Dharma Deep Dive | Course One

Nine Stages of Shamatha: Cultivating Stability in an Uncertain World + 21 Praises of Tara Practice

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific (Tara Puja) - details below

We are living in a time of profound uncertainty and change. Amid political and social polarization, conflict, environmental instability, and the many pressures of our personal lives, it can be difficult to remain grounded and present. We may find ourselves pulled into reactivity, overwhelmed by what is happening around us, or simply carried along by the habitual momentum of our own minds.

Shamatha, or calm abiding, offers a way of cultivating the stability that allows us to meet our experience differently. Through practice, we learn to rest more steadily in the present moment, without being continually carried away by thoughts, emotions, and circumstances. This growing stability and equanimity creates the space to remember our deepest intentions and to respond to our lives and our world with greater wisdom and compassion.

The traditional teachings on the Nine Stages of Shamatha provide a detailed map of how this capacity develops. They describe the gradual stabilization of attention, the obstacles we encounter along the way, and the methods that help us work skillfully with distraction, dullness, agitation, and other challenges. Rather than serving simply as markers of accomplishment, the nine stages can help us understand our experience in meditation and recognize how to nurture greater stability, clarity, and ease.

For experienced practitioners as well, the continued cultivation of shamatha remains essential. The stability and clarity developed through shamatha provide an indispensable foundation for practices such as Mahamudra and the Creation and Completion Stages, allowing us to engage these practices more deeply and become increasingly receptive to their transformative potential.

Over six weeks, Lama Döndrup will guide participants through the Nine Stages of Shamatha, along with the factors that impede and support the development of calm abiding. Through teachings, meditation, reflection, and discussion, we will explore how this ancient map can support both a deepening meditation practice and our capacity to remain grounded, awake, and responsive amid the complexities of our lives and our world.

There are no prerequisites.

Fees:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on Karma. You are welcome to join for the practice only. Sign up below for the practice that begins at 10:15 am for one hour.

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.

Fees:

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on the Nine Stages of Shamatha. You are welcome to join for the practice only. 

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.

Fees:

$30 Dana
$60 Dana + Support

Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two

Living the Bodhisattva Path: Bringing the Journey to Fruition

Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

11:30 AM - 1:45 PM Pacific

A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra with Lama Döndrup Drölma

Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) offers a profound vision of what it means to shape a human life around wisdom and compassion. Having established the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings and explored the inner qualities that allow us to remain faithful to that aspiration, the final chapters turn toward bringing the bodhisattva path to fruition.

In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 7–10, which guide us through four essential dimensions of the path:

• Joyous Effort — cultivating the energy, confidence, and perseverance needed to continue on the path without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed

• Meditative Concentration — learning to gather and stabilize the mind, creating the inner conditions in which compassion and wisdom can deepen

• Wisdom — investigating the nature of self and phenomena and discovering how insight into emptiness transforms the way we relate to ourselves, others, and the world

• Dedication — offering the goodness of our practice for the welfare of all beings and allowing the vast motivation of bodhicitta to encompass every aspect of our lives

Together, these chapters ask us to move beyond simply aspiring to live with wisdom and compassion. They show us how the bodhisattva path becomes increasingly embodied: through the energy we bring to practice, the stability of our attention, the depth of our understanding, and the widening of our concern beyond ourselves.

Shantideva’s teachings on wisdom are among the most profound passages of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, yet they are inseparable from his teachings on compassion. As our understanding of the fluid and interdependent nature of experience deepens, our habitual ways of separating self from other can begin to loosen. Wisdom and compassion reveal themselves not as separate aspects of the path, but as mutually supporting dimensions of awakening.

Through teaching, meditation, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, we will explore how these final chapters can help us cultivate a mind that is more stable, a heart that is more courageous, and a way of being that is increasingly available to the needs of the world.

No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Dharma Deep Dive | Course One

Nine Stages of Shamatha: Cultivating Stability in an Uncertain World + 21 Praises of Tara Practice

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific (Tara Puja) - details below

We are living in a time of profound uncertainty and change. Amid political and social polarization, conflict, environmental instability, and the many pressures of our personal lives, it can be difficult to remain grounded and present. We may find ourselves pulled into reactivity, overwhelmed by what is happening around us, or simply carried along by the habitual momentum of our own minds.

