Dharma Advice of the Week “Whether one is rich or poor, educated or illiterate, religious or non-believing, man or woman, black, white, or brown, we are all the same. Physically, emotionally, and mentally, we are all equal. We all share basic needs for food, shelter, safety, and love. We all aspire to happiness and we all shun suffering. Each of us has hopes, worries, fears, and dreams. Each of us wants the best for our family and loved ones. We all experience pain when we suffer loss and joy when we achieve what we seek. On this fundamental level, religion, ethnicity, culture, and language make no difference.” ~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama Seeking volunteers to serve the Center: Membership Coordinator: Helping keep track of membership, keeping a list of paying members and their tiers Special Program Coordinator Assistant: This person would help to schedule teachings and facilitate teacher visits. Please e-mail Gabe at volunteer@guhyasamaja.org for more information or to volunteer. Coming Up This Week Wednesday, May 28th 10:30 - 11:30am EST Mindfulness Meditation Zoom Only Heather Cronin, a student at Guhyasamaja Center, is offering a Zoom only weekly Mindfulness Meditation class on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30am. The session will begin with a brief guidance which will be followed by a 20-minute sitting meditation ending with a dedication of merit. After the meditation, there will be time for a deeper discussion. If you need to leave prior to the discussion, please feel free to do so. Heather is a mindfulness meditation teacher certified by Dharma Moon and the Tibet House. Please contact her at hrcroninstudio@gmail.com with questions. She is interested in finding other times to schedule these meditation gatherings that will benefit those who cannot take time during the workday. Please email your requests. Leader: Heather Cronin Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 10:30 - 11:30am Location: Online Suggested donations: $15/class for non-members and $10/class for members. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. Contact spc@guhyasamaja.org for the text and materials or if you have any questions. Please check the calendar to confirm. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88028354250?pwd=Hxaj6YBGG6HHjPss842dkNsAwr8Wdt.1 Sunday, June 1st 10 - 11:30am EST Discovering Buddhism Module 8: Establishing a Daily Practice In-person The purpose of this course is to learn how to develop and maintain a daily meditation practice. This will enable participants to develop their potential and live with a peaceful mind. The series will begin with the 6 preliminary practices followed by learning how to structure your meditation sessions around the Lamrim. The Lamrim Meditations are a series of contemplations created by the Indian Master Atisa. They are the stages of the path that lead to enlightenment. Topics will also include how to set up a shrine and construct a mandala offering. We ask that you show up 10-15 minutes before each class as we begin with prayers and a guided meditation at 10 AM. This will ensure that others are not disturbed by people entering the room late. Please note that this is not a drop-in program, nor is it an introductory class. Each class builds on the knowledge from the previous class(es).To receive the most benefit, we recommend that you attend the series. Suggested prerequisites are the Discovering Buddhism courses, Presenting the Path, and Refuge in the 3 Jewels. (Recordings of these modules are available on the website.) Teacher: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Location: 10875 Main St #108, Fairfax, VA 22030 Time: Sundays 10-11:30 AM Dates: May 18 & 25th; June 1st, & 8th Contact spc@guhyasamaja.org for the text or if you have any questions. For additional information regarding the Discovering Buddhism Program, check the website www.guhyasamaja.org Suggested Donation: non-members $15/class and members $10/class. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. Please check the calendar to confirm: www.guhyasamaja.org New Classes and Retreats 1. Discovering Buddhism 9: Samsara and Nirvana This course will present how our dissatisfaction entraps us into a cycle of unwanted experiences and what we can do to overcome this predicament. Students will learn how grasping and craving lead to various disturbing emotions, such as anger, pride, attachment, deluded doubt, ignorance, and jealousy. We will then learn how to apply specific antidotes to these negative states of mind. Students will also learn how to utilize particular meditations to work with these disturbing emotions and, in so doing, experience some inner peace. We will also explore how this cycle, called Samsara, is presented in the Wheel of Life, a famous Buddhist Painting, that demonstrates through images how we enter this predicament and how we escape it. Please note this is not a drop-in or an introductory class. To receive the most benefit, it is best to attend the entire series. We ask that students show up 10-15 minutes before the class begins at 10 AM with prayers and meditation. This will ensure that others are not disturbed. Teacher: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Location: Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center 10875 Main St. #108, Fairfax, VA 22030 Dates: June 22 & 29; July 6, 20 & 27; August 3,10,17,24 & 31 Contact: SPC@guhyasamaja.org for any questions or to receive the text for this series. Suggested Donations are $15/class for non-members and $10/class for members. