The Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center currently resides in the Northern Liberties section of Philadelphia. They have had several other locations in Philadelphia and they are currently looking for a more permanent home. They are a “non-sectarian” organization which means they don’t belong to a religious sect or political group. They were founded in 1991 and are open to both Buddhists practicers and non-Buddhists practicers. They teach to “cultivate compassion and loving kindness, based on the philosophy and methods taught by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso,” ( “Mission and History”, 2009) and are based on the principles of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
Their name Chenrezig stems from the Bodhisattva of compassion Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig is the Tibetan translation of Avalokiteshvara). Chenrezig made a vow that he would not rest until he had liberated all beings in all the realms from suffering. But after working tirelessly he found that there were still an endless amount of beings still suffering and he could not save them all. He became discouraged and so stressed with the grief of his to save failure, that his head split and broke off into a thousand pieces. He was put back together as a body with many arms and heads so he could aid many suffering beings at once. On the temple’s site it claims that His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama who is held by many to be an incarnation of the previous 13 Dalai Lamas of Tibet (the first having been born in 1391) is also considered to be a manifestation of Avalokiteshvara, or Chenrezig (“A Note About Our Name” 2009), continuing the mission to end all suffering of all beings and be a Bodhisattva of compassion.
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Founder: Their spiritual director is Venerable Lama Losang Samten. He was born in Ribuce Chang, Tibet in 1953. His family escaped to Nepal then India in 1959 after the Chinese invasion of Tibet in the early 1950’s. In 1985 he earned the degree of Master of Buddhist Sutra and Tantra Studies at Namgyal Monastery in Dharamsala, India, the monastery of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In 1988, Losang was sent by the Dalai Lama to travel to the U.S. and demonstrate the meditative art of Buddhist sand painting. It was the first time a Tibetan sand mandala had ever been shown in the Americas. Since then he has created sand mandalas by invitation across the U.S. in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Hartford, Boston and many more.
He taught Tibetan language at the University of Pennsylvania from 1994 – 1997 and has been awarded many fellowship awards and honorary doctorates across the nation. He has written a book called Ancient Teachings in Modern Times: Buddhism in the 21st Century. where he says “Each page of this book is filled with gems of wisdom that illuminate the path towards discovering greater joy and peace within oneself through the teachings of the Buddha.” (“Book, CD’s and DVD’s by Venerable Losang Samten”, 2009). He is also the founder and Spiritual Director of Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Centers in Lake Tahoe, Nevada; El Paso, Texas; and Hartford, Connecticut.(“Venerable Lama Losang Samten”, 2009)
Practice: They mostly practice based on the booklets of teachings they provide on the site. They practice Guru Yoga and devotion as central to the Vajrayana (tantric) tradition and the Green Tara, which they note is one of the central practices in Mahayana Buddhism in Tibet and they believe it to cure the 3 poisons. They also teach the teaching of Chenrezig’s love, kindness and compassion which they say mirrors that of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Panden Lhamo practice for protection and to remove obstacles, and Medicine Buddha Practice and Vajrasattva purification meditation to cleanse negative karma. (“Prayers and Practices”, 2009)
Sunday Morning meditation practice is listed as the most popular thing offered at the center. Beginning at 9:30 am until 11:30am it is led by Ven. Losang Samten, or by one of their senior teaching students or invited teachers they bring in as guests. They practice mantra meditation, shamatha (calm abiding) meditation, Dzogchen, Vajrayana guided meditations, and traditional Buddhist prayers for the first hour of Sunday morning Mediation. A donation of $10- $15 is suggested but no one is turned away for inability to pay. They also offer live Sunday web casts and many of the talks are recorded and posted to a Multi Media page (“Sunday Morning Sangha (Meditation Practice)”, 2009)
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They offer a small Addictions group that meets on the first Saturday of each month from 10-11:30am. The group began as a three-part set of teachings, and then they decided to keep the program going. “The group was formed to relieve the afflictive emotions that accompany addiction, whether that addiction is ours, someone else’s, or both.” They start in the mornings with a Medicine Buddha practice, then they have a short, silent meditation, and they end with a small teaching and a discussion. At the end of each meeting, group members leave with “homework” based on that morning’s discussion, which may be a meditative technique, a mindfulness practice, or a practice of compassion, many times including self-compassion. The next morning they talk about the homework and how to build on the practice they have learned. An offering of $10 per session is “suggested”, to help support the center and keep the program running. (“The Cessation of the Suffering of Addiction: A Buddhist Approach”, 2009)
One Tuesday evenings they have a Green Tara practice and Buddhist discussion group.
