Rigpa Vihara

Two more views of the stupa

2011-10-02T20:48:00.003+02:00

A beautiful autumn at Lerab Ling

2011-10-02T20:07:00.012+02:00

Usually autumn is a season of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness’, to quote the poet, but contrary to the usual September weather we’ve been basking in beautiful sunlit weather more reminiscent of an August summer day. So the number of visitors on a Sunday has been rather more than usual for the month of September, and they’re still wearing summer clothes!

We now have a wonderful memorial to Khandro Tsering Chödrön in the form of a stupa, next to the original seven metre tall white marble stupa which was built to honour Sogyal Rinpoche before the beginning of the three year retreat. No description necessary, the photo below says more than any words could ....

Also, in addition to the statue of Buddha Shakyamuni on the front lawn of the Temple are statues of the eight great bodhisattrvas, each with an attribute symbolizing their perfection in a particular quality or activity. I’m not sure I can yet identify them individually as I need to do a bit of research on this, and also there are different versions of what their attributes are.

It is sometimes said that the Buddha’s various qualities emanate through these eight great bodhisattvas. The Verses of the Eight Noble Auspicious Ones by Mipham gives their names and attributes, or emblems, as follows:

“The youthful Mañjushri, the glorious Vajrapani,
Avalokiteshvara, the protector Maitreya,
Kshitigarbha, Nivaranavishkambin,
Akashagarbha, and the most noble Samantabhadra—homage to the Eight Bodhisattvas,
Supreme in granting auspiciousness and success, gracefully
holding your emblems:
Utpala flower, vajra, white lotus, naga-tree,
Jewel, moon, sword and sun!”

It is said that:

Manjushri personifies the Buddha’s wisdom;
Avalokiteshvara embodies his compassion;
Vajrapani represents his power and capacity;
Kshitigarbha personifies the Buddha’s merit and has special responsibility for the earth, the environment and resources;
Sarvanivaranavishkambhin embodies his precious qualities and is said to exhaust all the obscurations of beings;
Maitreya embodies love and also the Buddha’s enlightened activity;
Samantabhadra displays special expertise in making vast offerings and fulfilling prayers of aspiration; and
Akashagarbha embodies the Buddha’s blessings and has the perfect ability to purify transgressions, particularly to restore any loss or deterioration in the commitments of bodhicitta.

These eight close sons have already attained buddhahood yet they assume the form of bodhisattvas in order to work for the benefit of sentient beings until the end of samsara. The sutras, in fact, recount many extremely wonderful things in praise of each one of these eight bodhisattvas, and explain that simply to think of one or the other of these eight, or even their attributes or names, will infuse everything with auspiciousness.

As it says in the prayer:

“With all obstacles and harmful influences pacified,
May the work we are now about to begin
Meet with ever-growing fulfilment and success, and
Bring good fortune, prosperity, happiness and peace!”

A Prayer by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

2011-09-10T14:43:00.005+02:00

I came across this prayer by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö just recently and although it’s quite brief I found it very inspiring, so here is the translation. By the way, Orgyen Dorje Chang is one of the Eight Manifestations of Guru Rinpoche.

kyabné kündü orgyen dorje chang
Embodiment of all objects of refuge, Orgyen Dorjé Chang,

dak gi nying ü zeudrur shyuk né kyang
Remain on the blossoming anthers in the centre of my heart,

dü sum trulpé bakchak gyün jang né
Constantly purifying all traces of persistent patterns of delusion accumulated throughout the three times, and

rigpé ösal tokpar jingyi lob
Inspire and bless me so that I may gain stable realization of the clear light of rigpa, the very nature of my mind.

By Chökyi Lodro

Paranirvana of Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche

2011-09-05T17:39:00.008+02:00

Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche at Lerab Ling during empowerments

Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche, beloved ordination master for many of the nuns and monks at Lerab Ling, has passed away. He entered paranirvana on Friday, 2nd September and remained in thugdam for three days in his monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. He had visited Lerab Ling several times and gave many empowerments and teachings.

Some of us were fortunate enough to receive ordination from him in the Dordogne, France, in 1999, and if my memory serves me well it was the first time he had given ordination in the West.

Already I feel his loss quite deeply, as not only is he one of the old generation of masters raised and trained in Tibet, but also he very much represented for me the epitome of the monastic tradition of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. His monastery in a valley to the south of Mount Everest, in the Solu Khumbu district, Thubten Chöling, was home to a very large number of nuns, over 350, as well as many monks, most of whom were Tibetan refugees. Since he came out of Tibet, Rinpoche has ordained nearly ten thousand monks and nuns.

His passing does come as sad news, but it is said that actually the master is never separate from us. He always lives in us as the heart of our faith and devotion. According to Dzogchen Tantras, when a great enlightened teacher passes into parinirvana students have an extraordinary moment to receive blessings from their teacher by making supplications and offerings, as well as making profound personal commitments and aspirations, and praying that more emanations of the master manifest in this world to benefit all beings.

Whatever virtuous aspirations and commitments you make will swiftly be fulfilled, so now is the time for prayers and practice. It’s also an especially powerful time to do guruyoga and unite your mind with that of the master.

Photos taken during a visit to Thubten Choling by Ane Chökyi Drolma

Khandro Tsering Chödrön, Khyentse Sangyum

2011-06-23T22:57:00.005+02:00

This most amazing of ladies, this dakini, Khandro Tsering Chödrön, Khyentse Sangyum, who passed away on the 30th of May this year, showing all the signs of attaining the final accomplishment of a great Dzogchen practitioner, was considered to be an emanation of Shelkar Dorje Tso, who was taken from her homeland in Shang Tanak by Namkhé Nyingpo, and offered to Guru Rinpoche as his consort.

This mirrors Khandro-la’s own life as she became the spiritual consort of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, one of the most outstanding masters of the twentieth century who was considered to be the activity emanation of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, who was the body incarnation of Jikmé Lingpa.

She was nineteen years old. For the next eleven years she served as his attendant, devoted and loving companion, and inspired his response to her many requests for practice, prayers, and advice, often putting her request or questions to him in the form of songs.

Her spiritual marriage to him transformed her from a somewhat rebellious and very beautiful young woman into a radiant dakini held in high regard by all who had the good fortune to meet her.

She was the aunt of Sogyal Rinpoche who writes of her in the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, and in the same way that he considered Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö to be like a father to him, he also considered her to be very much a spiritual mother to him, as it is she also who brought him up.

There are many wonderful stories of how Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö and Khandro-la found termas with Gyarong Khandro, a female master and tertön, who never slept and had a gift for predicting when people would die. Every 10th and 25th day of the lunar calendar, it is said, she would disappear and travel to the heaven of Guru Rinpoche. Khandro-la requested Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö for a prayer to Gyarong Khandro which he composed at her request.

Once, when they were performing a tsok feast Gyarong Khandro had a vision, so got up and left, and walked directly to a place where a treasure was, but because she was so fat she had difficulty reaching it and asked Khandro Tsering Chödrön to help her. They removed rocks and earth and finally reached the treasure―a ritual dagger which was still warm, that they gave to Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö.

There is the story of how she was with Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö and Khandro Tsering Chödrön when they revealed the two-armed Vajrakilaya practice, Phurba Meyi Pudri as an earth terma.

Also, in 1952, when Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö was opening the sacred place of Khyungchen Paldzong, known locally as Gyalgen Khyungtak, above Dzongsar Monastery, Jamyang Khyentse, Gyarong Khandro, Khandro Tsering Chödrön and Sogyal Rinpoche all left their handprints in the solid rock.

Khandro-la first came to visit Lerab Ling in 1996―a year that also brought Nyoshul Khenpo and his sangyum, Damchö Zangmo, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, Neten Chokling Rinpoche, and Orgyen Tobgyal Rinpoche―and finally came to live at Lerab Ling in 2006, shortly after the beginning of the three year retreat, joining her older sister, Mayum Tsering Wangmo, the mother of Sogyal Rinpoche, who had already been living here at Lerab Ling for several years.

Her precious physical presence is still with us in the form of the kudung which will remain here in Rinpoche’s private shrine room for several more months until the time of her cremation, and students attending the retreats later this summer will have the opportunity to visit the kudung and receive her blessing.

How incredibly precious an opportunity to be here at Lerab Ling at this special moment in time...

Open day at Lerab Ling

2011-05-08T17:42:00.010+02:00

A busy Sunday today at Lerab Ling as we host an open day for visitors. Last year over 1,500 people came and were shown around the Temple, the stupa, the lake with a statue of Guru Rinpoche, and the land and gardens, and this time there will probably be as many if not more.

Our Temple here is not just a beautiful building but a sacred space, a special environment and an especially potent symbol of the Dharma, and has been blessed by visits from numerous great masters of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

We hope that when the visitors enter the Temple they will be enthralled by the large statue of Shakyamuni Buddha which is the centrepiece of the Tsuklhakahang, flanked on either side by Avalokiteshvara and Guru Rinpoche. Also on either side are the past and the future buddhas, Dipankara and Maitreya with 1002 buddhas.

So our Temple is a place of teachings, empowerments, blessings, meditation, tantric rituals, and retreats – especially the three year retreat which ended almost eighteen months ago now. It holds the hope of enlightenment for the welfare of all beings, and extends the opportunity of the truth of the dharma for all who would hear.

As Sogyal Rinpoche says:

“We have built this temple because it is, we believe, one of the greatest contributions we can make towards bringing wisdom, compassion and peace into the world.”

“In many places today, people are recognizing that spiritual development is not a luxury, but a sheer necessity for our survival. Witness the almost desperate hunger and need everywhere for spiritual vision, and for the tools to negotiate the challenges of life, find happiness and understand and transform the mind. This is why the very existence of spiritual centres like Lerab Ling has now assumed truly vital importance, because it is on the accessibility of spiritual teachings and the building of a spiritual culture that the very future of humanity depends.

“This temple is for Tibet, and it is for the world.”

Unique as it is in a world of turmoil, may all the visitors find peace, compassion and wisdom, and through their visit may they make a connection which brings them to the ultimate state of enlightenment.

Such a blessing ...

2011-05-06T15:49:00.003+02:00

We’ve just finished a wonderful weekend of teachings with Sogyal Rinpoche on ‘Compassionate Living, Fearless Dying’ at Lerab Ling with about 600 or so people attending. On the last day the blessing was given outside as people lined up around the Temple. Here’s a photo of some of the monks and nuns receiving a blessing from Rinpoche.

Many thanks to Jan Pieters for the photo.

