UPCOMING EVENTS
Discover your path whether you’re interested in learning to meditate or exploring the most advanced Tibetan Buddhist studies and practices.
Weekly Meditations
Opening The Gate:
Monday Meditation
Every Monday | 7 - 8:15 PM Pacific
Online Only
First Monday of the month: Guided meditation and short dharma talk
Other Mondays: Silent Meditation and short dharma talk
In Person & Online
Last Monday of the month:
Short Green Tara practice
(Tibetan visualization practice) and short dharma talk
Women’s Group
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
The Six Perfections
Awake in the World | Course One
The Six Perfections
Sundays | June 7, 14, 21
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
A disciple asks the Buddha, "How many bases for training are there for those seeking enlightenment?" The Buddha replied, "There are Six: Generosity, Ethical Discipline, Patience, Enthusiastic Effort, Concentrative Meditation, and Wisdom."
- from the Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom (Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita)
Of all the practices you can do as a Buddhist practitioner, the practice of the Six Perfections (paramitas) is one that will supercharge your Awakening.
These Six Perfections describe the true nature of an enlightened being, which is to say they are our own true nature. If they don't seem to be our true nature, it is because the perfections are obscured by our delusion, anger, greed, and fear.
The first three paramitas are said to be tools of relation - how we relate to others.
Generosity includes setting good and honest boundaries around our giving to others and ourselves.
To do that employs Ethical Discipline, said to be the fuel that keeps us on the Bodhisattva path.
And Patience–this is the big one that gives us the scope of practice that includes all past and future lifetimes!
The next three: Joyful Diligence, Meditative Concentration and Wisdom are more about refining ourselves to truly walk the Bodhisattva's Path. We could say we've amended the soil of us, planted our basic crop and have begun to reap some harvest.
Tending to the roots gives us Joyful Diligence, the boundless energy of a child at play. (Or Tigger, bouncing on his tail in celebration of being alive.)
That energy provides the octane necessary to develop the focus of Meditative Concentration
Which in turn, becomes the basis for insight, and with the awakening of Bodhicitta, becomes a true spiritual practice, steeped in the Wisdom.
None of this is easy, or we wouldn't be here. Together we will refine our path, weaving our confusion, skill, practice, apprehension, doubt, confidence etc, into the complex tapestry of our lives.
Fees:
$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Member
The deadline to register is Friday, June 5 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program.
If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.
MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
Chagdrukpa Teaching
Chagdrukpa Teaching
Given by Lama Palden Drolma
Saturday, June 20 at 3 PM
Wisdom River Meditation Center and Zoom for those unable to come to the center
Lama Palden Drolma will be leading 2 Chagdrukpa events: the first is an empowerment ceremony for Chagdrukpa in May that will be followed by a Teaching on a practice in June. You can sign up to attend just the empowerment, just the teaching, or both.
Chagdrukpa, Six-Arm Mahakala, is the primary protector of the Shangpa Lineage. He is also important for HH the Dalai Lama, who received the full transmissions from the previous Kalu Rinpoche.
Chagdrukpa is the fierce form of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He removes obstacles, both inner and outer, on the path to awakening, and protects practitioners, again on both an inner and outer level. He is dearly loved by those who come to know him as he is like a best friend. Connecting with this enlightened protector also brings many blessings, both spiritually and in our daily lives.
A Teaching (tri) on his short Torma Offering sadhana along with the text and the reading transmission (lung) will be given by Lama Palden Drolma on June 20 at 3 pm.
Prerequisites: You need to have taken Refuge Vows and Bodhisattva Vows as well as having done some Chenrezig practice.
Fee/donation:
Empowerment only:
$25 (Members) | $40 (General fee)
Teaching only:
$40 (Members) | $60 (General fee)
Both Empowerment and Teaching:
$55 (Members) | $80 (General fee)
*You are considered a member if you make a monthly recurring donation -- learn more about Sukhasiddhi Membership
The deadline to register: Sat, May 30, 2026 at 5 PM Pacific
Sound Healing
Summer Solstice Meditation and Sound Healing with Barbara Juniper & Lama Palden
Saturday, June 20 | 7 - 9 PM Pacific @ Wisdom River Meditation Center
As the summer solstice nears, we are enjoying the flowering of spring and the warm breezes that carry birdsongs. In the midst of the beauty that surrounds us, we are also feeling the suffering of our world; the war, the hatred, the polarization, the cry of our Mother Earth. How do we hold the duality, the poigniancy of all that life reflects? At the time of the summer solstice, in the northern hemisphere, we turn to the blazing light of the sun; the shining light of wisdom, compassion and love. We invite that light to shine brightly in our own being, giving us strength, perserverance and hope.
Please join us for an evening of meditation and sound healing as we renew our intention to cultivate bodhicitta and welcome the sun of wisdom into our own hearts. Lama Palden will begin the evening guiding us in meditation. Then we will settle on our mats as Barbara Juniper carries us into a deep and restorative sound healing journey.
Please bring a mat, a pillow and warm blankets ( eye pillow, if desired) for your comfort during the sound healing.
