Saturday Morning Meditation
2026-01-10 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-01-17 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-01-24 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-02-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-07 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-14 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-03-28 10:00 - 11:00, 2026-04-04 10:00 - 11:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Meditation is a helpful way to relax the body and calm the mind, and it can help us connect to timeless, deep inner peace. Join us Saturday mornings as Rinpoche gives a brief teaching followed by silent meditation practice. A donation of $10.00 per class is requested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Saturday morning meditation is held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

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Monday Night Chanted Prayers - Medicine Buddha
2026-01-12 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-02-09 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-03-09 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Medicine Buddha is the Buddha of Infinite Healing, creating the causes for a world that is healed from illness and disease, both of the body and of the mind.

Texts
You can find a link to the prayer text here: MedicineBuddhaPuja_༄༅།-།སྨན་བླའི་སྒྲུབས་ཐབས་བཞུགས་སོ།-།.pdf
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.
Additionally we typically recite a short Buddha Amitabha (the Buddha of Infinite Light) mantra: Om Ami Dewa Hri. Here is the text for Buddha Amitabha: 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.
Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

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Monday Night Chanted Prayers--Chenrezig Practice
2026-01-19 18:30 - 20:00, 2026-02-23 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
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. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa are considered living Buddhas, emanations of Chenrezig. It is said that in Tibet even babies upon birth know the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM.
Chanted prayers are an important part of spiritual life, regardless of where you are at on the path. They allow us to still our minds, connect with the blessings of the Buddhas, and purify negative karma. With these prayers we transform ourselves and our world into pure beings and pure lands, free from suffering, and connect with the energies of love and compassion. Appropriate for beginners and seasoned practitioners alike. Prayer books provided. Donations are not expected, but always welcome.
Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

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

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*The word deity in Buddhist context is not the same as in the west. A deity may have many meanings, but one meaning is the timeless energies that are also within us, rather than all-knowing beings outside ourselves.

No Monday Night Chanted Prayers
2026-01-26 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
No prayers on Monday, January 26th, 2026 as Rinpoche has a cold and needs to rest. We hope to resume next week!

No Saturday Morning Meditation
2026-01-31 10:00 - 11:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Rinpoche is still not feeling well, and will take Saturday to rest (and not spread this to his students–so thoughtful, thank you Rinpoche!)

Monday Night Chanted Prayers-Green Tara Practice
2026-02-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
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 sentient beings from the suffering ocean of samsara. She is known as the Mother of all Buddhas, born from Chenrezig’s tear of compassion (in one of many origin stories). She will swiftly come to comfort and protect those who supplicate her, she gives protection from emotional and physical sufferings. In her hands she holds utpala flowers which symbolize power and pure compassionate intention.
“This is also my daily practice,” writes Rinpoche. “We will pray for overcoming fear and clearing of obstacles. 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.
Texts:

NEW translation/text of the Green Tara Sadhana of Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa
Supplemental texts:

Concise Tara Prayer by Lama Gephel
GreenTara-Sevenfold Supplication by Drikung Kyobpa Jikten Sumgon
YouTube video of the Sevenfold Supplication prayer sung by Phub zam with beautiful imagery

Description of the Tara practice above was written by Khenpo Karten Rinpoche.
Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

Zoom Link to Join:
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Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
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Saturday Morning Meditation-Confirmed
2026-02-07 10:00 - 11:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Rinpoche is feeling much better and can host Saturday meditation.

