进阶课程 Archives

The Root of All Attainments: Lama Chopa Puja & 50 Verses Guru Devotion

This event is available Online only.

Why This Course Is Being Offered Now

Khentrul Rinpoche has specifically requested that we offer this training again for the benefit of both new and existing students. This is because guru devotion is not a beginner topic that can be understood once and set aside. It is something that must be revisited, deepened, and clarified again and again. In Vajrayana Buddhism, everything depends on understanding the Guru correctly. Without this foundation, even sincere practitioners can remain uncertain or blocked in their progress. This course is being offered to establish a clear, stable, and authentic understanding of guru devotion—the root of all attainments—within the context of the Jonang Kalachakra tradition.

The Heart of Vajrayana
Let us go directly to the truth of Vajrayana practice:
The Heart of Devotion—the Guru is the Path.

This is not simply about finding a faster way to enlightenment. It is about understanding the core of Vajrayana itself. Without guru devotion, tantra does not function. With it, realization becomes possible. A highly respected scholar from Larung Monastery, deeply regarded by Khentrul Rinpoche, explains:

“Unconditional love is the highest form of desire.
Ultimate Bodhicitta is Buddha-nature, the Guru.
As we increase this Love and Bodhicitta, our awareness increases.
Devotion to this cause is devotion to the ultimate Guru, the ultimate love.
Devotion is simply keeping the view.”

This points to something essential. Devotion is not blind belief. It is the stability of the view—remaining connected to awakened awareness itself.

Guru Devotion as a Complete Path
Guru devotion is often misunderstood as a single idea or emotional attitude. In reality, it is a spectrum of practice that unfolds across the entire Vajrayana path.

At the beginning, it may arise as respect, inspiration, or a cautious openness to learning. At this stage, it is essential to examine carefully, develop discernment, and establish a grounded and healthy relationship with the teachings and the teacher.

As practice deepens, devotion becomes more integrated. It begins to shape how we practice, how we see the path, and how we relate to our own mind. It becomes an active method for transforming perception—not just something we think about, but something we rely on.

At the highest levels—within Highest Yoga Tantra and especially the completion stage practices—guru devotion is no longer separate from meditation. It becomes inseparable from the direct recognition of mind’s nature. The Guru is understood as the very display of awakened awareness, and devotion becomes the continuity of that recognition. The classical text The Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion, attributed to the great Indian master Ashvaghosha, presents working with a Guru in a precise and structured way. This training is designed to help students understand the full breadth of guru devotion—from its careful beginnings to its deepest realization—within the living context of the Jonang Kalachakra tradition.

How the Course Will Unfold
This is an 8-week course, meeting once per week, designed to build understanding and experience progressively.

Each session will include:

-Guided study of The Fifty Verses of Guru Devotion (Ashvaghosha)
-Explanation and practice of the 7 Limb Prayer
-Instruction and practice of the Jonang Kalachakra Guru Puja
-Practical integration of devotion into daily life and meditation

The structure is cumulative, allowing each week to deepen and expand upon the previous one.

Course Format:

-Weekly live sessions over 8 weeks
-All teachings are recorded and made available in the Dzokden Learning Center
-Recordings allow for ongoing review and deeper contemplation

Private Live Q&A:

-Each session concludes with 15 minutes of questions not included in the recording. This creates space for open, personal, and candid discussion. Often when this topic comes up people have questions they are nervous to ask and are best kept private or in a container that feels safe to explores worries, concerns, fears and aspirations.

-The Course will include the 50 verses as well as the Jonang Guru Puja text.

Schedule by Timezone

Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan

SUNDAYS
Session 1 – October 25, 2026 / 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Session 2 – November 1, 2026 / 1:00 AM – 3:00 AM
Session 3 – November 8, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Session 4 – November 15, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Session 5 – November 22, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Session 6 – November 29, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Session 7 – December 6, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Session 8 – December 13, 2026 / 2:00 AM – 4:00 AM