We will have a few zabutan cushions set out that will be first come first serve.
Space will be limited to 30 participants.
Fee: $50
NOTE: NO SCENT POLICY: Sukhasiddhi Foundation maintains a fragrance-free environment. Please do not use any scented lotions, colognes, aftershave, shampoo, etc. while attending Sukhasiddhi events. Thank you for your consideration.
About Barbara Juniper
Barbara is an exceptional healer whose life has been dedicated to the study and practice of vibrational medicine and it's transformational potential. Having worked with hundreds of people over a span of three decades, her intuitive abilities and compassion shine as she connects with groups or individuals. As a sound healer she uses her voice, her instruments, and her musical gifts to create a field of resonance that not only nourishes and recalibrates the nervous system but also supports growth and personal transformation.
Barbara is a graduate of the "Sound, Voice and Music in the Healing Arts" program at California Institute of Integral Studies (2008) as well as a graduate of the Institute of Classical Homeopathy (1996). She is also a Community Dharma Leader through the Sukhasiddhi Foundation in Marin and teaches meditation in both San Francisco and Marin.
The Six Perfections
Awake in the World | Course One
The Six Perfections
Sundays | June 7, 14, 21
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
A disciple asks the Buddha, "How many bases for training are there for those seeking enlightenment?" The Buddha replied, "There are Six: Generosity, Ethical Discipline, Patience, Enthusiastic Effort, Concentrative Meditation, and Wisdom."
- from the Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom (Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita)
Of all the practices you can do as a Buddhist practitioner, the practice of the Six Perfections (paramitas) is one that will supercharge your Awakening.
These Six Perfections describe the true nature of an enlightened being, which is to say they are our own true nature. If they don't seem to be our true nature, it is because the perfections are obscured by our delusion, anger, greed, and fear.
The first three paramitas are said to be tools of relation - how we relate to others.
Generosity includes setting good and honest boundaries around our giving to others and ourselves.
To do that employs Ethical Discipline, said to be the fuel that keeps us on the Bodhisattva path.
And Patience–this is the big one that gives us the scope of practice that includes all past and future lifetimes!
The next three: Joyful Diligence, Meditative Concentration and Wisdom are more about refining ourselves to truly walk the Bodhisattva's Path. We could say we've amended the soil of us, planted our basic crop and have begun to reap some harvest.
Tending to the roots gives us Joyful Diligence, the boundless energy of a child at play. (Or Tigger, bouncing on his tail in celebration of being alive.)
That energy provides the octane necessary to develop the focus of Meditative Concentration
Which in turn, becomes the basis for insight, and with the awakening of Bodhicitta, becomes a true spiritual practice, steeped in the Wisdom.
None of this is easy, or we wouldn't be here. Together we will refine our path, weaving our confusion, skill, practice, apprehension, doubt, confidence etc, into the complex tapestry of our lives.
Fees:
$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Member
The deadline to register is Friday, June 5 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program.
If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
Annual Summer Retreat
Healing the World Within and Around Us:
Medicine Buddha and Sur Chöd Retreat
Led by Lama Palden Drolma & Lama Döndrup Drolma
This weeklong retreat offers an immersive opportunity to engage deeply with the practice of Medicine Buddha, both as a path of personal healing and as a way of cultivating a responsive, compassionate presence with our loved ones and in the world.
Participants will receive the Medicine Buddha empowerment (wang), along with the reading transmission (lung) and teachings (tri) that support a grounded and meaningful connection to the practice. These transmissions provide not only access to the formal practice, but also a living sense of connection to the lineage from which it emerges.
A significant portion of the retreat will be dedicated to direct engagement with the practice itself. Through repeated sessions of meditation, mantra recitation, and visualization, participants will have the opportunity to become increasingly familiar with the felt sense of the practice, allowing it to move from something we do into something we begin to embody.
The retreat will also include teachings on the practice of Sür Chöd, an evening ritual of offering that expresses generosity in its most expansive form. This practice supports the release of grasping and invites a widening of perspective, as we relate not only to our own experience of difficulty, but also to unseen dimensions of suffering and need, particularly those navigating the bardo between this life and the next. Participants will both learn about and actively engage in this ritual during the retreat.
Throughout the week, teachings will be offered to support:
A clear understanding of the view and intention behind the practices
A sense of confidence and familiarity in engaging them
The integration of these practices into daily life
Participants will also engage daily in Lujong (Tibetan yogic movement) and either Chenrezig or Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen practice.
This retreat is suitable for both those who are newer to Vajrayāna and those with prior experience who wish to deepen their connection to Medicine Buddha practice. The emphasis will be on making the practices accessible, experiential, and workable, while also honoring their depth and integrity.
Prerequisites: Have taken Refuge Vows.
In a time when many feel the impact of uncertainty, illness, and collective strain, this retreat offers a space to reconnect with a source of healing that is not separate from our own awareness, one that can be accessed, cultivated, and shared.
Retreat details, schedule, and registration can be found at Sukhasiddhi.org/annualretreat2026.
