At the earnest request of Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling Center, His Eminence Kyabje Zong Rinpoche has graciously accepted to bestow a series of teachings and empowerments in September 2026.
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Schedule of Events:
Commentary on select passages from the Sutras
Friday, September 18 through Saturday, September, 26, 2026
Rinpoche will provide commentaries on selected passages from the sutras which have specifically been curated for their practical application and essential value in daily spiritual practice. The Sutras or the Kangyur are the collection of all the Buddha's teachings that have been transcribed from Sanskrit to Tibetan. They consist of the common teachings found in all vehicles of Buddhist practice.
**Please note that due to the vast range of the sutras and limited English translations of specific passages from them, no English texts will be provided at GSTDL.
Two teaching sessions will be conducted daily starting Friday, September 18 and ending Saturday, September 26.
First Session: 2:00pm - 4:00pm (PT/Los Angeles Time)
Second Session: 6:00pm - 8:00pm (PT/Los Angeles Time)
Avalokiteshvara Empowerment
Sunday, September 27, 2026, 10:00am (PT/Los Angeles)
Rinpoche will bestow the Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) Empowerment, the Buddha of Infinite Compassion.
Avalokiteshvara Initiation (Wang)
Avalokiteshvara is the embodiment of all Buddhas' compassion. Two well-known forms of Avalokiteshvara are Four-Armed Avalokiteshvara and Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. Avalokiteshvara is cultivated for the development of "Great compassion," an essential condition leading to the state of enlightenment. The practice of Avalokiteshvara promotes world peace and gives rise to loving kindness and compassion in the minds of all sentient beings. Participating in this empowerment does not involve tantric commitments.
A "Wang" is an extensive tantric empowerment that gives one permission to practice complete visualizations and recitations of a specific deity in their entirety. A "Je-Nang" is a concise empowerment that gives one permission to engage in general recitations of a specific deity and acts more as an auspicious receiving of that deity's blessings of body, speech, and mind.
Teachings will be available In-Person and via Zoom. No registration required to attend teaching or empowerment. Zoom information will become available one month prior (August) to the first teaching.
You will be led to the main resource page on our website. Look for the third tab called "Special Events." Click on either English or Tibetan Phonetics under the section called "Prayer Booklet for H.E. Zong Rinpoche's Teachings (August 2024)."
Actual copies will be available at the center. If you have some booklets from last year, we encourage you to bring them with you.
Seating Capacity for All Sessions
Due to the limited capacity in our gompa, chair seating will be reserved for special needs students. We will try our best to accommodate seating for as many students as possible, but the remaining cushions and chairs will be on a first come, first serve basis. A mix of chairs and cushions will be placed in different sections of the center including the bookstore, Vietnamese translation room, and the living room (overflow seating room). If you are a special needs student that needs a chair, please contact us so that we can accommodate.
Parking/Public Transportation/Carpool/Ride Share
GSTDL is located in a residential area with limited street parking. There is no parking lot available at the center. We encourage students to use alternative methods of transportation such as the bus (https://ridelbt.com/), carpool, or use ride share services to our center. This will help minimize traffic and parking congestion in the residential areas.
If you do bring a vehicle and park on the streets, please make sure you read the signs carefully to avoid parking tickets.
Housing Recommendations
For those new to our center, GSTDL does not arrange or coordinate housing arrangements. We recommend using Airbnb and Vrbo for short term stays. Enter "Gaden Shartse Thubten Dhargye Ling" for location. This will generate surrounding housing, although not necessarily close (or walking distance) to our center. Other methods of transportation may be needed.
CONTACT US: For all inquiries, please email us at events@gstdl.org(please note updated email address).
