Manjushri Dharma Center

Monday Night Chanted Prayers - Amitabha Puja
2023-03-27 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-05-01 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-05-29 18:30 - 20:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | online event, CA, United States
Monday night prayers are held both in person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom. Our main Monday night prayer practice has always been Buddha Amitabha (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.

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Saturday Morning Meditation
2023-04-01 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-04-08 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-04-15 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-04-22 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-04-29 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-05-06 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-05-13 10:00 - 11:00, 2023-05-20 10:00 - 11:00 and 4 more dates | online event, CA, United States
This Saturday at 10am PST, Rinpoche will continue Saturday Morning Meditation both in-person at the Manjushri Dharma Center and on Zoom due to a large number of the Sangha members participating online.
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Japa Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche Parinirvana Day -- Online Guru Yoga Practice
2023-04-03 18:30 - 20:00 | online event, CA, United States
March 27th, 2023, marks the 22nd anniversary of the Parinirvana of Kyabje Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche, the kind hearted Root Guru of our own Khenpo Karten Rinpoche.
On Monday, April 3rd, at 6:30pm PST on ZOOM, Khenpo Karten Rinpoche will remember the great kindness of his Guru Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche with the profound practice of Guru Yoga composed by Khenpo Karten and His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje. The Sadhana text can be downloaded here: The Guru Practice, Rain of Blessings.
Sangye Tenzin spent 21 years in Chinese prison, yet he transformed the experience into pure spiritual food, and left the prison with only good wishes for his captors. He was truly a Buddha appearing in this world. To learn more about Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche: “Medicine for the Mind: On Using Suffering and Obstacles for Mental Development.” or read about how Sangye Tenzin came to Khenpo Karten Rinpoche in his dreams by reading “An Amazing Dream Of My Root Guru.’
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“Master, though you have passed to the sphere of reality, Without thinking that I lack a Guru, May I realize the whole of existence As the Guru’s mandala and so be Liberated.
Master, You equal all Buddhas in realization, Yet, for this disciple, you surpass them all. Father, unrivaled Guru, may all be auspicious For your presence in all places and times!”

Monday Night Chanted Prayers - Chenrezig Practice
2023-04-10 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-05-08 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-06-12 18:30 - 20:00 | online event, CA, United States
Note* Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Avalokiteshvara, or Chenrezig in Tibetan, is the Bodhisattva who embodies the love and compassion of all Buddhas. Chenrezig is an important deity in Tibet and considered the patron Bodhisattva of the Tibetan people. Chenrezig is also believed by Tibetans to be the actual progenitor of the Tibetan people, and HH Dalai Lama and the Karmapa, who are considered living Buddhas, are also believed to be emanations of Chenrezig. It is said that even babies upon birth know the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM.

Text: https://manjushridharmacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ChenrezigPracticeText.pdf

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek

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Monday Night Chanted Prayers - Medicine Buddha
2023-04-17 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-05-15 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-06-19 18:30 - 20:00, 2023-07-17 18:30 - 20:00 | online event, CA, United States
Note* Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.
On Monday we will practice the prayers of Medicine Buddha (Buddha of Infinite Healing), creating the causes for a world that is healed from illness and disease. You can find a link to the prayer text here: MedicineBuddhaPuja_༄༅།-།སྨན་བླའི་སྒྲུབས་ཐབས་བཞུགས་སོ།-།.pdf
Additionally, Rinpoche wrote a very short but beautiful teaching on the practice of Medicine Buddha, which includes the visualization: Medicine Buddha Practice for Corona Virus from Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, posted on the Teachings page originally in March 2020.
Also, our main Monday night prayer practice has always been Buddha Amitabha (the Buddha of Infinite Light), so we typically also recite the Amitabha mantra. Here are two versions of that text–first a short version: Amitabha Prayer Practice. And here is the long text (this is our main text for practice): The Recitation for Accomplishment of Sukhavati from the Sky Dharma Mind Terma.
Please join us as we wish for all beings to have health and peace of mind.

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Monday Night Chanted Prayers - Green Tara Practice
2023-04-24 18:30 - 20:00 | online event, CA, United States
Note* Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.
The feminine embodiment of enlightened activity, Green Tara is the swift liberator, a compassionate and loving protector in times of distress and great danger. Through meditating on the form and mantra Arya Tara, and chanting the Praises to her 21 different manifestations, we receive the blessings to become inseparable from Tara herself, actualizing the potential to liberate all motherly sentient beings from the suffering ocean of samsara.
She is known as the Mother of all Buddhas, born from Chenrezig’s tear of compassion. She will swiftly come to comfort and protect those who supplicate her. Especially from emotional, and physical sufferings. In her hands she holds utpala flowers which symbolize power and purity.
This is also my daily practice; we will pray for overcoming fear and clearing of obstacles. Also pray for those who have passed away from coronavirus. We will recite the mantra “OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SOHA “. You can see me and recite the mantra at the same time so we can practice together for those who have recently died. Thank you and Tashi Delek.
Prayers will be recited in both Tibetan and English.
Text:

Main prayer text, courtesy of KTD Publications in Woodstock NY (for students only, please do not make or distribute printed copies): Green Tara Sadhana of Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa
Supplemental texts:

Concise Tara Prayer by Lama Gephel
GreenTara-Sevenfold Supplication by Drikung Kyobpa Jikten Sumgon

Description of the Tara practice above was written by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche. Image courtesy of Miles McBreen.

