Orgyen Khandroling
Buddhist Meditation Center

Study and Practice

As Anyen Rinpoche often says while teaching, authentic practitioners of our lineage need to engage in the three-fold activity of listening, contemplation and meditation. For that reason, Anyen Rinpoche has created an environment where we all have abundant opportunities to engage in these three-fold aspects of the path, right here in the middle of the city. Whether we are total beginners who are just starting to grapple with “what meditation is,” or practitioners with years of experience, all of us can benefit from taking this three-fold approach.

For beginners, listening and contemplation is achieved through listening to teachings and asking questions at public talks with Rinpoche, during shedra (formal study) and longer retreats. Anyen Rinpoche often attends Sunday morning practices, and gives informal teachings in addition to formally scheduled talks which are generally on Thursday evenings. See our Center schedule for more details.

We also recommend that you select and read books from our suggested reading list to gain a broader understanding of Buddhism in general. Experience in meditation can be gradually obtained through joining practice sessions at our center on Sunday mornings, and learning key practices such as Medicine Buddha, Vajrasattva and Avalokitesvara, which are used regularly at retreats and during regular practices at the center. And, for those with a keen interest in philosophy and meditation, go ahead and join the shedra. You wouldn’t be the first to just jump right in–and love it!

Our shedra (traditionally, the study of Buddhist philosophy) integrates all three aspects of listening, contemplation and meditation. It supports our understanding of both the view and the path of Secret Mantrayana. Joining the shedra also allows students to ask questions, receive instructions on practical application, and spend intensive time with Anyen Rinpoche. In addition to studying and practicing together, we get together to share meals with other shedra students and Rinpoche. We are delighted to be able to offer an integrated style of practice and study uniquely tailored to modern Western practitioners living in an urban, lay environment at Orgyen Khandroling Center.