Opening the Gate: Monday Meditation - Green Tara
Monday Evening Online Meditation: Give yourself the gift of the present moment, connection with community, and the support of ageless love and wisdom.
Chapters 4-6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara - Week 1
Awake in the World | Course Two
Steady on the Path:
The Middle of the Journey; Chapters 4-6
of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara
Sundays | July 5, 12, 19
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
May the precious bodhicitta (chap.1-3)
(How to generate bodhicitta)
Arise where it has not arisen (chap.4-6)
(How to prevent bodhicitta from decreasing)
and where it has arisen, never subside (chap 7-9)
how to make bodhicitta increase
But increase more and more (chap. 10)
dedicationWelcome everyone to this meaningful opportunity to deepen our studies of Shantideva’s road map to Awakening, The Bodhicaryavatara as we explore chapters 4, 5 and 6.
These chapters are the gravitas of the text, where Shantideva gives us the timeless tools that can allow light to shine through even the most challenging of times. They offer us a new way of relating to the Paramitas of Generosity, (chap 4), Discipline, (chap 5) and Patience aka Forbearance. (chap. 6)
We will spend the first session talking about chapters 4 and 5, and the second and third session on Chapter Six, the “Biggie” of this text. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated that this chapter contains all the teachings of Buddhism! Shantideva presents the practice of this paramita of patience in a way that extends it through lifetimes. We learn many more manifestations of patience through viewing some of the most challenging situation’s life produces. Shantideva addresses anger, hatred, suffering, and how to cultivate virtue when those qualities arise. We will explore how to reframe negativity into a positive light and be gracious, even happy, that challenges have arisen, as they give us a chance to skillfully apply the transformational tools the dharma provides, regardless of the outer causes and conditions. In doing so, negativity can come to fruition into an awakened heart, embracing, even deepening our experience of interconnection and healing.
We will hold lightly through our studies what is known as “The Six Excellent Features” which ensures that the quality of our everyday actions will be transformed. Such a promise! Each session will include lecture, group time, and suggested homework study and practice materials.
Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
The deadline to register is Friday, July 3 at 12 PM (Pacific).
MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
Women’s Group
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
Chapters 4-6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara - Week 2
Awake in the World | Course Two
Steady on the Path:
The Middle of the Journey; Chapters 4-6
of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara
Sundays | July 5, 12, 19
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
May the precious bodhicitta (chap.1-3)
(How to generate bodhicitta)
Arise where it has not arisen (chap.4-6)
(How to prevent bodhicitta from decreasing)
and where it has arisen, never subside (chap 7-9)
how to make bodhicitta increase
But increase more and more (chap. 10)
dedicationWelcome everyone to this meaningful opportunity to deepen our studies of Shantideva’s road map to Awakening, The Bodhicaryavatara as we explore chapters 4, 5 and 6.
These chapters are the gravitas of the text, where Shantideva gives us the timeless tools that can allow light to shine through even the most challenging of times. They offer us a new way of relating to the Paramitas of Generosity, (chap 4), Discipline, (chap 5) and Patience aka Forbearance. (chap. 6)
We will spend the first session talking about chapters 4 and 5, and the second and third session on Chapter Six, the “Biggie” of this text. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated that this chapter contains all the teachings of Buddhism! Shantideva presents the practice of this paramita of patience in a way that extends it through lifetimes. We learn many more manifestations of patience through viewing some of the most challenging situation’s life produces. Shantideva addresses anger, hatred, suffering, and how to cultivate virtue when those qualities arise. We will explore how to reframe negativity into a positive light and be gracious, even happy, that challenges have arisen, as they give us a chance to skillfully apply the transformational tools the dharma provides, regardless of the outer causes and conditions. In doing so, negativity can come to fruition into an awakened heart, embracing, even deepening our experience of interconnection and healing.
We will hold lightly through our studies what is known as “The Six Excellent Features” which ensures that the quality of our everyday actions will be transformed. Such a promise! Each session will include lecture, group time, and suggested homework study and practice materials.
Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
The deadline to register is Friday, July 3 at 12 PM (Pacific).
MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
Chapters 4-6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara - Week 3
Awake in the World | Course Two
Steady on the Path:
The Middle of the Journey; Chapters 4-6
of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara
Sundays | July 5, 12, 19
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
May the precious bodhicitta (chap.1-3)
(How to generate bodhicitta)
Arise where it has not arisen (chap.4-6)
(How to prevent bodhicitta from decreasing)
and where it has arisen, never subside (chap 7-9)
how to make bodhicitta increase
But increase more and more (chap. 10)
dedicationWelcome everyone to this meaningful opportunity to deepen our studies of Shantideva’s road map to Awakening, The Bodhicaryavatara as we explore chapters 4, 5 and 6.
