T'hondup Ling was extremely blessed by the presence of H.E.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche during the Constellation of Heart Treasures event in October 1994 (see page 8). In addition to the empowerments for the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices, Rinpoche conferred rarely given empowerments for Black Hayagriva and the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The three-day longevity practice culminated in the release of an entire boat load of fish in which more than 500,000 lives were ransomed. The success of an event of this magnitude was the result of the efforts of sangha members too numerous to list here. We extend heartfelt thanks to each of them, and especially to our precious Lama Chodrak Gyatso, without whom this event could not have happened.
Due to the demanding schedule during the Constellation of Heart Treasures, there was insufficient time for Rinpoche to give teachings on the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices. As a result, Rinpoche graciously agreed to return to Los Angeles in December to provide these teachings, making the transmission complete. We are now looking forward to our next major event–a T'hroma drubchod, which will take place in November 1995.
Lama Gyatso has returned to Los Angeles to teach severaltimes since the October event, and each time there has been a greater response from new, serious students, indicating that he is, and will be, of great benefit to the Los Angeles sangha now and in the future.
__________
The teachings of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche came like rain on hot and dusty paths. The aroma of loamy earth's enlightened mind rose around us, and each of us inhaled it as deeply as we might. We shivered on our meditation pillows as profound truths broke on us like claps of thunder. We smiled, we laughed, we wondered, unafraid, thankful for the blessings of this rain of wisdom.
And beneath it all, beneath all the flurry of preparations and anticipation, the endless cups of tea, the crowded, noisy waiting room before the empowerment, the cooking and serving and chanting, the recitation of texts, the bowing and praying and prostrations ... a profound silence that cushioned our minds like clouds of light.
All our hearts and minds chorused endless thanks.
Charles Morrison
The first weekend of February, twelve of us journeyed across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula for a ngondro retreat with Richard Baldwin as our accomplished guide. Our destination was a large log cabin set in a beautiful cedar grove adjacent to a state park. A great fireplace kept us warm,and a huge kitchen supplied ample space for the sumptuous meals we enjoyed during breaks.
We studied the Four Thoughts, refuge in the Three Jewels and the generation of bodhicitta; we also learned the significance of this study inlaying the groundwork for one's entire Buddhist practice. I now appreciate that no matter what stage one is at along the Buddhist path, these teachings have a profoundly deepening and strengthening effect. As a beginner, I am infinitely grateful for this introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.
Richard's knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated by all, and I came away from the event with a sense of accomplishment for having taken these steps and full of enthusiasm for developing this firm ground on which to stand as my mind turns toward the dharma.
Martha McKay
__________
The new year has brought Lama Sonam home from Nepal. We are honored to have his mother here with us as well; she is a sparkling presence. Lama Sonam is beginning a two-year in-depth teaching of ngondro. We are fortunate our merit has borne us this fruit! On Wednesdays we gather to practice ngondro together.
On Losar, statewide sangha and local community members gathered together for a special tsog. The shrine room reverberated with the sound of ritual instruments, meditation energy and the presence of lamas. It truly was a shower of blessings. Resident-practitioners of River House hosted a gourmet potluck following the tsog.
Our sangha participated in the Asian Celebration in Eugene,selling momos (and paying next year's taxes!).
When Chagdud Rinpoche visited Dechhen Ling on his way to Seattle, we shared a special moment on the porch overlooking the river. The equinox clouds parted, the sun shone and a double rainbow appeared.
__________
During the late summer of 1994, four peacocks were born to the pair housed in a small coup near the Creek House. Winter retreatants recently constructed a celestial palace for the family and then gently carried the birds to their new home in front of Tara House. We're at work on beautification projects all over the Rigdzin Ling property, as we strive to repair the hazards of the old gold mine. Landscaping began last fall. We've moved part of a hilltop, a mining remnant that jutted into the property and gleaned from this wood for future construction and topsoil to cover bedrock and fill ravines. Mining tailings and large rock piles were traded for earth moving and road work.
Maile and Jeff have moved into their new house, a construction project that began last summer (and was finished in time for the birth of their baby, on March 3) ; Mike and Kim broke ground on their home. Work continues on the Guru Rinpoche statue and a bank of prayer flags on the north slope was consecrated on Losar day.
Padma Publishing forged ahead as Jane completed a ngondro commentary based on Rinpoche's oral teachings. There are plans to publish an anthology of Rinpoche's students' dharma writing (poetry, short fiction and nonfiction), submissions should be sent to Kathryn's attention at Rigdzin Ling.(Please do not send your original copy.)
Rainbows surrounded Tara House frequently early in January as winter retreat began, with both first- and third-year Dzogchen students practicing here. Retreatants from seven countries–Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Australia, Israel and the United States–had the good fortune to receive Rinpoche's wisdom, kindness and shower of blessings.
__________
Last November, both the sangha and many members of the larger community enjoyed a slide show, "Pilgrimage through a Lama's Eyes," consisting of the extraordinary photographs taken by Rigdzin Tromge, Tulku Jigme's wife, of the family's recent five-month sojourn in Tibet. Rigdzin's vivid photographic narration made the pilgrimage come alive for the audience.
On December I7, Chagdud Rinpoche returned to Ati Ling to lead a brief p'howa retreat, an event that provided a valuable follow-up to last June's retreat.
The past few months at Ati Ling have brought the sangha together in prayer and practice with a special focus on the health of Rigdzin, who has been seriously ill. On Christmas Eve, the sangha practiced through the night, participating in a saving-of-life ceremony dedicated to Rigdzin's recovery. The sangha released various animals–turtles, earthworms, doves and quail–into the wilds of the Napa Valley. On New Year's Day, a sang, or smoke offering, ceremony took place.
Rigdzin's quiet courage and fearlessness in the face of illness and suffering have deeply touched us all.