Shamatha, or calm abiding, offers a way of cultivating the stability that allows us to meet our experience differently. Through practice, we learn to rest more steadily in the present moment, without being continually carried away by thoughts, emotions, and circumstances. This growing stability and equanimity creates the space to remember our deepest intentions and to respond to our lives and our world with greater wisdom and compassion.

The traditional teachings on the Nine Stages of Shamatha provide a detailed map of how this capacity develops. They describe the gradual stabilization of attention, the obstacles we encounter along the way, and the methods that help us work skillfully with distraction, dullness, agitation, and other challenges. Rather than serving simply as markers of accomplishment, the nine stages can help us understand our experience in meditation and recognize how to nurture greater stability, clarity, and ease.

For experienced practitioners as well, the continued cultivation of shamatha remains essential. The stability and clarity developed through shamatha provide an indispensable foundation for practices such as Mahamudra and the Creation and Completion Stages, allowing us to engage these practices more deeply and become increasingly receptive to their transformative potential.

Over six weeks, Lama Döndrup will guide participants through the Nine Stages of Shamatha, along with the factors that impede and support the development of calm abiding. Through teachings, meditation, reflection, and discussion, we will explore how this ancient map can support both a deepening meditation practice and our capacity to remain grounded, awake, and responsive amid the complexities of our lives and our world.

There are no prerequisites.

Fees:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on Karma. You are welcome to join for the practice only. Sign up below for the practice that begins at 10:15 am for one hour.

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.

Fees:

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on the Nine Stages of Shamatha. You are welcome to join for the practice only. 

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.

Fees:

$30 Dana
$60 Dana + Support

Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two

Living the Bodhisattva Path: Bringing the Journey to Fruition

Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

11:30 AM - 1:45 PM Pacific

A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra with Lama Döndrup Drölma

Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) offers a profound vision of what it means to shape a human life around wisdom and compassion. Having established the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings and explored the inner qualities that allow us to remain faithful to that aspiration, the final chapters turn toward bringing the bodhisattva path to fruition.

In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 7–10, which guide us through four essential dimensions of the path:

• Joyous Effort — cultivating the energy, confidence, and perseverance needed to continue on the path without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed

• Meditative Concentration — learning to gather and stabilize the mind, creating the inner conditions in which compassion and wisdom can deepen

• Wisdom — investigating the nature of self and phenomena and discovering how insight into emptiness transforms the way we relate to ourselves, others, and the world

• Dedication — offering the goodness of our practice for the welfare of all beings and allowing the vast motivation of bodhicitta to encompass every aspect of our lives

Together, these chapters ask us to move beyond simply aspiring to live with wisdom and compassion. They show us how the bodhisattva path becomes increasingly embodied: through the energy we bring to practice, the stability of our attention, the depth of our understanding, and the widening of our concern beyond ourselves.

Shantideva’s teachings on wisdom are among the most profound passages of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, yet they are inseparable from his teachings on compassion. As our understanding of the fluid and interdependent nature of experience deepens, our habitual ways of separating self from other can begin to loosen. Wisdom and compassion reveal themselves not as separate aspects of the path, but as mutually supporting dimensions of awakening.

Through teaching, meditation, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, we will explore how these final chapters can help us cultivate a mind that is more stable, a heart that is more courageous, and a way of being that is increasingly available to the needs of the world.

No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Topic: The Dakini Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen

SATURDAYS | (2026 - 2027)
October 17, November 14, December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM (Pacific)

Location: Virtual / Zoom

In this six month Sukhasiddhi Women’s Group series we will study, practice, and discuss the Extraordinary Tonglen meditation that has come down to us from the human wisdom dakini Niguma. It was passed through the Shangpa Lineage to the previous Kalu Rinpoche and on to his students.

Lama Palden Drolma has taught and wrote the book “Love on Every Breath,” on this meditation, so many of you may be familiar with it. This meditation is the pre-eminent way to open the depth and breath of your heart into love. It is also a profound gateway into experiencing your inherent awakened nature.

Whether or not you have done this practice previously, you will have the opportunity to deeply immerse yourself and more fully open to profound compassion and love.

Please note: If you are new to the group, you may be contacted for an interview to be accepted to the group.

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings. This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you. If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM Pacific.