These chapters are the gravitas of the text, where Shantideva gives us the timeless tools that can allow light to shine through even the most challenging of times. They offer us a new way of relating to the Paramitas of Generosity, (chap 4), Discipline, (chap 5) and Patience aka Forbearance. (chap. 6)
We will spend the first session talking about chapters 4 and 5, and the second and third session on Chapter Six, the “Biggie” of this text. His Holiness the Dalai Lama has stated that this chapter contains all the teachings of Buddhism! Shantideva presents the practice of this paramita of patience in a way that extends it through lifetimes. We learn many more manifestations of patience through viewing some of the most challenging situation’s life produces. Shantideva addresses anger, hatred, suffering, and how to cultivate virtue when those qualities arise. We will explore how to reframe negativity into a positive light and be gracious, even happy, that challenges have arisen, as they give us a chance to skillfully apply the transformational tools the dharma provides, regardless of the outer causes and conditions. In doing so, negativity can come to fruition into an awakened heart, embracing, even deepening our experience of interconnection and healing.
We will hold lightly through our studies what is known as “The Six Excellent Features” which ensures that the quality of our everyday actions will be transformed. Such a promise! Each session will include lecture, group time, and suggested homework study and practice materials.
Fees:
$120 (series fee)
$150 (series fee + support)
$90 (Sukhasiddhi Members)
The deadline to register is Friday, July 3 at 12 PM (Pacific).
MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
Green Tara Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
Green Tara Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
[Rescheduled from March]
Saturday, July 25 at 2 PM
In Person Only [virtual will be available to anyone who lives outside of the Bay Area OR is unable to attend in person due to health or other issues]
We are pleased to announce that Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing, from the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, Oregon will be at Sukhasiddhi Foundation’s Wisdom River Meditation Center in late July to bestow three empowerments. An empowerment authorizes us to do a practice and provides a profound transmission and blessing that is a supreme method of purification.
Prerequisites for all of the empowerments:
Participants must have taken formal Refuge Vows ...
and be an active participant in Sukhasiddhi Foundation programs of study, classes, meditations, retreats or events.
Sangha members of Kagyu Takten Phuntsokling (KTP) in Sebastopol are invited as well.
Tara is awakened awareness manifest in a female form whose primary activity is to remove fear, anxiety, and obstacles. She encompasses 21 forms who have many activities. Tara is a beloved figure whose countless devotees have invoked her compassionate presence since late 6th century India. She embodies the lineage of feminine wisdom, which is the essential counterpart to the masculine aspect of skillful means. Of the two wings of wisdom and compassion that carry us to awakening, Tara and the divine feminine are the wing of wisdom of shunyata. She embodies this innate wisdom and unconditional, boundless love as she continuously nurtures and guides all sentient beings.
Fee for Green Tara Empowerment:
$ 35 (Base)
$ 30 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 50 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
Registration Deadline: Friday, July 24 at 12 PM
Fee for All Three Empowerments: Green Tara, Chöd, and Guru Rinpoche
$ 90 (Base)
$ 75 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 125 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
About Lama Tsang Tsing
Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing is a meditation master in the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, and is the Resident Lama of the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, OR, a Center that was established by H.E. Kalu Rinpoche. He is also a spiritual director of Kagyu Takten Putsokling in Sebastopol. Lama Tsang Tsing has received these empowerments from an unbroken lineage of esteemed rinpoches and has maintained the lineage with pure, unbroken samaya.
Chöd Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
Chöd Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
[Rescheduled from March]
Sunday, July 26 at 2 PM
In Person Only [virtual will be available to anyone who lives outside of the Bay Area OR is unable to attend in person due to health or other issues]
We are pleased to announce that Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing, from the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, Oregon will be at Sukhasiddhi Foundation’s Wisdom River Meditation Center in late July to bestow three empowerments. An empowerment authorizes us to do a practice and provides a profound transmission and blessing that is a supreme method of purification.
Prerequisites for all of the empowerments:
Participants must have taken formal Refuge Vows ...
and be an active participant in Sukhasiddhi Foundation programs of study, classes, meditations, retreats or events.
Sangha members of Kagyu Takten Phuntsokling (KTP) in Sebastopol are invited as well.
The Chöd practice comes from the human wisdom dakini Machig Labdrön. She was one of the most powerful and compelling teachers ever from Tibet. Machig taught Chöd as a radical method for cutting through ego-fixation and cultivating compassion and fearlessness. Through chanting, visualization, and music we welcome negative mind states and harmful forces that ordinarily give rise to fear and reactivity. We make offerings which nourish and satisfy them, and in the process, we come to see the equality of all phenomena and our indestructible true nature.
Fee for Chöd Empowerment:
$ 35 (Base)
$ 30 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 50 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
Registration Deadline: Friday, July 24 at 12 PM
Fee for All Three Empowerments: Green Tara, Chöd, and Guru Rinpoche
$ 90 (Base)
$ 75 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 125 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
About Lama Tsang Tsing
Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing is a meditation master in the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, and is the Resident Lama of the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, OR, a Center that was established by H.E. Kalu Rinpoche. He is also a spiritual director of Kagyu Takten Putsokling in Sebastopol. Lama Tsang Tsing has received these empowerments from an unbroken lineage of esteemed rinpoches and has maintained the lineage with pure, unbroken samaya.
