Mahakankala Buddhist Center

Download the BEAUTIFUL Kadampa Buddhism Worldwide 2022 brochure here: https://kadampa.org/2022/01/kadampa-buddhism-worldwide-2022 Hoping you can attend some of these wonderful events!

A traditional Buddhist prayer.

Venerable Geshe-la is home at Manjushri Centre :) <3

New Year Lamrim Wisdom Retreat December 31, 2021 @ 6:30 pm - January 4, 2022 @ 7:45 pm $35... Set a course for your new year by entering the path of Lamrim Wisdom. All of Buddha’s essential teachings are presented in Lamrim. Taken as personal advice, we can contemplate each instruction, allowing the meaning to guide us to very precise meditation objects which improve our ability to maintain a stable experience of peace in our own mind. Our Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan, will guide the retreat sessions. Everyone is welcome. Come for the whole retreat as a practice of deepening your concentration, or drop in for single sessions as a break from your busy, daily schedule. Friday Meditation on the Preciousness of our Human Life 6:30-7:45pm (New Year’s Eve) Saturday Initial Scope Meditations (4) 9-10am Meditation on Death 10:30-11:30am Meditation on the Danger of Lower Rebirth 5-6pm Meditation on Going for Refuge 6:30-7:30pm Meditation on Karma Sunday Middling Scope Meditations (4) 9-10am Meditation on Renunciation 10:30-11:30am Meditation on our Determination to Recognize, Reduce, and Abandon the Root of Samsaric Rebirth 5-6pm Meditation on our Determination to Engage in the Actual Path to Liberation 6:30-7:30pm Meditation on our Determination to Attain True Cessations Monday Great Scope Meditations (4) 9-10am Meditation on Cherishing All Living Beings 10:30-11:30am Meditation on Universal Compassion 5-6pm Meditation on the Supreme Good Heart, Bodhichitta 6:30-7:30pm Meditation on our Determination and Promise to Practice the Six Perfections Tuesday Great Scope Meditations (2) 5-6pm Training in Meditation on Emptiness 6:30-7:45pm Meditation on Relying on our Spiritual Guide As a special incentive to those who wish to make this holiday retreat but cannot attend sessions in person, we are offering the introduction and all the sessions following via zoom. For more info and link click here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/event/lamrim-retreat/ The retreat introduction with Kadam Keli on New Year’s Eve is by donation and each stand-alone retreat session is $5. Registering for the whole retreat is $35. This retreat is free for monthly members. Donate/pay here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

NEW TERM, NEW BOOK! study HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE MIND by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche Interested? Email [email protected] ... Or for more information visit the website at https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/foundation-program/

A White Christmas Vajrasattva Purification Retreat December 23 @ 6:30 pm - December 25 @ 12:00 pm Thursday intro with Kadam Keli What are we wishing for during the holidays? There is nothing greater than a peaceful heart; warm, friendly feelings towards others; joy and contentment. If our mind is pure, nothing can keep us from fulfilling our spiritual wishes.... When human beings develop a sincere wish to purify negative karma in their own mind, all the Buddhas appear as Buddha Vajrasattva. Vajrasattva’s path is the practice of taking stock of one’s own negative actions and promising to improve. Our Resident Teacher, Kadam Keli Vaughan will give an introduction to Meditation and Recitation of Solitary Vajrasattva on Thursday, December 23. This special retreat opportunity is perfect for anyone wishing to make their Christmas holiday align with their wish to purify negative habits and tendencies. Schedule [Come to any of the sessions or all, in person or via zoom] Thursday Intro 12/23 with Kadam Keli 6:30-7:45pm Friday Sessions 12/24 7:30-8:30am, 9-10am, 5-6pm, 6:30-7:30pm Saturday Sessions 12/25 7:30-8:30am, 9-10am Offering to the Spiritual Guide Prayers 5-6:30pm As a special incentive to those who wish to make this holiday retreat but cannot attend sessions in person, we are offering the introduction and the sessions via zoom. Click here for link information: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//vajrasattva-retreat/ The retreat introduction with Kadam Keli is $10 and each stand-alone retreat session is $5. Registering for the whole retreat is $25. Pay/donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

My offering to the Buddhas today. Trying to love everyone.

January retreat month is not too far away. Have you made any plans for meditation retreat this year? Enjoy this lovely video featuring our friends Marilyn and Darrell from Dharmachakra Kadampa Buddhist Center Palm Springs <3

Wednesdays in May Evening Meditation Class via Zoom + In Person with Kadam Keli 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm Disarming Our Own Hatred: Meditations on Compassion... Other living beings are not our problem. Our own dislike of them is our problem. More info: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//wednesday-evening-m/ Suggested Donation $10 Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Thursday Evening Meditations with Bob Day via Zoom Thursdays in May 6:30 - 7:30 pm Everyday Bodhisattvas: Meditations for Modern Life... What the world needs now is Bodhisattvas. More info: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//thursday/2021-04-08/ Suggested donation $10 Donate here:https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Venerable Geshe-la <3

Valentine Themed Shopping Day! Saturday Feb. 6th 9am-3pm Mahakankala Buddhist Center 508 Brinkerhoff Ave. SB... Hand-Made Gifts, Buddhist Statues, Malas, Jewelry, Books, Clothes, Thangkas, Offerings, Greeting Cards, Bags, Tee’s, Meditation CD’s, Buddha Images, Framed Artwork + YARD SALE. Please Shop Local all proceeds go towards keeping our doors open. Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Support your local Buddhist Meditation Center

