Pujas
Chanted Prayers

Personal Dedication Prayer Requests

If want us to include a prayer for someone who is sick, suffering, or has recently passed away – add their name to our prayer list below. We’ll make dedications for them when we gather for our pujas.

Prayers for World Peace

See calendar for times.

Through contemplating these prayers compiled by Geshe Kelsang from traditional sources, we learn to cherish others. If everyone sincerely prays to be able to cherish others, then gradually through the power of this prayer, everyone will actually cherish each other. The world will then be permanently at peace, and pure and everlasting happiness will pervade the entire world.

Special advice from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, 2001

“World peace is very important; we cannot ignore this now. This world is now, as you know, very delicate, very fragile, and very sensitive. So we religious practitioners need to offer prayers because prayers are very powerful. This is because of our pure motivation, the powerful words of the prayers themselves, and especially at such times enlightened beings will bestow their blessings upon us, our environment and other living beings. So we should pray for world peace.”

Offering to the Spiritual Guide

Customarily the 10th & 25th each month
See calendar for times.

This is a special practice of relying upon our Spiritual Guide as a Buddha and making praises and requests to him. Plus, it contains beautiful essential instructions on all the stages of the path to enlightenment and training the mind, as well as both the generation and completion stages of Highest Yoga Tantra.

We also make specific prayers for our friends, family members, Sangha and others who are suffering or who have died. This practice includes a tsog offering so you can bring a vegetarian food offering with you if you wish.

Wishfulfilling Jewel w/tsog offerings

Melodious Drum – Long Protector Puja

Customarily the 29th of each month
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This practice is the heart essence of Kadampa Buddhism. First, we visualize our Spiritual Guide as Je Tsongkhapa and make prayers and requests to purify negativity, accumulate merit, and receive blessings. This prepares our mind for a meditation on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. Then, we make prayers to our Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden to help us overcome obstacles to our practice and create favorable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our pure Dharma realizations.

Powa Ceremony

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The powa ceremony is a traditional Buddhist practice that is performed to aid the consciousness of the recently deceased as they travel to their next rebirth. It provides an opportunity for our community to come together to offer compassionate and powerful prayers and support during this important transition. White offerings are welcome but not mandatory – such as flowers, candles, food or candies.  Plan to arrive a few minutes early.

Heart Jewel

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Heart Jewel is the heart essence of Kadampa Buddhism and many Kadampas do these prayers as part of their daily practice. Buddhas or enlightened beings can appear or emanate as anything, and especially as teachers and protectors. In this practice, we pray to and rely upon the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri in both of these ways.

Tara Puja

Customarily the 8th of each month
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At Kadampa Centers worldwide, the eighth of the month is Tara Day. Tara is a female Buddha, whose name means “Rescuer. She is the embodiment of swift compassion. If we rely upon Tara sincerely and with strong faith, she will protect us from all obstacles and fulfill all our wishes.

Purification Practice 35 Confession Buddhas (prostrations)

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In one of the most powerful Buddhist methods for purifying our mind of all negativity, The Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls, we request these Buddhas to witness our confession and dedication of merit, and we prostrate in their presence

Medicine Buddha

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Medicine Buddha is a Buddha Doctor whose function is to release living beings from outer and inner sickness by bestowing blessings upon them. By relying upon Medicine Buddha sincerely, living beings in these impure times can be cured of heavy physical and mental disease, and find release from the internal pain of the three poisons: attachment, anger and ignorance. They can also receive protection from many other dangers and obstacles. By practising this Medicine Buddha Sadhana sincerely, we receive a special power of body, speech and mind, which we can then use to help others through healing actions.

Vajrasattva Purification

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The practice of cleansing our mind of all delusions and negativity by relying on Vajrasattva, the Buddha of Purification. Under the influence of deluded minds, we have engaged in many negative actions, and as a result we now experience suffering and problems everyday. But we have the opportunity to purify this negativity, and thus transform our mind and our experience of the world we live in. The meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva is a powerful practice of purification, and a quick method to attain future happiness and spiritual realizations.

Quick Path to Great Bliss

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Vajrayogini is a female enlightened Deity of Highest Yoga Tantra who is a manifestation of all the Buddha’s wisdom. By engaging in the Tantric practice of Vajrayogini under the guidance of a qualified Spiritual Guide, sincere practitioners can completely purify their body, speech and mind and attain a state of full enlightenment – the ultimate goal of human life. The practice of Vajrayogini comes from Buddha himself and has been preserved over the centuries by an unbroken lineage of realized practitioners.

Bring your ritual implements and sadhana it you have them, and arrive a few minutes early.

HYT Empowerment is a prerequisite.