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JULY - SEPTEMBERfpm 2011 t

Retreat of a Lifetime with Zopa

When the Guru Manifests a Stroke

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Wisdom Publications

Newfrom our founder, Lama Yeshe

When the Chocolate Runs Out Lama Yeshe 9780861712694 | 176 pages | $9.95 eBook 9780861718795

To know Lama was to know he loved chocolate! It was his favorite metaphor to epitomize our attachments.

his funny and trenchant little volume answers the question of how we can be happy even after the “chocolate” has run out. By cutting the cords of attachment, we dis- Tcover the indestructible happiness that has always been available to us. This beautiful little book captures the remarkable personality of Lama, who played an integral role in introducing Tibetan to the world. When the Chocolate Runs Out will delight both readers who have known Lama Yeshe for decades and those who have never met this timelessly inspiring spiritual teacher. This little book of wisdom is a perfect companion to How to Be Happy by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Newfrom Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche

Principles of Buddhist Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche Translated by Ian Coghlan and Voula Zarpani 9780861712977 | 496 pages | $24.95 eBook ISBN 9780861716883

evered as a teacher by even the , Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche was known as a master of Buddhist tantra. Originally delivered at Vajrapani Institute, the teach- R ings comment on a nineteenth-century introduction to tantra, Tantric Grounds and Paths, by the Mongolian lama Losang Palden. Kirti Tsenshap Rinpoche explains the distinctive features of the four classes of tantra—action tantra, performance tantra, yoga tantra, and highest yoga tantra—by describing the way one progresses through their paths and levels. Finally, he gives a special treatment of the unique methods of Kalachakra tantra, which is regularly taught around the globe by the Dalai Lama.

ORDER DIRECT AND SAVE: WISDOMPUBS.ORG, 1-800-272-4050 Newfrom His Holiness Trizin

Freeing the Heart and Mind Part One: Introduction to the Buddhist Path ISBN 9780861716388 | 184 pages | $15.95 eBook ISBN 9780861716142

is Holiness Sakya Trizin presents the timeless wisdom of the Buddhist path— from the to developing a heart of true compassion. Freeing the HHeart and Mind is a beautiful introduction to Buddhism from one of ’s most renowned figures. Freeing the Heart and Mind also includes a biography of the Indian saint and Sakya fore- father Virupa as well as the classic Sakya teaching on “parting from the four attachments.”

The release of Freeing the Heart and Mind coincides with His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s current world tour.

Newfrom the Dalai Lama

Meditation on the Nature of Mind Le Dalai Lama Khöntön Peljor Lhündrub José Ignacio Cabezón ISBN 9780861716289 | 232 pages | $16.95 eBook ISBN 9780861716296

nderstanding of the mind’s nature is at the core of Buddhism, the key to success in meditation and to the profound insights at the heart of the Buddha’s path. Le Utext at the center of this book, the “Wish-FulNlling Jewel of the Oral Tradition” by the Tibetan scholar Khöntön Peljor Lhündrub (1561–1637), combines both theory and practical instructions for meditating on the nature of mind. Le work is easily accessible and nonsectarian in its approach. His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s broad-ranging overview of this important text in the Nrst part of this book insightfully distills some of the most central themes of Buddhism, and includes an illuminating explanation of the mind according to the diMerent schools of . Free shipping available. Visit wisdompubs.org to sign up for the monthly e-newsletter to learn of new releases. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Wisdom Publications HEART ADVICE: THE ATTITUDE       edited by sarah thresher FREE

is book comprises several motivations taught by Lama Zopa Rinpoche called “ motivations for life,” intended for us to use  rst thing every morning to generate the mind of bodhicitta and dedicate our life to numberless sentient beings.  e Bodhisattva Attitude is taken from the teachings of the Buddha and is based on verses by the great bodhisattva Shantideva in his Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life.

New DVDs! Our new DVDs contain video of the teachings found in our books Freedom rough Understanding and Life, Death and A er Death. Special for one month only, both sets for .

Free books!*

FREEDOM THROUGH LIFE, DEATH AND UNDERSTANDING DVD AFTER DEATH DVD           2 DISC SET, OVER 7 ½ HOURS PLAYING TIME $15 *PLUS SHIPPING CHARGESGES OFF 3 DISC SET, OVER 10 ½ HOURS $1 PER BOOK ($5 MINIMUM) PLAYING TIME $20

L Y W  A   contains recordings and transcripts of Lama ’s and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s teachings dating back to the early 1970s—and we’re still growing! Our website offers thousands of pages of teachings by some of the greatest of our time. Hundreds of audio recordings, our photo gallery and our ever-popular books are also freely accessible at . .

Please see our website or contact us for more information

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Mandala fpmt CONTENTS 6 FROM THE EDITORS 36 TAKING CARE OF OTHERS

8 TEACHINGS AND ADVICE 40 TAKING CARE OF THE SELF

COVER FEATURE 46 YOUR COMMUNITY 12 THE RETREAT OF A LIFETIME: GURU DEVOTION IN AUSTRALIA 54 FPMT NEWS AROUND WITH LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE THE WORLD

13 26 PRACTICING 64 FEATURED CENTERS IN DAILY LIFE 67 FPMT DIRECTORY 30 EDUCATION

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE HIGHLIGHTS Mandala publishes EXCLUSIVE ONLINE articles to supplement our print publication. Each issue features several articles available only 21 online! The July-September 2011 issue includes …

The Dissatisfied Mind of Desire Protection from Radiation By Lama Zopa Rinpoche Morning Intention and Breath Leading with the Mind Counting with Children of a Servant By Pam Cayton By Lama Zopa Rinpoche Hurray! Practices to Control Earthquakes By Sarah Shifferd 22 and the Four Elements … and much more!

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2011 ISSUE 52 MANDALA (ISSN10754113) is published quarterly by FPMT Inc, 1632 SE 11th Ave, Portland, OR 97214-4702, USA. Printed by Journal Graphics, Portland, Oregon, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Portland OR. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Mandala, 1632 SE 11th Ave, Portland OR 97214-4702 COVER: Lama Zopa Rinpoche in California, USA, February 2011. Photo by Dionne Wilson. www.mandalamagazine.org www.fpmt.org 44

July - September 2011 MANDALA 5 From the EDITORS

DEAR READER, s a community, FPMT is intimately connected. We dedicate this issue – not just in terms of content, For most of us, that connection is most clearly but in terms of essence – to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long and identifiable through our devotion to and respect healthy life, so he may continue to guide us, as he always Afor Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the organization’s has, by his perfect example. In the following pages, we offer precious spiritual director. On April 23, the worldwide you a glimpse into the retreat in Australia (page 12) and an community received news that Rinpoche had manifested overview of Rinpoche’s health as it unfolded over the first the symptoms of a stroke the day prior while leading a critical weeks (page 20) as well as teachings and advice about month-long retreat in Bendigo, Australia. A collective relating to the guru when he manifests illness. whirlwind effort of prayers, pujas, practices ensued and all Additionally, you’ll find our regular feature articles variety of service was offered and dedicated to Rinpoche’s focusing on well-being, as well as news and updates from immediate recovery. From the hospital, while suffering FPMT students, centers, projects and services around the from paralysis and slurred speech, Rinpoche demonstrated world. This issue’s online content is rich and diverse so through his actions and words, as he does again and please do visit www.mandalamagazine.org to take full again, how to transform problems into happiness, how advantage of all that is offered. to continue to practice in the face of obstacles, how to Please take your time and ENJOY! never give up, no matter what the karmic projections are Your Friends from Mandala, bringing into view. Carina, Laura and Michael ABOUT MANDALA Mandala is the official publica- Friends of FPMT is a donor program composed of Friends working tion of the Foundation for the together to support FPMT’s global activities. Preservation of the To learn about Friends of FPMT levels and benefits, contact us or Tradition (FPMT), an interna- visit: www.fpmt.org/friends tional charitable organization Mandala is published in January, April, July and October. founded more than thirty years Mandala eZine is published in February, May, August and December. ago by two Tibetan Buddhist masters: Lama Thubten Yeshe Managing Editor and Publisher Tel: 1 503 808 1588 (1935-1984) and Lama . FPMT is now a vibrant Carina Rumrill Fax: 1 503 232 0557 Toll free USA only international community with a network of over 150 affiliate centers, [email protected] 1 866 241 9886 projects, services and study groups in more than thirty countries. Editor Laura Miller FPMT Board of Directors Editorial Policy [email protected] Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche Recurring topics include: ; Education; Ordination Assistant Editor, Advertising & Sales and the ; Buddhism and Modern Life; Youth Issues; FPMT Michael Jolliffe Board Members Activities Worldwide; Lama Yeshe and his teachings; Lama Zopa Rinpoche [email protected] Khenrinpoche Lhundrup and his teachings; His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his teachings, among Ven. Roger Kunsang many other topics. Art Director Ven. Pemba Sherpa Cowgirls Design Writers, photographers and artists, both amateur and professional, Karuna Cayton [email protected] are encouraged to submit material for consideration. Mandala currently Andrew Haynes Peter Kedge does not pay for publishable content; we credit all photos and other work Friends of FPMT Program Tim McNeill as requested. Heather Drollinger Melwani [email protected] Mandala, in addition to the Mandala eZine, is published quarterly Alison Murdoch and is available via the Friends of FPMT program. Additionally, both FPMT, Inc. Paula de Wijs-Koolkin publications are supplemented by online stories published exclusively at: 1632 SE 11th Ave. www.mandalamagazine.org Portland, OR 97214-4702 www.mandalamagazine.org www.fpmt.org

6MANDALA July - September 2011 NEW from Snow Lion

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This section features the precious teachings and advice of FPMT teachers, lamas and notable Buddhist scholars. LAMA YESHE’S WISDOM ILLNESS AND DEATH ARE NATURAL By Lama Yeshe IT’S IMPORTANT for Dharma students to understand Lord Buddha’s scientific teach- ings on and death and not try to hide from or escape the reality of death. We need to face it. Of course, for people brought up the way they are these days, this topic might be a little bit too much, because in general nobody teaches you about this aspect of reality. When I talk about death you might think, “Oh, that’s Lama’s thing, not mine,” even though it’s an undeniable fact that illness and death are within you right now. How can you reject your own nature? How Lama Yeshe teaching in the gompa at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, 1974. Photo by Ursula Bernis. can you escape from impermanence and death when you are living immersed in the impermanent nature of reality is for you to gain knowl- conditions for them to arise right now? edge wisdom. So check up. That’s why I always say that Buddhism is not diplo- I’m not saying everybody thinks in this way, but this is matic in character. It shows you straight up your own what I call the street way of thinking; the way common, nature. But that doesn’t mean you should cry emotionally, ordinary people think as they go shopping for ice cream. “No! That’s too bad. I’m going to get sick and die. Dying That way of thinking is stupid. Then there’s trouble. “Lama’s is terrible!” Don’t think in an ordinary way. Do you think trying to scare me. I don’t want to be scared. I just want to that’s wisdom? “Don’t tell me that! I don’t like it!” That’s have ice cream and be happy. Tomorrow I’m out of here!” not wisdom. Check up carefully. Old people don’t like that So check up now. Wisdom is unemotional in nature. they’re old so they just push back and deny it. Is that Fear of illness, impermanence and death is emotional; that’s wisdom or not? From my point of view, from Buddhism’s why you cry. That’s why you can’t sleep. You think, “I’m point of view, that’s stupidity and ignorance. Rejecting going to die tomorrow,” and your stupid, relative emotions how old you are; hiding from information about death. pump you up and push you so that you can’t sleep. True And you can’t say that teachings on death are simply an understanding wisdom sees illness and death as natural, so Eastern custom. Is your death an Eastern custom? Has there’s no emotional nervousness upon hearing about your death been created by Lord Buddha? No. Your death impermanence and death. has not been created by Eastern custom, by Lord Buddha Emotional fear of death is ignorance. We lamas are or by Buddhism. It’s in your very nature, so how can you trying to show you that illness and death are natural and reject it? that understanding their inevitability is wisdom. These Saying this doesn’t mean I’m pushing you to get things that Lama Zopa and I talk about are really simple. N emotional and cry. I’m not. Those who get all emotional Lama Yeshe gave this teaching at the Seventh Kopan Medita- and cry, “Oh, that’s too bad,” are demonstrating tion Course, November, 1974. This excerpt comes courtesy of stupidity, not wisdom. The reason I teach you about the the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

8MANDALA July - September 2011 ADVICE FROM A VIRTUOUS FRIEND MANY STORIES PROVE THE POWER OF GURU DEVOTION By Lama Zopa Rinpoche Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Bendigo, Australia, April 2011. Photo by George Manos.

THE PROOF OF THE POWER OF GURU DEVOTION, seeing service, purified his mind and those qualities arose within the guru as a buddha, is found in many stories. him by the blessing of the lama, having received the lama’s … When ’s guru, Dragpa Gyaltsen, took blessing through devotion and service. on the aspect of having a very heavy sickness, Sakya Pandita Another story is how one day Lama Atisha, with his offered service so selflessly that he had no time himself to clairvoyance, saw that Kadampa Geshe Gönbawa was eat or sleep. He offered one-pointed service day and night, thinking, “I must have greater realizations than the transla- bearing hardships in order to offer service to his guru. tor Dromtönpa. Why? Because he doesn’t have time to Dragpa Gyaltsen was extremely pleased and said he would meditate, he’s always so busy translating. I have so much teach him Guru Yoga practice. After he received time to meditate so maybe I have greater realizations than this practice, Sakya Pandita realized and was able to see that him and the cook, A-me Jangchub, who is always busy his guru was Manjushri. All the negative karmas and im- cooking.” So, Lama Atisha invited all three of them to line purities in his mind that had blocked him from seeing up in front of him and checked who had higher realiza- Manjushri before were purified by service, day and tions. Dromtönpa’s realization was much higher than night, without even sleeping. Then Sakya Pandita became Gönbawa’s – there was no comparison. Even A-me extremely learned. He became world-famous as the most Jangchub’s realization was higher than Gönbawa’s, even expert logician, expert in the five sciences: crafts, logic, though he didn’t have time to meditate like Gönbawa. This grammar, medicine and philosophy, or inner knowledge. story clarifies one point. Generally, people think that retreat He was able to offer the most extensive, incredible benefit and meditation are good and offering service is not really by seeing Manjushri. This came by serving his guru. the best practice to develop the mind, that what really Knowledge blossomed by having purified the defilements develops the mind and can bring realizations is only medi- and blockages through service. tation. But in reality it is not necessarily like that. One has One time, Lama Atisha took the aspect of being sick to analyze which practice collects the most , which with uncontrollable diarrhea. His disciple, Dromtönpa, involves the most purification, which is more powerful. cleaned and took care of Lama Atisha with his own hands, The cook A-me Jangchub and the translator Dromtönpa like a mother, cherishing him more than his own life. As were so busy offering service, and I think that is why their he was offering service like this, one day he was able to read realization was higher. the minds of insects, ants and worms, even from the My guess is that what matters, the main point, is what- distance it takes an eagle 18 days to fly. After taking care of ever is most pleasing to the guru. I would say that is the Atisha like that, he actualized one of the six types of clair- quickest path to enlightenment. N voyance, the ability to read anyone’s mind, very clearly. The This teaching was given by Rinpoche to a small group of potential is there in everyone to attain those qualities but is students at Kopan Monastery in Nepal and is courtesy of the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (www.lamayeshe.com). More blocked by karma and defilements. Dromtönpa, by having advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the topic of guru devo- one-pointed guru devotion to Lama Atisha and offering tion can be found on Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s website.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 9 Teachings and ADVICE A TEACHER TELLS US WHY WHEN THE GURU MANIFESTS ILLNESS READER QUESTION: How do I view Lama Zopa Rinpoche while doing practice for Rinpoche’s health and long life?

