Meditation in Madison

HEART PRACTICES OF AKANISHTA BUDDHIST CENTER
Below are short descriptions of the regularly scheduled practices of Akanishta Buddhist
Center. Please click on the links provided for the introduction to the respective sadhanas.

Wishfulfilling Jewel

The Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa combined with the sadhana of his Dharma Protector

Heart Jewel

The Guru yoga of Je Tsongkhapa combined with the condensed sadhana of his Dharma Protector

Wishfulfilling Jewel is now practiced daily!  Please view the calendar for times.

These sadhanas include two practices revealed by the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri.  The first is a special Guru yoga in which we visualize our Spiritual Guide as Je Tsongkhapa, who himself is a manifestation of Manjushri.  By relying upon this practice, we can purify negativity, accumulate merit, and receive blessings.  In this way, we shall naturally accomplish all the realizations of the stages of the path of Sutra and Tantra, and in particular we shall attain a very special Dharma wisdom.

The second practice is a method for relying upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugdan.  Through this, we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions so that we ca n nurture and increase our Dharma realizations.  If we rely upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugdan sincerely, our faith in Je Tsongkhapa will naturally increase and we shall easily gain experience of the pure Buddhadharma transmitted directly to Je Tsongkhapa by the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri.

These two practices are the very essence of the New Kadampa Tradition of Mahayana Buddhism.  If we practice them regularly and sincerely, we shall reap a rich harvest of pure Dharma realizations, and eventually come to experience the supreme joy of full enlightenment.

An extensive explanation of this sadhana can be found in the book Heart Jewel, by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

POWA / Prayers for the Deceased

 Now practiced every Sunday at Akanishta Center from 1:30-2:30pm.

We perform this practice of transference of consciousness, known in Tibetan as "powa", on behalf of someone who has recently died.  It is traditionally done within forty-nine days of a death.  Millions of people, billions of animals, and countless other beings die every day.  By performing prayers for those recently deceased, we offer these beings the opportunity to take rebirth in the Pure Land of a Buddha, attain permanent liberation from suffering, and experience everlasting happiness.

If you have a dear one or know of someone who has recently passed, you are especially encouraged to attend.  If you cannot attend, you can call (608)661-3211 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it to share the names of those you would like us to hold in prayer during the practice.

A full and practical explanation of the practice of powa can be found in the book Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully, by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso.

ESSENCE OF VAJRAYANA (EV)
The Essence of Vajrayana sadhana is the tantric practice of Buddha Heruka, the
embodiment of indivisible bliss and emptiness, and a manifestation of all the Buddhas'
enlightened compassion. This practice is a special method for transforming ordinary
appearances and conceptions, the two principal obstructions to enlightenment. (Open only
to practitioners with the Highest Yoga Tantra empowerment)

QUICK PATH TO GREAT BLISS (QP)
The Quick Path to Great Bliss sadhana is the tantric practice of Buddha Vajrayogini, the
female embodiment of indivisible bliss and emptiness. This practice is a special method
for transforming ordinary appearance and ordinary conception, the two principal
obstructions to enlightenment. (Open only to practitioners with the Highest Yoga Tantra
empowerment)

POWA CEREMONY
This very special ceremony is performed by request on behalf of family and/or friends of
the recently deceased. Through making prayers, requests, and reciting mantras, we aid the
deceased to be reborn in a Buddha’s Pure Land, where they will attain permanent
liberation from suffering, and experience pure and everlasting happiness.

MEDICINE BUDDHA
Medicine Buddha is a Buddha Doctor whose function is to release living beings from
outer and inner sickness by bestowing blessings upon them. By relying upon Medicine
Buddha, also known as Medicine Guru, sincerely, living beings in these impure times can
be cured of heavy physical and mental disease, and find release from the internal pain of
the three poisons: attachment, anger, and ignorance. The two most important conditions
for success in this practice are deep faith and pure motivation.

TARA
Buddha Tara is the female manifestation of the ultimate wisdom of all the Buddhas. She
protects us from all internal and external dangers, provides us with all the necessary
conditions for our spiritual training, and she guides and inspires us with her blessings as
we progress along the spiritual path. If we rely upon Mother Tara sincerely and with
strong faith, she will protect us from all obstacles and fulfill all our wishes. The sadhana,
"Liberation from Sorrow", is a special method for accomplishing these results.

OFFERING TO THE SPIRITUAL GUIDE (LAMA CHÖPA)
Lama Chöpa is a special Guru Yoga of Je Tsongkhapa which includes all the essential
practices of the stages of the path (Lamrim). The essence of Guru Yoga is to develop a
strong conviction that our Spritual Guide is a living manifestation of a Buddha in the
aspect of Je Tsongkhapa. If we rely sincerely on Je Tsongkhapa, our compassion,
wisdom, and spiritual power naturally increase. By making prostrations, offerings, and
sincere requests to him or her, we will receive his or her profound blessings.

MELODIOUS DRUM IN ALL DIRECTIONS (KANGSO)
This practice is the extensive fulfilling and restoring ritual of the Dharma Protector, the
great King Dorje Shugdän. A Dharma Protector is an emanation of a Buddha or
Bodhisattva whose main functions are to avert the inner and outer obstacles that prevent
practitioners from gaining spiritual realizations, and to arrange all the necessary
conditions for their spiritual practice.

PUJA : a ceremony specific to a given Buddha or Deity in which offerings and other acts
of devotion are performed in front of holy beings (e.g. Medicine Buddha, Tara, etc.).

SADHANA : a booklet containing the prayers, mantras, and meditations used in
conjunction with any given puja, which together is the method for spiritual realizations
associated with a Deity or Deities.

TSOG : an offering to restore our broken commitments, to delight the Deities, and to
receive their special blessings, as within the practices of Lama Chöpa and Kangso.

TORMA : a special food offering made during a puja according to either Sutric or Tantric
ritual.

YOGA : a term commonly used for a spiritual practice that entails maintaining a special
view, such as Guru Yoga and the yogas of eating, sleeping, dreaming, and waking. The
term refers also to union, such as the union of tranquil abiding and superior seeing.