Saturday Morning: Precious Garland of the Supreme Path Online
2021-08-21 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-08-28 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-09-04 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-09-11 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-09-18 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-09-25 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-10-02 09:00 - 10:30, 2021-10-23 09:00 - 10:30 (America/Los_Angeles) and 12 more dates | online event, CA, United States
Instructions of Gampopa: A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path
Teachings and Oral Transmission with Khenpo Karten Rinpoche
Saturdays until completed
9:00am – 10:30am Pacific Time (time updated as of 11/27/2021)
Online via Zoom, link below
All welcome to join at any time
Free of charge, but donations always welcome

Although he lived long ago, Gampopa is someone who can relate to the suffering and turmoil of modern times. Gampopa, a medical doctor of his time, lived through a pandemic in Tibet, losing his son, daughter, and his wife. In his intense suffering, he sought relief by becoming a monk, and studying the Dharma (teachings of the Buddha Shakyamuni). He entered the Kadampa order, learning many texts and becoming well versed in the Dharma, but it was Milarepa, the fully enlightened yogi of Tibet, who became his root guru. Under Milarepa’s teachings, he learned the visualization practice of tantra. He combined the step-by-step, graduated path and logic of the Kadam master Atisha, with the tantric practice of Milarepa, and founded the “practice lineage,” the Karma Kagyu.
“Gampopa, the father of the Kagyu tradition in Tibet, wrote a number of commentaries on Buddha’s teachings. The most notable are The Jewel Ornament of Liberation and A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path. In A Precious Garland, Gampopa gives precise instructions on what is needed to develop one’s understanding, meditation and conduct on the spiritual path. Gampopa succinctly outlines in twenty-eight categories what we need to know in order to perfect our spiritual practice*.”
This is the fourth text by Gampopa that Khenpo Karten Rinpoche has taught at the Manjushri Dharma Center. Previously he taught the Jewel Ornament of Liberation, and next he taught on his succinct commentary called the “Excellent Path Of Freedom, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation in Brief,” and most recently he taught on the Four Dharmas of Gampopa. In the Four Dharmas of Gampopa, one line says: “May the Dharma become the Path.” The Precious Garland of the Supreme Path addresses the many facets of turning the Dharma into the Path: bullet points for right actions and intentions. In addition, the text includes many inspiring and poetic descriptions of the ultimate nature of mind and reality. The text will be shown on the screen, and resources to purchase or download a free version are below. There will be time made for questions and answers at the end of the class periodically. Please join us for the this precious series of teachings!

Zoom Link to Join:
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Meeting ID: 863 4547 0369
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About Venerable Gampopa Sonam Rinchen:
“Gampopa lived from 1070 to 1153. He was born in Central Tibet and trained as a doctor. At age 26, when his family succumbed to an epidemic, he promised his wife on her deathbed that he would become a monk and devote his life to Buddhism. He eventually met the great yogi Milarepa and became his foremost student. He founded the system of Mahamudra which combines the tantric teachings of the great siddhas of India with the graduated path teachings of Atisha.*”
*Note: The general description of the text and Gampopa’s life is credited and quoted from Shambala Publications: https://www.shambhala.com/snowlion_articles/the-instructions-of-gampopa/

