What we’re about
We also call ourselves "Little Sangha".
What and who are Little Sangha?
We are a group of practitioners lead by a Lama that get together to practice a form of Buddhism know as Vajrayana. It may be more familiar to you as Tibetan Buddhism.
What is a Lama?
A Lama is a person who is authorized to teach and in some cases to minister, who leads, practices with the group, offers retreats, and works with individuals in their spiritual and meditation practice.
More about Little Sangha
You’ll find we follow a Rimé model that is inclusive of all teachings and schools of Tibetan Buddhism and honors all wisdom teachers that come from traditions that recognize the non-dual nature of reality.
We have direct connections to Namgyal Rinpoche, the founder of the Dharma Centre of Canada and other centers around the world and to Lama Lena a Dzogchen Meditation Master, who is a Tibetan translator who travels and teaches around the world. Each of these Lamas are connected to vast lineages and practices.
What do we do?
We meet in-person and/or on-line once a week to practice together. And every now and then we meet for a ½ day retreat. You are invited to join in on certain nights or weekend mornings to get an introduction to the types of practices we do.
Introduction sessions
In our introduction nights or introduction retreats, we will take a little more time than in our regular sessions to familiarize you with what practice will include. Usually, it is a group practice focused on connecting with the representation of ultimate compassion, the Community Practice of Chenrezig. It may however be an associated practice like Green Tara, the archetype of Compassionate Activity and Healing. This will depend on if Lama Tashi is joining us online or not. You can participate online or attend in person at the Kelowna Yoga House. You are welcome to email [email protected] if you have any additional questions about the practice or your experiences.
What does that look like?
Well, if you haven’t seen it or practiced before, it may look unfamiliar, even confusing.
As we practice Buddhadharma, we set up a small altar with a statue of the Buddha and the offerings. We sit comfortably to support a proper meditation posture. We have cushions, chairs and various supports to help out.
In the community practice, we follow a text containing a method which takes us through various stages of visualizations and meditation. We also use sound, in the form of repeating different phrases or mantras, as we approach a silent meditation to rest in the true nature of our minds.
We do this by sitting, following the lead of the lama as she takes us through the text, repeating some lines of the text together, visualizing, repeating mantras, and resting in mind. Simple, right?
Come and find out, see if it’s for you.
It’s a process and it takes time to go through. As part of the practice, the visualizations and the mantras may take close to an hour and we may mediate for 1/2 an hour or more. We conclude in a traditional manner with the closing offerings and sharing of the merits or benefits of our practice.
What’s it going to be like?
Evening sessions we have an hour and a half and get going right away. We are joyful, but together to practice, so we don’t chit-chat too much…😀 If we are practicing on a weekend, we may have a little more time to chat if lunch is not in silence.
We greet each other, set up and settle into the practice. It’s comfortable and light, as we usually just practice, and the lama will give teachings that support the practice when appropriate.
We finish by offering dana/donation for the lama and the space, we tidy up and see each other next time….
Our invitation to join us
If you have a mala/prayer beads, bring them with you. If not, no worries, we have one to lend. The important part is to find a place within yourself that feels good sitting and practicing with others. We invite you to see if Little Sangha is a good place for you.
For information on dates and a zoom link for Introduction Sessions please email [email protected] (Note: Little Sangha and Experienced practitioner sessions will have a different link than Introduction Sessions.)
https://www.facebook.com/CultivatingaHeartofCompassionandWisdom