Four go further forth

2010-11-29T20:25:00.003+01:00

Four of the nuns from Lerab Ling recently took siksamana ordination at Pu Yi Yuan Monastery in Taiwan. The ordination and training was arranged especially for 6 nuns from the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

A Siksamana (Skt) (Sikkhamana (Pali), Gelobma (Tibetan)) is a female nun who holds the novice vows plus six additional regulations for two years, while also training in 292 precepts in preparation to become a bhikshuni (a fully ordained nun).

Prayer to Guru Rinpoche

2010-10-21T15:44:00.005+02:00

Guru Rinpoche statue on the lake at Lerab Ling

There are many short prayers to Guru Rinpoche in Jamyang Khyentsé Chokyi Lodrö’s Collected Works. Here is just one of them.... Time permitting, I hope to put some more on the blog over the course of the winter.

tsa sum kundü gyalwang pema jung

Embodiment of the three roots, ‘Lotus-born’ buddha, Padmakara,

rang shyin yermé ngang né solwa dep

Inseparable from the natural state, to you I pray,

né dön barché tamché shyiwa dang

Pacify all illness, döns and obstacles and

dön nyi sampa lhun gyi druppar shok

May all wishes for the benefit of ourselves and others be spontaneously fulfilled!

By the one called Dharma Mati

Dakinis of today

2010-10-17T18:57:00.007+02:00

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, the present incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, and Khandro Tsering Chodron

In following up my interest in the works of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö I came across a couple of interesting things. There’s a prayer to Gyarong Khandro that Khandro Tsering Chödrön requested him to write, and immediately following that prayer - which is in the second volume of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö’s works - is a short prayer to Khandro Tsering Chödrön by the master himself:

yeshe daki dechen tsogyal gyi

With the blessings of Tsogyal, wisdom dakini of great bliss,

chin lap shelkar za yi nampar trul

Emanation of the lady of Shelkar,

ayu dharma dipham la solwa dep

Ayu Dharma Dipham (Long Life, Lamp of the Dharma), to you I pray.

samdön chö shyin druppar chin gyi lop

Grant your blessing so that all our wishes in accordance with the dharma be fulfilled.

By Chökyi Lodro

The ‘lady of Shelkar’ mentioned in the prayer is one of Guru Rinpoche’s consorts, Shelkar Dorje Tso, of whom Khandro Tsering Chödrön is considered to be an emanation. Also, Khandro’s name, Ayu Dharma Dipham (Long Life, Lamp of the Dharma), is mentioned in her long life prayer and also in the guruyoga of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö composed by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, where she is said to be emanation of Sarasvati. This guruyoga was requested by ‘Tulku Sönam Gyaltsen, the incarnation of the great Tertön Sogyal and one who is the source of all knowledge, love, compassion and noble qualities’ - in other words Sogyal Rinpoche.

There’s lots of wonderful information about all these masters and dakinis on the Rigpa Wiki website - a true treasure trove of dharma. When giving information about Shelkar Dorje Tso it mentions that, according to Tulku Thondup, she crossed the Tsangpo river standing on a bamboo walking stick!

And in the entry about Khandro Tsering Chödrön it mentions that, according to Dzongsar Ngari Tulku (Tenzin Khedrup Gyatso), on one occasion [ c.1952], when Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö was opening the sacred place of Khyungchen Paldzong (khyung chen dpal rdzong), known locally as Gyalgen Khyungtak (rgya rgan khyung ltag), above Dzongsar Monastery, Jamyang Khyentse, Gyarong Khandro, Khandro Tsering Chödrön and Sogyal Rinpoche all left their handprints in the solid rock.

Oh, to have been there.....

By the way, I don’t know who took the above picture of Khandro with Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, the present incarnation of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö – if whoever it is comes forward I will gladly credit them...

Save the date: Free Live Video Stream: Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche: Public Talk, 18 July 2010, 3pm (Paris Time)

2010-07-09T10:11:00.007+02:00

On 18 July 2010, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche will give a Public Talk, The Lineage of a Good Heart, during his visit to Lerab Ling, Sogyal Rinpoche's main retreat centre in France.

This teaching will be video streamed live and for free in English, French, German and Spanish.

Everyone is welcome to join.

Simply go to: http://videostreaming.rigpa.org

Details
Date: 18 July 2010
Time: 3pm, Paris time (GMT+2)
Video streaming website: http://videostreaming.rigpa.org
More information: http://www.lerabling.org OR http://www.rigpa.org

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who was one the greatest spiritual teachers of our time. A number of special gatherings, teachings and events have been arranged this year to celebrate his life and remarkable accomplishments, and to introduce his incarnation, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, to the world.

For more information about the tour and the anniversary celebrations, go to: http://web.me.com/vsandoval/Shechen_News/2010_Centennial_Celebrations.html

Receiving the Green Tara empowerment from Kyabjé Tenga Rinpoche in Lerab Ling

2010-07-08T13:43:00.027+02:00

The 6th July 2010, on His Holiness the Dalai Lama's 75th birthday, Kyabjé Tenga Rinpoche gave a Green Tara empowerment to Sogyal Rinpoche's family. The Lerab Ling monastic community was invited as well as some of Rinpoche's close students. This event wonderfully took place in Sogyal Rinpoche's private shrine room.

After the self empowerment, there was a pause, but then, as we were getting ready for the next phase of the empowerment, Tenga Rinpoche said 'Kale, kale...', then in English 'slowly, slowly...' as this is one of the English words that he has learned.

Tenga Rinpoche asked how many nuns and monks were at Lerab Ling, and whether we attended the Shedra in Nepal. Having replied that only one of us went to Nepal, he then asked if the monks went to Namdroling.

We replied that there was Shedra West in Lerab Ling and Tenga Rinpoche asked if the nuns also participated in these teachings.

We told Rinpoche of the teachings Khenpo Pema Sherab had given—the teachings to the monastic community, the lung of Ngari Pema Wangchen's Dom Sum—and also that he had taught on Mipham Gyamtso Rinpoche's Beacon of Certainty. Tenga Rinpoche then said that is was a very important text because it covered all the different views.

He said that Khenpo Shenga taught on Nagarjuna's Root Verses on the Middle Way and that his monks (particularly the fully ordained ones) carried a copy of the text in the folds of their chögu on the left shoulder. Khenpo Shenga, he said, had declared that each letter of the Root Verses was a dakini.

He also told us that he himself had received teachings on Ngari Pema Wangchen's Dom Sum while in Tibet. When he went into exile in 1959, he went to Rumtek's Monastery. There, the VIth Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, the brother of the sixteenth Karmapa Rangjung Rigpé Dorje, wanted to have the text reprinted and Tenga Rinpoche offered him his copy to use.

Tenga Rinpoche told us that conduct—the outer conduct of the Pratimoksha, the inner conduct of the Bodhichitta and the secret conduct of Kyerim and Dzogrim—was important but that it was also very important to study well.

After the empowerment, Tenga Rinpoche said that its lineage was that of the first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa , who had five sets of five deities—of Chakrasamvara, Vajrayogini, Hayagriva, Hevajra and Tara of the Khadira Forest, Sengdeng Nagchi Drölma,which is the particular Tara empowerment that we received from him.

The empowerment of Green Tara, Tara who overcomes all fears, enables us to do all the Tara practices. As Lama Sherab, who translated for Tenga Rinpoche, said: "It covers all". They themselves do daily the practice of Zabtig Drolchok.

In his book on the 21 aspects of Tara, Tara's Enlightened Activity, Khenpo Pema Sherab says of Tara of the Khadira Forest, in relation to verse 9 of the 21 Verses (1):

chag tsal könchok sum tsön chak gyé
Homage to her who displays the mudra of the Three Jewels,

sormö tukkar nampar gyenma
With fingers forming an ornament at the heart.

malü chok kyi khorlo gyenpé
You make each and every direction temble,

rang gi ö kyi tsok nam trukma
With the mass of light from the wheel in your hand.

Green Tara, who protects from the [twofold, outer and inner, eight great fears (2)] is named Tara Sengdeng Nagchi or sometimes Sengdeng Nagchi Drölma. The sengdeng is a very large tree, known as (3) in English. Some trees are considered peaceful and others wrathful; sengdeng is known as a wrathful tree. In Tibet, damaru and chöd drums are made from this strong, dense wood. So there are frequent references to sengdeng damaru. In Tibetan medicine, the bark and resin are used to make a tea considered very beneficial for the blood. As nag means "forest", she is the Green Tara of the sengdeng forest.

On the morning of the 7th July, before leaving, Tenga Rinpoche asked to see the monastic community. He gave us advice and a blessing, offering each of us a reproduction of an image of Milarepa painted by His Holiness the seventeenth Karmapa, Urgyen Trinlé Dorjé, a pouch of amrita and little garlands of flags inscribed with the mantra "OM MANI PADME HUM".

(1) Extracted from Gongter Drolmé Zabtik, Rigpa Translations.

(2) The two-fold eith great fears are of: elephant—ignorance; demonic forces—doubt; water—desire; fire—anger; robbers—wrong ideas and wrong beliefs; poisonous snakes—jealousy; lions—pride or arrogance; chains, imprisonment, authority—greed.

(3) It is sometimes said that sengdeng is a form of acacia.

2010-06-28T19:16:00.001+02:00

Flower Children of the Sixties,
Peace, Love and Joy

Way back then in the sixties I used to think that freedom came from having no rules and no boundaries, and it was only after I encountered Buddhism many years later, in 1986, in fact, that I realized I was looking for freedom where it simply could not be found. It was only then that I came to realize how the material world, particularly our present day world of acquisition, speed and aggression, is full of limitations. In fact, only after encountering Buddhism did I realize that I was looking in completely the wrong direction anyway, outside rather than inside.

Further along, I also discovered that if I walked along a well-trodden path, but one not chosen by so many in the West, then by living a life which is disciplined, simple and harmless I could more quickly discover the freedom that lies within us.

I could never have imagined way back in the sixties that I would be sitting in my room overlooking a Tibetan Buddhist temple, in the south of France, wearing the robes of a nun.

You might think that for those who become nuns or monks, a life of celibacy and renunciation was a pretty drastic way to look for the ‘peace and love’ that a flower child of the sixties was looking for, but, as I’ve discovered, there’s a deep satisfaction that comes from not seeking for satisfaction in external things. You find the ‘peace and love’, and joy, that you were looking for all those years ago.

When we talk about vows and precepts we need to bear in mind that these are the supports for finding freedom, rather than restrictions which impose limitations. And are not prohibitions which enhance our sense of ‘original sin’ that many of us experience as a result of an overly strict Christian upbringing. When vows and precepts are enforced from outside, rather than being taken on and considered as a natural support for following the path, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of losing one’s sense of self-worth, of thinking you don’t measure up to some self-imposed standard. But then the teachings time and time again bring us back to ‘buddhanature’ so when we get lost we just have to remember that our nature is the same as Buddha’s.