In early March, the sangha had a Losar party, and on March 17-19 Chagdud Rinpoche gave teachings on the six bardos which profoundly moved the sangha. These and other events have been beautifully handled by our new coordinator, Phyllis Glanville. Phyllis and Al Reid are now living at Ati Ling,and their warmth and hospitality have been particularly welcome during this cold, rainy winter.
__________
The Sangha of My Dreams
My first experience with Chagdud Gonpa Padma Ling in Spokane, Washington, was a returned call, a message on my answering machine. I had inquired about an upcoming visit of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. I soon learned that I was welcome to come and that the sangha could offer me a room or bunk space if I needed it. They requested that I let them know how they could help me. I was surprised, but pleased, by this courtesy and immediately decided to make my plans.
When I phoned again, I spoke to their teacher, Lama Inge,who inquired about my flight's arrival. When I told her, she exclaimed, "Oh good! Rinpoche' s plane comes in ten minutes after that, so you can meet him, and we will bring you home with us!" That weekend the same kindness was shown to well over a dozen other people from out of town.
Lama Yontan Gonpo, who is the gonla, or protector lama, for Padma Ling, made several trips to the airport to pick up people who were arriving on different flights. When I asked him about this, he remarked, "We would be very upset if anyone had to take a taxi from the airport." When I suggested that few sanghas share this idea, he said,"Rinpoche tells us that we are always to be of service to people. "Consequently, it was not surprising that when someone called from the bus station just as an empowerment was about to begin, a sangha member was dispatched to pick her up and the ceremony was delayed, at Rinpoche' s request, until she arrived.
"We are all family," explained Lama Yontan later.In another telling incident, he was ready to rescue a sangha member who had dropped her car off at a garage for repairs and needed a ride back to the center. Some of us were going out anyway, so we convinced him that we should go instead, since there was greater need for his services at the center. When we retrieved the woman, we learned that Lama Yontan had investigated several repair shops and arranged for her to get the work done by a reliable mechanic for half the cost of what another garage had quoted her.
Lama Inge has the distinction of being one of the first female lamas ordained in the United States. A soft-spoken woman of German descent, she is equally at home teaching and caring for the daily needs of the gonpa. During my visit, I heard someone singing the Twenty-one Praises of Tara and followed the voice into the shrine room to find her picking up cushions and vacuuming the rug. Despite my protestations, she saw nothing unusual about her task and relinquished the vacuum only to ease my mind.
One afternoon the house was very quiet, and Rinpoche was resting. I sat in the shrine room talking with Lama Yontan. As we talked, Lama Inge stitched a small tear in the chair Rinpoche would sit in that evening. The conversation turned to upcoming dharma events, when Lama Inge interjected, "Many wonderful things happen in the dharma, but when Rinpoche comes to visit, this is what is exciting to me. This is what I love!" At that moment I looked at her face and saw the secret. She was simply doing what she loved, and she had brought all of us to her home so that we could share it with her.
The foundation of Padma Ling's integrity is the sangha's complete devotion to their teacher. This is the fire that consumes any false sense of self, allowing the students to serve the dharma wholeheartedly. A successful sangha like Padma Ling is created by the pure motivation of its members' actions, which forges a seamless connection between who they appear to be and who they really are.
The students and lamas of Padma Ling have opened their hearts and shared love in such full measure that it spills over and touches everyone they meet. I thank them for the dharma opportunities, the friendship and the food-but mostly for their vision, the vision of what we all could be.
May we all experience this overflowing of love! May all our dharma activities prosper!
Jodena Warren
T'hondup Ling was extremely blessed by the presence of H.E.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche during the Constellation of Heart Treasures event in October 1994 (see page 8). In addition to the empowerments for the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices, Rinpoche conferred rarely given empowerments for Black Hayagriva and the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The three-day longevity practice culminated in the release of an entire boat load of fish in which more than 500,000 lives were ransomed. The success of an event of this magnitude was the result of the efforts of sangha members too numerous to list here. We extend heartfelt thanks to each of them, and especially to our precious Lama Chodrak Gyatso, without whom this event could not have happened.
Due to the demanding schedule during the Constellation of Heart Treasures, there was insufficient time for Rinpoche to give teachings on the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices. As a result, Rinpoche graciously agreed to return to Los Angeles in December to provide these teachings, making the transmission complete. We are now looking forward to our next major event–a T'hroma drubchod, which will take place in November 1995.
Lama Gyatso has returned to Los Angeles to teach severaltimes since the October event, and each time there has been a greater response from new, serious students, indicating that he is, and will be, of great benefit to the Los Angeles sangha now and in the future.
__________
The teachings of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche came like rain on hot and dusty paths. The aroma of loamy earth's enlightened mind rose around us, and each of us inhaled it as deeply as we might. We shivered on our meditation pillows as profound truths broke on us like claps of thunder. We smiled, we laughed, we wondered, unafraid, thankful for the blessings of this rain of wisdom.
And beneath it all, beneath all the flurry of preparations and anticipation, the endless cups of tea, the crowded, noisy waiting room before the empowerment, the cooking and serving and chanting, the recitation of texts, the bowing and praying and prostrations ... a profound silence that cushioned our minds like clouds of light.
All our hearts and minds chorused endless thanks.
Charles Morrison
The first weekend of February, twelve of us journeyed across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula for a ngondro retreat with Richard Baldwin as our accomplished guide. Our destination was a large log cabin set in a beautiful cedar grove adjacent to a state park. A great fireplace kept us warm,and a huge kitchen supplied ample space for the sumptuous meals we enjoyed during breaks.
We studied the Four Thoughts, refuge in the Three Jewels and the generation of bodhicitta; we also learned the significance of this study inlaying the groundwork for one's entire Buddhist practice. I now appreciate that no matter what stage one is at along the Buddhist path, these teachings have a profoundly deepening and strengthening effect. As a beginner, I am infinitely grateful for this introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.
