DOCSLIB.ORG

Snow Lion Newsletter & Catalog

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY 14851 Permit No. 746 /Vhb Deliver to current resident SNOW LION NEWSLETTER & CATALOG SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS PO BOX 6483, ITHACA, NY 14851, (607)-273-8506 VOLUME 3, NUMBER 2 CHAGDUD TULKU RINPOCHE Dualistic thought is the net that en- traps. The holder of the kingdom is spontaneous awareness. Display arises from unmoving, unceasing awareness. Like the play of children, there is nothing to abandon, nothing to grasp. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche received these words from the great siddha, Padampa Sangye, in a vision at the age of 6. They were the first memory he has of receiv- ing transmission of Dzogchen (Great Perfection), the ultimate teaching and meditation on the na- ture of mind. The revelation of Dzogchen has been a continuous stream in his life, yet the events of his life themselves have taught him the profound truth of "nothing to abandon, nothing to grasp." Chagdud Rinpoche is a medita- tion master, a Tibetan physician His Holiness and monks drawing the mandala. and healer, and an artist who has created 9 major statues of Budd- hist meditational deities since he H.H. THE DALAI LAMA arrived in the United States in 1979. The Abbot of Chagdud Gonpa in Kham (Eastern Tibet) TO BESTOW KALACHAKRA INITIATION and spiritual head of the Chagdud Gonpa Foundation in the United IN USA States, Rinpoche has dedicated his life to establishing Buddhism in the West and to establishing peace His Holiness the Dalai Lama karmic relationship with Kala- spiritual interest, it is very difficult in the world. has accepted an invitation from chakra on the minds of the peo- for the seeds to take hold." Chagdud Tulku's training began Thubten Dhargye Ling, a Los ple, there is now a tradition to give "If one only wishes to receive soon after he was recognized as the Angeles-based Tibetan Buddhist the initiation to large public the initiation merely as a blessing, Center, to bestow Kalachakra In- gatherings." i.e., in order to establish a karmic Continued on page 2 itiation, a most sacred and impor- "The qualifications of someone relationship with the Kalachakra tant Buddhist teaching, in Los who wishes to receive the Tantra, initiation on this basis can Angeles. This historical religious Kalachakra transmission for actual be given to anyone who sincerely event will take place for the second practice are as follows. In terms of appreciates the opportunity. Even time in the United States from July their level of bodhimind, which if in one's faith one does not com- 10 through 18, 1989. The first cherishes others more than one- prehend the principles of the path time it was given in Madison, WI, self: the best disciple dwells in an combining method and wis- in July 1981. unfeigned experience of this sub- dom ..., the seeds of initiation can Kalachakra means "Wheel or lime mind; the medium disciple be placed in one's mind if one has Cycle of Time." "Kala" is San- has had a small flash of it in his the smallest basis of faith. There- skrit for time, while "Chakra" meditations; and the lowest should fore, this is the minimum qualifi- means wheel. Over the centuries, at least have an intense apprecia- cation required to attend." this rarely performed ceremony tion for and interest in developing History has it li.at the has evolved into an elaborate pub- it." Kalachakra teachings were lic performance, including teach- "In terms of their philosophical brought to India fr,om the legen- ings by the Dalai Lama, Tibetan development: the best disciple has dary kingdom of Si ambala and religious and ritual dances by an undistorted experience of the then to Tibet. Shaking about Namgyal Monastery monks in or- nature of ultimate reality as ex- ShamLala, His Holiness said that nate costumes and headgear, and plained in the Middle Way or it was a land with 96 districts. the creation of a large mandala of Mind-Only schools of Mahayana "However, if you lay out a map to colored sands. thought. The medium disciple has search for Shambala, it is not Kalachakra is an initiation of the a correct understanding based on something you can find... You Anutara Yoga Tantra or Highest study and reason. The lowest dis- cannot get there by buying an air- Yoga Tantra class, and it is very ciple should at least have a strong plane ticket. Maybe a spacecraft important for the disciple to take appreciation for and interest in could go to such a place, but the empowerment with the moti- learning the philosophical views of perhaps the ticket would be very vation to attain enlightenment in either of the two above-mentioned expensive. So we can consider the order to benefit all sentient beings. schools. Besides