Pujas at Root Institute
All welcome!
Please contact the Root Institute office for upcoming puja dates. Donations and dedications for these pujas are welcome in the reception office (but not required!).
- What is a Puja?
- Offering Lights and Robes at the Mahabodhi Temple
- Medicine Buddha Puja
- Guru Puja
- Four Mandala Offerings to Chittamani Tara
- Sutra Recitations
What is a Puja?
A puja consists of meditations, visualisations and prayers, including taking refuge and generating bodhicitta, followed by an elaborate version of the seven limb practice: making prostrations and offerings, confessing one’s negativities, rejoicing in the good deeds of oneself and others, requesting the Buddhas to remain in samsara and teach, and dedicating the merits (positive energy) thus created. Mantras, praises and requests are also usually recited.
The purpose of a puja is to purify one’s negative energy thus clearing away obstacles in life and spiritual practice for oneself and others. One also creates new positive energy and this is dedicated for the fulfillment of one’s own wishes and the wishes of others, including the most profound and expansive wish of all: to become a fully enlightened Buddha for the benefit of all beings.
Everyone is welcome to join the pujas at Root Institute and you may participate at whatever level you feel comfortable: simply observing or reciting along with the group. The pujas are usually conducted in English or a combination of English and Tibetan (phonetics provided).
Offering Lights and Robes at the Mahabodhi Temple
On the four main Buddhist holidays of the year, as well as on other special occasions such as the conclusion of each course/retreat, we offer lights (candles or electric lights) at the Mahabodhi Temple where Buddha attained Enlightenment. Offering these lights represents offering our own wisdom, compassion, peace and goodwill to the whole world. On each full moon, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has requested Root Institute to offer a new set of robes to the main Buddha Statue at the Mahabodhi Temple on his behalf. You are welcome to join us as we make these beautiful light and robe offerings using Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Extensive Offering Practice.
Medicine Buddha Puja
The Eight Medicine Buddhas made special prayers to benefit beings of degenerate ages, hence in the Sutric tradition this is considered one of the most powerful practices for our time. Medicine Buddha practice purifies and heals on all levels - physical, mental, spiritual and environmental. It is considered particularly powerful for people who are sick or have recently died, and for bringing success--both temporary success and the ultimate success of Enlightenment.
Guru Puja
The Guru Puja is a practice consisting of making offerings to and requesting inspiration from the Spiritual Teacher, seen as the embodiment of the Three Jewels (Buddha, Dharma and Sangha), visualised in the form of Lama Tsong Khapa surrounded by the merit field. Spiritual vows and commitments which might have degenerated are also restored through the practice of the tsog (feast offering). In this practice we unite our minds with the holy mind of the Spiritual Teacher, who is considered the root and life-force of the spiritual path, in order to receive blessings and generate realisations on the path to Enlightenment.
Four Mandala Offerings to Chittamani Tara
Tara represents the quick wisdom and compassion of all the enlightened beings in a female form. Praying to Tara eliminates obstacles to the fulfillment of our wishes in general and in particular those of the spiritual path. Tara breathes life into our spiritual practice and sustains us with boundless energy to traverse the spiritual path.
Sutra Recitations
The Buddha’s teachings, known as Sutras, were given over a 45 year period and fill 100 volumes. Buddha himself said that studying, meditating upon, and even just reading/reciting these Sutras can bring us tremendous purification and merit, help us quickly develop our wisdom and compassion, and lead us toward Enlightenment.