Guru Rinpoche Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
Guru Rinpoche Empowerment with Lama Tsang Tsing
[Rescheduled from March]
Monday, July 27 at 2 PM
In Person Only [virtual will be available to anyone who lives outside of the Bay Area OR is unable to attend in person due to health or other issues]
We are pleased to announce that Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing, from the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, Oregon will be at Sukhasiddhi Foundation’s Wisdom River Meditation Center in late July to bestow three empowerments. An empowerment authorizes us to do a practice and provides a profound transmission and blessing that is a supreme method of purification.
Prerequisites for all of the empowerments:
Participants must have taken formal Refuge Vows ...
and be an active participant in Sukhasiddhi Foundation programs of study, classes, meditations, retreats or events.
Sangha members of Kagyu Takten Phuntsokling (KTP) in Sebastopol are invited as well.
Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche in Tibet and Bhutan due to his being the pre-eminent Rinpoche of the Vajrayana tradition, was key in establishing Buddhism in Tibet, Bhutan, and in many other Himalayan regions.
He is famous for his ability to transform negative and destructive energies into positive, constructive forces for the benefit of all beings. Guru Rinpoche also buried many treasures- meditation texts, teachings, statues, and other holy objects for future generations, for tertons, or treasure revealers, to find when the time is right. He was the primary teacher to introduce and train students in Dzogchen. Hundreds of meditation practices have come from him to us, including Tara, Vajrakilaya, Tröma, Bardo, and Medicine Buddha, among others.
Receiving this empowerment in an unbroken, alive lineage passed down from him to us transmits to us his blessing and seeds of full realization. You will receive the Guru Rinpoche mantra.
Fee for Guru Rinpoche Empowerment:
$ 35 (Base)
$ 30 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 50 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
Registration Deadline: Friday, July 24 at 12 PM
Fee for All Three Empowerments: Green Tara, Chöd, and Guru Rinpoche
$ 90 (Base)
$ 75 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$ 125 (Generous)
*In addition to registration fees, plan to offer a dana donation to Lama Tsang Tsing following each empowerment.
About Lama Tsang Tsing
Venerable Lama Tsang Tsing is a meditation master in the Shangpa and Karma Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism, and is the Resident Lama of the Kagyu Dakshang Chuling center in Eugene, OR, a Center that was established by H.E. Kalu Rinpoche. He is also a spiritual director of Kagyu Takten Putsokling in Sebastopol. Lama Tsang Tsing has received these empowerments from an unbroken lineage of esteemed rinpoches and has maintained the lineage with pure, unbroken samaya.
Women’s Group
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
Chöd Retreat
Chöd Retreat
Mahamudra Chöd:
Opening to Fearlessness and Compassion
with Lama Döndrup Drolma
Thursday, August 13 - Sunday, August 16, 2026
In person at Wisdom River Meditation Center
and online via Zoom
This four-day non-residential retreat offers an opportunity to engage deeply with the practice of Chöd as transmitted in the Zurmang tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
Chöd is a profound Vajrayāna practice rooted in the Mahāmudrā tradition that works directly with fear, fixation, attachment, and self-grasping through visualization, chant, melody, meditation, and ritual offering. Emerging from the teachings of Machig Labdrön, the 11th-century female tantric adept, the practice is designed to help loosen the deeply conditioned habit of experiencing ourselves and reality as solid, separate, and existing independently of causes and conditions. Rather than rejecting, avoiding, or becoming overwhelmed by difficult experience, Chöd invites us to turn toward experience with openness, courage, compassion, and wisdom.
In times of uncertainty, conflict, fear, and increasing polarization, these teachings can be a powerful resource. Chöd offers a way of relating to difficulty that neither collapses into fear nor hardens into defensiveness. Instead, the practice supports recognition of a deeper dimension of our being that is not ultimately diminished or destroyed by changing conditions, allowing greater presence, compassion, resilience, and the capacity to remain open-hearted to emerge more naturally. At its heart, Chöd is not only a practice of transformation, but also a Mahāmudrā path of directly recognizing the nature of mind and the empty, luminous, and interconnected nature of experience itself.
Known for its vivid imagery, haunting melodies, and rhythmic musical accompaniment, Chöd engages body, speech, and mind together in an integrated way. These elements are not merely artistic or symbolic additions, but integral supports that allow the practice to become increasingly embodied and deeply transformative.
During this retreat, participants will receive the reading transmission (lung) and practical instruction (tri) for the practice. Teachings will explore both the meaning and structure of the text as well as the accompanying melodies, musical elements, and ritual forms that support the practice. We will also engage in the practice together each day, allowing participants to gradually become more familiar and comfortable with the liturgy, melodies, visualization, and meditative orientation of Chöd.
This retreat is intended both for those new to the practice and for those wishing to deepen an existing connection to Chöd within a supportive practice environment.
Please note that the empowerment (wang) connected with this practice is required and will be offered separately by Lama Tsang Tsing at Sukhasiddhi Foundation on July 26.
