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.