WELCOME
“Teach this triple truth to all: A generous heart, kind speech, and a life of service and compassion are the things which renew humanity.” - The Buddha
Our goal is to generate enlightened activity
through meditation, insight, and compassion
in individuals and community.
THE GALLERIA
SUITE 240: COMMUNITY ROOM
740 FRONT STREET, SANTA CRUZ
Join us in Practicing the Paramita of Generosity
DONATIONS FOR SECOND HARVEST FOOD BANK
This is normally a difficult time of the year for the Santa Cruz County Food Bank, but cuts made to federal aid has made meeting the needs of people in our community even more difficult. If you are able, please bring canned or dry goods to the Wisdom Center & we will deliver them to the Food Bank!
Monetary donations can be offered directly:
https://www.thefoodbank.org/donate/
May I be a guard for those who need protection, A guide for those on the path,
A boat, a raft, a bridge for those who wish to cross the flood
May I be a lamp in the darkness, A resting place for the weary
A healing medicine for all who are sick, A vase of plenty, a tree of miracles
And for the boundless multitudes of living beings
May I bring sustenance and awakening,
Enduring like the earth and sky, Until all beings are freed from sorrow,
And all are awakened. —Dedication by Shantideva,700 A.D.
In these uncertain times, the Wisdom Center of Santa Cruz has been the recipient of a black stone plaque containing relics and precious substances, with Guru Rinpoche’s image and prayer for averting calamities etched and outlined in gold. One thousand of these precious objects were commissioned by Nyimei Tongzhou Rinpoche with the aspiration that they bring peace in the minds and hearts of all sentient beings.
Who is Padmasambhava?
Padamasambhava, commonly referred to as Guru Rinpoche, is a major figure of the first transmission of Buddhism, especially Vajrayana, into Tibet and is considered the founder of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism.
Born in Oḍḍiyāna, in the modern-day Pakistan, he came to Tibet in the 8th century at the request of King Trisong Detsen. The King had first brought Shantarakshita, Abbot of Nalanda Monastery in India, to Tibet to teach Buddhism. Difficulties arose, attributed to harmful local spirits, so Shantarakshita recommended that Padmasambhava come to subdue the spirits.
Padmasambhava did subdue the spirits and made them promise to protect the Buddhadharma. With obstacles removed, he and Shantarakshita built Samye, the first Buddhist monastery in Tibet. Under King Trisong Detsen, Buddhism became the state religion and an effort to translate the Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit to Tibetan was organized.
The Engraved Text
The prayer (Sampa Lhundrupma) is in Tibetan, but an English translation is available at Lotsawa House.
All are welcomed to contribute prayers for the benefit of all who attend teachings and sessions at the Wisdom Center. May benefits flourish across Santa Cruz, the state, the nation, the earth and the entire universe!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Want to get involved?
We are looking for volunteers. If you have an interest in Buddhism and skills to offer, email:
We recognize that the land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.