these two qualifi- ticket to be one's own merit. It In "Introduction to the cations, a disciple seeking the takes great merit to arrive at such Tvalachakra Initiation", His Holi- Kalachakra Initiation should have a place." ness the Dalai Lama wrote: faith and interest in this particu- For registration and other infor- "Although the higher meditations lar system. The purpose of initia- mation on the Kalachakra Initia- of the Kalachakra Tantra can only tion is to plant certain karmic tion, please contact: Thubten be practiced by a selected few, be- seeds in the mind of the recipient; Dhargye Ling, 2658 La Cienega cause of events past and to come but if the person does not possess Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90034, and in order to establish a strong the openness of a certain degree of (213)839-8057. Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche SNOW LION FALL 88 NEWSLETTER AND CATALOG NEWS & PROFILES continued from page 1 go Khyentse Rinpoche and Dud- Outwardly it was as though we gives urgency to spiritual practice. you. What they do will not mat- CHAGDUD TULKU jom Rinpoche. Again and again he suddenly had entered the realm of As he has written in his book, ter so much when you see it as a RINPOCHE listened to their teachings on the ghosts, always moving, hungry "Life in Relation to Death:" dream. The trick is to have posi- nature of mind, making extensive and expecting attack. Inwardly, we "Always recognize the dream- tive intention during the dream. retreats to practice what he had had the perspective of our prac- like qualities of life and reduce at- This is the essential point. This is tulku of the previous Chagdud, at heard. An essential understanding tice, the recognition that even tachment and aversion. Practice true spirituality." the age of 3. His mother, Dawa of Great Perfection became the these nightmarish events were in good-heartedness toward all be- For more information call Jane Drolma, was his first teacher. She heart of all his practice. essence empty, illusory displays of ings. Be loving and compassion- at (503) 942-7270 or 942-5081. was revered as a great lama and In 1955, having just completed mind." ate, no matter what others do to was famous as a delog who had a second 3-year retreat, Chagdud Chagdud Rinpoche and Kenpo once left her body in a complete- Rinpoche went to his monastery in Dorje, together with some other ly deathlike state, then returned to the Nyarong region of Kham. Tibetans who had joined them, life and described the experiences Spectacularly situated on a high made it safely across the border. of her consciousness as it travelled ridge thousands of feet above a Not long after, however, in the tur- to different realms of being. Many narrow river valley, it is the second moil of resettlement, Rinpoche highly realized lamas recognized oldest monastery in Kham. Rin- was separated from his revered her as the embodiment of Tara, poche stayed for some months, teacher, and Kenpo Dorje died be- the female aspect of enlighten- then decided to make a pilgrimage fore he could see him again. ment. Having such a mother, and to Lhasa. En route, in a visionary For the next two decades Chag- also a sister whose extraordinary experience, he was warned not to dud Rinpoche lived in 5 or 6 set- spiritual powers are renowned in return to Kham because the situ- dements in India, and then he Tibet even today, there has never ation would soon degenerate. He moved to Nepal. Gradually a few been a doubt in Chagdud Rin- travelled on with the recognition Western dharma students, drawn poche's mind about the capabili- that he was leaving behind the by his warmth and accessibility, ties of women as practitioners. homeland of his youth. He would became acquainted with him and The first lama he ordained in the not return for 31 years. asked him to visit them in the West is a woman, Inge Sandvoss. In Lhasa he met and took teach- West. Rinpoche arrived in San Chagdud Rinpoche's relation- ings from Kenpo Dorje, an unsur- Francisco in the fall of 1979. He ship to his mother was often that passed Dzogchen master. Though moved to Oregon a year later, and of an extremely naughty little boy the news from Kham was of inten- now has centers and retreat lands to an extremely wrathful dis- sifying violence, and the waves of in both Oregon and California. ciplinarian. Yet Dawa Drolma be- violence were beginning to over- When Rinpoche tells stories lieved that the energy of her son's take Central Tibet, for Rinpoche about where he has been he often naughtiness could bo channelled it was a time of single-minded par- uses the expression "sat down"— into practice.
Recommended publications
  • Glimpses Into the Social Life of a Collection of Buddhist Sūtras from Mustang Markus Viehbeck