Richard's knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated by all, and I came away from the event with a sense of accomplishment for having taken these steps and full of enthusiasm for developing this firm ground on which to stand as my mind turns toward the dharma.
Martha McKay
__________
The new year has brought Lama Sonam home from Nepal. We are honored to have his mother here with us as well; she is a sparkling presence. Lama Sonam is beginning a two-year in-depth teaching of ngondro. We are fortunate our merit has borne us this fruit! On Wednesdays we gather to practice ngondro together.
On Losar, statewide sangha and local community members gathered together for a special tsog. The shrine room reverberated with the sound of ritual instruments, meditation energy and the presence of lamas. It truly was a shower of blessings. Resident-practitioners of River House hosted a gourmet potluck following the tsog.
Our sangha participated in the Asian Celebration in Eugene,selling momos (and paying next year's taxes!).
When Chagdud Rinpoche visited Dechhen Ling on his way to Seattle, we shared a special moment on the porch overlooking the river. The equinox clouds parted, the sun shone and a double rainbow appeared.
__________
During the late summer of 1994, four peacocks were born to the pair housed in a small coup near the Creek House. Winter retreatants recently constructed a celestial palace for the family and then gently carried the birds to their new home in front of Tara House. We're at work on beautification projects all over the Rigdzin Ling property, as we strive to repair the hazards of the old gold mine. Landscaping began last fall. We've moved part of a hilltop, a mining remnant that jutted into the property and gleaned from this wood for future construction and topsoil to cover bedrock and fill ravines. Mining tailings and large rock piles were traded for earth moving and road work.
Maile and Jeff have moved into their new house, a construction project that began last summer (and was finished in time for the birth of their baby, on March 3) ; Mike and Kim broke ground on their home. Work continues on the Guru Rinpoche statue and a bank of prayer flags on the north slope was consecrated on Losar day.
Padma Publishing forged ahead as Jane completed a ngondro commentary based on Rinpoche's oral teachings. There are plans to publish an anthology of Rinpoche's students' dharma writing (poetry, short fiction and nonfiction), submissions should be sent to Kathryn's attention at Rigdzin Ling.(Please do not send your original copy.)
Rainbows surrounded Tara House frequently early in January as winter retreat began, with both first- and third-year Dzogchen students practicing here. Retreatants from seven countries–Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Australia, Israel and the United States–had the good fortune to receive Rinpoche's wisdom, kindness and shower of blessings.
__________
Last November, both the sangha and many members of the larger community enjoyed a slide show, "Pilgrimage through a Lama's Eyes," consisting of the extraordinary photographs taken by Rigdzin Tromge, Tulku Jigme's wife, of the family's recent five-month sojourn in Tibet. Rigdzin's vivid photographic narration made the pilgrimage come alive for the audience.
On December I7, Chagdud Rinpoche returned to Ati Ling to lead a brief p'howa retreat, an event that provided a valuable follow-up to last June's retreat.
The past few months at Ati Ling have brought the sangha together in prayer and practice with a special focus on the health of Rigdzin, who has been seriously ill. On Christmas Eve, the sangha practiced through the night, participating in a saving-of-life ceremony dedicated to Rigdzin's recovery. The sangha released various animals–turtles, earthworms, doves and quail–into the wilds of the Napa Valley. On New Year's Day, a sang, or smoke offering, ceremony took place.
Rigdzin's quiet courage and fearlessness in the face of illness and suffering have deeply touched us all.
In early March, the sangha had a Losar party, and on March 17-19 Chagdud Rinpoche gave teachings on the six bardos which profoundly moved the sangha. These and other events have been beautifully handled by our new coordinator, Phyllis Glanville. Phyllis and Al Reid are now living at Ati Ling,and their warmth and hospitality have been particularly welcome during this cold, rainy winter.
__________
The Sangha of My Dreams
My first experience with Chagdud Gonpa Padma Ling in Spokane, Washington, was a returned call, a message on my answering machine. I had inquired about an upcoming visit of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. I soon learned that I was welcome to come and that the sangha could offer me a room or bunk space if I needed it. They requested that I let them know how they could help me. I was surprised, but pleased, by this courtesy and immediately decided to make my plans.
When I phoned again, I spoke to their teacher, Lama Inge,who inquired about my flight's arrival. When I told her, she exclaimed, "Oh good! Rinpoche' s plane comes in ten minutes after that, so you can meet him, and we will bring you home with us!" That weekend the same kindness was shown to well over a dozen other people from out of town.
Lama Yontan Gonpo, who is the gonla, or protector lama, for Padma Ling, made several trips to the airport to pick up people who were arriving on different flights. When I asked him about this, he remarked, "We would be very upset if anyone had to take a taxi from the airport." When I suggested that few sanghas share this idea, he said,"Rinpoche tells us that we are always to be of service to people. "Consequently, it was not surprising that when someone called from the bus station just as an empowerment was about to begin, a sangha member was dispatched to pick her up and the ceremony was delayed, at Rinpoche' s request, until she arrived.
"We are all family," explained Lama Yontan later.In another telling incident, he was ready to rescue a sangha member who had dropped her car off at a garage for repairs and needed a ride back to the center. Some of us were going out anyway, so we convinced him that we should go instead, since there was greater need for his services at the center. When we retrieved the woman, we learned that Lama Yontan had investigated several repair shops and arranged for her to get the work done by a reliable mechanic for half the cost of what another garage had quoted her.
Lama Inge has the distinction of being one of the first female lamas ordained in the United States. A soft-spoken woman of German descent, she is equally at home teaching and caring for the daily needs of the gonpa. During my visit, I heard someone singing the Twenty-one Praises of Tara and followed the voice into the shrine room to find her picking up cushions and vacuuming the rug. Despite my protestations, she saw nothing unusual about her task and relinquished the vacuum only to ease my mind.
