Special Events

My Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters,

I sincerely hope and pray that you all are in good health, having some
success in your projects and your practises are progressing well.

I have arrived here in Nepal safely and have started the my duty here. The
weather is  very good. Our teacher and abbot Khen Rinpoche Geshe Lama
Lhundup,monks and nuns are fine and well.

I want to request and repeat again of disciplining oneself to do half hour
of silent reflection or meditation, finding a way to enjoy your practises
and integrating your understanding of the Dharma into day to day life to
experience the result of Dharma practises or taste of it.Or if you want to
see some positive change. I hope i am not asking too much,hahaha.

My trip to your place has been memorable, beneficial and wonderful. It was
so wonderful and great to reconnect Dharma brothers and sisters from my
last stay there and to connect with new members. I was extremely happy and
hope to make there again in future soon.

I would very much like to thank you all from depth of my heart for taking
care of me so well and spoiling me,hahaha. I will keep in my thoughts and
prayers.

We just had prayers for those killed and wounded in Tibet today with all
the tibetans here in Nepal.

Take care and wish you all the best.

With much love and prayers,

Geshe Thubten Sherab

Geshe Sherab is the Headmaster of Kopan Monastery at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. A brief biography of Geshe Sherab was printed in the April/May 2007 issue of Mandala Magazine.  The article is reprinted here.

Events at Thubten Norbu Ling with Geshe Thubten Sherab
March 11 – March 23

Green Tara Meditation Practice
Followed by a Tea/Cake Welcoming Reception for Geshe Sherab
Tuesday, March 11
Meditation: 7:00pm to 8:15pm. Reception:  8:15pm to 9:00pm
Geshe Sherab will lead meditation practice on the female deity, Green Tara. Green Tara is the embodiment of all the perfect actions of the Buddhas. When we practice Tara Meditation we remove all the inner and outer obstacles to our enlightenment.  All are welcome to attend the reception for Geshe-la following the practice.

Teaching on Dharmarakshita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons
Wednesday, March 12
Teaching: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Geshe-la will teach on Dharmarakshita’s Wheel of Sharp Weapons, the current subject of the Basic Program Studies at TNL. This text, one of the most esteemed mind training teachings, is a powerful weapon to cut through our true enemies - the self-grasping and self-cherishing thoughts that oppose one’s altruistic intention and prevent true happiness and peace.

Vajrasattva Meditation Practice
Tuesday, March 18
Meditation: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Geshe Sherab will lead us in a meditation practice on Vajrasattva, the main deity of purification. Purification is an essential element in Tibetan Buddhism and the Vajrasattva practice is one of the most powerful ways to purify our negative karma and the obscurations so that we can progress, with happiness and joy, along the path to enlightenment.

Oral Transmission (lung) of the Diamond Cutter Sutra
Wednesday, March 19
Oral Transmission: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
There is no teaching of the Buddha more profound than that of wisdom, the ultimate view of reality, which like a diamond cuts through our wrong conceptions and brings liberation. This wisdom is clearly expressed by the Buddha himself in the Diamond Cutter Sutra. Also called the Vajra Cutter Sutra, this sutra is one of the texts within the Prajnaparamita (Perfection of Wisdom) sutras that represent the essence of Mahayana Buddhism.

Geshe Sherab has kindly offered to give us the oral transmission (called lung in Tibetan) of this valuable sutra. This is especially kind in that our precious teacher, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, has specifically recommended all his students to study and recite this text.

A Talk on the Practice of Patience
Thursday, March 20
Talk: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
In this session, Geshe-la will talk about the necessity for practicing patience. Anger is the most dangerous of all the delusions due to the ability of a single moment of anger to destroy vast amounts of merit accumulated over many lifetimes. Patience is our supreme protection from such destruction, allowing us to safeguard our merits and keep a peaceful and undisturbed mind under even the most difficult of circumstances.

Lam-Rim Teaching: Song of Experience by Lama Tsongkhapa
Friday, March 20 – Sunday March 23
Fri. 7:00pm – 9:00pm,
Sat. 10:00am – 12pm,
Sat. 2:00pm – 4:00pm, and
Sun. 10:00am – 12pm
Geshe-la will teach on Lama Tsongkhapa’s “Song of Experience,” also known as “The Abbreviated Points of the Graded Path.” This text is one of Lama Tsongkhapa’s briefest explanations of the lam-rim (the stages of the path to enlightenment), the Mahayana teachings which clearly set out how to practice, step by step, from the preliminary contemplations through the goal of buddhahood. In this text, Lama Tsongkhapa clearly explains how each of us can understand the totality of the Buddha’s teachings and practice these steps to enlightenment without any confusion.

Refuge Ceremony and Conferral of Bodhisattva Vows
Sunday, March 23
Event: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
The ceremony for taking refuge in the Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, marks one’s formal commitment to enter the Buddhist path. As part of this ceremony, Geshe-la will also offer the opportunity for those who have taken refuge to take any or all of the five individual liberation (pratimoksha) vows. We are also delighted that Geshe-la has agreed to confer the bodhisattva vows for those who would like to make a formal commitment to the Mahayana path. PLEASE NOTE: If you are considering participating in any portion of this event, it is very important that you first contact Don Handrick ([ email ]  home:474.3974).

Lama Chöpa Guru Puja
Sunday, March 23
Event: 5:30pm - 7:00pm
The Guru Puja (Lama Chöpa) is a practice of making offerings to, and requesting inspiration and guidance from, the spiritual teacher in the form of Lama Tsong Khapa. This is an especially powerful practice to unite one's mind with the holy mind of the spiritual teacher, who is considered to be the root and life-force of the spiritual path, in order to receive blessings and generate realizations on the path to enlightenment.