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Karma Shawa Rememberance Day
2023-05-27 11:00 - 11:30 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Saturday, May 27th, marks the one year anniversary of the passing of Rinpoche’s precious son and baby fawn, Karma Shawa. Immediately following Saturday morning meditation, we will move to the MDC backyard where Rinpoche will conduct a short ceremony and prayers in his memory. You can bring flowers if you would like
For those who are not familiar with Karma Sharwa’s story here is the link to my blog that I wrote one year ago and also an article written by Christopher Neely on Monterey County Weekly.
http://www.khenpokarten.org/2022/06/karma-shawa-first-draft-i-would-like-to.html
https://www.montereycountyweekly.com/opinion/mcnow_intro/the-story-of-a-pacific-grove-tibetan-monk-and-his-fawn-friend/article_53381ca6-ff0f-11ec-9803-0b96561ba5c2.html
Do pray for Karma Sharwa on his anniversary day 🙏 Tashi delek
Here is a prayer that Rinpoche wrote for his friend:
Prayer for Karma Shawa
OM SVASTI
Protector Amitabha of Sukhavati,
Supreme Deity of Infinite Light, closest to our lives,
As you hear my bereaved, yearning request,
Quickly come, unimpeded, to the space before me!
During this time when images of Dharma can still be seen,
Though our bodies were different, me, a human being,
And you, a dear little animal, we came together
In this place, here, like a father and his son.
Separated in the briefest moment, the nature of impermanent things,
Yet, by power of our profound connection during this short time,
And the positive potential of your good instincts for compassion,
Through forceful methods, may you take birth in Sukhavati!
Even if you are not reborn in Sukhavati,
May you take ordination, meet a Virtuous Spiritual Guide,
Train your mind in successive hearing, contemplation, and meditation,
And finally become irreversible on the path.
Supreme Deity, Amitabha, Lord of hundreds of Buddha families,
Through blessings of your compassion, coming close from afar,
Please calm all frightening visions of the fawn’s intermediate state
and swiftly guide the departed Karma Shawa to Sukhavati!
For your parents who are left behind
May our sorrow for you be consoled
May we enjoy health, peace and happiness,
And never part from Dharma for a moment of the day or night.

Summer Solstice Blessing of the Waters
2023-06-21 17:00 - 18:30 | Lover’s Point Beach, 17th St and Ocean View Blvd, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Wednesday, June 21st 2023 is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. For many years now, at both summer and winter solstices, Khenpo Karten Rinpoche offers a Blessing of the Waters, by reciting two prayers that he composed, Propitiating the Devas of the Four Elements and the Prayer for World Peace. This year, we will meet again in person. We will gather in community and send our good energy to the ocean, to all the waters of the world, and to all of nature and humanity. Attendees are asked to bring flower petals/flowers for the offering.
Because this practice is on the beach, there is no opportunity for us to also broadcast online (as far as known).
This practice may also be done by any person in they place they live. Practitioners may download these prayers to recite at the beach, by a river, or wherever you choose outside in nature. Bring some flowers to offer and send your good energy and wishes for healing to the waters of the world, all the elements of nature, and all sentient beings.
Additionally, here is an “instruction on how to practice” the Blessing of the Waters, composed by Rinpoche and Pema/Aaron with more information on how to conduct a “do-it-yourself” Blessing of the Waters ceremony.
Instructions on Blessing the Waters
Tashi Delek!
Prayer for World Peace
Through roots of goodness of us all on this vast earth,
May all living creatures become full of
love and compassion,
So that all enjoy peace on earth!
Stop bad intentions, thoughts and deeds
of all those who terrorize others,
That all living beings on this earth
come together like one family!
May all be well, have long life and health
with bliss of mind, free of illusion.
May all mothers have oceans of bliss
of body, for now, and ultimately of mind.
May this lamp of wisdom love, oneness,
highest remedy to clear darkness,
Enter the hearts of all living beings,
so their perfect path be illumined!
Footnote: In the name of all religions on earth, as I see and hear of increasingly many unwarranted harmful actions being enacted, thinking, with a joyful, universal aspiration, how wonderful it would be if all such activities ceased entirely. Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, on 2-4-2015, on Wednesday, His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s auspicious day, wrote this dedication prayer to be recited at the conclusion of other prayers, meditation, or practices.