Meditation is a helpful way to relax the body and calm the mind, and it can help us connect to timeless, deep inner peace. Join us Saturday mornings as Rinpoche gives a brief teaching followed by silent meditation practice. A donation of $10.00 per class is requested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Saturday morning meditation is held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

Zoom Link to Join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86274306749?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
Passcode: [REDACTED]
One tap mobile
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Dial by your location
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+1 564 217 2000 US
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 646 931 3860 US
+1 689 278 1000 US
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 305 224 1968 US
+1 309 205 3325 US
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Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
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New Year Retreat 2026--the Heart Sutra & Chenrezig Empowerment
2026-02-14 08:00 - 2026-02-16 17:00 | Wave Street Studios, 774 Wave Street, Monterey, CA, 93940, United States
New Year Retreat 2026: Teachings on the Heart Sutra and Chenrezig Empowerment
with Venerable Khenpo Karten Rinpoche
Saturday through Monday, February 14-16
Wave Street Studios
774 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940
10:00am to 6:00pm Saturday
9:00am to 5:00pm Sunday
9:00am to 3:30pm Monday
In-Person (Recorded, but not hosted on Zoom)
Registration required, donations requested, but no one turned away for lack of funds
Suggested donation: 180.00 for all three days, sliding scale
Register Here (via EventBrite)
Can’t register online? No problem! Contact Rachel at rachelmdc2016@gmail.com or call 831-277-0529. We will get you signed up to attend! Walk-ins also welcome.
About the Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra is one of the most precious texts in all of Buddhism. In the space of a single page, in words ascribed to the bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”) of compassion, Avalokiteshvara (known as Chenrezig in Tibet), the Heart Sutra discusses the doctrine of “emptiness” (shunyata), a profound Buddhist concept referring to the lack of inherent, independent existence in all phenomena. It signifies that things are “empty” of a permanent self or essence, existing instead in a state of interconnectedness and potential.
Realizing the true nature of reality and the true nature of one’s own mind is the ultimate goal of all Buddhist practice. This realization frees one from all fear, all harmful inner states, and allows the flow of infinite love and compassion, innate within all of us, to emerge and shine.
We are so fortunate that we will receive three days of teachings on this foundational text from Rinpoche!
Translations

The translation we are using in the retreat comes from the Kagyu Monlam Book: A Compilation for Recitation (second edition, not available online)
Here is a translation of the Heart Sutra text from Lotsawa House (in English, Tibetan, French and Portuguese)
Here is another translation from Lama Yeshe & Lama Zopa Rinpoche: https://www.lamayeshe.com/article/heart-sutra, and that page offer links to a beautiful PDF in English, Tibetan, and Italian
Rinpoche’s trusted Dharma brother Thay Kozen offers a translation of the Heart Sutra in the Mount Adams Buddhist Temple Chant Book on page 12, as well as a recording of the Heart Sutra chant here. (all English)

About Chenrezig
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. His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness the Karmapa are considered living Buddhas, emanations of Chenrezig. It is said that in Tibet even babies upon birth know the mantra OM MANI PADME HUM.
About Empowerment
An empowerment is a ceremony to formally introduce the transformative energy represented by the Buddha or Boddhisattva (in this case Chenrezig, Buddha of Compassion) to the student’s mind, and can only be transmitted by a qualified lineage holder. We are very fortunate that Khenpo Karten Rinpoche is a highly qualified and realized teacher, and is willing to impart this empowerment to us. This is only the second empowerment he has offered to his western students. Empowerment is an energy and oral tradition transfer which depends on the intentions of the teacher and students to awaken the qualities of the Buddha within us. All the Buddhas represent energies that are innate to us, but that may be clouded by the delusions of anger, attachment, and ignorance.
As Rinpoche wrote last year, there are two types of empowerments, jenang (རྗེས་གནང་།) and wang chen (དབང་ཆེན།)–the Chenrezig empowerment we will receive at this retreat is jenang. With this type of empowerment, there are not so many commitments, samaya, and tantric vows and connections between the Teacher and students. Jenang in Tibetan means “subsequent permission.” With this empowerment, practitioners are given ‘permission’ from the Lama to practice, visualize, and chant mantras associated with the deity, etc. Though one can most definitely practice a deity without being given this empowerment, this je nang empowerment ensures that the practice is being properly rooted and practiced.
The second type of empowerment which Rinpoche will not be giving is referred to as wang chen (དབང་ཆེན།), which is a full initiation into the Vajrayana path and also has many types and stages. This is much longer, much more elaborate, tantric empowerment, establishing deeper connections between the Lama and disciples and is associated with more serious vows and samaya. This type of initiation is something that he may consider for the future.
Empowerment Commitments
Rinpoche will clarify this for us in the coming days, but a typical empowerment commitment is to practice the sadhana (chanted prayers) once a month, or at least have that intention. We practice the Chenrezig sadhana in-person and on Zoom each month at our center–attending that or another Dharma center’s practice, or practicing on your own will keep the commitment. Nurturing the energy of the deity in one’s mind is the main point of empowerment commitments.
Practice Texts