ANSWERED BY CHODEN RINPOCHE

Students need to hold the view that the guru is holy Buddha, but he manifests ordinary appear- ance, like having a stroke. Just like Buddha Shakyamuni, in reality, he is enlightened, but he manifests ordinary appearance, like having a headache and back pain. So when students engage in practices like Medicine Buddha and so forth for Lama Zopa Rinpoche to have a healthy and long life, students can do the practice while maintaining the view that the lama is Buddha, but dedicate the practice in order to pacify the ordinary appearance of having a stroke.

Photo by June C. Oka RESOURCES FROM THE LAMA YESHE WISDOM ARCHIVE: • The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive makes Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice about guru devotion and other topics The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive (www.lamayeshe.com) freely available on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Online Advice provides numerous resources addressing the topic of guru Book. “When the Guru Is Ill,” found in the “Lam-rim topics” devotion, the ability to see one’sspiritual teacher as enlightened section, contains Rinpoche’s explanation for why doing despite the appearance of ordinary qualities: practice for your ailing spiritual teacher is appropriate. N • The Heart of the Path: Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s exten- sive commentary of the topic of guru devotion. You can Ven. Roger Kunsang, Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s attendant and CEO of FPMT, also made a comment on how to view the find several teachings on why the buddhas manifest as manifestation of Rinpoche’s illness, stressing our personal karmic ordinary beings, why the buddhas show ordinary sufferings responsibility: “Your karmic projection is ill, the dharmakaya isn’t and the benefits of practicing guru devotion continually. ill! And we share a similar karmic projection.” This book is available to order online. You can read the latest developments and advice regarding • Kadampa Teachings: In Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s book on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health by consulting “Rinpoche’s how to practice Dharma the way the famous Kadampa Health – Official Updates and Practices” on www.fpmt.org. did, “Appendix 3: The Real Meaning of Guru” gives a concise Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for additional articles teaching on the meaning of the word “guru.” KadampaTeach- from this issue’s Teachings and Advice section including “The ings is offered freely in print and electronic formats. Dissatisfied Mind of Desire” by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

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0LODUHSD&HQWHUDOVRRIIHUVPHGLWDWLRQFRXUVHVUHWUHDWV DQGKHDOLQJSUDFWLFHVLQVHUHQHEHDXW\&DELQVFDPSLQJ JURXSUHQWDOVZRUNVWXG\DQGIDPLO\FDPSDUHDYDLODEOH 865RXWH6RXWK‡%DUQHW97‡  ‡PLODUHSD#PLODUHSDFHQWHURUJ Cover FEATURE The Retreat of a Lifetime: Guru Devotion in Australia with Lama Zopa Rinpoche Story contributors: Helen Patrin, Owen Cole and Adele Hulse. Photos by George Manos. I don’t think that anyone had ever anticipated that our precious guru would show the aspect of a stroke in the middle of the retreat. This became an intense teaching on so many levels for all of us, whether we were physically present at the retreat or back in our daily lives. The importance of making your life meaningful is resonating in my mind and how we really need to put effort into transforming our minds.

–HELEN PATRIN, FPMT AUSTRALIA NATIONAL COORDINATOR

rom April 2-30, 2011, nearly 200 mostly-Australian a long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche on behalf of all students participated in the retreat of a lifetime with FPMT students. However, as Rinpoche has repeatedly FLama Zopa Rinpoche, co-hosted by FPMT’s Atisha demonstrated, things around the guru do not always unfold Centre, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and the Great according to our plans; the teaching we need might not be the teachings we anticipate. The 2011 Australia retreat will be remembered in many ways. It goes without saying that it will be thought of by many students as the retreat at which Lama Zopa Rinpoche mani- fested the symptoms of a stroke. But the story of the April retreat reaches much more broadly and deeply than the pivotal event that shook the minds and hearts of students and friends worldwide. It is a moving story of guru devotion, told through the incredible organizational efforts of the retreat sponsors and the intense practice of retreat participants. For many years, FPMT Australia (FPMTA) has jointly requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to visit Australia to lead a long retreat. In early May 2010, a message arrived from Rinpoche accepting their latest joint invitation and stating

Atisha Centre’s resident teacher Geshe Konchok Tsering, Lama Zopa that Atisha Centre was where he would like the one-month Rinpoche and Atisha Centre’s director Cherry Rattue, Ven. Kunsang in retreat to take place in 2011. background The request came as a big surprise to Atisha Centre, of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, Australia. The who shares land with the Great Stupa of Universal preliminary schedule was straightforward: two weeks of Compassion and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery [see commentary on Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara (A Guide to page 64] on the outskirts of Bendigo, a town of 100,000 the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life), the transmission of the rare residents about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northwest of Rinjung Gyatsa initiations during weeks three and four, and Melbourne. There was little infrastructure available on the ending with the usual heartfelt offering of auspiciousness: land to host what would no doubt be a large retreat. In fact,

12 MANDALA July - September 2011 Guru Rinpoche statue at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion near Bendigo, Australia

July - September 2011 MANDALA 13 Cover FEATURE

the plan had been to request Rinpoche to visit in 2015, asking until I began to feel encouraged in my heart and when their building projects would be further along and they developed a strong wish to do it. I asked Lama Yeshe what he would be better able to host a gathering of great magnitude. thought. He said, ‘Well if you think it will be beneficial, then But the three centers – familiar with meeting challenges – you do it.’ So with Lama’s blessing I agreed.” Exactly 40 years agreed to host the teachings and quickly began the massive later, Lama Zopa Rinpoche led the month-long retreat in task of speeding up building projects and organizing a Bendigo, where he continued to fulfill the heartfelt requests month-long retreat with less than a year to prepare. of students for teachings. Miraculously, and thanks to the blessings of Lama Zopa As part of a new FPMT tradition initiated three years Rinpoche and the tireless work of staff and key volunteers, ago, Rinpoche has established three annual ongoing Atisha Centre managed to finish and obtain council approval teachings covering key lineage practices, and it is possible for their new accommodation block just as students were that the commentary on Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara and arriving on April 1. Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery com- the 305 Rinjung Gyatsa initiations might become a fourth. pleted their new accommodation block as well, although the Rinpoche has been giving commentary on Lama Atisha’s electrician was unable to get the power in until the second week Lamp for the Path to Enlightenment at the Light of the Path of the retreat. Organizers had hoped to complete the lower level retreat, hosted by the Kadampa Center in North Carolina, of the Great Stupa for the retreat but weren’t able to. At the USA; Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga commentary, held in last minute, a large white marquee was erected inside the stupa’s at Amitabha Buddhist Centre; and Lama Chöpa massive steel framing for the first two week of teachings, commentary at Potowa Center, Indonesia. (Please note: providing the participants with protection from the elements. Rinpoche’s teaching schedule for the remainder of 2011 has “Their steady calm gives no indication of the enormous been canceled.) courage they have shown in having this retreat here in the first “With these series of teachings, Rinpoche has set in place,” long-time student and Lama Yeshe biographer Adele motion the establishment of the absolute complete and Hulse said of the Bendigo complex staff and their dedicated perfect package with which we can spend the rest of our band of retreat volunteers. In addition to creating a welcoming lives engaging,” said Merry Colony, FPMT Education retreat environment, the organizers also were able to cover the Services’ director. “FPMT’s Media Center and Online retreat expenses for the 50 Sangha members who attended. Learning Center are preserving them in such a way that one The FPMT organization is no stranger to putting on can dive into these most amazing teachings again and again, life-changing retreats. In April 1971, Lama Zopa Rinpoche going deeper and deeper as time allows.” gave his first ten-day course at Kopan Monastery, then called “The teaching for the first two weeks was scheduled to the Nepal Mahayana Gompa Centre, attended by about a be Shantideva’s A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life,” dozen people. “She pestered me like a mosquito,” Rinpoche reported Owen Cole. “Shantideva’s life was explained but said, referring to Lama Yeshe and Rinpoche’s first Western we didn’t start the actual text. Rather, Rinpoche gave us his student Zina Rachevsky, who had the original idea to offer a pressure-cooker, practical style of teaching to motivate and meditation course to Westerners in Nepal. “She kept on inspire us to get a move on with our Dharma practice.”

14 MANDALA July - September 2011 From left opp. page: Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion construction site; Rinpoche and retreat participants visit the construction site; Ven. Sarah Thresher and Ven. Dechen; Ceremony in front of Guru Rinpoche statue at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion; Ven. Thubten Gyatso, founder of Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery; Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaching in the unfinished Great Stupa of Universal Compassion During the teachings, Rinpoche repeatedly emphasized teachings in Indonesia, Singapore and North Carolina in the necessity of seeing the guru as Buddha, purification of recent years. negativities in the mind (bad karma), and the accumulation Rinpoche commented early on that the first two weeks of merit (good karma). He reminded students – many baby of the retreat could be a good time for meetings to be sched- boomers and long-time practitioners – of this age of degen- uled between sessions. In addition to the FPMTA four-day eration, where many people die of cancer and sickness, many national meeting [see story on page 55], center directors, others are threatened by wars, tsunamis and earthquakes, spiritual program coordinators, registered teachers, and and we cannot tell who will be affected next. He said that FPMTA board members all took advantage of this time even if we have been studying Dharma for 20 years, when together and arranged meetings to catch up, share ideas, problems arise, we often don’t remember karma or the teach- and strategize plans for the future. Claire Isitt, FPMT ings of the Buddha. Center Services’ director, attended the first two weeks in “Rinpoche offered the most precious, rare, profound order to connect and work with people during this time. heart instructions on guru devotion! These came from According to FPMTA coordinator Helen Patrin, the most Rinpoche’s heart to our hearts,” said one long-time student. important discussions were those on Sangha welfare, which Rinpoche stressed guru devotion as the path to realizations, Rinpoche had strongly advised to take place with so many success and spontaneous happiness. He also focused on the Sangha members present and with the vital need to take Seven Limb Prayer with large parts of some sessions spent care of aging Sangha. meticulously meditating through it with special emphasis At the end of the first half of the retreat, the Great on prostrations and rejoicing.1 Retreat participants quickly Stupa’s Guru Rinpoche statue, which had been shrouded developed a rhythm of doing the Eight Mahayana Precepts in tarpaulins, was uncovered for a ceremony around the and Lama Chöpa Jorchö2 in the mornings and going to statue. Retreatants made many offerings and prayers. teachings with Rinpoche in the late afternoon and evening. The third and fourth weeks of the Australia retreat were Canadian nun Ven. Joan Nicell again did the impos- scheduled for the rare Rinjung Gyatsa transmission. Ven. sible; she transcribed Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s words as he Thubten Gyatso had requested this series of tantric empow- taught and had them simultaneously displayed on a screen erments from Rinpoche for the Bendigo centers. “My above his head. “The feedback I’ve had has always been thought was that these three centers are uniquely suited to good,” said Ven. Joan, who also serves as the study program helping preserve the tradition,” he said. Rinpoche coordinator at Italy’s Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa. “New 1 The seven limbs are prostrating, making offerings, confession, rejoicing, students can have difficulty understanding Rinpoche while requesting to turn the Dharma wheel, requesting the teachers to remain in the world and dedicating. This standard structure is common throughout older students can become sleepy or distracted.” She also Tibetan Buddhist liturgy. has done simultaneous transcribing at Rinpoche’s annual 2 Available through The Foundation Store: www.fpmt.org/shop/

July - September 2011 MANDALA 15 Cover FEATURE had given the initiations before at the Enlightened Experi- almost as though Rinpoche had planned that we all just sit ence Celebration of 1982 in . and practice together.” Two days after Rinpoche went to the The second half of the retreat sessions moved into the hospital, Ven. Robina Courtin, a student of Lama Yeshe and gompa at Atisha Centre, which held the smaller group (many Lama Zopa Rinpoche since 1976, wrote, “Last night we students left the retreat following the first half) perfectly. recited all night. Lights and flowers fill the gompa. According to Adele Hulse, despite many participants devel- In spite of everything, and even though we’re all a bit oping heavy colds, which created “liquid and incessant” shell-shocked, I am very glad to be here, practicing with noise, most attended every session, including early morning everyone.” prostrations. “Rinpoche’s detailed dedications made it clear The retreat ended with Lama Chöpa and a big tsog that a cold was nothing compared with the opportunity to held in front of the Guru Rinpoche statue in the now practice in this lifetime,” she said. tent-less and spacious Great Stupa. About 250 people On the morning of April 22, Rinpoche arrived in the attended the puja, which had been recommended by gompa at 4:30 A.M. to continue giving Yamantaka Khadro-la in Dharamsala. Geshes from FPMT centers in initiation. “When he returned that afternoon, he Sydney and Melbourne were there. At the end of the puja, mentioned that he had ‘felt something’ when leaving the Rinpoche asked that a list of all prayers being done world- gompa that morning, and that now his speech felt different. wide be read, which inspired and consoled retreatants. By the following morning we all knew Rinpoche had Atisha’s resident teacher, Geshe Konchok Tsering, spoke suffered a stroke,” Adele recalled. [See page 20 for a to the group. According to Ven. Robina, “He told us that complete story on Rinpoche’s health during this period.] the most important thing is to keep our commitments “From then on we just stayed together doing all the purely, in particular to be harmonious with each other, practices we were asked to do. It was a wonderful feeling remembering that one of our main vows is to not criticize being together and practicing so hard, with the solid ranks of each other – or, as Rinpoche sometimes puts it, not ‘speak Sangha in front of us, Ven. Dechen’s exquisite chanting, Ven. the faults’ of others. He also said that holy beings come Steve Carlier’s thundering voice leading the protector practices into this world to benefit others, and he implied that if and Ven. Sarah Thresher’s utterly moving motivations. Ven. people don’t practice, they won’t stay. There’s the teaching Gyatso led detailed lam-rim meditations,” Adele said. “It was for us.” What If It Is All True: A Retreatant Reflects on the Lessons of a Lifetime By Renate Ogilvie. Photos by George Manos.

endigo was Gold Rush territory. One hundred fifty On the gompa wall are old photographs of bearded years ago, a huge throng was driven by greed and young men with ’70s hairstyles, and young women in Bexcitement to this harsh and dry part of Australia. A nostalgic clothes building the early version of the center. sign at the entrance of Atisha Centre acknowledges that we Smiles. Some robes. A few children. It looks bucolic, but are on aboriginal land. must have been backbreaking work. Most of the retreatants stay in “Tent City” like the early And here they are: a selection of these early Buddhist prospectors. There are kangaroos in the twilight hours, pioneers among the more recent students – grey-haired and poisonous snakes lurk in the bush, and strange little creepy cool, Dharma savvy. Over lunch we hear tales of living in a crawlies live in the showers. It’s a very Aussie retreat, and many tree stump at Chenrezig Institute, evading the Nepalese border students have come from far away – Perth, New Zealand, control, the early days in Kathmandu and Dharamsala. London and the United States. Atisha Centre itself is a triumph Towering above everything is the steel construction of devotion and effort over the harshness of the terrain. of the Great Stupa. It is huge, amazing. Even unfinished continued on page 19 16 MANDALA July - September 2011 F