    Glimpses Into the Social Life of a Collection of Buddhist Sūtras from Mustang Markus Viehbeck

    Human Engagement on Manuscript Margins: Glimpses into the Social Life of a Collection of Buddhist Sūtras from Mustang Markus Viehbeck To cite this version: Markus Viehbeck. Human Engagement on Manuscript Margins: Glimpses into the Social Life of a Collection of Buddhist Sūtras from Mustang. Revue d’Etudes Tibétaines, CNRS, 2021, avril (n°58), pp. 103-138. hal-03213566 HAL Id: hal-03213566 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-03213566 Submitted on 30 Apr 2021 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. Distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution - NonCommercial - NoDerivatives| 4.0 International License Human Engagement on Manuscript Margins: Glimpses into the Social Life of a Collection of Buddhist Sūtras from Mustang Markus Viehbeck (University of Vienna) “Pema khyapa, remember that your death is coming!” Preamble he message above is found, scribbled in questionable orthography, on the margin of a folio within a larger collection T of Buddhist sūtras that was produced tentatively at the beginning of the fourteenth century and is presently preserved at Namgyal Monastery (rnam rgyal dgon pa) in Upper Mustang. It is unlikely that this note presents a profound teaching on the Buddhist notion of the impermanence of all phenomena, as one might perhaps expect in the context of Buddhist canonical literature.
  • Buddhism in America

    Buddhism in America

    Buddhism in America The Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series Columbia Contemporary American Religion Series The United States is the birthplace of religious pluralism, and the spiritual landscape of contemporary America is as varied and complex as that of any country in the world. The books in this new series, written by leading scholars for students and general readers alike, fall into two categories: some of these well-crafted, thought-provoking portraits of the country’s major religious groups describe and explain particular religious practices and rituals, beliefs, and major challenges facing a given community today. Others explore current themes and topics in American religion that cut across denominational lines. The texts are supplemented with care- fully selected photographs and artwork, annotated bibliographies, con- cise profiles of important individuals, and chronologies of major events. — Roman Catholicism in America Islam in America . B UDDHISM in America Richard Hughes Seager C C Publishers Since New York Chichester, West Sussex Copyright © Columbia University Press All rights reserved Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Seager, Richard Hughes. Buddhism in America / Richard Hughes Seager. p. cm. — (Columbia contemporary American religion series) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN ‒‒‒ — ISBN ‒‒‒ (pbk.) . Buddhism—United States. I. Title. II. Series. BQ.S .'—dc – Casebound editions of Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent and durable acid-free paper.
  • Tibet Under Chinese Communist Rule

    Tibet Under Chinese Communist Rule

    TIBET UNDER CHINESE COMMUNIST RULE A COMPILATION OF REFUGEE STATEMENTS 1958-1975 A SERIES OF “EXPERT ON TIBET” PROGRAMS ON RADIO FREE ASIA TIBETAN SERVICE BY WARREN W. SMITH 1 TIBET UNDER CHINESE COMMUNIST RULE A Compilation of Refugee Statements 1958-1975 Tibet Under Chinese Communist Rule is a collection of twenty-seven Tibetan refugee statements published by the Information and Publicity Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 1976. At that time Tibet was closed to the outside world and Chinese propaganda was mostly unchallenged in portraying Tibet as having abolished the former system of feudal serfdom and having achieved democratic reforms and socialist transformation as well as self-rule within the Tibet Autonomous Region. Tibetans were portrayed as happy with the results of their liberation by the Chinese Communist Party and satisfied with their lives under Chinese rule. The contrary accounts of the few Tibetan refugees who managed to escape at that time were generally dismissed as most likely exaggerated due to an assumed bias and their extreme contrast with the version of reality presented by the Chinese and their Tibetan spokespersons. The publication of these very credible Tibetan refugee statements challenged the Chinese version of reality within Tibet and began the shift in international opinion away from the claims of Chinese propaganda and toward the facts as revealed by Tibetan eyewitnesses. As such, the publication of this collection of refugee accounts was an important event in the history of Tibetan exile politics and the international perception of the Tibet issue. The following is a short synopsis of the accounts.
  • The Meaning of the Short Chenrezig Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum

    The Meaning of the Short Chenrezig Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum

    Kopan Monastery Prayers and Practices Downloaded from www.kopanmonastery.com The Meaning Of The Short Chenrezig Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hum MANI is method, PADME is wisdom; so MANI PADME is method-wisdom. Buddha revealed the lesser vehicle teachings, the Mahayana paramitayana teachings and the mahayana vajrayana teachings. There is method-wisdom in the lesser vehicle teachings, method-wisdom in the mahayana paramitayana teachings and method-wisdom in the mahayana Vajrayana teachings. So MANI PADME contains everything: the hinayana lesser vehicle teachings of method-wisdom, the mahayana paramitayana method-wisdom and the mahayana vajrayana method-wisdom. By practising method-wisdom together, as signified by MANI PADME, one purifies the stains of body, speech and mind. This is signified by the OM - A U MA - these three sounds integrate to make OM, which signifies the vajra holy body, holy speech and holy mind of Buddha. By practising the method-wisdom signified by MANI PADME together, one purifies one's own ordinary body, speech and mind and they become inseparable from Buddha's vajra holy body, holy speech and holy mind. So the OM - AH U MA - signifies the three vajras. Then, MANI PADME also signifies the mahaanuttarayoga tantra path. What I explained before is general. Now, more specifically, by depending on the path of the generation stage, which is the method of the profound secret mantra that ripens the mind, and on the completion stage, which liberates the mind, you can cease the circle of suffering, the base-time ordinary birth, death and intermediate state; actualize the path-time dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya; and achieve the result-time dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, nirmanakaya.
  • Big Love: Mandala Magazine Article

    Big Love: Mandala Magazine Article

    LAMA YESHE, PASHUPATINATH TEMPLE, NEPAL, 1980. PHOTO BY TOM CASTLES, COURTESY OF LAMA YESHE WISDOM ARCHIVE. 26 MANDALA | July - December 2019 A MONUMENTAL ACCOMPLISHMENT: THE MAKING OF Big Love BY LAURA MILLER The creation of FPMT founder Lama Yeshe’s official biography has been a monumental task. Work on the forthcoming book, Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe, has spanned three decades. To understand the significance of this project as it draws to a close, Mandala talked to three key people, all early students of Lama Yeshe, about the production of the book: Adele Hulse, Big Love’s author; Peter Kedge, who initiated and helped fund the project; and Nicholas Ribush, who is overseeing the book’s publication at the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. Big Love: The Life and Teachings of Lama Yeshe begins with a refugee Tibetan monks. Together, the two lamas encountered their simple dedication: “This book is dedicated to you, the reader. first Western student, Zina Rachevsky, in 1967 in Darjeeling. The If you met Lama during your life, may you feel his presence here. following year, they went to Nepal, where they soon established If you never met Lama, then come with us—walk up the hill to Kopan Monastery on the outskirts of Kathmandu and later Kopan and meet Lama Yeshe, as thousands did, without knowing founded the international FPMT organization. anything of Buddhism or Tibet. That came later.” “Since then, His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been to many Within the biography’s nearly 1,400 pages, Lama Yeshe comes countries and now has a great reputation and has received many to life.
  • In the Stream of Blessings: Ordained Buddhist Women in Britain

    In the Stream of Blessings: Ordained Buddhist Women in Britain

    In the Stream of Blessings: Ordained Buddhist Women in Britain Caroline Starkey Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy The University of Leeds School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science December 2014 2 The candidate confirms that the work submitted is her own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others. This copy has been supplied on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement ©2014 The University of Leeds and Caroline Starkey The right of Caroline Starkey to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. 3 Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been possible without the support, guidance, and advice of a number of people and institutions. Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the University of Leeds, and to the Spalding Trust, each of whom provided vital funding. The School of Philosophy, Religion, and History of Science at the University of Leeds was extremely supportive, providing me with space to work, funding for conferences, and a collegiate atmosphere. A very special and truly heartfelt thank you is due to both of my academic supervisors – Professor Kim Knott and Dr Emma Tomalin. I am grateful for their attention to detail, their thought-provoking questions, and the concern that they showed both for my research and for me as a researcher.
  • The Functions of Mountain Settiembnts in Relation to Their Physical Environment

    The Functions of Mountain Settiembnts in Relation to Their Physical Environment

    THE FUNCTIONS OF MOUNTAIN SETTIEMBNTS IN RELATION TO THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT RUTH HANNAM ProQuest Number: 10107214 All rights reserved INF0RMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed a note will indicate the deletion. uest. ProQuest 10107214 Published by ProQuest LLC(2016). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.Q. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION THE FUNCTIONS OF MOUNTAIN SETTLEMENTS IN RELATION TO THEIR PHYSICAL ENVIROmŒNT A settlement is an expression of man’s activity, therefore they can be classed according to the predom ant activity in a particular place. The effect of mo conditions on the choice of site and the mode of livi in different types of settlements is discussed, I* Agricultural and Pastoral Settlements, These are the most numerous; the effects of altitu exposure, degree of slope, the nature of soils and la: forms, water supply and type of farming are discussed Examples(personal knowledge),Reichenbach(Kander Valle; and Devoluy in the Alps, Pyrenean Navarre and the Pic< de Europe in Spain, Others,The Val d*Anniviers; the Hunza Valley in the Karakoram; the Altiplano of Bolivia, II, Mining and Other Industrial Settlement, Mining in relation to geology and structure; artif: character of mining towns; areas where they are most important.
  • Buddhist Treasures Brochure2