Rinpoche wrote this text on the occasion of our first Heart Sutra retreat in 2019 (he may update this text for 2026): Essence of the Heart Sutra in Brief
In advance of the retreat, if you are able, please read Essence of the Heart Sutra, by His Holiness the Dalai Lama – Wisdom Publications, 2002. Here is a description:

For more than two thousand years, the Heart Sutra has been part of the daily life of millions of Buddhists. This concise text, so rich and laden with meaning, concentrates the very heart of Buddhism into a powerful and evocative teaching on the interdependence of all reality. In Essence of the Heart Sutra, the Dalai Lama masterfully unpacks the Heart Sutra so that any reader can benefit from its teachings – teachings meant to help us release ourselves from suffering and live with true compassion. Comprised of his Heart of Wisdom talks, originally delivered to thousands of listeners in 2001, the book offers the Dalai Lama’s commentary as well as his easy-to-follow overview of Buddhist philosophy that places the sutra within its historical and philosophical context. With additional contributions by scholar and translator Thupten Jinpa, Essence of the Heart Sutra is the authoritative presentation of a text seminal to the world’s religious heritage.

The retreat will also include daily chanted prayers of Amitabha Buddha (the Buddha of Infinite Light) and the opportunity to receive or renew Bodhisattva vows. The Amitabha sadhana and all practice texts will be provided for use during the retreat (we then collect these copies back, typically). Here is a link to the Amitabha text (in Tibetan, English, and Chinese): The Recitation for Accomplishment of Sukhavati from the Sky Dharma Mind Terma.
Preliminary and Accompanying Prayers (we will collect these back typically)

Retreat Schedule
Saturday
Empowerment will take place on Saturday–NOTE: we will start an hour later on Saturday, due to the late-night of setting up
Venue opens at 9:30am
10:00am to 11:30am
11:40am to 1:00pm
3:00pm to 4:30pm
4:40pm to 6:00pm
Sunday
Venue opens at 8:30 am
9:00am to 10:30am
10:40am to 12:00pm
2:00pm to 3:30pm
3:40pm to 5:00pm
Monday
Venue opens at 8:30 am
9:00am to 10:30am
10:40am to 12:00pm
2:00pm to 3:30pm
General Retreat Considerations

Special Retreat Commitment: As with most Buddhist retreats, there are some commitments asked of attendees for the retreat days. Rinpoche asked only that no alcohol or drugs be consumed. He did not state that participants need to be vegetarian, etc. , though participants can follow the retreat traditions they are familiar with.
Texts: texts will be provided during the retreat
In-person, TBD if available via live-stream nor will it be recorded
Food and personal comfort: there will be floor seating, floor cushions, and chairs available, but attendees should bring anything that would make them comfortable for the teaching; attendees should plan to bring their own food/beverages or purchase from nearby restaurants during the lunch break. Coffee/tea/snacks will be provided to retreat participants from the many options available at Wave Street studios.
Flowers for the altar: participants may bring flowers for the alter if they wish, but this is not to be considered a burden or requirement.
Open to all with an interest in Buddhism, no special prerequisites required

