This year at Rigdzin Ling was rich with dharma activity, as we rolled from one event to the next. Among the many retreats and teachings was the annual Bodhisattva Peace Training with Lama Shenpen; each year, more and more people receive these teachings, practice the methods, and experience positive changes in their lives. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche taught Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training” in two installments; both events were unprecedented, in that the entire staff, including the cooks, attended the teachings. In addition to the consecration of the prayer wheels, August brought the laughter and joy of young participants in the annual children’s retreat. And then ...there was the fire.
The day after the prayer wheels were consecrated, just before Labor Day weekend, a fire started a few miles downriver. Initially, we weren’t too worried; there had already been two seasonal fires in the area that hadn’t affected us, and it didn’t seem that this one would either. A more immediate concern was getting ready for the fifty people soon to arrive for our fourth shedra with Khentrul Rinpoche. However, within days the wind shifted, sending the fire in our direction, and we were placed on standby evacuation. This warning was not lifted for the next three weeks.
Lama Drimed directed our efforts from his retreat cabin, making himself available for advice and guidance. Packing up his own belongings while continuing his retreat, he taught us by his example to be fully present yet see the dreamlike quality of the experience. Rigdzin Ling is Chagdud Rinpoche’s heritage, and the spiritual home for so many, and he wanted us to make every effort to protect it.
We emptied the shrine room, carefully placing tangkas, statues, and texts into U-Hauls and taking them to a safe place. Staff members, shedra students, and retreatants furiously cleared brush and trees from around the buildings. Tibetan Treasures people packed up their inventory and moved to a vacant house in nearby Weaverville. Elaborate evacuation plans were put into place. Big fire trucks cruised our land like vigilant protectors.
Yet in the midst of the oppressive smoke and uncertainty, life at Rigdzin Ling continued. We cooked, we ate, we washed dishes, we took out the garbage. Students attended the shedra. The prayer wheels kept turning. We were surprisingly organized, yet flexible and alert, always watching the sky, checking the direction of the wind.
It was a time of great blessings. Lamas from around the world called, prayed, suggested practices that would help, and had their monasteries do pujas. Support and prayers poured into Rigdzin Ling from the sangha. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche told us that if the fire enveloped us in spite of all the prayers, we should offer everything as a fire puja. Lama Tsering reminded us that “all phenomena are an opportunity for wisdom.” We thought about impermanence and examined our attachments as we considered which personal belongings we would take with us in the event of evacuation and which we could let go of.
Over all, there were incalculable benefits. For one thing, we are now more prepared should another fire threaten us. For example, a crew of Rigdzin Ling residents designed and installed a sprinkler system on the roof of Creek House. In addition, everyone’s efforts created a great deal of merit, which we dedicated to all beings. Many people purified their karma, some of them by enduring serious cases of poison oak and lung irritation. People who would never have set foot on our land if it hadn’t been for the fire showed up, experiencing for themselves the blessings of this holy place. Among them were fire fighters from around the country, including the “Apache Hotshots” from Arizona, as well as medics and information personnel from the nearby fire camp. They were awed by the prayer wheels and asked questions about Buddhism while requesting brochures and Tibetan Treasures catalogs. We learned much about what it takes to fight forest fires, and to protect life and property; we felt a deep respect for these brave people. They, in turn, learned something about our community. A kin ship developed that was good. And Rigdzin Ling did not burn down. We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their prayers.
Lama Drimed has told us that he will complete his three year retreat this spring and will attend the Red Vajrasattva drupchen. We are overjoyed!
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This very joyful and busy year for Ati Ling and the Padmasambhava Peace Institute started with Jigme Rinpoche presiding over the Vajrakilaya drupchod that usually precedes the Tibetan new year. Shortly thereafter we were honored to host Chagdud Khadro for a p’howa retreat. Many new practitioners joined us for this event, including some working in hospice care or general healing, as well as some individuals who were seriously ill. All who attended the teachings commented on Khadro’s insight and clear guidance; it was obvious to us why Chagdud Rinpoche had placed so much trust in her to disseminate the teachings on this practice. Practitioners remained very focused throughout the weekend, and many newer students were inspired to take up more extensive practice. We felt very fortunate that Khadro accepted our request to return whenever her schedule allows.
In May our prayers of the previous year were answered when H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to PPI for a three day Tröma retreat and healing ceremony followed by several days of rest. Again, the shrine room was filled with sangha members from all over the country, and the environment was transformed by the energy of the practice. His Eminence and his entourage, together with Jigme Rinpoche and some sangha members, spent one beautiful sunny afternoon relaxing in a tent overlooking the ocean while His Eminence told stories of the great lineage masters. From the moment of his arrival until long after he left, the tertön’s compassion and his warm presence filled everyone’s hearts.
Through May and June, Jigme Rinpoche offered a series of public dharma talks as well as empowerments for and teachings on ngondro. These were supportive for both older practitioners and a growing number of new ngondro practitioners, and more ngondro practice events will be organized in the coming year.
This summer was also the start of a relationship with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which brought 40 teenagers to PPI for a week of meditation, silent work practice, and group discussions. Each day ran from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and watching the students and highly skilled facilitators work together during this intensive period of transformation and learning was extremely inspiring. We will be delighted to welcome back the teenage group as well as a college group next year.
The annual Rigdzin Düpa hundred thousand tsok offering retreat this year was led by H.E. Katok Getsé Rinpoche, in between his consecration of the prayer wheels at Rigdzin Ling and those at Iron Knot Ranch. The newly built sangkhang and surkhang (fireoffering hearths employed in various practices such as Riwo Sangchö and making offerings to the deceased) were used for the welcoming smoke offering, an auspicious start to a wonderful weekend.
For Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana commemoration ceremonies, we were touched by the presence of both H.E. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Orgyen, making for a truly delightful three days of retreat. The first day ended with a late night butter lamp ceremony and firestick and fireball spinning, two forms of light offerings made with deep love and gratitude in honor of Chagdud Rinpoche. The following two days were spent on the Chokling Padma Dakini practice, with the exquisite text raised to an even more exalted level by the presence of lamas so rooted in this lineage. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche kindly offered daily teachings on mind training, and he enriched the final tsok unforgettably by singing songs by Milarepa, telling stories of mahasiddhas, and giving a rarely heard account of Jigme Rinpoche’s lineage. It was a blissful retreat, generating incredible peace, devotion, and goodwill.
Ati Ling ended 2006 with a Vajrakilaya retreat with Jigme Rinpoche, and in early spring, when Rinpoche returns from South America, he will begin another series of teachings. In the summer, he will lead a group on a one month pilgrimage in eastern and central Tibet; those interested in accompanying him should email atiling@hotmail.com as soon as possible. For more information about future events, as well as updates of Jigme Rinpoche’s schedule, see www.atiling.org.
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Oh, the indefatigable Venerable Lama Gyatso! How many of us in the T’hondup Ling sangha aspire to match our un-steady trot to his full gallop for the sake of sentient beings.
In January 2006, we were honored to welcome the Most Venerable Tulku Thondup Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave several public teachings and led a live release at Marina del Rey. As with all lineage masters, spending time in his presence was a great blessing.
In February Lama Gyatso and his family flew to Asia for the Tibetan new year. There, they attended the Vajrakilaya drupchen held at Chorten Gonpa in Sikkim, and prostrated to and supplicated Lama Gyatso’s lineage masters for the swift manifestation and unhindered recognition of our precious lama, Chagdud Rinpoche.
This past year, Lama Gyatso made two additional trips to Asia to check the status of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa, which will be installed at the mountain retreat center of Ari Bhöd in Tehachapi, and to make corrections with the help of the artist, Pema Namdol Thayé.
March brought a visit by H.H. Kusum Lingpa to Los Angeles. His Holiness gave the Shitro and Orgyen Zambhala empowerments and led a live release. He also bestowed a rare transmission of “p’howa while alive,” which ensures that the recipient will attain a pure realm upon death.
In early April, we were pleased to welcome Chagdud Khadro for teachings and a workshop entitled “Healing the Emotions,” as well as a talk on life in relation to death. Khadro’s visit was brief but rewarding.
At the end of April, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to lead the annual Yeshe Tsogyal drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd. Rinpoche has included T’hondup Ling in his U.S. tours for nearly a decade now, and we are profoundly grateful for his tremendous blessings. Rinpoche again commented on the inherent power of the Ari Bhöd retreat land to support spiritual practice and seemed very pleased by the dharma activities that are ongoing there under Lama Gyatso’s direction.
July 5 brought the Third Annual Sand Mandala for Universal Peace in Hollywood, this year for the first time a Rig- dzin Düpa mandala. Lama Thokmé, master of mandala arts, with the assistance of Lama Ludrup and Lama Lhundrup, spent two weeks publicly creating the mandala, grain by grain. Lama Gyatso offered teachings during the construction in addition to daily pujas that are part of the mandala creation.
Gelong Kelsang Rinpoche (a former vajra master of H.H. Chatral Rinpoche’s retreat center in Nepal) made an extensive visit to Ari Bhöd, where he oversaw the consecration of the Guru Rinpoche and other statues. Retired professor and Nyingma scholar Nyichang Rinpoche, visiting from Japan, joined six Tibetan lamas for the formal ceremonies.
The annual ngondro retreat was held in late August at Ari Bhöd. We were so happy to attend the teachings in what will be our new Ari Bhöd temple, far from the noise and distraction of the city, with only the trees and mountain as a backdrop.
It was with great sadness that we learned in September of the passing of the great dharma mother Khandro Pema Dechen, the wife of His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Khandro led a life of selfless dharma service, spending many years in solitary retreat and accomplishing thirteen sets of the extensive Longchen Nyingtik ngondro practice, among many other things. Lama Gyatso and his family were present at her cremation ceremony in Sikkim. Khandro remained in a state of samadhi (meditative absorption) for seven days following her passing, and many miraculous events surrounded the cremation.
In October Lama Gyatso and our lamas drove to Rigdzin Gatsal in Williams, Oregon, to cut down a sacred cedar tree at a specific time for the central channel of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa. Lama Gyatso chose the site because of Chagdud Rinpoche’s extraordinary blessings, which pervade the land. We are indebted to Lama Jamie of Rigdzin Gatsal for so kindly and generously offering the precious gift of this tree, which was 119 years old and cut strictly according to the text. On their way home, the lamas visited Rigdzin Ling, the North American headquarters of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, from which the enlightened activities of our precious master Chagdud Rinpoche radiate uninterruptedly and unceasingly throughout the world.
The Shitro Mandala has been reassembled and consecrated in its new home, the Mandala Peace House at Ari Bhöd. Prema Swearingen came from Rigdzin Ling for several days to help reassemble the mandala.
October also brought the twelfth annual Tröma drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd and led by Loppon Jigme Rinpoche for one week. In November there were three days of ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana. In early December, we were honored to welcome Yang tang Rinpoche for several days of teachings and dharma events. In late December, we again rang in the Western new year with the annual Orgyen Zambhala retreat, led by Lama Gyatso.
If you wish to contribute to a live release or to attend our practices, or would like to be placed on our email list, please email thondupling@yahoo.com.
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For Yeshe Ling, 2006 was a year filled with Chagdud Rinpoche’s blessings. It was a delight to host Lama Sherab, who was visiting from Khadro Ling, Brazil. After arriving in California in the middle of June, she gave a shamatha meditation training in San Francisco as well as three public talks in different towns in the area. She then led a wonderful weeklong ngondro retreat here at Yeshe Ling, which was well attended by students old and new. At the end of July, Lama Tsering led a three day retreat entitled “Finding Equanimity in a Jagged World.” Her teachings were both profound and practical. It was such a gift to receive teachings from these two extraordinary women la mas, both of whom were thoroughly trained by Chagdud Rinpoche. His presence was strong at both events.
At the beginning of September, we were honored by an afternoon visit by Katok Getsé Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche drove him across the mountains from PPI, and they were welcomed by a small group of sangha members. We sat together in the shrine room while they drank tea, told stories, and received offerings. As Getsé Rinpoche was leaving the shrine room, he placed a beautiful statue on our altar! He blessed the land as well as our Guru Rinpoche statue and promised to teach at Yeshe Ling in the future.
The annual LionFaced Dakini retreat was held later in September. Jigme Rinpoche inspired us as he led the practice and also gave beautiful and thought provoking teachings. In the isolated surroundings of these hills, the power of the practice was palpable. How fortunate we are!