    Buddhist Treasures Brochure2

    Buddhist Treasures of Ithaca Saturday, October 17, 2009, 10:00 am – 3 pm A day trip to the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University and Namgyal Monastery Cost: $40 – event limited to 20 people – register soon! We meet at the Johnson Museum at Cornell University at 10:00 a.m. Binghamton University Profes- sor Charles Goodman will begin by leading a tour of the permanent Buddhist collection. He will point out some aspects of the symbolism found in works of Buddhist art currently on display and discuss the context necessary to understand the meaning of these works. We will then move to the Museum’s teach- ing gallery for an audiovisual presentation on the history of Buddhist art and its role in Buddhist paths to Awakening. After the Johnson Museum program, there is ample time for a leisurely lunch on your own in Ithaca (a list of Ithaca’s Asian restaurants is provided). We meet again at 1:30 p.m. at Namgyal Monastery to experience a short silent meditation, see the Buddhist art in the shrine room and have tea with Namgyal’s monks. The Herbert F. Johnson Museum The Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University has one of the finest collections of art in New York State and is recognized as one of the most impor- tant university museums in the country. It is home to the largest collection of Asian art in upstate New York, featuring Buddhist objects from China, Thailand, Japan, Tibet, and beyond. Situated on a hill at the edge of Cornell's arts quadran- gle, the Herbert F.
  • C:\Users\Kusala\Documents\2009 Buddhist Center Update

    C:\Users\Kusala\Documents\2009 Buddhist Center Update

    California Buddhist Centers / Updated August 2009 Source - www.Dharmanet.net Abhayagiri Buddhist Monastery Address: 16201 Tomki Road, Redwood Valley, CA 95470 CA Tradition: Theravada Forest Sangha Affiliation: Amaravati Buddhist Monastery (UK) EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.abhayagiri.org All One Dharma Address: 1440 Harvard Street, Quaker House Santa Monica CA 90404 Tradition: Non-Sectarian, Zen/Vipassana Affiliation: General Buddhism Phone: e-mail only EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.allonedharma.org Spiritual Director: Group effort Teachers: Group lay people Notes and Events: American Buddhist Meditation Temple Address: 2580 Interlake Road, Bradley, CA 93426 CA Tradition: Theravada, Thai, Maha Nikaya Affiliation: Thai Bhikkhus Council of USA American Buddhist Seminary Temple at Sacramento Address: 423 Glide Avenue, West Sacramento CA 95691 CA Tradition: Theravada EMail: [email protected] Website: http://www.middleway.net Teachers: Venerable T. Shantha, Venerable O.Pannasara Spiritual Director: Venerable (Bhante) Madawala Seelawimala Mahathera American Young Buddhist Association Address: 3456 Glenmark Drive, Hacienda Heights, CA 91745 CA Tradition: Mahayana, Humanistic Buddhism Contact: Vice-secretary General: Ven. Hui-Chuang Amida Society Address: 5918 Cloverly Avenue, Temple City, CA 91780 CA Tradition: Mahayana, Pure Land Buddhism EMail: [email protected] Spiritual Director: Ven. Master Chin Kung Amitabha Buddhist Discussion Group of Monterey Address: CA Tradition: Mahayana, Pure Land Buddhism Affiliation: Bodhi Monastery Phone: (831) 372-7243 EMail: [email protected] Spiritual Director: Ven. Master Chin Chieh Contact: Chang, Ei-Wen Amitabha Buddhist Society of U.S.A. Address: 650 S. Bernardo Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94087 CA Tradition: Mahayana, Pure Land Buddhism EMail: [email protected] Spiritual Director: Ven.
  • The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts

    The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts

    The Tulku System in Tibetan Buddhism: Its Reliability, Orthodoxy and Social Impacts By Ramin Etesami A thesis submitted to the graduate school in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts at the International Buddhist College, Thailand March, 20 Abstract The Tulku institution is a unique characteristic of Tibetan Buddhism with a central role in this tradition, to the extent that it is present in almost every aspect of Tibet’s culture and tradition. However, despite this central role and the scope and diversity of the socio-religious aspects of the institution, only a few studies have so far been conducted to shed light on it. On the other hand, an aura of sacredness; distorted pictures projected by the media and film industries;political propaganda and misinformation; and tendencies to follow a pattern of cult behavior; have made the Tulku institution a highly controversial topic for research; and consequently, an objective study of the institution based on a critical approach is difficult. The current research is an attempt to comprehensively examine different dimensions of the Tulku tradition with an emphasis on the issue of its orthodoxy with respect to the core doctrines of Buddhism and the social implications of the practice. In this research, extreme caution has been practiced to firstly, avoid any kind of bias rooted in faith and belief; and secondly, to follow a scientific methodology in reviewing evidence and scriptures related to the research topic. Through a comprehensive study of historical accounts, core Buddhist texts and hagiographic literature, this study has found that while the basic Buddhist doctrines allow the possibility for a Buddhist teacher or an advanced practitioner to “return back to accomplish his tasks, the lack of any historical precedence which can be viewed as a typical example of the practice in early Buddhism makes the issue of its orthodoxy equivocal and relative.
  • Tibetan Tra- Ditions As a Citadel of Learning and Excellence

    Tibetan Tra- Ditions As a Citadel of Learning and Excellence

    BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID ITHACA, NY 14851 Permit No. 746 Deliver to current resident ORDER FROM OUR NEW SNOW LION TOLL FREE NUMBER 1-800-950-0313 NEWSLETTER & CATALOG SNOW LION PUBLICATIONS PO BOX 6483, ITHACA, NY 14851, (607)-273-8506 VOLUME 4, NUMBER 1 H.H. SAKYA TRIZIN VISITS AMERICA In the Dehra Dun valley nestled between the Himalaya and Shiva- lik mountain ranges below the small Indian town of Rajpur, one finds a modest house surrounded by fruit trees. Here is the home of His Holi- ness Sakya Trizin, the crown-lama of the Sakya Order, His Consort, Damo Kushola, and their two sons, Ratna Vajra and Jnana Vajra. A far cry from the 80-room Dolma Palace of Sakya in Tibet, it nonetheless serves as His Holiness' main resi- dence and office as He guides the Sakya Order in both spiritual and temporal matters through the un- certain years of exile. A small way further down the treelined avenue of the Fajpur Road, one will often see red-robed monks waiting for a bus or busy with activities at the Sakya Center, the first Sakya monastery estab- lished in India. In the foothills over- looking Rajpur, one will find the advanced teacher-training facility, the Sakya College, which has won H.H. THE DALAI LAMA TO renown among all four Tibetan tra- ditions as a citadel of learning and excellence. A two-hour bus trip GIVE DZOGCHEN TEACHINGS from nearby Dehra Dun will bring one to the Sakya settlement of AND EMPOWERMENT OF Puruwalla, where refugee lay people form and make handicrafts, preserv- H.H.
  • Introduction Au Phowa

    Introduction Au Phowa

    Introduction au Phowa The Drikung Kagyu Lineage is one of the lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. The founder, Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon (1143- 1217) - thought of as the second Buddha - was the successor of Phagmo Drupa who was the chief lineage holder of Gampopa (1079-1153). The Drikung Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism holds the precious teachings of all the yanas which Shakyamuni Buddha taught for the benefit of all sentient beings. This lineage also possesses the complete transmission of the meditative practices of the Five-Profound Paths of the Mahamudra and the Six Yogas of Naropa. The Drikung order is famous for its ability to successfully transfer the power of the Phowa meditation to initiated and devoted practitioners who practice it. Thus, the Phowa transmission given by the Drikung Lamas came to be known as the 'Drikung Phowa Ch'en-mo' - the Great Drikung Phowa. The Drikung Phowa became so powerful that it became a tradition in Tibet to have a Drikung Phowa Ch'en-mo ceremony every twelve years at Drongor Sum-dho at Drikung in central Tibet. The fame of this Phowa continued to spread as thousands of participants would experience the signs of the Phowa during the 'Lung' (Blessing Transmission) given by a head Lama of Drikung Kagyu. Due to the accumulated energy of the lineage and the blessing of the teaching itself, the qualified Lama is able to directly transfer the blessings of this practice to the pure and devoted disciples who can experience the signs very quickly. When one has received any of the signs of the Phowa meditation, then one is considered to be prepared to enter into the Buddha-field of Amitabha Buddha (Dewa-chen) at the time of death.