra or holds an implement representing her spiritual powers.
It is said that when the Buddha recited in the realm of the thirty-three gods he settled in the meditative absorption called “the samadhi beholding the ushnisha.” In order to bring benefit and happiness to countless beings of future times, the moment he settled in samadhi the syllables of the Ushnisha mantra emerged from his crown protruberance. The Buddha thus expounded the teachings of Ushnishavijaya declaring, “When any kind of harm manifests recite the knowledge mantra of Ushnishavijaya three times while meditating on her.” For this reason she is practiced and recognized in both the Sutras and Tantras. The benefits are that ultimately death is reversed, one will achieve longevity and increase merit, and after passing from this life one will be born in Dewachen (Sukhavati).
If one wears this mantra around one’s neck as protection, then enemies, adversaries, sourcerers, evil spells, and all harm caused by haughty demons will be reversed. Ultimately one will attain the state of Buddha Amitabha.
Throughout the recitation of the 1,000 mantras a long-life vase will be kept on the shrine, and it will receive many blessings from the mantras. After the Ushnishavijaya long-life empowerment the following day, everyone will receive the nectar from the vase to drink, and that will be a great blessing. If one cannot visualize the deity well, the blessing from the power of the mantra in this nectar is the same as visualizing the deity perfectly.
Ushnishavijaya’s mantra is given below (at the end of this message). A recording of Ven. Lama Abao chanting the mantra will soon be made and uploaded to our website, and he asks that everyone listen and practice prior to the May event. We will send out a message when it is ready.
May 25 (9 am – noon): Long-Life Ceremony for H.E. Garchen Rinpoche, with Rinpoche, Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Thubten Nima, Ven. Lama Abao, and Ven. Lama Bunima
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED - ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE NO LONGER POSSIBLE
Join us via streaming:
UStream Service (external link)
Streaming Schedule (Pacific Standard Time)
May 25 (9am - noon): Long Life Ceremony
Together we will practice the Long-Life sadhana during which some formal offerings will be made to Rinpoche. After the Long-Life practice concludes, everyone, both individuals and centers, is welcome to make offerings to Rinpoche.
Ven. Lama Abao suggests that one thing we can do is accumulate virtue by taking a vow and then offering the accumulated virtue for Rinpoche’s long life. For example, he says prior to the ceremony we might take a vow not to eat meat or not to drink alcohol or not to smoke cigarettes for the rest of our life or for one month or some other period of time, and then dedicate the merit of keeping this vow. Or we might take a vow to recite one mala of White Tara or other mantras every day for the rest of our life or for one month or some other period of time and dedicate the merit for Rinpoche's long life. These are just some examples—the possibilities are endless and none are required.
VERY IMPORTANT!: If you take a vow and would like a brief description of it to be translated and given to Rinpoche, please email the information to Garchen Institute no later than May 20, so that the translator has time to get everything ready to present to Rinpoche at the May 25 ceremony. All vow information received after May 20 will be translated and given to Rinpoche at a later time.
May 25 (2-5 pm): Ushnishavijaya Long-Life Empowerment given by H.E. Garchen Rinpoche
THIS EVENT IS NOW CLOSED - ADDITIONAL ATTENDANCE NO LONGER POSSIBLE
Join us via streaming:
UStream Service (external link)
Streaming Schedule (Pacific Standard Time)
May 25 (2-5pm): Namgyalma Empowerment
We planned to conduct the Long-Life Ceremony all day for Rinpoche, but he said that since we will have spent the entire day prior accumulating Ushnishavijaya mantras, it would be very auspicious for us to receive the Ushnishavijaya Empowerment and thus he will bestow it.
Download mantra audio file (2.5 mintues)
USHNISHAVIJAYA’S LONG MANTRA:
OM NAMO BHAGAVATE
SARVA TRAILOKYA PRATIVISHISHTAYA
/ BUDDHAYA TE NAMA / TA YA THA
/OM BHRUM BHRUM BHRUM SHODHAYA SHODHAYA
/VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA
/ ASAMA SAMANTA AVABHASA SPHARANA GATI GAGANA SVABHAVA
VISHUDDHE
/ ABHISHIN CANTU MAM
/ SARVA TATHAGATA SUGATA VARA VACHANA AMRITA ABHIKSHEKARA
/ MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAI / AHARA AHARA
/ MAMA AYUS SAMDHARANI
/ SHODHAYA SHODHAYA / VISHODAYA VISHODAYA
/ GAGANA SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE
/ USHNISHA VIJAYA PARISHUDDHE
/ SAHASRA RASMI SANCHO DITE / SARVA TATHAGATA AVALOKINI
/ SHAT PARAMITA PARIPURANI
/ SARVA TATHAGATA MATE / DASHA BHUMI PRATISHTHITE
/ SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA / ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE
/ MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE
/ VAJRA KAYA SAMHATANA PARISHUDDHE
