Together on the Path 2024
Buddhist Studies
Our Program
Lhagsam’s signature Together on the Path weekly sessions will be led by FPMT certified teachers from May 13, 2024 to December 16, 2024!
Venerable Tenzin Gendun and Venerable Losang Palmo will guide us through this series of teachings on daily dharma practices that we know but may not have had the opportunity to learn about firsthand. In addition, ToP participants will join Venerable Lozang Yönten’s teachings on the Bodhisattva Vows.
What you can expect:
Every *Monday from 6-7:30 PM CET, we will learn about daily practices that support Buddha’s teachings. The session will open with a 10-15 minute meditation and then the teacher will give an hour plus teaching on the topic of that week. At the end of the teaching, beginners and long-time practitioners may also benefit as we will have an opportunity to ask questions and share our experiences.
Once a module has ended, join a Lhagsam Host for an evening of practicing what we learned! For example, we will do a demonstration of offering water bowls, practice prostrations, learn to say mantras, and more. Being in a group of like-minded people reinforces our understanding and dedication to our spiritual growth.
* Please note in the schedule that there will be no teachings in August, and we will join the teachings on Thursdays instead of Mondays in October.
Please contact top@lhagsam.ch for any questions.
Please view our events calendar for weekly access.
Schedule May 13 to December 16, 2024
| Dates | Topic | Teacher/Host |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Sessions | Module 1: Mantras and Blessing the Speech | Ven. Tenzin Gendun |
| 13-May-24 | Mantras Protect Your Mind: | |
| Join us in learning about why we recite specific mantras and the meaning behind each. In Buddhist practice, mantras represent enlightening speech and when repeated, protect the mind from destructive states. Mantras also shape the breath and consequently the subtle energy-winds, enabling one to bring the winds under control for use in meditation practice. | ||
| 20-May | Mantras for Blessing Your Speech: | |
| Learn about why we bless our speech. Lama Zopa says that blessing your speech gives your speech power to be successful when you talk to others and so they will listen to you. While you are talking, on your tongue is all the buddhas’ holy speech power. Blessing your speech is needed every day for enlightenment and to be able to enlighten other sentient beings. | ||
| 27-May | Practical Review Session | Lhagsam Host |
| 5 Sessions | Module 2 Purification Practices in the Gelug Lineage: | Ven. Losang Palmo |
| Purification practices have the power to remove obstacles and negative karma preventing us from realizing the path. In this series of practices, we learn about their unique characteristics as well as why and how to practice them. | ||
| 3-Jun-24 | 1) Taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts: | |
| We will learn the reasons behind taking the eight mahayana precepts as well as how to take them. Each percept will be explained. It’s said that the eight Mahayana precepts are a powerful and effective way for you to build, maintain and increase deep propensities for spiritual practice and attainment and thus is a profound method for giving meaning to your precious human life. | ||
| 10-Jun | 2) 35 Buddha Practices of Purification: | |
| Prostrations to the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas with recitation of the Bodhisattva’s Confession of Moral Downfalls from the Sutra of Three Heaps is a powerful method to purify harmful actions we have done in the past. In addition, this practice clears away obstacles to our practice and opens the mind to gain realizations on the path. | ||
| 17-Jun | 3) Vajrasattva Practices: | |
| One of the preliminary practices for entering the Vajrayana Path. In this session, we will learn how to use a Vajrasattva practice manual as a meditation method for purification. | ||
| 24-Jun | 4) How to incorporate Purification Practices in Life: | |
| After learning the three purification practices, we will learn how to incorporate these practices in our lives and how to do a purification retreat. | ||
| 1-Jul | Practical Review Session | Lhagsam Host |
| 4 Sessions | 3 Daily Practices: Offering Water, Food and Drink | Ven. Losang Palmo |
| 8-Jul-24 | 1) How to set up an altar: | |
| Discover how to set up your own altar with the essential elements and how to customize it as a living practice, reflecting your own inner journey. | ||
| 15-Jul | 2) How to offer Food and Drink: | |
| Discover the meanings and purpose of offering food and drinks, as well as how to use this practice as an antidote to our attachment and accumulate merits. | ||
| 22-Jul | 3) Water Bowl Offerings: | |
| Making water bowl offerings is a simple yet profound practice that gentles the mind, and it is a unique way to practice generosity no matter your financial resources. | ||
| 29-Jul | Practical Review Session | Lhagsam Host |
| 3 Sessions | Module 4 Mandala Offerings - A Preliminary Practice for Accumulate Merits | Ven. Losang Palmo |
| The mandala offering is an extremely powerful method for accumulating extensive merit and receiving realizations such as bodhicitta and emptiness quickly. Just as great strength is needed to carry a heavy load, a great amount of merit is needed to lead all sentient beings to enlightenment. There's nothing that can be offered with your hands that is more meritorious than offering mandalas. | ||
| 9-Sep-24 | Mandala Offerings Teaching | |
| 16-Sep | Practical Review Session | Lhagsam Host |
| 23-Sep | Break | |
| 5 sessions | Thursday Teaching Event - The Bodhisattva Vows: | Ven. Lozang Yönten |
| Bodhichitta is the mind seeking enlightenment. The bodhisattva vow is a deep commitment that facilitates the development of bodhichitta. These vows relate to refraining from harm, engaging in beneficial actions and working for the welfare of all sentient beings equally. An aspiring bodhisattva is a heroic person who lives in the spirit of that vow, perfecting the qualities of the six paramitas (generosity, morality, patience, motivation, concentration, and wisdom) to liberate sentient beings. | ||
| 3-Oct-24 | ||
| 10-Oct | ||
| 17-Oct | ||
| 24-Oct | ||
| 31-Oct | ||
| Venerable Tenzin Gendun will teach Mondays, November 4 through December 16, 2024. The topics will be announced at a later date. | ||
