Green Tara jenang and teachings with Geshe Sonam Ngodrup

Weekend teachings & Green Tara Jenang with Geshe Sonam Ngodrup

Translation from Tibetan to English by Venerable Khedrup

Geshe Sonam Ngodrup will be visiting the Netherlands this coming August and has been so kind to offer several teachings & empowerments. 

Saturday Aug. 31 – Teaching ‘Three Principal Aspects of the Path’

The three principal aspects of the path to enlightenment are the intention to be free (renunciation), the mind of enlightenment (bodhicitta) and the right view of the wisdom realizing emptiness. They are the essence of the entire teaching of Lord Buddha. Geshe la will give a teaching on these fundamental aspects, how to cultivate them, and how to know when you have realized them.

This is based on a seminal text by Je Tsongkhapa, which has been translated by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Sunday Sep. 1 – Green Tara Jenang & teaching

Green Tara is the most beloved of all the female enlightened beings in the Tibetan Buddhist pantheon. Green Tara practice is considered highly beneficial for practitioners, meditating on herr helps us awaken our own buddhanature. She embodies the swift, compassionate action that aids in overcoming fears, obstacles, and personal challenges, and provides immediate assistance and support, promoting rapid spiritual progress and a sense of nurturing protection. The practice of this deity allows us to incorporate practices of visualization and mantra recitation to develop and cultivate Tara’s qualities within ourselves.

Geshe la will grant a jenang (permission initiation) into the Kriyā tantra practice of Green Tara and will give a deeper introduction into the qualities of Buddha Green Tara & the practice.

For whom

The teaching day on Saturday is suitable for everyone. Some familiarity with the basic concepts of Buddhist thought is recommended to get the most out of this experience. The style of teaching by Geshe la is inspiring and clear and shows his profound knowledge by explaining the topics in a way which creates insights for both newer and long-term practitioners.

The Sunday will only be for practitioners who would like to receive the Green Tara initiation as a blessing or an empowerment. If you would like to, you can request Geshe la to give you personal daily commitments, which will be a promise to do a certain number of mantra recitations. This will not be given as a requirement to all students, only a possible option for those who wish to deepen their practice.

About Geshe Sonam Ngodrup 

“The positive approach, putting an emphasis on happiness instead of dwelling on fear and negativities too much activates a wish to grow, to continue this path, and the way he offers the teachings with great patience and understanding for all that makes us human, make that this personal growth can take place, in his words, with a joyous effort. The dynamic with his translator, Ven. Khedrup is light and easy-going, and they are able to make one feel connected, both to them and to the teachings.” – student at Maitreya Amsterdam

Geshe Sonam Ngodrup, was born in 1968 in the Ganze region of Kham, Tibet and left at the age of 13 to study Buddhism in India. He was ordained as a novice monk at Sera Jey Monastery that year, and at the age of 21 received full ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Geshe la graduated as a Geshe Lharampa from Sera Jey Monastery in first position in 2003, and in 2004 completed a year of tantric studies at Gyumed Monastery in Hunsur. He was one of the most popular petri geygan (official scripture teachers) at Sera Jey with several hundred students, teaching complex topics of the monastic curriculum. In addition, Geshe la taught sutra studies at Dzongkhar Choede and Gyumed monasteries where his classes were in high demand.

In 2011, Geshe la came to the West, teaching the topics of the Basic Program first at Nalanda Monastery in France and then at Maitreya Institute in the Netherlands, in addition to courses on introductory Buddhism throughout Europe. In 2019, Geshe la settled in Canada. He is a well-loved teacher whose vast scriptural knowledge is tempered by a naturally humble nature and profound non-sectarian approach to the study of the teachings.

Gentle spoken advice by Geshe la

A series of inspiring short videos with advice from Geshe la can be found here on YouTube:

• Four Points for Successful Practice (21:59)
• Lama Tsongkhapa's Three Principal Aspects of the Path (17:44)
• Meditation on Calm Abiding and Compassion (16:27)

Practical details

• Day: Saturday Aug. 31 and Sunday Sept. 1
• Time: Sat.: from 10.00 - 15.00 hrs. Sun.: 10.00 - 15.30 hrs. CET.
• Language: It will be given in Tibetan, with English translation by Ven. Khedrup
• Onsite/Online: both onsite and online
• Registration: through the button on the right. Also other events with Geshe la will show up in the list.
• Last-minute registration: Please also send an email to amsterdam@maitreya.nl, to ensure we can send you the necessary information to join the class.
• Recording: Video & Audio recordings of the teachings will be made available to the students.

Donation

Dāna (generosity) is one of the cornerstones of the Buddhist path. By virtue of their generosity, the Buddha and the ordained sangha offer us the teachings, and in exchange, the lay community supports Dharma centers and the monastic community. This interdependence is essential for us to share the Dharma and continue our work to benefit all sentient beings. With your donation we support our teachers in their cost of living and we uphold our dharma center, which is managed entirely by volunteers.

The suggested donation for either one of the days is € 35. For students and people with low income, the suggested donation is €25. Please email us if you'd like to make use of the second option.

The donation amount should never be an obstacle to your access to the Dharma! Please contact us if it might be an obstacle for you.