No Monday Night Chanted Prayers
2023-06-26 18:30 - 20:00 | online event, CA, United States

Dzamling Chisang - Universal Prayer Day
2023-07-03 10:00 - 11:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
The MDC will celebrate Dzam Ling Chi Sang, Universal Prayer Day, on July 3 with a Fire Puja in the backyard of the Dharma Center at 10AM PST. The Tibetan Festival, Universal Prayer Day or Dzam Ling Chi Sang is a Tibetan Buddhist festival celebrated on the 15th day of the fifth month in Tibetan Calendar. It is a time for spiritual cleansing. On the Universal Prayer Day, Tibetan people go to the tops of local mountains to burn incense and hang prayer flags.
Dzam Ling Chi Sang was originally meant to commemorate Guru Rinpoche’s subjugation of the local deities and the founding of Samye Monastery. In Lhasa, there is the spectacle of large amounts of ‘Sang’ being burned up on the hills of Chakpori, Bumpari (on the southern side of the Kyi-chu) and Gephelri ( behind Drepung Monastery ), etc. ‘Sang’ is a Tibetan ‘ritual fireworks’. There is a variety in selection of material for Weisang, like branches pine and cypress, leaves of herbs such as Artemisia argyi and heath.

No Saturday Morning Meditation
2023-07-08 10:00 - 11:00 | online event, CA, United States
Due to the Mahamudra Teaching being given by Rinpoche on Saturday, July 8-9, 2023, there will be no regular Saturday morning meditation on July 8. Regular meditation will begin again the following week, on July 15, 2023.
May all beings be well. May all beings be happy. May all beings know love. May all beings know peace.

Mahamudra Teaching, Sat.&Sun, July 8-9
2023-07-08 10:00 - 2023-07-09 16:00 | In-Person at MDC and Via Zoom, 724 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, 93950, United States
Mahamudra Teaching
by Venerable Khenpo Karten Rinpoche
Saturday and Sunday, July 8 and 9, 2023
10:00am to 12:00pm & 2:00pm to 4:00pm (Pacific Time) each day

Four sessions in total, held in-person and on Zoom
In-person attendees limited to 22 people

Open to all who have taken refuge or who have the basic foundations of Buddhist teachings
Registration required, donations requested, but no one turned away for lack of funds
Suggested donation: $40.00 per day or $60.00 for all four sessions
REGISTER HERE
If you participated but did not register–we appreciate your donation!

What is Mahamudra?
The Tibetan nonsectarian, Jamgon Kongtrul, characterizes mahāmudrā as the path to realizing the “mind as it is” (Tibetan: sems nyid) which also stands at the core of all Kagyu paths. He states, “In general, Mahamudra and everything below it are the ‘mind path’ ” (Tibetan: sems lam). Mahāmudrā traditionally refers to the quintessence of mind itself and the practice of meditation in relation to a true understanding of it. (Source, Wikipedia)
Here is a 2013 teaching by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche here: Mahamudra’s Four Stages of Yoga – Manjushri Dharma Center

Texts
The Ganges Mahāmudrā Instructions by Tilopa
༄༅། །ཕྱག་རྒྱ་ཆེན་པོའི་མན་ངག
Tilopa (T. ti lo pa ཏི་ལོ་པ་) (988–1069) was an Indian tantric practitioner who is counted among the eighty-four mahasiddhas. In Tibet, and he is known as the originator of the Kagyu lineage and the teacher of Naropa. Source: Encyclopedia of Buddhism (Tilopa – Encyclopedia of Buddhism)
Image courtesy of the Himalayan Art Resources

A Way of Settling into the Realization of Mind’s Essence by Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo
༄༅། །སེམས་ངོ་འཇོག་ཐབས་བཞུགས་སོ། །
Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo (b. 1925-?) was a highly respected lama in Eastern Tibet and one of the primary teachers of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche (the 11th Trungpa tulku) and the 9th Thrangu Rinpoche. Khenpo Gangshar was trained in Shechen Monastery, a monastic center established in the end of the seventeenth century and part of the Mindröling lineage within the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. He was the teacher of Kyabje Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche, and Sangye Tenzin was the kind Root Guru of our own Khenpo Karten Rinpoche. Source: Wikipedia (Gangshar Wangpo – Wikipedia)
Image courtesy of the Himalayan Art Resources
Additional texts/supporting prayers

