Introduction to the Path of the Mahayana

Come join us at the Rime Buddhist Center for an enlightening event where we will delve into the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Using Nāgārjuna’s classic text Letter to a Friend, this class will provide you with a foundational understanding of the Mahayana path, its principles, and practices. Whether you are new to Buddhism or seeking to deepen your knowledge, this class is open to all who are curious and eager to learn. Join us for an insightful journey into the profound teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. We look forward to seeing you there!

This class will be in-person with an online option.

Register Online

Facilitator: Lama Matthew Palden Gocha & Acharya Yeshi Sergio
Date: 6 sessions beginning on November 6, 2024
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: Nāgārjuna’s Letter to a Friend – Get it on Amazon or at the Rime Center gift shop.

These classes are available to EVERYONE. We have “Suggested Fees,” however pay whatever you can afford for the class. Everyone is welcome! It is our hope that some will pay more to cover those who can’t afford the usual fee. We simply want everyone to have access to these wonderful classes.
Use coupon R1M3CL@55 if you are unable to afford to class fee.

The Four Immeasurables

Join us for a transformative experience as we explore the teachings of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity. This class will provide you with the opportunity to deepen your understanding of these Four Immeasurables and cultivate a more compassionate heart. Don’t miss out on this chance to connect with like-minded individuals and nurture your spiritual growth. This will be both an in-person and online event. We look forward to seeing you there!

This class will be in-person with an online option.

Register Online

Facilitator: Daniel Scharpenburg
Date: 4 sessions beginning on October 2, 2024
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: Boundless Heart: The Buddha’s Path of Kindness, Compassion, Joy, and Equanimity by Christina Feldman – Get it on Amazon or at the Rime Center gift shop.

Embodying Tara

Tara, the Goddess of Compassion, can manifest within all of us in her twenty-one different forms. In this class, we’ll learn how to integrate Tara’s energy into our daily life through book readings, discussion, guided meditation, and mantra recitation, with a focus on four of the 21 Taras. We’ll also draw inspiration from women and movements like Machig Labdron, Malala Yousafzai, Jane Goodall, and Black Lives Matter to connect with Tara’s teachings with modern challenges. This class is open to anyone seeking to cultivate compassion, overcome fears, and live with greater wisdom and courage. This event will be in-person and online.

Register Online

Date: Wednesdays 7:45 – 9 PM Beginning Sept 4th
Facilitators: Acharaya Yeshi Sergio / Gabi Otto
Book: Embodying Tara: Twenty-One Manifestations to Awaken Your Innate Wisdom by Chandra Easton

Philosophical Views of Emptiness in Buddhism Part 1

Welcome to our event exploring the deep philosophical views of emptiness in Buddhism!

Join us at the Rime Buddhist Center for an enlightening discussion on this fascinating topic. Dive into Buddhist thought and gain a deeper understanding of the concept of emptiness. This class will explore Buddhist philosophical schools of early buddhism including the Vaibhashika and Sautrantika. Join us for a thought-provoking experience that will enrich your understanding of emptiness. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to delve into the profound wisdom of Buddhist philosophy!

Register Online

Facilitator: Lama Matthew Palden Gocha
Date: 3 sessions beginning on June 26, 2024
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: Making Sense of Mind Only: Why Yogacara Buddhism Matters by William S. Waldron – Get it on Amazon or at the Rime Center gift shop.

Basics of Buddhism

Have you always wanted to understand Buddhism? Buddhism is a 2,500 year old tradition that teaches us how to end pain and suffering in ourselves and others. This 8 week course will cover the life of the Buddha, basic Buddhist teachings, as well as practical application of these principles in daily life. This event will be in-person with an online option available.

Register Online

Date: 8 sessions beginning on Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $50

Note: In-person class size limited to 12 people.

The main book that will be used for the challenge will be Buddhism for Beginners by Ven. Thubten Chodron. This book takes the most commonly asked questions—beginning with “What is the essence of the Buddha’s teachings?”—and provides simple answers in plain English. Thubten Chodron’s responses to the questions that always seem to arise among people approaching Buddhism make this an exceptionally complete and accessible introduction—as well as a manual for living a more peaceful, mindful, and satisfying Life.

Wednesday Online Discussions beginning June 26th
Participants will meet either in-person or online Wednesdays at 7:45 pm to discuss the week’s topic. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion about the practice that will include actions that can be applied to daily life/practice.

108 Day Bodhisattva Challenge

This challenge will be practice intensive for those who want to apply their understanding of Bodhicitta with daily practice. We welcome new students who are looking to learn about the Bodhisattva Mind Training and how to apply it to their Buddhist path, as well as experienced students who have insights to share. This event will be in-person with an online option available.