“Losang Samten Rinpoche (resident Teacher): In the past, as well as today, many people have fulfilled their worldly needs and reached Nirvana and Enlightenment through the practice of Mother Tara. The practice of Tara is powerful to help us overcome our fears, reduce stress, achieve a better future, heal physical and mental illness, as well as improve our relationships with ourselves and others. Taking Tara into our daily practice is extremely beneficial and helps us overcome mental, physical, and spiritual obstacles.” (“Tuesday Evening Green Tara Practice & Buddhist Discussion Group” 2009)
This is open to everyone with a “desire to learn more about developing compassion and wisdom in the Buddhist tradition”. The first part of the night is a short informal discussion and sharing about personal spiritual practice. The second part of the evening is a “puja” or worship service to Green Tara and they recite the Praises to the 21 Taras. ( Tuesday Evening Green Tara Practice & Buddhist Discussion Group”)
They offer a variety of meditation retreats, led by Losang Rinpoche, and other teachers and dharma friends. The retreats can go from a few hours to several days, and are offered at the center as well as other spaces inside and outside of the city. They are usually dedicated to a particular Buddhist subject or practice area. They are open to people of all levels of experience unless it is already posted as a requirement to attend. They also offer live webcasts of some of their retreats for people who aren’t in the city area of Philadelphia or cannot attend, which they also post on their Multi Media page. They also offer Introduction to Buddhism practice workshops and private interviews sessions with Lama Losang Samten. (“Meditation Retreats”, Introduction to Buddhist Practice Workshops”, “Private Interviews with Lama Losang Samten, Rinpoche”, 2009)
Membership: They are completely dependent on the donations of members to support the center. This allows them to pay the stipend for their resident teacher Lama Losang Samten, honorariums for their guest teachers who come for retreats and teachings and to cover rent, utilities, phone, heating and office supply bills as well as fund webcast, special events and retreats.
They offer membership at a variety of levels, and do not turn away anyone regardless of income. {Unattributed direct quote, 3 sentences}The benefits, such as discounts, members’ dinners and events, and our members’ newsletter, are the same regardless of the level. The real benefit, of course, is much more personal. Membership is annual, which means in becoming a member of the center, you make a commitment to the best of your ability for one year, renewable. They have several different memberships:
“Infinite Knot Members. This is the name we give to our basic financial level of membership. Supporting members pledge to contribute an annual amount of $360 per year, which is $30 per month. Sundays and our regular weekly offerings are free. Members also receive one of our prayer books, a 20% discount on all center teachings, retreats and other offerings, our members newsletter, opportunity to participate in members’ meetings, and other expressions of our gratitude.”
“Conch Members. “Conch” members pledge to contribute an annual amount of $720 per year, or $60 per month. As with each of our commitment levels, Sundays and our regular weekly offerings are free. Members receive one of our prayer books, a 20% discount on all center teachings, retreats and other offerings, our members newsletter, and opportunity to participate in members’ meetings, and other expressions of our gratitude.” (“Becoming a Member”, 2009)
“Lotus Members. “Lotus” members pledge to contribute an annual amount of $1320 per year, or $110 per month.” (“Becoming a Member”, 2009)
“Dharma Wheel Members. We give the name “Dharma Wheel” members to those who, at this time in their lives, are without the means to make an annual financial commitment of the amount below, but who wish to support our center in other truly equally valuable ways, either through service, or some combination of service along with a more modest monetary amount” (“Becoming a Member”, 2009)
Bibliography:
Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Canter of Philadelphia. Web. 27 Nov. 2016.
< http://www.tibetanbuddhist.org>
By: Sytonnia Ball