Completed–Annual Memorial Prayers (for all who have passed on), Tuesday, November 22, 2016, at 7:00 pm
September 15, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
Ven. Lama Kunga Rinpoche will conduct the annual Memorial Prayer service at Ewam Choden. This is a gathering to offer prayers for the benefit of all of our friends, relatives and countless sentient beings who have passed on in this year and in previous years. The event is open to everyone.
If you wish, you may bring a photo of a special person or animal to include, and you may bring tea candles or flowers to set up near the shrine. The gathering begins at 7 p.m. and lasts for about one and a half to two hours.
Completed KHENPO LAMA PEMA WANGDAK will teach at EC on Sunday, November 20, 2016 at 2:00 pm
September 14, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
Khenpo Lama Pema Wangdak returns to Ewam Choden for an afternoon of teaching on The First Paramita, generosity (in Tibetan, སབྱིན་པ sbyin-pa) and on The Third Paramita, patience (tolerance, acceptance, endurance) (in Tibetan, བཟོད་པ bzod-pa). The teaching may include meditative insight. Speaking in fluent English, Lama Pema is known to teach with a keen and incisive, and sometimes challenging, presentation.
The starting time is 2:00 p.m. There is a requested donation of $20.00. Everyone is welcome.
ABOUT KHENPO PEMA WANGDAK
Biography of Khenpo Pema Wangdak
Khenpo Pema Wangdak was born in Purang, Tibet in 1954, and escaped to India as a child in 1959. Having graduated from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies in Benares, India, he received his Acharya (masters) degree from Sanskrit University in 1980, while studying with the highest Sakya Lamas.. In 1982, he was sent to the West by His Holiness Sakya Trizin, as the first of the younger generation of Tibetan teachers in America from the Sakya School.
In 1989 Lama Pema founded the Vikramasila Foundation which encompasses several Palden Sakya Centers in New York, three other states, and in some other countries. Lama Pema is the creator of “Bur Yig”–Tibetan Braille, and the founder of Pema Ts’al (English for Lotus Grove) Schools in Mundgod, India (for Tibetan lay children); Pokara, Nepal (monastic schools for boys); and Pema Ts’al School in New York City, with a curriculum modeled on that of Sakya College, India. The Pema Ts’al School in New York City provides a traditional Buddhist education of monastic training and study, in the format of Western university teaching.
Lama Pema was recognized with the title of “Khenpo” by His Holiness Sakya Trizin in 2007. He received the distinguished “Ellis Island Medal of Honor” award by the National Ethical Coalition of Organizations in May, 2009 at Ellis Island for his humanitarian work around the world. Lama Pema is the first Tibetan ever to have received such an award. Recently, Khenpo Pema has been doing translations of sadhanas for his Holiness Sakya Trizin, as well as, traveling to give teachings in various places. He maintains his focal Centers in New York.
Check out Khenpo Pema’s interesting website at http://www.vikramasila.org/ and find him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/PaldenSakya
CANCELLED—EMPOWERMENT OF VAJRA NAIRATMYA by H.E. JETSUN KUSHOK / August 25 and 26, 2016
June 21, 2016 by admin
Filed under Completed Special Events
We regret to announce that this event has been cancelled because Her Eminence Jetsun Kushok isn’t able to travel to California right now.
Any further information will be announced when it is available.
EMPOWERMENT OF NAIRATMYA on August 25th and 26th. Vajra Nairatmya རྡོ་རྗེ་བདག་མེད་མ། is the ego-less woman, the partner of Hevajra.
LIMITED REGISTRATION — READ ON CAREFULLY
IMPORTANT INFORMATION–REGISTRATION IS OPEN NOW ONLY FOR PEOPLE WHO MEET THIS PREREQUISITE—You must have previously received an empowerment either of Cakrasamvara or Hevajra from a Sakya Lama.
The limit of 25 “New” participants (never received Hevajra or Chakrasamvara only from a Sakya Lama) has been reached. If you are a “new” person and wish to be on a waiting list, send an email to Ewam Choden ( info@ewamchoden.org) . If someone cancels, the waiting list will be used. People who fulfill the requirement may register now.
DATES, TIMES, PLACE INFORMATION The dates and times for this empowerment are Thursday, August 25 at 7 pm and Friday, August 26 at 4 pm. Plan ahead so that you can arrive in time.
