What is Ganden Lha Gyma Practice?

Ganden Lha Gyma Practice is the practice of Guru Yoga. Ganden Lha Gyama is also often called One Hundred Deities of Tushita. This is Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. When practiced in conjunction with recitations of the Migtsema mantra, this Guru Yoga is an unprecedented method for increasing the three essences of spiritual development: compassion, wisdom and the spiritual power to subdue all forms of obstacles. Tsongkhapa Lobzang Drakpa was born in the Tsongkha region of Amdo in 1357. He was the founder of the Gelug Lineage. His appearance in Tibet had been prophesied by Buddha Shakyamuni and Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava. In Root Tantra of Manjushri, Buddha Shakyamuni said: "After I have passed away from this world, when the earth becomes desolate, you will take the form of a child and enact the deeds of a Buddha. At that time there will be a great monastery called Extremely Joyful or Rab Ga in the Land of Snows." Extremely Joyful in tibetan means Ganden, this refers to Ganden Monastery. Lama Tsongkhapa was the founder of Ganden Nampar-gyelway-ling Monastery. Guru Padmasambhava also said: "A manifestation of Manjushri, the holder of the teachings, who will reveal the teaching to those who are to be subdued, Losang Dragpa, holder of the sutra and tantra teachings, will appear." Every one of 84000 teachings taught by Shakyamuni Buddha, wither sutra ot tantra, are only taught for the purpose of teaching us how to work with and how to realise the nature of our own mind. This is the only purpose of entire Buddha's doctrine. Whatever we do in everyday reality is inseparable from our own mind. And so is everything we do in our spiritual practice. The entire purpose of our practice is to imporve our clarity and ability of our Mind to function at it's highest potential. This guru yoga practice teaches us to do just that. Its main purpose is to direct your mind inward and to learn how to so that listen, reflect, meditate in order to subdue our mind. More important it serves as a bridge to Vajrayana for many Sutra practitioners, because it helps to prepare our mind for the swift tantric path. Guru Yoga is also the foundation and life force of all spiritual practice. It is indespensible method for receiving blessings necessary for our spiritual development. We can practice Ganden Lha Gyama with any Guru Yoga practice as commitment or as primary daily practice. It contains entire essence of all Buddha's teachings. Pabongka Rinpoche said that if we do the Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga practice and train well in the lam-rim path, we will protect our lives from many extrenal and internal obstacles. There are three types of obstacles: outer, inner and secret. Inner obstacles are our delusions. Outer obstacles are effects of actions of other living beings, as well as natural elements (non-living things) that are caused by one's own delusions and karma. This outer obstacles usually biggest obstacles that prevent us from practicing Dharma. Diseases or natural disasters are examples of outer obstacles. The last obstacles are the secret obstacles. In commentary they described as being under the control of somebody who is either an evil-doer or wrong guide, and not having the opportunity to practice

vurtue. Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga practice protects us from all three types of obstacles. Even moreit helps us to restore all degenerating samayas. By doing Lama Tsongkhapa guru yoga, if you have not reached full Enligtenment by the time of your death, you will be able to be reborn in Tushita Heaven. Ganden Lha Gyma Practice has an amazing, immesurable benefits for all of us. Geshe Dangsong Namgyal, will give a 5 weeks course series on Ganden Lha Gyma Practice based on Ganden Lha Gyma root text. Geshe Dangsong Namgyal is a noted international scholar of Buddhist Studies and Bn with a research focus on poetry, early Tibetan history, and comparative religion. He is extremely well versed in Tibetan language, philosophy, and meditation, and is a published author of six books. He has also been a speaker at international seminars and conferences in India, Oxford University in England, France, and Japan. He was born in 1970 in Nagchu in eastern Tibet. Geshe-la was a monk at Lunkhar Monastery in Tibet from 1985 to 1991. In 1991 he moved to Sera Je Monastery, where he resided until 2005. In 2005 he took refuge, Bodhisattva, and Tantric vows with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Eminence Choden Rinpoche. He has received many initiations and commentaries, including Kalachakra from both HH Dalai Lama and HE Choden Rinpoche. He studies under the guidance of former Sera Je Abbot, Geshe Lobsang Tsering, and current Abbot, Geshe Lobsang Gelek, as well as HE Choden Rinpoche and other masters. Geshe-la learned the Prajnaparamita Sutra (Perfection of Wisdom), Madhyamika (logic and reason, mind and mental factors), and Lam Rim (stages of the path to enlightenment). He has received Geshe Degree from the Triton Norbutse Monastery in Tibet. When Jamyang Publications was founded at Sera Monastery in 2004, Geshe Namgyal became the first member of Jamyangs Board of Directors and helped publish HE Choden Rinpoches first book- Ganden Lha Gyema (100 Deities of Tushita), the Guru Yoga Practice of Lama Tsongkhapa. Receiving teaching on this topic directly from Geshe-la is a very rare opportunity. This book, distributed to over 3000 monks, became one of the most well known in both India and Tibet. Geshe-la will give Buddhist Dharma teachings at Ananda Dharma Center for the next three years at the personal invitation of HE Choden Rinpoche and Geshe Gyalten. He will also work on HE Choden Rinpoches new book, Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. This will be one of Rinpoches most important works. WE are very excited to have Geshe Namgyal teach this amazing topic!