Finally, progress on the Guru Rinpoche statue continues. Through the extensive efforts of various sangha members, the decorative base has been painted and the damage caused by last winter’s harsh weather has been repaired. We hope to erect a roof over the statue, and Lon Hill has donated some beams to get the project going. We are gathering funds and donations for the remaining materials, and now the sacred substances are being collected. More mantra rolling is planned for the coming months, and we are hoping for the auspicious interdependence of a consecration ceremony before the end of 2007. May all beings benefit!
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The roots of Vajrayana Buddhism in Canada’s far north were firmly established in 1977 when the Sixteenth Karmapa, Khenpo Kartar Rinpoche, H.H. Kalu Rinpoche, and an entourage of many lamas traveled to Whitehorse. They trekked up to Montana Mountain, blessed it, and named it Karma Gyurmé Ling. We are compiling a more complete story of these extraordinary events.
Chagdud Rinpoche first traveled here in 1984, performing many ceremonies, including a tenday fire puja, day and night. He named this land Rigdrol Dechen Ling, Place of Liberating Awareness and Great Bliss, and composed the following verse for his students here:
The view of unwavering, self-arising awareness is the foundation.
Meditating by letting the mind rest in its true nature,
Uncontrived and self-liberated, is the path.
Effortlessly expressing one’s true nature is the blissful fruit.
May this precious place of happiness and benefit to self and others expand and increase.
This year, we hosted five retreats, bringing Lama Zangpo, Lama Inge, Lama Padma, and Lama Norbu to this corner of the planet. Thirty Five people received the Red Tara empowerment from Lama Inge. Sangha members also traveled to Orcas Island for the Chenrezik drupchen, to Rigdzin Ling for the prayer wheel consecration and shedra, and to PPI, Spokane, and Alaska for other retreats.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate over the past year to have so many lamas spin the dharma wheel at Whitehorse. Each of these wonderful lamas has inspired our sangha members and sparked increasing interest in the Vajrayana throughout the larger community. This momentum will only grow in the coming year, as Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche will be honoring us with a visit for several days at the end of March.
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Greetings from Tromge Ling and the Alaskan sangha. The Fire Dog year has been blessed by teachings nearly every six to eight weeks. In February Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche conducted a tenday retreat in the shadow of Mount McKinley. Participants from Alaska, including those from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, as well as some from Whitehorse, Can ada, benefited from the teachings. In November he returned to give the first of a two part teaching on Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training.”
Lama Zangpo came in the spring, continuing a series of instructions on sadhana practice. His teachings are a wonderful stitching together of the practices and wisdom of the dharma. In July Lama Zangpo also led a Red Tara retreat. In August Lama Tsering gave a public talk and generously offered the Red Tara empowerment.
Our sangha does sadhana practice together once a week; on these evenings, we also read from Chagdud Khadro’s Red Tara Commentary and share our experiences of implementing the dharma in our daily lives. We also do a weekly ngondro practice. We extend an invitation to all to come and visit.
We feel very blessed and supported by the generosity of the lamas and the teachings of the dharma for the benefit of others. We are grateful that Rigdzin Ling was protected from the fire that devastated the area and have prayed for those affected by the fire. Tashi Delek.
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On the fourth anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana, we naturally reflected on the flow of his blessings, which continue to manifest inwardly as spiritual well being and outwardly as teachers, teachings, and dharma activities.
Earlier in the year, in July, more than 150 students participated in a powerful, transformative Essence of Siddhi drupchen led by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche. A few weeks later, 350 people received Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s inspiring teachings on the extensive Dudjom ngondro, The Chariot of the Path of Union. The text was translated into English and Portuguese for the occasion by Joe McClellan and the Makara Translation Committee, who appreciated Rinpoche’s suggestions as he reviewed the translation during the course of the teachings.
Next, Katok Getsé Rinpoche arrived to consecrate Khadro Ling’s 42 enormous prayer wheels. The Vajrasattva sadhana used for the consecration was the same one used in Nepal for Chagdud Rinpoche’s 2002 parinirvana ceremonies, reminding many of us of that period when the recognition of impermanence was profound.
Then, 250 people had the great fortune to receive teachings from Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche on the Eight Verses of Mind Training of Langri Tangpa—teachings that demonstrated the power of the Mahayana to shift our ordinary minds toward the pure perspective of bodhichitta.
Meanwhile, a team of people have continued the extensive preparation of the mantras to be inserted in the statues of the Padmasambhava Pureland. They are working under the direction of our Bhutanese consecration master, Lama Rigdzin Samdrup, whose effort is nonstop and totally inspiring. As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once commented, “Lama Rigdzin is really a rinpoche, even if he doesn’t accept the title.” We know that.
Many people have asked when the consecration of the Pureland will take place. Our best guess now is July or August 2008, and even with that seemingly long interval, it feels like tomorrow in relation to the effort involved. We request that all of you who are devoted to Chagdud Rinpoche offer your prayers that this amazing endeavor, which is so dependent on the merit of the entire Chagdud Gonpa sangha, will move toward completion without major obstacles. For their part, practitioners in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile are close to completing 100 million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, as well as extensive accumulations of Amitayus and Medicine Buddha mantra recitation.
Finally, we are fulfilling Chagdud Rinpoche’s aspiration that 1,000 tsatsas be mounted on the back of the throne of the monumental Akshobhya Buddha statue he created. Almost 300 tsatsas, which are deep blue tiles with a carved image of Akshobhya, have been offered by those who are sponsoring mantra recitation and images for the deceased and for loved ones facing untimely death or violence. Information about tsatsa sponsorship can be obtained from the Mahakaruna Foundation.
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In the past few months, Odsal Ling has been blessed with empowerments and teachings by several great lamas. In August Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings in São Paulo on the Wheel of Life to more than 400 people. He also visited Refugio, where he blessed the temple and performed a ceremony to establish the temple protectors. He helped to determine which statues were to be included and gave some very welcome instructions to the artists. Katok Getsé Tulku Rinpoche arrived for a brief stay, and more recently, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche blessed us with the Lojong teachings for training the mind. After extending his stay, he gave teachings on the vows of refuge and bodhichitta. Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche also led an expedition to the beach to perform a ceremony for saving life, accompanied by the release of millions of shrimp and the appearance of auspicious rainbows. It was wonderful to experience such a rich period of “great master” visitors!
Meanwhile, the activities at Odsal Ling, under the direction of Lama Tsering Everest, continue at a rapid pace. Most noticeable has been the creation of artwork that is beginning to adorn the Odsal Ling temple. Four artists from Tibet and Bhutan are coordinating the painting of two 16 foot by 16 foot ceiling tangkas and the making of the five central statues, as well as all of the architectural details of a traditional Tibetan temple. Along with Lama Norbu and the artists, many sangha members are assisting with the artwork and construction details and are learning much in the process. Soon to begin is the process of making thousands of mantra rolls that will be placed in the throne bases of the statues and elsewhere, and assembling the sacred substances.
At the city center, in the urban heart of São Paulo, many new people continue to attend the weekly teachings of Lama Tsering. A new program called Dharma Stream provides her distant students with an opportunity to listen to these teachings live over the Internet (see more details at www.odsalling.org/dharmastream). This program has attracted many new members from all over the world, giving them an innovative way to follow through on their original connection with the teachings. Dharma Stream is supported by membership pledges and was recently reorganized to correspond to the Brazilian standard, making it more affordable for people living outside of Brazil. We are receiving wonderful feedback from those who love to listen to Lama Tsering from afar.
To find out about upcoming events and progress on the temple, go to www.lamatsering.org. You are always welcome to visit us. Accommodations for personal retreats are available at Refugio, and we would love to have you participate in the temple project. Contact Marcelo at sangha@odsalling.org for more information.
This year at Rigdzin Ling was rich with dharma activity, as we rolled from one event to the next. Among the many retreats and teachings was the annual Bodhisattva Peace Training with Lama Shenpen; each year, more and more people receive these teachings, practice the methods, and experience positive changes in their lives. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche taught Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training” in two installments; both events were unprecedented, in that the entire staff, including the cooks, attended the teachings. In addition to the consecration of the prayer wheels, August brought the laughter and joy of young participants in the annual children’s retreat. And then ...there was the fire.
The day after the prayer wheels were consecrated, just before Labor Day weekend, a fire started a few miles downriver. Initially, we weren’t too worried; there had already been two seasonal fires in the area that hadn’t affected us, and it didn’t seem that this one would either. A more immediate concern was getting ready for the fifty people soon to arrive for our fourth shedra with Khentrul Rinpoche. However, within days the wind shifted, sending the fire in our direction, and we were placed on standby evacuation. This warning was not lifted for the next three weeks.
Lama Drimed directed our efforts from his retreat cabin, making himself available for advice and guidance. Packing up his own belongings while continuing his retreat, he taught us by his example to be fully present yet see the dreamlike quality of the experience. Rigdzin Ling is Chagdud Rinpoche’s heritage, and the spiritual home for so many, and he wanted us to make every effort to protect it.
We emptied the shrine room, carefully placing tangkas, statues, and texts into U-Hauls and taking them to a safe place. Staff members, shedra students, and retreatants furiously cleared brush and trees from around the buildings. Tibetan Treasures people packed up their inventory and moved to a vacant house in nearby Weaverville. Elaborate evacuation plans were put into place. Big fire trucks cruised our land like vigilant protectors.
Yet in the midst of the oppressive smoke and uncertainty, life at Rigdzin Ling continued. We cooked, we ate, we washed dishes, we took out the garbage. Students attended the shedra. The prayer wheels kept turning. We were surprisingly organized, yet flexible and alert, always watching the sky, checking the direction of the wind.
It was a time of great blessings. Lamas from around the world called, prayed, suggested practices that would help, and had their monasteries do pujas. Support and prayers poured into Rigdzin Ling from the sangha. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche told us that if the fire enveloped us in spite of all the prayers, we should offer everything as a fire puja. Lama Tsering reminded us that “all phenomena are an opportunity for wisdom.” We thought about impermanence and examined our attachments as we considered which personal belongings we would take with us in the event of evacuation and which we could let go of.
Over all, there were incalculable benefits. For one thing, we are now more prepared should another fire threaten us. For example, a crew of Rigdzin Ling residents designed and installed a sprinkler system on the roof of Creek House. In addition, everyone’s efforts created a great deal of merit, which we dedicated to all beings. Many people purified their karma, some of them by enduring serious cases of poison oak and lung irritation. People who would never have set foot on our land if it hadn’t been for the fire showed up, experiencing for themselves the blessings of this holy place. Among them were fire fighters from around the country, including the “Apache Hotshots” from Arizona, as well as medics and information personnel from the nearby fire camp. They were awed by the prayer wheels and asked questions about Buddhism while requesting brochures and Tibetan Treasures catalogs. We learned much about what it takes to fight forest fires, and to protect life and property; we felt a deep respect for these brave people. They, in turn, learned something about our community. A kin ship developed that was good. And Rigdzin Ling did not burn down. We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their prayers.
Lama Drimed has told us that he will complete his three year retreat this spring and will attend the Red Vajrasattva drupchen. We are overjoyed!
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This very joyful and busy year for Ati Ling and the Padmasambhava Peace Institute started with Jigme Rinpoche presiding over the Vajrakilaya drupchod that usually precedes the Tibetan new year. Shortly thereafter we were honored to host Chagdud Khadro for a p’howa retreat. Many new practitioners joined us for this event, including some working in hospice care or general healing, as well as some individuals who were seriously ill. All who attended the teachings commented on Khadro’s insight and clear guidance; it was obvious to us why Chagdud Rinpoche had placed so much trust in her to disseminate the teachings on this practice. Practitioners remained very focused throughout the weekend, and many newer students were inspired to take up more extensive practice. We felt very fortunate that Khadro accepted our request to return whenever her schedule allows.
In May our prayers of the previous year were answered when H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to PPI for a three day Tröma retreat and healing ceremony followed by several days of rest. Again, the shrine room was filled with sangha members from all over the country, and the environment was transformed by the energy of the practice. His Eminence and his entourage, together with Jigme Rinpoche and some sangha members, spent one beautiful sunny afternoon relaxing in a tent overlooking the ocean while His Eminence told stories of the great lineage masters. From the moment of his arrival until long after he left, the tertön’s compassion and his warm presence filled everyone’s hearts.
Through May and June, Jigme Rinpoche offered a series of public dharma talks as well as empowerments for and teachings on ngondro. These were supportive for both older practitioners and a growing number of new ngondro practitioners, and more ngondro practice events will be organized in the coming year.
This summer was also the start of a relationship with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which brought 40 teenagers to PPI for a week of meditation, silent work practice, and group discussions. Each day ran from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and watching the students and highly skilled facilitators work together during this intensive period of transformation and learning was extremely inspiring. We will be delighted to welcome back the teenage group as well as a college group next year.
