Heart Jewel Puja

Held 5 days a week – please consult puja timetable
(1 hour)

By engaging in the Guru Yoga practised in conjunction with Je Tsongkhapa we can purify negativity, accumulate merit, receive blessings, and attain a very special compassion, wisdom, and spiritual strength. By relying upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions. These two practices are the very essence of Kadampa Buddhism. This puja includes a 15-minute silent meditation.

We use the prayer booklet, ‘Heart Jewel,’ for this puja. If you want to buy your own copy you can purchase it online; an electronic version of the booklet is available as well as the paper version – https://tharpa.com/uk/heart-jewel-booklet.html

Offering to Spiritual Guide

Held on the 10th and 25th of each month
(1 hour 35)

‘Offering to the Spiritual Guide’ puja is a special chanted prayer requesting our Spiritual Guide to increase our compassion, wisdom and spiritual power.

This practice includes a tsog offering. For tsog pujas, we gather together to pray and make special offerings. You are welcome to bring a vegetarian food offering if you wish.

We use the prayer booklet, ‘Offering to the Spiritual Guide,’ for this puja. If you want to buy your own copy you can purchase it online – https://tharpa.com/uk/offering-to-the-spiritual-guide-booklet.html

An electronic verson of the booklet is available as well as the paper version.

Tara Puja – Liberation from Sorrow

Held on 8th of each month
(50 minutes)

Tara is a female Buddha, a manifestation of the ultimate wisdom of all the Buddhas. Her name means “Rescuer” because she rescues us from all outer and inner fears. Ultimately she rescues us from all suffering and guides us to full enlightenment. Like a mother she protects us from all internal and external dangers; she provides us with all the necessary conditions for our spiritual training, and guides us and inspires us with her blessings as we progress along the spiritual path. These prayers include praises to the 21 manifestations of Tara.

We use the prayer booklet, ‘Liberation from Sorrow,’ for this puja. If you want to buy your own copy you can purchase it online – https://tharpa.com/uk/liberation-from-sorrow.html. An electronic verson of the booklet is available as well as the paper version. Also, the sadhana is included in ‘Modern Buddhism’ which is available as a free download.

Powa – Transference of Conciousness Puja

Please see puja timetable for dates and times
(35 – 40 minutes)

Through practising transference of consciousness – known as ‘powa’ – with faith, compassion and concentration, we can transfer the consciousness of those recently deceased to a higher rebirth or to the Pure Land of a Buddha. The Powa Ceremony can be done either by a group of practitioners or individually on behalf of one or more deceased persons, or countless deceased beings. By engaging in this practice we also create a great collection of virtue, which will also lead us into the pathway to a Buddha’s Pure Land.

We use the prayer booklet, ‘Powa Ceremony,’ for this puja. If you want to buy your own copy you can purchase it online – https://tharpa.com/uk/powa-ceremony-booklet.html

An electronic verson of the booklet is available as well as the paper version.

8 Mahayana Precepts

Held on 15th of each month at 6.30am
(20 minutes)

The practice of taking and keeping the eight Mahayana precepts is a special practice of moral discipline that is performed with bodhichitta motivation – the supreme good heart.

The essence of the practice is to take eight precepts – promising to abstain for twenty-four hours from eight actions:

(1) killing,
(2) stealing,
(3) sexual activity,
(4) lying,
(5) taking intoxicants,
(6) eating after lunch,
(7) sitting on high or luxurious thrones or seats, and
(8) wearing ornaments, perfume, singing and dancing and so forth

– and to keep them purely for this period of time.

We use the prayer booklet, ‘A Pure Life,’ for this puja. If you want to buy your own copy you can purchase it online – https://tharpa.com/uk/a-pure-life-booklet.html

An electronic verson of the booklet is available as well as the paper version.