Project LOTUS

When the Chocolate Runs Out
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
“I could tell you about attachment for one whole year, but you’ll never begin to really understand it until you start to look deeply inside.” Lama Yeshe
Getting what we want, like delicious chocolate, a great job or a new partner, is our main method for achieving happiness, and we certainly work hard at it! But what if we lose it? Or what if we can’t find it? What then?
Behind the world of attachment lies the origin of all our problems , according to Buddha’s teachings. We therefore need to understand exactly what it is or as Lama Zopa Rinpoche puts it, it will seem that we have to give up happiness when we heard that we have to give up attachment.
Venerable Robina Courtin will teach from Lama Yeshe’s book When the Chocolate Runs out, to explain tous what attachment is, how it promise us happiness and only delivers suffering in the long run and the real happiness we can access when we give it up.

Making Friends with Death
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
“Death itself is not what causes fear. It is simply the consciousness leaving the body; one labels death on that event. There is no terrifying death from its own side; the terrifying death is made up by our mind. We have made death terrifying. What causes the worry and fear, what makes death so difficult is attachment, desire, clinging: to this life, to the body, possessions, family, friends and so forth.” — Lama Zopa Rinpoche, How to Face Death Without Fear
Imagine meeting death head on, armed with knowledge and confidence. In this weekend course, we will learn to engage the mind with teachings and practices that prepare us for this natural event, so that we can accept it and face it without fear; and help our loved ones do the same.
Buddhism explains that thinking about death is not morbid, but useful, logical, and necessary because to die well, peacefully and without fear, we need to live well by leading lives based on ethics, compassion, kindness, honesty, and altruism.
In this course, we will look at what death is; what happens when one is dying, what one should do beforehand to prepare, as well as during the death process itself, and what happens after death.

How to Develop Bodhichitta
2026-02-13 04:22 (America/Denver), 2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
This course invites you to explore the rich meditation traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, particularly focusing on practices that develop compassion and loving kindness. Unlike some meditation approaches that might feel abstract or difficult to grasp, Tibetan Buddhism offers remarkably clear, step-by-step instructions that have been refined over centuries.The heart of these practices centers around cultivating “bodhichitta” – an awakened heart-mind that genuinely wishes for the happiness and freedom from suffering of all beings.
These aren’t just philosophical concepts to contemplate intellectually. The course provides practical techniques that help transform your everyday mindset. You’ll learn specific meditation methods that gradually shift your natural self-concern toward a more expansive awareness of others’ well-being.
What makes these practices special is that they tap into qualities we already possess. We all have moments of natural kindness and empathy – this approach simply helps nurture and develop those innate capacities until they become more stable and accessible in our daily lives.
These practices are considered the very heart of Buddha’s teaching because they point toward enlightenment itself – but not as a self-centered spiritual achievement. Rather, enlightenment is pursued specifically for the benefit it brings to all beings. The path becomes about developing our fullest potential precisely so we can be of greatest service to others.

Freedom Through Understanding: The Buddhist Path to Happiness and Liberation
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
Buddha says that the main source of our suffering is the delusions in our mind, such as attachment, anger, and the rest. They cause suffering because they’re distressing, but they also have the function of misrepresenting the world to us — in other words, we’re not in touch with reality.
We will look at the Buddhist approach to how things exist, first conventionally — the view of karma, how the mind exists, how to develop compassion; and then ultimately — the view of dependent arising and emptiness.
Getting in touch with reality is the method for achieving our own happiness and our ability to be of benefit to others.

A Bird Needs Two Wings: Wisdom and Compassion
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
It is said that just as a bird needs two wings, we need both wisdom and compassion. The inner wing of our practice is wisdom, and the outer wing is compassion. That’s the action wing, the political wing, the social-work wing. When you work on your own mind, you are developing the meditative wing, wisdom. The more you do so, the more you will decrease your delusions, increase your positive qualities, and increase your own sense of happiness. Therefore, you will increase your sense of connectedness, and inevitably, you’ve got no choice but to put yourself out there to benefit others. A bird needs two wings. It’s not enough just for us to have internal practice. It’s got to be externalized. It’s an inevitable product of our practice if we’re doing the job properly.
In this course we will come to understand the methods to develop both our inner wisdom and compassion in order to be of benefit to others and ourselves.

Cutting Through Delusion: A Guide to the Solitary Hero Yamantaka Sadhana (Empowerment Required)
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
In this course Geshe Thubten Sherab will provide a commentary on the Highest Yoga Tantra Sadhana practice of Yamantaka. Prior empowerment of Yamantaka is required in order to attend. By attending you certify that you have previously received such an empowerment.
Geshe-la will give a step-by-step explanation of the complex structure, visualizations, and details of the sadhana in order to help students understand the purpose, significance and meaning behind this tantra practice.
Participants will learn how to strengthen their connection with their tantric commitments, ensuring that their practice is both correct and sustainable.
By the end of the course, students will have a deeper appreciation of the transformative potential of Yamantaka and be equipped with the tools to engage in the practice with confidence, clarity, and devotion.

Yamantaka Practice
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
Every Sunday – On Going – Check Calendar for Exceptions Due to Conflicts
During this hour we will chant the concise Yamantaka sadhana (litany) together. Kay and David Komito will lead the practice and at the conclusion offer guidance on the visualizations, symbolism and mudras in the sadhana. This meeting is available on Zoom and in-person but is only open in both venues to those who have received the Yamantaka empowerment. Bring your sadhana and, if you have them, vajra and bell. We have scheduled this meeting 90 minutes after Geshe Sherab’s class to ensure time for lunch. Bring a bag lunch if you would like to socialize in the cafe.

Tara Puja
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC

Eight Mahayana Precepts
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC

How to Apply the Wisdom of Emptiness in Everyday Life
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC

Be Your Own Therapist
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
These open-ended 60-minute discussions are an easy-going introduction to the Buddhist approach to the mind. Participants learn how to pay attention to, identify and then unpack the thoughts that inform our emotions in day-to-day life and learn how to reconfigure them, rather than focusing on the event or person that triggered them. This is the key to success in Buddhist practice. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche says, “We can mold our mind into any shape we like.”

Evening Express Meditation
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
End the day with a purification practice, the Four Opponent Powers.

Introduction to Mindfulness
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
This course is designed to introduce you to the definition, practices and techniques of mindfulness. Learn to quiet the mental chatter and physical tension that often cloud your day, replacing stress and scattered thoughts with clarity and calm. Through simple yet powerful techniques, you’ll develop the ability to recognize and reshape your thinking patterns, while cultivating inner qualities that enhance your well-being. Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed by life’s demands or simply curious about mindfulness, this course offers practical tools you can weave into your daily routine – no prior experience needed. Join us to begin your journey toward a more centered, aware, and peaceful way of living.

Morning Express Meditation
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
Start the day at 7am Mountain Time with guided meditations every weekday

Sunday Morning Class
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
Description TBD

Guru Puja
2026-02-13 04:22 UTC
