Welcome! Mahayana Sutra and Tantra Center of Washington, DC

   Losar traditionally starts on the first day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. This year, that is February 24th and runs for 15 days. The New Year is a time of merit and reciting prayers for a happy and successful new year.

Lhabab Duchen is a Buddhist festival celebrated to observe the Buddha’s descent from the Trāyastriṃśa heaven down to earth. According to legend, the Buddha ascended the Trāyastriṃśa heaven temporarily at the age of 41, in order to give teachings to benefit the gods in that desire realm, and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from Samsara. On … [Read more…]

Dharmakirti   Buddhist Logic is used by practitioners to explore basic truths in an attempt to determine their accuracy through valid cognition (Tibetan: ཚད་མ་) or Pramana (Sanskrit: प्रमाण, Pramāṇa), which literally means “proof” and “means of knowledge”. Phenomena are generally categorized into obvious truths like gross suffering and impermanence, slightly hidden truths like subtle impermanence, and extremely hidden truths like karma.  In … [Read more…]

Dharmakirti   Buddhist Logic is used by practitioners to explore basic truths in an attempt to determine their accuracy through valid cognition (Tibetan: ཚད་མ་) or Pramana (Sanskrit: प्रमाण, Pramāṇa), which literally means “proof” and “means of knowledge”. Phenomena are generally categorized into obvious truths like gross suffering and impermanence, slightly hidden truths like subtle impermanence, and extremely hidden truths like karma.  In … [Read more…]

The Seven Point Mind Training is a classic Mind Training text written by Geshe Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (1101–1175).  This was a secret tradition only passed down orally to select disciples until it came to Geshe Chekawa, who wrote it down and began to teach it openly in order to keep the tradition from being lost.  … [Read more…]

The first turning is traditionally said to have taken place at Deer Park in Sarnath near Varanasi in northern India, to an audience of shravakas. It consisted of the teaching of the Four Noble Truths (Sanskrit: catvāry āryasatyāni) and the other elements of the Tripitaka – the Abhidharma, Sutrapitaka and Vinaya. “After attaining enlightenment, Buddha gave his first … [Read more…]

  The Seven Point Mind Training is a classic Mind Training text written by Geshe Chekawa Yeshe Dorje (1101–1175).  This was a secret tradition only passed down orally to select disciples until it came to Geshe Chekawa, who wrote it down and began to teach it openly in order to keep the tradition from being … [Read more…]

Dear Students and Friends of Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa,   In April of 2020, Khensur Rinpoche will give the complete empowerment of Chittamani Tara, along with extensive teachings.   This event will be held in a residential retreat center in Maryland, near Washington, DC. Registration is now open at Tara2020.com.    This event is being hosted by … [Read more…]

Saga Dawa celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana (when a Buddha passes away and leaves his or her earthly body). On this day Buddhists around the world engage in many prayers and practices, as well as making extensive offerings to teachers. The holiday is also a very auspicious time to conduct virtuous activities. The … [Read more…]