Vajrapani Institute
P.O. Box 2130
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
(831) 338-6654 

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Long Life Puja for Ven. Choden Rinpoche
July 6th: 10am @ Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, CA.

"To understand why a long life puja is essential, we must understand the value of the Guru. He is our guide in this life, the bardo, and future lives. He is immensely important. It is not a case where if we ask him to live he will, and vice-versa, but that to offer such a ceremony purifies our own broken samayas."
–Geshe Lama Konchog


Join practitioners from all over the Bay Area in this precious opportunity to offer a long life puja for our most precious friend, the source of all our happiness in this and future lives, Venerable Choden Rinpoche, one of the greatest Tibetan Buddhist Masters alive.

Tse Chen Ling Center in San Francisco, Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center in Campbell, Vajrapani Institute in Boulder Creek and Machig Labdron study group in Marin are all contributing to this most auspicious event.

Everyone is invited to join us in making beautiful offerings, reciting deeply-felt prayers for Rinpoche's long life and offering sincere thanks for the tireless efforts Rinpoche has done for the Buddha’s teachings in United States and around the world.


Volunteers are needed for set up, Tsog, clean up, etc. Please contact our office @ 831-338-6654 if you are available to help!


Performing a long life puja is not only for the benefit of the teacher to whom it is offered. In making these prayers and ritual offerings, with a sincere and pure motivation, we create the cause for our own long life and to meet with the dharma, and pure, compassionate teachers throughout all our future lives, until we reach enlightenment.

For many centuries, Tibetan Buddhists have offered long life puja's to their teachers. The long life puja purifies the relationship between teacher and disciple, and creates the merit for the teacher to remain among us. Since all realization depends on the blessing and guidance of the teacher, this ritual offering practice is extraordinarily precious.

"From the basis of non-dual bliss and voidness, we ask the Guru to stay with us. Often, with such special gurus, the dakinis ask them to come to pure realms. So it is essential we make requests to stay from our hearts."
–Geshe Lama Konchog

The long life puja is a precious opportunity to make offerings to the guru, who is the manifestation of all the Buddha's of the ten directions. Lama Zopa Rinpoche often reminds us that a beautiful and generous tsog offering is of utmost importance. It is traditional to sponsor specific offerings and gifts in a long life puja and to make certain ritual offerings all of which have deep symbolic meaning. A list of these appears at the end of this text. Please don’t go out buying these things yourselves. Experts in long life puja's from our community will help us choose what is most suitable and appropriate.  

The puja is scheduled to begin at 10am but we ask that everyone arrive at Land of Medicine Buddha by 9:30am, so that we are all ready, in place and waiting, when Rinpoche enters the gompa.


Please RSVP with the Land of Medicine Buddha Office, @ 831-462-8383 or email: office@medicinebuddha.org

Lunch will be served to registered guests only.


Sponsorship:

If you would like to sponsor our gifts to Rinpoche, please see the list below. The names of all donors will be given to Rinpoche with the list of offerings. Please also understand that those who sponsor an offering may not carry an item in the actual offering procession during the puja. This role will be assigned to specific people. However, all those attending the puja will have the opportunity to offer khatas to Rinpoche personally after this ritual procession.  

All offerings must be completely finalized by July 3rd. Please plan ahead!

RITUAL OFFERINGS AND GIFTS TO BE SPONSORED:

Ritual Items:

  • Double Dorje for the throne: (sponsored)
  • Amitayus statue: $207 *
  • Text (offered by Geshe Dakpa, TCL) *
  • Namgyalma Stupa: $124.20 *
  • Robes: (sponsored)
  • Pandit's hat: $10.35 *
  • Dingwa **
  • Alms bowls (offer a bowlful of fruits)
  • Monks staff
  • 7 royal emblems
  • 8 auspicious symbols
  • 8 auspicious substances
  • Dharmachaka
  • Right turning conch: $22.77 *

For sponsoring items marked *
Please send a check payable to LMB (for CR-LLP) to:

5800 Prescott Road, Soquel CA 95073

 
For sponsoring items marked **
Please send a check payable to Vajrapani Institute (For CR-LLP) to:

P.O. Box 2130, Boulder Creek, CA 95006

--------------------

For general donations towards the rest of the offerings, you are welcome to send or call in your donations to either of the Bay Centers:

  • Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center
  • Land of Medicine Buddha
  • Machig Labdron
  • Tse Chen Ling
  • Vajrapani Institute

 

Other Items:

  • White Tara Thangka ($278) *
  • Long life deities tsa tsas
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 1 ($12.18) * (sponsored)
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 2 ($12.18) *
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 3 ($12.18) *
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 4 ($12.18) *
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 5 ($12.18) *
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 6 ($12.18) *
  • White Tara Prayer Flags 7 ($12.18) *
  • Woolen Shawl ($51.45) * 
  • Crystal Geyser Water (1 gallon x 7 bottles)
  • Crystal Offering bowls: $16.39 *
  • Crystal Offering bowls set: $13.11 *
  • Crystal Offering plate: $8.74 *
  • Barley Tsampa (from Berkeley)
  • Maroon shirts: $15.30 *
  • Maroon socks: $32.37 *

Tsog Offering:

  • Tsog cake for Choden Rinpoche ($140) **  
  • Tsog cake for Geshe Dakpa ($21.95)**
  • Tsog cake for other geshe's**