9 AM - 5 PM Daily Pacific daily
Requirements:
Have taken formal refuge vows
Have recieved the empowerment
Experience doing Vajrayana practices
Fee Options*:
Retreat fee: $700
Deposist: $300 (paid by Aug.1)
Benefactor: $750
Limited Income: $325
If you have financial restrictions that make it difficult to pay the limited income fee, please send an email to admin@sukhasiddhi.org.
*Please Note: The fees listed above does not included dana for the Lamas.
Registration closes on Tuesday, August 11 at 5 PM Pacific.
PLEASE NOTE: NO SCENT POLICY:
Sukhasiddhi Foundation maintains a fragrance-free environment.
Please do not use any scented lotions, colognes, aftershave, shampoo, etc. while attending Sukhasiddhi events.
Women’s Group
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
Pilgrimage in Bhutan
Join Lama Palden Drolma, a modern Vajrayana master, with a deep and intimate connection to Bhutan on this exceptional opportunity to see the treasures and sacred sites of magical Bhutan.
The Six Perfections
Awake in the World | Course One
The Six Perfections
Sundays | June 7, 14, 21
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online Only
Led by Susan Shannon
A disciple asks the Buddha, "How many bases for training are there for those seeking enlightenment?" The Buddha replied, "There are Six: Generosity, Ethical Discipline, Patience, Enthusiastic Effort, Concentrative Meditation, and Wisdom."
- from the Large Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom (Astasahasrika Prajnaparamita)
Of all the practices you can do as a Buddhist practitioner, the practice of the Six Perfections (paramitas) is one that will supercharge your Awakening.
These Six Perfections describe the true nature of an enlightened being, which is to say they are our own true nature. If they don't seem to be our true nature, it is because the perfections are obscured by our delusion, anger, greed, and fear.
The first three paramitas are said to be tools of relation - how we relate to others.
Generosity includes setting good and honest boundaries around our giving to others and ourselves.
To do that employs Ethical Discipline, said to be the fuel that keeps us on the Bodhisattva path.
And Patience–this is the big one that gives us the scope of practice that includes all past and future lifetimes!
The next three: Joyful Diligence, Meditative Concentration and Wisdom are more about refining ourselves to truly walk the Bodhisattva's Path. We could say we've amended the soil of us, planted our basic crop and have begun to reap some harvest.
Tending to the roots gives us Joyful Diligence, the boundless energy of a child at play. (Or Tigger, bouncing on his tail in celebration of being alive.)
That energy provides the octane necessary to develop the focus of Meditative Concentration
Which in turn, becomes the basis for insight, and with the awakening of Bodhicitta, becomes a true spiritual practice, steeped in the Wisdom.
None of this is easy, or we wouldn't be here. Together we will refine our path, weaving our confusion, skill, practice, apprehension, doubt, confidence etc, into the complex tapestry of our lives.
Fees:
$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Member
The deadline to register is Friday, June 5 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program.
If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.MEET THE TEACHER
Susan Shannon, M. Div. is a seeker, teacher, earth and animal steward, and devotee of the heart. She has worked in the fields of Emotional Literacy and Restorative Justice for over 20 years, incorporating over 45 years of Buddhist practice and study from the Tibetan tradition. She’s worked with various diverse populations all her life including inmates, Tibetan refugees, the homeless, the differently-abled, at-risk youth, and has served as the Buddhist Chaplain to the men in San Quentin State Prison and Death Row. She currently resides in the San Juan Islands where she writes, provides spiritual coaching and tends her land.
A Gathering of Light
Sunday May 31, 2026 | 5:00pm to 6:00pm PST
From a single spark of bodhicitta — the highest aspiration of love — an entire movement has emerged, cultivating a culture of awakening.
Since 2022, BPM has carried this seed of intention into the most oppressed, unseen places – with our content / materials now reaching over 65,000 incarcerated individuals.
After 4 years of fiscal sponsorship we have filed for our own non-profit status! Gather with us --to hear the stories. To meet the people. To witness what becomes possible when light of transformation is invited to shine freely.
You’ll hear from:
Founder & President, Susan Shannon
Board members sharing vision and mission
Content creators and collaborators and project overview
Inspiring stories of real impact and exciting upcoming projects
Auspiciously held on Saka Dawa Duchen, the sacred day honoring the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni. It is said that the positive effects of our actions are multiplied on this day. Please spread the word!
Free Event! The sole purpose of this event is to share what we have created with you.
Chagdrukpa Empowerment
Chagdrukpa Empowerment
Given by Lama Palden Drolma
Sunday, May 31 at 3 PM
Wisdom River Meditation Center and Zoom for those unable to come to the center
Lama Palden Drolma will be leading 2 Chagdrukpa events: the first is an empowerment ceremony for Chagdrukpa in May that will be followed by a Teaching on a practice in June. You can sign up to attend just the empowerment, just the teaching, or both events.
Chagdrukpa, Six-Arm Mahakala, is the primary protector of the Shangpa Lineage. He is also important for HH the Dalai Lama, who received the full transmissions from the previous Kalu Rinpoche.