One afternoon the house was very quiet, and Rinpoche was resting. I sat in the shrine room talking with Lama Yontan. As we talked, Lama Inge stitched a small tear in the chair Rinpoche would sit in that evening. The conversation turned to upcoming dharma events, when Lama Inge interjected, "Many wonderful things happen in the dharma, but when Rinpoche comes to visit, this is what is exciting to me. This is what I love!" At that moment I looked at her face and saw the secret. She was simply doing what she loved, and she had brought all of us to her home so that we could share it with her.
The foundation of Padma Ling's integrity is the sangha's complete devotion to their teacher. This is the fire that consumes any false sense of self, allowing the students to serve the dharma wholeheartedly. A successful sangha like Padma Ling is created by the pure motivation of its members' actions, which forges a seamless connection between who they appear to be and who they really are.
The students and lamas of Padma Ling have opened their hearts and shared love in such full measure that it spills over and touches everyone they meet. I thank them for the dharma opportunities, the friendship and the food-but mostly for their vision, the vision of what we all could be.
May we all experience this overflowing of love! May all our dharma activities prosper!
Jodena Warren
T'hondup Ling was extremely blessed by the presence of H.E.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche during the Constellation of Heart Treasures event in October 1994 (see page 8). In addition to the empowerments for the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices, Rinpoche conferred rarely given empowerments for Black Hayagriva and the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The three-day longevity practice culminated in the release of an entire boat load of fish in which more than 500,000 lives were ransomed. The success of an event of this magnitude was the result of the efforts of sangha members too numerous to list here. We extend heartfelt thanks to each of them, and especially to our precious Lama Chodrak Gyatso, without whom this event could not have happened.
Due to the demanding schedule during the Constellation of Heart Treasures, there was insufficient time for Rinpoche to give teachings on the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices. As a result, Rinpoche graciously agreed to return to Los Angeles in December to provide these teachings, making the transmission complete. We are now looking forward to our next major event–a T'hroma drubchod, which will take place in November 1995.
Lama Gyatso has returned to Los Angeles to teach severaltimes since the October event, and each time there has been a greater response from new, serious students, indicating that he is, and will be, of great benefit to the Los Angeles sangha now and in the future.
__________
The teachings of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche came like rain on hot and dusty paths. The aroma of loamy earth's enlightened mind rose around us, and each of us inhaled it as deeply as we might. We shivered on our meditation pillows as profound truths broke on us like claps of thunder. We smiled, we laughed, we wondered, unafraid, thankful for the blessings of this rain of wisdom.
And beneath it all, beneath all the flurry of preparations and anticipation, the endless cups of tea, the crowded, noisy waiting room before the empowerment, the cooking and serving and chanting, the recitation of texts, the bowing and praying and prostrations ... a profound silence that cushioned our minds like clouds of light.
All our hearts and minds chorused endless thanks.
Charles Morrison
The first weekend of February, twelve of us journeyed across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula for a ngondro retreat with Richard Baldwin as our accomplished guide. Our destination was a large log cabin set in a beautiful cedar grove adjacent to a state park. A great fireplace kept us warm,and a huge kitchen supplied ample space for the sumptuous meals we enjoyed during breaks.
We studied the Four Thoughts, refuge in the Three Jewels and the generation of bodhicitta; we also learned the significance of this study inlaying the groundwork for one's entire Buddhist practice. I now appreciate that no matter what stage one is at along the Buddhist path, these teachings have a profoundly deepening and strengthening effect. As a beginner, I am infinitely grateful for this introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.
Richard's knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated by all, and I came away from the event with a sense of accomplishment for having taken these steps and full of enthusiasm for developing this firm ground on which to stand as my mind turns toward the dharma.
Martha McKay
__________
The new year has brought Lama Sonam home from Nepal. We are honored to have his mother here with us as well; she is a sparkling presence. Lama Sonam is beginning a two-year in-depth teaching of ngondro. We are fortunate our merit has borne us this fruit! On Wednesdays we gather to practice ngondro together.
On Losar, statewide sangha and local community members gathered together for a special tsog. The shrine room reverberated with the sound of ritual instruments, meditation energy and the presence of lamas. It truly was a shower of blessings. Resident-practitioners of River House hosted a gourmet potluck following the tsog.
Our sangha participated in the Asian Celebration in Eugene,selling momos (and paying next year's taxes!).
When Chagdud Rinpoche visited Dechhen Ling on his way to Seattle, we shared a special moment on the porch overlooking the river. The equinox clouds parted, the sun shone and a double rainbow appeared.
__________
During the late summer of 1994, four peacocks were born to the pair housed in a small coup near the Creek House. Winter retreatants recently constructed a celestial palace for the family and then gently carried the birds to their new home in front of Tara House. We're at work on beautification projects all over the Rigdzin Ling property, as we strive to repair the hazards of the old gold mine. Landscaping began last fall. We've moved part of a hilltop, a mining remnant that jutted into the property and gleaned from this wood for future construction and topsoil to cover bedrock and fill ravines. Mining tailings and large rock piles were traded for earth moving and road work.
Maile and Jeff have moved into their new house, a construction project that began last summer (and was finished in time for the birth of their baby, on March 3) ; Mike and Kim broke ground on their home. Work continues on the Guru Rinpoche statue and a bank of prayer flags on the north slope was consecrated on Losar day.
Padma Publishing forged ahead as Jane completed a ngondro commentary based on Rinpoche's oral teachings. There are plans to publish an anthology of Rinpoche's students' dharma writing (poetry, short fiction and nonfiction), submissions should be sent to Kathryn's attention at Rigdzin Ling.(Please do not send your original copy.)
Rainbows surrounded Tara House frequently early in January as winter retreat began, with both first- and third-year Dzogchen students practicing here. Retreatants from seven countries–Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Australia, Israel and the United States–had the good fortune to receive Rinpoche's wisdom, kindness and shower of blessings.
