When: Sundays, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm ET
We will continue to monitor the local COVID and flu situation before opening up these teachings to in-person attendance again. Thank you for your patience. We look forward to seeing you in person again soon!
Purification: The Sūtra of the Three Heaps (The 35 Buddhas Practice) and The General Confession
The Sūtra of the Three Heaps (The 35 Buddhas Practice) is a Mahayana sutra that teaches a powerful method for cleansing negative karma and obstacles on the spiritual path and thus is considered a valuable tool for spiritual progress. It features the Thirty-Five Buddhas of Confession, each associated with purifying specific negative actions. The practice involves making prostrations and reciting confessions to these Buddhas, with sincere regret and a resolve to improve.
The General Confession is a broader purification practice, not tied to specific Buddhas. It involves acknowledging transgressions of vows, ethical breaches, and harmful thoughts and actions. Through sincere confession and regret, this practice can purify negative karma and promote a more ethical frame of mind.
Both practices offer paths to purification and are often used together. The 35 Buddhas Practice provides a focused approach to clearing specific negative karma, while the General Confession acts as a broader practice for acknowledging and cleansing overall negativity. Combining these practices can be a powerful way to release the burden of past mistakes that hinder our progress on the spiritual path.
In addition, on each Sunday Geshe Sonam will continue to introduce one or two verses from Aryadeva’s 400 Stanzas on the Middle Way. A translation of this text can be found here: Aryadeva’s 400 Hundred On The Middle Way, translated by Ruth Sonam.
And here is another translation of Aryadeva’s 400 that can be found on the Study Buddhism website, by the Berzin Archives.
Where: Please register here to watch online. (this is a very simple and quick registration process by email),
or watch the sessions live-streamed on Facebook or YouTube.
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