Nalandabodhi Philadelphia

07/21/2025

If we are ever going to understand who we are as individuals and societies, then we need to see the interdependence of culture, identity and meaning.

07/15/2025

In my understanding or experience, intimacy is fundamental. It’s a deep connection we feel with the world or with another being. That connection we feel deep inside is not based on any conditions or causes. It’s our deep sense of fundamental being. And at that level, we all are connected. That’s why sometimes we can even have this sense of intimacy or connection with someone whose conduct may seem to be extremely horrible. But we can still feel it, when we connect at that fundamental level.

03/02/2025

03/01/2025

Auspicious and Joyful Losar! May wisdom, creativity, intelligence and renewed inspiration be present in all our actions in the Year of the Wood Snake! 🐍💕

02/02/2025

A meditation session a day keeps insanity away.

01/19/2025

When we bring awareness to our emotions, something truly amazing happens. They lose their power to make us miserable.

01/02/2025

01/02/2025

How to apply the practice of Mahāmudrā meditation to the moving mind in our everyday activities?

At the beginning of the evening session, Acharya Lhakpa Thsering recollected something Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche once taught in response to a similar question: Rinpoche pointed out that our mind is always with us – 24/7. Since that is the case, we always have an opportunity to tame and train our minds. The question is, how to seize that opportunity in every moment, whether at work or in any other activity and environment, using skilful means?

In response to the question, Acharya also shared a Mahāmudrā instruction from Rechungpa, which Acharya roughly translated as: “How to enhance the path? Do not reject appearances. Do not abandon skillful means. Do not forget compassion.” So, with compassion as the foundation, we can skillfully apply our practice in every situation.

This closely relates to what Mitra Mark Power and Acharya Tashi Wangchuk taught earlier the same day.

Continuing his commentary on the 37 practices of a bodhisattva, Mitra Mark noted that we need to bring joyful diligence to being aware of the state of our mind in this moment. How do we feel? What is our mind doing? The art, then, is to know when the mind is confused and how to transform that confusion into beneficial action. We will inevitably encounter difficulties on our path. However, by cultivating mindfulness and attentiveness – without which there is no path – together with compassion as our foundation, we can discern with wisdom what is beneficial.

Acharya Tashi also acknowledged that practice may not always be easy. When we feel it is difficult, we can remind ourselves that we are at the beginning of our journey – the ground. “We can try as much as we can. It’s not like we have to be perfect,” he said. If we can’t apply the teachings in a particular moment, we can still set an aspiration for the future: “May I be able to do this later, in this life or the next.”

Concluding his teaching, Acharya Tashi said it was really wonderful to begin our new year with loving-kindness and compassion and concluded with the wish for 2025: Happy metta and karuna!

11/18/2024

As the year draws to a close, it's a perfect time to reflect upon our lives and our journey during Nalandabodhi’s 10th annual Winter Retreat: The Expansive Sunlight of Love and Compassion.

If we pause for a moment and imagine the sun melting the ice of our frozen thoughts and contracted bodies, isn’t there a sense of relief right there? Letting go of grasping onto fixed ideas and relaxing into the soft, supportive expanse of our hearts can sometimes feel almost painful. Yet as we open up, we might experience the joy and love that are always present, always waiting for us, and find ourselves with tears on our cheeks and perhaps a gentle laugh of recognition of this natural freedom.

During the four day retreat, Acharya Tashi Wangchuk will focus on the heart of bodhicitta and tonglen: exploring the practices of compassion (Karuna)—attending to the suffering of others, and loving-kindness (Maitri/Metta)—sustaining what is good for ourselves and the world. Mitra Mark Power’s teaching will cover verses 24 – 37 of the text: exploring creative ways to incorporate the teachings into our daily lives, and making the verses personal and practical. Each day will conclude with Mahamudra meditation led by Acharya Lhakpa Tsering. There will be morning, afternoon, and evening meditation sessions, with the teaching sessions in between. We also will reflect upon this past year, setting an aspiration to challenge, understand, and perhaps overcome a personal obstacle that may, in turn, help someone else.

Join us online and onsite at Nalanda West, Dec 27-31. Recordings will be available for 90 days.
Register at https://nalandabodhi.org/event-info/year-2024/winter-retreat-2024/

11/12/2024

KC16’s Meditation for All: 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva with Acharya Lhakpa Tshering
Beginning November 17, Acharya Lhakpa Tshering will start teaching on A Guide to The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva during Karmapa Center 16’s Sunday Meditation for All.
Learn more at nalandabodhi.org

11/05/2024

10/29/2024

On November 1st this year, our activities in commemoration of the 43rd anniversary of the 16th Gyalwang Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje’s parinirvāṇa, will begin with a 3-day Guru Yoga Teaching Retreat, followed by our yearly pujas and prayers on November 5th.

With this in mind, during this Sunday’s Meditation for All, we looked at the history and meaning of the name mantra of the lineage of the Karmapas, ཀརྨ་པ་མཁྱེན་ནོ། Karmapa Khyenno. His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, has offered explanations about this mantra on various occasions, including his teachings on the Four-Session Guru Yoga and the life of the eighth Karmapa, Mikyö Dorje.

One thing His Holiness noted is that the Karmapa is considered an emanation of Avalokiteshvara. Finding the mantra Om Mani Padme Hung to the side of an image of the Fifth Karmapa, Deshin Shegpa (1384 - 1415) in a historical record, and not Karmapa Khyenno, is therefore not surprising. The tradition of chanting this six-syllable mantra associated with Avalokiteshvara dates back to the time of the Second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi (1206-1283). People would chant it to benefit others.

While the 17th Karmapa notes it is difficult to trace the use back to one specific person, from the Fifth Karmapa onwards the mani mantra was gradually replaced by “Karmapa Khyenno.”

This mantra could be translated as “Karmapa, please think of me.” And, His Holiness notes, it is a mantra with the power of true words. It is in this way that it appears in Guru Yoga practices like those part of our annual Parinirvana Anniversary. We hope to see you then and otherwise again during our Sunday meditation from November 10 onwards (learn more on www.karmapacenter16.org )

May we always honor the radiant compassion and enlightened activities of His Holiness.

Karmapa Khyenno!



(Learn more about this mantra on www.kagyuoffice.org ).