Lamrim Meditation: Renunciation Monday, January 11, 6:00-7:00pm Developing the wish to attain Liberation... Drop in for this guided one-hour zoom meditation class. Our Monday evening teacher is David Clark, a very sincere Kadampa student and practitioner with many years of experience. Dave will share some ideas on the evening's topic to lead to a basic understanding, then guide a meditation. Class includes prayers to prepare the mind for meditation - chanted in English so you can understand the meaning. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle. To get Zoom information go to: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//guided-l/2021-01-11/ Suggested donation for classes is $5-$10. You can donate at https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Guided Lamrim Meditation with David Clark via Zoom Mondays in February beginning Feb. 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm $5 - $10 donation per class 21 Meditations to Transform Your Life... In these ZOOM meditation classes we will familiarize ourselves with the minds of Lamrim. Lamrim is a special set of meditations presented by the Indian Buddhist Master Atisha that condenses all the essential teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni into a practice that modern people can use in their daily life. Please arrive five minutes early to settle. Click here for more info and link: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//guided-l/2021-02-01/ Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Thursday Evening Meditation Class with Robert Day via Zoom Thursdays in February beginning Feb. 4 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Notice that there is also a Wednesday class on the same topic} $5 $10 donation per class... Healthy Boundaries, Happy Life (Following Advice from Atisha’s Heart) Boundaries of Body, Speech, and Mind When we were put in a playpen as a baby, the boundaries of the pen protected us from harm. Now that we are loose in the wide world, cultivating mindfulness of our actions of body, speech, and mind is our protection. This series of meditation classes will intersect personal, modern circumstances with Buddhist common sense to develop healthy boundaries for a happy life. Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle. Click here for link and info: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//thursday/2021-02-04/ Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Meditation Via Zoom with Bob Day Thursdays in January 6:30 - 7:30 pm Taking Refuge in Impermanence... We look to our enjoyments, our relationships, and our livelihoods for security. But what happens when these things change, or disappear altogether? When we accept and embrace change and decay as the way of the world, we loosen our tight grasping at the things we think we need to be happy not just understanding Buddha’s teachings on impermanence intellectually, but actually taking refuge in them. Sign up here to receive an invitation to attend our online Zoom meditation classes: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/how-to-sign-up-for-on/ Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone. Suggested donation $5 -$10 Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Uplift yourself. Uplift others. Happy New Year!

Wednesday Evening Meditation Class with Kadam Keli via Zoom Wednesdays in February beginning Feb. 3 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm (Notice that there is also a Thursday class on the same topic} $5 $10 donation per class... Healthy Boundaries, Happy Life (Following Advice from Atisha’s Heart) Boundaries of Body, Speech, and Mind When we were put in a playpen as a baby, the boundaries of the pen protected us from harm. Now that we are loose in the wide world, cultivating mindfulness of our actions of body, speech, and mind is our protection. This series of meditation classes will intersect personal, modern circumstances with Buddhist common sense to develop healthy boundaries for a happy life. Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone. Please arrive a few minutes early to settle. Click here for link and info: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org//wednesda/2021-02-03/ Donate here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Meditation Via Zoom with Kadam Keli Wednesdays in January 6:30 - 7:30 pm Overcoming Our Own Discouragement... How to uplift our mind and develop new confidence. The past year has been a challenge. With so many unexpected events and unwanted changes to our lives, it’s easy for us to feel discouraged, disappointed, and angry. Buddha’s teachings explain the painful feelings of discouragement, disappointment, and anger and how to develop a new mental environment of confidence and contentment. In this series we will explore meditations on how to uplift our own mind, and how to practically and skillfully navigate through our life with confidence and meaning. Sign up here to receive an invitation to attend our online Zoom meditation classes: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/how-to-sign-up-for-on/ Each class begins with a guided breathing meditation and culminates with a second meditation based upon the evening’s topic. Drop in to any or all classes in this course. Perfect for beginners or those with meditation experience. Open to everyone. Suggested Class Donation $10 Donate Here: https://meditationinsantabarbara.org/make-a-donation/

Mark your calendars, friends. Summer Festival 2021 will be livestreamed! <3

Since we all have within us our own source of peace and happiness, we may wonder why it is so hard to maintain a continually peaceful and joyful mind. This is b...ecause of the delusions that so often crowd our mind. Delusions are distorted ways of looking at ourself, other people and the world around us like a distorted mirror they reflect a distorted world. The deluded mind of hatred, for example, views other people as intrinsically bad, but there is no such thing as an intrinsically bad person. Uncontrolled desire, also known as desirous attachment, on the other hand, sees its object of desire as intrinsically good and as a true source of happiness. If we have a strong craving to eat chocolate, chocolate appears to be intrinsically desirable. However, once we have eaten too much of it and start to feel sick, it no longer seems so desirable and may even appear repulsive. This shows that in itself chocolate is neither desirable nor repulsive. It is the deluded mind of attachment that projects all kinds of pleasurable qualities onto its objects of desire and then relates to them as if they really did possess those qualities. How to Transform Your Life

My offering to the Buddha’s today. Happy Christmas everyone. May your hearts be filled with joy and love.