Donations & Registration

Sliding scale: Participants can register and make the suggested donation of $180.00 for all three days via EventBrite, but if you cannot donate at this time, please do not feel any shame or hesitancy to attend. A minimum of $1.00 is required by the EventBrite system to complete the registration. All donations are tax deductible.
Additional Donations to Help Fund Others: When you register with EventBrite, you will have the opportunity to donate additional funds on behalf of those who cannot afford to give at this time. Please specify your wishes in the registration.
Dana: On the last day of the retreat, it is customary to offer Dana (a monetary gift of respect) for Khenpo Karten Rinpoche and for translator Jampa Tharchin (David Molk). Please bring cash and please put it in an envelope. For Khenpo Karten Rinpoche, we will also offer katas, a white ceremonial scarf–we will have katas and envelopes available at the retreat.
Other ways to donate: Participants can donate via PayPal, Venmo, by check or cash if preferred. Please visit the Manjushri Dharma Center donation page for details, or contact: manjushridharmacenter831@gmail.com (please be patient as this is volunteer staffed)
Other ways to register: Participants who cannot complete the EventBrite registration are asked to email Rachel at rachelmdc2016@gmail.com or call 831-277-0529. Walk ins will be welcome to attend as well.

Retreat Location & Parking

Wave Street Studios is located at 774 Wave Street, Monterey, CA 93940, and the main entrance is accessible from the Recreation Trail.
For more than 20 years, Wave Street Studios has created a beautiful space for the community, supporting the arts, honoring history, demonstrating sustainable building and lifestyle practices, and celebrating cultural expressions of many kinds. They have created sacred space for weddings, meditation, yoga, healing, and prayers of many traditions. Thank you Wave Street Studios for hosting our retreat once again! Want to know more? About Wave Street Studios
Parking
Free parking on Ocean View Blvd. and walk up the recreation trail. There is also a garage on Foam and Prescott.

Questions
Contact Rachel at rachelmdc2016@gmail.com or call 831-277-0529.

The Lineage Gurus–Khenpo Karten Rinpoche’s Precious Teachers
Here are some photos and links to stories about Khenchen Karma Tseten, Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche, and Drupchen Karnor Rinpoche.

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

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 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. David will be joining us in-person.
Learn more about David’s translated books: David Molk (shambhala.com)

Header image used in this announcement: from the 2025 Phowa retreat at Wave Street Studios

No Saturday Morning Meditation
2026-02-14 10:00 - 11:00 | CA
Regular Saturday morning meditation will not be held at the Manjushri Dharma Center, due to the Heart Sutra Retreat–come join us there! We will resume regular mediation practice on Saturday, February 21st, 2026.

No Monday Night Chanted Prayers
2026-02-16 18:30 - 20:00 | CA
There will be no Monday evening chanted prayers due to the conclusion of the Heart Sutra Retreat. We will resume regular practice on Monday, February 23rd with Chenrezig practice.

Losar Tibetan New Year Celebration
2026-02-18 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Happy New Year Sangha! Tibetan lunar New Year or Losar will begin on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. We will gather to celebrate at 6:30pm with prayers and a “luckypot” celebration. Please bring a dish to share to celebrate the year of the Fire Horse on this auspicious occasion! (Perhaps we will even see some Lama dancing!)
Learn more: Tibetan New Year Traditions
2026 in the Gregorian calendar marks the transition to the year 2153, which is the Year of the Fire Horse in the Tibetan calendar.

The festival officially lasts 15 days, with the most significant celebrations occurring in the first three days:

February 16–17 (Preparation): Families clean their homes, settle debts, and prepare traditional foods like Guthuk (a noodle soup with symbolic dumplings).
February 18 (Day 1: Lama Losar): Focused on spiritual offerings and honoring one’s guru or household shrine. This day is typically reserved for immediate family.
February 19 (Day 2: Gyalpo Losar): Known as “King’s Losar,” it is a day for visiting friends, neighbors, and local leaders to exchange “Tashi Delek” greetings.
February 20 (Day 3: Chockyong Losar): People visit monasteries and stupas to hang prayer flags and make offerings to protective deities.
March 4: The festival concludes on the 15th day with the Butter Lamp Festival (Chotrul Duchen).

