Religion and Theology

The Centers History
The Tubten Kunga Center for the Study of Tibetan Buddhism belongs to the Gelupa tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, also known as the Yellow Hats. The Center in Deerfield Beach, Florida, which also describes itself as the Center for Wisdom Culture, began as a study group in 1994. It used to meet in peoples homes. In 1999, the Center occupied its own building including a library, meditation hall, class rooms, book shop and a retail store, comprising 1,620-square-feet. Florida born Jacqueline Keeley, attracted to Tibetan Buddhism, actually worked for eight years at a Monastery in Nepal founded by Lama Yeshe in 1967 with the express purpose of teaching Buddhism to Westerners. The Lama and his chief disciple, Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, established many study centers in the West networked through the Foundation for the Preservation of The Mahayana Tradition, founded in 1975. Keeley came back to Florida to set up the center. Affiliated to the Foundation, Tubten Kunga has had a resident teacher since 2000, Geshe Konchog Kyab. The Geshe is a title awarded to a monk who has completed the highest level of training in the Gelupa tradition. The Geshe is a disciple of the Dalai Lama. The meditation room has images of the Buddha, Bodhisattvas, heavens and hells, wheels of life, butter lamps and flowers. The Dalai Lama is honored throughout the building, with visible images and publications.

The Centers Teaching
The Gelupa tradition recognizes the 14th Dalai Lama as spiritual head. Founder Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1453) established many Tibetan monasteries, and taught the first Dalai Lama. Tibetan Buddhism is usually identified as an expression of Mahayana, or Greater Vehicle Buddhism. It is also referred to as Vajrayana (Diamond Vehicle), which is sometimes counted as a third Buddhist vehicle. The Dalai Lama writes about three vessels, which he describes as stages or options, namely hinayana, concerned with individual liberation, Mahayana, concerned with universal liberation, and Vajrayana, which he says is a Tantric form of Mahayana (bsTan-dzin-rgya-mtsho, 1995, p. 11). All three vessels are worthy of respect because they benefit a large number of sentient beings (p. 9). However, Tibetans regard Vajrayana as the most advanced vessel because it accelerates enlightenment. Tibetan Buddhism has various traditions, such as Red Hat and Yellow Hat. The Yellow Hat began as a reform movement with less focus on some of the esoteric and sexual aspects of Tantra. The tradition emphasizes the role of great teachers. Some choose to return again and again in human form.

The Dalai Lama is a manifestation of the Bodhisattva of Compassion. A Bodhisattva has gained Enlightenment but out of compassion remains within the cycle of birth, death and re-birth (samasara) to help other sentient creatures. This is said to be the more compassionate option than Arhat of Theravada Buddhism, who achieves enlightenment then leaves samsara, so cannot assist any one else. Hinayana, translated as the lesser vessel is seen as pejorative by non-Mahayana Buddhist. The goal is to defeat ignorance and suffering. The Dalai Lama also stresses that Tibetan Buddhism can help people live wholesome lives within samsara, achieving high spiritual states of inner peace while contributing to improving the health of the world as well. His writing stresses what Buddhists share rather than what distinguished the different traditions. Tibetan  tradition encourages skepticism, enquiring and testing teaching for yourself and confidentiality, keeping what you learn from your spiritual guide a secret until others have reached the appropriate spiritual stage. Serving others is a fundamental aim.

The Centers Program
The Centers program aims to teach the Dharma. This is the main task of all Buddhist monks and nuns, regardless of their particular tradition. Some Mahayana expressions place less stress on the Sangha (full-time monastic community) but this is central to Tibetan Buddhism. This Center has an open approach to teaching, representing what it offers as available to all people regardless of their faith. In fact, most of those who attend classed are not formally Buddhist. The Center says that anyone can benefit from practicing meditation and developing a healthier life. Founder Jacqueline Keeley has an interest in the Tibetan medical tradition and issues of health and wholeness, which is reflected in the Centers program. Weekly classes include Purification Practice, Basic Buddhist teachings, the Way of the Bodhisattva and introduction to meditations. Several puja (worship) options are also offered, including Tara puja and Medicine Buddha Puja. Honoring Tara, a female Bodhisattva, is said to remove obstacles from life. Honoring the Medicine Buddha results in healthier life and helps worshippers to heal others.

Attending Medicine Buddha Puja
The Medicine Buddha Puja took place on the Friday during my visit. The Geshe led, wearing his robes, yellow over red. The Medicine Buddha image (rupa) was set up on a table. He is blue. His right hand is on his lap, holding a bowl.  This contains the elixir of life, or medicines.  His left hand touches the ground. A mantra was recited, in Tibetan. The Geshe bowed three times before the rupa, one for each of the three refuges of Buddhism. Worshippers placed flowers and items of food, mainly fruit, in front of the image. I had takes an apple, and offered this. The atmosphere was meditative, devotional and quiet except for a bell rung at the beginning and end. We were told that we could observe or participate according to how comfortable we felt. Honoring an image was a new experience for me but I did not experience any discomfort, understanding that the gestures were symbolic, inviting us to reflect on the potential within all sentient beings to heal ourselves and others, to replace hate with love, selfishness with compassion. I learned in conversation that the basic form of puja is the same for different types, such as revering the Buddha or Tara. Some of the major festivals involve lighting hundreds of butter lamps. The most important Tibetan Buddhist festival, Saga Dawa (fourth months of Tibetan calendar) combines celebration of the most important events in the life of the historical Buddha.

Reflection
Is it possible to participate or only observe if you do not identify with or accept all of the beliefs of the tradition Interestingly, the Center stresses the human aspects and universal application of what it teaches, which can be summed up as peace, compassion, and wisdom. Wisdom here can be identified as understanding what is really important in life, separating the unhealthy from the healthy. Buddhists do not believe in a single God-type reality that created the universe. Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are not regarded as divine but as spiritually advanced beings. Once, they were just like any other person. The potential to overcome ignorance resides within all of us. Honoring the image of the Buddha actually honors the potential within us. Understood in this way, any barrier to participation seemed to dissolve. Honoring the human potential to overcome ignorance and achieve healthier existence for self and others does not undermine any beliefs or convictions I hold. The puja was an interesting opportunity for self-reflection.