What the precepts do is to shut the door on all our habitual sources of satisfaction so that our entire attention is directed inward. This is where we discover a beauty, clarity and vastness of being that is unshakeable, and independent of circumstances and conditions. So when you see a beautiful blue sky, a tree, a flower, or hear a piece of music, that becomes a bonus, an enhancer of the joy and freedom you’re already experiencing, and a reminder of the true nature of all things.

Because of my Irish family and upbringing I’m reminded of what I heard many years ago:

When the Christian missionaries came to Ireland in the 5th century preaching Christ, the Irish replied that they already knew him:

‘Christ, we know him well. Is he not the singing of the bird in the tree, the light of the rising sun in a drop of dew, the glorious surgings of the ocean, the strength of the oak tree? How wonderful to know that he has come on Earth and walked among us. He is the one our ancestors have faithfully worshipped. Eternal Wisdom is his name, King of the Elements, Rí na nUile. Himself unchanging, he makes all things new. For Wisdom is quicker to move than any motion, she is so pure, she pervades and permeates all things.’"

Great View/Great Khenpo

2010-06-19T20:59:00.005+02:00

During Khenchen Pema Sherab's recent visit to Lerab Ling, a few of us enjoyed an evening walk to the Eastern cliffs of Lerab Ling (beyond the 'three trees').

From left to right: Lama Yönten, Khenchen Pema Sherab, Ane Pema Osel, Lama Sonam Tsewang and Ane Damchö

Christ's thumb, Buddha's pinkie

2010-05-10T20:10:00.006+02:00

Detail of Hand, Phra Atchana, Wat Si Chum, Sukhothai Historical Park.

Posture of 'Subduing Mara' or 'Calling the Earth to witness'.

Our temple has solid doors (a sure indication that it will remain for generations to come!).

A couple of weeks ago, my little finger was slammed in the door. (ouch!) The finger nail has been black since then, and I'm still waiting for it to drop off...

Meanwhile, a Christian sister slammed her thumb in her convent window, and wrote this blog:

Much is written about the Body of Christ, but does anyone every pay attention to the lowly thumb? Today, we celebrate the thumb of Christ. Why the thumb? Well, because I just smashed mine when I too vigorously closed the convent window. I now have renewed appreciation for all the little parts that make up the Body of Christ.

Christ Pantocrator mosaic from Daphni, Greece, ca. 1080-1100. I especially like this image of Christ because he looks like he just slammed his thumb in a carpentry mishap.

Here’s the thing. The thumb is a very small part of the whole body. It’s not all that fancy, and it almost never gets the attention that parts such as the heart receive. But that little guy is part of the whole, and its presence or its absence affects everything else....Until part of the body ceases to function “normally” we tend to take it for granted....

So this of course gets me thinking about the imagery of the Body of Christ, an image Saint Paul uses to talk about how we are all interconnected with each other and Jesus the Christ.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27)

Just as the thumb is a small part of the body, not very glamorous or coveted (no one asked the Wizard of Oz for a thumb, after all), so we too might feel like a small, barely significant part of the whole Body of Christ. Yet we are indispensable. Our gifts and talents and unique way of being in the world are needed to fully make Christ present in the world, present to one another and to the whole world. And even when we feel crushed, tired, weighed down, we can still live fully. Even a crushed thumb can still eke out a space bar or two!

So here’s to the Thumb of Christ, my friends!

Experiencing one sleepless night of pinkie pain, after I had slammed my finger in the door, and reading this blog from sister Julie, I am reminded of a teaching which Sogyal Rinpoche shares with us: When the left foot has a thorn in it, does the right hand say "that's none of my business - it's the foots' problem!"? No, without hesitating, our hand will remove the thorn, to alleviate the pain.

I also recall these verses from the Meditation chapter of Shantidevas' Bodhicaryavatara:

Verse 91:

The hand and the other limbs are many and distinct,
But all are one–one body to be kept and guarded,
Likewise, different beings in their joys and sorrows,
Are, like me, all one in wanting happiness.

Verse 114:

Hands and other limbs
Are thought of as members of a body.
Shall we not consider likewise–
Limbs and members of a living whole?

Our precious human rebirth in the context of dirt

2010-04-23T08:41:00.005+02:00

Why are human lives so precious, not just being a winner in the human rebirth lottery makes a life precious. A situation with enough wealth, freedom and peace and access or interest in learning as well as authentic wisdom teachings is on this planet a difficult thing to be born into. Its not as simple as just having money, we need to often engage in some activities to create the renunciation it takes to break from the "consumer coma" that we are mindlessly sleep-walking in.

The fact that the title of the film "Dirt, the Movie" may not be of any interest to most of us shows how far removed we have become from something we should all rejoice in. This film does actually reflect on our mistaken grasping and confused world view and many of the people in it are very spiritual or philosophical. One woman says "the value of diamonds is just a concept the real wealth is the dirt or soil that provides us with what we need". This living dirt was once considered common and easily accessible to everyone is becoming less and less available. How can we practice mindfulness and care while we avoid chances to investigate where our food comes from and who benefits or suffers in the acts of delivering this much needed food to our table. In developed wealthy countries the resources we take for granted are too expensive to be kept for the third world countries where they are still being exploited. In these already poor countries even deeper drought and poverty is the result of the choices we make every day.

I believe that the buddha's intention was that we utilise a broad feild of knowledge which will help us to understand the dharma. Cultivation of food, care of the dirt and soil was once considered a central part of human life and common sense. Where fertility existed abundance followed allowing people torelax and have more time to enjoy life or turn to spiritual pursuits. As for me, I have strong concerns about the environment and sustainability but as I have explored this topic I have really come to a conclusion. How can I sit by when my food is produced in ways that result of deprivation of people on the other side of the world. How can I even know the effect of my actions and abandon harmful behaviour if I don't generate an awareness of the truth behind food. Finally how can I live long if I don't care for the lives of others - my actions are not separate and independent.

A simple decision to take an interest in gardening vegetables and doing something unexpected like establishing a garden I found had more in common with a whole generation of people who were raised to understand where food comes from and "grow their own". Suddenly some practical wisdom was opened up to me which was so interesting it pulled me away from endless hours of websites and fruitless discussions, and I decided to do the best I could. There is a story of a hummingbird who "did the best he could" in "Dirt, the Movie". I hope you will be entertained by this fabulous, inspiring film should you be lucky enough to find it.

I choose gardening, even as a monk - if you don't garden and or buy from organic local producers then you participate in a lot of destruction and killing. If you are a buddhist but not protecting the environment aren't you allowing the destruction of that which allows countless beings to find happiness. I am not expecting everyone to get out and start a farm, but start the journey with a few pots of herbs and it will get you thinking. One day you will shudder to think what you have supported once you hear how the soil was lost, due to the same old self cherishing that brings all the suffering in this world. When you become empty of energy, health you might question the food you eat and why it was devoid of nutrition and become shocked at how you ignored all the warnings as just the ramblings of a bunch of fringe greenies.

Offering a Lamp on a new years day

2010-03-18T10:55:00.008+01:00

Chengdu ... for Chinese New Years day - the year of the Tiger. I had just arrived and visited with the people hosting me and we got to take a look at the first Buddhist temple I had seen since arriving in China on the 5th of February, now it was the 14th. Many very devoted people were flooding in and out of the Manjushri Temple. I wasn't in robes during my time in China or I would have got a free pass into the temple, instead I needed a ticket to get in - happy though to support a monastery.

With help from the local monk and my friends i managed to locate this statue of Ananda amongst the collection of the 16 Arhats they had. The text in his hand seems to indicate that it was "thus have I heard ... " himself. There was also a very renowned lion form of Manjushri painted on a wooden wall which had given various miraculous indications during the cultural revolution, enough to gain the respect of the locals and protect this temple from being the focus of too much detrimental attention. I couldn't take a photo but there was a palpable feeling of holiness. Its hard to find images of lion form Manjushri on the Internet, but apparently his is often in this form. Sometimes Manjushri is with a lion.

Once we went through a few more shrines within the temple a courtyard at the rear was arranged with tables where everyone could offer lamps and incense. I was really happy to participate and put the name of a very nice sponsor of my hosts who was ill. Here is a picture of the area where lamps were offered - very organised it was.

Near the end of the trip I was told the same lady I offered a lamp for released creatures into freedom to offer for my benefit when I had become quite ill. I don't know if she knew I made an offering for but anyway, its great to be part of these traditional practice on either the giving or the receiving side.

I wanted to get a souvenir from this monastery and of course I have to admit being quite fond of buying things from time to time. I ended up with a huge box of incense, these spiral forms which can apparently burn for 24 hours. I burned a couple over the next weeks and sent the rest home in the mail. It was not so different from a Tibetan style incense, no stick, just all incense. I look forward to making many day long offerings of sweet smoke at home. Perhaps the topic of a future blog entry.

I began my path taking refuge with a Chinese master and practicing in a Taiwanese temple in Australia. So for me it was as familiar as it was different to the Tibetan traditional representations and architecture I have spent the most time appreciating. Most of all being in this part of the world for real and not just forming opinions based on the fear mongering news media helped me feel closeness to the people of China who make up such a large part of our world. Having a great freind to translate and show me around was the most special part of my time.

Next time I will share from my visit to Leshan and Mt Emei - the mountain of Samanthabadra that a freind recommended I visit.

Nalanda monks visit Lerab Ling

2010-03-17T12:13:00.017+01:00

Group photo in front of the stupa

On Sunday March the 14th, we had the great pleasure to welcome 18 monks and lay members from Nalanda Monastery, located near to Toulouse, France. It felt very much that, our time of ordination in India continued here in Lerab Ling, by a sudden explosion of red robes. And marked by monks from many different European countries.
In a short time we had the possibility to exchange a lot about our monastic experiences. Such as Sojong, meeting their brothers at the preordination course in India, gardening, study and practices, work shops, temple decoration and our different traditions.

Circumambulating Guru Rinpoche in the lake

We had a nice lunch together (with french fries...) and visited the different shrine rooms of the temple. Unfortunately, the time we spent together was too short, because they had to leave again to attend the Sojong ceremony with Geshe Jamphal (Abbot of Nalanda).

We hope to see them again either, here in Lerab Ling, or in Nalanda, as we thought that it was such an auspicious meeting.