__________
Last November, both the sangha and many members of the larger community enjoyed a slide show, "Pilgrimage through a Lama's Eyes," consisting of the extraordinary photographs taken by Rigdzin Tromge, Tulku Jigme's wife, of the family's recent five-month sojourn in Tibet. Rigdzin's vivid photographic narration made the pilgrimage come alive for the audience.
On December I7, Chagdud Rinpoche returned to Ati Ling to lead a brief p'howa retreat, an event that provided a valuable follow-up to last June's retreat.
The past few months at Ati Ling have brought the sangha together in prayer and practice with a special focus on the health of Rigdzin, who has been seriously ill. On Christmas Eve, the sangha practiced through the night, participating in a saving-of-life ceremony dedicated to Rigdzin's recovery. The sangha released various animals–turtles, earthworms, doves and quail–into the wilds of the Napa Valley. On New Year's Day, a sang, or smoke offering, ceremony took place.
Rigdzin's quiet courage and fearlessness in the face of illness and suffering have deeply touched us all.
In early March, the sangha had a Losar party, and on March 17-19 Chagdud Rinpoche gave teachings on the six bardos which profoundly moved the sangha. These and other events have been beautifully handled by our new coordinator, Phyllis Glanville. Phyllis and Al Reid are now living at Ati Ling,and their warmth and hospitality have been particularly welcome during this cold, rainy winter.
__________
The Sangha of My Dreams
My first experience with Chagdud Gonpa Padma Ling in Spokane, Washington, was a returned call, a message on my answering machine. I had inquired about an upcoming visit of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. I soon learned that I was welcome to come and that the sangha could offer me a room or bunk space if I needed it. They requested that I let them know how they could help me. I was surprised, but pleased, by this courtesy and immediately decided to make my plans.
When I phoned again, I spoke to their teacher, Lama Inge,who inquired about my flight's arrival. When I told her, she exclaimed, "Oh good! Rinpoche' s plane comes in ten minutes after that, so you can meet him, and we will bring you home with us!" That weekend the same kindness was shown to well over a dozen other people from out of town.
Lama Yontan Gonpo, who is the gonla, or protector lama, for Padma Ling, made several trips to the airport to pick up people who were arriving on different flights. When I asked him about this, he remarked, "We would be very upset if anyone had to take a taxi from the airport." When I suggested that few sanghas share this idea, he said,"Rinpoche tells us that we are always to be of service to people. "Consequently, it was not surprising that when someone called from the bus station just as an empowerment was about to begin, a sangha member was dispatched to pick her up and the ceremony was delayed, at Rinpoche' s request, until she arrived.
"We are all family," explained Lama Yontan later.In another telling incident, he was ready to rescue a sangha member who had dropped her car off at a garage for repairs and needed a ride back to the center. Some of us were going out anyway, so we convinced him that we should go instead, since there was greater need for his services at the center. When we retrieved the woman, we learned that Lama Yontan had investigated several repair shops and arranged for her to get the work done by a reliable mechanic for half the cost of what another garage had quoted her.
Lama Inge has the distinction of being one of the first female lamas ordained in the United States. A soft-spoken woman of German descent, she is equally at home teaching and caring for the daily needs of the gonpa. During my visit, I heard someone singing the Twenty-one Praises of Tara and followed the voice into the shrine room to find her picking up cushions and vacuuming the rug. Despite my protestations, she saw nothing unusual about her task and relinquished the vacuum only to ease my mind.
One afternoon the house was very quiet, and Rinpoche was resting. I sat in the shrine room talking with Lama Yontan. As we talked, Lama Inge stitched a small tear in the chair Rinpoche would sit in that evening. The conversation turned to upcoming dharma events, when Lama Inge interjected, "Many wonderful things happen in the dharma, but when Rinpoche comes to visit, this is what is exciting to me. This is what I love!" At that moment I looked at her face and saw the secret. She was simply doing what she loved, and she had brought all of us to her home so that we could share it with her.
The foundation of Padma Ling's integrity is the sangha's complete devotion to their teacher. This is the fire that consumes any false sense of self, allowing the students to serve the dharma wholeheartedly. A successful sangha like Padma Ling is created by the pure motivation of its members' actions, which forges a seamless connection between who they appear to be and who they really are.
The students and lamas of Padma Ling have opened their hearts and shared love in such full measure that it spills over and touches everyone they meet. I thank them for the dharma opportunities, the friendship and the food-but mostly for their vision, the vision of what we all could be.
May we all experience this overflowing of love! May all our dharma activities prosper!
Jodena Warren
T'hondup Ling was extremely blessed by the presence of H.E.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche during the Constellation of Heart Treasures event in October 1994 (see page 8). In addition to the empowerments for the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices, Rinpoche conferred rarely given empowerments for Black Hayagriva and the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The three-day longevity practice culminated in the release of an entire boat load of fish in which more than 500,000 lives were ransomed. The success of an event of this magnitude was the result of the efforts of sangha members too numerous to list here. We extend heartfelt thanks to each of them, and especially to our precious Lama Chodrak Gyatso, without whom this event could not have happened.
Due to the demanding schedule during the Constellation of Heart Treasures, there was insufficient time for Rinpoche to give teachings on the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices. As a result, Rinpoche graciously agreed to return to Los Angeles in December to provide these teachings, making the transmission complete. We are now looking forward to our next major event–a T'hroma drubchod, which will take place in November 1995.
Lama Gyatso has returned to Los Angeles to teach severaltimes since the October event, and each time there has been a greater response from new, serious students, indicating that he is, and will be, of great benefit to the Los Angeles sangha now and in the future.
__________
The teachings of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche came like rain on hot and dusty paths. The aroma of loamy earth's enlightened mind rose around us, and each of us inhaled it as deeply as we might. We shivered on our meditation pillows as profound truths broke on us like claps of thunder. We smiled, we laughed, we wondered, unafraid, thankful for the blessings of this rain of wisdom.