About the Venerable Khenpo Karten Rinpoche

Khenpo Karten Rinpoche is an accomplished teacher and practitioner of the Karma Kagyu Lineage and is also trained in the Nyingma Lineage of Buddhism. He was born in the beautiful mountains of the Himalayas of Tibet. At the age of twelve, he was ordained at Ja-pa monastery, where he began his formal education of reading, writing and ritual practice. At the age of fifteen having completed the basic studies, he furthered his studies in the Sutra and Tantric texts under the accomplished master Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche and Pema Tsewang Rinpoche for eight years. Subsequently Khenpo Karten Rinpoche went to the hermitage of anther accomplished teacher, Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche and completed five years of retreat under the great master. In the retreat he completed the practices of the Naropa’s six yoga, Mahamudra and many others. In recognition of his achievements, Sangye Tenzin Ringpoche bestowed upon him the title, Khenpo Karma Lekshe Tharchin in 1994.
In 1996, he left Tibet and traveled to Dharamsala, India to meet His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Upon His Holiness’ advice, he spent another two years doing retreat. H.H Dalai Lama also recognizing his achievement, bestowed upon him the title Khenpo Rinpoche. After his retreat, Khenpo Karten Rinpoche was requested by H.E Tai Situ Rinpoche to go to the monastery of Venerable Tsoknyi Rinpoche, to teach the young monks there.
Khenpo Karten arrived in the United States in 2008, and taught in the Monterey Bay area for the first time in September of that year. After meeting a group of prospective students and seeing the hills of Big Sur which remind him of Tibet, he returned in 2009 to make the Monterey Bay his permanent home. Since then, Rinpoche has established the Manjushri Dharma Center (MDC) in Pacific Grove, California, which has become his main teaching location and his home residence. With unflinching faith in the precious Buddha Dharma, Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, now a U.S. citizen, bestows sacred teachings to thousands of people all over the world, with weekly teachings and events.

About the Text
Instructions of Gampopa: A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path was written roughly 900 years ago, and there are many translations in many languages.

Here is a Tibetan version of the text, and please email rachelmdc2016@gmail.com for an English version.
An English version, translated by Lama Yeshe Gyamtso and Laura Roth, can be purchased from Snow Lion publication, with commentary by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche. Shambala Publications has an e-book, and it was originally published in 1996 as a paperback.
There is a free, downloadable PDF version of the text in both Tibetan and English, translated and edited by Dr.Konchok Rigzen of the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Leh-Ladak, India. It includes an extensive introduction, description of Gampopa’s life, and detailed footnotes.

Accompanying Texts:

Preliminary prayers (in English)
Closing prayers (in both Tibetan and English)
Khenpo Karten Long Life Prayers (in Tibetan)-Updated
Khenpo Karten Long Life Prayers (in English)-Updated

Recordings from Past Sessions

Session #1, Verse 1: July 10th, 2021,The Ten Causes of Loss

https://youtu.be/7fp-4mLF8fQ

Session #2, Verse 2: July 17th, 2021,The Ten Necessary Things

https://youtu.be/4b5MVrxW7KA

Session #3, Verse 3: July 24th, 2021,Ten Things Upon Which to Rely

https://youtu.be/tW8bugRPQLw

Session #4, Verse 4: July 31st, 2021,The Ten Things to be Abandoned

https://youtu.be/l82UXM2RXkA
Notes from Session 4

Session #5, Verse 5: August 7th, 2021, The Ten Things Not to be Abandoned

https://youtu.be/RG9QGJ4BVKA
Notes from Session 5

Session #6, Verse 6: August 14th, 2021,The Ten Things to be Known

https://youtu.be/1JJ0Qt4fdxE
Notes from Session 6

Session #7, Verse 7: August 21/2021,The Ten Things to be Practiced

https://youtu.be/4QWv51yTVDs
Notes from Session 7

Session #8, Verse 8: August 28, 2021,The Ten Things to Emphasize

https://youtu.be/xebiQ2kbasM
Notes from Session 8-part 1
Notes from Session 8-part 2-How to Listen to Dharma

Session #9, Verse 9: September 4, 2021, Ten Exhortations

Unfortunately, this recording was not captured–technical difficulties

Session #10, Verse 10: September 11, 2021,Ten Deviations

https://youtu.be/PlkF9MtopvM

Session #11, Verses 11-12: September 18, 2021,Ten Confusions of One Thing for Another & Ten Unmistaken Things

https://youtu.be/H9gMbaOdQGY

Session #12, Verse 13, September 25, 2021,Fourteen Useless Things

https://youtu.be/1RkXTJjk9rA

Session #13, Verse 14: October 2, 2021,Eighteen Hidden Evils of Practitioners

https://youtu.be/vJj5UUZBVqI

Session #14, Verse 15: October 23, 2021,Twelve Indispensable Things

https://youtu.be/I0ZxbI8xwIQ
Notes from Session 14, Verse 15
Notes from Session 14, Verse 15-part 2

