Pujas (chanted prayers) are an important component of training in a spiritual life. They help us to still our mind, connect with enlightened beings, and receive blessings.
Below are the chanted prayers and meditations we practise together at KMC Ottawa. All pujas are free of charge and everyone is welcome. Please check our online calendar for dates, times and any schedule changes.
Offering to the Spiritual Guide
Prayers to Je Tsongkhapa
On the 10th and 25th of each month
This is a special Guru Yoga of Je Tsongkhapa in conjunction with Highest Yoga Tantra that is a preliminary practice for Vajrayana Mahamudra. The main practice is relying upon our Spiritual Guide as a Buddha and making praises and requests, but it also includes all the essential practices of the stages of the path and training the mind, as well as both the generation stage and completion stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. By relying upon Je Tsongkhapa our compassion, wisdom, and spiritual power naturally increase. This practice includes a tsog offering so you can bring a vegetarian food offering with you if you wish. (2 hours).
This special practice is done following the sadhana (prayer booklet) Offering to the Spiritual Guide, as well as the special prayers: Request to the Holy Spiritual Guide Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche from his Faithful Disciples.
See our calendar for dates and times.
Heart Jewel prayers and guided meditations
Prayers to Je Tsongkhapa & Dorje Shugden
This practice is the heart essence of Kadampa Buddhism. In the first part we visualize our Spiritual Guide as Je Tsongkhapa and make prayers and requests to purify negativity, accumulate merit, and receive blessings. This prepares our mind for a longer meditation on the Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. After the meditation we make prayers to our Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden. Through this we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favorable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our pure Dharma realizations.
This practice follows the sadhana (prayer booklet) Heart Jewel.
See schedule and details on our Heart Jewel Prayers with Guided Meditations page.
Wishfulfilling Jewel
Saturdays at 5pm (please check our calendar to be sure)
Wishfulfilling Jewel Prayer is a practice that enables us to overcome obstacles and difficulties on the spiritual path by developing compassion, wisdom and spiritual strength.
It includes two practices revealed by the Wisdom Buddha Manjushri. By engaging in the special Guru yoga practised in conjunction with Je Tsongkhapa we can purify negativity, accumulate merit and receive blessings, and attain a very special wisdom. By engaging in the special method for relying upon the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden we can overcome obstacles to our practice and create favourable conditions so that we can nurture and increase our spiritual realizations. These two practices are the very essence of Kadampa Buddhism. If we practise them regularly and sincerely, we will 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 Rinpoche.
See our calendar for dates and times.
Melodious Drum
Extensive Prayers to the Dharma Protector Dorje Shugden
On the 29th of each month
Melodious Drum puja is recommended for experienced practitioners.
This monthly practice consists principally of prayers to our Dharma Protector, Dorje Shugden. 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 attaining spiritual realizations, and to arrange all the necessary conditions for their practice. Dorje Shugden always helps, guides, and protects pure and faithful practitioners by granting blessings, increasing their wisdom, fulfilling their wishes and bestowing success on all their virtuous activities. This practice includes a tsog offering so you can bring a vegetarian food offering with you if you wish. (3.5 hours).
During this extensive puja, we are using the sadhana (prayer booklet) Melodious Drum Victorious in all Directions.
See our calendar for dates and times.
Powa – Prayers For The Deceased
Prayers to Avalokiteshvara
Usually offered once a month
Once a month the Centre engages in a lovely ritual practice in conjunction with Avalokiteshvara, the Buddha of Compassion, on behalf of those who have recently died. The practice entails a transference of consciousness, whereby through chanted prayers and mantras, the participants assist in directing the consciousness of the recently deceased directly to the Pure Land. Food and flower offerings (tending toward white) are welcome. (1 hour).
If you would like to add someone who has recently passed away to our Powa prayers, please join us (please check the calendar for dates).
The practice of Powa – Prayers for the Deceased is made in conjunction with the sadhana (prayer booklet) Powa Ceremony.
See our calendar for dates and times.
Liberation From Sorrow
Prayers to Green Tara
On the 8th of each month
At Kadampa Centres worldwide, the eighth of the month is Tara Day. Tara is a female Buddha, whose name means “Rescuer.” She is the embodiment of swift compassion. If we rely upon Tara sincerely and with strong faith, she will protect us from all obstacles and fulfill all our wishes (1 hour).
Everyone is welcome and invited to join us for our chanted Tara prayer practice, using the Liberation from Sorrow sadhana (prayer booklet).
See our calendar for dates and times.