Dharma Deep Dive | Course One

Nine Stages of Shamatha: Cultivating Stability in an Uncertain World + 21 Praises of Tara Practice

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific (Tara Puja) - details below

We are living in a time of profound uncertainty and change. Amid political and social polarization, conflict, environmental instability, and the many pressures of our personal lives, it can be difficult to remain grounded and present. We may find ourselves pulled into reactivity, overwhelmed by what is happening around us, or simply carried along by the habitual momentum of our own minds.

Shamatha, or calm abiding, offers a way of cultivating the stability that allows us to meet our experience differently. Through practice, we learn to rest more steadily in the present moment, without being continually carried away by thoughts, emotions, and circumstances. This growing stability and equanimity creates the space to remember our deepest intentions and to respond to our lives and our world with greater wisdom and compassion.

The traditional teachings on the Nine Stages of Shamatha provide a detailed map of how this capacity develops. They describe the gradual stabilization of attention, the obstacles we encounter along the way, and the methods that help us work skillfully with distraction, dullness, agitation, and other challenges. Rather than serving simply as markers of accomplishment, the nine stages can help us understand our experience in meditation and recognize how to nurture greater stability, clarity, and ease.

For experienced practitioners as well, the continued cultivation of shamatha remains essential. The stability and clarity developed through shamatha provide an indispensable foundation for practices such as Mahamudra and the Creation and Completion Stages, allowing us to engage these practices more deeply and become increasingly receptive to their transformative potential.

Over six weeks, Lama Döndrup will guide participants through the Nine Stages of Shamatha, along with the factors that impede and support the development of calm abiding. Through teachings, meditation, reflection, and discussion, we will explore how this ancient map can support both a deepening meditation practice and our capacity to remain grounded, awake, and responsive amid the complexities of our lives and our world.

There are no prerequisites.

Fees:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on Karma. You are welcome to join for the practice only. Sign up below for the practice that begins at 10:15 am for one hour.

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.

Fees:

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on the Nine Stages of Shamatha. You are welcome to join for the practice only. 

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.

Fees:

$30 Dana
$60 Dana + Support

Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two

Living the Bodhisattva Path: Bringing the Journey to Fruition

Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

11:30 AM - 1:45 PM Pacific

A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra with Lama Döndrup Drölma

Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) offers a profound vision of what it means to shape a human life around wisdom and compassion. Having established the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings and explored the inner qualities that allow us to remain faithful to that aspiration, the final chapters turn toward bringing the bodhisattva path to fruition.

In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 7–10, which guide us through four essential dimensions of the path:

• Joyous Effort — cultivating the energy, confidence, and perseverance needed to continue on the path without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed

• Meditative Concentration — learning to gather and stabilize the mind, creating the inner conditions in which compassion and wisdom can deepen

• Wisdom — investigating the nature of self and phenomena and discovering how insight into emptiness transforms the way we relate to ourselves, others, and the world

• Dedication — offering the goodness of our practice for the welfare of all beings and allowing the vast motivation of bodhicitta to encompass every aspect of our lives

Together, these chapters ask us to move beyond simply aspiring to live with wisdom and compassion. They show us how the bodhisattva path becomes increasingly embodied: through the energy we bring to practice, the stability of our attention, the depth of our understanding, and the widening of our concern beyond ourselves.

Shantideva’s teachings on wisdom are among the most profound passages of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, yet they are inseparable from his teachings on compassion. As our understanding of the fluid and interdependent nature of experience deepens, our habitual ways of separating self from other can begin to loosen. Wisdom and compassion reveal themselves not as separate aspects of the path, but as mutually supporting dimensions of awakening.

Through teaching, meditation, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, we will explore how these final chapters can help us cultivate a mind that is more stable, a heart that is more courageous, and a way of being that is increasingly available to the needs of the world.

No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Medicine Buddha Puja
at Wisdom River Meditation Center

(If you need to join on zoom, tell us in the Plan to Attend link below)

led by Lama Palden Drolma and Barbara Juniper

Thursdays in 2026 | October 22, November 19, December 10

“If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime, one will experience an increase in healing powers, both for oneself and others, and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering.”

Medicine Buddha Teachings by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

This year at our annual summer retreat we had the auspicious opportunity to receive the Medicine Buddha empowerment and then learn the practice over the following week. Many of you were able to attend the empowerment and retreat. Others of you who may not have been at the retreat but have previously received the empowerment and are familiar with this practice.