Session #15, Verse 16: October 30, 2021, Eleven Marks of a Holy Person

https://youtu.be/kMlT5Bgvce0

Session #16, Verse 17: November 6, 2021,Ten Things of No Benefit

https://youtu.be/HuHihvG9Zog
Notes from Session 16, Verse 17

Session #17, Verse 18: November 13, 2021,The Ten Ways of Accomplishing One’s Own Disaster

https://youtu.be/iOCGKO8emLs

Session #18, Verse 19: November 20, 2021, The Ten Great Kindnesses to Oneself

https://youtu.be/0OLsh0e-R10
Notes from Session 18, Verse 19

Session #19, Verse 20: November 28, 2021, The Ten Perfect Things

https://youtu.be/e6pM9rr53uQ
Notes from Session 19, Verse 20

Session #20, Verse 21: December 4, 2021, Ten Bewilderments of Practitioners

https://youtu.be/wtUVT6bfNBA

Session #21, Verse 22: December 11, 2021, Ten Necessary Things

https://youtu.be/Z0UbQrkxQMo
Notes from Session 21, Verse 22

Session #22, Verse 23: December 18, 2021, Ten Unnecessary Things

https://youtu.be/qdt4_1Wa0QI
Notes from Session 22 (referring back to question in Session 21)

Session #23, Verse 24: January 8, 2022, Ten Superior Things

https://youtu.be/La5PeWGjll8

Session #24, Verse 25: January 15, 2022, Ten Situations in which Whatever is Done is Excellent

https://youtu.be/fQ7-VVhk6Rs

Session #25, Verse 26: January 22, 2022, Ten Qualities of Genuine Dharma

https://youtu.be/umB1xh06ioc
Notes from Session 25, Verse 26

Session #26, Verse 27: January 29, 2022, Ten Things that are Merely Names

https://youtu.be/suCjNAKyFuM
Rinpoche also read verses from his composition The Excellent Path of Freedom: The Jewel Ornament of Liberation in Brief, verses 67-71

Session #27, Verse 28: February 6, 2022, Ten Things that are Spontaneously Present as Great Bliss

https://youtu.be/0wvmT7kvLf4
Please note: the final session of this series was part of the 2-day retreat held in early Februrary, 2022. The entire retreat and videos can be found here: https://manjushridharmacenter.org/event/2022_februaryretreat/2022-02-05/

Written Transcriptions of Each Session
Through the kindness of Florence Lee, written transcriptions of each session are being compiled. They will be uploaded here as they become available.

Monday Night Prayers Online-Vajrasattva with guest Lama Lekshey Zangpo
2021-10-11 18:30 - 20:00
On Monday evening, October 11th, we will practice The Sadhana of Glorious Vajrasattva Which Purifies All Negativities and Benefits Self and Others called The Wishfulfilling Jewel a Terma Revelation of H.H.Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche. Special Guest Lama Lekshey Zangpo will give a brief talk before we begin the sadhana.
Link to texts: The Sadhana of Glorious Vajrasattva and additional readings written by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, The Four Powers of Purification, and A Brief Confession.
Venerable Lama Lekshey Zangpo
Zoom Link to Join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86345470369?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 863 4547 0369
Passcode: [REDACTED]
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,86345470369#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US (San Jose)
+13462487799,,86345470369#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US (Houston)
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 863 4547 0369
Phone Passcode: [REDACTED] (no participant ID, press # to bypass)
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kD7seFIYt

Image “Vajrasattva Heruka, Dorje Sempa with Vajragarvi (consort), seated in union,” from Flickr, artist Wonderlane, creative commons license