Visit to Tenzin Palmo's Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery

2010-03-17T10:06:00.030+01:00

New gompa under construction

Right after being ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, we had the good fortune to visit The Venerable Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo at her Nunnery, near Tashi Jong (a 2 hours car ride from Mc Leod Ganj). She welcomed us at her nunnery. We first got an impression of the daily routine of the Nunnery, being a very conducive environment for the ani-las to study, practice, and engage in the daily activities of a monastery (such as debate, english class, torma making, cooking). At the Nunnery, some nuns were partaking in a strict long term retreat in restricted bounderies.

Nun's residence

Tenzin Palmo's vision was to found a Nunnery to give young nuns of the Drukpa Kagyu lineage the opportunity to realise their intellectual and spiritual potential after so many centuries of neglect and to reinstate at the Nunnery the "Togdenma" (yogini) tradition.

The Nunnery which is specially shaped in a circular way gives the nuns a very intimate and cosy living environment. It contains the living quarters, kitchen, dining hall, gompa, and in the future a place of social exchanges. Some other buildings are also dedicated for classes, offices, temple, hostel for the nuns' families (most of them are coming from the Himalayan regions A two months retreat is undertaken each year by the nuns.

We were very much moved by Ven. Tenzin Palmo's view and determination to make a positive lasting change in the lives of many. The young nuns faces were radiating joy, happiness and contentment.
It is such a great inspiration to come into contact with such a role model just after entering the monastic life.
We had time to share some time with Jetsun Tenzin Palmo and the atmosphere she created will rest for a long time in our hearts. We look forward to meet her again one day in the nearby future.

Ven. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Sister Jotika and some of the POC participants

For more information about Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo's Nunnery, you can visit : http://www.tenzinpalmo.com/

The ordination ceremony with His Holiness the Dalai Lama

2010-03-16T16:27:00.009+01:00

Tenpa, fourth on the left, who received gelong ordination

On 1st of march 2010, His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave to around 30 getsuls full ordination in his private residence in Dharamsala. Eight getsuls from the pre-ordination course were ordained as gelong on this most joyful and special day.

Francois who became Tenzin Jigme (on the 4th of the left)

His Holiness the Dalai Lama gave the getsul and getsulma ordination in the morning on the same day, at his private residence.

Marion who became Tenzin Dhasel (3rd on the left)

Words fall too short to express in any way what this ordination has meant to us. We show you these photos to convey some of that most special moment in our lives.

We want to remember all the kind teachers, especially Sogyal Rinpoche, whom without we would still be lost in samsara, all our dharma brothers and sisters who gave us the strength and inspiration to grow, our beloved parents who in all their kindness provided us with this precious human body, and all our benefactors who generously supported us with their belief in our intention.

Thank you all!!!

May this ordination truly bring about the enlightenment
of self and countless others and cause the long life of
all the masters and the flourishing of their teachings.
And that the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha may last for eons in this world.

Pre-ordination course Tushita, India

2010-03-16T15:23:00.009+01:00

After having left all the business of Dharamsala, we finally made our way up to Tushita, one of the main retreat center of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We were hosted in dormitories with some other fellow participants of the course. That day we had our first session with our course leader Bhikshuni Sister Jotika, assisted by Ane Rita. As we were prepared beforehand, we received the information that no ordination would happen in February, with possibility of no ordination at all. So we had two choices: 1 to become really depressed, negative and blaming ourselves or 2 to focus positively on the content of the course which was mainly studying the vinaya and the practicing in the Vajrasattva temple vows of the individual liberation. The response of the group was amazing and thanks to Sister Jotika's love and care, we unanimely chose to go for the second option. What a nice journey was waiting ahead.

Sister Jotika and Sister Rita with all the POC participants

With 22 particants from 13 different nationalities (Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, America, France, Holland, Germany, Spain, Austria, Greece, Switzerland, Australia and Korea) we shared our experience, our hopes and fears, our motivation for taking ordination. It felt from the start like one mandala merging together, and we really felt secure enough to expose ourselves in a deep way. We felt moved when we heard that the Pre-ordination course was initiated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to give the non-tibetans a better chance for receiving fully and upholding the ordination in the tibetan tradition (Mulasarvastivadin). This was the best way to prepare ourselves for that very special moment.
Sister Jotika, was the person appointed by His Holiness to hold the course and teach us the Vinaya, the Pratimoksha vows and many different aspects of monasticism. She has an incredible background of knowledge and experience as a buddhist nun in the three existing Vinaya traditions (the Theravada, Dharmagupta and Mulasarvastivadin). With her tremendous care and inimitable way to feel the atmosphere within the group, she was able to provide each of us with whatever that person most needed.

Our days started with personal practises, followed by a group practise until breakfast time. Afterwards we fulfilled a short work commitment and received teachings for most of the morning until lunch time. We had enough time during the lunchbreak to study and memorize the teachings. There was also time for a short walk within the retreat boundaries.
The afternoons were dedicated to more teachings, discussion groups and group practices. Then for those who needed, one could have a medicine meal composed of soup and bread, as allowed by His Holiness because of the cold weather. The day was concluded by an inspiring Ane Dhasel guided meditation and dedication.

During the course, great care was taken of everyone, not to get sick. Because if one would be sick, one was not allowed to be near His Holiness, and so one couldn't receive the ordination. But as you will see in the next blog, we were well protected....

Lots of love
the three musketeers

Udumbara under nun's washing machine

2010-03-04T20:03:00.005+01:00

A friend emailed me this link today: Rare Buddhist flower found under nun's washing machine

Which led me to 15 minutes of distraction, the fruits of which were finding this photo, and posting this blog.

In May 2005, ten Udumbara flowers were found on the face of a Bodhisattva statue in the Sumi Zen Temple in Korea (see this for more)

The Prajna Paramita (or The Great Perfection of Wisdom) Sutra says, "One cannot always keep the human body; wealth is but a dream; when nothing is lacking, it is difficult to persist in a righteous belief. When a Tathagata talks of the profound and wonderful Dharma, isn't it as precious and rare as the Udumbara?"

another miraculous birthday

2010-03-01T09:45:00.006+01:00

Yesterday, we celebrated Chotrul Düchen, The Display of Miracles.

Chotrul Duchen, one of the four great deeds of the Buddha, is celebrated on the last of fifteen days at the start of the Tibetan New Year in observance of the Buddha’s performance of miracles to help increase the merit of countless sentient beings, liberating them from samsara, as well as helping them to engage in virtuous activities. It is believed that the merit accumulated during the first fifteen days of the New Year is multiplied immensely (cited from this link).

As Jikmé Lingpa said:

Through the magical power of your miracles in Shravasti,
You rendered speechless the tirthika teachers who,
With all their analysis and research, drunk on the wine of indulgence, had become oppressive in the extreme.
In the final contest they were humbled, their prestige all drained away,
As you triumphed through 'the four bases of miraculous powers'. (cited from this link)

At Lerab Ling, we were in the midst of a Tendrel Nyesel Drupchö, and so, our usual day of ten hours of practice, as part of this 7 day practice intensive, was bolstered with even more prayers of auspiciousness, especially related to the Buddha. These prayers and practices included reciting the Bodhisattva Vow, the Sutra of the Three Heaps and Zangchö Monlam, Samantabhadras' Aspiration to Good Actions.

At the conclusion of such a marvelous day of practice, it came as a wonderful surprise then, to hear the news that Tenpa, Marion and Francois would receive their ordination today, the 1st of March. And, as I write this, though we have not heard from them yet, it feels that certainly another kind of miracle has taken place. I'm sure they will grace us with their news as soon as they have a chance to sit down and share everything!

not ordinary

2010-02-22T23:20:00.004+01:00

The teachings demonstrate to us, and explain in vivid ways how we all have the Buddha Nature as our inherent true self.

Yet, due to habit, time and time again, we fall back to relating to the mundane aspect of ourself, which, ignorantly, we very easily accept.

Sogyal Rinpoche once said to me:

You are not an ordinary person, so why do you see yourself as that?

See yourself as I see you!

When a great being looks at any of us, I'm sure they see who we really are, and they also see who we're really not! And this is what they are constantly showing to us!

I realized today, as I was talking to my Dharma sister, Tsondru, that when I really nurture and honour my path as a monastic, the mundane, habitual view of myself naturally dissolves. It cannot find any foothold or ornaments to attach itself to when the precepts and the Buddhas guidance are taken as the framework of one's life.

So, in fact, by being a simple nun, I feel 'not ordinary', and instead, much more easily recognize and return to finding confidence in my true nature.

This was an important and subtle understanding through which I see how great the support is that the monastic precepts offer.

Sri Lankan and Nepali Bhikshunis in a flower garden in Da Lat, Vietnam

Birthday

2010-02-10T12:15:00.003+01:00

Eight years ago today, Ngawang Thubten (of France), Ngawang Sangye Chozom (of the US), and I, Ngawang Damchö Drolma (of Australia) were ordained in Bouddhanath, Nepal, by the great Vinaya master of the Nyingma tradition, Kyabjé Trulshik Rinpoche.

The ordination took place in a small shrine room, with light green painted walls, in the modest abode of Trulshik Rinpoche in Kathmandu. There were five of us who received ordination: we three, plus one Nepalese lady (whose son, famed as being the first man to scale to the peak of mount Everest, eagerly waited outside saying this day was more important for him that the physical feats he had mastered years ago), and an elderly Tibetan lady.

I still remember so many details of the day, during which we felt like we had a new birth. For many years, one of my ordination sisters from that day even had a 'birth' mark which remained on her scalp where the ordination master had poured saffron water.

When we take ordination, we give up three signs of being a lay person: our hair, our clothes and our name, and we adopt the conduct of a shikshamana precept holder, the robes of our lineage and the name which our ordination master gives us. The protection of the precepts and the robes has been tangible since that time, and it feels as though the blessing of the Buddha continuously holds us on the path of right conduct.

Ven. Matthieu Ricard translated for our ordination and Sangye Chözom asked him to give us some advise.

"Do good, be good" he said!

So, you want to be a Bhikshuni?

2010-02-04T21:59:00.008+01:00

Bhikshuni Heng-Ching from Taiwan, the co-editor of "Sisters in Solitude" responded to the question "what should one reflect on when checking to see if one has the correct motivation to take Bhikshuni ordination?", and she gave a very succinct and inspiring response:

"No Girl Friend, No Tension!" says Tenpa

2010-02-03T22:20:00.001+01:00

Recent photo of Tenpa taken in Dharamsala, India

Before entering Tushita

2010-02-03T21:58:00.009+01:00

Hello from Dharamsala!

We have safely arrived in the holy land of Lord Buddha, India. In Delhi we had the good fortune to practise and pray in front of the relics of the Buddha in the National Museum. A wonderful start of our adventure which, we pray, will result in receiving ordination with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala.