And beneath it all, beneath all the flurry of preparations and anticipation, the endless cups of tea, the crowded, noisy waiting room before the empowerment, the cooking and serving and chanting, the recitation of texts, the bowing and praying and prostrations ... a profound silence that cushioned our minds like clouds of light.
All our hearts and minds chorused endless thanks.
Charles Morrison
The first weekend of February, twelve of us journeyed across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula for a ngondro retreat with Richard Baldwin as our accomplished guide. Our destination was a large log cabin set in a beautiful cedar grove adjacent to a state park. A great fireplace kept us warm,and a huge kitchen supplied ample space for the sumptuous meals we enjoyed during breaks.
We studied the Four Thoughts, refuge in the Three Jewels and the generation of bodhicitta; we also learned the significance of this study inlaying the groundwork for one's entire Buddhist practice. I now appreciate that no matter what stage one is at along the Buddhist path, these teachings have a profoundly deepening and strengthening effect. As a beginner, I am infinitely grateful for this introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.
Richard's knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated by all, and I came away from the event with a sense of accomplishment for having taken these steps and full of enthusiasm for developing this firm ground on which to stand as my mind turns toward the dharma.
Martha McKay
__________
The new year has brought Lama Sonam home from Nepal. We are honored to have his mother here with us as well; she is a sparkling presence. Lama Sonam is beginning a two-year in-depth teaching of ngondro. We are fortunate our merit has borne us this fruit! On Wednesdays we gather to practice ngondro together.
On Losar, statewide sangha and local community members gathered together for a special tsog. The shrine room reverberated with the sound of ritual instruments, meditation energy and the presence of lamas. It truly was a shower of blessings. Resident-practitioners of River House hosted a gourmet potluck following the tsog.
Our sangha participated in the Asian Celebration in Eugene,selling momos (and paying next year's taxes!).
When Chagdud Rinpoche visited Dechhen Ling on his way to Seattle, we shared a special moment on the porch overlooking the river. The equinox clouds parted, the sun shone and a double rainbow appeared.
__________
During the late summer of 1994, four peacocks were born to the pair housed in a small coup near the Creek House. Winter retreatants recently constructed a celestial palace for the family and then gently carried the birds to their new home in front of Tara House. We're at work on beautification projects all over the Rigdzin Ling property, as we strive to repair the hazards of the old gold mine. Landscaping began last fall. We've moved part of a hilltop, a mining remnant that jutted into the property and gleaned from this wood for future construction and topsoil to cover bedrock and fill ravines. Mining tailings and large rock piles were traded for earth moving and road work.
Maile and Jeff have moved into their new house, a construction project that began last summer (and was finished in time for the birth of their baby, on March 3) ; Mike and Kim broke ground on their home. Work continues on the Guru Rinpoche statue and a bank of prayer flags on the north slope was consecrated on Losar day.
Padma Publishing forged ahead as Jane completed a ngondro commentary based on Rinpoche's oral teachings. There are plans to publish an anthology of Rinpoche's students' dharma writing (poetry, short fiction and nonfiction), submissions should be sent to Kathryn's attention at Rigdzin Ling.(Please do not send your original copy.)
Rainbows surrounded Tara House frequently early in January as winter retreat began, with both first- and third-year Dzogchen students practicing here. Retreatants from seven countries–Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Australia, Israel and the United States–had the good fortune to receive Rinpoche's wisdom, kindness and shower of blessings.
__________
Last November, both the sangha and many members of the larger community enjoyed a slide show, "Pilgrimage through a Lama's Eyes," consisting of the extraordinary photographs taken by Rigdzin Tromge, Tulku Jigme's wife, of the family's recent five-month sojourn in Tibet. Rigdzin's vivid photographic narration made the pilgrimage come alive for the audience.
On December I7, Chagdud Rinpoche returned to Ati Ling to lead a brief p'howa retreat, an event that provided a valuable follow-up to last June's retreat.
The past few months at Ati Ling have brought the sangha together in prayer and practice with a special focus on the health of Rigdzin, who has been seriously ill. On Christmas Eve, the sangha practiced through the night, participating in a saving-of-life ceremony dedicated to Rigdzin's recovery. The sangha released various animals–turtles, earthworms, doves and quail–into the wilds of the Napa Valley. On New Year's Day, a sang, or smoke offering, ceremony took place.
Rigdzin's quiet courage and fearlessness in the face of illness and suffering have deeply touched us all.
In early March, the sangha had a Losar party, and on March 17-19 Chagdud Rinpoche gave teachings on the six bardos which profoundly moved the sangha. These and other events have been beautifully handled by our new coordinator, Phyllis Glanville. Phyllis and Al Reid are now living at Ati Ling,and their warmth and hospitality have been particularly welcome during this cold, rainy winter.
__________
The Sangha of My Dreams
My first experience with Chagdud Gonpa Padma Ling in Spokane, Washington, was a returned call, a message on my answering machine. I had inquired about an upcoming visit of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. I soon learned that I was welcome to come and that the sangha could offer me a room or bunk space if I needed it. They requested that I let them know how they could help me. I was surprised, but pleased, by this courtesy and immediately decided to make my plans.
When I phoned again, I spoke to their teacher, Lama Inge,who inquired about my flight's arrival. When I told her, she exclaimed, "Oh good! Rinpoche' s plane comes in ten minutes after that, so you can meet him, and we will bring you home with us!" That weekend the same kindness was shown to well over a dozen other people from out of town.
Lama Yontan Gonpo, who is the gonla, or protector lama, for Padma Ling, made several trips to the airport to pick up people who were arriving on different flights. When I asked him about this, he remarked, "We would be very upset if anyone had to take a taxi from the airport." When I suggested that few sanghas share this idea, he said,"Rinpoche tells us that we are always to be of service to people. "Consequently, it was not surprising that when someone called from the bus station just as an empowerment was about to begin, a sangha member was dispatched to pick her up and the ceremony was delayed, at Rinpoche' s request, until she arrived.