The annual Rigdzin Düpa hundred thousand tsok offering retreat this year was led by H.E. Katok Getsé Rinpoche, in between his consecration of the prayer wheels at Rigdzin Ling and those at Iron Knot Ranch. The newly built sangkhang and surkhang (fireoffering hearths employed in various practices such as Riwo Sangchö and making offerings to the deceased) were used for the welcoming smoke offering, an auspicious start to a wonderful weekend.
For Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana commemoration ceremonies, we were touched by the presence of both H.E. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Orgyen, making for a truly delightful three days of retreat. The first day ended with a late night butter lamp ceremony and firestick and fireball spinning, two forms of light offerings made with deep love and gratitude in honor of Chagdud Rinpoche. The following two days were spent on the Chokling Padma Dakini practice, with the exquisite text raised to an even more exalted level by the presence of lamas so rooted in this lineage. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche kindly offered daily teachings on mind training, and he enriched the final tsok unforgettably by singing songs by Milarepa, telling stories of mahasiddhas, and giving a rarely heard account of Jigme Rinpoche’s lineage. It was a blissful retreat, generating incredible peace, devotion, and goodwill.
Ati Ling ended 2006 with a Vajrakilaya retreat with Jigme Rinpoche, and in early spring, when Rinpoche returns from South America, he will begin another series of teachings. In the summer, he will lead a group on a one month pilgrimage in eastern and central Tibet; those interested in accompanying him should email atiling@hotmail.com as soon as possible. For more information about future events, as well as updates of Jigme Rinpoche’s schedule, see www.atiling.org.
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Oh, the indefatigable Venerable Lama Gyatso! How many of us in the T’hondup Ling sangha aspire to match our un-steady trot to his full gallop for the sake of sentient beings.
In January 2006, we were honored to welcome the Most Venerable Tulku Thondup Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave several public teachings and led a live release at Marina del Rey. As with all lineage masters, spending time in his presence was a great blessing.
In February Lama Gyatso and his family flew to Asia for the Tibetan new year. There, they attended the Vajrakilaya drupchen held at Chorten Gonpa in Sikkim, and prostrated to and supplicated Lama Gyatso’s lineage masters for the swift manifestation and unhindered recognition of our precious lama, Chagdud Rinpoche.
This past year, Lama Gyatso made two additional trips to Asia to check the status of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa, which will be installed at the mountain retreat center of Ari Bhöd in Tehachapi, and to make corrections with the help of the artist, Pema Namdol Thayé.
March brought a visit by H.H. Kusum Lingpa to Los Angeles. His Holiness gave the Shitro and Orgyen Zambhala empowerments and led a live release. He also bestowed a rare transmission of “p’howa while alive,” which ensures that the recipient will attain a pure realm upon death.
In early April, we were pleased to welcome Chagdud Khadro for teachings and a workshop entitled “Healing the Emotions,” as well as a talk on life in relation to death. Khadro’s visit was brief but rewarding.
At the end of April, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to lead the annual Yeshe Tsogyal drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd. Rinpoche has included T’hondup Ling in his U.S. tours for nearly a decade now, and we are profoundly grateful for his tremendous blessings. Rinpoche again commented on the inherent power of the Ari Bhöd retreat land to support spiritual practice and seemed very pleased by the dharma activities that are ongoing there under Lama Gyatso’s direction.
July 5 brought the Third Annual Sand Mandala for Universal Peace in Hollywood, this year for the first time a Rig- dzin Düpa mandala. Lama Thokmé, master of mandala arts, with the assistance of Lama Ludrup and Lama Lhundrup, spent two weeks publicly creating the mandala, grain by grain. Lama Gyatso offered teachings during the construction in addition to daily pujas that are part of the mandala creation.
Gelong Kelsang Rinpoche (a former vajra master of H.H. Chatral Rinpoche’s retreat center in Nepal) made an extensive visit to Ari Bhöd, where he oversaw the consecration of the Guru Rinpoche and other statues. Retired professor and Nyingma scholar Nyichang Rinpoche, visiting from Japan, joined six Tibetan lamas for the formal ceremonies.
The annual ngondro retreat was held in late August at Ari Bhöd. We were so happy to attend the teachings in what will be our new Ari Bhöd temple, far from the noise and distraction of the city, with only the trees and mountain as a backdrop.
It was with great sadness that we learned in September of the passing of the great dharma mother Khandro Pema Dechen, the wife of His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Khandro led a life of selfless dharma service, spending many years in solitary retreat and accomplishing thirteen sets of the extensive Longchen Nyingtik ngondro practice, among many other things. Lama Gyatso and his family were present at her cremation ceremony in Sikkim. Khandro remained in a state of samadhi (meditative absorption) for seven days following her passing, and many miraculous events surrounded the cremation.
In October Lama Gyatso and our lamas drove to Rigdzin Gatsal in Williams, Oregon, to cut down a sacred cedar tree at a specific time for the central channel of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa. Lama Gyatso chose the site because of Chagdud Rinpoche’s extraordinary blessings, which pervade the land. We are indebted to Lama Jamie of Rigdzin Gatsal for so kindly and generously offering the precious gift of this tree, which was 119 years old and cut strictly according to the text. On their way home, the lamas visited Rigdzin Ling, the North American headquarters of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, from which the enlightened activities of our precious master Chagdud Rinpoche radiate uninterruptedly and unceasingly throughout the world.
The Shitro Mandala has been reassembled and consecrated in its new home, the Mandala Peace House at Ari Bhöd. Prema Swearingen came from Rigdzin Ling for several days to help reassemble the mandala.
October also brought the twelfth annual Tröma drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd and led by Loppon Jigme Rinpoche for one week. In November there were three days of ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana. In early December, we were honored to welcome Yang tang Rinpoche for several days of teachings and dharma events. In late December, we again rang in the Western new year with the annual Orgyen Zambhala retreat, led by Lama Gyatso.
If you wish to contribute to a live release or to attend our practices, or would like to be placed on our email list, please email thondupling@yahoo.com.
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For Yeshe Ling, 2006 was a year filled with Chagdud Rinpoche’s blessings. It was a delight to host Lama Sherab, who was visiting from Khadro Ling, Brazil. After arriving in California in the middle of June, she gave a shamatha meditation training in San Francisco as well as three public talks in different towns in the area. She then led a wonderful weeklong ngondro retreat here at Yeshe Ling, which was well attended by students old and new. At the end of July, Lama Tsering led a three day retreat entitled “Finding Equanimity in a Jagged World.” Her teachings were both profound and practical. It was such a gift to receive teachings from these two extraordinary women la mas, both of whom were thoroughly trained by Chagdud Rinpoche. His presence was strong at both events.
At the beginning of September, we were honored by an afternoon visit by Katok Getsé Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche drove him across the mountains from PPI, and they were welcomed by a small group of sangha members. We sat together in the shrine room while they drank tea, told stories, and received offerings. As Getsé Rinpoche was leaving the shrine room, he placed a beautiful statue on our altar! He blessed the land as well as our Guru Rinpoche statue and promised to teach at Yeshe Ling in the future.
The annual LionFaced Dakini retreat was held later in September. Jigme Rinpoche inspired us as he led the practice and also gave beautiful and thought provoking teachings. In the isolated surroundings of these hills, the power of the practice was palpable. How fortunate we are!
Finally, progress on the Guru Rinpoche statue continues. Through the extensive efforts of various sangha members, the decorative base has been painted and the damage caused by last winter’s harsh weather has been repaired. We hope to erect a roof over the statue, and Lon Hill has donated some beams to get the project going. We are gathering funds and donations for the remaining materials, and now the sacred substances are being collected. More mantra rolling is planned for the coming months, and we are hoping for the auspicious interdependence of a consecration ceremony before the end of 2007. May all beings benefit!
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The roots of Vajrayana Buddhism in Canada’s far north were firmly established in 1977 when the Sixteenth Karmapa, Khenpo Kartar Rinpoche, H.H. Kalu Rinpoche, and an entourage of many lamas traveled to Whitehorse. They trekked up to Montana Mountain, blessed it, and named it Karma Gyurmé Ling. We are compiling a more complete story of these extraordinary events.
Chagdud Rinpoche first traveled here in 1984, performing many ceremonies, including a tenday fire puja, day and night. He named this land Rigdrol Dechen Ling, Place of Liberating Awareness and Great Bliss, and composed the following verse for his students here:
The view of unwavering, self-arising awareness is the foundation.
Meditating by letting the mind rest in its true nature,
Uncontrived and self-liberated, is the path.
Effortlessly expressing one’s true nature is the blissful fruit.
May this precious place of happiness and benefit to self and others expand and increase.
This year, we hosted five retreats, bringing Lama Zangpo, Lama Inge, Lama Padma, and Lama Norbu to this corner of the planet. Thirty Five people received the Red Tara empowerment from Lama Inge. Sangha members also traveled to Orcas Island for the Chenrezik drupchen, to Rigdzin Ling for the prayer wheel consecration and shedra, and to PPI, Spokane, and Alaska for other retreats.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate over the past year to have so many lamas spin the dharma wheel at Whitehorse. Each of these wonderful lamas has inspired our sangha members and sparked increasing interest in the Vajrayana throughout the larger community. This momentum will only grow in the coming year, as Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche will be honoring us with a visit for several days at the end of March.
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Greetings from Tromge Ling and the Alaskan sangha. The Fire Dog year has been blessed by teachings nearly every six to eight weeks. In February Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche conducted a tenday retreat in the shadow of Mount McKinley. Participants from Alaska, including those from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, as well as some from Whitehorse, Can ada, benefited from the teachings. In November he returned to give the first of a two part teaching on Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training.”
Lama Zangpo came in the spring, continuing a series of instructions on sadhana practice. His teachings are a wonderful stitching together of the practices and wisdom of the dharma. In July Lama Zangpo also led a Red Tara retreat. In August Lama Tsering gave a public talk and generously offered the Red Tara empowerment.
Our sangha does sadhana practice together once a week; on these evenings, we also read from Chagdud Khadro’s Red Tara Commentary and share our experiences of implementing the dharma in our daily lives. We also do a weekly ngondro practice. We extend an invitation to all to come and visit.
We feel very blessed and supported by the generosity of the lamas and the teachings of the dharma for the benefit of others. We are grateful that Rigdzin Ling was protected from the fire that devastated the area and have prayed for those affected by the fire. Tashi Delek.
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On the fourth anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana, we naturally reflected on the flow of his blessings, which continue to manifest inwardly as spiritual well being and outwardly as teachers, teachings, and dharma activities.
Earlier in the year, in July, more than 150 students participated in a powerful, transformative Essence of Siddhi drupchen led by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche. A few weeks later, 350 people received Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s inspiring teachings on the extensive Dudjom ngondro, The Chariot of the Path of Union. The text was translated into English and Portuguese for the occasion by Joe McClellan and the Makara Translation Committee, who appreciated Rinpoche’s suggestions as he reviewed the translation during the course of the teachings.
Next, Katok Getsé Rinpoche arrived to consecrate Khadro Ling’s 42 enormous prayer wheels. The Vajrasattva sadhana used for the consecration was the same one used in Nepal for Chagdud Rinpoche’s 2002 parinirvana ceremonies, reminding many of us of that period when the recognition of impermanence was profound.
Then, 250 people had the great fortune to receive teachings from Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche on the Eight Verses of Mind Training of Langri Tangpa—teachings that demonstrated the power of the Mahayana to shift our ordinary minds toward the pure perspective of bodhichitta.
Meanwhile, a team of people have continued the extensive preparation of the mantras to be inserted in the statues of the Padmasambhava Pureland. They are working under the direction of our Bhutanese consecration master, Lama Rigdzin Samdrup, whose effort is nonstop and totally inspiring. As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once commented, “Lama Rigdzin is really a rinpoche, even if he doesn’t accept the title.” We know that.
Many people have asked when the consecration of the Pureland will take place. Our best guess now is July or August 2008, and even with that seemingly long interval, it feels like tomorrow in relation to the effort involved. We request that all of you who are devoted to Chagdud Rinpoche offer your prayers that this amazing endeavor, which is so dependent on the merit of the entire Chagdud Gonpa sangha, will move toward completion without major obstacles. For their part, practitioners in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile are close to completing 100 million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, as well as extensive accumulations of Amitayus and Medicine Buddha mantra recitation.
Finally, we are fulfilling Chagdud Rinpoche’s aspiration that 1,000 tsatsas be mounted on the back of the throne of the monumental Akshobhya Buddha statue he created. Almost 300 tsatsas, which are deep blue tiles with a carved image of Akshobhya, have been offered by those who are sponsoring mantra recitation and images for the deceased and for loved ones facing untimely death or violence. Information about tsatsa sponsorship can be obtained from the Mahakaruna Foundation.
