In Darjeeling Bhante encountered “a figure seated cross-legged on an enormous lotus throne, clad in richly decorated princely robes of a deep red color … most remarkable and impressive was his face, half Indian, half Tibetan … his brows knotted … his expression extremely intelligent and penetrating, powerful and commanding. It was Padmasambhava, the great Tantric Guru of India and Tibet.”

On 20 September, the Padmasambhava festival day, we will evoke this Bodhisattva figure through ritual and visualization; follow his teachings, looking into our own minds “to see if it is like” he describes “or not”; add to the decoration of the shrine with flags of varied symbols and colors; and finish with a celebratory puja.

Padmasambhava’s invitation is to join us, stepping outside familiar assumptions to look directly at the actual nature of our experience.

Please bring vegan/vegetarian lunch to share - 1pm til 2pm.