Because of the incredible blessing that this practice bestows, and in response to requests for more in-person practice time together, we are happy to announce that we will be offering a monthly Medicine Buddha practice beginning in October.

Please note: This practice is open to those who have received the empowerment and instructions. It will be led by Lama Palden and Barbara Juniper each month on a Thursday evening at our Wisdom River Meditation Center in Novato.  

You will need to bring your pecha text. If you do not have a text, copies will be available to purchase at the center ($30 donation). 

Dharma Deep Dive | Course One

Nine Stages of Shamatha: Cultivating Stability in an Uncertain World + 21 Praises of Tara Practice

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

8:30 - 10:15 AM Pacific (Teaching)
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific (Tara Puja) - details below

We are living in a time of profound uncertainty and change. Amid political and social polarization, conflict, environmental instability, and the many pressures of our personal lives, it can be difficult to remain grounded and present. We may find ourselves pulled into reactivity, overwhelmed by what is happening around us, or simply carried along by the habitual momentum of our own minds.

Shamatha, or calm abiding, offers a way of cultivating the stability that allows us to meet our experience differently. Through practice, we learn to rest more steadily in the present moment, without being continually carried away by thoughts, emotions, and circumstances. This growing stability and equanimity creates the space to remember our deepest intentions and to respond to our lives and our world with greater wisdom and compassion.

The traditional teachings on the Nine Stages of Shamatha provide a detailed map of how this capacity develops. They describe the gradual stabilization of attention, the obstacles we encounter along the way, and the methods that help us work skillfully with distraction, dullness, agitation, and other challenges. Rather than serving simply as markers of accomplishment, the nine stages can help us understand our experience in meditation and recognize how to nurture greater stability, clarity, and ease.

For experienced practitioners as well, the continued cultivation of shamatha remains essential. The stability and clarity developed through shamatha provide an indispensable foundation for practices such as Mahamudra and the Creation and Completion Stages, allowing us to engage these practices more deeply and become increasingly receptive to their transformative potential.

Over six weeks, Lama Döndrup will guide participants through the Nine Stages of Shamatha, along with the factors that impede and support the development of calm abiding. Through teachings, meditation, reflection, and discussion, we will explore how this ancient map can support both a deepening meditation practice and our capacity to remain grounded, awake, and responsive amid the complexities of our lives and our world.

There are no prerequisites.

Fees:
$240 course fee
$200 (base)
$180 (Sukhasiddhi member)
$300 (benefactor)

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on Karma. You are welcome to join for the practice only. Sign up below for the practice that begins at 10:15 am for one hour.

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.

Fees:

Twenty-One Praises of Tārā Puja

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22
10:15 - 11:15 AM Pacific

Lama Döndrup will be leading a Tara practice as part of the course on the Nine Stages of Shamatha. You are welcome to join for the practice only. 

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.

Fees:

$30 Dana
$60 Dana + Support

Dharma Deep Dive | Course Two

Living the Bodhisattva Path: Bringing the Journey to Fruition

Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra

Sundays | October 18, 25 & November 1, 8, 15, 22

In-person at Wisdom River Meditation Center or Online via Zoom.
Led by Lama Döndrup Drolma

11:30 AM - 1:45 PM Pacific

A 6-Week Exploration of Chapters 7–10 of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra with Lama Döndrup Drölma

Shantideva’s Bodhicaryāvatāra (The Way of the Bodhisattva) offers a profound vision of what it means to shape a human life around wisdom and compassion. Having established the aspiration to awaken for the benefit of all beings and explored the inner qualities that allow us to remain faithful to that aspiration, the final chapters turn toward bringing the bodhisattva path to fruition.

In this six-week course, we will explore Chapters 7–10, which guide us through four essential dimensions of the path:

• Joyous Effort — cultivating the energy, confidence, and perseverance needed to continue on the path without becoming discouraged or overwhelmed

• Meditative Concentration — learning to gather and stabilize the mind, creating the inner conditions in which compassion and wisdom can deepen

• Wisdom — investigating the nature of self and phenomena and discovering how insight into emptiness transforms the way we relate to ourselves, others, and the world

• Dedication — offering the goodness of our practice for the welfare of all beings and allowing the vast motivation of bodhicitta to encompass every aspect of our lives

Together, these chapters ask us to move beyond simply aspiring to live with wisdom and compassion. They show us how the bodhisattva path becomes increasingly embodied: through the energy we bring to practice, the stability of our attention, the depth of our understanding, and the widening of our concern beyond ourselves.