“The Tibetan word lojong literally means ‘mind training’ but the practice really has more to do with training our attitude, training us out of the habitual ways that we respond to situation that happen to us, especially adverse circumstances.” – Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo

The main book that will be used for the challenge will be The Heroic Heart: Awakening Unbound Compassion by Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. The Heroic Heart Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo illuminates the heart of Mahayana Buddhism—bodhicitta—describing it as “the selfless expression of boundless compassion.” Jetsunma uses as a touchstone the famous Tibetan Buddhist text The Thirty-Seven Verses on the Practice of a Bodhisattva. Here, she reveals how to become such a compassionate hero, the bodhisattva in training, and helps us to face the uncertain tides of the world, however joyful or dangerous, with a deep wish to find meaning and uncover the ultimate heart of wisdom and compassion.

Register today!

Kick off party for the 108 Day Bodhisattva Challenge is Sunday December 31, 2023 at 10:30am and will be during the Sunday Service.

Sunday Dharma Talks beginning December 31st
Each week kicks off a new topic with a Sunday Dharma talk given by Lama Matt and the other Dharma Facilitators. Dharma Talks will be uploaded to the Rime Center’s Podcast each Monday. Participants are then encouraged to read the topic from the book.

Wednesday Online Discussions beginning January 3rd
Participants will meet either in-person or online Wednesdays at 7:45 pm to discuss the week’s topic. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion about the practice that will include actions that can be applied to daily life/practice.

Four Foundations of Mindfulness

For the followers of the Buddha and his teachings, there is a need for great emphasis on the practice of meditation. One must see the straight forward logic that mind is the cause of confusion and that by transcending confusion one attains the enlightened state. This can only take place through the practice of meditation. The Buddha himself experienced this, by working on his own mind, and what he learned has been handed down to us. The four foundations of mindfulness are regarded as fundamental and lays a strong foundation for practice.

Register Online

Instructor: Lama Matthew Palden Gocha, Nora Swami Kuvirananda and Luis Dakpa Gelek
Dates: Four sessions beginning Wednesday September 20, 2023
Times: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: The Four Foundations of Mindfulness in Plain English – Get it on Amazon

These classes are available to EVERYONE. We have “Suggested Fees,” however pay whatever you can afford for the class. Everyone is welcome! It is our hope that some will pay more to cover those who can’t afford the usual fee. We simply want everyone to have access to these wonderful classes.
Use coupon R1M3CL@55 if you are unable to afford to class fee.

RESCHEDULED: The Four Immeasurables

This class is a combination of study and application of lovingkindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. The four immeasurables are a traditional set of practices that open the heart, counter the distortions in our relationships to ourselves, and deepen our relationships to others.

This class will be in-person with an online option.

Register & Pay

 

 

Facilitator: Lama Matthew Palden Gocha
Date: 4 sessions beginning on November 1, 2023
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: The Four Immeasurables: Practices to Open the Heart – Get it on Amazon or at the Rime Center gift shop.

These classes are available to EVERYONE. We have “Suggested Fees,” however pay whatever you can afford for the class. Everyone is welcome! It is our hope that some will pay more to cover those who can’t afford the usual fee. We simply want everyone to have access to these wonderful classes.
Use coupon R1M3CL@55 if you are unable to afford to class fee.

RESCHEDULED: Introduction to the Path of the Mahayana

The Mahayana is a major school of Buddhism that emphasizes the bodhisattva path of compassion and wisdom. If you are interested in learning more about the Mahayana path, we will be studying “Letter to a Friend” by Nāgārjuna. Nāgārjuna’s advice provides a succinct and comprehensive introduction to the entire path and practice of Mahayana Buddhism. It guides both laypeople and ordained individuals on the path to liberation and enlightenment. The instructions are particularly relevant to those who want to engage in spiritual activity while continuing to live and work in society. Nāgārjuna’s advice is meant to convey the whole meaning of the Dharma to the average person in a language and style that is simple to understand.

This class will be in-person with an online option.

Register Online

Facilitator: Lama Matthew Palden Gocha & Daniel Scharpenburg
Date: 6 sessions beginning on November 22, 2023
Time: 7:45 – 9:00 pm
Class Fee: $30
Text: Nāgārjuna’s Letter to a Friend – Get it on Amazon or at the Rime Center gift shop.

These classes are available to EVERYONE. We have “Suggested Fees,” however pay whatever you can afford for the class. Everyone is welcome! It is our hope that some will pay more to cover those who can’t afford the usual fee. We simply want everyone to have access to these wonderful classes.
Use coupon R1M3CL@55 if you are unable to afford to class fee.

Rime Membership Class

Interested in becoming an official member of the Rime Center? Beginning Wednesday August 30th, join us at 7:45 pm for two one hour sessions covering the following topics:

  1. Introductions, and overview of Tibetan Buddhism;
  2. What does it mean to be Rime;
  3. The organizational structure of the Rime Center and explanation of the center’s outreach programs;
  4. Program Events and service opportunities.

Upon completion of the classes, students are inducted as new members of the Rime Center sangha and are given a mala personally blessed by H.H. Dalai Lama.

This event will be in-person and online.

Go to Rime Membership Class to register for the class.