For some time now we have been thinking how we can bring teachings and energy into the Centre; it was a great loss to find ourselves without a teacher, particularly once the consequences of COVID-19 lockdowns were felt. Now it’s time to move forward making use of the opportunities we have.
• Sat 5 Dec from 8am – Working Bee
Let us begin by coming together in a Working Bee on Sat 5 Dec at 8am. There is much cleaning and tidying up to do; cobwebs to remove, windows and prayer wheels to wash etc.
• Sat 5 Dec 11.30am – Watch Live Webcast by His Holiness
Afterwards at 11.30am we can reward ourselves by watching a live webcast teaching by His Holiness.
• Thu 10 Dec 7.30pm – Guru Puja with Light Offering
On Thu 10 Dec at 7.30pm, we celebrate Lama Tsong Khapa’s gift to us through the clarity of his dharma with our normal format puja. Really this isn’t enough to thank him for the gifts he has left us.
• Sat 12 Dec – Village Celebration of the Dharma
Therefore on Saturday, the 12th December we will hold a festival of thanks; a “Village Celebration” of the dharma, particularly Lama Tsong Khapa’s influence. Starting in the morning we will have a prostrations session. See below for program of the day.
Geshe Zopa will join us in person for a talk on the significance of Lama Tsong Khapa’s life and teachings at 10am. We will have a shared meal after the teachings but unfortunately Geshela won’t be able to stay for lunch due to other commitments. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share. In the spirit of a Village celebration we welcome children to come along.
After lunch, 1pm, we will have a series of readings and discussions around some of Lama Tsong Khapa’s shorter teachings and others’ written praises of Lama Tsong Khapa. These discussions will be led by John Waite.
Program for 12 December 2020
- 8am: Prostrations led by Rob Milan.
- 9am: Short break.
- 9.20am: set up for teachings
- 10am: Geshe Zopa teaching on the significance of Lama Tsong Khapa’s life and teachings.
- 11.30: Teachings end lunch preparation/set up
- 12 noon: Lunch
- 1pm: Discussions led by John Waite
Advance registration is not required.
We still have some COVID-19 distancing considerations to manage, so help us by indicating your intentions and/or any ideas as we will have some flexibility to ensure a good response.
Teaching Videos planned for December and January
We are looking at introducing teaching videos followed by discussion groups aimed at different levels of experience. We aim to introduce the first program in December, with the program aimed at entry level coming in mid-January.
The intent of our programs is to have a serious outlook on study yet within a relaxed framework where people can enjoy interaction. We welcome people attending for whatever time they can commit to. These teaching videos will initially be from Lama Zopa making use of the extraordinary amount of quality material he has presented this year.
We will be encouraging people to come together for coffee, cake or a meal more regularly, this will be woven around the program, and building on our relationships.
The core to making this concept work is to have many people involved at a variety of levels; please don’t be bashful about stepping up to help.