Shantideva’s teachings on wisdom are among the most profound passages of the Bodhicaryāvatāra, yet they are inseparable from his teachings on compassion. As our understanding of the fluid and interdependent nature of experience deepens, our habitual ways of separating self from other can begin to loosen. Wisdom and compassion reveal themselves not as separate aspects of the path, but as mutually supporting dimensions of awakening.

Through teaching, meditation, reflection, discussion, and contemplative practice, we will explore how these final chapters can help us cultivate a mind that is more stable, a heart that is more courageous, and a way of being that is increasingly available to the needs of the world.

No prior study of the Bodhicaryāvatāra is required, and students are welcome to join the exploration at this point in the text.

The deadline to register is Friday, October 16 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.

Awake in the World | Course 2

Steady on the Path: The Final Four Chapters (7-10) of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara

Sundays: November 29, December 6 & 13
led by Rev. Susan Shannon
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only

The Rarified Air of Shantideva's Summit; Chapters that Develop our Spiritual Awakening and Ability to Serve

We have begun our journey on the path of awakening. We have been nourished by the sweetness of the Awakening Mind and feel it's momentum. We have felt the spirit of generosity grown in our lives, our relationships, our self-care. Our discipline has grown and developed our virtuous activities. We have navigated the rugged terrain of seeing patience and forbearance from the broad perspective of lifetimes. We see there is one more push to the summit and are poised and ready!

Chapters 7, 8 and 9 will give us a microscopic lens to integrate the last three perfections: vigilance, meditative concentration, and wisdom. We need a microscope for these because there are so many layers of understanding we'll go through! 

Chapter 10, Dedication, is the feast we'll have at the top of the summit. We'll get a panoramic view of the power of Dedication. We'll learn to bring this beautiful quality into our daily lives, even moment by moment. We'll also come to see that our very journey is one illuminated by the great beings who have traveled this path ahead of us. They are all shining their lights back on us, to guide us, protect us, and give us courage to persevere no matter the obstacles we encounter.

These chapters are truly rarified air. The kind of air and life force that can only be experienced from an elevation high above the sea level of samsara. Welcome! 

Fees:

$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Members)

The deadline to register is Friday, November 23 at 12 PM (Pacific).

**Please Note: This Awake in the World 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 Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.

Awake in the World | Course 2

Steady on the Path: The Final Four Chapters (7-10) of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara

Sundays: November 29, December 6 & 13
led by Rev. Susan Shannon
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only

The Rarified Air of Shantideva's Summit; Chapters that Develop our Spiritual Awakening and Ability to Serve

We have begun our journey on the path of awakening. We have been nourished by the sweetness of the Awakening Mind and feel it's momentum. We have felt the spirit of generosity grown in our lives, our relationships, our self-care. Our discipline has grown and developed our virtuous activities. We have navigated the rugged terrain of seeing patience and forbearance from the broad perspective of lifetimes. We see there is one more push to the summit and are poised and ready!

Chapters 7, 8 and 9 will give us a microscopic lens to integrate the last three perfections: vigilance, meditative concentration, and wisdom. We need a microscope for these because there are so many layers of understanding we'll go through! 

Chapter 10, Dedication, is the feast we'll have at the top of the summit. We'll get a panoramic view of the power of Dedication. We'll learn to bring this beautiful quality into our daily lives, even moment by moment. We'll also come to see that our very journey is one illuminated by the great beings who have traveled this path ahead of us. They are all shining their lights back on us, to guide us, protect us, and give us courage to persevere no matter the obstacles we encounter.

These chapters are truly rarified air. The kind of air and life force that can only be experienced from an elevation high above the sea level of samsara. Welcome! 

Fees:

$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Members)

The deadline to register is Friday, November 23 at 12 PM (Pacific).

**Please Note: This Awake in the World 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 Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.

Medicine Buddha Puja
at Wisdom River Meditation Center

(If you need to join on zoom, tell us in the Plan to Attend link below)

led by Lama Palden Drolma and Barbara Juniper

Thursdays in 2026 | October 22, November 19, December 10

“If one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime, one will experience an increase in healing powers, both for oneself and others, and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering.”

