*** We ask that people who will be attending the Green Tara initiation in person at the Burlington Public Library register ahead of time. This will help us better prepare to welcome you to this special event. Please register here.
Sign-up form for volunteers is now available. Please see below.
Preparation: The Way to Engage in Tara Practice
When: Saturday, June 22nd, 2024, 10:00 – 11:30 am EDT
Where: Lama Yeshe Ling Centre, 1287 Coric Avenue, Burlington ON L7R 3S4. You can also watch this session online on Zoom (please register ahead), Facebook, or YouTube.
*** We welcome you to attend the teachings in person, however, given the small size of the room, and that we are broadcasting live on Zoom and Social Media, please arrive more than 10 minutes before the beginning of the session. Also, please do let us know one day prior by emailing us at [email protected] that you are attending in person, so we know to expect you.
Please note that the Zoom link for the next day’s initiation is different than this one.
In preparation for the in-person and streaming permission initiation (jenang) of Green Tārā, Geshe Sonam will lay out the fundamentals of a simple Tara meditation, visualization, and recitation practice. This will assist those who wish to engage in a daily practice of Mother Tārā by introducing the fundamentals in a concise and practical way.
It is not necessary to attend the preparatory class on Saturday, before the initiation on Sunday.
By Donation. Please see below to help sponsor this Green Tara Preparation and Initiation.
Permission Initiation (Jenang) of Green Tara
When: Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, 12:00 – 2:00 pm EDT (Ending time is approximate)
Where: Burlington Public Library, Central Branch, Centennial Hall, and online (see below).
In-person attendance is encouraged when possible and streaming online for those who are not able.
2331 New St, Burlington, ON L7R 1J4, Canada
*** We ask that people who will be attending the Green Tara initiation in person at the Burlington Public Library register ahead of time. This will help us better prepare to welcome you to this special event. Please register here. (same as link at top of page)
Note: The initiation will be streamed only on Zoom. It will not be streamed to Facebook or YouTube
Register ahead to watch on Zoom. (this is a different Zoom link than will be used for the Preparation)
Geshe Sonam will give the initiation of Green Tārā, the female Buddha of enlightened activity who is as swift as the wind. During the ceremony participants will be led through a series of special meditations to receive the blessings of the holy body, speech, and mind of Tārā, connecting them with her practice in a deep way.
An initiation (jenang) is a ritual through which the teacher connects students with the holy body, speech, and mind of the deity through a series of meditative visualizations and ceremonies.
Participation requirements: Anyone who wishes to receive this as a blessing may do so. Students who wish to receive the initiation fully should take refuge and bodhisattva precepts, which will be included in the preliminaries to the initiation for those who have not previously received them. Geshe la asks all participants to maintain a vegetarian diet on the day of the initiation, and if possible the morning before the initiation to avoid eating the five pungent plants: garlic, onions, shallots, leeks and chives.
It is not necessary to attend the preparatory class before attending the initiation, although it will be beneficial if possible.
“It is a very common experience that when we rely upon Tara, doing the meditation, the recitation, it makes it very easy to have our wishes fulfilled, to have success. It’s a very common experience, even for ordinary people. Lama Atisha, who always relied on Tara, was able to offer extensive benefit to sentient beings and the teachings of the Buddha because of Tara.” – Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Resources:
You can learn more about Tara practice and the meaning of Tara’s mantra in this teaching by Lama Zopa Rinpoche here.
Teaching by Lama Yeshe: The Bodhisattva Vows
Which Vows Are Which? A Beginner’s Guide – Mandala Publications (fpmt.org)
More information on the root infractions (downfalls) can be found here: https://studybuddhism.com/en/advanced-studies/prayers-rituals/vows/root-bodhisattva-vows
Volunteer Opportunities – We will need your help!
We now have a sign-up form for volunteers. You can find it here.
Please help us to make these teachings a success. Thanks so much!
Opportunity to Sponsor this Green Tara Preparation and Initiation
Sponsoring the teachings helps to make the teachings available to everyone. In this way, we are able to practice the generosity of giving of the Dharma and thereby create vast amounts of merit. Our programs are given freely, and we rely also on your generosity – this is the traditional and pure way of the Buddha Dharma. Offering support for the Dharma can be a limitlessly powerful act. This is the highest, most long-term form of generosity, which is to share with others the path to full awakening. Offering support deepens our connection to Dharma teachers and connects us as a community.
Remember to make an aspiration/dedication to accomplish your goals for yourself and others before making the offering. With clear intention, we can create causes to accomplish the welfare of both ourselves and all sentient beings, or of any heartfelt cause.
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