Relics of the Lord Buddha

After two nights in Rigpa House in Delhi we took a small plane to Kangra Airport, a 45 minutes drive from Dharamsala. It went very smooth and we enjoyed the beautiful scenery of the snow mountains. It supposed to be winter now here, but instead we experience a lovely mild spring, with many flowers already blossoming. It seems that the Namgyal Monastery practises to get snow, because otherwise there will be a water shortage in the summertime.

Spring flowers and 'mani stones' on the circumambulation trail around His Holiness the Dalai Lama's residence in Dharamsala

Upon arrival in Dharamsala we picked up our newly made monastic robes. That evening, under a full moon, we circumbulated the residence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In the days that followed we undertook the last preparations before entering the pre-ordination course at Tushita. We had the good fortune to mee His Holiness the 17th Karmapa at his Monastery, as well the new monastery of Garje Khamtrul Rinpoche, where we were welcomed by a beautiful and kind western monk.

In those few days we have witnessed many acts of kindness from many different people. We were often touched by the generosity of many. One time we forgot our camera in a taxi, and before we even knew about it, the taxi driver had been looking for us in order to return our camera. Or the lunch we were offered at the monastery of His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, or even the tea and cake with Tashi-la, His Holiness Dalai Lama's chöpon.

Today, we will make our way to Tushita. We have been looking very much forward to this moment. It might even be a cold turkey for us...especially after all the shopping and business of the last few days...It is a joy to already see many western monastics here on the street. There is already a certain joy tangible for all that is to come. We feel very much the blessings of Sogyal Rinpoche, our master, and all the Buddhas, so clearly present and guiding us each and every moment.

(soon, we'll all be wearing skirts!)

We won't be able to have contact during our course with the world through phone or email. Something which is a relieve for the moment.

Please, enjoy and some photos of our journey till so far and also get a sense of our experience.

with much love

Marion, Francois and Tenpa

Monks are from Venus...

2010-02-01T23:21:00.014+01:00

An unannounced guest arrived in Lerab Ling this afternoon from Venus!... (Texas). He was a Laotian monk, accompanied by another Theravada monk and three lay buddhist men who live in, or close to, a Pagoda in Montpellier.

This monk has been a Bhikshu for 36 years, and has lived in the US since 1982. He was very warm and open, and happy to meet with ordained sangha of the Vajrayana tradition. He sat contentedly in the Temple, meditating amidst the ceremonial clamor of our final practice session of the Rigdzin Düpa Drupchö. He drank some tea, took some pictures with his friends, and then eagerly told me he wishes to come back and visit again Lerab Ling in the future.

As I accompanied him to the car park, he spoke very genuinely about the benefits of being a good monastic - and I happened to film it.

My paraphrased subtitles go something like:

Practising is good. Being kind to beings and helping them is good. If we do this life time after life time, and share the Dharma with people, then that will eventually lead us to enlightenment!

A scenic stroll on a crisp, brilliant winter's day along the Lerab Ling driveway with a Laotian monk, who was offering encouragement to practitioners.

Reflections on Shantideva and solitude

2010-01-29T21:28:00.003+01:00

I think one of the things I find so fascinating and appealing about the ‘Bodhicharyavatara’ is that the writer, Shantideva, reveals himself not only as an enthusiastic and passionate practitioner but also as someone who uses the most convincing and irresistible logic to put his points across - logic which remains convincing even in this day and age many centuries later. No wonder, then, that Patrul Rinpoche taught on this text hundreds of times.

Whenever I read Shantideva’s works - both the ‘Bodhicharyavatara’ and the ‘Shikshasamucchaya’1 - it sparks a longing in me for solitude, a time for meditation and contemplation. I find outer solitude is a great help, in fact, sometimes a necessity, in order to find inner solitude.2 A time to spend away from ‘the cares of the world’ - in this case a somewhat busy retreat centre! - in order to return to it all again with renewed energy and enthusiasm, and hopefully a little more wisdom and compassion as well. Also as I grow older my mind turns more and more to spending time in retreat as a preparation for the ultimate retreat! I aspire to be able to let go and move on with ease.

As the Dalai Lama says about growing old “... although the body may grow old, if we have developed the faculty of the mind, then its clarity and wisdom will continue, giving us the opportunity to practise in a vast and profound way.”

The temple at sunset

There’s a beautiful story in Chapter 21 ‘The Universal Process’ of Sogyal Rinpoche’s ‘Tibetan Book of Living & Dying’ which tells of the death of an old Tibetan khenpo who had spent many years of retreat in the mountains but was arrested by the Chinese. This is followed by verses from ‘The Immaculate Radiance’ by Longchenpa which are a great favourite of mine.

In fact, if I was marooned on a desert island - although I would prefer a mountain cave! - and could keep only two books with me they would probably be ‘The Tibetan Book of Living & Dying’ and the ‘Bodhicharyavatara’.

1 In this work Shantideva devotes a whole chapter to ‘Praise of Remaining in Solitude’.
2 I recommend Longchenpa’s ‘Guide to Locations for Cultivating Samadhi’ and ‘The Practitioner of Meditation’ over at Lotsawa House. There is also ‘In Praise of Longchen Rabjam’ by Khenpo Shenga. The first two translations also appear in the book of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s teachings at Lerab Gar in 2000 - ‘The Vision of Enlightenment’.

For nuns' mum

2010-01-26T04:05:00.004+01:00

My mum recently ventured away with me to Vietnam (see the many earlier blogs I posted about the Sakyadhita International Conference and subsequent tour). The last day of our tour, we were delighted when we hopped aboard a small boat and paddled into a lagoon surrounded by majestic limestone mountains, laden with lush flora, small temples and shrine and a number of goats.

I've tried to express to my mum how significant it was for me that she accompanied me to a gathering of Buddhist women and that we could share such moving adventures together. I think she gained a lot of insight into many elements of the Buddhist path that are meaningful for me, and whats more, when our Vietnamese hosts found out that she was the mother of a monastic, they showed great respect to her, as is their custom. So she was certainly met with warmth and appreciation in that culture - something not so common in Australia when she tells people that her daughter is a Buddhist nun living in France.

I've made this short video for my mum - as the visit to these caves in the Nimh Binh Province of Vietnam was a scenic highlight of our time together in Vietnam. These caves are the site where the second wave of Buddhism was established in Vietnam in 1BC!

Enjoy this mum! Thank you for your un-repayable kindness and ever present support. I love you so much.

A boat tour of caves near Dai Binh, Northern Vietnam

Bhikshuni Island

2010-01-23T15:39:00.011+01:00

As a 10 and 11 year old girl, I used to love watching 'Wonder Woman'.

In one of my favourite episodes, Wonder Woman's sister came to ask her to return to the island where their mother, the Queen of the Amazons, lived. This island was a tropical paradise, with hundreds of, wonder-women-in-waiting.

It was an island where these amazonian women could follow Pythagorian pursuits, with a strong focus on their spiritual life, training to save the world.

This fantasy of such a land could easily have been inspired by real life events in Taiwan - especially from this last week:

On Tuesday, through some connection with another Rigpa sangha member, I had a brief audience with Bhikshuni Master Cheng Yen, the founder of Tzu Chi, and 5 time Nobel Peace prize candidate. (Sogyal Rinpoche has taught at one of her 6 hospitals on one of his previous visits to Taiwan). Between her conference calls with members of her organisation who were in the Dominican Republic, on standby for relief work in Haiti, I offered Master Cheng Yen, the updated Chinese edition of the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, and asked for her blessing for our work in Rigpa. I had heard so much about Master Cheng Yen, from a close friend who is her student, and also at the recent conference that I attended in Vietnam on "Eminent Buddhist Women", where she was certainly presented as one of the most popular and significant Buddhist nun figures of this day. Yet, all the stories I had heard about her had not conveyed any of the qualities of elemental strength that I felt she had.

Master Cheng Yen appears to be a very elegant and regal woman - displaying a real grace, but when you're with her, she has the force of a large, rock, so large in fact that she dwarfs the stones on our planet - as though she were their mother! There's a sense that she magnetizes everything to her which is needed to accomplish her vast vision - enabling her to be effective anywhere, anytime.

Bhikshuni Master Cheng Yen

After our meeting, I was taken on a tour of one of her centres in Taiwan, which included a recycling station (one of 4,500 set up in Taiwan and serviced by volunteers of all ranks and backgrounds in the Tzu Chi organisation), a couple of books shops, and the DaAi TV station, (with it's own satelite in orbit, so Tzu Chi members, with a special dish can receive 24 hour DaAi TV wherever they are in the world!). It was incredibly impressive!

On Wednesday, I visited Bhikshuni Prof Cheng-Ying, who was very generous in her time and spirit when she welcomed me into her home in Taipei. We spent a lot of time together looking through the View magazines that I had brought from Lerab Ling, and then started to discuss the possibilities of Shikshama ordination for some of the nuns in Lerab Ling who wish to take Bhikshuni ordination in the future. (dear sisters in Lerab Ling - I have a lot to share with you, once I'm back in France!) Bhikshuni Cheng-Yeng has been a fully ordained nun since 1975. Her ease, confidence, simplicity and humility were tremendously inspiring, and her open manner made it very easy to talk frankly about many elements of the path.

The following day, my friend, Min Hsin and I travelled by high speed train to meet with Bhikshuni Master Wu-Yin of the Luminary Temple - many of us know of her incredible knowledge of the Vinaya through the book Choosing Simplicity. She is the senior most Bhikshuni in Taiwan, and has made an incredible contribution in "establishing Buddhist institutes and temples to train nuns so that they have the necessary skills and knowledge to transmit the Dharma to the greater society" (from Bhikshuni Thubten Chodron's introduction to Choosing Simplicity).

Choosing Simplicity - Commentary on the Bhikshuni Pratimoksha by Bhikshuni Master Wu-Yin

Bhikshuni Master Wu-Yin is also an incredible force. Very strong indeed! For close to three hours, she "processed" me - in a way that I have only felt my own teacher do to me. She challenged me, she encouraged me, she turned my opinions in on themselves, she opened my opinions out into the fullness of the history of the Bhikshuni lineage... I was brought to tears, I was puzzled, I was educated and I was inspired. And at the end of the time with her, I found a new courage in myself. I videoed this meeting, and her advice will be really useful for our 'Rigpa Vihara' monastic community! At the end of our time together, she repeatedly said "you can, you can, you can you can..."

After these three days, I see how Wonder Womans' island pales in comparison. Where else in the world would such great Bhiskhuni Masters be found in one place? Taiwan is very special in this regard!

The Dalai Lama to ordain Rigpa students in Dharamsala

2010-01-21T18:22:00.015+01:00

Francois (L) and Marion (R), who will be ordained by the Dalai Lama in India, and me (Tenpa Rabgye), with His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the background.