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. One can donate online. Please check the calendar to confirm. www.guhyasamaja.org 2. Retreat: Lamrim: Stages of the Path On this day retreat participants will engage in meditation sessions that will focus on verses from Foundation of All Good Qualities. This prayer was composed by Je Tsongkhapa, revealing the stages of the path called Lamrim. There will be 4 guided meditations on select verses. Each session will include pointing out instructions, prayers, and guided meditations. After each session, there will be a short break. We ask participants to show up 10 -15 minutes before the retreat as we begin on time and want to create a quiet atmosphere for everyone. Leader: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Date and Time: Sunday, June 15th, 9 AM - 3 PM Location: Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center, 10875 Main St. #108 Fairfax, VA 22030 Contact: spc@guhysamaja.org for any questions Suggested Donations: $30 for non-members and $20 for members. No one is turned away for a lack of funds. Please check the calendar to confirm: www.guhysamaja.org 3. Geshe Gelek's Teachings on Karma July 11-13th at the Guhyasamaja Center, more information forthcoming. June Schedule at a Glance June 1st and 8th DB 8 June 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th Mindfulness Meditation June 7th and 21st Ornament June 10th and 24th Prayers June 15th Retreat: Lamrim June 22nd and 29th DB 9 (fb)

Dharma Advice of the Week Deep in the wild mountains, is a strange marketplace,where you can trade the hassle and noise of everyday life, for eternal Light. ~ Milarepa Seeking volunteers to serve the Center: Membership Coordinator: Helping keep track of membership, keeping a list of paying members and their tiers Special Program Coordinator Assistant: This person would help to schedule teachings and facilitate teacher visits. Please e-mail Gabe at volunteer@guhyasamaja.org for more information or to volunteer. Coming Up This Week Tuesday, May 20th 6 - 7pm EST Prayers to Green Tara and the Praises to the 21 Taras Zoom Only Tara is the embodiment of the holy actions of all Buddhas. By practicing Tara meditation, you can eliminate inner and outer obstacles to developing your mind's potential, create merit, and achieve success in attaining spiritual realizations. Each session will include prayers, visualization, mantra recitation, and a guided meditation. Leader: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Dates and Times: Tuesdays 6 PM - 7 PM; May 6th & 20th; June 10th & 24th Location: Online Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83922027173?pwd=MWt6V28wL2tod1pMMUthWTMxMWt5Zz09 Please check the calendar to confirm. If you wish to donate, please visit our website: www.guhyasamaja.org Wednesday, May 21st 10:30 - 11:30am EST Mindfulness Meditation Zoom Only Heather Cronin, a student at Guhyasamaja Center, is offering a Zoom only weekly Mindfulness Meditation class on Wednesday mornings from 10:30 to 11:30am. The session will begin with a brief guidance which will be followed by a 20-minute sitting meditation ending with a dedication of merit. After the meditation, there will be time for a deeper discussion. If you need to leave prior to the discussion, please feel free to do so. Heather is a mindfulness meditation teacher certified by Dharma Moon and the Tibet House. Please contact her at hrcroninstudio@gmail.com with questions. She is interested in finding other times to schedule these meditation gatherings that will benefit those who cannot take time during the workday. Please email your requests. Leader: Heather Cronin Dates and Times: Wednesdays, 10:30 - 11:30am Location: Online Suggested donations: $15/class for non-members and $10/class for members. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. Contact spc@guhyasamaja.org for the text and materials or if you have any questions. Please check the calendar to confirm. Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88028354250?pwd=Hxaj6YBGG6HHjPss842dkNsAwr8Wdt.1 Saturday, May 24th 11am - 12:30pm EST 4th Chapter of the Ornament for Clear Realizations Hybrid - In person and Zoom These classes focus on key points from the 4th Chapter of Maitreya's Ornament for Clear Realizations (Abhisamayalamkara). From among the many extensive teachings in that chapter, we will particularly focus on the structure of the path that is traveled by bodhisattvas on their journey to full enlightenment which traverses the five paths and ten grounds. We will also look at an elaboration of the Buddha's core teaching on the four noble truths which explores the 16 aspects of those four noble truths. We'll explore a bit about the philosophical underpinnings of the Ornament. And, the majority of our time in this series of classes will involve a deep exploration of the nature and practice of the 3 Harmonies with Enlightenment, which include the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness. We will look at classical teachings on those topics and will also engage in meditations based upon those teachings. This is not an introductory level subject; it's rather intermediate, tending towards the advanced. To benefit well from these teachings, students should have previous experience studying some of Buddhist philosophy based on the texts of the Indo-Tibetan tradition. Classes on the 4th chapter of the Ornament are part of FPMT's Basic Program and will continue throughout 2025. Teacher: Dr. Lorne Ladner Location: Hybrid event: in person at the Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center, 10875 Main St. #108, Fairfax, VA 22030 and on Zoom - see link below Time: Saturday May 17, 2025 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM Suggested donations: $15/class for non-members and $10/class for members. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. Contact spc@guhyasamaja.org for the text and materials or if you have any questions. Please check the calendar to confirm. Join on Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88927004132?pwd=dRubWLMGFWR0ePBB3jbNxS4UQG7fng.1 Meeting ID: 889 2700 4132 Passcode: 648973 Sunday, May 25th 10 - 11:30am EST Discovering Buddhism Module 8: Establishing a Daily Practice In-person The purpose of this course is to learn how to develop and maintain a daily meditation practice. This will enable participants to develop their potential and live with a peaceful mind. The series will begin with the 6 preliminary practices followed by learning how to structure your meditation sessions around the Lamrim. The Lamrim Meditations are a series of contemplations created by the Indian Master Atisa. They are the stages of the path that lead to enlightenment. Topics will also include how to set up a shrine and construct a mandala offering. We ask that you show up 10-15 minutes before each class as we begin with prayers and a guided meditation at 10 AM. This will ensure that others are not disturbed by people entering the room late. Please note that this is not a drop-in program, nor is it an introductory class. Each class builds on the knowledge from the previous class(es).To receive the most benefit, we recommend that you attend the series. Suggested prerequisites are the Discovering Buddhism courses, Presenting the Path, and Refuge in the 3 Jewels. (Recordings of these modules are available on the website.) Teacher: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Location: 10875 Main St #108, Fairfax, VA 22030 Time: Sundays 10-11:30 AM Dates: May 18 & 25th; June 1st, & 8th Contact spc@guhyasamaja.org for the text or if you have any questions. For additional information regarding the Discovering Buddhism Program, check the website www.guhyasamaja.org Suggested Donation: non-members $15/class and members $10/class. No one is turned away due to a lack of funds. Please check the calendar to confirm: www.guhyasamaja.org New Classes and Retreats 1. Retreat: Lamrim: Stages of the Path On this day retreat participants will engage in meditation sessions that will focus on verses from Foundation of All Good Qualities. This prayer was composed by Je Tsongkhapa, revealing the stages of the path called Lamrim. There will be 4 guided meditations on select verses. Each session will include pointing out instructions, prayers, and guided meditations. After each session, there will be a short break. We ask participants to show up 10 -15 minutes before the retreat as we begin on time and want to create a quiet atmosphere for everyone. Leader: Venerable Lobsang Damchoe Date and Time: Sunday, June 15th, 9 AM - 3 PM Location: Guhyasamaja Buddhist Center, 10875 Main St. #108 Fairfax, VA 22030 Contact: spc@guhysamaja.org for any questions Suggested Donations: $30 for non-members and $20 for members. No one is turned away for a lack of funds. Please check the calendar to confirm: www.guhysamaja.org 2. Geshe Gelek's Teachings on Karma July 11-13th at the Guhyasamaja Center, more information forthcoming June Schedule at a Glance June 1st and 8th DB 8 June 4th, 11th, 18th, and 25th Mindfulness Meditation June 10th and 24th Prayers June 15th Retreat: Lamrim June 22nd and 29th DB 9 (fb)