Preliminary Prayers (in English) Rinpoche will recite these in Tibetan
Mandala Offering and Request for Teachings (in Tibetan and English) To be recited by the students before the teaching
Khenpo Karten Long Life Prayers (in Tibetan, updated version) To be recited by the students after the last session
Khenpo Karten Long Life Prayers (in English, updated version) To be recited by the students after the last session
Closing Prayers (in Tibetan and English) Rinpoche will recite these in Tibetan at the end of each session
Butterlamp Prayer (In Tibetan and English) To be recited by all at the conclusion of all sessions; it is auspicious for all to have a lit candle in hand while you recite this prayer.
Rinpoche quoted from additional texts, “Striking the Vital Point in Three Statements,” by Mipham Rinpoche and Garab Dorje and “Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King,” by Patrul Rinpoche, here is the link to those texts in both Tibetan and English: https://www.lotsawahouse.org/topics/three-striking-statements/
Chapter 2 of the “Excellent Path Of Freedom, The Jewel Ornament of Liberation in Brief,” by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche
The Four Points that Turn the Mind Towards the Dharma (as they appear in the Ngondro Sadhana “The Chariot that Carries Us Along the Noble Way,” author uknown. (More texts and information on Ngondro here.

First, this precious human birth, so favorable for the practice of Dharma, is hard to obtain and easily lost, at this time I must make my life meaningful.
Second, the world and all its inhabitents are impermanent, in particular the life of each being is like a water bubble, it is uncertain when I die and become a corpse; as it is only the Dharma that can keep me at that time, I must practice now with dilligence.
Third, at death there is no freedom, and karma takes its course; as I create my own karma, I should therefore abandon all unwholesome action, and always devote my time to wholesome actions. With this in mind, I should observe my mindstream each day.
Fourth, just like a feast before the executioner leads me to my death, the homes, friends, pleasures and possessions of samsara cause me continual torment by the means of the three sufferings. I must cut through all attachment and strive to attain enlightenment.

A Guide To the Bodhisattva Way Of Life, Shantideva Bodhisattva, Rinpoche referenced the chapter on Wisdom and quoted from it. There are many translations of this text, but here is one version freely available.
Rinpoche mentioned this quote from Padmasambhava:

“Padmasambhava said: ‘Though the view should be as vast as the sky, keep your conduct as fine as barley flour.’ Don’t confuse one with the other. When training in the view, you can be as unbiased, as impartial, as vast, immense, and unlimited as the sky. Your behaviour, on the other hand, should be as careful as possible in discriminating what is beneficial or harmful, what is good or evil. One can combine the view and conduct, but don’t mix them or lose one in the other. That is very important.
‘View like the sky’ means that nothing is held onto in any way whatsoever. You are not stuck anywhere at all. In other words, there is no discrimination as to what to accept and what to reject; no line is drawn separating one thing from another. ‘Conduct as fine as barley flour’ means that there is good and evil, and one needs to differentiate between the two. Give up negative deeds; practice the Dharma. In your behaviour, in your conduct, it is necessary to accept and reject.”
~Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche

Rinpoche shared part of his life story about receiving these teachings, and the hardships and austerities he went through. We are so fortunate to receive these teachings, and to receive them so easily. Here is that link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/10pA7CGHQD71YbrKVp24zQSHHkTuOpsARFXo4BmnnLFI/edit?pli=1
Inducing the Dzogchen View; this text was read and recited all the time at Khenpo La’s monastery in Tibet. They put “Don’t wander” signs up everywhere–in the bathroom, in the kitchen, everywhere as a reminder to always “catch your mind with you.”

The Lineage Gurus–Khenpo Karten Rinpoche’s Precious Teachers
Khenpo-La shared with us photos of those Precious Teachers, his kind Gurus, who gave to him the oral transmission and commentary on the two texts he shared with us.

Mahamudra Teacher Khenchen Karma Tseten

Khenpo La’s Uncle, Lama Gemphel Rinpoche, Green Tara lineage

Venerable Japa Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche, Rinpoche’s heart teacher, Phowa and Green Tara lineage

Dzogchen Teacher Taritur

Mahamudra Teacher Second Milarepa Lama Kharnor Rinpoche

Video from all sessions
The videos from sessions 1 and 2 are available now (via Zoom link), and the video from all sessions will be available soon. Please email manjushridharmacenter831@gmail.com to request the links. The videos (like the teaching) are available only to those with a basic foundation of Buddhist teachings, Rinpoche’s students, etc.

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 David Molk aka Jampa Tharchin, esteemed Translator, Interpreter, and Author
David Molk studied Tibetan language at Venerable Geshe Rabten’s Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Mont-Pèlerin, Switzerland. Since 1987 he has interpreted and translated for many Tibetan lamas. He lives in Big Sur, California.
Learn more about David’s translated books: David Molk (shambhala.com)

Photos Courtesy of Miles McBreen (Karma Palden)
The photos of Rinpoche used in this announcement are from Saturday, April 22, 2023, Earthday, taken in the Carmel Valley by Rinpoche’s kind student Karma Palden. (there is one exception, next to Khenpo-la’s biography, that photo is from Big Sur in 2015)
