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Event at Gyuto Vajrayana Center

Dear Friends,

Gyuto Vajrayana Center Calendar
May 2005

Tuesday Guru Puja (Tsog Offering)
May 3 7 pm - 8 pm

Saturday Tibetan Language Class
May 7 10 am - 12 pm

Sunday Tara Puja
May 8 10 am - 11 am

(Saka Dawa) Month of Buddha's Birth
15 Days of Water Bowl Offerings
Monday ----- Monday
May 9 - 23 9 am - 10 am

Saturday Tibetan Language Class
May 14 10 am - 12 pm

Sunday Medicine Buddha Puja
May 15 10 am - 11 am

Wednesday Guru Puja (Tsog Offering)
May 18 7 pm - 8 pm

Saturday Tibetan Language Class
May 21 10 am - 12 pm

HH the Dalai Lama's Visit Meeting
Saturday Everyone is invited to hear the latest news on HHDL’s visit and discuss how we can make this a successful event
May 21 3 pm - 5 pm

Monday Saka Dawa (Buddha’s Birth)
May 23 8 Mahayana Precepts
5 am - 6 am

Monday 16 Arhats Puja
May 23 7 pm - 8 pm

Friday Mahakala Puja
May 27 9 am - 12 pm

Friday Nyung Nye Retreat
May 27 7 pm - 8 pm

Saturday 8 Mahayana Precepts
May 28 5 am - 6 am

Saturday Nyung Nye (Fasting Retreat)
May 28 7 am - 6 pm

Sunday 8 Mahayana Precepts
May 29 5 am - 6 am

Sunday Nyung Nye (Fasting Retreat)
May 29 7 am - 6 pm

Monday Nyung Nye (Fasting Retreat)
May 30 8 am - 11 am

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

Guru Puja (Tsog Offering)

Twice monthly, according to the lunar calendar, the important practice of Guru puja with Tsog offering is done. It is a commitment for those practicing Highest Yoga Tantra and restores vows and pledges. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Tibetan Language Class

Ven. Jampa Thaye will be teaching a beginning Tibetan

language class every Saturday, March - August 2005, from 10 am - 12 pm. This class is designed for students who wish to speak and read Tibetan text. If you are interested in this class, please register by email: info@gyutocenter.org or call (408) 926-9430. There is a suggested donation of $10 per class. Ven. Jampa Thaye is a senior monk at the Gyuto Center and a former manager of Gyuto Monastery.

Tara Puja

Tara embodies all the Buddhas' enlightened actions of body, speech and mind. She is said to be the liberator, the one who releases all sentient beings from samsara and the causes of samsara. One special attribute that makes Tara particularly popular is the swiftness with which she responds to those who invoke her. By depending on Tara, we can clear away hindrances to all mundane and spiritual success. Everyone is welcome.

Month of Buddha's Birth (Saka Dawa)

Saka Dawa commemorates the holy month of Lord Buddha's birth. According to Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the fifteenth day of Saka Dawa is the day of Lord Buddha’s enlightenment and also the anniversary of his passing into parinirvana. The merit of any activity in this sacred month will be greatly multiplied.

(Saka Dawa) - Eight Mahayana Precepts

We begin celebrating at the Center by taking the 8 Mahayana precepts before sunrise (5:00 am). The 8 precepts are: refraining from killing, stealing, sexual conduct, lying, and all intoxicants. One also must avoid eating more than one meal a day, sitting on high seats with pride or wearing jewelry, perfume and makeup. Keeping the 8 Mahayana precepts for one day or even one hour, and thus protecting our mind from disturbing negative thoughts becomes a contribution to peace for all sentient beings. Everyone is welcome to take the 8 Mahayana precepts during Saka Dawa.

(Saka Dawa) - 15 Days of Water Bowl Offerings

During this holy month, we will be offering thousands of water bowls and lights to the Buddhas in the ten directions. We will be doing this practice every day for fifteen days and all the members are invited to join these offerings with the resident monks. It is taught that the merit of any activity done at this time is multiplied ten million times, so the community is encouraged to practice dharma as much as we can in this month. Participants can bring filtered water, candles lights, fresh flowers and fruits to offer.

Medicine Buddha Puja

Prayers made to the eight Medicine Buddhas are especially powerful and beneficial for the sick and the dying, as well as for those who have already passed away. If you wish to dedicate this puja to your loved one, please send us their names and photos by mail or email, so that we can pray and dedicate for them. We will be reciting the mantra and praise to the Medicine Buddha. Everyone is welcome.

16 Arhats Puja

With this puja we call upon Shakyamuni Buddha and the 16 Arhats to continue to shower their compassion and protection upon sentient beings in samsara and to not pass into Nirvana. We praise the Arhats and pray that they bless our glorious gurus with long lives and to help them so that the dharma may flourish everywhere.

H.H. Dalai Lama's Visit Meeting

Ven. Donyo is inviting each and every member and friend of Gyuto Center to come and learn more about the 2007 visit of HH the Dalai Lama to San Jose.
For those of you unable to attend please watch our website for updates. If you have any questions please call Ven. Donyo.

Mahakala Puja

Gyuto monks perform a Mahakala puja once every month and dedicate the merit to the Center's members, friends, families and all sentient beings. Mahakala is the wrathful aspect of the Buddha of Compassion (Chenrezig). It is said that when Avalokiteshvara realized that his peaceful methods did not effectively subdue all degenerate and suffering beings, he decided that a wrathful manifestation would better accomplish his compassionate intentions. Everyone is welcome to attend the puja.

Nyung Nye (Fasting Retreat)

This is an intensive spiritual practice to purify obscurations and negativities and accumulate merit. A Nyung Nye retreat consists of taking the 8 Mahayana precepts, reciting praises and prayers to Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion (Chenrezig) and making offerings and prostrations. This is one of the most common practices in all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

Nyung Nye Requirements: the first session starts on Friday night with short prayers and an explanation. There are no commitments for Friday. The schedule for Saturday and Sunday begins with the 8 Mahayana Precepts. On Saturday only one pre-noon meal is to be taken. You may take light liquids as you wish on Saturday until you lie down to sleep that night. Sunday is a day of silence, other then the recitation of the prayers. No food or liquids are to be taken on Sunday until the fast is broken on Monday morning. Breakfast will be served early Monday morning. Students must maintain the commitments at home over Saturday and Sunday nights. In this way the practitioner’s body, speech and mind is purified through the extensive practice.

This retreat will be held over the long weekend of the Memorial Day Holiday. Space is limited, so please register by email: info@gyutocenter.org or call (408) 926-9430. There will be a $60 per person donation to cover the cost of hosting the retreat and tsog offering.

Thank you

Thank You!

Ven. Thupten Donyo

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May all sentient beings have happiness and its causes.
May all sentient beings be free from suffering and its causes.
May all sentient beings never be separated from sorrowless bliss.
May all sentient beings abide in equanimity free of bias, attachment and anger.

Gyuto Vajrayana Center
1439 Old Piedmont Rd.
San Jose, CA 95132
Tel: (408) 926 9430
Fax: (408) 272 1275
Email: gyutovc@aol.com
Website: http://www.gyutocenter.org

For all past events, please Click Here to read them.

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Note: All the above events are published are for information basis. It is not in any way related or affiliated with our website. If you are interested in attending or finding out more, please contact the above website or email to the above email address.