Performing pujas, sutra recitations and similar practices creates merit and purifies obstacles for the dharma center, the people doing the recitation, the community, and the whole world.

Puja is a Sanskrit word which means offering. A puja is a prayer gathering that generally involves the seven limbs of spiritual practice: prostrating, offering, regretting mistakes, rejoicing, asking the guru to teach and live long, and dedicating results of positive actions.

At our Center, pujas are done in English, prayer books are available at the Center, and newcomers are welcome to follow along, learn, and participate or not based on their comfort level.

Medicine Buddha Puja

Medicine Buddha Puja is particularly beneficial for mental and physical healing and world peace.

“The seven Medicine Buddhas, attainers of bliss, strongly prayed for the temporal and ultimate happiness of yourself and all sentient beings. They vowed that their prayers would be actualized during these degenerate times when the teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha are in decline. As the buddhas’ holy speech is irrevocable, you can wholly trust in their power to quickly grant blessings to help all sentient beings in these degenerate times.”

~ Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Guru Puja

During Guru Puja, we praise the good qualities of the teacher and request inspiration. “Guru” is the Sanskrit word for teacher (in Tibetan, it’s “lama”). A guru or teacher has a special role in Tibetan Buddhism as a fully qualified spiritual master. A “root guru” is a teacher who has profoundly turned your mind towards the Dharma. 

“We need merit, or positive energy, for our enlightened potential to grow and become perfect and one of the best ways to do that is to make beautiful offering and prayers to the Three Jewels and to our Spiritual Teachers. This is what happens in the Guru Puja. A special type of offering called tsog is made. Here we offer platefuls of fruits and biscuits, which are distributed afterwards to the participants.”

~ Venerable Sangye Khadro (Kathleen McDonald)