Basic Program:
Emily Hsu Teaches the Final Term of Special Insight from the Lam Rim

In this module, we will conclude the section on Special Insight as well as the entire Middle Length Lam Rim text written by Lama Tsongkhapa. This is the last of a four-part series on this subject of Special Insight.

We will begin with a brief review of the two truths, and then we will proceed to cover the different kinds of special insight, how to cultivate special insight, how calm abiding and special insight unite, and complete the course by reviewing the entire path and how to get realizations.

As Shantideva wrote:
All of these practices were taught
By the Mighty One for the sake of wisdom.
Therefore those who wish to pacify suffering
Should generate this wisdom.

This ongoing course is part of the FPMT Basic Program (intermediate level) module on the Stages of the Path.
Root text: Tsongkhapa, Middle Length Lam-Rim
Prerequisite: Having received some prior teachings on emptiness is highly recommended.
Levels: Intermediate to Advanced

Emily was a resident of San Francisco for many years before heading to Nepal in 1996. While there, she attended the November Course at Kopan which was her jumping point into the Dharma. She completed FPMT's 7-year Masters program at Institut Lama Tsong Khapa in Italy in 2004 followed by a 9-month retreat to integrate the material. Following her completion, Lama Zopa Rinpoche observed that it came out well for Emily to teach "at all the Bay Area centers". Emily is teaching the foundation level classes of our Basic Buddhist Studies Program, becoming the junior professor to Geshe Dakpa's senior professor. Emily brings a warm, vibrant and accessible energy to her teaching at Tse Chen Ling. She is also teaching weekly at Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center in San Jose and leading workshops at other centers, including Vajrapani in Boulder Creek, CA.

Suggested Donation: $150 for course or $15 per class; Members pay $112.50 with discount; free for monks and nuns; no one turned away for lack of funds. Work study is available!

ALL LEVELS (geared towards Advanced Beginner/Intermediate)

4 retreat sessions: Friday 7-9pm; Saturday 10-12pm & 2-4pm;and Sunday 10-12pm.
There will be an abbreviated Long Life Puja for Geshe-la Sun 2-4pm.

Awaken your compassion and open your heart in this special weekend retreat using meditations, chanting mantra and making prayers and requests. This short retreat allows you to connect with 1000-Arm Chenrezig who embodies enlightened compassion, and to learn this ancient practice to open your heart to be able to relieve the pain of others. Geshe-la will explain the practice and give instruction during the retreat. This retreat is open to all (no prerequisites) and one can attend all or part of the retreat.

Online Registration is available now.
If you'd like to help sponsor the retreat for $108.00, contact chokyi@tsechenling.org. Sponsors will receive preferred seating during retreat.

"Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn’t anyone who doesn’t appreciate kindness and compassion". His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Ven. Geshe Ngawang Dakpa serves as resident teacher at Tse Chen Ling Center. He was born in Nangchu, northeast of Lhasa, Tibet. He became a monk at the age of ten. At the monastery he studied both Dharma and secular subjects extensively before entering Sera Je Monastery eleven years later. He fled Tibet in 1959. Upon his arrival in India, Geshe-la not only continued his monastic studies, but also spent three years at the Sanskrit University in Benares, earning an MA with honors. Invited by the Queen of Sikkim, he taught at the University of Sikkim for nearly 20 years before returning to Sera monastery in South India and obtaining his Geshe degree.

Suggested Donation: $80 for full retreat including lunch Saturday and Sunday;Members pay $60 with discount;
Or $20 per session and $15 with Member discount; $10 for lunch; free for monks and nuns;
No one turned away for lack of funds. Work study is available! .

ALL LEVELS (geared towards Advanced Beginner/Intermediate)

If you have been looking for program for beginning to intermediate students that pulls together the Buddhist teachings from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, the Discovering Buddhism Program for you! This program is based on topics like the mind, death, and karma, rather than specific texts, and taught from the perspective of practical application to daily life. Participants receive an experiential taste of the stages of the Buddhist path through reading, discussion and meditation and classes are usually one to two months in length.  Please click on Discovering Program for more information on the program and on current and upcoming courses.

Presenting the Path - 7 Thursdays beginning January 12th at 7pm

Introductory level. This course looks at the specifics of Shakyamuni Buddha's life story and how to use it as a spiritual guide. Students will learn about the progressive step-like structure of the lam-rim, its origin in the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, and about the three scopes. More importantly, we'll explore where you fit at your current stage of spiritual development, what to do next, and how you get from here to enlightenment. Seven weeks.

"The mind of a buddha can't be transplanted into you. Peace, happiness, and satisfaction have to come from your own mind." Lama Zopa Rinopche

Please note: no class on February 18th. Practice Day will be Sat, March 10th.

Is this course right for you? These classes are open to anyone at all. No prerequisites except curiousity about Buddhism!

Lobsang Chokyi has been a Buddhist for 16 years and a nun for almost 12. She spent a year in Nepal and India studying and doing retreat before getting ordained and just recently completed pilgrimage to all the holy sites of the Buddha's life. She is deeply honored to serve at TCL and has worked here for almost 12 years.

Suggested Donation: $105 per term for nonmembers and $78.75 for /members with discount; free for monks and nuns; no one turned away for lack of funds. Work study is available! .

ALL LEVELS (geared towards Beginner)

This is an informal, interactive way to enhance our practice, and is restricted to those with a Highest Yoga Tantra Empowerment who are doing Six Session Guru Yoga daily. The group will focus on studying Six Session Guru Yoga together, learning the vows, reviewing some commentaries on the practice, and learning Lama Zopa Rinpoche's Brief Self Initiation if there is interest.

We are finishing Lama Yeshe's amazing Introduction to Tantra and deciding on our next focus - this is a great time to join!.

By Donation; no one turned away for lack of funds

INTERMEDIATE

This group is focusing on mastering the alphabet, vowels, all components of a Tibetan syllable and basic grammar rules. We will also practice our colloquial Tibetan in a group and pairs. This group has been meeting for a couple of months, so new students are limited to those who already know the Tibetan alphabet. We do a lot of review, so please don't hesitate to come check it out. if you have questions or want to join just show up, we'll find a way to work you into the group.

By Donation. No one turned away for lack of funds.

BEGINNING LEVEL