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In the past few months, Odsal Ling has been blessed with empowerments and teachings by several great lamas. In August Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings in São Paulo on the Wheel of Life to more than 400 people. He also visited Refugio, where he blessed the temple and performed a ceremony to establish the temple protectors. He helped to determine which statues were to be included and gave some very welcome instructions to the artists. Katok Getsé Tulku Rinpoche arrived for a brief stay, and more recently, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche blessed us with the Lojong teachings for training the mind. After extending his stay, he gave teachings on the vows of refuge and bodhichitta. Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche also led an expedition to the beach to perform a ceremony for saving life, accompanied by the release of millions of shrimp and the appearance of auspicious rainbows. It was wonderful to experience such a rich period of “great master” visitors!
Meanwhile, the activities at Odsal Ling, under the direction of Lama Tsering Everest, continue at a rapid pace. Most noticeable has been the creation of artwork that is beginning to adorn the Odsal Ling temple. Four artists from Tibet and Bhutan are coordinating the painting of two 16 foot by 16 foot ceiling tangkas and the making of the five central statues, as well as all of the architectural details of a traditional Tibetan temple. Along with Lama Norbu and the artists, many sangha members are assisting with the artwork and construction details and are learning much in the process. Soon to begin is the process of making thousands of mantra rolls that will be placed in the throne bases of the statues and elsewhere, and assembling the sacred substances.
At the city center, in the urban heart of São Paulo, many new people continue to attend the weekly teachings of Lama Tsering. A new program called Dharma Stream provides her distant students with an opportunity to listen to these teachings live over the Internet (see more details at www.odsalling.org/dharmastream). This program has attracted many new members from all over the world, giving them an innovative way to follow through on their original connection with the teachings. Dharma Stream is supported by membership pledges and was recently reorganized to correspond to the Brazilian standard, making it more affordable for people living outside of Brazil. We are receiving wonderful feedback from those who love to listen to Lama Tsering from afar.
To find out about upcoming events and progress on the temple, go to www.lamatsering.org. You are always welcome to visit us. Accommodations for personal retreats are available at Refugio, and we would love to have you participate in the temple project. Contact Marcelo at sangha@odsalling.org for more information.
This year at Rigdzin Ling was rich with dharma activity, as we rolled from one event to the next. Among the many retreats and teachings was the annual Bodhisattva Peace Training with Lama Shenpen; each year, more and more people receive these teachings, practice the methods, and experience positive changes in their lives. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche taught Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training” in two installments; both events were unprecedented, in that the entire staff, including the cooks, attended the teachings. In addition to the consecration of the prayer wheels, August brought the laughter and joy of young participants in the annual children’s retreat. And then ...there was the fire.
The day after the prayer wheels were consecrated, just before Labor Day weekend, a fire started a few miles downriver. Initially, we weren’t too worried; there had already been two seasonal fires in the area that hadn’t affected us, and it didn’t seem that this one would either. A more immediate concern was getting ready for the fifty people soon to arrive for our fourth shedra with Khentrul Rinpoche. However, within days the wind shifted, sending the fire in our direction, and we were placed on standby evacuation. This warning was not lifted for the next three weeks.
Lama Drimed directed our efforts from his retreat cabin, making himself available for advice and guidance. Packing up his own belongings while continuing his retreat, he taught us by his example to be fully present yet see the dreamlike quality of the experience. Rigdzin Ling is Chagdud Rinpoche’s heritage, and the spiritual home for so many, and he wanted us to make every effort to protect it.
We emptied the shrine room, carefully placing tangkas, statues, and texts into U-Hauls and taking them to a safe place. Staff members, shedra students, and retreatants furiously cleared brush and trees from around the buildings. Tibetan Treasures people packed up their inventory and moved to a vacant house in nearby Weaverville. Elaborate evacuation plans were put into place. Big fire trucks cruised our land like vigilant protectors.
Yet in the midst of the oppressive smoke and uncertainty, life at Rigdzin Ling continued. We cooked, we ate, we washed dishes, we took out the garbage. Students attended the shedra. The prayer wheels kept turning. We were surprisingly organized, yet flexible and alert, always watching the sky, checking the direction of the wind.
It was a time of great blessings. Lamas from around the world called, prayed, suggested practices that would help, and had their monasteries do pujas. Support and prayers poured into Rigdzin Ling from the sangha. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche told us that if the fire enveloped us in spite of all the prayers, we should offer everything as a fire puja. Lama Tsering reminded us that “all phenomena are an opportunity for wisdom.” We thought about impermanence and examined our attachments as we considered which personal belongings we would take with us in the event of evacuation and which we could let go of.
Over all, there were incalculable benefits. For one thing, we are now more prepared should another fire threaten us. For example, a crew of Rigdzin Ling residents designed and installed a sprinkler system on the roof of Creek House. In addition, everyone’s efforts created a great deal of merit, which we dedicated to all beings. Many people purified their karma, some of them by enduring serious cases of poison oak and lung irritation. People who would never have set foot on our land if it hadn’t been for the fire showed up, experiencing for themselves the blessings of this holy place. Among them were fire fighters from around the country, including the “Apache Hotshots” from Arizona, as well as medics and information personnel from the nearby fire camp. They were awed by the prayer wheels and asked questions about Buddhism while requesting brochures and Tibetan Treasures catalogs. We learned much about what it takes to fight forest fires, and to protect life and property; we felt a deep respect for these brave people. They, in turn, learned something about our community. A kin ship developed that was good. And Rigdzin Ling did not burn down. We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their prayers.
Lama Drimed has told us that he will complete his three year retreat this spring and will attend the Red Vajrasattva drupchen. We are overjoyed!
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This very joyful and busy year for Ati Ling and the Padmasambhava Peace Institute started with Jigme Rinpoche presiding over the Vajrakilaya drupchod that usually precedes the Tibetan new year. Shortly thereafter we were honored to host Chagdud Khadro for a p’howa retreat. Many new practitioners joined us for this event, including some working in hospice care or general healing, as well as some individuals who were seriously ill. All who attended the teachings commented on Khadro’s insight and clear guidance; it was obvious to us why Chagdud Rinpoche had placed so much trust in her to disseminate the teachings on this practice. Practitioners remained very focused throughout the weekend, and many newer students were inspired to take up more extensive practice. We felt very fortunate that Khadro accepted our request to return whenever her schedule allows.
In May our prayers of the previous year were answered when H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to PPI for a three day Tröma retreat and healing ceremony followed by several days of rest. Again, the shrine room was filled with sangha members from all over the country, and the environment was transformed by the energy of the practice. His Eminence and his entourage, together with Jigme Rinpoche and some sangha members, spent one beautiful sunny afternoon relaxing in a tent overlooking the ocean while His Eminence told stories of the great lineage masters. From the moment of his arrival until long after he left, the tertön’s compassion and his warm presence filled everyone’s hearts.
Through May and June, Jigme Rinpoche offered a series of public dharma talks as well as empowerments for and teachings on ngondro. These were supportive for both older practitioners and a growing number of new ngondro practitioners, and more ngondro practice events will be organized in the coming year.
This summer was also the start of a relationship with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which brought 40 teenagers to PPI for a week of meditation, silent work practice, and group discussions. Each day ran from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and watching the students and highly skilled facilitators work together during this intensive period of transformation and learning was extremely inspiring. We will be delighted to welcome back the teenage group as well as a college group next year.
The annual Rigdzin Düpa hundred thousand tsok offering retreat this year was led by H.E. Katok Getsé Rinpoche, in between his consecration of the prayer wheels at Rigdzin Ling and those at Iron Knot Ranch. The newly built sangkhang and surkhang (fireoffering hearths employed in various practices such as Riwo Sangchö and making offerings to the deceased) were used for the welcoming smoke offering, an auspicious start to a wonderful weekend.
For Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana commemoration ceremonies, we were touched by the presence of both H.E. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Orgyen, making for a truly delightful three days of retreat. The first day ended with a late night butter lamp ceremony and firestick and fireball spinning, two forms of light offerings made with deep love and gratitude in honor of Chagdud Rinpoche. The following two days were spent on the Chokling Padma Dakini practice, with the exquisite text raised to an even more exalted level by the presence of lamas so rooted in this lineage. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche kindly offered daily teachings on mind training, and he enriched the final tsok unforgettably by singing songs by Milarepa, telling stories of mahasiddhas, and giving a rarely heard account of Jigme Rinpoche’s lineage. It was a blissful retreat, generating incredible peace, devotion, and goodwill.
Ati Ling ended 2006 with a Vajrakilaya retreat with Jigme Rinpoche, and in early spring, when Rinpoche returns from South America, he will begin another series of teachings. In the summer, he will lead a group on a one month pilgrimage in eastern and central Tibet; those interested in accompanying him should email atiling@hotmail.com as soon as possible. For more information about future events, as well as updates of Jigme Rinpoche’s schedule, see www.atiling.org.
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Oh, the indefatigable Venerable Lama Gyatso! How many of us in the T’hondup Ling sangha aspire to match our un-steady trot to his full gallop for the sake of sentient beings.
In January 2006, we were honored to welcome the Most Venerable Tulku Thondup Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave several public teachings and led a live release at Marina del Rey. As with all lineage masters, spending time in his presence was a great blessing.
In February Lama Gyatso and his family flew to Asia for the Tibetan new year. There, they attended the Vajrakilaya drupchen held at Chorten Gonpa in Sikkim, and prostrated to and supplicated Lama Gyatso’s lineage masters for the swift manifestation and unhindered recognition of our precious lama, Chagdud Rinpoche.
This past year, Lama Gyatso made two additional trips to Asia to check the status of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa, which will be installed at the mountain retreat center of Ari Bhöd in Tehachapi, and to make corrections with the help of the artist, Pema Namdol Thayé.
March brought a visit by H.H. Kusum Lingpa to Los Angeles. His Holiness gave the Shitro and Orgyen Zambhala empowerments and led a live release. He also bestowed a rare transmission of “p’howa while alive,” which ensures that the recipient will attain a pure realm upon death.
In early April, we were pleased to welcome Chagdud Khadro for teachings and a workshop entitled “Healing the Emotions,” as well as a talk on life in relation to death. Khadro’s visit was brief but rewarding.
At the end of April, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to lead the annual Yeshe Tsogyal drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd. Rinpoche has included T’hondup Ling in his U.S. tours for nearly a decade now, and we are profoundly grateful for his tremendous blessings. Rinpoche again commented on the inherent power of the Ari Bhöd retreat land to support spiritual practice and seemed very pleased by the dharma activities that are ongoing there under Lama Gyatso’s direction.
July 5 brought the Third Annual Sand Mandala for Universal Peace in Hollywood, this year for the first time a Rig- dzin Düpa mandala. Lama Thokmé, master of mandala arts, with the assistance of Lama Ludrup and Lama Lhundrup, spent two weeks publicly creating the mandala, grain by grain. Lama Gyatso offered teachings during the construction in addition to daily pujas that are part of the mandala creation.
Gelong Kelsang Rinpoche (a former vajra master of H.H. Chatral Rinpoche’s retreat center in Nepal) made an extensive visit to Ari Bhöd, where he oversaw the consecration of the Guru Rinpoche and other statues. Retired professor and Nyingma scholar Nyichang Rinpoche, visiting from Japan, joined six Tibetan lamas for the formal ceremonies.
The annual ngondro retreat was held in late August at Ari Bhöd. We were so happy to attend the teachings in what will be our new Ari Bhöd temple, far from the noise and distraction of the city, with only the trees and mountain as a backdrop.
It was with great sadness that we learned in September of the passing of the great dharma mother Khandro Pema Dechen, the wife of His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Khandro led a life of selfless dharma service, spending many years in solitary retreat and accomplishing thirteen sets of the extensive Longchen Nyingtik ngondro practice, among many other things. Lama Gyatso and his family were present at her cremation ceremony in Sikkim. Khandro remained in a state of samadhi (meditative absorption) for seven days following her passing, and many miraculous events surrounded the cremation.
In October Lama Gyatso and our lamas drove to Rigdzin Gatsal in Williams, Oregon, to cut down a sacred cedar tree at a specific time for the central channel of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa. Lama Gyatso chose the site because of Chagdud Rinpoche’s extraordinary blessings, which pervade the land. We are indebted to Lama Jamie of Rigdzin Gatsal for so kindly and generously offering the precious gift of this tree, which was 119 years old and cut strictly according to the text. On their way home, the lamas visited Rigdzin Ling, the North American headquarters of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, from which the enlightened activities of our precious master Chagdud Rinpoche radiate uninterruptedly and unceasingly throughout the world.