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Comments by Three Weeks Retreat Participants of Fluff Stuffing Photos by George Manos In addition to renting Bob Sharples, a Buddhist since 40 accommodation tents 1977, student at Tara Institute, plus toilets and showers Melbourne, Australia for retreat participants’ The power of Rinpoche is extraor- comfort, retreat organizers dinary. He hits you between the (led by Sally Dudgeon)

eyes. I got a renewed commitment Robyn, Ronda and Brian stuff- made sure students had and clarity to my practice and a clearer understanding ing cushions at Atisha Centre. something soft to sit on Photo by Marilyn Chambers. of what I’m going to do over the next 10-15 years, if and an appropriate place I live that long. to set their Dharma materials. Atisha Centre secretary Marilyn Chambers headed a team of volunteers who Len Warren, a Buddhist for 10 spent three weeks filling 153 mats and 200 cushions years and student at Hayagriva with 33 bales of polyester insulation bats made from Buddhist Centre, Perth, Australia recycled plastic bottles and two 100-kilogram (220- I had watched Rinpoche on video pound) bales of synthetic yarn tops. The beautifully and had trouble understanding made blue covers came from Mongolia. what he said and didn’t know if I “The sewing team was up to the long hours of teaching. However, I could wasHanneloreandMarilyn understand him on the retreat and there is a power to as the mainstays over his teachings which has strengthened a lot of my beliefs three weeks, with Julie, and gives me the energy to keep going and to go Alison, Cilla and Ruby deeper. I’m soooo happy that I attended the retreat. all giving us a couple of

days each,” Atisha Centre Liam and the jig. Photo by Ven. Youdan, ordained seven director Cherry Rattue Marilyn Chambers. years and lives at Chandrakirti wrote. “Liam [Chambers, Atisha Centre’s spiritual Centre, New Zealand program coordinator] invented a ‘jig’ to help us cut I got so much out of the course, it’s the bats into the right shape to fit the mats. It took incredible. Rinpoche is so dynamic two days to cut the bats to size with a power saw. and so alive in conveying the Each cut created a flurry of loose fluff, hence our teachings. It makes me totally want to be just like him. working title of ‘Liam and the fluff stuffers.’ Luckily we had an uncarpeted room in the new accom- Vicki Taylor, a Buddhist for 35 modation building to make the mess in. When years from Sydney, Australia the cushions arrived, Annette, Brian, Birgitta, I can’t put into words the im- Robyn and Ronda joined in to help the stuffing provement in my mind under the team. Some of us took bags of stuffing and cushions influence of Rinpoche. He put home too and filled our houses with fluff as we spent immense time and energy at the evenings stuffing.” beginning of sessions into the preparation where I Cherry also offered “heartfelt thanks” to FPMT normally rush the practice. Rinpoche slowed things Australia’s smallest study group, Shen Phen Ling, who, down so it became a powerful practice. The way he with just eight members, donated 108 red puja tables does the Seven Limb Prayer is profoundly moving and for the retreat and helped deliver bales of stuffing to completely transforms your mind. Atisha Centre.

18 MANDALA July - September 2011 continued from page 16

From left: Tent City at Atisha Centre; Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Guru Rinpoche statue at Great Stupa of Universal Compassion it is awe inspiring. This is history in the making, akin to the infinitely soft, indestructible method of bodhichitta one of the great cathedrals of Europe being built. What an . He shouts: Empty! Merely labeled! Facts fall explosion of merit and good karma, an inspiration for away and are revealed to be nothing but intense hallucina- generations to come. tions. I’m riding high. I love it. There seems to be a definite In one corner of the Great Stupa is the stupendous statue shift. I’m ready for many more years of Rinpoche’s teachings. of [Guru Rinpoche], now completely gilded But then: the Guru’s most powerful, most shocking by Rinpoche’s Chinese translator and long-time student, manifestation…. His illness is a sign of what is to come. Huang Chen Roo. Guru Rinpoche sits in the posture of royal Impermanence is no longer just an aesthetic experience. ease, his eyes wide open, looking at suchness. The impact is I flee to my tent and dissolve into self-cherishing. I immense. plead with my Guru not to abandon me, let water flow What if it is all true? My steadily eroding Western skep- uphill and defeat illness and Yama, just for me. It is a dark ticism – feeling the Dharma, and more specifically, the Guru hour. grinding me down, exposing the root of all misery: self But this too passes. The Guru is Buddha. The Guru is cherishing. I am longing for his teachings, welcoming the perfect. We witness the laughing and joking Guru in the long night sessions that are to come, with my legs, six Stroke Unit, praying for his fellow patients, taking their decades old, aching. Time is passing. Water bottle empty at suffering on himself, a buddha in his most compassionate night, clean socks diminishing, the strong mints almost manifestation. gone, ten days to my birthday, then nine, then eight. Stars Yes, it is all true. N on the way to the evening session, all constellations seemingly Please see page 20 for an extensive article covering the the same but always moving, the world never ever at rest. unfolding of Rinpoche’s health during and following the The Guru is Buddha, and he is soaking me with his Australia retreat. presence. His teachings leave me unhinged, drunk, babbling Streaming video teachings and a transcript from the Australia the first night, speechless the next. I understand once more retreat are now available for free on the FPMT Online Learning that there is no security except in his mandala. Center at http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org under “Bodhicarya- vatara commentary.” Please see the Site User Guide for instruc- In his limitless kindness the Guru-Buddha manifests tions on how to create an account to access the Online Learning in his earthly body so I can actually see and hear him teach Center and enroll in this course.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 19 Cover FEATURE When the Guru Manifests a Stroke Ordinary Appearances and Extraordinary Teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

n Friday, April 22, Ven. Roger suffering in innumerable ways, kinder Kunsang, attendant to Lama than all the buddhas of the three times, was OZopa Rinpoche and FPMT manifesting a serious obstacle to his health CEO, sent an unexpected request to the and long life. FPMT community. The brief but urgent Ven. Roger reiterated the recommended sounding message asked students to recite prayers and practices from the day before, and the of long life such as White remarked that His Holiness the Dalai Lama Tara and Amitayus for Rinpoche’s health had been informed of Rinpoche’s condition and long life and for centers to “organize and that numerous high lamas close to Lama extensive Medicine Buddha puja or Medicine Zopa Rinpoche as well as Kopan Monastery Buddha practice with many offerings and had already begun doing pujas. Within hours strong prayers for Rinpoche’s health and of the startling news concerning the severity long life.” The requests came on the of Rinpoche’s condition, messages via center “important advice” of Khadro-la, (an extra- Lama Zopa Rinpoche in California, listservs, websites, as well as individual USA, February 2011. Photo by ordinary Tibetan woman who is widely Dionne Wilson. student’s Facebook pages confirmed that the regarded as a dakini, an oracle, and certainly collective effort would not be small. Pujas someone special by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dagri were organized, group prayers initiated, mantras undertaken, Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche). Ven. Roger ended his animal liberations planned, vows to practice harmony and message thanking everyone for their understanding, help and keep personal commitments were revitalized, service of all support, concluding that this was “very important at this time.” variety was offered to Rinpoche and his entourage; and, with While not uncommon for Ven. Roger to send out fervor, dedication, and heavy but open hearts the FPMT periodic requests for prayers and practices for Lama Zopa community did what it does best … it went to work. Rinpoche’s health, this message was unusual. After all, Over the following day, a picture emerged of what Rinpoche was in the middle of teaching a one-month happened. According to Ven. Roger, in the middle of the retreat in Bendigo, Australia, and by all accounts, the retreat Yamantaka initiation, Rinpoche felt, “some sensation on was surging along with not a moment to spare for general the left side of his head as he left the gompa, then some- updates from Ven. Roger. Students around the world took thing more on the walk back to his room. Rinpoche said it a collective breath of concern, got out their Medicine was ‘like something was trying to enter him.’” Buddha puja texts, recited mantras, organized group pujas, Ven. Joan Nicell, who transcribes Rinpoche’s teachings and waited with bated breath for more news. in real time during his retreats, reported, “At the beginning Ven. Roger’s next update came the following day: of the afternoon session at 3:30 P.M., as Rinpoche started to “Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been admitted to hospital, the talk, I thought the audio wasn’t adjusted right, as I was medical staff have confirmed that Rinpoche has had a having difficulty understanding him.Then, Rinpoche, himself, stroke and temporally lost some of the movement of his paused in mid-sentence, with a big smile on his face, to say, right side and his speech is impaired.” With these words ‘Do you see the difference in my speech? You can hear it? Do arrived the unwelcomed reality that the FPMT commu- you notice my speech changed? My speaking, do you see a nity’s precious guru, object of for countless beings change? That happened when I went out. This morning,

20 MANDALA July - September 2011 Top: Students greeting Lama Zopa Rinpoche as he arrives to teach the one-month retreat in Bendigo, Australia. Photo by George Manos. Below: Ven. Roger Kunsang with Lama Zopa Rinpoche on the grounds of Atisha Centre, Australia, April 2011, prior to Rinpoche’s manifesting a stroke. Photo by George Manos. when I went out, I felt that outside. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone outside. That’s good for the self-cherishing thought, for the selfish mind. It is the opponent to harm, to destroy the self- cherishing thought.’ However, after a couple of minutes, Rinpoche started to speak [somewhat] more normally, and continued with the preparation for the Yamantaka initiation for the next three hours.” Ven. Roger later explained, “When Rinpoche arrived back in his room from the session of Yamantaka, it was clear that something wasn’t right but Rinpoche was determined to continue the initiation. It was about 8:00 P.M. and Rinpoche was determined to continue. I was quite concerned so there were several calls to Dharamsala discussing with Khadro-la what would be best. When Rinpoche saw that it was difficult to continue the initiation he wanted to have appointments with students. After some back and forth Rinpoche gave up on that which was a relief as it seemed very obvious that Rinpoche really wasn’t well.” By the next morning, Rinpoche had lost some use of the right side of his body and his speech was slurred. Ven. Roger arranged to take Rinpoche to the hospital. After nine hours of waiting, tests and medication, Rinpoche was assigned a bed in the men’s ward. No private rooms were available and the hospital was short of staff due to it being Easter weekend. It quickly became apparent that Rinpoche would not physically be able to continue teaching for quite some time when on April 24 Rinpoche’s scheduled upcoming teachings in Indonesia and his return to Lawudo in Nepal were canceled. On April 25, the day after Easter, a CAT scan showed no bleeding or clot in the brain – a huge relief for thousands of increasingly anxious students. Two days later, the doctors at Rinpoche’s hospital discouraged visitors for some time, citing Rinpoche’s obvious fatigue and warning that future physio- therapy would be very tiring. As the days unfolded, updates and amended practice advice came through to the FPMT community from Ven.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 21 Cover FEATURE

From left: The first photo of Lama Zopa Rinpoche to appear to the community, after Rinpoche’s admittance to the hospital; Ven. Holly Ansett helps Rinpoche put his hands in the of from his hospital bed while an exhausted Ven. Roger grabs a few minutes of sleep.

Roger. Khadro-la and Choden Rinpoche advised a new, remain in the hospital, to “gain control over the blood sugar specific set of practices for student to engage in: Medicine levels and blood pressure, what are seen to be the conditions Buddha puja with extensive offerings, as many sessions of for [another] stroke if they are not strictly controlled.” Four-Mandala Ritual to Chittamani Tara as possible, as Students wondered what Rinpoche looked like and many recitations of Most Secret Hayagriva with how his holy speech had been affected. The first photo and supplication as possible, and continual recitation of White videos of Rinpoche were released on April 30. In the Tara mantra with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s name included. powerful photo Rinpoche blesses his lunch. The caption Students attending the still-in-progress retreat in Australia read: “Lama Zopa Rinpoche in hospital, with great began to send reports, keeping their fellow students up- difficulty putting hands in mudra of prostration during dated on what it was like to carry on the retreat without extensive offering practice.” their precious guide. In the videos, although Rinpoche appears clearly Ven. Roger reflected in his blog, Life on the Road with exhausted and his speech severely slurred, he maintains his Lama Zopa Rinpoche, “I think Rinpoche is quite exhausted. characteristic concern for practicing and remains remarkably It is like after 40 years nonstop on the road … it is all joyful. [Videos of Rinpoche in the hospital can be found on catching up! Now Rinpoche is sleeping through the night! FPMT’sYouTube channel: www.youtube. com/user/fpmtinc.] BUT! Give him a chance…. At one stage (in the middle of Rinpoche’sfirst written message to the public was released this) Rinpoche wanted to go back to the course (150 people on May 3.The note said: “I am enjoying the hotel, 5 or 10 star are still doing the retreat) and sit on the throne and finish hotel.” Rinpoche’s signature was large and recognizable with a the Yamantaka initiation. He typed on the iPad: ‘I can sit shakily drawn smiling face in the “o.” He used his left hand to on the throne, Geshe-la can read the initiation text, then write it because his right arm remained paralyzed. people think they are getting the initiation from me!’ I Rinpoche continued with physiotherapy. On May 13, really don’t know physically how that could have worked, Ven. Roger happily reported, “Rinpoche’s sugar levels are but Rinpoche wanted to try and obviously had been improving. He is now on insulin. Blood pressure is now thinking of how he could manage it. It never happened close to normal. Rinpoche still gets fatigued quickly which because when the doctor heard this she said, ‘NO. WAY.’” doctors say is normal in this kind of situation, so a lot of rest At the end of April, Rinpoche had what the doctors is required.” termed, “acontinuation of the stroke,” which can be a common On May 14, Ven. Roger confided to his blog, “We have occurrence with stroke patients. Ven. Roger explained that been here now six weeks (Bendigo, Australia). Maybe this this is one of the main reasons why Rinpoche needed to is the longest [stay] in one place for many years. Each day

22 MANDALA July - September 2011 From left: Ven. Roger at Rinpoche’s side in the hospital; Rinpoche writes messages from his hospital bed. Below: Rinpoche’s first message:“I am enjoy- ing the hotel, 5 or 10 star hotel.” Photos by Ven. Holly Ansett. over the last week Rinpoche seems to be getting noticeably According to Ven. Roger, “Rinpoche sent a message to better. Now three weeks in the hospital, life each day here one high lama: ‘This is my past negative karma ripening is busy. You wouldn’t think it, but it is! We take on a lot of now, may it be the cause of the long life of His Holiness the work the staff normally do so that Rinpoche is more the Dalai Lama.’ That high lama replied, ‘Rinpoche is not comfortable. A small Dharma team (Ven. Kunsang, Ven. experiencing negative karma but has taken on a big obstacle Ailsa and Gail) cook outside the hospital (at the monastery) for the world of Tibetan Buddhism.’” and bring the food in three times a day; I stay 24 hours and Students were delighted to receive a short note from have a comfortable niche on the floor beside Rinpoche; Ven. Roger on May 18: “Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been Ven. Sangpo and Ven. Holly are here 18 hours a day.” discharged from the hospital and is now resting comfortably Ven. Roger wrote that through this entire experience, in a private home nearby the hospital.” Rinpoche’s recovery “Rinpoche’s attitude hasn’t changed at all.” Rinpoche continues with physiotherapy, Western as well as Chinese continued to send messages to friends and students from treatments and Khadro-la’s advice and assistance. Ven. his hospital bed despite the fatigue and heavy schedule of Roger ended his message thanking everyone again for “the therapies. support and prayers by so many.” In one message, Rinpoche said: The number of “This is a rare opportunity to be in the hospital. I am very prayers and prac- lazy but pray to take on the suffering of all sentient beings, tices reported by especially the people who have diabetes, blood pressure and students and sup- paralysis, so it is an incredible opportunity…. porters around the “I realize that being in hospital I can’t lift at the moment world continues to [referring to his arm to make prostration], [can’t maintain] grow as do the sin- altar [gestures to altar], can’t use candles [in the] hospital, cere and heartfelt [can’t make] water bowls. I realized that worms don’t have requests for Rin- any legs or hands, and their body is long [so they cannot poche to please re- practice], so I realized that so much unbelievable suffering main in order to [comes] for people who have two arms and no opportunity to continue teaching make prostrations [which is] unbelievable, most unbelievable and to get well and easy [way] to create the cause of enlightenment, highest success live long for the of life, wow, wow, wow.” benefit of all.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 23 Cover FEATURE