No Saturday Morning Teaching: Precious Garland of the Supreme Path
2021-12-25 09:00 - 10:30, 2022-01-01 09:00 - 10:30
We will resume on Saturday, January 8th, 2022. Happy New Year!
More information: Precious Garland of the Supreme Path

Wednesday Night Chanted Prayers Online--Calling the Guru from Afar
2022-01-12 17:00 - 18:30
Calling the Guru from Afar is a heartfelt request to the guru for blessings to realize all the stages of the path to enlightenment, as well as a meditation on the nature of the guru.
This beautiful devotional guru yoga practice was composed by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye; one of Tibet’s greatest scholars and poet. He also wrote more than 90 volumes of works known as the Great Treasuries.

Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye’s second reincarnation is Jamgon Kongtrul Palden Khyentse Oser, who was born in Tsurpu as the son of 15th Karmapa. Palden Khyentse Oser was a renowned Mahamudra master and passed on the lineage to the 16th Karmapa. My root guru’s teacher was the second Jamgon Kongtrul and this text is also very much connected to our guru yoga practice that we hold regularly.

Jamgon Kongtrul’s best student was a very good practitioner and requested him to write a guru yoga practice . In her mind he is the triple gems as well as the lama, yidam and dakini. Being humble he said that he did not have any good qualities but agreed to write this precious text for her. First he paid homage to all the lineage gurus from the four major lineages and then placed his own name at the end.�One of his best works was “Seven Points of Mind training” which is a direct path to the practitioner’s heart and transforms his mind. That is why it is also called the great path of awakening.

Please do join us. Thank you and Tashi Delek.

Here is the link to the text for reference:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/10Lb6ZK8mZwoaaiePE2CMiU6vd0CMXBB5L92YBSsRdA8/edit?usp=sharing
Via Facebook Live: Manjushri Dharma Center Facebook
Editor’s note: There is a wonderful version of this chanted prayer with beautiful images of Tibet on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhuW8xhcbUA.

No Saturday Morning Teaching: Conclusion of the Teaching series on the Precious Garland of the Supreme Path
2022-02-12 09:00 - 11:30, 2022-02-19 09:00 - 11:30, 2022-02-26 09:00 - 11:30
Sunday, 2/6, marked the conclusion of the Teaching series on Gampopa Sonam Rinchen’s A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path. Khenpo Karten Rinpoche had been teaching on this text since MDC’s January 2021 retreat, and he chose to auspiciously close the 2022 two-day virtual retreat with this culmination of Gampopa’s teachings.

Wednesday Night Chanted Prayers Online - Amitabha Puja
2022-02-16 17:00 - 18:30
On this auspicious full moon night, the MDC will hold a Buddha Amitabha Puja (the Buddha of Infinite Light). Here is a link to the main text: The Recitation for Accomplishment of Sukhavati from the Sky Dharma Mind Terma.
We also have a shorter text for reference: Amitabha Prayer Practice.
Please join us as we wish for all beings to have health and peace of mind.
Via Facebook Live: Manjushri Dharma Center Facebook

།ལམ་གྱི་གཙོ་བོ་རྣམ་གསུམ་གྱི་རྩ་བ་བཞུགས་སོ། / Three Principal Aspects of the Path - Je Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa
2022-04-07 18:00 - 19:30, 2022-04-14 18:00 - 19:30
In conjunction with the Northwest Tibetan Cultural Association (NWTCA) of Portland, Khenpo Karten Rinpoche will give a precious teaching on the Three Principal Aspects of the Path by Je Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa. This teaching will be given in Tibetan, and will be held every Thursday at 6:00PM PST on Zoom starting on April 7, 2022, and will continue each Thursday night. Rinpoche previously gave a teaching on this text in English in the 2015 annual Manjushri Dharma Center retreat.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89216488803?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 892 1648 8803
Passcode: [REDACTED]

For a link to the text:
Three Principal Aspects of the Path (Tibetan) – Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa
