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Since its founding in 2000 by Venerable Thupten Donyo, the Gyuto Vajrayana Center has provided the teachings of the Buddha as practiced within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition at their beautiful Center and monastery located in San Jose, California.

To preserve the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the Center invites highly qualified scholars and teachers from the Gyuto Tantric Monastery in India to give teachings and public talks on a broad range of Buddhist topics including the Sutras and Tantras. The original Gyuto Monastery was founded in 1474 in Tibet and the Gyuto Vajrayana Center in San Jose follows in this authentic lineage.

In addition to teachings, the Center organizes initiations, empowerments, prayer ceremonies, funeral services, house blessings, and purifications not only for the Tibetan Buddhist community in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, but for all Buddhist groups and the local community in general. It also hosts cultural activities for students of Bay Area schools and universities, Boy Scout troops and many other local groups.

(The Stages of Path to Enlightenment)

Venerable Geshe Lobsang Chonyi, resident teacher of the Gyuto Vajrayana Center, teaches the Lamrim Teaching (The Stages of Path to Enlightenment) every Sunday night, from 7 pm to 9 pm. Everyone is welcome to attend the classes, as all Gyuto teachings are free, but we would like to request that all members and friends kindly join our membership program to support the Center and its monastery project. Please check our program calendars before visiting the Center for teachings or pujas.

Lamrim Teaching Introduction

Geshe Chonyi was born Tenzin Phuntsok in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, in 1965, where his parents, Lobsang and Tsering, ran a successful business as traders between Lhasa and Kalimpong. Geshe-la has two brothers; one is a teacher in India and the other is a businessman in Taiwan. In 1956, his mother’s uncle sponsored his family and their teachers to go on a pilgrimage to Lhasa. In 1959 when His Holiness the Dalai Lama was forced into exile, Geshe-la’s family was lucky enough to quickly return to their home in Sikkim.

Saturday, May 25th, 2013 at 7 pm - 8 pm

Gyuto Vajrayana Center will be holding a special puja to commemorate Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana. We would like to invite all members and friends to join this special puja.

The fourth month of the Tibetan Buddhist calendar is called “Saka Dawa.” “Dawa” means “month” in Tibetan. Saka Dawa is the special month in which the Buddha’s conception, birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana (Death) all occur. In particular, the full moon day, or 15th day, of the fourth month marks the holiest day in Tibetan Buddhism. It is the day of the Buddha’s Conception, Enlightenment, and parting into Nirvana. It is auspicious to perform meritorious activities on this specific day. The merit generated from these virtuous activities increases 100,000-fold on this day in Saka Dawa.

Welcome to bring water, flowers, candles, and fruits for offering. Everyone is invted.

Water Bowl Offering Ends on Sunday, May 26th, 2013.

Starting on May 10th, we do the 15 Day water bowl offering during the month of Buddha's birth. Everyone is welcome to join the water bowl offering and welcome to bring, water bottles, candles and flowers for offering. Water bowl offering short Video.

Nyung-Ney Retreat (Sorry, We Are  FULL)

Friday, May 24th at 7 pm - 8 pm Nyung-Ney Retreat Introduction
Saturday, May 25th & Sunday, May, 26th from 5:30 am to 5:00 pm
Monday, May 27th from 7:00 am to 10:00 am

Nyung-Ney (Fasting Retreat) is an effective practice for purifying our negativities. The practice was revealed by Bhikshuni Phalmo, a practitioner who suffered from leprosy. She performed this practice for 12 years in conjunction with Chenrezig or Buddha of Compassion (Avalokiteshvara) practice and became a great Siddhi, attaining the Celestial Body.

The retreat course involves fasting and multiple daily sessions of prostration and recitation of the sadhana and praises. This is an intensive spiritual practice to purify obscurities and negativities and accumulate merit. The practice involves taking only one vegetarian meal on Saturday and then fasting until an early morning breakfast on Monday.

Prerequisites: For those who are planning to attend the Retreat, there is a prerequisite of having had either a Chenrezig empowerment or one of the highest yoga Tantra initiation.

Cost of the Retreat: Gyuto Center offers all teachings free of charge, but we request a $60 donation per person for the retreat.