Nalanda’s Amazing Offering By Ven. Tenzin Yonten, spiritual program coordinator of Nalanda Monastery

t began with a very quick sort of ballet around each Iemail from Ven. Holly. other to prevent knocks The first lines were, “... and spills. extremely important and But, where to sit? A urgent, Rinpoche requests gompa filled to the brim all Nalanda monks to with beautiful offerings of make 7,000 offerings to every sort now had to Namgyälma, and recite accommodate 28 monks, 1,000 long Namgyälma as well as monastery volun- mantras…. Rinpoche is teers and other devoted hardly able to speak or students that came to lend move … please give this 5,000 plastic cups were filled with offerings. a hand. Somehow, and the highest priority.” Ven. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery. with some careful mind- Holly explained that Rinpoche advised, “Doing this fulness, we managed to squeeze everyone in the spaces practice you receive long life free from sickness. It between all the tables for the practice and mantra purifies all obscurations, liberation from hell and so recitation to begin. forth, all lower realms. If an animal hears this mantra, In addition to the three daily sessions of Nam- then it is its last as an animal, this mantra stops gyälma, there have been pujas such as Lama Chöpa, rebirth in lower realms, and after death you get reborn Ganden Lha Gyäma [Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga], in Amitabha pure land. It will be last rebirth in the Medicine Buddha, Chittamani Tara and Sixteen womb. You will get reborn in the heart of a lotus.” as well as animal liberation practices to save many fish From that moment on was a blur of activity, and and countless worms. through the kindness of Geshe Sonam Ngodup, we Many of the monks have completed the 1,000 long received the transmission of the long Namgyälma Namgyälma mantras as requested. We plan to reset mantra that evening. some large tables of offerings once all the monks have As monks searched for 5,000 plastic cups from returned to Nalanda (by the first week of June), and we Lavaur’s two supermarkets and another car was dispatched will continue with three sessions a day until Rinpoche’s to IKEA to fill a shopping cart with tea lights, there were instructions are fulfilled. monks on their knees in the monastery grounds picking Rinpoche, from the bottom our hearts, thank you daisies for the 1,000 flower offerings, and others dream- so very much for giving us so much joy in making these ing up ingenious methods for assembling make-do trellis offerings for your healthy, long and prosperous life. All tables from scaffolding planks and white sheets. of Nalanda’s monks are continuing the recitation and There were creative thinkers working on ways of make the most heartfelt dedications so we may create beautifully arranging kilo upon kilo of every kind of the causes for you to always remain as the perfect and brightly colored candy, the most perfect and delicious pure example for numberless sentient beings. fruits, and strings and nets of fairy lights of every Ven. Holly reports that, “Rinpoche is extremely happy with what Nalanda has done. He commented a number of color to hang from anything hang-able, as a small army times that possibly they are the only Westerners who have of people assembled the water offerings by dancing a recited the long Namgyälma mantra 1,000 times.”

24 MANDALA July - September 2011 On May 4, the FPMT Board of Directors wrote a heartfelt letter and request to Rinpoche, on behalf of all students around the world. The entire letter can be found at www.mandalamagazine.org, as part of this issue’s featured online content. We conclude here with the final moving paragraphs and join in a collective and sincere request to our most kind, incomparable, Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Most Holy Guru, whose nature is inseparable from the victorious all- pervading Vajradhara. You who are master possessor of the complete teaching lineage of the Buddha, Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche:

… Your deed of manifesting the aspect of having a stroke has made tens of thousands of your followers and well-wishers around the globe apply themselves so assiduously in doing so many kinds of practices: recitations, pujas, lights offering and liberating animals, and so on.

These activities have been, and continue to be, dedicated toward your speedy recovery and long and healthy life. Your showing the aspect of illness has in turn benefited sentient beings even more as this compassionate deed of yours has actually spurred us lazy beings of this degenerate time to practice even more. But truly this manifestation is the very last thing in the world we, the worthless disciples, wish to encounter. We have no wish to encounter this manifestation for even a split second! So now, please, please, for the sake of us all, withdraw from showing this aspect and we as FPMT Board Members will follow all your advice, instructions, and practice and we will strive even more diligently to protect, guide and uphold the FPMT organization the best we can.

By the power of the prayers of all your gurus, all the Sangha in the great monasteries, your disciples around the globe, the Three Jewels, and infallible dependent-arising, our minds filled with devotion and aspiration, we sincerely request and pray: Please withdraw the aspect of showing illness and resume your true aspect of vajra body for the sake of all your disciples. Without you, our minds are so weak and feeble like newly-born babies without parents, the day without sun, the night without the moon and stars, and fish without water.

Please, please, please most Holy Guru, the source of our temporal and ultimate happiness, live long until all beings’ sufferings end. N

Please see page 10 for advice from Ven. Choden Rinpoche and Ven. Roger Kunsang as well as compiled resources from the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive regarding how to view the guru manifesting illness.

To keep up to date on all official reports, announcements and requests concerning Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health, please subscribe to “Rinpoche’s Health – Official Updates and Practices” at www.fpmt.org.

Ven. Roger Kunsang’s blog, “Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche” can be found at www.mandalamagazine.org.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 25 Practicing Dharma in DAILY LIFE This section provides advice, resources and inspiration for practicing Dharma in daily life. FEATURED PRACTICE: PRACTICES FOR LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE’S LONG LIFE n April 22, 2011, Lama Zopa Rinpoche Omanifested symptoms of serious health problems during a month-long retreat in Australia. A day later, and after the encouragement of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to seek out Western medical treatment, hospital staff confirmed that Lama Zopa Rinpoche had had a stroke, resulting in reduced motor function on the right side of the body and impaired speech. The therapy to regain these skills can take months and the risk for future, more serious strokes rises significantly. As this issue’s Featured Practice, we share the practices of White Tara and Hayagriva, some of the practices recommended by Choden Rinpoche and Khadro-la – both extraordinary and realized beings – and encourage everyone to take the time to engage in these practices and dedicate their efforts to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long and healthy life and for the success of his every holy wish. White Tara in the Newari style

26 MANDALA July - September 2011 WHITE TARA MANTRA FOR LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE’S LONG LIFE Begin by reciting the White Tara mantra 21 times or more Tara Mantra followed by the recitation of Tara’s mantra many times. At OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SVAHA (many times) the end of the session, recite Tara’s mantra with the prayer for Rinpoche’s long life. öĂʚĂŘŪĂȣΐĂŘϼϵ ŪĂȣĂŘŪĂцʞăϼ Then, at the end of the session recite: White Tara Mantra Special Recitation for Lama Zopa Rinpoche OM TARE TUTTARE TURE MAMA AYUR PUNYE OM TARE TUTTARE TURE May the glorious holy Guru JÑANA PUSHTIM KURU [YE]1 SVAHA Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche’s life, deeds and activities (21x or more) forever increase SVAHA (100x or at least 21x) öĂʚĂŘŪĂȣΐĂŘϵ ŪĂȣĂŘŪĂŎĂŎĂ;šĂɺΧϻˎϤ ŪĂ͂ĂʼnĂȻͻƅƹĂǣĂɻĂŗŪĂцʞă Tibetan phonetics: ϼ ϼ OM TARE TUTTARE TURE pälden lama dam pa Kyabje Thubten Zopa Rinpoche päl zangpöi ku tse ze trin gäi per 1 Please note that the “YE” in this mantra is optional. It is written gyur chig SVAHA (100x or at least 21x) differently in different sources. This is according to how the mantra is found in the Lamai Naljor 1987 and was checked Colophon: Compiled by Ven. Thubten Pemba according to against the Tibetan in July 2001 by Ven. Connie Miller. instructions found in the White Tara sadhana of Pabongkha Rinpoche.

SUPPLICATION TO THE HAYAGRIVA Recite supplication (English and/or Tibetan) followed by De chhen nam röl ta go thön pö zi mantra recitation. Dam pa wang gyi lha la söl wa deb Your pure triple faces are adorned with skull ornaments of five Buddha families. Six limbs are holding weapons in the mudra of ಡફƎ޼೭Ǝ௒ർƎЃጿફƎ೭ྡЃມƎഌఛྡƎ޼ေࠒƎौມƎਤϬࢺƐ accomplishing . ౏ࢺƎർЃƎࠄྵЃƎণЃƎࠒӠေƎ኱ਤƎફ᎖ࢺƎԬƎఛՍྡࢺƐ In the aspect of great bliss with highly raised dignified horse head, ਤࠒနƎԬနࢺƎಡફƎ೭ေർƎ಍ƎફЃေƎ޼ေࢺƎौေມƎਤ౮ྡࠒƐ I pay supplication to you, the holy and powerful deity. Nam thar zhäl sum rig ngäi thö päi gyän ࠒફƎौƎࠒਤӠƎϬHRI VAJRAྡƎ൶ƎർƎЃມ KRODHAေർƎਤƎਤࠒနਤƐ HAYA GRIVA Yän lag drug chag ngo drub tshön chha zin HULU HULU HUM PHAT (many times) N

Other practices recommended for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health include the Medicine Buddha puja with extensive offerings and the Four-Mandala Ritual to Chittamani Tara. These practices are freely available on Rinpoche’s official health updates webpage (entry on April 25, 2011): www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches-health-updates-and-practices.html

Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for an additional Featured Practice recommendation: “Practices to Control Earthquakes and the Four Elements.”

Buddha Days Full and New Moons August 3 – (Tibetan 15th and 30th days) Lord Buddha’s first teaching July 1, 15, 30 August 13 – August 13, 29 Lord Buddha’s conception (alternative) September 12, 27

The FPMT Foundation Store offers for sale the LIBERATION calendar, a traditional Tibetan lunar calendar including auspicious days and more, produced by Liberation Prison Project: www.fpmt.org/shop

July - September 2011 MANDALA 27 Practicing Dharma in DAILY LIFE REJOICE! REJOICE! is the section in Mandala that gives us an opportunity to really rejoice in the amazing practice of FPMT students from around the world. Every year, students quietly complete retreats, commitments or progress further along the path than seems possible amidst tremendous internal and external obstacles. This section allows us to REJOICE! in these incredible efforts. After completing a long retreat, Spanish FPMT student, Ven. Champa Shenpen (Jesús Revert), shared how he prepared, what he learned and what he recommends to other FPMT students who want to do retreat.

I spent three years and five months in retreat in a private apartment in a small village in the north of Spain, in the Pyrenees, very close to the French border. The owners of the apartment, a couple of Dharma friends, kindly offered the place and the food for my sustenance. They would come once a month with provisions. I had been going on retreat every year for two or three months at a time and the rest of the year I was studying at Sera Je Monastery. I always felt it was too short and wanted to stay longer in retreat, so after consulting with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, I started the preliminary practices for the long retreat, which took me three years of full-time dedication to complete. I put special attention and care into each of the preliminary practices and the fact that I could complete them all gave me some feeling of Ven. Champa Shenpen. Photo by Ven. Nerea Basurto. confidence that things were going well and that I had the and doing nothing for others. I believe that those who blessings of the Guru. practice meditation sincerely, although they may not be During the retreat, when you are constantly watching seen or heard around, make a great contribution to the your mind and trying to work with it without the usual peace and happiness of all, and to the spread and flourishing ways you have to escape reality – like meeting people, of the holy Dharma. I think they are as necessary and phone calls, newspapers or internet – problems come a beneficial as our teachers and Dharma centers, and most plenty. It seems we have a big store of them waiting there probably, if there were more people doing long retreats, the to come up and cause trouble. So the main challenge I had whole of our society would greatly benefit from it. N during the retreat was to face all this pollution in my mind and to deal with it using the lam-rim guidelines. It’s a hard Ven. Champa Shenpen ordained in 1985 and studied at Sera Je Monstery for 14 years. He is currently resident teacher of job, but later on you see it is the most beneficial way of O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros in Granada, Spain and has spending your time. generously decided to teach in combination with his retreat After completing the retreat, I don’t feel I had any practice. realizations or special experiences, but I feel at peace with Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for additional articles myself and have a great feeling of satisfaction and much from this issue’s Practicing Dharma in Daily Life section, including a new teaching from Lama Zopa Rinpoche called interest in doing retreat again. Some people may think that “Service as a Path to Enlightenment” and a piece from Pam staying a long time in solitude is a way of escaping society Cayton regarding meditation advice for children.

28 MANDALA July - September 2011

EDUCATION This section focuses on FPMT’s religious and secular work to educate and transform the hearts and minds of people everywhere. FPMT EDUCATION SERVICES

FPMT Education Services is the education department of FPMT International Office and develops study programs, practice materials and trainings designed to foster an integration of four broad education areas: study, practice, service and behavior. These programs and materials are available through the FPMT Foundation Store, the FPMT Online Learning Center and FPMT centers worldwide. New Practice Publications By Kendall Magnussen PMT Education Services con- tinues to have its work cut out Ffor it with well over 350 pub- lications and practice materials created to date and well over 84,000 to go! We recently published 108 Names of Tara, translated by Corey Jackson; Charity to Ants, a unique practice compiled by Lama Zopa Rinpoche for some of our tiniest friends; How to Offer 1,000 Tsog Offerings, a great way to purify broken samaya with the guru; Service as a Path to Enlightenment, a glossy booklet containing important advice from Rinpoche on practice of FPMT, exactly the way our lineage lamas how to most skillfully approach service in the FPMT (or intended. Practices related to Jorchö and other additions any kind of job) for best benefit; Advice Regarding Spiritual are clearly marked so that one can easily identify what is Teachers, a short Q&A with Ven. René Feusi about guru just Lama Chöpa and what isn’t.Then, based on time and devotion; and MP3 downloads of the Tibetan and English inspiration (and when practicing with Rinpoche), one can chantable tunes for Vajrayogini Self-initiation. chose a more elaborate version. Rinpoche recently taught on the Rinchhen Tsugtor Verse Included in the book are annotated references for each as being the VERY FIRST thing to recite to someone at addition to Lama Chöpa, noting the specific commentary the time of death. This can be found in Rinpoche’s Advice and lineage lama from whom each instruction was received page in the section related to death on FPMT’s homepage – students can be confident in the authenticity and power- (www.fpmt.org). packed blessings of each addition. Special thanks to Sarah One exceptional development is the completion of Shifferd who painstakingly brought this project to comple- the latest version of the combined Lama Chöpa Jorchö, tion over a full year. Visit the Online Learning Center for which includes the Tibetan text in addition to phonetics our first approved “chant-along” recording of Lama Chöpa and English! This makes it much easier for geshes and Jorchö as well as Rinpoche’s teachings on this practice in the other Tibetan speakers to join us in doing this heart “Special Commentaries” section.