Saturday Morning Meditation
2026-02-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
Meditation on Saturday, Feb. 21st IS ON!
Meditation is a helpful way to relax the body and calm the mind, and it can help us connect to timeless, deep inner peace. Join us Saturday mornings as Rinpoche gives a brief teaching followed by silent meditation practice. A donation of $10.00 per class is requested, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.
Saturday morning meditation is held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

Zoom Link to Join:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86274306749?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
Passcode: [REDACTED]
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,86274306749#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US (San Jose)
+16694449171,,86274306749#,,,,*[REDACTED]# US

Dial by your location
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 669 444 9171 US
+1 719 359 4580 US
+1 253 205 0468 US
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 564 217 2000 US
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
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Monday Night Chanted Prayers: Green Tara Practice
2026-03-02 18:30 - 20:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States

Happy Chötrul Düchen Full Moon Celebration of Miracles & Lunar Eclipse
2026-03-03 | CA
Chötrul Düchen is one of four major Tibetan Buddhist holy days, celebrated on the first full moon after lunar new year. It is known as the Butter Lamp Festival, Festival of Lights, or Great Day of Miraculous Manifestations. It commemorates the day that Buddha Shakyamuni settled the question of his enlightenment with naysayers by performing many miracles. This full moon day is considered a “merit multiplier” day, with the effects of both positive and negative actions multiplied ten million times.
This year, in addition to Chötrul Düchen falling on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, there is a total lunar eclipse, often called a “Blood Moon.” The eclipse will be visible across North and Central America, the Pacific, East Asia, and Australia. (Totality is at 3:04am Pacific Time). This is the only total lunar eclipse of 2026 and the last one visible from North America until 2028, making it a rare event.
Learn More: The Story of the 15 Days of Miracles, Rigpa Wiki-Brief Explanation of Chotrul Duchen
Learn More: Total Lunar Eclipse March 3, 2026

Although we will not host a celebration at MDC, practitioners are encouraged to celebrate their good fortune in encountering Dharma, to practice virtue and positive thinking on this day. There are miracles in every moment of being alive.

Tibetan Uprising Day 2026
2026-03-10 16:00 - 18:00 | Windows on the Bay, Corner of Del Monte and Camino El Estero, Monterey, 93940, United States
Join us on Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm PST in-person at Windows on the Bay, the corner of Del Monte and El Estero (703 Del Monte Ave, Monterey, CA 93940) as we join a day of international protests known as Tibetan Uprising Day.

Please note: Protesters cannot step into the street or hand out leaflets to cars, as per a city safety mandate. Signs will be provided, or you may bring your own. We will be there rain or shine.

The annual protest on Tibetan Uprising Day is very special to Rinpoche, an event that he has organized with the MDC annually for many years. 2026 marks 67 years of oppression and resistance. Rinpoche, his students and supporters in Monterey will continue to make our community aware of the ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet, in solidarity with such protests around the world.
Since the Chinese occupation in 1959, more than one million Tibetans have been killed. To fly a Tibetan flag, even mention His Holiness the Dalai Lama, send an email abroad, or say the phrase “human rights,” is cause for imprisonment and torture. 99% of all Tibetan monasteries have been closed. These horrors and atrocities continue today throughout Tibet. The situation is desperate and worsening; the Tibetan people and their culture are being systematically attacked.
Around one million Tibetan children are forced to attend government boarding schools. Children as young as four are educated with CCP-approved lesson plans and taught almost entirely in Chinese. In some parts of Tibet, parents must attend language classes to make sure that Chinese is spoken at home. Buddhist monasteries are told to shut down their free language classes. Tibetan educators are threatened or detained for offering language instruction to children. Even the name “Tibet” is under threat.
Xizang Tibet
In an act of colonial violence, the CCP is pushing for English-language references around Tibet to be changed to “Xizang”, the Chinese name for Tibet imposed by the Chinese government.
Yet, Tibetans continue to stand up against this repression in a non-violent way, as they have each year for over 66 years. We cannot let the world forget. Please lend your voice to peace, justice, and freedom: Support Tibet!
Tibet is the least free country on earth. Tibet must be free
Learn the latest and how you can help:

UK-based Free-Tibet
US-based Students For A Free Tibet.