/ SARVA KARMA AVARANA VISHUDDHE
/ PRATINI VARTAYA MAMA AYUR / VISHUDDHE SARVA TATHAGATA
/ SAMAYA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE
/ OMMUNI MUNI MAHA MUNI / VIMUNI VIMUNI MAHA VIMUNI
/ MATI MATI MAHA MATI / MAMATI SUMATI TATHATA
/ BHUTA KOTI PARISHUDDHE / VISPHUTA BUDDHE SHUDDHE
/ HE HE JAYA JAYA / VIJAYA VIJAYA
/ SMARA SMARA / SPHARA SPHARA / SPHARAYA SPHARAYA
/ SARVA BUDDHA ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE
/ SHUDDHE SHUDDHE / BUDDHE BUDDHE / VAJRE VAJRE MAHA VAJRE
/ SUVAJRE VAJRA GARBHE JAYA GARBHE
/ VIJAYA GARBHE / VAJRA JVALA GARBHE
/ VAJROD BHAVE / VAJRA SAMBHAVE
/ VAJRE VAJRINI / VAJRAM BHAVATU MAMA SHARIRAM
/ SARVA SATTVA NANCHA KAYA PARISHUDDHIR BHAVATU
/ ME SADA SARVA GATI PARISHUDDHISHCHA
/ SARVA TATHAGATASHCHA / MAM SAMASHVAS YANTU
/ BUDDHYA BUDDHYA / SIDDHYA SIDDHYA
/ BODHAYA BODHAYA / VIBODHAYA VIBODHAYA
/ MOCHAYA MOCHAYA / VIMOCHAYA VIMOCHAYA
/ SHODHAYA SHODHAYA / VISHODHAYA VISHODHAYA
/ SAMANTANA MOCHAYA MOCHAYA
/ SAMANTA RASMI PARISHUDDHE
/ SARVA TATHAGATA HRIDAYA / ADHISHTHANA ADHISHTHITE
/ MUDRE MUDRE MAHA MUDRE / MAHAMUDRA MANTRA PADAI SVAHA
USHNISHAVIJAYA’S SHORT MANTRA:
OM BHRUM SVAHA / OM AMRITA AYUR DA DAI SVAHA
Guru Rinpoche Million Mantra Accumulation
Venerable Lama Thubten Nima
June 22-24, 2013 (9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
The Buddha prophesied that a second Buddha would appear who was even greater than himself, and it is said that this Buddha was Guru Rinpoche. Although the Buddha first taught secret mantra, it was Guru Rinpoche who extensively propagated these teachings.
Secret mantra is of supreme importance because it is the vehicle of fruition that makes it possible to attain enlightenment in a single lifetime. It is especially beneficial during the present degenerate age in which beings experience very strong afflictive emotions. Guru Rinpoche predicted secret mantra would be of great benefit during the height of the degenerate age when many sicknesses of mind and body prevail. He said that during this time we should continuously supplicate him, and one means is recitation of his mantra: OM AH HUNG VAJRA GURU PEMA SIDDHI HUNG.
Please join us in accumulating one million recitations by either 1) coming to the Garchen Temple as your schedule permits or 2) reciting the mantra at home and adding your daily totals to the counter that will be posted at the Garchen Institute website, www.garchen.net, starting on June 15. You may also email your daily totals to questions@garchen.net or call them in to (928) 925-1237. However many recitations you are able to do, all participants receive the merit for a million mantras. Daily tuition will be just $15 for this event, and there will be no meal service. Amy will coordinate group cooking for anyone interested, but you must email, questions@garchen.net or call her, (928) 925-1237, no later than June 19.
Registering for Events
Preregistration is required for all events, and you are welcome to participate in whatever part of the above events your schedule permits.
To preregister, please click on the link to the registration form for an event and submit it by email or request the form by email if it is not yet available here at the website. By the deadline for each event, remit your nonrefundable deposit of one day’s tuition ($30) and 50% of the cost of meals you wish to purchase ($5 for breakfast, $8 for lunch, $7 for dinner). Please note that to reserve meals, your meal deposit must be received by the event deadline. To inquire about work-study opportunities, please email the institute at questions@garchen.net or call (928) 925-1237.
North American Teachings Schedule
March to May 2013
H.E. Garchen Rinpoche
April 9-14: Rochester, New York: White Lotus Buddhist Center
April 19-20: Centreville, Virginia: Drikung Dharma Surya
Topic and time still to be confirmed. Teachings will be held at Hoa Nghiem Temple in Fort Belvoir, VA
For more information visit DrikungDharmaSurya.org
Phone: 703-249-5081
Email Address
April 23-25: Wesley Chapel, Florida: Drong Ngur Jangchubling
April 23: Public Talk at San Antonio Florida Civic (7-9 pm)
April 24: Dzogchen Teachings (2-5 pm and 7-9 pm) at Drong Ngur Jangchubling
April 25: Dzogchen Teachings (2-5 pm) and Milarepa Empowerment (7-9 pm) at Drong Ngur Jangchubling
For more information email this address
Phone: 727-868-8189 or 727-809-0899
April 27-28: North Carolina and Tennessee
April 27: Urban Dharma, Asheville, NC
9 - 11 am, Mahamudra Heart-Advice
2 - 5 pm, Tara Empowerment
April 28: ADMC, Johnson City, TN
9 - 12, Jambhala Empowerment & Mahamudra Heart-Advice
6 - 8pm, Mindful Awareness
For more information email this address
May 2-12: Dayton, Ohio: Gar Drolma Buddhist Center
May 2-5: Chakrasamvara Teachings and Empowerment
May 8: Public Talk: How to Live Harmoniously in Our World
May 9-12: Bestowal of 13 Drikung Kagyu Empowerments
For more information visit GarDrolma.org
Phone: 513-604-3723
Email Address
May 21-25: Chino Valley, Arizona: The Garchen Institute
For more information see The Garchen Institute schedule above.