30 MANDALA July - September 2011 ONLINE LEARNING: THE HAPPINESS OF THE DHARMA Recent events in Australia have reminded us of how precious choose from and 75 short video clips of Rinpoche teaching it is to receive teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The select topics, it is well worth checking out! Living in the Path program uses Rinpoche’s more recent teachings as its curriculum. Now, with nine modules to http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSLATING BUDDHISM PMT Education Services’ new branch, FPMT Trans- With approximately 50 attendees representing at least lation Services, hosted its first ever translation nine non-Tibetan languages and another 30 who were unable Fconference at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy, May to attend but will be involved going forward, including Lama 13-20, 2011, followed by a two-day Foundation Training. Zopa Rinpoche, this effort should make for a vibrant platform Taking Up the Challenge of Translating Buddhism will begin from which to evolve the finest translations FPMT can what Lama Zopa Rinpoche foresees as an on-going discus- provide in a respectable number of languages. The aim of sion amongst teachers, translators, interpreters and editors standardizing translations is not new for Tibetan Buddhism regarding the standardization of translation terminology in and has proven to be an extremely challenging undertaking the FPMT, most particularly for FPMT study program when attempted by translation groups worldwide, regardless texts. This need to “standardize” terminology (not to be of tradition. It is our hope that if the FPMT can find a way misunderstood as meaning that for each single Tibetan term to work this issue out, perhaps we can serve as a model for the a single English term can and will be chosen) has arisen due larger group of translators in theTibetan Buddhist tradition. N to the number of important translations done in recent years More on the translation conference will be covered in the next in the context of the FPMT Basic Program and Masters issue of Mandala. Program. It is FPMT’s wish to share this treasure of trans- A comprehensive list of FPMT education materials is always lations with the rest of the world by publishing them. To do available online: www.fpmt.org/education/ this well, translations must meet a high standard of precision Lama Rinpoche’s commentary on the Rinchhen Tsugtor Verse: www.fpmt.org/images/stories/teachers/zopa/advice/ in translating and transmitting the words of the original rinchhen_tsugtor_verse_dead_dying.pdf author, combined with a high standard of accuracy and FPMT Education Services’ publications are available at the readability in our respective translation languages. Foundation Store: http://shop.fpmt.org ESSENTIAL EDUCATION Essential Education (EE) is FPMT’s program of secular education for people of all ages and cultures. EE Gathering in By the Essential Education Team Coming together is a beginning, staying together

is progress, and working together is success. –HENRY FORD Sharing our experiences and skills is the best way to help • attend a four-session certified training workshop each other succeed. That’s why we’re so excited about the with a leading EE practitioner upcoming EE Gathering in France. Participants from over • share skills and knowledge with EE 17 countries have registered to attend the August event and practitioners working in a range of fields it looks like it’ll be wonderful. • catch up on latest news and future plans • consult on and contribute to the development of EE During the six-day event participants will: • be part of an inspiring and fun inaugural event • build relationships with other people involved All of the FPMT family is invited – there’s more information on with EE worldwide our homepage: www.essential-education.org.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 31 EDUCATION

LKPY Tree By the Essential Education Team he LKPY Tree was designed by Loving Kindness Peace Youth (LKPY) to promote Tkindness worldwide on Be Kind Day, March 31. The LKPY Tree played a prominent role in celebrations of Be Kind Day 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Participants were given a photocopy of an LKPY poster which features a tree with only a few leaves. Their task was to draw more leaves on the tree with the names of people who had been kind to them. Completing the LKPY Tree was part of a series of activities coordinated by the Guadalajara HABIT, including a meditation on the kindness of others, videos about the privilege of giving and remembering the kindness, sharing refreshments and a talk about LKPY’s background, vision and objectives. Fernando Ledezma from the HABIT group writes, “It is great to remember the kindness from all those who we meet each day, friends or strangers alike.” www.lkpy.org/ Using the 16 Guidelines in Prisons By the Essential Education Team prison is the place to where we move all the audiences. They soon began sharing the guidelines with elements our society would rather not have around. adult prisoners at other facilities and the chaplain at Dillon AThey represent our collective psychological shadow: began to use the guidelines with teens at her own church. dark, unpleasant and pushed to the margins of our In Italy, the Head of the Juvenile Justice System for consciousness. But just as psychological healing requires Central Italy asked Valentina Dolara to offer training facing and integrating the shadow, healing society requires courses for detention center personnel in the region. She rehabilitating those we’ve condemned to prison. That’s what proposed a program based on Essential Education and the a few pioneers have been doing, using the 16 Guidelines. 16 Guidelines in particular. David Machles and Karen Mastroianni were probably “To really honor the re-education purpose of the penal the first team to take the 16 Guidelines into a correctional system and work for a safer society, we have to work to facility when they introduced them to teenagers in North transform those who can’t envision a positive future for Carolina in the United States. Since then, Molly Fitzgerald themselves,” Valentina wrote. “We have to propose positive has used the guidelines to change the way that inner-city role models; they must be surrounded by individuals who probationers view themselves and their lives [see “Buddhism believe in their positive potential. If we want them to be in the Trenches” online at www.mandalamagazine.org]. less violent and destructive, the people around them have to Valentina Dolara has used the guidelines in a series of embody that idea. Normally in prison we expect individuals workshops with the staff in Italy’s Juvenile Justice System. to change for the better, but conditions remain very similar The results have been transformative: prisons now to the criminal environments they come from.” constitute the most popular setting for 16 Guidelines work. Valentina piloted a course called Transforming Conflicts David and Karen used 16 Guidelines: the Basics and into Solutions, offered to the entire staff of the Florence Ready Set Happy in a program for 15- to 17-year-old Juvenile Detention Centre. The course was so well received students at C. A. Dillon Youth Development Center, one of that she was then asked to create a proposal specifically for nine centers like it in North Carolina. They covered two educators to be used only with the inmates [currently being guidelines per week, which the teenagers found more mean- developed]. Valentina has also replicated the course for the ingful than the anger management program David and administrative structure of the Ministry of Justice, which Karen had facilitated the previous year. Positive feedback oversees various detention centers. from David and Karen’s program led to it reaching new www.16guidelines.org/

32 MANDALA July - September 2011 … formerly Chasing Buddha Tenth ANNUAL Pilgrimage to INDIA and NEPAL Tuesday,Dharma October 18 to Sunday, Journeys November 6 from Varanasi, Pilgrimage India t Visit the holy places of Lord Buddha in INDIA: Sravasti, , Nalanda, Vulture Peak, Bodhgaya and . AND NEPAL: Boudhanath, Swayambunath, Parping and t Daily practices and teachings t Includes a three-day retreat at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu t Land cost from US$3800 plus air to Varanasi, India

and returning home from Kathmandu, Nepal. Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi

Himalayan High Treks CST 2085690-40 e people on the trip were all kind, PROFITS GO TO LIBERATION PRISON 241 Dolores Street PROJECT.A PROJECT OF THE FPMT, helpful and wonderful traveling companions. IT SUPPORTS THE BUDDHIST PRACTICE San Francisco, CA 94103, USA I miss them already! OF PEOPLE IN PRISON WORLDWIDE. Phone (in US): (800) 455 8735 www.LiberationPrisonProject.org +1 (415) 551 1005 JEAN KASOTA, +1 (415) 701 8500 2008 India Pilgrimage Fax: +1 (415) 861 2391 [email protected] — Check out our website www.dharmajourneys.com for full itinerary and pictures —

July - September 2011 MANDALA 33 EDUCATION

Creating By Tiffany Patrella Compassionate Cultures reating Compassionate Cultures is happy to announce a four- Cday Compassion in Education training on our home turf at Tara Redwood School, Soquel, California, June 16-19, 2011. Please join us for this great opportunity to learn how to develop wisdom, compassion and social responsibility in children. This course is open to parents, educators, psychologists and anyone interested in applying Essential Education in the classroom or at home. Contact Tiffany at +1 (831) 462-9632 or check out the website at www.creatingcompassionatecultures.com

Universal Mandala School By Belén Köhler niversal Mandala School, located in Ibiza, Spain, began its afterschool program this year with asking ourselves about the Ukind of classroom environment we wanted. This led us to look for the actions that would help us to achieve it. In this way, we created our Golden Rules, a list of actions that we individually committed to bring to the group. We’ve also been learning to recognize the positive actions of our classmates; exploring the interconnected natural of all things; and learning to manifest, recognize and transform emotions through physical movement, music, words, performances and other artistic activities. On March 10, Universal Mandala School began a program for adults, using the Seven Steps to Knowledge, Strength and Compassion, an Essential Education methodology. The program is meant to help parents transform the habits that separate them from their values. So far, the program has been very successful! We are preparing the summer school program which will take place July 4-29. We are excited to be able to offer a very active and fun program based on our Essential Education program and the Seven Steps to Knowledge, Strength and Compassion. N www.universalmandalaschool.blogspot.com At the time of going to print, Alison Murdoch had recently completed two “What is Essential Education?” trainings in Italy and Mexico, which will be reported on in the next edition of Mandala. If you’d like to stay in touch with the unfolding vision and activities of Essential Education, please visit their website and join their mailing list, www.essential- education.org Visit mandalamagazine.org for more Essential Education news, including an interview with Roy and Carolyn Gillett, authors of Winning Ways, a new book relating the 16 Guidelines to soccer. Student from Universal Mandala School

34 MANDALA July - September 2011 THE INTERNATIONAL MERIT BOX PROJECT WE ALL HAVE A WORD FOR GENEROSITY:

慷慨 generøsitet vrijgevigheid suuremeelsus kagandahang-loob hào phóng 寛大な générosité generosità Großzügigkeit generosidade kemurahan generositet gavmildhet Geneщедроrozitateстьa Practice generosity with your own International Merit Box kit, now available in eleven languages. Email [email protected] for more information and to obtain your own Merit Box kit, or visit www.fpmt.org/meritbox If you are already an International Merit Box participant, thank you for practicing generosity today, and throughout the year, in support of FPMT projects worldwide.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 35 Taking Care of OTHERS

This section highlights the incredible work being done in the FPMT organization aimed at taking care of others. ANIMAL LIBERATION ANIMAL STORIES from Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Photo by Squeezyboy. During his time as attendant to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and CEO of FPMT, Ven. Roger Kunsang has witnessed Rinpoche engage with animals in characteristically compassionate ways.

Aptos, California, USA – March 16, 2011 and stopped the car at the foot of our road (this is now 5:00 From Ven. Roger Kunsang: A.M.) and then Rinpoche and Sangha got out of the car and t’s Wednesday, March 16. Yesterday was the Tibetan 10th, started carefully and delicately removing the worms, placing so a tsog day. Rinpoche did Vajrayogini self-initiation at them in a bucket to be blessed with mantras, circumambu- ILand of Medicine Buddha in California. The self-initiation lated around relics and then put carefully back in the garden. started at about 4:00 P.M. Lama Chöpa was meant to start at We arrived back in California during the rainy season 7:00 P.M., but the self-initiation went on much longer, so (end of February) and for several days Rinpoche refused to Rinpoche gave a break and then we did the Lama Chöpa, and leave the house because of the worms on the road – we were after that, continued the self-initiation. Somewhere in the house-bound. middle of this, Rinpoche sent a message to some of the Sangha Last weekend, Rinpoche gave the lung (oral transmission) in Rinpoche’s house telling them not to come to the puja as of the Golden Light Sutra. In the morning on the Sunday there will be many worms on the road, so better to stay at the before the lung, we started the extensive Medicine Buddha house and do the puja there. puja. There was no time to finish the puja, so we stopped, left Rinpoche finished self-initiation at about 4:30 A.M. and Land of Medicine Buddha, drove to San Jose where Rinpoche then was not sure whether to drive back to his house (because gave the lung, finishing around 10:30 P.M., and then came of killing the many worms that come out on the road due to back to Land of Medicine Buddha to finish the puja. We a lot of rain we have been having). Rinpoche did drive back finished about 3:30 A.M. and then we drove home but had to

36 MANDALA July - September 2011 get out of the car in the dark and rain with torches and clear Rinpoche mentioned even though we don’t have the away the worms by gently picking them up to be blessed. As intention to kill the worms, they are killed and there is some usual, we would pick up the worms while Rinpoche held the karmic result, just as in the example of acciden- buckets and recited prayers. This finished around 6:00 A.M. tally cutting the head off an ant and having to experience Then the other day it was difficult for Rinpoche to the result later. So Rinpoche is making 10 (about 10 drive to the periodontist: Rinpoche and Tsering walked in inches [25 centimeters] high) for the worms accidentally front of the car, clearing away the worms as I drove very killed. N slowly behind. You can read other stories from Ven. Roger Kunsang’s When you give it thought, it is very hard to drive over experience with Lama Zopa Rinpoche on “Life on the Road the worms squashing them to death. with Lama Zopa Rinpoche”: www.mandalamagazine.org

SAVING SHEEP for Rinpoche By Owen Cole

wice a year Hayagriva Buddhist Centre in Perth, Australia, saves sheep as part of its animal liberation Tpractice. The latest liberation happened to be three days after Lama Zopa Rinpoche manifested a stroke, so merit from the practice by the 50 participants was dedicated to his speedy and complete recovery. This time 10 sheep had been bought from a farmer who would have sent them off for slaughter. They were released to live out their lives on Wambyn Organic Olive Farm, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) east of Perth, owned by Kim Hack and Penny Mossop. Kim says they are probably the only merinos (sheep) in Australia to die of old age as the sponsorship arrange- ment includes funds to look after the sheep until they die. This includes shearing, medical care and buying in fodder in times of drought. Ven. Dondrub blesses sheep with holy water. Hayagriva students have also helped build fences and were driven around the temporary altar three times on the holding pens so the sheep can be moved around the property. back of a utility truck and were blessed with holy water by The latest liberated sheep took the flock to 40, a number Hayagriva’s resident teacher, Ven. Dondrub, who started getting towards the the liberations eight years ago. With a life span of 10 to 14 limit that can be years, the first of the sheep saved have only recently died of handled on the 40- natural causes. Otherwise their fate is grim: slaughter at the hectacre (99-acre) abattoir or being exported live to the Middle East where property.The sheep stories of cruelty are common. received the full Unfortunately, the center has more requests from people ceremony as advised to save sheep in Perth than it can handle so the service cannot in Essential Buddhist be offered more widely. N Prayers, Vol. 2: An FPMT Prayer Book, www.hayagriva.org.au Penny Mossop and Kim Hack kindly look after liberated sheep on their farm. July - September 2011 MANDALA 37 Taking Care of OTHERS

FEATURED PROJECT Long Life Puja Fund

On April 22, 2011, Lama Zopa Rinpoche manifested the signs of a having a stroke while leading a month-long retreat in Bendigo, Australia. Students around the world have engaged in practices daily to support Rinpoche’s health, recognizing that as students they have a huge part to play in their teacher’s health. The Long Life Puja Funds exist in order to provide all FPMT students and supporters the opportunity to participate in a large collective effort to support the long and healthy lives of our teachers. Mandala recognizes the Long Life Puja Fund as this issue’s Featured Project.

One of the most moving ceremonies in Tibetan Buddhism is the long life puja for a teacher, an elaborate display of devotion towards a spiritual guide comprising heartfelt prayers and praises, and a procession of symbolic offerings. The purpose of the long life puja is for students to purify the mistakes that occur in relation- ship to their teacher, and to create the causes and condition to continue to receive benefit from that teacher for a very long time. Additionally, the students

make offerings to the dakinis requesting that they not Juanita Joe Fung Tan participating in Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long invite the lama at this time to their pure land, and life puja at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, February 2010. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. instead allow the lama to remain in order to benefit the students suffering in samsara. plea by the students for the five dakinis (often played FPMT is committed to sponsoring long life pujas by young Kopan monks) who have come to take away every year not only for Lama Zopa Rinpoche, but also the teacher to a pure land to allow the students’ teacher for His Holiness the Dalai Lama, recognizing that as to remain with them on earth. inspirations for the entire organization, these teachers At any time during the year, members of the FPMT are invaluable in the spiritual development of all community can make contributions to the Long Life FPMT students. The funds collected for His Holiness Puja Fund, confident that they are participating in a the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life massive, collective effort to support the lives and wishes N pujas are used to sponsor extensive offerings, and any of our teachers. remaining funds are offered directly to these teachers To learn more about the Long Life Puja Fund, or to offer your to help support their work. support, please visit: www.fpmt.org/projects/long_life_puja The annual long life puja for Lama Zopa Rinpoche Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for additional new on behalf of the entire organization is offered after the articles from this section, focused on Taking Care of Others, including “Buddhism in the Trenches,” by Molly Fitzgerald, legendary November course at Kopan Monastery in which outlines Molly’s work bringing the 16 Guidelines to an Nepal, unless there is a CPMT meeting in which case it inner city probation department. is held after that. The ritual itself is the extensive Lama This year FPMT is making an offering for His Holiness the Dalai Chöpa with an added request to the dakinis, a moving Lama’s long life during his visit to Chenrezig Institute in June.