A long cherished wish is coming to a closer fulfilment this week when I leave Lerab Ling and France for 5 weeks in Dharamsala, India.

Ever since I was ordained by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche in Nepal in 2006, I have deeply wished and aspired to receive full ordination within the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

During the last 4 years, life as a monk in the pure land of Lerab Ling, Southern France has been a tremendous blessing and life-changing experience. With Buddhist monasticism truly taking root in the western hemisphere, I experience it as a very fortunate situation to be able to contribute, even in a small way, to the establishment of the Buddhist sangha here in the West.

For a few years now His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been ordaining Western Dharma students. Anyone who wishes to receive ordination with His Holiness must first formally apply and, after having received approval, participate in a pre-ordination course for 4 weeks, which is held in Tushita in Dharamsala. At the end of the course His Holiness will bestow the ordination ceremony.

I was advised to come with a very open and flexible mind because ordination will happen only when it happens. I pray, then, that all circumstances may be extremely favorable for His Holiness to bestow the ordination.

The fortunate Lerab Ling residents, Marion who is French, and Francois, who is Swiss, will join in this adventure. They will leave their lay identity behind and will embrace the monastic lifestyle.

This will be the first time that students of Sogyal Rinpoche’s students will have received ordination from His Holiness. In this regard it will be an historic event. I pray that as a result, many, many, many more will have the karma and the good fortune in the future to receive ordination with His Holiness and receive, train and uphold the authentic Buddha-Dharma for generations to come.

This is my first post about this upcoming event and I will post more to keep you informed and linked to this wonderful happening.

Tenpa Rabgye

White Tara

2010-01-16T18:10:00.005+01:00

For a long time now I’ve been looking for a short prayer to White Tara - we have several prayers to Green Tara in our practice book but not one to White Tara. I was hoping to find one from one of ‘our’ masters and at last I found one in Jamyang Khyentsé Chokyi Lodrö’s collected works.

The sacred image of White Tara, 'The Wish-Fulfilling Wheel' found in the empowerment room of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo's residence, The Joyful Grove of Immortal Accomplishment

Image courtesy of Khyentse Labrang

So here it is for all you White Tara practitioners - with good wishes and prayers for your long life, good health and successful practice.

From Volume 2 folio 109

rab kar da shyun tong gi langtso chen
Dazzling white, in the bloom of youth like a pure new moon,
tsen péi ku chok chi dak dü chom ma
Your supreme form has all the marks and signs. You who vanquish the mara of the Lord of Death,
tsé dang yeshé ngödrup chok terwa
Grant us long life and wisdom, and the supreme attainment.
jetsün yishyin khorlor solwa dep
Noble Lady, Wish-fulfilling Wheel, to you I pray!

om tare tuttare ture soha

Tendrel

2010-01-16T03:08:00.005+01:00

Have arrived in Taipei, one step closer to returning to Lerab Ling. (which I have been looking forward to returning to since I left at the end of November)

I'm here to spend time with Sogyal Rinpoche's Taiwan students, a small but utterly devoted sangha, who miss seeing their root teacher - I'm just a poor substitute, but at least by me coming here, they can be reminded that Rinpoche's cares for and loves them very much.

Today I met with Khamtrul Rinpoche, who spends a few months here every year as he finds the climate and diet are very good for his health. Next weekend, he will give the empowerment of the long, brief and medium Tendrel Nyesel to an expected audience of 1000 people. He feels that as many people as possible in Taiwan should be doing the Tendrel Nyesel practice.

Tendrel Nyesel thangka commissioned by Sogyal Rinpoche, under the guidance of Trulshik Rinpoche. Painted by Salga.

For me, it's very fortunate that I can be here at this time, in order to receive these empowerments again - it's certainly a sign of 'good tendrel'. Some of the monks and nuns at Lerab Ling have received the Tendrel Nyesel empowerment from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in March, 2003 when he bestowed the wang at Sogyal Rinpoche's request to thousands of lamas, monks, nuns and lay people including the 17th Karmapa. We have also received the empowerment a number of times from Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche, and have participated in the Drupchö of Tendrel Nyesel with Trulshik Rinpoche and hundreds of monks and nuns on three ocassions in Nepal! At Lerab Ling, we are practising Tendrel Nyesel ever single day, and the Drupchö is held there annually. In fact, Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche insists that it is far more powerful for us to practice this at Lerab Ling than anywhere else, as Sogyal Rinpoche is our vajra master, and it is his predecessor, Terton Sogyal, who revealed the terma, which was deciphered with the aid of the 13th Dalai Lama.

Terton Sogyal Lerab Lingpa

How fortunate to meet with this practice, which is so suited to this time. Certainly, it's custom made by the Buddhas for this degenerate time, especially when we see so many imbalances in the external elements, and so many disturbances in the minds of beings. I wonder if my brothers and sisters at Lerab Ling (or wherever else they are in the world now) would like to share a bit on how they experience the benefits of the practice of Tendrel Nyesel.

Meanwhile, back at the monastery...the snow has come

2010-01-12T14:03:00.000+01:00

The Ice Goddess

Guru Rinpoche on Ice

These snowy days are ideal for practice. It reminds me of the words of the Christian Christmas carol - 'Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright...'

Winter time at Lerab Ling is always the time when I feel most inclined to do retreat.

The environment is so conducive to practice and feels especially blessed with the three years of retreat that ended in November. The atmosphere of practice has continued and I feel will increase more and more as others also realise the benefits and, actually, the sheer joy that can come from being able to go more deeply into the practice. No wonder those masters of old who spent many years in retreat were always singing songs of realization!

(Story and photos by Ane Tsondru)

tour tale ends

2010-01-12T03:13:00.015+01:00

Well, our tour of Vietnam ended a couple of days ago. Towards the end of the 5-day tour of Buddhist temples and sites which spanned the whole country, the organization became increasingly haphazard, but still we visited some holy gems.

On the final day, we were taken to "the caves near Bai Dinh". No-one knew what these were, but we faithfully followed the tour leader, driving through misty semi tropical valleys framed with steep, tree-clad rocky mounds. Imagine a romantic chinese landscape watercolour - steep mountains clothed in fog, with a lake in the foreground, and a single boat on the still waters. Add a pink bus driving on a winding road, and you have something reminiscent of that drive to the caves .

At our destination, we were ushered onto 30 small boats, and cast out into the lake. Quite soon, we reached a small cave entrance that took us into the heart of the limestone mountain and then after 120 metres of gentle paddling, out the other side.

This site, which is the second place in Vietnam where Buddhism was founded, back in 1 BC, is a series of 11 cave systems which snake through the majestic mountains on streams of clear fresh water. So, for a couple of hours, we were lulled with the rhythmic beat of the wooden paddles skimming the water, and we chanted a variety of mantras through stalactite laden caves. It was certainly like stepping back in time, and offered gracious respite from the otherwise gruelling tour schedule.

Nearby, we visited what will surely be a major tourist attraction in years to come - a nearly completed pagoda mega complex, the Bai Dinh Buddhist Cultural Centre. I think we all had mixed responses to this display of grandiosity: three enormous pagodas spread over 800 metres, one pagoda for each of the three times, and a temple bell larger than a local house, and somewhere, hidden to us, a 1000 year old temple built into the mountain.

500 Arhant statues are being carved (2 / 3 of these are complete) - each taking 2 months of labour, in three shifts a day. These flank the large walkways which enclose the whole complex.

Some of the 500 Arhant statues carved from stone, each 2 metres high.

We were shown great kindness by our host, but that did not dampen the sadness that many nuns felt as we prepared to farewell each other.

The ritual of exchanging emails was a small comfort for us all, as is the trust in the laws of karma. The familiarity that we all felt amongst each other from the day we first met, on the 28th of December at the start of the Sakyadhita International Conference for Buddhist Women, is a sure sign that our connections span beyond this lifetime and, if we do not cross paths again in this life, we are sure to maintain connections in lives to come.

Arrival at Hanoi

2010-01-09T22:35:00.000+01:00

Sakyadhita tour arrived in Vietnam's capital Hanoi today. With a distinct air of 'we're being watched' a number of formalities have taken place with senior members of the sangha councils, the press and government representatives. Delicious Shapu Shapu for lunch at a temple built in 1650. And in the evening, the Himalayan nuns felt at home at 'Amitayus Vegetarian Restaurant' which was adorned with thangkas and sacred decorations!
Tomorrow we visit caves near Bai Dinh. And I am sad to say it will be the last day.

Amitayus Vegetarian Restaurant, Hanoi

SMS by Ane Damcho

On the Temple Tour in Vietnam

2010-01-09T08:32:00.001+01:00

At some temples, we received very formal welcomes...

And at some, very sweet farewells. Here novices line up to wave off our bus after visiting a temple

A Nepalese Bhikshuni, and Thai Mai Chee standing outside the imperial city in Hué.

With Vietnamese sisters in a flower show in Da Lat

I can see that on TV (or, 'What you can't see on TV')

2010-01-08T16:05:00.008+01:00

I'm sure that amongst the people who read this blog, many would love to visit Vietnam - just as I had.

We're in Hué, and today we visited one of the city's favourite tourist attractions, a UNESCO site, on the Northern banks of the Perfume River: The Citadel. It is a walled imperial city, currently under restoration. You can see things like this on TV.

entering the Kings reception room at the Imperial Citadel

In the last 4 days, our tour group, hosted by the Vietnamese Buddhists, has visited a number of other sites in Vietnam, mainly temples. I think we've stopped at no less that 25 places!
Everyplace we've seen has a special quality, a history, a story, an environment, or a personal connection that I feel lingering with me - something that you cannot see on TV.

These are examples from today:
- visiting a orphanage, which was run by a nunnery - the children offered a song and a rose to the Sakyadhita Conference delegates who are on this tour. They gave to us so freely, while holding a deep sadness in their eyes.
- meeting some of the eldest and most senior Bhikshuni's of Vietnam. A 94 year old nun composed a poem welcoming us all,
- sitting in a Chinese Zen Temple that was constructed in the 16th Century, then run by Bhikshunis for a long period of time, and was later the temple from which the 1964 movement to safeguard freedom of religion in Vietnam began.

We can be touched in such ways anywhere. I think my previous posts make it clear that it is certainly not only the temples that we are visiting that stir the heart. It is the connections.

As a new found (or re-found) friend from the tour wrote to me in a skype chat this evening:

It really felt nourishing for me too to be among number of nuns and lay women practitioners, I become more determined in my practice....and am really in awe to see the whole community of buddhist nuns (I witness sooooo many parallel worlds of women...that is amazing)....and I'm really inspired to get all of those worlds somehow together.
Also, what was very new to me is the level of compassion and loving kindness around me....it nourished my soul...and opened my heart.