"We are all family," explained Lama Yontan later.In another telling incident, he was ready to rescue a sangha member who had dropped her car off at a garage for repairs and needed a ride back to the center. Some of us were going out anyway, so we convinced him that we should go instead, since there was greater need for his services at the center. When we retrieved the woman, we learned that Lama Yontan had investigated several repair shops and arranged for her to get the work done by a reliable mechanic for half the cost of what another garage had quoted her.
Lama Inge has the distinction of being one of the first female lamas ordained in the United States. A soft-spoken woman of German descent, she is equally at home teaching and caring for the daily needs of the gonpa. During my visit, I heard someone singing the Twenty-one Praises of Tara and followed the voice into the shrine room to find her picking up cushions and vacuuming the rug. Despite my protestations, she saw nothing unusual about her task and relinquished the vacuum only to ease my mind.
One afternoon the house was very quiet, and Rinpoche was resting. I sat in the shrine room talking with Lama Yontan. As we talked, Lama Inge stitched a small tear in the chair Rinpoche would sit in that evening. The conversation turned to upcoming dharma events, when Lama Inge interjected, "Many wonderful things happen in the dharma, but when Rinpoche comes to visit, this is what is exciting to me. This is what I love!" At that moment I looked at her face and saw the secret. She was simply doing what she loved, and she had brought all of us to her home so that we could share it with her.
The foundation of Padma Ling's integrity is the sangha's complete devotion to their teacher. This is the fire that consumes any false sense of self, allowing the students to serve the dharma wholeheartedly. A successful sangha like Padma Ling is created by the pure motivation of its members' actions, which forges a seamless connection between who they appear to be and who they really are.
The students and lamas of Padma Ling have opened their hearts and shared love in such full measure that it spills over and touches everyone they meet. I thank them for the dharma opportunities, the friendship and the food-but mostly for their vision, the vision of what we all could be.
May we all experience this overflowing of love! May all our dharma activities prosper!
Jodena Warren
T'hondup Ling was extremely blessed by the presence of H.E.Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche during the Constellation of Heart Treasures event in October 1994 (see page 8). In addition to the empowerments for the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices, Rinpoche conferred rarely given empowerments for Black Hayagriva and the Thousand-Armed Avalokiteshvara. The three-day longevity practice culminated in the release of an entire boat load of fish in which more than 500,000 lives were ransomed. The success of an event of this magnitude was the result of the efforts of sangha members too numerous to list here. We extend heartfelt thanks to each of them, and especially to our precious Lama Chodrak Gyatso, without whom this event could not have happened.
Due to the demanding schedule during the Constellation of Heart Treasures, there was insufficient time for Rinpoche to give teachings on the Chagdud Gonpa daily practices. As a result, Rinpoche graciously agreed to return to Los Angeles in December to provide these teachings, making the transmission complete. We are now looking forward to our next major event–a T'hroma drubchod, which will take place in November 1995.
Lama Gyatso has returned to Los Angeles to teach severaltimes since the October event, and each time there has been a greater response from new, serious students, indicating that he is, and will be, of great benefit to the Los Angeles sangha now and in the future.
__________
The teachings of H.E. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche came like rain on hot and dusty paths. The aroma of loamy earth's enlightened mind rose around us, and each of us inhaled it as deeply as we might. We shivered on our meditation pillows as profound truths broke on us like claps of thunder. We smiled, we laughed, we wondered, unafraid, thankful for the blessings of this rain of wisdom.
And beneath it all, beneath all the flurry of preparations and anticipation, the endless cups of tea, the crowded, noisy waiting room before the empowerment, the cooking and serving and chanting, the recitation of texts, the bowing and praying and prostrations ... a profound silence that cushioned our minds like clouds of light.
All our hearts and minds chorused endless thanks.
Charles Morrison
The first weekend of February, twelve of us journeyed across Puget Sound to the Olympic Peninsula for a ngondro retreat with Richard Baldwin as our accomplished guide. Our destination was a large log cabin set in a beautiful cedar grove adjacent to a state park. A great fireplace kept us warm,and a huge kitchen supplied ample space for the sumptuous meals we enjoyed during breaks.
We studied the Four Thoughts, refuge in the Three Jewels and the generation of bodhicitta; we also learned the significance of this study inlaying the groundwork for one's entire Buddhist practice. I now appreciate that no matter what stage one is at along the Buddhist path, these teachings have a profoundly deepening and strengthening effect. As a beginner, I am infinitely grateful for this introduction to the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy.
Richard's knowledge and experience were greatly appreciated by all, and I came away from the event with a sense of accomplishment for having taken these steps and full of enthusiasm for developing this firm ground on which to stand as my mind turns toward the dharma.
Martha McKay
__________
The new year has brought Lama Sonam home from Nepal. We are honored to have his mother here with us as well; she is a sparkling presence. Lama Sonam is beginning a two-year in-depth teaching of ngondro. We are fortunate our merit has borne us this fruit! On Wednesdays we gather to practice ngondro together.
On Losar, statewide sangha and local community members gathered together for a special tsog. The shrine room reverberated with the sound of ritual instruments, meditation energy and the presence of lamas. It truly was a shower of blessings. Resident-practitioners of River House hosted a gourmet potluck following the tsog.
Our sangha participated in the Asian Celebration in Eugene,selling momos (and paying next year's taxes!).
When Chagdud Rinpoche visited Dechhen Ling on his way to Seattle, we shared a special moment on the porch overlooking the river. The equinox clouds parted, the sun shone and a double rainbow appeared.
