Coming Events And Programs
To receive periodic e-newsletters regarding our events and programs, please join our email list.
A very special event in TBLC’s annual calendar, Founder’s Day was initiated by Geshe Wangyal himself in order to celebrate his arrival to the United States on February 5, 1955 and out of gratitude for his prosperity in this country. When he passed away on January 30, 1983, this event transformed into a remembrance of his extraordinary life, his exceptional efforts to help Buddhism flourish in America, and his great kindness in founding TBLC. Held within the Main Temple, this year’s annual Founder’s Day service will include prayers, a teaching, and sharing of stories of Geshe Wangyal’s life.
Each month, TBLC holds a prayer and meditation session in the Temple. Recited in English, these prayers have been translated from a Tibetan non-sectarian liturgy originally arranged for large assemblies of Tibetan monks and nuns when gathering in Bodh Gaya, India, the place of Buddha’s enlightenment.
After a break for lunch (students either go downtown to a restaurant or bring their own lunches and eat in our facilities), there will be a class on Tibetan Buddhism. TBLC Resident Monastic Scholar Geshe Lobsang Sopa will give his commentary on Gyelsay Togmay Sangpo’s Thirty-Seven Practices of the Bodhisattvas. Translation will be provided by TBLC Co-Director, Joshua W.C. Cutler. TBLC Dharma classes are appropriate for both beginning and advanced students of Buddhism and all are welcome.
For a link to our livestream channel, click here:
Geshe Jampa Thegchog, Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage: An Explanation of the Thirty-Seven Practices of Bodhisattvas. Edited by Thubten Chodron. Available through Amazon.
LIVE STREAM AND VIDEO
ANNUAL EVENTS AND PROGRAMS
ANNUAL LEARNING INTENSIVES
TBLC annual learning intensives take place over a two or three-day weekend and are an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of different Buddhist topics. Each day is usually divided into four one-hour sessions, but this sometimes varies to accord with the main teacher’s preference. Plenty of time is set aside for questions and answers. Besides intellectual inquiry, there is often guided meditation, depending on the subject matter. The classes are appropriate for both beginning and advanced students of Buddhism.
MAITREYA FESTIVAL
The Maitreya Festival is the biggest day of the TBLC annual calendar. This event includes a procession, a taped message from His Holiness the Dalai Lama, prayers from the assembled monks, a Talk given on the Teachings of Maitreya, and delicious Festival food. All your friends and family are welcome to attend this auspicious event.
FOUNDER’S DAY
Founder’s Day is a celebration of Geshe Wangyal’s arrival in the United States on February 5, 1955, and was started by Geshe-la a few years before his death on January 30, 1983. As Geshe-la died on a date nearby his arrival date, Founder’s Day is also a remembrance of his passing away. This event includes a luncheon, prayer recitation in the TBLC Temple, and a talk by Executive Director Joshua Cutler.
Click here to download a biographical sketch of Geshe Wangyal.
Joshua W. C. Cutler gave the following talk on Founder’s Day February 5, 2007.
Joshua W. C. Cutler gave the following talk on Founder’s Day February 3, 2008.
Joshua W. C. Cutler gave the following talk on Founder’s Day February 7, 2010.
RECOMMENDED READINGS:
In general: Geshe Wangyal’s Door of Liberation, The Prince who Became a Cuckoo: A Tale of Liberation, and The Jeweled Staircase, Je Tsong-kha-pa’s Great Treatise on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment(Lam Rim Chen Mo).