Learn about the historical context and current views with the resources below:

March 10 Commemoration: Rinpoche and his friend Pema wrote about why we commemorate March 10th–when more than 100,000 Tibetans surrounded the Norbulinka palace in Lhasa, putting their lives between the Chinese army and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

PBS Frontline: Battle for Tibet

PBS Frontline: Battle for Tibet Aired on Tuesday, February 18, 2025
Can be viewed on PBS app for free

Opinion | Dalai Lama:
My hope for the Tibetan people –
The Washington Post

Tibetans have spent nearly 75 years fighting for freedom. Their struggle should continue beyond my lifetime.
Published in the Washington Post on March 6, 2025. Shared by email from Khenpo Karten Rinpoche on March 10, 2025.
Link to read article in Washington Post (requires subscription, which can be canceled anytime) Need help accessing? Contact manjushridharmacenter831.org.

Rinpoche shared this video, which is on Facebook, posted by Lobsang Tsering Taying Tsang on March 10, 2025.

གསུམ་བཅུའི་དུས་དྲན་ཐེངས་༦༦ པ།
ཁྱེད་ཚོའི་ལས་འགུལ་དེ་ཅི་འདྲ་རླབས་ཆེ་ལ། མིས་ལྟས་ན་ཡིད་དུ་འོང་བ་འདུག ད་དུང་སོག་པོ་དང་ཐེ་ཝན་གྱི་དར་ཆ་མཉམ་དུ་ཡོད་ན་ཅི་མ་རུང་། མི་རབས་གསར་པ་ཁྱེད་ཚོས་རྣམ་དཔྱོད་དང་བློ་གྲོས་ཀྱིས་དེ་རིང་འཛམ་གླིང་ཚན་རྩལ་གྱི་ཁྲོད་དུ་གོམ་པ་མཉམ་དུ་སྤོ་ཐུབ་པའི་ངེས་པ་རྙེད་སོང་། ད་ལྟའི་ང་ཚོས་ཆབ་སྲིད་ཀྱི་ལང་ཕྱོགས་ནི་ཁྱིས་ཆུ་བཅད་པ་ལྟ་བུའམ། མདོར་ན་དགྲ་གཉེན་གོ་ལྡོག་པའི་སྤྱི་ཚོགས་སུ་གྱུར་ཟིན། ང་ཚོའི་མ་འོངས་པའི་ལས་དབང་དེ་མགོ་འབུལ་ལས་འབུལ་གྱི་མི་རིགས་ཆེན་པོ་ནང་དུ་བྲན་གཡོག་མི་བྱེད་པར་རང་དབང་སླར་གསོ་ཐུབ་པའི་རེ་བ་ཁྱེད་ཅག་ལ་བསྐྱང་ཡོད། བཀའ་དྲིན་ཆེ། བོད་རྒྱལ་ལོ།

May all cultures and peoples live together in harmony and peace.

No Monday Night Chanted Prayers
2026-03-16 18:30 - 20:00 | CA
While Rinpoche is traveling, there will be no Monday night chanted prayer practice. We hope to resume at the end of April, after Rinpoche returns.