Chagdrukpa is the fierce form of Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. He removes obstacles, both inner and outer, on the path to awakening, and protects practitioners, again on both an inner and outer level. He is dearly loved by those who come to know him as he is like a best friend. Connecting with this enlightened protector also brings many blessings, both spiritually and in our daily lives.
Empowerment Ceremony: the empowerment (wang) will be given on May 31. The samaya commitment is the daily recitation of a four-line prayer when you take the empowerment that you need to say the rest of your life.
Prerequisites: You need to have taken Refuge Vows and Bodhisattva Vows as well as having done some Chenrezig practice.
Fee/donation:
Empowerment only:
$40 (Fee) | $25 (Members)
Teaching only:
$60 (Fee) | $40 (Members)
Both Empowerment and Teaching:
$80 (Fee) | $55 (Members)
*You are considered a member if you make a monthly recurring donation -- learn more about Sukhasiddhi Membership
The deadline to register: Sat, May 30, 2026 at 5 PM Pacific
Opening the Gate: Monday Meditation - Green Tara
Monday Evening Online Meditation: Give yourself the gift of the present moment, connection with community, and the support of ageless love and wisdom.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.
About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 1o:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
An Evening with Lama Drupgyu
Thursday, May 21 - 7 PM Pacific
In Person at Wisdom River Meditation Center & online
Please join us for this wonderful opportunity to spend an evening with Lama Drupgyu Tenzin in person. He has been a gifted teacher and member of Sukhasiddhi's Teachers Council for many years.
Lama Drupgyu will share some thoughts, then explore topics of interest in conversation with those who have gathered with him.
ABOUT LAMA DRUPGYU
Lama Drupgyu was an early student of Kalu Rinpoche, a path that led him to become a monk for 21 years. Recognized for his depth of practice, he was appointed by Kalu Rinpoche as Retreat Master to lead three-year retreats on Salt Spring Island, Canada — the first of which was attended by Lama Palden.
His commitment to preserving and transmitting the teachings extended beyond retreat, as he served for many years on Kalu Rinpoche's International Translation Committee, the final project the beloved teacher initiated before his passing. Building on this foundation, Lama Drupgyu joined Eric Colombel in 2000 to co-found Tsadra Foundation, an organization dedicated to cultivating wisdom and compassion in Western minds through the integrated study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. He has continued to shape its mission ever since, serving as Vice President for the past 26 years.
Registration closes Thursday, May 21 at 12 PM Pacific.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM (Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM (Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Teachings on Death & Dying
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM (Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Preparing Your Spiritual Care Directive
Back by popular demand!
Compassion In Action: Preparing Your Spiritual Care Directive
Saturday, May 2 | 10 AM – 4 PM Pacific
In Person at Wisdom River Meditation Center and Online via Zoom
Two things are certain:
1) we will all die and
2) we do not know the time of our death.
In the Buddhist tradition, keeping these two truths close to our heart helps us to live each moment with a sense of preciousness, reverence and gratitude. As practitioners, we meditate daily on impermanence and the blessing of this human life. And one of the ways that we can turn this contemplation into an act of compassion, not only for ourselves but also for our loved ones is to create an Advance Spiritual Care Directive.
Just as we create an Advance Medical Care Directive to guide our family and health care providers with our medical wishes, we can also write an Advance Spiritual Care Directive to help guide them with our spiritual wishes. This becomes especially important for us as practitioners of the dharma. By clarifying and making known what will support us to continue our practice through the time of our dying, we are offering a gift to ourselves and to those surrounding us at this time.
Please come and join us for this daylong workshop where we will gather together and clarify our end of life dharma wishes.
If you attended the previous workshop on this topic, you are welcome to attend this as a follow up or refresher.
Fees:
Workshop: $125
Member: $100
Benefactor: $150
Opening the Gate: Monday Meditation - Green Tara
Monday Evening Online Meditation: Give yourself the gift of the present moment, connection with community, and the support of ageless love and wisdom.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM (Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Community Gathering and Potluck
You are invited to our Spring
Sukhasiddhi Community Gathering and Potluck
Saturday, April 25, 2026
12:30 - 2 pm Pacific in person
12:50 pm - online folks join in
at Wisdom River Meditation CenterAND Online
Please join Lama Döndrup and sangha community leaders & members from near & far to share food, conversations and ideas.
It's a Potluck & Community Conversation!
Bring a salad, main dish, finger food or dessert to share!
AGENDA
12:30 pm Arrive, share food and conversation
12:50 pm Online guests join in and visit with each other
1:00 pm Welcome by Lama Döndrup
Presentation of our first Master of Divinty degree
Highlights & upcoming events in our 30th year
Opportunities to Volunteer
1:15 pm Small group conversations & feedback
1:45 pm Share ideas
2:00 pm Closure and Dedication
We'd love some informal time to visit with each other, share what's planned for the year, showcase the AV upagrades being made at the Center, and hear from you about what you'd love to see at Sukhasiddhi to make your experience as fulfilling as possible.
Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two
Living the Bodhisattva Path: A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 4–6 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) is one of the most beloved and influential texts of the Mahāyāna Buddhist tradition. For centuries, practitioners have turned to it for guidance on how to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and courage in the midst of everyday life.
