Gampopa Center

Scheduled Events

Lama Phurbu Tashi Rinpoche is back in Annapolis and is ready to begin a new cycle of teachings called Working with Karma Through Mahamudra Meditation. Mahamudra literally means "the great seal" or "the great symbol" and can be traced back to the ancient mahasiddha tradition of India which was then transmitted to Tibet in the 11th and 12th centuries. This tradition contains a whole host of teachings that deal directly with the nature of mind and the non-duality of all phenomena. Working with karma means increasing good karma and eliminating or purifying negative karma.

Lama Phurbu Tashi Rinpoche has been working with Mahamudra meditation teachings and techniques throughout his entire life. Lama will present some of these ancient and profound teachings and practices in this upcoming class. He strongly believes that this class will help students accumulate good karma and provide methods to purify negative karma through the study of Mahamudra practices and commentary. Working With Karma Through Mahamudra Meditation will be open to anyone who is interested in Tibetan Buddhist meditation and practice.

This class will involve the study of two texts and direct teachings and commentary from Rinpoche. The first text, An Unelaborate Daily Practice - Nectar of a Simple Yogi by Jamgon Kongtrul is a practice text of short daily sadhanas (prayers, mantras, and visualizations). The second is Mind at Ease, Self-Liberation Through Mahamudra Meditation, by Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche which Lama will use as a commentary text for the Mahamudra practices. Both of these texts will be available for purchase.

We are scheduling two classes per week, Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7 to 8:30 for each session. Both classes each week will include the same material, so students will not have to attend both classes. As a result, you will be free to choose which evening you want to attend. Lama's class will be ongoing and is expected to last for six or more months.

The first class will be held on Tuesday, January 17, 2012, from 7 - 8:30 PM at Azul 2 Artisan Imports, 48 Randall St. in downtown Annapolis, two doors down from Middleton Tavern. There will be no pre-registration required for these classes. All you have to do is show up. However, it would be helpful to contact either Michael Hess or Stephen Cimino (Tel. No's below) if you intend to participate so that we are able to determine how many texts to order. A suggested donation of $10 per class is requested for Rinpoche.

This is a great opportunity to study directly with Lama Phurbu Tashi Rinpoche and to increase your wisdom and compassion while acquiring some good tools to accumulate good karma and merit. If you have any questions or need more information, you can contact either Michael Hess at 301-651-8204 or Stephen Cimino at 410-212-2644.