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July - September 2011 MANDALA 39 Taking Care of the SELF

This section focuses on taking care of one’s self as a powerful means for cultivating compassion and generating the wish to help others. Without taking care of the self, how can we ever expect to offer true assistance to anyone else? RINPOCHE’S RECIPES Cooking with Bodhichitta ating is such a common activity that we often forget that it also has the potential to be a Epowerful way to benefit ourselves and others. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has demonstrated time and again that by cooking and eating with a proper motivation, making food really can become spiritual fuel. What follows are a few of the dozens of recipes that Lama Zopa Rinpoche has created, named and enjoyed with others.

Bread Recipes Rinpoche cooking at his house in Washington, Buddha Amitabha Pure Land, with Ven. Anet. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. By Lama Zopa Rinpoche BASIC BREAD RECIPE RENUNCIATION 5 cups of flour (can be whole wheat, unbleached white or Use basic bread recipe. You can spread butter on top while a mix, depending on individual taste) bread is still hot. This can also be served with slices of cheese. 1 tsp. yeast *Thickness of the bread is not definite. It can be thicker for 1 tsp. non-aluminum baking powder breakfast and thinner when served with soup. 2 cups of warm water ZOOM TO ENLIGHTENMENT OR ZOOM TO HELL THREE PRINCIPLES OF THE PATH Instead of basic bread recipe, use: Using basic bread recipe: roll out two pieces of dough (can 1/3 cup lukewarm water be thin or thick)*, sandwich slices of cheese between the 1 tsp. yeast two and pinch close. Pan fry without oil on skillet. 2 tbsp. olive oil 1 cup whole wheat flour IMMEASURABLE JOYFULNESS 2 tbsp. (or more!) butter Add butter to the basic bread recipe (the more butter, the honey more flavor). You can also add sugar to make sweet and you can also sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Pan fry without oil Let dough rise, shape into flat bread and coat with sesame on skillet. While the bread is hot, if one wishes, one can seeds. Cook on skillet. Serve with Tibetan tea. N spread butter on top. It can also be served with slices of Lama Zopa Rinpoche provides great instructions for what to cheese. think while cooking on YouTube, just type “Lama Zopa Rinpoche” and “cooking” into the search field for examples.

40 MANDALA July - September 2011 Move,Breathe and Be Kind By Wendy Cook ur body is precious. While we are in this life, it is the breath to be long, smooth, deep and comfortable, breathing home and base for our mind and the two are com- through the nose. Emphasize your exhalations. This in itself Opletely interdependent. The body benefits from will bring many benefits. moving in a variety of ways to encourage ease and freedom The complete sequence [found online] can be practiced through the joints and tissues. Practicing yoga enlivens our in full, or pick one or two poses as time and inclination physical, mental and subtle bodies, and is a great complement allows. Here are a few poses below for you to try. It’s best to for those who spend a lot of time in study and meditation. A find a yoga instructor to teach you directly and who can yoga practice can also help prevent and treat lung, an imbal- help modify postures to suit your needs. Please consult your ance of the wind energy many meditators experience. health professional before beginning any new physical Every person’s body is different. It is not important to exercise regimen. “achieve” a particular posture. Instead, enjoy your practice Begin your session in a way that’s meaningful for you. with awareness, curiosity and an attitude of gentleness. Invite and contemplate the compassionate wish to awaken Never force your body into a position. Encourage your for the benefit of all. MOUNTAIN POSE WITH SIDE BEND Stand looking out towards a view or perhaps your altar. Become aware of the space above your head and let your neck be free so that your head can rebalance itself on the top of the spine. Allow the spine to release into length and your torso to widen and deepen. Sense the contact of the feet with the earth. Arms hang by the sides, backs of the knees soft, hip sockets release. Inhale deeply, turn the palms out and slowly sweep the arms over your head, reaching out through the fingertips, palms facing one another. Exhale deeply while slowly bringing the arms back by your side. Do this four to eight times. Inhale your right arm up, exhale reaching towards the left lengthening the whole right side body, leaning a little towards the left; left hand provides support on your left-side thigh. Exhale bring right arm by your side. Repeat four times. Do other side. PUPPY DOG WITH LEG EXTENSION Using a chair or countertop for support, walk the feet back beneath your hips, setting the feet hips distance apart. Soften and bend the knees a little, or a lot, to assist the pelvis to tip for- ward, releasing sitting bones back. Press the Photos by Cara Brostrom

July - September 2011 MANDALA 41 Taking Care of the SELF

heel of the palms down, lengthen out through spread fingers, arms firm and strong while rotating upper arms outward and drawing shoulder blades away from ears, wrapping shoulder blades around onto side ribs. Lengthen the whole spine, especially through the neck. This is Puppy Dog – hold five breaths and repeat two to four times. From Puppy Dog bring feet together, transfer weight onto the left foot and with deeper breaths and stronger muscular energy reach the right leg and foot tremen- dously back behind you. Spread the toes! Pelvis, torso and arms work as above. Hold five breaths. Do other side. Repeat. N

The complete sequence of poses can be found in this issue’s exclusive online content: www.mandalamagazine.org.

Wendy Cook has been practicing yoga since 1987 and teaching since 2001. She has worked at Tara Institute, Wisdom Publications, was the director of Kurukulla Center for six years and has been the assistant director at LYWA since 1996. She is studying to be an Alexander Technique teacher. You can visit her blog at www.yesheyoga.com. FPMT Education Services Providing Programs and Practice Materials For All

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FBT graduates can continue their studies by joining Geshe Tashi's Chenmo correspondence course Taking Care of the SELF Anger Always Hurts Me By Jan Willis f all the harmful, negative emotions we have, Bodhicaryavatara (Way of the Bodhisattva), in its famed anger is by far the most dangerous for it not only sixth chapter – “Patience” – verses 7 and 8, Shantideva Ocauses much harm to others; it is perhaps most penned: harmful to us, ourselves. Early Buddhism tells us that in order to become a true warrior, a conqueror (jina) we must Getting what I do not want, overcome this enemy in particular. It teaches us that an And all that hinders my desire – is one who has completely destroyed (han), his In discontent my anger finds its fuel. enemies (ari-s) of greed, hatred and delusion (or desire, From this it grows and beats me down. anger and ignorance) and who has – by so doing – crushed asunder the very hub and root of samsara, the world of Therefore I will utterly destroy misery. Why such violent language? Because, of all the The sustenance of this my enemy, things in the world of samsara, only anger has the sole My foe who has no other purpose intention of causing us and others harm. That is its essence But to hurt and injure me. and its raison d’être. The great eighth century poet, Shantideva, understood this well. Writing in his masterful Anger has no other purpose than to hurt and injure me.

Jan Willis in Nepal

44 MANDALA July - September 2011 Negative emotions like anger, enmity, jealousy, arro- injure me. Whatever happens to the object of your anger, gance and so forth are referred to as klesha-s, that is, as you suffer, because anger always hurts. emotions which “strike, or inflict harm” to oneself and But, how do we destroy anger? How do we let it – even to others. There are no mild-mannered klesha-s. Not one “righteous” it – go? How do we end the vicious cycle of of them is non-violent. All wish to hurt and to harm, and hate? Fortunately, many Buddhist teachings and for me, a the worst culprit among them is anger. So, what do we, Baptist-Buddhist, many of the sermons of the Reverend Dr. or can we, make of so-called “righteous anger”? This ques- Martin Luther King, Jr. have offered effective methods for tion is one that is often posed to me. It is intended, I this, methods that recognize that there are no quick-fixes believe, to assert strongly that there must be exceptions to for such age-old habits, and that change takes time. the notion that anger is always harmful; to suggest that it In Shantideva’s Way of the Bodhisattva, the whole of the may, in fact, under certain conditions, be helpful, even chapter on “Patience” is devoted to offering various and empowering. I can understand whence such a sentiment diverse methods for dealing with and pacifying our anger. arises. One wishes, for example, not to allow, passively, an Some involve “exchanging self with others,” or contem- abusive situation to continue. But here I try to stress that plating oneself in another’s shoes. Others ask us to consider not striking back does not, or at least need not necessarily, that things come about owing to causes and conditions and mean being passive or submissive. Pacifism does not to recognize how one’s own past actions have resulted in mean being passive. We can be non-violent and still this current circumstance. Still others have us pondering resist. Indeed, we must be in order to work effectively for the benefit of petty emotions now when all of us are headed our own and other beings’ welfare. We must be clear, for death; and others, envisioning the joys that come from creative and innovative in order to create change. But, in creating happiness for beings rather than sorrow. It is a the mental confusion that anger and hatred create, there richly moving poetic masterpiece. is no clarity. Hence, our attempts, over and over again, Dr. King once gave a sermon expressly focused on end in failure. I know these things sound like old clichés “loving your enemies.” He began, “Probably no admoni- and platitudes. However, I am speaking here from some tion of Jesus has been more difficult to follow than the experience. command to ‘love your enemies.’” Yet, calling Jesus “a As a teenager, I marched with the Reverend Dr. Martin practical realist,” King went on to say that “our responsi- Luther King, Jr. during the 1963 Birmingham Civil Rights bility as Christians is to discover the meaning of this Campaign. I was sometimes afraid of Commissioner Bull command and seek passionately to live it out in our daily Connor’s German shepherds but mostly I was exhilarated lives.” King then laid out three steps to the practical method by the chance to participate in such a morally and spirit- of loving one’s enemy. First, he said “we must develop and ually triumphant movement. Of course, non-violence and maintain the capacity to forgive.” Second, “we must recog- love were the very heart of this movement. Our goal was a nize that the evil deed of the enemy … never quite expresses dual one, since we sought victory for ourselves as well as for all that he is,” and third, we must seek reconciliation and those who stood against us. And that peaceful, non-violent, “to win [our enemy’s] friendship and understanding.” So resistance was ultimately successful when, in the following simple and yet so challenging. year, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. But the fuel What is, I believe, so crucially important about both for the movement was non-violence and compassion. It was approaches is the understanding that while it is our wild, love, not hate. rampaging emotions that get us into trouble and suffering, Some years later, I became embroiled in a situation the only way to conquer them is with a type of open, which proved to me the difficulty of maintaining patience. spacious, sustained and loving rational analysis. The heart I became really angry. I was feverish. I saw red. I completely and mind must work together. N lost it, and I seethed, literally, for days, unable to sleep or Jan Willis is a professor of Religion at Wesleyan University. She think clearly. Now, the reasons for my anger are not has studied and taught Buddhism for over four decades. Willis important, though one might – and I did at the time – call is the author of several books, including Wisdom Publication’s Enlightened Beings, and Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist and my anger “righteous.” What I know, however, from my own Buddhist – One Woman’s Spiritual Journey. experience, is how very painful – physically as well as Please visit www.mandalamagazine.org for more on Taking mentally – those days of anger were. All of this on account Care of the Self, including a new article on addiction and of anger, my foe who has no other purpose but to hurt and recovery from Darren Littlejohn.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 45 Your COMMUNITY This section introduces you to the many remarkable individuals in the organization through profiles, interviews, personal stories and obituaries. PROFILE: Buddha’s Builder Ian Green, a long-time student of both Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, has served FPMT and the Dharma only in big ways: as a founder and director of Atisha Centre in Bendigo, Australia, as the chairman of various FPMT-related boards, and as the director of two of FPMT’s biggest holy object projects – the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion (the largest stupa in the Western world) and the Jade Buddha for Universal Peace (the largest Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade in the world).

Lama Yeshe asked for the Great Stupa and Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the Jade Buddha, making both projects not just impressive in scale, but contemporary examples of indefatigable guru devotion. Ian talked to Mandala about his projects, their challenges, and some of the life-changing stories and lessons that shaped him along the way.

Did you think you were ready to handle such immense projects from the outset? I was sure that I was not ready to handle such immense projects. I sometimes think that getting a big project from Lama or Rinpoche is like being given two bricks and being asked to build a skyscraper. Not having built a skyscraper before, you have no real idea of where to start and what is required to make these projects happen. But you do know that no one else is any better prepared than you and there must be a reason why you were chosen,and if you do not make it happen, no one else is likely to. There is also the issue of what you are willing to sacrifice. To make a major Dharma project happen in the Ian Green, director of the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion West, you need to be a little obsessive and this means being moving is to cut some things out of your life. … As I said willing to give up some of the normal things that we do before, life is short and unless you focus your energy, time with our time. Life goes by so quickly and there is only so can easily slip through your fingers with little to show for much time in a day. The only way to keep these projects your precious human rebirth.

46 MANDALA July - September 2011 What are the biggest challenges and said, “This is the perfect place for a Great Stupa. ... facing these projects? It’s amaaaazing!” What have been your Do you have any advice or biggest successes to date? suggestions for FPMT students that Perhaps the most important teaching I received from Rinpoche in regard to creating holy objects was: “The want to complete large-scale or greater the merit … the greater the obstacles.” This teaching other extensive projects? not only made me ready to accept obstacles when they arose When you work on BIG projects such as Maitreya Project before me, it made me expect them and even, in some (rare) or the Great Stupa you must remind yourself that you are cases, to welcome them. running a marathon – not a sprint. There have been too Of course, the biggest challenge has been to raise the many sad examples of devoted students who have burned vast amounts of money required to build the Great Stupa themselves out by trying too hard to fulfill the guru’s holy (AUD$20 million) and create the Jade Buddha (around wishes. N AUD$2 million). Available on www.mandalamagazine.org, Ian Green’s In terms of biggest successes at the Great Stupa,I complete interview is part of this issue’s exclusive online immediately think of when we hosted His Holiness the content. Ian’s extensive interview gives a snapshot of how Dalai Lama and an audience of 2,000 people inside the he met the Dharma, recounts the development of Atisha Centre, shares lessons learned from working with Lama Zopa Great Stupa in 2007. ... The other great highlight was Rinpoche on the Jade Buddha, and discusses the current when Rinpoche climbed the Great Stupa in April 2011 vision for the Great Stupa.

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Photo: Venerable Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche (r), Spiritual Director of FPMT, with Yangsi Rinpoche (l), Geshe Lharampa & President of Maitripa College; taken on Mount Hood on the occasion of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s 2009 visit to Maitripa College in Portland, Oregon ~ Photo by Marc Sakamoto

July - September 2011 MANDALA 47 Your COMMUNITY

THE ROAD TO KOPAN The Answer Was Travel, Serious Travel By Nick Ribush Dr. Nick Ribush was practicing medicine in Australia when, for various reasons, he got a bit disillusioned with it and, in May 1972, set off to travel the world. By the end of the year he was living at Kopan, beginning what is, at this point, an almost four-decade career within FPMT. “If at the time someone had told me what would happen to my life if I did that course,” he said, “I probably would not have done it!” Since then, he has, on behalf of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, founded and directed Wisdom Publications, Tushita Mahayana Meditation Centre, Kurukulla Center and the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, which he has run for the past 15 years. Nick generously shared his story with Mandala as part of our ongoing feature, The Road to Kopan. Nick at Kopan Monastery, January 1973. Photo courtesy of Nick Ribush.