UPDATE: 2026 ONLINE Amitabha Pureland Retreat
2026-03-19 17:30 - 2026-03-21 21:00 | CA
Update on Rinpoche’s Visit to Taiwan

“To all of my dear students in Taiwan,
Due to unforeseen circumstances related to travel documentation issues, I was unfortunately refused entry and unable to board my flight last night. As of last year, visa requirements changed in Taiwan, which was something that we overlooked when booking the flight. Therefore, I will not be able to travel to Taipei this year for our Amitabha retreat. I sincerely regret this situation and any disappointment it may cause.
However, we will still be holding our Amitabha Dechen Shingdrup online via Zoom on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, March 20th to 22nd. I warmly encourage all of you to join so that we may still practice together and maintain our connection in the Dharma.
Khenpo Karten Rinpoche”

Therefore, Rinpoche will be conducting the Amitabha Retreat from the Manjushri Dharma Center on ZOOM, with remote participants able to join together. It is scheduled for March 20th, 21st, and 22nd (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday) in Taipei, or March 19th – March 21st ( Thursday, Friday, Saturday) in California, and will be held over three days. You are warmly requested to participate accordingly. The daily schedule is as follows (Please take note of the time difference):
Taiwan time: 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM (3/20-3/22)
California time: 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM (3/19-3/21)
Even though the proceedings will be in Tibetan and translated into Chinese, Rinpoche’s English speaking students can still benefit by soaking in the good energy of the practice.
Zoom Link for All Services
Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Text: Here is the Amitabha Retreat Text in Chinese and Tibetan (sorry, no English). Participants will recognize and can use the familiar Amitabha sadhana, which is in Tibetan, English, and Chinese: The Recitation for Accomplishment of Sukhavati from the Sky Dharma Mind Terma.

No Saturday Morning Meditation 3/21/2026
2026-03-21 10:00 - 11:00 | Manjushri Dharma Center, 724 Forest Ave, Pacific Grove, CA, 93950, United States
There will be no Saturday Morning Meditation on Saturday, 3/21/2026, as Rinpoche is holding a virtual Amitabha Dechen Shingdrup on Zoom for his Taiwanese Sangha. Please do take the opportunity to join the retreat remotely!
Zoom Link for All Services
Meeting ID: 862 7430 6749
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Monday Night Chanted Prayers--Chenrezig Practice
2026-03-23 18:30 - 20:00 | CA

Japa Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche Remembrance Day--Guru Yoga Practice
2026-03-30 18:30 - 20:00 | CA
Please join us for a Puja in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of the Parinirvana of Khenpo Karten’s Root Guru, Japa Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche. We will practice a very precious sadhana, “The Guru Practice, Rain of Blessings,” composed by Khenpo Karten and containing the “Prayer to Japa Sangye Tenzin” composed by the 17th Karmapa Ogyen Trinle Dorje.

“Even Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche’s name is very wonderful. ‘Sang’ means clearing, the clearing of adventitious mental afflictions and their imprints. ‘Gye’ means increase, the increase of realized qualities such as compassion and wisdom realizing emptiness. His first name, ‘Sang-gye’ means ‘Buddha’, the same name as Buddha, himself. ‘Ten’, means Teachings, the Teachings of Lord Buddha. ‘Tzin’ means to hold, to uphold. In short, his name means that he is a holder, a protector, of Lord Buddha’s Teachings. He was a special Guru who was really endowed with the meaning of what his name implies. We are all disciples of the same compassionate Guru. Don’t think that you have never met my Guru, that you have never received initiation, teachings, or transmissions from him. You are my disciples. He is my root Guru. We are like one family. If you have faith and devotion he definitely extends his compassion to you and watches over you.”

~Khenpo Karten Rinpoche

Texts:

The main sadhana text can be downloaded here: The Guru Practice, Rain of Blessings.
༄༅། །དཔལ་ལྡན་བླ་མ་དྲན་པའི་གདུང་དབྱངས་ས་མཐའི་རྒྱང་འབོད་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་བཞུགས་སོ། །
Calling Afar from the Border Regions: A Song of Heartfelt Devotion in Commemoration of My Glorious Guru, Sangyé Tenzin Rinpoche
Prayer for World Peace-Tibetan and English

More about Sangye Tenzin Rinpoche: 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 “The Appearance of my Root Guru in a Dream.”
Monday night prayers are held both in-person at the Dharma Center and virtually on Zoom.

Please do join us for this profound practice. Tashi Delek!

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