The Buddha taught the spiritual path as something you do a technology to purify ignorance and negative emotions, and cultivate good qualities to be of benefit to self and others. All levels of the Buddhist path were preserved and practiced in Tibet, and through the blessing of our teachers, are made available at Kunzang Palyul Choling (KPC).
For those who wish to formally enter the Buddhist path, KPC offers opportunities to do so through the Refuge and Bodhisattva Vow Ceremony and subsequent explanatory teachings. A Buddhist takes refuge in the three precious jewels – the Buddha, The Dharma (teachings of the Buddha), and the Sangha (spiritual community). A Bodhisattva vows to swiftly accomplish the path in order to lead all sentient beings out of suffering. By taking these vows, one begins to deepen in ways of letting go of self-centered habits and cultivating a compassionate heart. Through periodic conferral of empowerment by visiting lamas, one can begin the practices of the Vajrayana, the profound inner techniques for rapidly gaining recognition of one’s pure, enlightened nature.
KPC frequently offers group practices in its Prayer Room. Some are open to all. Others have prerequisites such as empowerment or prior retreat. To find out about teaching and practice schedules, please see our monthly calendar. The Seven Line Prayer – Known as the King of Prayers, the Seven Line Prayer expresses our ultimate goal liberation and the end of suffering for ourselves and all sentient beings in a very condensed way. We are taught that every time we recite the prayer, it brings us closer to our object of refuge, closer to our awakening. The Seven Line Prayer has multiple levels of meaning, gradually revealed as a student accumulates hundreds of thousands of repetitions of the prayer. At KPC, new students begin with an accumulation of 10,000 recitations of the prayer.
Audio Teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
The Potent Nectar of the 7 Line Prayer The Shower of Blessings – Composed by the 19th c. master Mipham Rinpoche, this profound practice is the central method used at KPC for accumulating the Seven Line Prayer and invoking the wisdom blessings of the Guru. It also repairs samaya (Vajrayana commitments) and removes obstacles to hearing teachings from one’s teacher. All are welcome.
Audio Teaching by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:
Accumulating Merit Through Puja – Shower of Blessings
The Shower of Blessings:
Practice book on Palyul Productions
Tsog (Food Offering Ceremony) - Also called the Ganachakra feast, Tsog gives us the opportunity to make offerings on many levels. On the ordinary level, we offer delicious and nourishing foods. Through the practice our view of these offerings is transformed to see them as pure wisdom manifestation. In essence, we are feeding and sharing our inner Buddha nature. It is traditional to bring foods to offer that are beautiful, pure and fresh, such as sliced meat, fresh or dried fruits or vegetables, nuts, cheese, crackers, etc. Packages should be unopened, servings untouched. One can also offer light, flowers, medicine, song and dance at such ceremonies. All are welcome.
Ratna Lingpa Vajrakilaya – A powerful method for removing spiritual obstacles. Prerequisite Vajrakilaya Empowerment and specific training. The practice is held on the 9th, 19th, and 29th days of the lunar calendar. Phowa (transference of consciousness at the time of death) – A practice associated with Buddha Amitabha, phowa is practiced regularly in order to prepare for one’s own death and to dedicate the merit to those who have recently died. Phowa is performed at KPC during the first week of each month. You can make prayer requests for the deceased that will be read before the practice by signing the prayer request book at the Temple or by submitting your prayer request here. Give the name of the deceased and date of death. Prerequisite: the practice is open to those who have had an Amitabha empowerment and have completed a Phowa retreat. Chime Sog Thig – This longevity practice of Buddha Amitayus and consort, Chandali, was revealed by HH Dudjom Rinpoche while he was still in Tibet. This is the practice accomplished by Guru Rinpoche and Mandarava in Maratika cave and has become the root of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo’s own accomplishment. Prerequisite: Students must have received the Chime Sog Thig empowerment. Riwo Sang Chod (Smoke Offering) – This smoke offering ceremony helps to foster generosity and pacify environmental and personal obstacles. All are welcome. Namcho Ngondro – The Namcho (Space Treasure) Dzogchen system is called “Buddha in the Palm of the Hand.” This preliminary practice (ngondro”) consists of refuge in the three precious jewels – the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha; Bodhicitta – the practice of the six perfections and the generation of the aspiration to realize enlightenment for the sake of all beings; offering the Mandala, the accumulation of merit through skillful means; Vajrasattva, the purification of obscurations through wisdom; and Guru Yoga, receiving the blessings through which one can attain enlightenment in a single lifetime. The Namcho teachings were revealed in the 17th c. by Terton Migyur Dorje who primarily received them from Arya Avalokiteshvara and Guru Rinpoche. They were transmitted by Migyur Dorje to Karma Chagmed Rinpoche, the treasure holder and Je Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab, the First Throneholder of Palyul monastery in eastern Tibet, and so on in a pure, unbroken lineage to the present day. Prerequisite for group practice: Accumulation of 10,000 Seven Line Prayer and instruction by a qualified senior student Prerequisite for individual practice: transmission and instruction by a qualified teacher. A traditional 30-day Namcho Ngondro retreat (which includes Phowa) is offered each summer at Penor Rinpoche’s Palyul Retreat Center in McDonough, NY. The Palyul Retreat Center also offers instruction in Tsa Lung, Togyal, and Treckchod.