The Shitro Mandala has been reassembled and consecrated in its new home, the Mandala Peace House at Ari Bhöd. Prema Swearingen came from Rigdzin Ling for several days to help reassemble the mandala.
October also brought the twelfth annual Tröma drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd and led by Loppon Jigme Rinpoche for one week. In November there were three days of ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana. In early December, we were honored to welcome Yang tang Rinpoche for several days of teachings and dharma events. In late December, we again rang in the Western new year with the annual Orgyen Zambhala retreat, led by Lama Gyatso.
If you wish to contribute to a live release or to attend our practices, or would like to be placed on our email list, please email thondupling@yahoo.com.
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For Yeshe Ling, 2006 was a year filled with Chagdud Rinpoche’s blessings. It was a delight to host Lama Sherab, who was visiting from Khadro Ling, Brazil. After arriving in California in the middle of June, she gave a shamatha meditation training in San Francisco as well as three public talks in different towns in the area. She then led a wonderful weeklong ngondro retreat here at Yeshe Ling, which was well attended by students old and new. At the end of July, Lama Tsering led a three day retreat entitled “Finding Equanimity in a Jagged World.” Her teachings were both profound and practical. It was such a gift to receive teachings from these two extraordinary women la mas, both of whom were thoroughly trained by Chagdud Rinpoche. His presence was strong at both events.
At the beginning of September, we were honored by an afternoon visit by Katok Getsé Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche drove him across the mountains from PPI, and they were welcomed by a small group of sangha members. We sat together in the shrine room while they drank tea, told stories, and received offerings. As Getsé Rinpoche was leaving the shrine room, he placed a beautiful statue on our altar! He blessed the land as well as our Guru Rinpoche statue and promised to teach at Yeshe Ling in the future.
The annual LionFaced Dakini retreat was held later in September. Jigme Rinpoche inspired us as he led the practice and also gave beautiful and thought provoking teachings. In the isolated surroundings of these hills, the power of the practice was palpable. How fortunate we are!
Finally, progress on the Guru Rinpoche statue continues. Through the extensive efforts of various sangha members, the decorative base has been painted and the damage caused by last winter’s harsh weather has been repaired. We hope to erect a roof over the statue, and Lon Hill has donated some beams to get the project going. We are gathering funds and donations for the remaining materials, and now the sacred substances are being collected. More mantra rolling is planned for the coming months, and we are hoping for the auspicious interdependence of a consecration ceremony before the end of 2007. May all beings benefit!
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The roots of Vajrayana Buddhism in Canada’s far north were firmly established in 1977 when the Sixteenth Karmapa, Khenpo Kartar Rinpoche, H.H. Kalu Rinpoche, and an entourage of many lamas traveled to Whitehorse. They trekked up to Montana Mountain, blessed it, and named it Karma Gyurmé Ling. We are compiling a more complete story of these extraordinary events.
Chagdud Rinpoche first traveled here in 1984, performing many ceremonies, including a tenday fire puja, day and night. He named this land Rigdrol Dechen Ling, Place of Liberating Awareness and Great Bliss, and composed the following verse for his students here:
The view of unwavering, self-arising awareness is the foundation.
Meditating by letting the mind rest in its true nature,
Uncontrived and self-liberated, is the path.
Effortlessly expressing one’s true nature is the blissful fruit.
May this precious place of happiness and benefit to self and others expand and increase.
This year, we hosted five retreats, bringing Lama Zangpo, Lama Inge, Lama Padma, and Lama Norbu to this corner of the planet. Thirty Five people received the Red Tara empowerment from Lama Inge. Sangha members also traveled to Orcas Island for the Chenrezik drupchen, to Rigdzin Ling for the prayer wheel consecration and shedra, and to PPI, Spokane, and Alaska for other retreats.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate over the past year to have so many lamas spin the dharma wheel at Whitehorse. Each of these wonderful lamas has inspired our sangha members and sparked increasing interest in the Vajrayana throughout the larger community. This momentum will only grow in the coming year, as Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche will be honoring us with a visit for several days at the end of March.
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Greetings from Tromge Ling and the Alaskan sangha. The Fire Dog year has been blessed by teachings nearly every six to eight weeks. In February Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche conducted a tenday retreat in the shadow of Mount McKinley. Participants from Alaska, including those from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, as well as some from Whitehorse, Can ada, benefited from the teachings. In November he returned to give the first of a two part teaching on Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training.”
Lama Zangpo came in the spring, continuing a series of instructions on sadhana practice. His teachings are a wonderful stitching together of the practices and wisdom of the dharma. In July Lama Zangpo also led a Red Tara retreat. In August Lama Tsering gave a public talk and generously offered the Red Tara empowerment.
Our sangha does sadhana practice together once a week; on these evenings, we also read from Chagdud Khadro’s Red Tara Commentary and share our experiences of implementing the dharma in our daily lives. We also do a weekly ngondro practice. We extend an invitation to all to come and visit.
We feel very blessed and supported by the generosity of the lamas and the teachings of the dharma for the benefit of others. We are grateful that Rigdzin Ling was protected from the fire that devastated the area and have prayed for those affected by the fire. Tashi Delek.
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On the fourth anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana, we naturally reflected on the flow of his blessings, which continue to manifest inwardly as spiritual well being and outwardly as teachers, teachings, and dharma activities.
Earlier in the year, in July, more than 150 students participated in a powerful, transformative Essence of Siddhi drupchen led by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche. A few weeks later, 350 people received Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s inspiring teachings on the extensive Dudjom ngondro, The Chariot of the Path of Union. The text was translated into English and Portuguese for the occasion by Joe McClellan and the Makara Translation Committee, who appreciated Rinpoche’s suggestions as he reviewed the translation during the course of the teachings.
Next, Katok Getsé Rinpoche arrived to consecrate Khadro Ling’s 42 enormous prayer wheels. The Vajrasattva sadhana used for the consecration was the same one used in Nepal for Chagdud Rinpoche’s 2002 parinirvana ceremonies, reminding many of us of that period when the recognition of impermanence was profound.
Then, 250 people had the great fortune to receive teachings from Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche on the Eight Verses of Mind Training of Langri Tangpa—teachings that demonstrated the power of the Mahayana to shift our ordinary minds toward the pure perspective of bodhichitta.
Meanwhile, a team of people have continued the extensive preparation of the mantras to be inserted in the statues of the Padmasambhava Pureland. They are working under the direction of our Bhutanese consecration master, Lama Rigdzin Samdrup, whose effort is nonstop and totally inspiring. As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once commented, “Lama Rigdzin is really a rinpoche, even if he doesn’t accept the title.” We know that.
Many people have asked when the consecration of the Pureland will take place. Our best guess now is July or August 2008, and even with that seemingly long interval, it feels like tomorrow in relation to the effort involved. We request that all of you who are devoted to Chagdud Rinpoche offer your prayers that this amazing endeavor, which is so dependent on the merit of the entire Chagdud Gonpa sangha, will move toward completion without major obstacles. For their part, practitioners in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile are close to completing 100 million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, as well as extensive accumulations of Amitayus and Medicine Buddha mantra recitation.
Finally, we are fulfilling Chagdud Rinpoche’s aspiration that 1,000 tsatsas be mounted on the back of the throne of the monumental Akshobhya Buddha statue he created. Almost 300 tsatsas, which are deep blue tiles with a carved image of Akshobhya, have been offered by those who are sponsoring mantra recitation and images for the deceased and for loved ones facing untimely death or violence. Information about tsatsa sponsorship can be obtained from the Mahakaruna Foundation.
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In the past few months, Odsal Ling has been blessed with empowerments and teachings by several great lamas. In August Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings in São Paulo on the Wheel of Life to more than 400 people. He also visited Refugio, where he blessed the temple and performed a ceremony to establish the temple protectors. He helped to determine which statues were to be included and gave some very welcome instructions to the artists. Katok Getsé Tulku Rinpoche arrived for a brief stay, and more recently, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche blessed us with the Lojong teachings for training the mind. After extending his stay, he gave teachings on the vows of refuge and bodhichitta. Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche also led an expedition to the beach to perform a ceremony for saving life, accompanied by the release of millions of shrimp and the appearance of auspicious rainbows. It was wonderful to experience such a rich period of “great master” visitors!
Meanwhile, the activities at Odsal Ling, under the direction of Lama Tsering Everest, continue at a rapid pace. Most noticeable has been the creation of artwork that is beginning to adorn the Odsal Ling temple. Four artists from Tibet and Bhutan are coordinating the painting of two 16 foot by 16 foot ceiling tangkas and the making of the five central statues, as well as all of the architectural details of a traditional Tibetan temple. Along with Lama Norbu and the artists, many sangha members are assisting with the artwork and construction details and are learning much in the process. Soon to begin is the process of making thousands of mantra rolls that will be placed in the throne bases of the statues and elsewhere, and assembling the sacred substances.
At the city center, in the urban heart of São Paulo, many new people continue to attend the weekly teachings of Lama Tsering. A new program called Dharma Stream provides her distant students with an opportunity to listen to these teachings live over the Internet (see more details at www.odsalling.org/dharmastream). This program has attracted many new members from all over the world, giving them an innovative way to follow through on their original connection with the teachings. Dharma Stream is supported by membership pledges and was recently reorganized to correspond to the Brazilian standard, making it more affordable for people living outside of Brazil. We are receiving wonderful feedback from those who love to listen to Lama Tsering from afar.
To find out about upcoming events and progress on the temple, go to www.lamatsering.org. You are always welcome to visit us. Accommodations for personal retreats are available at Refugio, and we would love to have you participate in the temple project. Contact Marcelo at sangha@odsalling.org for more information.
This year at Rigdzin Ling was rich with dharma activity, as we rolled from one event to the next. Among the many retreats and teachings was the annual Bodhisattva Peace Training with Lama Shenpen; each year, more and more people receive these teachings, practice the methods, and experience positive changes in their lives. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche taught Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training” in two installments; both events were unprecedented, in that the entire staff, including the cooks, attended the teachings. In addition to the consecration of the prayer wheels, August brought the laughter and joy of young participants in the annual children’s retreat. And then ...there was the fire.
The day after the prayer wheels were consecrated, just before Labor Day weekend, a fire started a few miles downriver. Initially, we weren’t too worried; there had already been two seasonal fires in the area that hadn’t affected us, and it didn’t seem that this one would either. A more immediate concern was getting ready for the fifty people soon to arrive for our fourth shedra with Khentrul Rinpoche. However, within days the wind shifted, sending the fire in our direction, and we were placed on standby evacuation. This warning was not lifted for the next three weeks.
Lama Drimed directed our efforts from his retreat cabin, making himself available for advice and guidance. Packing up his own belongings while continuing his retreat, he taught us by his example to be fully present yet see the dreamlike quality of the experience. Rigdzin Ling is Chagdud Rinpoche’s heritage, and the spiritual home for so many, and he wanted us to make every effort to protect it.
We emptied the shrine room, carefully placing tangkas, statues, and texts into U-Hauls and taking them to a safe place. Staff members, shedra students, and retreatants furiously cleared brush and trees from around the buildings. Tibetan Treasures people packed up their inventory and moved to a vacant house in nearby Weaverville. Elaborate evacuation plans were put into place. Big fire trucks cruised our land like vigilant protectors.
Yet in the midst of the oppressive smoke and uncertainty, life at Rigdzin Ling continued. We cooked, we ate, we washed dishes, we took out the garbage. Students attended the shedra. The prayer wheels kept turning. We were surprisingly organized, yet flexible and alert, always watching the sky, checking the direction of the wind.
It was a time of great blessings. Lamas from around the world called, prayed, suggested practices that would help, and had their monasteries do pujas. Support and prayers poured into Rigdzin Ling from the sangha. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche told us that if the fire enveloped us in spite of all the prayers, we should offer everything as a fire puja. Lama Tsering reminded us that “all phenomena are an opportunity for wisdom.” We thought about impermanence and examined our attachments as we considered which personal belongings we would take with us in the event of evacuation and which we could let go of.
Over all, there were incalculable benefits. For one thing, we are now more prepared should another fire threaten us. For example, a crew of Rigdzin Ling residents designed and installed a sprinkler system on the roof of Creek House. In addition, everyone’s efforts created a great deal of merit, which we dedicated to all beings. Many people purified their karma, some of them by enduring serious cases of poison oak and lung irritation. People who would never have set foot on our land if it hadn’t been for the fire showed up, experiencing for themselves the blessings of this holy place. Among them were fire fighters from around the country, including the “Apache Hotshots” from Arizona, as well as medics and information personnel from the nearby fire camp. They were awed by the prayer wheels and asked questions about Buddhism while requesting brochures and Tibetan Treasures catalogs. We learned much about what it takes to fight forest fires, and to protect life and property; we felt a deep respect for these brave people. They, in turn, learned something about our community. A kin ship developed that was good. And Rigdzin Ling did not burn down. We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their prayers.