Medicine Buddha Teachings by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche

This year at our annual summer retreat we had the auspicious opportunity to receive the Medicine Buddha empowerment and then learn the practice over the following week. Many of you were able to attend the empowerment and retreat. Others of you who may not have been at the retreat but have previously received the empowerment and are familiar with this practice.

Because of the incredible blessing that this practice bestows, and in response to requests for more in-person practice time together, we are happy to announce that we will be offering a monthly Medicine Buddha practice beginning in October.

Please note: This practice is open to those who have received the empowerment and instructions. It will be led by Lama Palden and Barbara Juniper each month on a Thursday evening at our Wisdom River Meditation Center in Novato.  

You will need to bring your pecha text. If you do not have a text, copies will be available to purchase at the center ($30 donation). 

Topic: The Dakini Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen

SATURDAYS | (2026 - 2027)
October 17, November 14, December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM (Pacific)

Location: Virtual / Zoom

In this six month Sukhasiddhi Women’s Group series we will study, practice, and discuss the Extraordinary Tonglen meditation that has come down to us from the human wisdom dakini Niguma. It was passed through the Shangpa Lineage to the previous Kalu Rinpoche and on to his students.

Lama Palden Drolma has taught and wrote the book “Love on Every Breath,” on this meditation, so many of you may be familiar with it. This meditation is the pre-eminent way to open the depth and breath of your heart into love. It is also a profound gateway into experiencing your inherent awakened nature.

Whether or not you have done this practice previously, you will have the opportunity to deeply immerse yourself and more fully open to profound compassion and love.

Please note: If you are new to the group, you may be contacted for an interview to be accepted to the group.

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings. This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you. If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM Pacific.

Awake in the World | Course 2

Steady on the Path: The Final Four Chapters (7-10) of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara

Sundays: November 29, December 6 & 13
led by Rev. Susan Shannon
10 AM - 12 PM Pacific
Online via Zoom only

The Rarified Air of Shantideva's Summit; Chapters that Develop our Spiritual Awakening and Ability to Serve

We have begun our journey on the path of awakening. We have been nourished by the sweetness of the Awakening Mind and feel it's momentum. We have felt the spirit of generosity grown in our lives, our relationships, our self-care. Our discipline has grown and developed our virtuous activities. We have navigated the rugged terrain of seeing patience and forbearance from the broad perspective of lifetimes. We see there is one more push to the summit and are poised and ready!

Chapters 7, 8 and 9 will give us a microscopic lens to integrate the last three perfections: vigilance, meditative concentration, and wisdom. We need a microscope for these because there are so many layers of understanding we'll go through! 

Chapter 10, Dedication, is the feast we'll have at the top of the summit. We'll get a panoramic view of the power of Dedication. We'll learn to bring this beautiful quality into our daily lives, even moment by moment. We'll also come to see that our very journey is one illuminated by the great beings who have traveled this path ahead of us. They are all shining their lights back on us, to guide us, protect us, and give us courage to persevere no matter the obstacles we encounter.

These chapters are truly rarified air. The kind of air and life force that can only be experienced from an elevation high above the sea level of samsara. Welcome! 

Fees:

$150 (series fee)
$175 (series fee + support)
$100 (Sukhasiddhi Members)

The deadline to register is Friday, November 23 at 12 PM (Pacific).

**Please Note: This Awake in the World 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 Awake in the World class series is NOT included in the Dharma Training Program as part of the curriculum. If you are enrolled in DTP and are interested in this series, you will need to register separately.

The Twenty-One Taras:
A Living Path of Awakening

Saturday, December 19 from 9 AM - 4 PM

In Person at Wisdom River Meditation Center & Online via Zoom
Led by Lama Döndrup Drölma

The retreat can both stand alone or be experienced as the culmination of the 4-article series in Lion’s Roar (see below). In this retreat, Lama Döndrup Drölma will present and deepen the framework of the 21-Taras that she presented in the article series. In the article series, she offered explanations, and in the retreat, she will put those into the context of the practice and then teach the Twenty-One Praises of Tara practice.

Article 1: She Who Liberates

Article 2: She Who Removes All Fear

Article 3: The Unconquerable Heroine

Article 4:Tara Who is Perfect Peace

For centuries, practitioners have turned to Tara for protection, healing, guidance, and the swift removal of obstacles. Through the practice of the Twenty-One Praises of Tara, we encounter twenty-one distinct manifestations of her awakened activity, each expressing a unique dimension of wisdom, compassion, courage, and liberating care. Together, the Twenty-One Taras form a living map of transformation, revealing the many ways awakening responds to the challenges of our lives and our world.

