SUKHASIDDHI TEACHER COUNCIL
The Teacher Council is composed of authorized teachers who have engaged in extensive spiritual practice and study within our lineages. Members may or may not be lamas. The Teacher Council is responsible for delivering the Sukhasiddhi curriculum, ministering to student's needs, providing support and guidance for the Sukhasiddhi mandala of practitioners and attending to the overall spiritual direction of Sukhasiddhi Foundation. The Resident Lama presides over the Teacher Council and ultimately has the spiritual responsibility and authority for Sukhasiddhi Foundation.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Sukhasiddhi board is the body legally and financially responsible for Sukhasiddhi Foundation. The Board’s role is to ensure that the Mission Statement and Vision of the organization is fulfilled. It is composed of three Officers of the organization: Chairman of the Board, Treasurer, and Secretary; the President of the organization; four operational Directors who are sangha members: Finance Director, Administrative Director, Program Director, and Membership Director; one representative from the Teacher's Council; optional additional sangha members; and optional outside directors.

The terms of the board are three years; directors may be re-elected and serve consecutive terms, or make the decision to step down. Directors are either senior students of the sangha or sangha members who are contributing a large amount of service. Outside Board Members are colleagues and dharma friends from outside the sangha, who are not students of Sukhasiddhi teachers. All Sukhasiddhi members may attend board meetings with advance notice to the chairman, and when the particular meeting is not closed. See current Board of Directors.

ADMIN COUNCIL
The Admin Council administrates the daily operation of Sukhasiddhi. It is composed of four Directors: Admin, Finance, Program, and Membership, as well as other committed volunteers.

COMMUNITY SADHANA PRACTICE
Community meditation sadhana practices are offered regularly at the center. These Vajrayana practices are led by teachers, intern teachers or community dharma leaders in training and are open to everyone. There are no fees. Donations are gratefully accepted. See Calendar.

CLASSES, DAYLONGS, RETREATS
Classes, daylongs, and retreats are offered at Sukhasiddhi. Lama Palden teaches an advanced Wednesday morning class. Lama Dondrup teaches an evening class that is appropriate for beginners as well as more advanced students. These classes focus on particular subject matter. Other classes and study groups are offered periodically by lineage masters and visiting teachers as well as by intern teachers. Daylongs and retreats are also given periodically throughout the year by Sukhasiddhi teachers, lineage masters, visiting teachers, intern teachers and the Clear Light Institute. See Calendar.

SIX YEAR PROGRAM
The Sukhasiddhi Six Year Program is a rigorous meditation and intellectual training in the Karma Kagyu and Shangpa lineages of Vajrayana and Mahamudra. It requires an average of two hours a day of individual practice, and additional study time— in trainings, classes, retreats and on one’s own. This program is the pith version of a traditional three year three month retreat that is done in daily life and is taught by Lama Palden as well as other members of the Teacher Council and visiting teachers. It necessitates a deep and profound commitment to spiritual practice, to the Kagyu and Shangpa lineages, and in the second section in particular, to Lama Palden as a teacher. It is divided into two sections each three years long. Currently a program is underway. We plan to offer this program again in the future.

TEACHER AND COMMUNITY DHARMA LEADER (CDL) PROGRAM
Currently Lama Palden and Zen teacher Lewis Richmond are training teachers and community dharma leaders in an interlineage program. This program is an extensive four year training program, which includes lectures, discussions, peer small group sharing, peer support, and interning. The general format is that students continue to train spiritually while simultaneously engaging in this specialized training. At the end of the training participants may be authorized as Teachers or as Community Dharma Leaders. Teachers have a fuller level of authorization.

COMMUNITY DHARMA LEADERS and PRACTICE MENTORS
Sukhasiddhi Foundation trains suitable members of its mandala to act as Community Dharma Leaders. These people go through an intensive program spiritually and psychologically in order to fulfill this role for the benefit of our community and the community at large. When authorized or during training, they may lead pujas and meditations. They may teach beginning levels of dharma, lead study groups and the like. They are available (along with Teachers and Teacher Interns) for speaking in schools, at conferences, at benefits, etc. Entry into the training program is by invitation of the Resident Lama. Sukhasiddhi also has Practice Mentor(s). Practice Mentors are authorized by the Resident Lama and give specific teachings, as determined by a Teacher, to individuals or groups. The Practice Mentor also provides spiritual counseling, guidance and support.

CLEAR LIGHT INSTITUTE
Sukhasiddhi Foundation's Clear Light Institute is dedicated to serving the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of those facing death or the eventuality of their own death. As Tibetan Buddhists we know that when we are prepared, the death process is a tremendous opportunity to attain full liberation. We also know that when unprepared, it can be a very disorienting experience. Dying is a process of dissolution from the densest and heaviest to the finest and most subtle levels of our being. First comes the outer dissolution of the four elements (earth, water, fire, air) and then the inner dissolution of states of mind. As the contents of our mind are loosened from the karmic container and grounding of our human body, confusion and bewilderment may overtake us. Our mission is to help individuals be prepared and ready for this process.

Preparing for Death
Our readiness for death is first and foremost served by a continued dedication to practice. The death transition will also be greatly facilitated if it is harmonized with the mandala of people and institutions that will accompany and serve us at that time: family members, friends, lawyers, hospital administrators, doctors, nurses, funerarium, sangha members, teachers, lamas. Establishing clear and effective guidelines on how the body and mind are to be handled and cared for before, during and after death will help create that harmony. It will also greatly serve any practitioner's awakening, and the awakening of other practitioners attending as well as the serenity and happiness of all the non-practitioners involved.

To this end, Sukhasiddhi offers a variety of services to support the death transition.