In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 4–6, which focus on how the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of beings is sustained and expressed in lived experience.
These chapters examine three essential qualities of the bodhisattva path:
Carefulness — recognizing the responsibility that arises when we orient our lives toward awakening and compassion
Vigilance — learning how to work skillfully with the mind so that clarity and compassion are not carried away by habitual patterns
Patience — discovering how anger, frustration, and adversity can become gateways to strength, resilience, and deeper understanding
Shantideva’s teachings are both profound and practical. They invite us to look closely at the movements of our own minds and to discover how wisdom and compassion can remain steady even in the midst of uncertainty and challenge.
Through teaching, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, participants will explore how these classic teachings illuminate contemporary life and offer powerful tools for cultivating a courageous and responsive heart.
No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$185 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Bodhi Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in Bodhi, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific
Please join us for a community puja of the Twenty-One Praises of Tārā, a traditional chant honoring Tārā as the swift liberator who responds to the needs of the world with wisdom and compassion.
Through the power of collective prayer and praise, we connect with Tārā’s enlightened activity of cultivating courage, clearing obstacles, and strengthening the compassionate heart while generating shared aspirations that support one another and help the wider world remember that clarity, care, and courageous compassion remain available, even in the midst of difficulty.
This gathering is offered in connection with Lama Döndrup Drolma’s Twenty-One Praises of Tārā article series appearing in Lion’s Roar.
All are welcome.
Dana
Base: $30
Supporter: $60
Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
Dharma Deep Dive | Course One
Exploring Karma: The Power of Intentional Action
led by Lama Döndrup
Sundays | April 19, 26 & May 3, 10, 17, 24
In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom
8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM (Pacific (Tara Puja)
The teaching of karma is often reduced to a simple idea: that what we do comes back to us. While this captures something of its meaning, the Buddhist understanding of karma is both subtler and more profound.
At its heart, karma refers to action and the results that unfold from action. It points to the way our intentions, words, and behaviors participate in shaping our experience moment by moment and over time. In this sense, karma invites us to recognize the power of intentional action in the unfolding of our lives.
In this six-week course, we will explore karma not as a system of reward and punishment, but as a teaching about how experience unfolds through patterns of intention and response. Together, we will look at how actions leave traces in the mind, how habits take shape, and how these patterns influence the way we perceive ourselves, others, and the world.
As we deepen our understanding of karma, we begin to see that the teaching is not meant to make us feel judged or constrained. Instead, it invites a growing sense of awareness and responsibility. It shows us that our lives are not simply happening to us—we are continually participating in how they unfold.
Perhaps most importantly, the teaching of karma reveals that patterns are not fixed. As awareness develops, the momentum of habitual reactions can begin to loosen. In a time when the world often feels pulled by fear, aggression, or reactivity, the teaching of karma reminds us that how we respond still matters. Rather than leaving us bound by the past, this teaching opens the possibility of meeting each moment with greater clarity, care, and wisdom.
Fee:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)
The deadline to register is Saturday, April 18 at 12 PM (Pacific).
**Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are already enrolled in DTP, you do not need to register separately for this series. **Please Note: This Dharma Deep Dive class series is NOT included in the Bodhi Program. If you are enrolled in Bodhi and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.About the Teacher
Lama Döndrup has been practicing and studying in the Buddhist tradition since the mid-1990’s. After five years of Theravadin Buddhist training, she immersed herself in the teachings and practices of the Shangpa and Kagyu Vajrayana lineages. In 2005, she completed a traditional three-year retreat under the guidance of Lama Palden and Lama Drupgyu with the blessing of her root guru, Bokar Rinpoche and was authorized as a lama. Upon her return to Marin County, she began teaching at Sukhasiddhi Foundation. In January 2020, as Lama Palden’s successor, she stepped into the role of Resident Lama, guiding the Center’s ministerial work.
Lama Döndrup’s teaching style is thorough and clear yet with light touch as she supports the natural unfolding of each student’s innate wisdom and compassion. She aims to preserve the authenticity of the tradition while making the teachings and practices relevant and accessible to the lives of 21st century Westerners. In addition to her Buddhist practice, Lama Döndrup trained the Ridhwan School’s Diamond Approach for seven years and has a Masters of Fine Arts degree in piano performance. She is an active classical pianist and teacher in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Mahamudra Retreat
To cultivate this awareness-emptiness that is the nature of love, it is helpful to step out of the busyness of our lives and enter a contemplative space where we can open our hearts and settle our minds. We are then able to look closely at how thoughts and emotions shape our inner and outer experience, and to let go of the fears and grasping which lead to conflict and division.
Teachings on Death & Dying
In this series on Death and Dying we will cover facing and preparing for one’s own death, being with others as they are dying, and what meditation practices are particularly helpful for these processes.
“Sukhasiddhi means having teachers and community that are integral to learning the Dharma, and growing my practice. I tried to learn all that I could through books, and online videos for years. However, I hit a wall in my practice. I knew I needed more direction. I needed teachers and sangha.”