The total donation amount is $140. Dana (offerings) are separate.
The location is the Gyuto Foundation in Richmond Heights, CA which is 10 minutes north of Ewam Choden. DO NOT CONTACT the Gyuto Foundation since it is our venue.
You can see A MAP to the location CLICK here. There is a parking lot and easy street parking.
REGISTRATION IS AVAILABLE BELOW FOR USING PAYPAL AND FOR SENDING A CHECK TO EWAM CHODEN.
IMPORTANT ! PLEASE TAKE NOTE: While there are no prerequisites for this empowerment, there are some limitations. There is a limit of 25 persons who have never received the empowerment of Chakrasamvara or Hevajra from a Sakya Lama. This refers to a two-day empowerment. The empowerments of Vajrakilaya or Kalachakra do not qualify for this. There are no exceptions.
When you register, you must answer the questions about having received the previous qualifying empowerments.
(Image of Nairatmya courtesy of Himalayanart.org/items/90017)
CLICK EITHER LINK BELOW to REGISTER
OR
PAYMENT BY CHECK
(registration by check valid only until Aug 17, 2016)
COMPLETED—ANNOUNCING VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, Sunday, July 24th, 2016
June 20, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
POTLUCK BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR VEN. LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE.
We will honor Ven. Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche with a party and prayers and wishes for his continued healthy life.
EVERYONE IS WELCOME! BRING FOOD TO SHARE. Reminder: Lama Kunga Rinpoche doesn’t eat anything with sugar or any sweetener. Rinpoche says–No material gifts or food gifts, please. Donations$ are accepted.
WHEN: Sunday, July 24, 2016 TIME: from 12:30 pm to 4:00 pm WHERE: Arlington Park, 1120 Arlington Blvd., El Cerrito, CA HOW: Drive northward on Arlington Blvd. past where you turn for Ewam Choden. The park is on the right with plenty of street parking. See a map here. At the park, we’ll be at Site 1. See the location here.
LAMA KUNGA LOOKS FORWARD TO SEEING YOU THERE.
PRAYER CEREMONY For H. H. JIGDAL DAGCHEN SAKYA at EWAM CHODEN on Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 4:30 p.m
May 6, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
On behalf of the S.F.Bay area Sakya Tsechen Tsokba group, Ven. Lama Kunga Thartse Rinpoche will lead prayer offerings for H.H. Jigdal Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche, head of the Sakya Phuntsok Phodrang, who passed into parinirvana on April 29, 2016 in Seattle, WA, USA. H.H. Dagchen Rinpoche remained in meditation until May 5th.
Everyone is welcome to attend.
COMPLETED – KHENPO MIGMAR TSETEN will teach at Ewam Choden on Thursday, June 16th, 2016 Differences between Sutrayana and Tantrayana
April 22, 2016 by admin
Filed under Completed Special Events
Ewam Choden is very pleased to welcome back Khenpo Migmar Tseten to the Center. During his last visit, he taught on the Heart Sutra and on the Four Noble Truths. His teachings, in fluent English, are always clear and compassionate, combining straightforwardness for a beginner with depth for the more advanced student and practitioner. He kindly explains comprehensively and answers questions patiently. Everyone is welcome. REQUESTED donation: $30. Dana (offering) to the Lama is separate.
LAMA MIGMAR’S SUBJECT for this teaching is the differences between Sutrayana (mdo’i-theg-pa) and Tantrayana or Vajrayana (rgyüd-kyi-theg-pa, rdo rje theg pa). Specifically, the topic is How four philosophical schools of Vaibhashika, Sautrantika, Chitamatrin and Madhyamika are relevant to the understanding and practice of four classes of Kriya, Charya, Yoga and Anutarayoga of Tantra.
ABOUT KHENPO MIGMAR TSETEN
Lama Migmar has been serving at Harvard University as a Buddhist Chaplain since 1997. Born in Tibet, he received both a traditional and a contemporary education in India. He graduated with an Acharya degree in 1979 from Tibetan Institute of Sanskrit University, Varanasi, India, with the first position among four schools of Tibetan Buddhism. He was awarded a medal for academic excellence by His Holiness The Dalai Lama.
