Guru Puja & Tsok (epic version)
(HYBRID) Containing the whole path to enlightenment, this puja is the foundation of all spiritual progress, and is a profound and joyous event! Nurture the powerful potential for spiritual growth with a ceremony rich in symbolism. Reliance on our spiritual teacher is the foundation of all spiritual progress, and this ceremony helps us create mountains of merit and purify broken samaya.
Tsok is more than just its literal meaning of “gathering.” It’s a sacred space created in the mind where practitioners unite with profound spiritual energies, inviting the dakas and dakinis. When we create this special space through offerings and coming together—whether physically or virtually—it opens the door for spiritual insights to naturally arise.
The physical offerings we make are symbols that guide our minds toward deeper, internal offerings. In Vajrayana Buddhism, tsok is a specific feast offering practice done on the 10th (day of the herukas) and 25th (day of the dakinis) of each lunar month. Practitioners perform these offerings in connection with their personal sadhana.
To complete the path to enlightenment we need to maintain a strong and pure relationship with the guru. We do this by relating to the different aspects of the guru, and to ultimately bring forth the inner guru, the purity of our own mind.
When we do this practice we should think of the meaning of the words and meditate, not just recite the words blah, blah, blah, like an express train. Doing this definitely leaves an extraordinary imprint of the complete pure path to enlightenment.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
This puja contains the whole path to enlightenment, and creates a powerful potential for spiritual growth. Lengthy yet profound – this puja is a joyous spiritual celebration! It’s a rare opportunity to spend the time on the beauty and profundity of each prayer, allowing the meaning to touch the heart and transform the mind!
The prayers include calling the lama from afar, lineage prayers, re-taking one’s vows, and Tsok offering. In the puja we pay homage to the lineage lamas and their vast qualities, using the traditional Tibetan tunes that are said to come from the dakinis and bless one’s mindstream. They carry a power and beauty in themselves, moving both the heart and the mind.
“Pabongka also says ‘One hundred waters are contained in Guru Puja.’ Just as all the many streams from the snow mountains and other places go into the ocean, all the important practices of sutra and tantra are condensed here. If you do this practice every day, you don’t miss anything.”
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
Event Details
Donate to the Puja
Donations made on holy days on the Buddhist calendar are especially powerful. Your contribution here will go towards altar offerings and holy objects.
*If you can’t make it to puja but still want to be involved, please email us in your dedication so we can read it at the puja.
What You Will Need
Download the Texts:
If you are joining us online, please download these texts to follow along.
We are still using the 2016 Retreat Prayer Book
What to bring:
– Offerings for the altar (preferably commercially packaged). They will be offered to the needy at a later date
– Your ritual implements if you have them. We also have some in the gompa to use
Join Event on Zoom
This is a hybrid event, held both in-person in the gompa and online on Zoom. Zoom meeting starts 10 minutes before event start time.