Lama Drimed has told us that he will complete his three year retreat this spring and will attend the Red Vajrasattva drupchen. We are overjoyed!
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This very joyful and busy year for Ati Ling and the Padmasambhava Peace Institute started with Jigme Rinpoche presiding over the Vajrakilaya drupchod that usually precedes the Tibetan new year. Shortly thereafter we were honored to host Chagdud Khadro for a p’howa retreat. Many new practitioners joined us for this event, including some working in hospice care or general healing, as well as some individuals who were seriously ill. All who attended the teachings commented on Khadro’s insight and clear guidance; it was obvious to us why Chagdud Rinpoche had placed so much trust in her to disseminate the teachings on this practice. Practitioners remained very focused throughout the weekend, and many newer students were inspired to take up more extensive practice. We felt very fortunate that Khadro accepted our request to return whenever her schedule allows.
In May our prayers of the previous year were answered when H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to PPI for a three day Tröma retreat and healing ceremony followed by several days of rest. Again, the shrine room was filled with sangha members from all over the country, and the environment was transformed by the energy of the practice. His Eminence and his entourage, together with Jigme Rinpoche and some sangha members, spent one beautiful sunny afternoon relaxing in a tent overlooking the ocean while His Eminence told stories of the great lineage masters. From the moment of his arrival until long after he left, the tertön’s compassion and his warm presence filled everyone’s hearts.
Through May and June, Jigme Rinpoche offered a series of public dharma talks as well as empowerments for and teachings on ngondro. These were supportive for both older practitioners and a growing number of new ngondro practitioners, and more ngondro practice events will be organized in the coming year.
This summer was also the start of a relationship with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which brought 40 teenagers to PPI for a week of meditation, silent work practice, and group discussions. Each day ran from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and watching the students and highly skilled facilitators work together during this intensive period of transformation and learning was extremely inspiring. We will be delighted to welcome back the teenage group as well as a college group next year.
The annual Rigdzin Düpa hundred thousand tsok offering retreat this year was led by H.E. Katok Getsé Rinpoche, in between his consecration of the prayer wheels at Rigdzin Ling and those at Iron Knot Ranch. The newly built sangkhang and surkhang (fireoffering hearths employed in various practices such as Riwo Sangchö and making offerings to the deceased) were used for the welcoming smoke offering, an auspicious start to a wonderful weekend.
For Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana commemoration ceremonies, we were touched by the presence of both H.E. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Orgyen, making for a truly delightful three days of retreat. The first day ended with a late night butter lamp ceremony and firestick and fireball spinning, two forms of light offerings made with deep love and gratitude in honor of Chagdud Rinpoche. The following two days were spent on the Chokling Padma Dakini practice, with the exquisite text raised to an even more exalted level by the presence of lamas so rooted in this lineage. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche kindly offered daily teachings on mind training, and he enriched the final tsok unforgettably by singing songs by Milarepa, telling stories of mahasiddhas, and giving a rarely heard account of Jigme Rinpoche’s lineage. It was a blissful retreat, generating incredible peace, devotion, and goodwill.
Ati Ling ended 2006 with a Vajrakilaya retreat with Jigme Rinpoche, and in early spring, when Rinpoche returns from South America, he will begin another series of teachings. In the summer, he will lead a group on a one month pilgrimage in eastern and central Tibet; those interested in accompanying him should email atiling@hotmail.com as soon as possible. For more information about future events, as well as updates of Jigme Rinpoche’s schedule, see www.atiling.org.
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Oh, the indefatigable Venerable Lama Gyatso! How many of us in the T’hondup Ling sangha aspire to match our un-steady trot to his full gallop for the sake of sentient beings.
In January 2006, we were honored to welcome the Most Venerable Tulku Thondup Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave several public teachings and led a live release at Marina del Rey. As with all lineage masters, spending time in his presence was a great blessing.
In February Lama Gyatso and his family flew to Asia for the Tibetan new year. There, they attended the Vajrakilaya drupchen held at Chorten Gonpa in Sikkim, and prostrated to and supplicated Lama Gyatso’s lineage masters for the swift manifestation and unhindered recognition of our precious lama, Chagdud Rinpoche.
This past year, Lama Gyatso made two additional trips to Asia to check the status of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa, which will be installed at the mountain retreat center of Ari Bhöd in Tehachapi, and to make corrections with the help of the artist, Pema Namdol Thayé.
March brought a visit by H.H. Kusum Lingpa to Los Angeles. His Holiness gave the Shitro and Orgyen Zambhala empowerments and led a live release. He also bestowed a rare transmission of “p’howa while alive,” which ensures that the recipient will attain a pure realm upon death.
In early April, we were pleased to welcome Chagdud Khadro for teachings and a workshop entitled “Healing the Emotions,” as well as a talk on life in relation to death. Khadro’s visit was brief but rewarding.
At the end of April, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to lead the annual Yeshe Tsogyal drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd. Rinpoche has included T’hondup Ling in his U.S. tours for nearly a decade now, and we are profoundly grateful for his tremendous blessings. Rinpoche again commented on the inherent power of the Ari Bhöd retreat land to support spiritual practice and seemed very pleased by the dharma activities that are ongoing there under Lama Gyatso’s direction.
July 5 brought the Third Annual Sand Mandala for Universal Peace in Hollywood, this year for the first time a Rig- dzin Düpa mandala. Lama Thokmé, master of mandala arts, with the assistance of Lama Ludrup and Lama Lhundrup, spent two weeks publicly creating the mandala, grain by grain. Lama Gyatso offered teachings during the construction in addition to daily pujas that are part of the mandala creation.
Gelong Kelsang Rinpoche (a former vajra master of H.H. Chatral Rinpoche’s retreat center in Nepal) made an extensive visit to Ari Bhöd, where he oversaw the consecration of the Guru Rinpoche and other statues. Retired professor and Nyingma scholar Nyichang Rinpoche, visiting from Japan, joined six Tibetan lamas for the formal ceremonies.
The annual ngondro retreat was held in late August at Ari Bhöd. We were so happy to attend the teachings in what will be our new Ari Bhöd temple, far from the noise and distraction of the city, with only the trees and mountain as a backdrop.
It was with great sadness that we learned in September of the passing of the great dharma mother Khandro Pema Dechen, the wife of His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Khandro led a life of selfless dharma service, spending many years in solitary retreat and accomplishing thirteen sets of the extensive Longchen Nyingtik ngondro practice, among many other things. Lama Gyatso and his family were present at her cremation ceremony in Sikkim. Khandro remained in a state of samadhi (meditative absorption) for seven days following her passing, and many miraculous events surrounded the cremation.
In October Lama Gyatso and our lamas drove to Rigdzin Gatsal in Williams, Oregon, to cut down a sacred cedar tree at a specific time for the central channel of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa. Lama Gyatso chose the site because of Chagdud Rinpoche’s extraordinary blessings, which pervade the land. We are indebted to Lama Jamie of Rigdzin Gatsal for so kindly and generously offering the precious gift of this tree, which was 119 years old and cut strictly according to the text. On their way home, the lamas visited Rigdzin Ling, the North American headquarters of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, from which the enlightened activities of our precious master Chagdud Rinpoche radiate uninterruptedly and unceasingly throughout the world.
The Shitro Mandala has been reassembled and consecrated in its new home, the Mandala Peace House at Ari Bhöd. Prema Swearingen came from Rigdzin Ling for several days to help reassemble the mandala.
October also brought the twelfth annual Tröma drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd and led by Loppon Jigme Rinpoche for one week. In November there were three days of ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana. In early December, we were honored to welcome Yang tang Rinpoche for several days of teachings and dharma events. In late December, we again rang in the Western new year with the annual Orgyen Zambhala retreat, led by Lama Gyatso.
If you wish to contribute to a live release or to attend our practices, or would like to be placed on our email list, please email thondupling@yahoo.com.
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For Yeshe Ling, 2006 was a year filled with Chagdud Rinpoche’s blessings. It was a delight to host Lama Sherab, who was visiting from Khadro Ling, Brazil. After arriving in California in the middle of June, she gave a shamatha meditation training in San Francisco as well as three public talks in different towns in the area. She then led a wonderful weeklong ngondro retreat here at Yeshe Ling, which was well attended by students old and new. At the end of July, Lama Tsering led a three day retreat entitled “Finding Equanimity in a Jagged World.” Her teachings were both profound and practical. It was such a gift to receive teachings from these two extraordinary women la mas, both of whom were thoroughly trained by Chagdud Rinpoche. His presence was strong at both events.
At the beginning of September, we were honored by an afternoon visit by Katok Getsé Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche drove him across the mountains from PPI, and they were welcomed by a small group of sangha members. We sat together in the shrine room while they drank tea, told stories, and received offerings. As Getsé Rinpoche was leaving the shrine room, he placed a beautiful statue on our altar! He blessed the land as well as our Guru Rinpoche statue and promised to teach at Yeshe Ling in the future.
The annual LionFaced Dakini retreat was held later in September. Jigme Rinpoche inspired us as he led the practice and also gave beautiful and thought provoking teachings. In the isolated surroundings of these hills, the power of the practice was palpable. How fortunate we are!
Finally, progress on the Guru Rinpoche statue continues. Through the extensive efforts of various sangha members, the decorative base has been painted and the damage caused by last winter’s harsh weather has been repaired. We hope to erect a roof over the statue, and Lon Hill has donated some beams to get the project going. We are gathering funds and donations for the remaining materials, and now the sacred substances are being collected. More mantra rolling is planned for the coming months, and we are hoping for the auspicious interdependence of a consecration ceremony before the end of 2007. May all beings benefit!
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The roots of Vajrayana Buddhism in Canada’s far north were firmly established in 1977 when the Sixteenth Karmapa, Khenpo Kartar Rinpoche, H.H. Kalu Rinpoche, and an entourage of many lamas traveled to Whitehorse. They trekked up to Montana Mountain, blessed it, and named it Karma Gyurmé Ling. We are compiling a more complete story of these extraordinary events.
Chagdud Rinpoche first traveled here in 1984, performing many ceremonies, including a tenday fire puja, day and night. He named this land Rigdrol Dechen Ling, Place of Liberating Awareness and Great Bliss, and composed the following verse for his students here:
The view of unwavering, self-arising awareness is the foundation.
Meditating by letting the mind rest in its true nature,
Uncontrived and self-liberated, is the path.
Effortlessly expressing one’s true nature is the blissful fruit.
May this precious place of happiness and benefit to self and others expand and increase.
This year, we hosted five retreats, bringing Lama Zangpo, Lama Inge, Lama Padma, and Lama Norbu to this corner of the planet. Thirty Five people received the Red Tara empowerment from Lama Inge. Sangha members also traveled to Orcas Island for the Chenrezik drupchen, to Rigdzin Ling for the prayer wheel consecration and shedra, and to PPI, Spokane, and Alaska for other retreats.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate over the past year to have so many lamas spin the dharma wheel at Whitehorse. Each of these wonderful lamas has inspired our sangha members and sparked increasing interest in the Vajrayana throughout the larger community. This momentum will only grow in the coming year, as Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche will be honoring us with a visit for several days at the end of March.
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Greetings from Tromge Ling and the Alaskan sangha. The Fire Dog year has been blessed by teachings nearly every six to eight weeks. In February Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche conducted a tenday retreat in the shadow of Mount McKinley. Participants from Alaska, including those from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, as well as some from Whitehorse, Can ada, benefited from the teachings. In November he returned to give the first of a two part teaching on Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training.”
Lama Zangpo came in the spring, continuing a series of instructions on sadhana practice. His teachings are a wonderful stitching together of the practices and wisdom of the dharma. In July Lama Zangpo also led a Red Tara retreat. In August Lama Tsering gave a public talk and generously offered the Red Tara empowerment.
Our sangha does sadhana practice together once a week; on these evenings, we also read from Chagdud Khadro’s Red Tara Commentary and share our experiences of implementing the dharma in our daily lives. We also do a weekly ngondro practice. We extend an invitation to all to come and visit.
We feel very blessed and supported by the generosity of the lamas and the teachings of the dharma for the benefit of others. We are grateful that Rigdzin Ling was protected from the fire that devastated the area and have prayed for those affected by the fire. Tashi Delek.