Lama Migmar served as the head of Sakya Center in Rajpur, India, and the Sakya Monastery in Puruwalla, India, from 1981 to 1989, taking care of the well-being of several hundred monastic residents. During this time he reintroduced the original form of the geshe educational system of Tibet, with degrees from kazhipa up to the rabjampa degree, with a curriculum that included all of the eighteen major texts, which are known as the Dragchen Chogyed.
Additionally, Lama Migmar supervised the editing and publication of over 50 rare volumes of Sakya literature including the 31 volumes of Sakya Lamdre and the rare Golden Manuscripts of the Five Founding Masters of Sakya. He founded Sakya Institute for Buddhist Studies in Cambridge, MA, USA in 1990. He was recognized as Khenpo for his scholarship and service to the Dharma by His Holiness Sakya Trizin. Lama Migmar leads retreats at Buddhist centers throughout North America and Europe. He is the author, editor and translator in a series of four Vision books and of the Treasures of the Sakya Lineage. He has also written explanatory commentaries on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path and on the Heart Sutra. These books are available for purchase on Amazon. He generously shares his teachings in podcasts and videos through the website, http://mangalamstudio.com/ His other website for his Buddhist center, Sakya Institute for Buddhist Studies, is sakya.net.
A NEW CLASS–Introduction to the Uttaratantra or Sublime Continuum: Maitreya’s treatise on Buddha-nature–CONTINUES THURSDAY, APRIL 14, 2016 from 7pm to 9pm
April 3, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
NOTE New class members, who didn’t attend the first meeting, are welcome. Everyone should email the instructor for information and materials at jwp6@columbia.edu
CLASS
Introduction to the Uttaratantra or Sublime Continuum: Maitreya’s treatise on Buddha-nature led by John Whitney Pettit, scholar and practitioner. Six (or seven) classes on Thursday evenings, 7 to 9 pm. The start date is April 7. . Course materials will include excerpts of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s commentary on the Uttaratantra, and Pettit’s outline of the Uttaratantra, excerpted and translated from the Uttaratanttra commentary of Rongton Sheja Kunrig. Requested donation to EC of $25 ($100 for all six) per class. Open to all.
ABOUT THE TEACHER
John Whitney Pettit has been a student of many Tibetan and other Buddhist teachers, especially the first Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. He holds advanced degrees in religion and Buddhist Studies from Harvard and Columbia University, and is the author of Mipham’s Beacon of Certainty (Wisdom, 1999). Since 2005, he has researched and translated Tibetan commentaries on the topic of Buddha-nature, which are the subject of a forthcoming volume to be published by the Institute of Tibetan Classics. He is currently in residence at Ewam Choden.
Completed–ANNUAL HIMALAYAN FAIR, May 21 & 22, 2016
April 2, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
Founded in 1983 by Lama Kunga Rinpoche and Arlene Blum, the annual Himalayan Fair continues to provide entertainment, food, crafts and other wares, education, altruistic support, and all-around fun. As usual, we will have a booth at the Fair, and Lama Kunga Rinpoche will be present (some of the time). Hours are Saturday, May 21st from about 10 am to 5 pm or later, and Sunday, May 22nd from 10 am to 5 pm. See http://www,himalayanfair.net/ for information about the Himalayan Fair. SEE YOU THERE !
Completed—Ewam Choden Members Annual Meeting on Sunday, June 12, 2016 at 12:30 pm Everyone welcome
March 27, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
At the Annual Members Meeting, Lama Kunga Rinpoche and the Ewam Choden Board of Directors report on the state of our Center, which Rinpoche started about 43 years ago. Members are asked to give requests and make suggestions. Also, we look forward to including more participants in the many activities and chores around the Center. Everyone who attends events and studies with Rinpoche is most welcome to attend, but only dues-paying members will vote.
completed–SPECIAL LOSAR (Tibetan New Year) MEDITATION, PRAYERS, and BLESSINGS on Sunday, February 7, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.
January 30, 2016 by bhockman
Filed under Completed Special Events
VENERABLE LAMA KUNGA RINPOCHE will lead everyone in special practices to welcome the Tibetan New Year and pray for the peace and happiness of all beings. Everyone is welcome. It is the year of the MALE FIRE MONKEY. Be on time at 10 am. (There will be New Year snacks, too.)