(again, this is another echo of my experience)

the bus (one of four) on which much bonding has happened during the tour

Puja Travel

2010-01-08T16:02:00.006+01:00

Here's a taste of yesterday's 800km bus journey in Vietnam from Da Lat (dep. 4am) to Hué (arr. midnight). One of the Bhikshunis from India leading a Pali chant.

SMS from Vietnam

2010-01-08T12:23:00.001+01:00

14 hours in the bus today, and still another 6 to go till we reach our destination, Hué!
What happens when you put 35 nuns and Buddhist women together for that long? Magic!
Pali sutras, Tibetan prayers, Bollywood songs, Korean love songs, German lullabies, and accoustic REM were among the many songs (that have kept our driver awake). Short film clip is coming soon!
And, we've shared intimate discussions about our traditions, our lifestyles, and keeping our precepts. A number of people have been intrigued to hear about Lerab Ling and wish to visit us there.
Maybe a white robed Mae Chee from Thailand will come soon!

Touring Vietnam, Night at a Zen Temple

2010-01-07T07:47:00.000+01:00

Truc Lam Temple in Da Lat, Vietnam

After twelve hours in a bus, we are happily tucked into our dormitory beds at the Vietnamese Zen Temple, Truc Lam, where we had the honor to meet the great Zen Master Thich Thanh Tu (who shares a close bond with Thich Nhat Hanh...and for this reason our group has to be 'contained' while staying at Da Lat...).

Thich Thanh Tu, b.1924

Another early departure tomorrow as our four buses with delegats from the Sakyadhita Conference continue on tour.

[Ane Damcho is reporting from the tour of Vietnam using text messages from her mobile phone]

Grace of the 1st day of the tour

2010-01-05T15:21:00.004+01:00

Mum and I were sick yesterday so we missed the first day of tours to the Buddhist Nunnerys and Temples near Ho Chi Mih City, which has been planned for the delegates who attended the Sakyadhita Conference. But today we joined (and will continue for another 6 days) on the tour by bus which will take us up the coastline of Vietnam to Hué, and then we fly to Hanoi)

The first stop today was like meditators heaven! It is Vien Chieu Nunnery, in 'the forest of meditators ' where there are always 1000 nuns and 1000 monks meditating.

In this zen temple, a certain number of nuns are in retreat, while the rest are studying and practising. The environment is pristine: lush, yet finely manicured tropical gardens, and orchards. Vietnamese Zen style shrine rooms, meditation halls and sleeping halls - all open to the garden, and sometimes elevated to the canopies of the tress so that a fragrant cooling breeze blows through the spaces.
We stayed there for 30 minutes, but I wished to stay there for 30 years - seduced by the environment as I was!

a kind of heaven for meditators, Vien Chieu Monastery

After visiting 4 more temples (of the 8 that we saw today), the Abbess of Quan Am Nam Hai Temple in Vung Tau absolutely melted my heart.

She was so moved to welcome 60 or so Buddhist women from around the world into her small Temple that she continuously bowed to us all, with a sincere display of faith. This in turn inspired faith and gratitude in all of us, so, for a few tender, silent minutes, we met, bowed to the ground in appreciation, with our hearts blossoming.

Such are the intimate and simple moments which express the joy I feel to be with so many other nuns.

Ribbit

2010-01-05T09:40:00.001+01:00

This frog might go to asia and frolic in monk and nun life in the near future, for now I am just eating flies.

Ribbit

Offerings

2010-01-04T17:00:00.002+01:00

To the mighty sages, perfect recipients of my offering,
I will present red lotus and heavenly mandarava,
Blue utpala flower and other scented blossoms,
Beautifully arranged in brightly coloured garlands.

I also offer billowing clouds of incense,
Whose sweet aroma captivates the mind,
And a rich feast of plentiful food and drink,
Fit to grace the tables of the gods.

Offerings of every kind were made to representatives of the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha at the Sakyadhita Conference which has just closed in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
These verses, from the Bodhicaryavatara, are taken from a small booklet that I'm traveling with, The Brightly Shining Sun. We witnessed the 'branch of offering' in so many gestures of kindness and generosity, each day at the temple.

The footage in this video is set to the Bodhicaryavatara, Chapter 2, Offering, which is chanted in sanskrit by Vidya Rao (and used with the kind permission of Siddhartha's Intent)

A few more dimensions

2010-01-04T06:20:00.008+01:00

There's only so much that I can express through a blog on the many facets of the Sakyadhita Conference (don't worry I have plenty more news to share, as I get a chance to sit down and post) But, for now, here are a number of links that I've gathered which offer some more dimensions:

1. A Vietnamese website posts some news and photos from the Sakyadita Conference for Buddhist Women in Vietnam here

2. Informative news and discussions at the blogsite of Ven. Sujato from Santi Forest Monastery, Australia:

The Sakyadhita Conference here
Discussions on the the recent episodes around Thich Nhat Hanh's monastics in Vietnam at Bhat Na Monastery (whom are being granted asylum in France)... (in response to a note by Ven. Sujato, it is true that this Sakyadhita Conference had a subtle air of being a showpiece for the Government, especially when the Nationalistic ceremonies took place on the opening and closing days, as well as through the professional cultural performances on some evenings, which included a spectacular piece of theatre based on the story of the Buddha's life and Mahaprajapati (think Bollywood meets Jesus Christ Superstar from Broadway, on a small stage);

Bhikshuni ordination, and especially the recent Theravada Bhikshuni Ordinations that took place in Perth, Australia. And the transcript of WWP's expulsion of Ajahn Brahm.

3. From the Buddha Channel, reflections on the Sakyadhita Conference in the form of an interview with the President of Sakyadhita, Ven. Karma Lekshe Tsomo here

4. Some more photos posted on Buddha Channel here

5. A Vietnamese news site report in English titled "Buddhist women discuss role in tackling global problems" here

6. And, for a wealth of photos from the conference look at the Sakyadhita Website Photo album here

Sister Water Drop

2010-01-03T16:29:00.005+01:00

(Please also see my earlier post Master Water Drop)
Savinder Kaur Gill (Tashi Choedron), is an environmental sociologist from Malaysia and is also a Tibetan Buddhist nun. Her advocacy for environmental change to come from each individual, is like a water offering, offering one drop at a time, into our precious oceans and waterways through educating people on polution and environmental damage.

I guess this approach can be likened to facing a world covered with thorns, and so covering the soles of ones own feet. Then we can teach others to do the same, or if they are unable to make changes in their own communities, we can carry them. She challenged each of the Sakyadhita Conference delegates to make a pledge to themselves of a change that they would make in their own life or within their own community.

A number of Buddhist women agreed to stop eating meat, and, after being made aware of the cumulative destructive force of the simple plastic bag, they committed to trying to "Say no to Plastic Bags". For all of us, it's a matter of fostering more mindfulness. Along with our own inner disarmament, through the practice of meditation, then change can really happen!

Here is Sister Water Drop:

In this 7 minute clip, Savinder Kaur Gill, an environmental sociologist and nun in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition shares her concerns for the environment, and explains what she is doing to help educate others.

A sister from the land of the Buddha

2010-01-03T13:36:00.004+01:00

I interviewed this Theravada Bhikshuni from India. Just like me, this is the first Sakyadhita Conference that she has attended. She expressed to me her joy at being amongst dharma sisters from all traditions, and, just as I also feel, she says that there is a very close bond between us all that goes beyond this lifetime.

A short, educational & delightful video interview with a Theravada nun from India

Delhi Belly amongst sisters

2010-01-02T15:13:00.002+01:00

Some of the international delegates at the Sakyadhita Conference in Ho Chi Minh City line up for a group photo (leaves from the Temple's Boddhi tree visible in the top of the picture). Day 6

'Delhi Belly' strikes in Saigon, so no favourable conditions tonight for editing some video.

Just briefly then, today was the 6th day of the Sakyadhita International Conference for Buddhist Women, and the papers and workshops held today were just as broad, educational and enriching as the previous days. I wish to write on the exceptionally dedicated and foresighted nuns of my generation, but given my condition, I'll save that for another day...

Oh, I will mention that I interviewed a nun from Malaysia today, who is here with a Bhutanese nun. (They are also exceptional nuns, devoting their time to Environmental education and animal welfare) They were delighted to hear that Sogyal Rinpoche is my teacher as it is his book, the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying which was their first introduction to the Dharma. They continually buy copies to give to their friends.

News of their work will come soon through this blog.

Now, back to the.... (hopefully we'll all be fresh for tomorrow, the closing day of the 11th Sakyadhita Conference)

Buddha's daughters from Kinnour

2010-01-01T19:17:00.003+01:00

These nuns in from the Kinnour region of the Himalayas are from Hindu families, and their small nunnery is the only Buddhist community in their area. It took them three years to build their nunnery with their own hands.

The delight on their faces to be here in Vietnam at the Sakyadhita Conference is a mirror of my own joy!

Tenzin Dechen from Kinnour shares some information about her nunnery in Northern India & her experience of being in Vietnam at the Sakyadhita Conference

Offering Lamps

2010-01-01T15:12:00.006+01:00

A public holiday in Ho Chi Minh City, and festive treats mark the start of the new year in Vietnam. So, at the fifth day of the Sakyadhita Conference, all the delegates received even more expressions of kindness from our hosts.

In the Chinese Lunar calendar, it is also Amitahba Buddha's day (whereas in the Tibetan calendar, it was yesterday). Here are some photos of us all offering lamps together.

When I see the nuns of all traditions together offering prayer and devotion I find it so moving. There is a such a presence of purity and strength, and I feel it elevating me, stirring a recognition of my great fortune to have taking the monastic path.

Conference participants offer lamps for Buddha Amithaba and chant the Amithaba Mantra

Master Water Drop

2009-12-31T13:53:00.004+01:00

The most thought provoking presentation of papers occurred this afternoon at the conference. The topic was "Living Simply, Protecting the Environment". I will bring some video posts to you with more on this soon.

Meanwhile, here is the story of Master Water Drop which I am copying from the paper given by Bhikshuni Chuchmen (of Singapore):

An ancient story illustrates that water is precious. There was a Chan Master by the name of Water Drop. One day, Chan Master Yishan wanted to wash himself, but the water was too hot, so he asked his disciple to bring a bucket of cold water. the disciple brought a bucket of cold to add to the hot water. After cooling the water, there was some water left in the bucket, so he poured it out.

