Chanted Prayers
Receiving blessings from the Buddhas
Chanted prayers (also known as pujas) are held on a regular basis at the Centre. Prayers are the way in which we make a heart connection with the Buddhas. Through making requests to them we can receive their help to progress along the spiritual path. Different Buddhas help us in different ways. Everyone is welcome to come along for any of these chanted prayers. Check our monthly calendar for times.
Some of the pujas include a tsog offering ceremony which is where we make special offerings of food and drink to the Buddhas. If you come to a tsog offering puja you are welcome to bring an offering of food or drink, which everyone is invited to enjoy afterwards.
Heart Jewel / Wishfulfilling Jewel (WFJ) (with Lamrim meditation) is the essential daily practice of Kadampa Buddhism. This puja has three parts. In the first part we visualise our Spiritual Guide as Je Tsongkhapa and make prayers and requests to purify our negativity, accumulate merit and receive blessings. In the second part there is a 20 minute pause to engage in a Lamrim meditation. In the third part we make prayers to our Dharma Protector Dorje Shugdan. Through this we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our pure Dharma realisations.
Heart Jewel is held on Mon - Thurs from 5pm - 6pm (apart from Tues when it starts at 4.30pm) and Sunday from 1.30pm - 2.30pm. Wishfulfilling Jewel is held on Friday from 5.30 - 6.30pm (includes a tsog offering). Please check the calendar as sometimes these times change.
Green Tara Puja (Tara) consists of prayers and praises to Buddha Tara, an enlightened being in female aspect. She is often referred to as the 'swift rescuer' because she is quick to come to the aid of those who call on her. Indeed, this is why she does not appear in the traditional meditation posture but instead has one leg extended so that she can quickly rise to calls for help. We call on her during the Tara Puja on the 8th of each month and also make offerings of food and drink.
Offering to the Spiritual Guide Puja (OTSG) is a special puja that takes place fortnightly and involves a tsog offering. By engaging in this puja we have the opportunity to receive our Spiritual Guide's enlightened blessings and inspiration, so that we can gain experience of all the stages of the spiritual path. This puja takes place on the 10th and 25th of every month and takes approximately 2 hours.
Kangso (Melodious Drum) is our long protector puja and involves extensive requests to the Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugdan, for the removal of obstacles on the spiritual path. This is a monthly puja that takes about 3 hours and involves a tsog offering. It takes place on the 29th of each month.
POWA puja is a prayer to help all of those who have died. In this puja we rely on Buddha Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of compassion, and imagine that we have helped all the deceased to go to a Pure Land where all of their suffering ceases. If you would like to request a POWA puja for someone who has recently passed away please contact the Centre.