Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo DIRECTOR
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Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo DIRECTOR GATSAL ISSUE No. 32 SUMMER 2016 Dear friends, How quickly the year seems to speed us on the way. Our nuns performed families of our nuns and everyone was so by at DGL with so many visitors and so rituals such as Tara and Chöd and I joyful and devoted. A truly memorable many events! delivered dharma talks which were ably experience. Personally the highlight of In November I gave last year was the long anticipated teachings at Deerpark in Bir 3 weeks’ visit to Kinnaur in and in Mumbai and Pune. We August 2015. Kinnaur is a therefore took this opportunity fairly remote Himalayan region to revisit the extraordinary in Himachal Pradesh where rock caves of Ajanta and Ellora many of our nuns come from. in Maharashtra. I had visited This district is traditionally these pilgrimage sites about Tibetan Buddhist with many 30 years ago and especially temples and the people there remember that the Ajanta are devout, intelligent and good caves were unlighted and very natured. Nowadays they have dark - the guides torch would also achieved some affluence illuminate a small section of from the cultivation of apples murals while the rest remained and apricots for the Indian obscured. Nowadays they have market. arranged subtle floor lighting I was accompanied by which reveals the exquisite wall Tsunma Aileen and 9 DGL Jetsunma with Asha and Deborah, and ceiling paintings covering nuns from Tibet, Bhutan and our Pune friends, at Ajanta Caves the inside of these cave temples. Ladakh who were also very Truly amazing and a great keen to visit this region. In each inspiration! village that we visited we were welcomed translated by our dear friend, the scholar In November the nuns celebrated by the inhabitants usually wearing local Roshan Lal Negi, who had organised our Lhabab Duchen - when Lord Buddha costumes and jewellery and singing their visit so beautifully. Everywhere we were descended from Heaven after teaching traditional songs as they accompanied hospitably housed and fed, often by the dharma for 3 months to his mother. This 2 GATSAL ISSUE 32 is an important annual occasion at the debate with nuns from other nunneries Tsunma Jangsem and Tsunma Tenzin Nunnery with puja and debating. The from which they benefit a lot. Chokyi in charge. We have arranged a temple and chorten were illuminated Everyone was back in time for rota of doctors from various disciplines with fairy lights and with candles. Losar or Tibetan New Year in February. to come on a regular basis - allopathic, Later in November the nuns (along Straight after this the nuns performed ayurvedic, homoeopathic and Tibetan in with the monks) were blessed with the 2 a week of Nyungné, the fasting and order to cover all needs. We are planning day empowerment of Chakrasamvara by prostration ritual introduced in the 11th that once the clinic is running smoothly Kyabje Khamtrul Rinpoche at Tashi Jong. century by the Kashmiri nun Gelongma we can extend the service for local This is an important tantric initiation Palmo. This was the first time that our villagers also. We are so grateful to our needed in our tradition so it was very nuns had undertaken this practice at friends who have done so much to make auspicious that our nuns could receive DGL and several monks and laypeople this clinic possible. this directly from their root Lama. from Tashi Jong also participated. Now Tsunma Aileen and I are In December the Swedish artist In March was the 300th anniversary preparing to leave for a tour lasting four Marianna Rydvald was here to finish her of the Guru Padmasambhava dances months in Europe and also Ladakh and beautiful murals on the Life of Princess performed by the Khampagar monastery East Tibet. Mandarava for the Lamas’ sitting room now at Tashi Jong. These masked Lama So once again we sincerely thank above the main temple. Marianna’s fine dances are based on the visions of the all our friends and supporters without work is much appreciated by all who see 3rd Khamtrul Rinpoche Kunga Tenzin. whom this nunnery could not flourish. it and she has painted extensively for About 20 of our senior nuns were invited From our hearts we thank you all. several Rinpoches. to join the monks for the 10 days of prayer With love and all good wishes, In January nearly forty of our middle ritual. Tsoknyi Rinpoche also attended standard nuns again went to Bodhgaya along with 30 of his nuns from Nepal. to attend the annual Kagyu monlam Our small Menla Clinic is finally where they have the opportunity to functioning with our medical nuns Teaching in Kinnaur Some of the laypeople