__________
During the late summer of 1994, four peacocks were born to the pair housed in a small coup near the Creek House. Winter retreatants recently constructed a celestial palace for the family and then gently carried the birds to their new home in front of Tara House. We're at work on beautification projects all over the Rigdzin Ling property, as we strive to repair the hazards of the old gold mine. Landscaping began last fall. We've moved part of a hilltop, a mining remnant that jutted into the property and gleaned from this wood for future construction and topsoil to cover bedrock and fill ravines. Mining tailings and large rock piles were traded for earth moving and road work.
Maile and Jeff have moved into their new house, a construction project that began last summer (and was finished in time for the birth of their baby, on March 3) ; Mike and Kim broke ground on their home. Work continues on the Guru Rinpoche statue and a bank of prayer flags on the north slope was consecrated on Losar day.
Padma Publishing forged ahead as Jane completed a ngondro commentary based on Rinpoche's oral teachings. There are plans to publish an anthology of Rinpoche's students' dharma writing (poetry, short fiction and nonfiction), submissions should be sent to Kathryn's attention at Rigdzin Ling.(Please do not send your original copy.)
Rainbows surrounded Tara House frequently early in January as winter retreat began, with both first- and third-year Dzogchen students practicing here. Retreatants from seven countries–Brazil, Venezuela, Japan, Iran, Australia, Israel and the United States–had the good fortune to receive Rinpoche's wisdom, kindness and shower of blessings.
__________
Last November, both the sangha and many members of the larger community enjoyed a slide show, "Pilgrimage through a Lama's Eyes," consisting of the extraordinary photographs taken by Rigdzin Tromge, Tulku Jigme's wife, of the family's recent five-month sojourn in Tibet. Rigdzin's vivid photographic narration made the pilgrimage come alive for the audience.
On December I7, Chagdud Rinpoche returned to Ati Ling to lead a brief p'howa retreat, an event that provided a valuable follow-up to last June's retreat.
The past few months at Ati Ling have brought the sangha together in prayer and practice with a special focus on the health of Rigdzin, who has been seriously ill. On Christmas Eve, the sangha practiced through the night, participating in a saving-of-life ceremony dedicated to Rigdzin's recovery. The sangha released various animals–turtles, earthworms, doves and quail–into the wilds of the Napa Valley. On New Year's Day, a sang, or smoke offering, ceremony took place.
Rigdzin's quiet courage and fearlessness in the face of illness and suffering have deeply touched us all.
In early March, the sangha had a Losar party, and on March 17-19 Chagdud Rinpoche gave teachings on the six bardos which profoundly moved the sangha. These and other events have been beautifully handled by our new coordinator, Phyllis Glanville. Phyllis and Al Reid are now living at Ati Ling,and their warmth and hospitality have been particularly welcome during this cold, rainy winter.
__________
The Sangha of My Dreams
My first experience with Chagdud Gonpa Padma Ling in Spokane, Washington, was a returned call, a message on my answering machine. I had inquired about an upcoming visit of Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche. I soon learned that I was welcome to come and that the sangha could offer me a room or bunk space if I needed it. They requested that I let them know how they could help me. I was surprised, but pleased, by this courtesy and immediately decided to make my plans.
When I phoned again, I spoke to their teacher, Lama Inge,who inquired about my flight's arrival. When I told her, she exclaimed, "Oh good! Rinpoche' s plane comes in ten minutes after that, so you can meet him, and we will bring you home with us!" That weekend the same kindness was shown to well over a dozen other people from out of town.
Lama Yontan Gonpo, who is the gonla, or protector lama, for Padma Ling, made several trips to the airport to pick up people who were arriving on different flights. When I asked him about this, he remarked, "We would be very upset if anyone had to take a taxi from the airport." When I suggested that few sanghas share this idea, he said,"Rinpoche tells us that we are always to be of service to people. "Consequently, it was not surprising that when someone called from the bus station just as an empowerment was about to begin, a sangha member was dispatched to pick her up and the ceremony was delayed, at Rinpoche' s request, until she arrived.
"We are all family," explained Lama Yontan later.In another telling incident, he was ready to rescue a sangha member who had dropped her car off at a garage for repairs and needed a ride back to the center. Some of us were going out anyway, so we convinced him that we should go instead, since there was greater need for his services at the center. When we retrieved the woman, we learned that Lama Yontan had investigated several repair shops and arranged for her to get the work done by a reliable mechanic for half the cost of what another garage had quoted her.
Lama Inge has the distinction of being one of the first female lamas ordained in the United States. A soft-spoken woman of German descent, she is equally at home teaching and caring for the daily needs of the gonpa. During my visit, I heard someone singing the Twenty-one Praises of Tara and followed the voice into the shrine room to find her picking up cushions and vacuuming the rug. Despite my protestations, she saw nothing unusual about her task and relinquished the vacuum only to ease my mind.
One afternoon the house was very quiet, and Rinpoche was resting. I sat in the shrine room talking with Lama Yontan. As we talked, Lama Inge stitched a small tear in the chair Rinpoche would sit in that evening. The conversation turned to upcoming dharma events, when Lama Inge interjected, "Many wonderful things happen in the dharma, but when Rinpoche comes to visit, this is what is exciting to me. This is what I love!" At that moment I looked at her face and saw the secret. She was simply doing what she loved, and she had brought all of us to her home so that we could share it with her.
The foundation of Padma Ling's integrity is the sangha's complete devotion to their teacher. This is the fire that consumes any false sense of self, allowing the students to serve the dharma wholeheartedly. A successful sangha like Padma Ling is created by the pure motivation of its members' actions, which forges a seamless connection between who they appear to be and who they really are.
The students and lamas of Padma Ling have opened their hearts and shared love in such full measure that it spills over and touches everyone they meet. I thank them for the dharma opportunities, the friendship and the food-but mostly for their vision, the vision of what we all could be.
May we all experience this overflowing of love! May all our dharma activities prosper!
Jodena Warren