This daylong retreat is an invitation not simply to learn about the Twenty-One Taras, but to enter their practice. Participants will receive the reading transmission (lung) and practical instructions (tri) for the Twenty-One Praises of Tara and will engage in the practice throughout the day. As we explore each Tara’s symbolism, enlightened activity, and inner meaning, we will discover how these twenty-one expressions of awakening serve not only as objects of devotion but also as mirrors of the wisdom and compassion we are cultivating on the path.

Whether you are encountering Tara practice for the first time or deepening an existing connection, this retreat offers a welcoming and experiential introduction to one of Vajrayana Buddhism’s most beloved practices. Through teachings, meditation, visualization, mantra recitation, and the practice of the Twenty-One Praises, participants will have the opportunity to establish a living connection with the Twenty-One Taras, allowing their awakened qualities to inform meditation, inspire compassionate action, and become an enduring support on the path.

No prerequisites, though previous meditation experience is helpful.

Retreat Fee:  $95
Retreat plus pecha text: $125
Retreat Fee - Sukhasiddhi Member: $80

Topic: The Dakini Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen

SATURDAYS | (2026 - 2027)
October 17, November 14, December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM (Pacific)

Location: Virtual / Zoom

In this six month Sukhasiddhi Women’s Group series we will study, practice, and discuss the Extraordinary Tonglen meditation that has come down to us from the human wisdom dakini Niguma. It was passed through the Shangpa Lineage to the previous Kalu Rinpoche and on to his students.

Lama Palden Drolma has taught and wrote the book “Love on Every Breath,” on this meditation, so many of you may be familiar with it. This meditation is the pre-eminent way to open the depth and breath of your heart into love. It is also a profound gateway into experiencing your inherent awakened nature.

Whether or not you have done this practice previously, you will have the opportunity to deeply immerse yourself and more fully open to profound compassion and love.

Please note: If you are new to the group, you may be contacted for an interview to be accepted to the group.

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings. This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you. If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM Pacific.

Topic: The Dakini Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen

SATURDAYS | (2026 - 2027)
October 17, November 14, December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM (Pacific)

Location: Virtual / Zoom

In this six month Sukhasiddhi Women’s Group series we will study, practice, and discuss the Extraordinary Tonglen meditation that has come down to us from the human wisdom dakini Niguma. It was passed through the Shangpa Lineage to the previous Kalu Rinpoche and on to his students.

Lama Palden Drolma has taught and wrote the book “Love on Every Breath,” on this meditation, so many of you may be familiar with it. This meditation is the pre-eminent way to open the depth and breath of your heart into love. It is also a profound gateway into experiencing your inherent awakened nature.

Whether or not you have done this practice previously, you will have the opportunity to deeply immerse yourself and more fully open to profound compassion and love.

Please note: If you are new to the group, you may be contacted for an interview to be accepted to the group.

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings. This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you. If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM Pacific.

Topic: The Dakini Niguma’s Extraordinary Tonglen

SATURDAYS | (2026 - 2027)
October 17, November 14, December 12, January 16, March 13, April 10

Time: 9 AM - 12 PM (Pacific)

Location: Virtual / Zoom

In this six month Sukhasiddhi Women’s Group series we will study, practice, and discuss the Extraordinary Tonglen meditation that has come down to us from the human wisdom dakini Niguma. It was passed through the Shangpa Lineage to the previous Kalu Rinpoche and on to his students.

Lama Palden Drolma has taught and wrote the book “Love on Every Breath,” on this meditation, so many of you may be familiar with it. This meditation is the pre-eminent way to open the depth and breath of your heart into love. It is also a profound gateway into experiencing your inherent awakened nature.

Whether or not you have done this practice previously, you will have the opportunity to deeply immerse yourself and more fully open to profound compassion and love.

Please note: If you are new to the group, you may be contacted for an interview to be accepted to the group.

For Those on Zoom
We request you be fully present with Zoom video on for classes and trainings. This is an opportunity for the lamas and teachers to connect with you. If this is not possible, please let the registrar or teacher know.

Registration closes Tuesday, October 13 at 6 PM Pacific.