who attended the Nyungne Retreat In November, Mingyur Rinpoche visited DGL and gave a are very grateful for his kindness in taking time to visit us. sparkling talk on meditation to the nuns. Afterwards he went to Some months later, we were honoured with a visit from the long-term retreat centre and gave more meditation instruction Mingyur Rinpoche’s brother, Tsoknyi Rinpoche who came and then granted personal interviews to each of the eight nuns in to DGL and spent the afternoon speaking on meditation with retreat. Mingyur Rinpoche our retreat nuns and gave is now well known for them each personal advice having suddenly left behind and guidance (see photo in everything and gone to stay article on our Retreat nuns). for 4 years in remote caves Tsoknyi Rinpoche recently in India and Nepal. We met sent two of his nuns from him in Delhi, soon after he Nepal to join our long-term emerged from his retreat retreat nuns and receive where he very graciously instruction here. Our nuns accepted our request to share a long association visit the nunnery and with Rinpoche’s nuns in came very soon after. His Nepal and they hold this warmth and humour was connection very dear. much appreciated by the Mingyur Rinpoche receiving khatags We look forward to nuns along with his clear from the nuns future visits from them instruction on practice. We both. SUMMER 2016 GATSAL 3 Jetsunma and the nuns were offered Kinnauri hats at every location Tsultrim Palmo, front row second from right with nuns and families in Kinnaur OUR TRIP TO KINNAUR by Tsunma Tsultrim Palmo What a wonderful opportunity I got to go to Kinnaur with Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo. On the 15th of August nine of us nuns left for Kinnaur by bus. Jetsunma was invited by the Kinnauri people to give some talks on Dharma. We visited many villages there. Their people are very kind and devoted. They have many farmer’s work to do but still they came to listen Jetsunma’s teaching. At each place Jetsunma gave a Dharma talk and we nuns did Tara and Chod Puja. While we were there, they offered us their best dishes and accommodations. We met many kind people. Jetsunma also visited schools and colleges, where she explained to the students how important the Dharma is in our day to day life and how to know what the Dharma is. I was very happy to visit there with Jetsunma. It was so blissful for them. It was my happiest time. Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo with Roshan Lal Negi 4 GATSAL ISSUE 32 Tsoknyi Rinpoche with retreat nuns, March 2016 TOGDENMAS IN EMBRYO As many of you know, an important feature of the always make a point to visit the nuns in long term DGL Nunnery is our retreat centre or drubda where retreat and spend several hours with them, giving currently eight nuns are in long term retreat. Four meditation instruction and personal counsel. They nuns have already completed seven years of strict recognise the unique importance of what these meditation practice under the guidance of Togden dedicated nuns are striving to achieve. Achoe, the most senior yogi at Khampagar monastery The previous Khamtrul Rinpoche Dongyu in Tashi Jong. Nyima had specific- Last year it was ally requested me finally agreed by H.E. to help restart the Khamtrul Rinpoche precious Drukpa and Togden Achoe Kagyu yogini lineage to transmit to our which had died away retreat nuns the due to the ongoing profound Six Yogas of problems in Tibet. Naropa in its entirety. So it has always There is a special been the aspiration tradition maintained for this nunnery to by the togdens of nurture a group of Khampagar who were togdenmas who in Jetsunma with the four Drubda nuns on renowned throughout time can carry on completion of their strict seven year retreat Tibet for their this precious female impeccable practice yogic lineage. and realisation. Tsoknyi Rinpoche has sent two of his We offer our heartfelt devotion and gratitude to nuns who have completed a 3 year retreat in Nepal to Khamtrul Shedrup Nyima and Togden Achoe for join our retreat centre in order to receive this training. their continuous support and guidance and their High lamas such as HH Karmapa and others role in transforming our dreams into reality. SUMMER 2016 GATSAL 5 Meeting with His Holiness the Karmapa in Bodhgaya ABOUT BODHGAYA by Tsunma Dolma Lhamo We went to Bodhgaya in the first month circumambulation. We also went on some of this year. We stayed there for eighteen pilgrimage, including visiting Rajagriha days. We had debating there, three times where the Buddha gave teachings on the a day including classes too. Every day Heart Sutra. We met lots of new nuns. We all there was teaching by His Holiness the became very frank with each other within a Karmapa.