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On the fourth anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana, we naturally reflected on the flow of his blessings, which continue to manifest inwardly as spiritual well being and outwardly as teachers, teachings, and dharma activities.
Earlier in the year, in July, more than 150 students participated in a powerful, transformative Essence of Siddhi drupchen led by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche. A few weeks later, 350 people received Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s inspiring teachings on the extensive Dudjom ngondro, The Chariot of the Path of Union. The text was translated into English and Portuguese for the occasion by Joe McClellan and the Makara Translation Committee, who appreciated Rinpoche’s suggestions as he reviewed the translation during the course of the teachings.
Next, Katok Getsé Rinpoche arrived to consecrate Khadro Ling’s 42 enormous prayer wheels. The Vajrasattva sadhana used for the consecration was the same one used in Nepal for Chagdud Rinpoche’s 2002 parinirvana ceremonies, reminding many of us of that period when the recognition of impermanence was profound.
Then, 250 people had the great fortune to receive teachings from Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche on the Eight Verses of Mind Training of Langri Tangpa—teachings that demonstrated the power of the Mahayana to shift our ordinary minds toward the pure perspective of bodhichitta.
Meanwhile, a team of people have continued the extensive preparation of the mantras to be inserted in the statues of the Padmasambhava Pureland. They are working under the direction of our Bhutanese consecration master, Lama Rigdzin Samdrup, whose effort is nonstop and totally inspiring. As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once commented, “Lama Rigdzin is really a rinpoche, even if he doesn’t accept the title.” We know that.
Many people have asked when the consecration of the Pureland will take place. Our best guess now is July or August 2008, and even with that seemingly long interval, it feels like tomorrow in relation to the effort involved. We request that all of you who are devoted to Chagdud Rinpoche offer your prayers that this amazing endeavor, which is so dependent on the merit of the entire Chagdud Gonpa sangha, will move toward completion without major obstacles. For their part, practitioners in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile are close to completing 100 million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, as well as extensive accumulations of Amitayus and Medicine Buddha mantra recitation.
Finally, we are fulfilling Chagdud Rinpoche’s aspiration that 1,000 tsatsas be mounted on the back of the throne of the monumental Akshobhya Buddha statue he created. Almost 300 tsatsas, which are deep blue tiles with a carved image of Akshobhya, have been offered by those who are sponsoring mantra recitation and images for the deceased and for loved ones facing untimely death or violence. Information about tsatsa sponsorship can be obtained from the Mahakaruna Foundation.
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In the past few months, Odsal Ling has been blessed with empowerments and teachings by several great lamas. In August Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings in São Paulo on the Wheel of Life to more than 400 people. He also visited Refugio, where he blessed the temple and performed a ceremony to establish the temple protectors. He helped to determine which statues were to be included and gave some very welcome instructions to the artists. Katok Getsé Tulku Rinpoche arrived for a brief stay, and more recently, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche blessed us with the Lojong teachings for training the mind. After extending his stay, he gave teachings on the vows of refuge and bodhichitta. Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche also led an expedition to the beach to perform a ceremony for saving life, accompanied by the release of millions of shrimp and the appearance of auspicious rainbows. It was wonderful to experience such a rich period of “great master” visitors!
Meanwhile, the activities at Odsal Ling, under the direction of Lama Tsering Everest, continue at a rapid pace. Most noticeable has been the creation of artwork that is beginning to adorn the Odsal Ling temple. Four artists from Tibet and Bhutan are coordinating the painting of two 16 foot by 16 foot ceiling tangkas and the making of the five central statues, as well as all of the architectural details of a traditional Tibetan temple. Along with Lama Norbu and the artists, many sangha members are assisting with the artwork and construction details and are learning much in the process. Soon to begin is the process of making thousands of mantra rolls that will be placed in the throne bases of the statues and elsewhere, and assembling the sacred substances.
At the city center, in the urban heart of São Paulo, many new people continue to attend the weekly teachings of Lama Tsering. A new program called Dharma Stream provides her distant students with an opportunity to listen to these teachings live over the Internet (see more details at www.odsalling.org/dharmastream). This program has attracted many new members from all over the world, giving them an innovative way to follow through on their original connection with the teachings. Dharma Stream is supported by membership pledges and was recently reorganized to correspond to the Brazilian standard, making it more affordable for people living outside of Brazil. We are receiving wonderful feedback from those who love to listen to Lama Tsering from afar.
To find out about upcoming events and progress on the temple, go to www.lamatsering.org. You are always welcome to visit us. Accommodations for personal retreats are available at Refugio, and we would love to have you participate in the temple project. Contact Marcelo at sangha@odsalling.org for more information.
This year at Rigdzin Ling was rich with dharma activity, as we rolled from one event to the next. Among the many retreats and teachings was the annual Bodhisattva Peace Training with Lama Shenpen; each year, more and more people receive these teachings, practice the methods, and experience positive changes in their lives. Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche taught Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training” in two installments; both events were unprecedented, in that the entire staff, including the cooks, attended the teachings. In addition to the consecration of the prayer wheels, August brought the laughter and joy of young participants in the annual children’s retreat. And then ...there was the fire.
The day after the prayer wheels were consecrated, just before Labor Day weekend, a fire started a few miles downriver. Initially, we weren’t too worried; there had already been two seasonal fires in the area that hadn’t affected us, and it didn’t seem that this one would either. A more immediate concern was getting ready for the fifty people soon to arrive for our fourth shedra with Khentrul Rinpoche. However, within days the wind shifted, sending the fire in our direction, and we were placed on standby evacuation. This warning was not lifted for the next three weeks.
Lama Drimed directed our efforts from his retreat cabin, making himself available for advice and guidance. Packing up his own belongings while continuing his retreat, he taught us by his example to be fully present yet see the dreamlike quality of the experience. Rigdzin Ling is Chagdud Rinpoche’s heritage, and the spiritual home for so many, and he wanted us to make every effort to protect it.
We emptied the shrine room, carefully placing tangkas, statues, and texts into U-Hauls and taking them to a safe place. Staff members, shedra students, and retreatants furiously cleared brush and trees from around the buildings. Tibetan Treasures people packed up their inventory and moved to a vacant house in nearby Weaverville. Elaborate evacuation plans were put into place. Big fire trucks cruised our land like vigilant protectors.
Yet in the midst of the oppressive smoke and uncertainty, life at Rigdzin Ling continued. We cooked, we ate, we washed dishes, we took out the garbage. Students attended the shedra. The prayer wheels kept turning. We were surprisingly organized, yet flexible and alert, always watching the sky, checking the direction of the wind.
It was a time of great blessings. Lamas from around the world called, prayed, suggested practices that would help, and had their monasteries do pujas. Support and prayers poured into Rigdzin Ling from the sangha. Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche told us that if the fire enveloped us in spite of all the prayers, we should offer everything as a fire puja. Lama Tsering reminded us that “all phenomena are an opportunity for wisdom.” We thought about impermanence and examined our attachments as we considered which personal belongings we would take with us in the event of evacuation and which we could let go of.
Over all, there were incalculable benefits. For one thing, we are now more prepared should another fire threaten us. For example, a crew of Rigdzin Ling residents designed and installed a sprinkler system on the roof of Creek House. In addition, everyone’s efforts created a great deal of merit, which we dedicated to all beings. Many people purified their karma, some of them by enduring serious cases of poison oak and lung irritation. People who would never have set foot on our land if it hadn’t been for the fire showed up, experiencing for themselves the blessings of this holy place. Among them were fire fighters from around the country, including the “Apache Hotshots” from Arizona, as well as medics and information personnel from the nearby fire camp. They were awed by the prayer wheels and asked questions about Buddhism while requesting brochures and Tibetan Treasures catalogs. We learned much about what it takes to fight forest fires, and to protect life and property; we felt a deep respect for these brave people. They, in turn, learned something about our community. A kin ship developed that was good. And Rigdzin Ling did not burn down. We express our heartfelt gratitude to everyone for their prayers.
Lama Drimed has told us that he will complete his three year retreat this spring and will attend the Red Vajrasattva drupchen. We are overjoyed!
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This very joyful and busy year for Ati Ling and the Padmasambhava Peace Institute started with Jigme Rinpoche presiding over the Vajrakilaya drupchod that usually precedes the Tibetan new year. Shortly thereafter we were honored to host Chagdud Khadro for a p’howa retreat. Many new practitioners joined us for this event, including some working in hospice care or general healing, as well as some individuals who were seriously ill. All who attended the teachings commented on Khadro’s insight and clear guidance; it was obvious to us why Chagdud Rinpoche had placed so much trust in her to disseminate the teachings on this practice. Practitioners remained very focused throughout the weekend, and many newer students were inspired to take up more extensive practice. We felt very fortunate that Khadro accepted our request to return whenever her schedule allows.
In May our prayers of the previous year were answered when H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to PPI for a three day Tröma retreat and healing ceremony followed by several days of rest. Again, the shrine room was filled with sangha members from all over the country, and the environment was transformed by the energy of the practice. His Eminence and his entourage, together with Jigme Rinpoche and some sangha members, spent one beautiful sunny afternoon relaxing in a tent overlooking the ocean while His Eminence told stories of the great lineage masters. From the moment of his arrival until long after he left, the tertön’s compassion and his warm presence filled everyone’s hearts.
Through May and June, Jigme Rinpoche offered a series of public dharma talks as well as empowerments for and teachings on ngondro. These were supportive for both older practitioners and a growing number of new ngondro practitioners, and more ngondro practice events will be organized in the coming year.
This summer was also the start of a relationship with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, which brought 40 teenagers to PPI for a week of meditation, silent work practice, and group discussions. Each day ran from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., and watching the students and highly skilled facilitators work together during this intensive period of transformation and learning was extremely inspiring. We will be delighted to welcome back the teenage group as well as a college group next year.
The annual Rigdzin Düpa hundred thousand tsok offering retreat this year was led by H.E. Katok Getsé Rinpoche, in between his consecration of the prayer wheels at Rigdzin Ling and those at Iron Knot Ranch. The newly built sangkhang and surkhang (fireoffering hearths employed in various practices such as Riwo Sangchö and making offerings to the deceased) were used for the welcoming smoke offering, an auspicious start to a wonderful weekend.
For Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana commemoration ceremonies, we were touched by the presence of both H.E. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and Tulku Orgyen, making for a truly delightful three days of retreat. The first day ended with a late night butter lamp ceremony and firestick and fireball spinning, two forms of light offerings made with deep love and gratitude in honor of Chagdud Rinpoche. The following two days were spent on the Chokling Padma Dakini practice, with the exquisite text raised to an even more exalted level by the presence of lamas so rooted in this lineage. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche kindly offered daily teachings on mind training, and he enriched the final tsok unforgettably by singing songs by Milarepa, telling stories of mahasiddhas, and giving a rarely heard account of Jigme Rinpoche’s lineage. It was a blissful retreat, generating incredible peace, devotion, and goodwill.
Ati Ling ended 2006 with a Vajrakilaya retreat with Jigme Rinpoche, and in early spring, when Rinpoche returns from South America, he will begin another series of teachings. In the summer, he will lead a group on a one month pilgrimage in eastern and central Tibet; those interested in accompanying him should email atiling@hotmail.com as soon as possible. For more information about future events, as well as updates of Jigme Rinpoche’s schedule, see www.atiling.org.
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Oh, the indefatigable Venerable Lama Gyatso! How many of us in the T’hondup Ling sangha aspire to match our un-steady trot to his full gallop for the sake of sentient beings.
In January 2006, we were honored to welcome the Most Venerable Tulku Thondup Rinpoche. Rinpoche gave several public teachings and led a live release at Marina del Rey. As with all lineage masters, spending time in his presence was a great blessing.
In February Lama Gyatso and his family flew to Asia for the Tibetan new year. There, they attended the Vajrakilaya drupchen held at Chorten Gonpa in Sikkim, and prostrated to and supplicated Lama Gyatso’s lineage masters for the swift manifestation and unhindered recognition of our precious lama, Chagdud Rinpoche.
This past year, Lama Gyatso made two additional trips to Asia to check the status of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa, which will be installed at the mountain retreat center of Ari Bhöd in Tehachapi, and to make corrections with the help of the artist, Pema Namdol Thayé.
March brought a visit by H.H. Kusum Lingpa to Los Angeles. His Holiness gave the Shitro and Orgyen Zambhala empowerments and led a live release. He also bestowed a rare transmission of “p’howa while alive,” which ensures that the recipient will attain a pure realm upon death.