Master Yishan was not pleased. He said, "Why are you so wasteful? Everything in this world has it's value. Things differ only in how they are used. For example, if you gave even one drop of the water you poured away to the flowers and plants, not only would the flowers and plants be happy, but the drop of water also would not lose it's value! As single drop of water is very valuable!"

The disciple was awakened by his master's teaching and changed his name to Master Water Drop. This disciple later became the famous Chan Master Water Drop. When Master Water Drop started to teach, people asked him, "What is the most virtuous thing in the world?"

"A drop of water," the master replied. "Empty space can contain all things. What can contain empty space? Drops of water."

Master Water Drop embraced his mind harmoniously with drops of water. The whole universe was his mind. One drop of water can encompass limitless time and space.

This story is made even more poignant when we hear such facts as these, from the paper presented by Savinder Kaur Gill (Tashi Choedron):

2 million children die each year for want of a glass of clean water and adequate sanitation (every 20 seconds, a child dies as a result of poor sanitation.)
The demand for water has increased more than twice the rate of the population in the last century.
More than 40% of the world's population lives in river basins with some sort of wtare scarcity.
The UN suggests that each person needs 20 - 50 litres of safe freshwater s day to ensure their basic needs for drinking, cooking and cleaning. More than 1 in 6 people worldwide - 894 million - don't have access to this ammount of freshwater.

Clean water and sanitation are among the most powerful drivers for human development. They can extend opportunity, enhance dignity and help create a virtuous cycle of improving health and rising wealth (UN, 2006)

Meditation

2009-12-30T19:11:00.002+01:00

Nuns practicing sitting meditation during 11th Sakyadhita International Conference, Vietnam

The Buddha Hall

2009-12-30T16:28:00.005+01:00

Scenes from the Buddha Hall, Day 1 of the Sakyadhita Conference

Solemnly Elegant

2009-12-29T17:24:00.003+01:00

In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, one would never refer to a nun as 'beautiful', rather, one would say she is 'solemnly elegant'! Aren't these three Vietnamese nuns a the Sakyadhita Conference Opening Ceremony just that!

Daughters of the Buddha

2009-12-29T15:33:00.008+01:00

A rainbow of robes; nuns and buddhist women from all Buddhist traditions of our world are meeting this week in Vietnam at the 11th Sakyadhita International Conference.

Theravada nuns in Thai robes (orange) and Vietnamese robes (pink) with Vietnamese Mahayana nuns, wearing the grey robes

Sakyadhita, meaning "Daughters of the Buddha" is now in it's 21st year, and has done so much to advance the dialogue, education and opportunity of Buddhist women of all traditions. I was particularly inspired tonight to hear that there are now 800 Bikshuni in Sri Lanka. At the time of the inception of Sakyadhita, 20 years ago, there were none, and the government forbade any mention of the word "Bikshuni" at a conference for nuns in Sri Lanka!
Also, in Thailand, the Bikshuni sangha has grown in the last 9 years to eighteen, despite no support from the patriarchy of the Bhiskhu sangha.

Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo speaks with some nuns from Vietnam

The experience of spending the last 2 days with so many sisters is beyond words. Perhaps I'm a bit of a novelty as I'm one of a dozen or so western nuns attending this conference, so I am an easy target. There are 1500+ nuns and Buddhist women from Theravada, Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions and many are constantly approaching me to show affection. There is such a strong sense of sisterhood, leagues beyond any boundaries of race, religion or culture. Instead, it expresses an openness, a tolerance, a joy of sharing a faith which, through each of us, is traced back to the time of the Buddha and Mahaprajapati, the Buddha's stepmother, who was the first women to go forth, along with the 500 women who journeyed with her to Vaisali.

With 2700 participants (240 of whom are International delegates from countries including UK, USA, France, Germany, Czech Republic, Holland, Mongolia, India, Tibet, Nepal, Burma, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Japan and Australia) and 5 more days to hear notable speakers talk on topics such as 'Socially Engaged Buddhist Women', 'Living Simply, Protecting the Environment', Buddhist Women and Leadership' and 'Buddhist Education Across Cultures', along with many engaging and interactive workshops, this conference will surely be an exceptional experience.

I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be here, and to have my eyes and heart continuously opened more and more!

Compassion fruit

2009-12-25T02:40:00.010+01:00

While 17 relatives sat down for an Australian Christmas feast of seafood, turkey, and ham I was with them enjoying some salads with a fetta and spinach tart.

In Lerab Ling the meals for most of us are vegetarian - I had forgotten that meat consumption is so integral to the average persons diet, and during a holiday season, this is more so.
It's so saddening to see flesh eating (and to hear my cousins talking of fishing and hunting) - all done with such ignorance, and by millions of people the world over.

I was speaking to another nun a couple of days ago, and she recounted the story of one Christmas that she spent with her family during a time when she was refraining from eating meat. The fact that she was vegetarian at Christmas time was more stressful for her mother, than her daughter being a Tibetan Buddhist nun!

Here is a link to Nyala Pema Dudul's Song of Advice for Giving up Meat Eating.

As tradition goes, the meat-feast was followed by deserts drenched with alcohol. But a few treats were specially prepared for the nun in attendance:
- Chocolate rum balls without rum
- Ice-cream christmas pudding without whisky
- A pavlova, dressed with cream, passion fruit and banana (see photo)

One of my prayers today is that the passion fruit become Great Compassion fruit so all who ate the pavlova, all who feasted today, all who are hungry in this world and all whose lives are taken to feed others may be linked through the Great Compassion of all the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of this world (including Jesus Christ), and may they all be alleviated of their suffering.
And may some of the true spirit of Christmas touch the lives of all who celebrate it today.

Offering Flowers to the Buddha

2009-12-23T13:59:00.006+01:00

The main image of Buddha in the temple of Lerab Ling

Just recently I’ve taken the opportunity to do something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time now – which is to meditate on the Bodhicharyavatara using Patrul Rinpoche’s text ‘The Brightly Shining Sun’.

I bought my first translation of the Bodhicharyavatara about fifteen years ago – a paperback which was one of the cheapest dharma books I’ve ever bought and is now a rather tattered copy that still remains a favourite of mine. For ‘The Brightly Shining Sun’ I have the superb translation by Adam Pearcey, our very own Rigpa translator! I recommend that everyone checks out his translation of the first three chapters of the Bodhicharyavatara over on Lotsawa House where you’ll also find ‘The Brightly Shining Sun’. So armed with these I head enthusiastically for my cushion.

One of the things that I noticed as I initially glanced through the texts was the number of times that flowers, blossoms, garlands, etc. were mentioned as offerings. This led me to investigate a little bit further and again on Lotsawa House there’s a translation (courtesy of Tulku Thondup and Philip Richman) of a teaching by Jikmé Tenpe Nyima, the Third Dodrupchen Rinpoche, on the Offering of Flowers, in which it says:

In the summer, flowers of distinctive designs and colours, redolent with all kinds of pleasing fragrance beyond measure, grow in great abundance on trees, fields, and lakes, covering this great earth. Even the most humble among us can collect them without fear of depletion.

A statue of Buddha at our monastery in southern France

Moreover, flowers are substances that are extremely pure, as they can be obtained without engaging in any evil deed. They can be offered without any risk that we may feel miserly or regretful afterwards. So the offering will be made with a pure mind at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end.

I know sometimes I forget the benefits of something as simple as offering flowers to the buddhas and bodhisattvas.

So, to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, I pray to remember from now on.
Grant your blessings that this may come to pass!

by Ane Tsondru

Rigpa Monastic Sangha

2009-12-17T00:25:00.003+01:00

Meet us, the ordained sangha of Sogyal Rinpoche - usually in residence at Lerab Ling, France.

Left to right: Ngawang Tenpa (Dutch), Ngawang Thubten Chödar (French), Ngawang Sangye (Australian), Lama Yönten (Khampa, Tibetan), Ngawang Sangye Chözom (American), Thubten Dorje Drolma (American), Ngawang Damchö Drolma (Australian), Ngawang Tsondru (English), Ngawang Chökyi Drolma (Danish), Samten Palmo (French), Ngawang Chözom Lhamo (German)

The Rigpa monastic sangha, gathered before the Guru Rinpoche image which stands in the centre of the lake at Lerab Ling, September 2009

His Holiness Dalai Lama calls for more monks & nuns!

2009-12-12T14:47:00.007+01:00

His Holiness was given a formal Welcome to Country by a Wurunjeri Elder. (photos courtesy of Ray Messner)

Wow - what great fortune to have the opportunity to attend His Holiness the Dalai Lama's Melbourne Public Talk today.
His Holiness has been in Australia for 10 days, during which time he spoke to more than 20,000 people, including 1,000 Tibetans and Mongolians, 500 Chinese and 2,000 Vietnamese. Yesterday, he addressed a few thousand at the Parliament of World Religions, which included representatives of 228 religions (!). Today, was the last day of his tour, and is also the twenty year anniversary of His Holiness being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. (And, it's the first time that I have seen His Holiness in my once hometown of Melbourne, since I was ordained nearly 8 years ago!)

A famous Australian comedian, Rove Mc Manus MC'd today's Public Talk. My heart chuckled, was warmed, stirred and opened by the combination of the sarcastic Australian wit, the open armed gesture of welcome and His Holiness's teachings on World Peace.

As we've often heard His Holiness say, he emphasized that the 21st Century must be a Century of Dialogue. He singled out the younger generation in the audience, and really called on them to reflect deeply, and to seize the coming 91 years to affect change in the world. Although I've heard His Holiness' speak on his strategy for promoting world peace before (through inner disarmament; through showing kindness and care to those immediately around us; through opening up dialogue to resolve conflict in our families and in our local communities...), today his tremendous compassionate reasoning clicked for me. "This is a long term strategy" he pointed out. "If our future leaders can come from such community basis, then there is real hope".
So that was the juice for me! But there were a couple more minor highlights:

- A question was asked to His Holiness about how to resolve the dilemma of a cockroach problem in ones home - which I'm glad my Mum heard, as she has not resolved for herself how she should deal with the ants in her kitchen, (despite my petitions).
- And in response to the threatening issue of the world's population boom, His Holiness said we should have many more monks and nuns (which is the best non-violent method of exercising birth control!).

More monks and nuns, hey? That brings me to some great news to share:
Two of our monastic aspirants, who have recently completed the Three Year Retreat at Lerab Ling, have been accepted by His Holiness' Private Office for consideration for ordination with His Holiness the Dalai Lama next year in Dharamsala! And, one of our monks, Tenpa, has been accepted for consideration for gelong ordination from His Holiness. This news will be wonderful to follow in the coming months!

From the road, with much love,

Ané Damchö

Three of our nuns during a recent ceremony at Lerab Ling

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Photo courtesy of Jurek Schreiner