In early April, we were pleased to welcome Chagdud Khadro for teachings and a workshop entitled “Healing the Emotions,” as well as a talk on life in relation to death. Khadro’s visit was brief but rewarding.
At the end of April, H.E. Namkha Drimed Rinpoche returned to lead the annual Yeshe Tsogyal drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd. Rinpoche has included T’hondup Ling in his U.S. tours for nearly a decade now, and we are profoundly grateful for his tremendous blessings. Rinpoche again commented on the inherent power of the Ari Bhöd retreat land to support spiritual practice and seemed very pleased by the dharma activities that are ongoing there under Lama Gyatso’s direction.
July 5 brought the Third Annual Sand Mandala for Universal Peace in Hollywood, this year for the first time a Rig- dzin Düpa mandala. Lama Thokmé, master of mandala arts, with the assistance of Lama Ludrup and Lama Lhundrup, spent two weeks publicly creating the mandala, grain by grain. Lama Gyatso offered teachings during the construction in addition to daily pujas that are part of the mandala creation.
Gelong Kelsang Rinpoche (a former vajra master of H.H. Chatral Rinpoche’s retreat center in Nepal) made an extensive visit to Ari Bhöd, where he oversaw the consecration of the Guru Rinpoche and other statues. Retired professor and Nyingma scholar Nyichang Rinpoche, visiting from Japan, joined six Tibetan lamas for the formal ceremonies.
The annual ngondro retreat was held in late August at Ari Bhöd. We were so happy to attend the teachings in what will be our new Ari Bhöd temple, far from the noise and distraction of the city, with only the trees and mountain as a backdrop.
It was with great sadness that we learned in September of the passing of the great dharma mother Khandro Pema Dechen, the wife of His Holiness Dodrupchen Rinpoche. Khandro led a life of selfless dharma service, spending many years in solitary retreat and accomplishing thirteen sets of the extensive Longchen Nyingtik ngondro practice, among many other things. Lama Gyatso and his family were present at her cremation ceremony in Sikkim. Khandro remained in a state of samadhi (meditative absorption) for seven days following her passing, and many miraculous events surrounded the cremation.
In October Lama Gyatso and our lamas drove to Rigdzin Gatsal in Williams, Oregon, to cut down a sacred cedar tree at a specific time for the central channel of Chagdud Rinpoche’s kudung stupa. Lama Gyatso chose the site because of Chagdud Rinpoche’s extraordinary blessings, which pervade the land. We are indebted to Lama Jamie of Rigdzin Gatsal for so kindly and generously offering the precious gift of this tree, which was 119 years old and cut strictly according to the text. On their way home, the lamas visited Rigdzin Ling, the North American headquarters of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, from which the enlightened activities of our precious master Chagdud Rinpoche radiate uninterruptedly and unceasingly throughout the world.
The Shitro Mandala has been reassembled and consecrated in its new home, the Mandala Peace House at Ari Bhöd. Prema Swearingen came from Rigdzin Ling for several days to help reassemble the mandala.
October also brought the twelfth annual Tröma drupchod, held at Ari Bhöd and led by Loppon Jigme Rinpoche for one week. In November there were three days of ceremonies commemorating the anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana. In early December, we were honored to welcome Yang tang Rinpoche for several days of teachings and dharma events. In late December, we again rang in the Western new year with the annual Orgyen Zambhala retreat, led by Lama Gyatso.
If you wish to contribute to a live release or to attend our practices, or would like to be placed on our email list, please email thondupling@yahoo.com.
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For Yeshe Ling, 2006 was a year filled with Chagdud Rinpoche’s blessings. It was a delight to host Lama Sherab, who was visiting from Khadro Ling, Brazil. After arriving in California in the middle of June, she gave a shamatha meditation training in San Francisco as well as three public talks in different towns in the area. She then led a wonderful weeklong ngondro retreat here at Yeshe Ling, which was well attended by students old and new. At the end of July, Lama Tsering led a three day retreat entitled “Finding Equanimity in a Jagged World.” Her teachings were both profound and practical. It was such a gift to receive teachings from these two extraordinary women la mas, both of whom were thoroughly trained by Chagdud Rinpoche. His presence was strong at both events.
At the beginning of September, we were honored by an afternoon visit by Katok Getsé Rinpoche. Jigme Rinpoche drove him across the mountains from PPI, and they were welcomed by a small group of sangha members. We sat together in the shrine room while they drank tea, told stories, and received offerings. As Getsé Rinpoche was leaving the shrine room, he placed a beautiful statue on our altar! He blessed the land as well as our Guru Rinpoche statue and promised to teach at Yeshe Ling in the future.
The annual LionFaced Dakini retreat was held later in September. Jigme Rinpoche inspired us as he led the practice and also gave beautiful and thought provoking teachings. In the isolated surroundings of these hills, the power of the practice was palpable. How fortunate we are!
Finally, progress on the Guru Rinpoche statue continues. Through the extensive efforts of various sangha members, the decorative base has been painted and the damage caused by last winter’s harsh weather has been repaired. We hope to erect a roof over the statue, and Lon Hill has donated some beams to get the project going. We are gathering funds and donations for the remaining materials, and now the sacred substances are being collected. More mantra rolling is planned for the coming months, and we are hoping for the auspicious interdependence of a consecration ceremony before the end of 2007. May all beings benefit!
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The roots of Vajrayana Buddhism in Canada’s far north were firmly established in 1977 when the Sixteenth Karmapa, Khenpo Kartar Rinpoche, H.H. Kalu Rinpoche, and an entourage of many lamas traveled to Whitehorse. They trekked up to Montana Mountain, blessed it, and named it Karma Gyurmé Ling. We are compiling a more complete story of these extraordinary events.
Chagdud Rinpoche first traveled here in 1984, performing many ceremonies, including a tenday fire puja, day and night. He named this land Rigdrol Dechen Ling, Place of Liberating Awareness and Great Bliss, and composed the following verse for his students here:
The view of unwavering, self-arising awareness is the foundation.
Meditating by letting the mind rest in its true nature,
Uncontrived and self-liberated, is the path.
Effortlessly expressing one’s true nature is the blissful fruit.
May this precious place of happiness and benefit to self and others expand and increase.
This year, we hosted five retreats, bringing Lama Zangpo, Lama Inge, Lama Padma, and Lama Norbu to this corner of the planet. Thirty Five people received the Red Tara empowerment from Lama Inge. Sangha members also traveled to Orcas Island for the Chenrezik drupchen, to Rigdzin Ling for the prayer wheel consecration and shedra, and to PPI, Spokane, and Alaska for other retreats.
We have been extraordinarily fortunate over the past year to have so many lamas spin the dharma wheel at Whitehorse. Each of these wonderful lamas has inspired our sangha members and sparked increasing interest in the Vajrayana throughout the larger community. This momentum will only grow in the coming year, as Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche will be honoring us with a visit for several days at the end of March.
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Greetings from Tromge Ling and the Alaskan sangha. The Fire Dog year has been blessed by teachings nearly every six to eight weeks. In February Khentrul Lodrö T’hayé Rinpoche conducted a tenday retreat in the shadow of Mount McKinley. Participants from Alaska, including those from Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Juneau, as well as some from Whitehorse, Can ada, benefited from the teachings. In November he returned to give the first of a two part teaching on Atisha’s “SevenPoint Mind Training.”
Lama Zangpo came in the spring, continuing a series of instructions on sadhana practice. His teachings are a wonderful stitching together of the practices and wisdom of the dharma. In July Lama Zangpo also led a Red Tara retreat. In August Lama Tsering gave a public talk and generously offered the Red Tara empowerment.
Our sangha does sadhana practice together once a week; on these evenings, we also read from Chagdud Khadro’s Red Tara Commentary and share our experiences of implementing the dharma in our daily lives. We also do a weekly ngondro practice. We extend an invitation to all to come and visit.
We feel very blessed and supported by the generosity of the lamas and the teachings of the dharma for the benefit of others. We are grateful that Rigdzin Ling was protected from the fire that devastated the area and have prayed for those affected by the fire. Tashi Delek.
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On the fourth anniversary of Chagdud Rinpoche’s parinirvana, we naturally reflected on the flow of his blessings, which continue to manifest inwardly as spiritual well being and outwardly as teachers, teachings, and dharma activities.
Earlier in the year, in July, more than 150 students participated in a powerful, transformative Essence of Siddhi drupchen led by Jigme Tromge Rinpoche. A few weeks later, 350 people received Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s inspiring teachings on the extensive Dudjom ngondro, The Chariot of the Path of Union. The text was translated into English and Portuguese for the occasion by Joe McClellan and the Makara Translation Committee, who appreciated Rinpoche’s suggestions as he reviewed the translation during the course of the teachings.
Next, Katok Getsé Rinpoche arrived to consecrate Khadro Ling’s 42 enormous prayer wheels. The Vajrasattva sadhana used for the consecration was the same one used in Nepal for Chagdud Rinpoche’s 2002 parinirvana ceremonies, reminding many of us of that period when the recognition of impermanence was profound.
Then, 250 people had the great fortune to receive teachings from Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche on the Eight Verses of Mind Training of Langri Tangpa—teachings that demonstrated the power of the Mahayana to shift our ordinary minds toward the pure perspective of bodhichitta.
Meanwhile, a team of people have continued the extensive preparation of the mantras to be inserted in the statues of the Padmasambhava Pureland. They are working under the direction of our Bhutanese consecration master, Lama Rigdzin Samdrup, whose effort is nonstop and totally inspiring. As Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche once commented, “Lama Rigdzin is really a rinpoche, even if he doesn’t accept the title.” We know that.
Many people have asked when the consecration of the Pureland will take place. Our best guess now is July or August 2008, and even with that seemingly long interval, it feels like tomorrow in relation to the effort involved. We request that all of you who are devoted to Chagdud Rinpoche offer your prayers that this amazing endeavor, which is so dependent on the merit of the entire Chagdud Gonpa sangha, will move toward completion without major obstacles. For their part, practitioners in Brazil, Uruguay, and Chile are close to completing 100 million recitations of the Vajra Guru mantra, as well as extensive accumulations of Amitayus and Medicine Buddha mantra recitation.
Finally, we are fulfilling Chagdud Rinpoche’s aspiration that 1,000 tsatsas be mounted on the back of the throne of the monumental Akshobhya Buddha statue he created. Almost 300 tsatsas, which are deep blue tiles with a carved image of Akshobhya, have been offered by those who are sponsoring mantra recitation and images for the deceased and for loved ones facing untimely death or violence. Information about tsatsa sponsorship can be obtained from the Mahakaruna Foundation.
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In the past few months, Odsal Ling has been blessed with empowerments and teachings by several great lamas. In August Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave teachings in São Paulo on the Wheel of Life to more than 400 people. He also visited Refugio, where he blessed the temple and performed a ceremony to establish the temple protectors. He helped to determine which statues were to be included and gave some very welcome instructions to the artists. Katok Getsé Tulku Rinpoche arrived for a brief stay, and more recently, Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche blessed us with the Lojong teachings for training the mind. After extending his stay, he gave teachings on the vows of refuge and bodhichitta. Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche also led an expedition to the beach to perform a ceremony for saving life, accompanied by the release of millions of shrimp and the appearance of auspicious rainbows. It was wonderful to experience such a rich period of “great master” visitors!
Meanwhile, the activities at Odsal Ling, under the direction of Lama Tsering Everest, continue at a rapid pace. Most noticeable has been the creation of artwork that is beginning to adorn the Odsal Ling temple. Four artists from Tibet and Bhutan are coordinating the painting of two 16 foot by 16 foot ceiling tangkas and the making of the five central statues, as well as all of the architectural details of a traditional Tibetan temple. Along with Lama Norbu and the artists, many sangha members are assisting with the artwork and construction details and are learning much in the process. Soon to begin is the process of making thousands of mantra rolls that will be placed in the throne bases of the statues and elsewhere, and assembling the sacred substances.
At the city center, in the urban heart of São Paulo, many new people continue to attend the weekly teachings of Lama Tsering. A new program called Dharma Stream provides her distant students with an opportunity to listen to these teachings live over the Internet (see more details at www.odsalling.org/dharmastream). This program has attracted many new members from all over the world, giving them an innovative way to follow through on their original connection with the teachings. Dharma Stream is supported by membership pledges and was recently reorganized to correspond to the Brazilian standard, making it more affordable for people living outside of Brazil. We are receiving wonderful feedback from those who love to listen to Lama Tsering from afar.
To find out about upcoming events and progress on the temple, go to www.lamatsering.org. You are always welcome to visit us. Accommodations for personal retreats are available at Refugio, and we would love to have you participate in the temple project. Contact Marcelo at sangha@odsalling.org for more information.