48 MANDALA July - September 2011 I was lying on my bed on the farm at Maleny, European hippies on their way to Australia to earn enough Queensland, when I noticed a lump in my left iliac fossa. money to either go back to India or get back home. It was a George Costanza moment: “Oh my god. My life is Eventually even paradise got boring, as it does, and we perfect and now I’m being punished with cancer.” That’s moved on to Java. Our first stop was a coffee plantation near the type of hypochondriac I was. I rushed back to Brisbane Surabaya owned by an Indonesian guy we’d met in Bali, one to see a surgeon friend with whom I had worked at Princess of the many locals we’d meet on the road who liked to Alexandra Hospital. “That’s feces in your colon,” he befriend Westerners simply because they were Westerners. diagnosed. Since staying with him would be free, we accepted his This was to be the first of several impending death invitation. Just after we got there I noticed that a mole near freak-outs I would have over the next few months. As I look my left little toe was bleeding. “Oh my god, it’s the classic back on this time I can’t help but think it was the blessings sign of a melanoma. I’m going to die.” I got totally of Lama Yeshe keeping me off balance and beginning to depressed, ruined the stay for everybody, and hastened to reel me in. our next destination, Yogyakarta, where I went to the How was my life perfect? I had a beautiful girlfriend, hospital and had my melanoma biopsied. It was nothing; a beautiful career, a beautiful farm and a beautiful plan. my sandal strap had been rubbing on a simple mole. That The plan was to put the career on hold and travel with the was it. But this reminder of my mortality did serve to keep girlfriend, Marie (now Ven. Yeshe Khadro), around the me from believing that what I was doing was pure happiness. world for four years, come back to the farm and pick up Before we left Yogyakarta we visited the as-yet- where we had left off. The plan had largely come about unrestored Borobudur, my first stupa. We climbed to the because in the quiet moments I would often become aware top and smoked a joint. Then, on to Jakarta and Sumatra, of a deep-seated gnawing feeling that despite the beautiful where we spent a week in a village on the island in Lake life, something was missing. I really couldn’t put my finger Toba. Ferry from Medan to Penang; a few days on Chulia on what it was, but the conclusion I finally arrived at was Street. Then we hitched north through the rest of Malaysia that I hadn’t seen the world. That must be it. The answer and Thailand to Bangkok. was travel, serious travel. By the time we’d reached Bangkok I was experiencing Hence the plan: Brisbane to Bali, chill there for a while, some numbness and tingling in my hands. “Oh my god, then Jakarta, Singapore, Bangkok and so on, hopping by I’m getting MS. I’m going to die.” I got in touch with a plane through the various Pacific Rim capitals, across the Thai doctor with whom I’d worked at the Royal Melbourne Pacific to Vancouver, train to visit friends in Toronto, over- Hospital and had nerve conduction studies done. Diagnosis: land south through all the Americas to the bottom of my heavy backpack was pulling on the nerves in my neck. Argentina, boat to Cape Town, overland north through all Lighten up. But don’t get too comfortable. of Africa to London, stay there for a bit, then back to In Thailand I saw monks, stupas, temples and Buddha Australia overland through Europe, the Middle East and all statues everywhere and thought that, as a good tourist, I of Asia. Four years. Then I’d be happy. should understand the culture of this country through We started off by staying in Bali for a couple of months. which I was traveling. But our budget was $1 a day for We rented a cheap room in an old Dutch plantation travel, food and accommodation and there was nothing left bungalow and spent every day at the beach lying in the sun, over for books. Therefore, in a well-planned shoplifting bodysurfing, eating coconut for lunch, watching the sunset, heist, I stole my first Dharma book, Buddhism, by Christmas having vegetarian buffet for dinner and enjoying the local Humphreys, from a Bangkok bookstore. entertainment at night. We smoked dope most of the time The other life-changing Bangkok event was running and communed with an endless stream of American and into a Danish friend from Bali, Lars. We’d hung out with

July - September 2011 MANDALA 49 Your COMMUNITY him there and he’d traveled with us to the coffee planta- tion, but then we’d split up. Lars was out of money and asked for my help in getting back to Copenhagen. His plan was to fill a false-bottom suitcase with, auspiciously enough, Buddha grass (the famous powerful Thai stick, which always fetched a pretty price back in the West), sell it back home, and return to Kathmandu in a couple of months, where he’d pay me back with interest. Sounded like a deal; I bought him his ticket. And Nepal became our ultimate destination. We hitched northeast from Bangkok to the Mekong and took the ferry across to Vientiane, Laos. We found a cheap hippie hovel to stay in and then I went to the market and bought a sheaf of dope for about 10 cents. I took it Nick and Marie at the fourth Kopan course, March 1973. Photo courtesy of Nick Ribush. back to our room, lit up and opened my stolen Buddhist book. Now, I wouldn’t recommend this book to anybody We got off the bus and saw José, a Brazilian guy we’d today, but as I read, a strange thing happened. As I came also known in Bali. He greeted us like long-lost friends and across the concepts of karma, rebirth, emptiness and other took us to his hotel, just off New Road. I asked him if he’d fundamental teachings, I felt my heart stir and the thought seen Lars. He hadn’t. He showed us around town: where to “This sounds true” arose. True, not in the sense that an eat, where to listen to music, where to get the best pie, anatomy textbook is true, but true in a much deeper sense. where to buy the best curd, and, of course, where to buy It was weird. I hadn’t ever felt like that before. dope (Freak Street). Almost as an aside, he mentioned, However, I didn’t immediately rush off to find a guru “And if you’re interested in meditation, there’s a meditation or anything. I just made a mental note to find out more. course starting next week at this monastery near Boud- The book also said that meditation is an essential part of hanath.” Meditation? That’s what I’d decided to check out Buddhism. I didn’t know what that was either but again later. Perhaps the time had come. Anyway, since Lars wasn’t resolved to check into it later. around, I’d have to wait for him. So, we traveled on. To Luang Prabang, Ban Houay Xai, The monastery, of course, was Kopan. We wended our Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai (where again I got sick and way there through the beautiful rice fields of the sparsely thought I was dying from leukemia) and back to Bangkok. populated valley, nothing like it is now, and climbed the We then spent an amazing week in Burma: Rangoon, hill. Nobody seemed to be around but there were a couple Mandalay, Pagan, Pegu, back to Rangoon. Stupas, temples, of notices on a bulletin board. One was for a ten-day statues, texts. Then to Calcutta, where we went to the Goenka vipassana course; the other was for the third Kopan Mahabodhi Society and got some more books on course, starting October 28, 1972. Marie enthusiastically Buddhism. After a week there, it was time to head north suggested we do the short one, but since the Kopan course for our rendezvous with Lars. was only 300 rupees for the month, much cheaper than We took the train to Raxaul and crossed the border into staying in Kathmandu, I insisted we do that. Nepal, where we stayed a night in Birganj and then took We did, and the rest is history. N the morning bus to Kathmandu. All along the way I was You can find more information about Kopan reading these books and trying to tell Marie all about Monastery and the famous November course at www.kopan- monastery.com Buddhism. She wasn’t interested. As a recovering Catholic, Have you attended a course at Kopan that changed your she wasn’t in a hurry to get into another religion. As I raved life? If so, we want to hear your story! Contact on she looked out the window at the scenery. [email protected] for submission guidelines.

50 MANDALA July - September 2011 OBITUARIES

Lama Zopa Rinpoche requests that “students who read Mandala pray that the students whose obituaries follow find a perfect human body, meet a Mahayana guru and become enlightened quickly, or be born in a pure land where the teachings exist and they can become enlightened.” Reading these obituaries also helps us reflect upon our own death and rebirth – and so use our lives in the most meaningful way. Advice and Practices for Death and Dying is available from the Foundation Store www.fpmt.org/shop

Isabelle Hartmann, 35, died in Auckland, New Zealand, connected to them as fellow human beings rather than just October 23, 2010, by suicide patients. It was therefore easy for her to understand and sense By Markus Frey their needs and wishes so she could determine the best way am very happy and grateful that I met to help, support and treat them. IIsabelle and that I could spend the last A few days after Isabelle died, Ven. Lama Lobsang eight years with her. She was the Gende, the resident teacher of Palpung Thubten Chokyi woman I loved and she was my very Ghatsal in Manurewa, led a wonderful and powerful fire best friend. Wetalked about everything puja which enabled me and a lot of my and Isabelle’s friends in a very honest and open way. to shift our minds toward a more positive state. At the Isabelle was also a very special and beginning of the puja, Lama Lobsang said that generally important teacher for me. If it was not there are two reasons why people commit suicide: either for her, I may never have become interested in . they cannot bear the pain of living this life and they want When she read her first Buddhist book, The Art of Happiness to escape from this pain; or they – with a pure mind – end by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, she felt reminded of what she their life to practice non-attachment to their body. Lama had previously considered to be her own religion. This shows Lobsang continued that from what he had heard about how deeply rooted her love and compassion for others was. Isabelle he is very certain that she acted with a pure heart. She taught me that there was something more to life than After Isabelle’s death many high lamas did “conventional life” and materialism. Our discussions after practice or recited prayers for her including His Holiness the attending Buddhist teachings significantly helped me to come Dalai Lama, His Holiness Chetsun Rinpoche, Za Choeje closer to understanding their essence. I have never met anyone Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe Wangchen, Geshe who had a bigger or more loving heart than Isabelle. She Donam, Lama Lobsang and the many other root teachers of always wanted everyone to be happy and she put a lot of effort Isabelle’s friends. I am very grateful for this. I as well as many into achieving that. Isabelle could sense very clearly what of my friends believe that Isabelle is in a very good space now. others needed in order to become happy and whenever she I am confident that she is going to be enlightened soon. was able to, she acted accordingly. A friend who usually found it quite difficult to open up regarding her emotions and inner Riyan Mynuddin, 27, died in Palo problems told me that this was so easy to do with Isabelle, Alto, California, USA, February 28, even after just meeting her. This was because of Isabelle’s 2011, by suicide genuine interest in the friend’s happiness. Whenever Isabelle By Trisha Okubo and Richard Prinz sensed that a person she met was open or honest, or, if she felt iyan Mynuddin, a talented tech- that the other person was vulnerable, she would immediately Rnologist and student of philosophy, open up as well, no matter if she knew this person for three died on February 28, 2011. He was 27. years or three minutes. Riyan is survived by his mother, She also used all her good qualities in her job which is the Naseem Mynuddin, and his brother, Imran Mynuddin. main reason why she was a very good psychologist. She loved Riyan had two main passions in life: cars and computers. working with the intellectually disabled as she felt strongly It was through both of these loves that he found his greatest

July - September 2011 MANDALA 51 Your COMMUNITY happiness. He loved working with his hands and prided time though. And when I do, you’ll probably find me deep himself on being able to fix his own cars. He raced his in thought as I sip on some fancy tea or espresso drink. I can Nissan 200SX and his Dodge Stealth TT in the Sports Club do this cool magic trick though! If you bring me a cupcake Car of America autocross trials, often traveling as far as and a fork, I’ll make the cupcake disappear. A magician Stockton, California and Reno, Nevada to compete. never reveals his secret, so I must not say more (except that His natural gift for working with computers was it involves chewing). Can you bring a napkin, and maybe apparent even in childhood, when he started building a glass of milk too? That makes the trick even cooler.” computers from spare parts. Ever the entrepreneur, Riyan Riyan was a gentleman. A man of his words. A caring soon started his own business of fixing computers and man with a giant heart. He always strove to do the right networks in his teen years while living in Irvine, California. thing, even when it wasn’t easy. And he did so with style – When he moved to the Bay Area in late high school, he and more than a little bit of silliness. joined Lex Micro, a company where he built and sold computers. His natural charisma served him well in this Robert Antone Page, 40, died in San job – and he went on to become a star salesman at Rafael, California, USA, March 27, CompUSA before he gained enough of a following to start 2011, by suicide his own computer networking business, advantEDGE Robert Page was born and raised in San computing. Leandro, California. Early on he found Riyan was also a passionate philosopher and student and nourished a love of music and reli- who took a strong interest in ancient Greek philosophy gion which served him well throughout while at Santa Clara University. He studied ancient and his life. Robert studied both fervently; modern philosophy (and loved the work of Plato); was a he had great skill on the guitar by his late fan of Shostakovich and Vivaldi; was a loyal friend who teens and a broad love of world religions by his mid-twenties. could pick up a friendship right where it left off; and was In 1995 Robert began a ten-year prison sentence not afraid to be silly even about serious things. One of his during which he discovered and began studying the favorite quotations, attributed to Ludwig Wittgenstein, Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. His interest in Buddhism read, “If people never did silly things, nothing intelligent was nourished by the works and tutelage provided to him would ever get done.” through the Liberation Prison Project and Tse Chen Ling in Richard Prinz, who knew Riyan for 10 years, remarked San Francisco. Together with his venerable guides, Robert that “Riyan always seemed very interested in investigating his studied deeply and eventually took bodhisattva vows upon own motives and improving himself. Without mentioning his release from prison. After finishing his prison term, Buddhism, I suggested Riyan might try some breathing Robert stayed in close contact with Liberation Prison meditations to help with concentration and calming the Project and Tse Chen Ling until his death. mind. He took to it quite enthusiastically.” Riyan spent time Robert’s music was his greatest love next to his family at several California FPMT centers, including Vajrapani and his religion. He studied with great masters and became Institute, Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center and Land of a master himself. He played with many small groups; Medicine Buddha. foremost of these was Gate 11, a band which he headed. “Riyan generally had a very kind and gentle disposi- He was also very connected with Sidewalk Sideshow tion, and keenly inquisitive mind. He evaluated the merits Productions of San Rafael, California. of Eastern and Western philosophy but sometimes grap- Throughout the last years of his life Robert enjoyed pled with being part of academia,” Prinz said. “But about reconnecting with his family after a long prison term. He Dharma, Riyan once wrote to me, ‘[It] revitalizes and raises reunited with his son and mother and was engaged to be awareness. It brings out the responsible and lovable person married. He shared his love of religion and music with all inside us, regardless of how intelligent we are.’” who would listen, but first and foremost, with his family Perhaps the best way to remember Riyan is in his own members who all had personal favorites for him to play. words. “I’m one of those curious, investigative, and analyt- Robert is survived by his son Nick, his mother Barbara, ical types. So that means I might be a good person to study his “brother” Rudy, fiancée Juliet and her daughter Lilli. with. The problem is, I can’t help but let loose from time to He will be greatly missed. N

52 MANDALA July - September 2011 Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

Online Learning Center FPMT programs available online!

Buddhism in a Nutshell Death & Dying Meditation 101 Living in the Path Discovering Buddhism Basic Program Special Commentaries Online Learning Center programs include: • Video teachings • Mindfulness exercises for daily life • Audio teachings and meditations • Karma yoga exercises • Written transcripts • Online quizzes • Readings • Online discussion forum • Daily practices • Completion certifi cate Individual modules available from the FPMT Foundation Store: http://shop.fpmt.org OR become a Dharma Supporter Friend of FPMT and receive free access to all online programs and a subscription to Mandala magazine: www.fpmt.org/friends • FREE! Discovering Buddhism module two, How to Meditate • FREE! Living in the Path module one, Motivation for Life • FREE! See online Site User Guide for other free courses FPMT Media Center: High-defi nition streaming video of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Light of the Path teachings are available in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, and German.

The Online learning Centre is an absolutely, wonderful incredible resource. Truly, what a gift! Thank you. – Mary, Canada, August 2010 http://onlinelearning.fpmt.org FPMT News Around the WORLD

This section is devoted to reporting and sharing the successes and struggles, stories and future plans of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and FPMT centers, projects and services.

LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE NEWS The list of prayers, practices and pujas International Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited California, completed is an inspiring collective SYNCHRONIZED PRAYERS FOR USA, in February and March, teaching effort truly worth rejoicing in. As this LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE! extensively in the Bay Area. [See page list is dynamic and ongoing, we did not Created on Facebook by Michelle 61.] feel it helpful to print the details in this Klepper of Jamyang Buddhist Centre issue of Mandala, but rather we wish to after the announcement of Lama Zopa encourage you to please visit the special Rinpoche’s manifestation of a stroke, page on fpmt.org dedicated to this the event sought to unite students all collation of pujas, prayers, mantras and over the world at a single time (2:30 more. This page can be easily found on P.M. in London, England), for seven the fpmt.org homepage by searching days straight, to engage in prayers and the words “ongoing list” or directly at: practices (precisely seven minutes of www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/rinpoches prayer and one mala of Medicine health-updates-and-practices/ongoing Buddha mantra) for Rinpoche’s health. list-of-all-the-pujas-done Over 500 people participated accord- FPMT INTERNATIONAL OFFICE ing to Facebook, but the organizer OFFERS NEW WAYS TO STAY reported during the event that “… CONNECTED many people are joining the synchro- Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Osel in California, nized prayers by word of mouth rather March 2011. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. FPMT’s homepage is now equipped than Facebook without letting us with Google Translate. By using the Lama Zopa Rinpoche's teaching know, and groups doing other things drop-down menu on the right-hand schedule for the rest of 2011 has been are sparing a few moments to take part side, students can now get the informa- completely canceled due to recent health during their meetings, so I’m getting tion they need in more than 17 different obstacles manifesting during the the impression that the numbers languages! The same feature is avail- Australia April retreat (see page 12).This joining are very much higher than the able on Mandala Publications’ webpage includes all teachings with Rinpoche few hundred registered (though that (www.mandalamgazine.org). that were previously scheduled for number is literally growing by the Really Simple Syndication (RSS) 2011 in Indonesia, Nepal and the minute).” is an easy and free way to get the FPMT United States. news you want whenever it is updated, INTERNATIONAL MAHAYANA delivering headlines and summaries to PRAYERS, PUJAS INSTITUTE your email, feed reader or web browser. AND PRACTICES FOR By Ven. Carol Corradi RSS feeds are now available for several LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE International Mahayana Institute regularly updated pages on fpmt.org Upon hearing the news of Lama Zopa extends sincere thanks to all who gener- and www.mandalamagazine.org. Rinpoche’s manifestation of a stroke ously gave during our Appeal. www.fpmt.org/rss-feeds.html in April, many high lamas close to At the recent retreat in Bendigo, Rinpoche and hundreds of students A new fantastic selection of photos of Australia, IMI Sangha members met around the world went to work Lama Zopa Rinpoche taken during to review ideas and create an associa- organizing pujas, reciting prayers and 2010 and 2011 is available on Rinpoche’s tion to support IMI called the Sangha mantras, and making commitments Photo Gallery. Welfare Fund. Ven.Thubten Dhondrup to engage in practices dedicated to www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/ was elected as the Australia Sangha Rinpoche’s good health and long life. gallery.html Representative. Part of the plan will

54 MANDALA July - September 2011 IMI Sangha at one-month retreat in Bendigo, Australia, April 2011 involve creating housing and care Attitude, edited by Ven. Sarah Thresher, countries, 571 events and 6 conti- facilities as well as health benefits for is the first of LYWA’s new Heart Advice nents later – it continues to bring Australian Sangha. Efforts are under- series, drawn from Rinpoche’s legacy blessings and inspiration to people all way to recruit regional representatives teachings of the past three years or over the world through the power of for IMI. so. How to Practice Dharma: Teachings an impressive collection of Buddhist The IMI is mobilizing Sangha for on the Eight Worldly , edited relics that will be enshrined in the prayers and pujas and will be rolling by Gordon McDougall, is the second 500-foot [152-meter] statue of out additions to our website that will in LYWA’s Publishing the FPMT Maitreya Buddha to be constructed in offer the opportunity to sponsor prayers Lineage lam-rim series. India. The tour has so far this year and practices for anyone or any cause. Work on the long-awaited Big visited , France, Switzerland, Look for this to be available in time Love, the official Lama Yeshe biography, Portugal, Mexico, Guatemala, Costa for Saka Dawa. continues steadily, as editors Ven. Rica and the United States. Many of Scholarships for this year’s Light of Connie Miller and Jon Landaw work the exhibitions were coupled with the Path retreat in North Carolina will on the final chapters. As the editing interfaith peace ceremonies, official be available based on need. Applications has progressed, so too has the photo government visits and miraculous will be available by request (contact selection, as we sort through some examples of healing and inspiration. [email protected]) once the 30,000 images we have been sent. We www.maitreyaproject.org/en/relic registration for the retreat begins. have been putting several of these www.imisangha.org online in the LYWA Image Gallery at FPMT Regional and LamaYeshe.com. National Offices LAMA YESHE WISDOM ARCHIVE eBook versions of each of LYWA AUSTRALIA NATIONAL MEETING By Nick Ribush titles are available on Amazon’s Kindle, By Helen Patrin The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive has Apple’s iBookstore, Barnes & Noble, Atisha Centre hosted the bi-annual Sony, Kobo, Diesel and Smashwords. just released two new DVD programs FPMT Australian National Meeting, In February over 1,000 downloads of held over four days of April during by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa LYWA’s titles were downloaded from Participants in the Australian National Rinpoche, Freedom Through Under- Kindle alone! Meeting with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, April 2011 standing and Life, Death and After Death, www.lamayeshe.com which accompany the free books with HAPPY BIRTHDAY the same titles. The former (three discs) RELIC TOUR! contains more than ten hours’ teachings On March 14, 2011, and the latter (two discs) more than the Maitreya Project seven. Heart Shrine Relic The archive is also close to pub- Tour turned 10 years lishing two new books by Lama Zopa old. The tour began in Rinpoche. Heart Advice:The Bodhisattva Taipei and today – 58

July - September 2011 MANDALA 55 FPMT News Around the WORLD break times within the first week of the The FPMT Bay Area initiative (a one-month retreat in Bendigo. The group of North California centers, meeting was well represented with all projects and services) is now but one Australian center participat- preparing to host His Holiness ing. All New Zealand FPMT activities Sakya Trinzin on August 2, 2011. were invited and represented. www.vajrapani.org/about-vajra- Claire Isitt, director of FPMT pani-institute/about-fpmt-bay/ Center Services, sincerely compli- The North America Regional mented FPMT Australia on its work Meeting is scheduled for Septem- to deliver policies to Australian centers, ber 9-11, 2011. Details will be projects and services based on key announced shortly. FPMT policies and guidelines but up- dated to include and reflect Australian Australia law. Claire commented that this is a QUEENSLAND great service to Australian centers, Chenrezig Institute’s Garden of projects and services and a standard Enlightenment was featured in for other national offices to follow. John Waite, director of Hayagriva the Autumn 2011 issue of Sea Buddhist Centre gave an update on the Salt, a lifestyle magazine featuring Photo by Rob Copping Sangha Welfare Fund, which was the beauty and excitement of Queens- land’s Sunshine Coast. The two-page AFTERNOON TEA WITH recently established by FPMT Australia. LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE The SWF committee consists of both article, “Growing with a Garden,” By Michelle Panayi lay and Sangha members from across profiles Garrey Foulkes, the Garden of Afternoon teas usually conjure up Australia working together to develop Enlightenment’s director. In the images of sweets and leisurely conver- and support short-, medium- and long- article, Garrey discusses the signifi- sation, but the afternoon tea held for term projects for taking care of sick, cance of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Lama Zopa Rinpoche on April 1, aging and dying Sangha in Australia. scheduled visit on June 16, 2011, and 2011, at Tara Institute far surpassed Ven. Roger Kunsang gave an what it has been like to work on this inspiring talk about the history of the major project for 17 years. any afternoon tea imaginable. FPMT and Rinpoche’s vast visions http://saltmagazine.com.au/articles/fe now and into many lifetimes to come. atures/chenrezig-buddhist-garden- dalai-lama.aspx He stressed the importance of region- alization, remarking that Australia was VICTORIA a trailblazer in this regard because of its strong national office. After Atisha Centre decided that Rinpoche attended the last day making their Green Tara statue out of of the meeting and spoke on how fiberglass would be more appropriate offering service delights all the buddhas than out of bronze, Barbara McLean, the and and is the best statue’s sculptor, completed extensive offering. work preparing Tara for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit to Australia in April It was the most perfect way to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Geshe Doga end the meetings. We left uplifted 2011. In addition to colored paint, the and full of inspiration to continue statue was adorned with hundreds of The mood was one of anticipation offering service to the FPMT organi- German crystals. The statue will be and excitement while approximately a zation in our varied roles throughout placed in the Lama Yeshe Memorial hundred people waited in the hall. the region. Garden at Atisha Centre. Geshe Doga entered the room, and as www.fpmta.org.au http://tarastatue.netai.net usual, was smiling joyfully as he made

56 MANDALA July - September 2011 his way up to the stage to be seated. Austria Moments later, Lama Zopa Rinpoche PANCHEN LOSANG CHOGYEN entered and joined him. GELUGZENTRUM Rinpoche gazed lovingly at the By Erich Leopold crowd, and many were struck by his In January, Panchen Losang Chogyen playfulness and good humor when he Gelugzentrum hosted Ven. Sangye giggled about us all being present for Khadro for the first time. Also, the center the “tea party.” He launched into a completed its first Tara Night in front mesmerizing discourse on Buddhist of the 21 Tara statues housed in their teachings for over two hours, empha- new building in Vienna. The center also sizing that our worries and concerns had the pleasure to organize a visit cease when we focus on giving to others from the Maitreya Project Heart Shrine Relic Tour and arranged for 5,000 donated packets of seeds to be blessed by the relics. These “seeds of peace” were then offered to visitors from Indonesia, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, the United States and Austria, as well as to the visiting ambassadors of Taiwan and

Thailand. It is inspiring to think that Enlightenment Stupa for Universal Peace and plants grown from those blessed seeds Environmental Harmony Lama Zopa Rinpoche comes to have tea with are flowering around the world. the students of Tara Institute in Landcox Hall. www.fpmt-plc.at last fall. With warmer weather now on and having compassion, that expensive the way, Gendun Drubpa Study Group holidays and material wealth cannot is continuing with the decorative bring happiness because the key to painting (as per Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s happiness lies in our minds, and that instructions) and landscaping. This is the “I” which so often drives us in our the first FPMT stupa in Canada! lives with its delusions and self-grasping, We have been studying a wonderful cannot truly be found to exist in the module on introduction to tantra sense that it does not inherently exist. organized by Ven. Lhundup Chönyi for The combination of Buddhist meta- eight weeks and a weekend intensive on physics with practical approaches to tantra is anticipated to be taught by Jon everyday living was extremely thought- Landaw on June 24-26 in Williams provoking and inspirational. Reinhild Emmelmann, Barbara Kochschitz, Ven. Lake. Gendun Drubpa Study Group Siliana, Martin Schaurhofer and Andy Melnic www.tarainstitute.org.au holding “seeds of peace” also offered a special three-week course called Tools for Time of Death, at the 2011 RETREAT WITH Canada request of several members. Two local LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE GENDUN DRUBPA STUDY GROUP veterinarians attended one class for a Nearly 200 students participated in a By Dianne Noort very helpful discussion on supporting month-long retreat in April with Lama The Enlightenment Stupa for Universal animals at the time of death. Zopa Rinpoche hosted by Atisha Centre, Peace and Environmental Harmony has Five weeks of Meditation 101 The Great Stupa of Universal Com- been beautifully stuccoed and the final returned this April for those from our passion and Thubten Shedrup Ling installation of 13 rings, the umbrella, general community who are interested Monastery in Bendigo. Please see page crescent moon, sun and jewel of in an introduction to mind training. 12 for a full report on the retreat. enlightenment at the top was completed www.gendundrubpa.com

July - September 2011 MANDALA 57 FPMT News Around the WORLD

Finland Way) study, and our most senior TARA LIBERATION STUDY GROUP member has entered the By Eeva Särelä (Monastic Discipline) class, whereby In addition to normal weekly meeting after 15 years of study he is now and study sessions using Discovering considered a senior monk in the Sera Buddhism, this spring Tara Libera- community. He aspires to complete tion Study Group had the good his studies here and thereafter to fortune to receive some teachings become the first Westerner to attend via Skype from Geshe Graham the tantric study course at Gyume Woodhouse in the UK. Despite Monastery. On top of that, one monk occasional technical problems, the is engaged in preparatory Tibetan Skype teachings provided a unique studies, and we anticipate at least one opportunity to get live teachings and new arrival within the year. Geshe Dakpa Tsundu. Photo by Severine Viet. also the opportunity to ask questions from a learned teacher. The group Geshe Dakpa Tsundu was born TUSHITA MEDITATION CENTRE also put technology to good Dharma in 1966 in Lhasa and became a monk By Gillian Boll use by watching Ven. Namgyel’s in 1983 at in To mark Losar, the Pre-Ordination Healing Disturbing Emotions, a multi- Tibet. In 1989, he escaped for India, Course members at Tushita Medita- part DVD made during his teachings where he studied for more than 16 tion Centre recited the Sutra of Golden at Kopan Monastery. Also, after long years at the Institute for Buddhist Light every day during the 15 Days of preparation, a new website finally Dialectics in Dharamsala before Miracles. On the third day after Losar, launched. obtaining his Geshe degree. In 2008, In March, the group had the he went to France for medical reasons. honor of having Stephan Pende Geshe-la will start to teach the Wormland from Tong-nyi Nying-je Basic Program and the abbreviated Ling, the Danish FPMT center, lead a Master’s Program. He will also lead four-day retreat on mindfulness and retreat at our Kalachakra retreat center. compassion. The silent retreat was Many thanks to Geshe-la for held in a quiet countryside location, accepting the role as our resident geshe! in an old wooden house surrounded www.centre-kalachakra.com by vast fields. http://taraliberation.fi India

SERA IMI HOUSE Dagri Rinpoche gave his first teaching at France By Ven. Tenzin Gache Tushita Meditation Centre in mid-March KALACHAKRA CENTRE WELCOMES This year a record four Western GESHE DAKPA TSUNDU AS FIRST monks from Sera IMI House we had an eventful morning putting RESIDENT TEACHER entered the debate program at Sera Je up fresh prayer flags all over the By Ven. Elisabeth Drukier Monastery, bravely struggling through property. The morning ended with a For more than one year, Geshe Dakpa the maze of “Collected Topics” with a puja with the monks from Gyume Tsundu expressed the wish to teach fresh batch of Khampa nomads. Monastery, culminating with the Dharma at Kalachakra Centre only In addition to the newcomers, annual tsampa-flour throw! as a visiting geshe. “You have to test four Sera IMI House monks are During March 16-18, Dagri me first before hiring me,” he would engaged in various stages of the seven- Rinpoche gave his first teaching at say. In April 2011, he officially signed year Prajñaparamita (Perfection of Tushita, an explanation of The Three a formal agreement to teach after Wisdom) course, one is just finishing Principal Aspects of the Path. mutual acceptance. four years of (Middle www.tushita.info

58 MANDALA July - September 2011 Italy recognized charitable institutions. available Dharma materials into Hebrew YESHE NORBU APPELLO PER IL The project is run by Francesca in order to offer the Dharma and make TIBET TURNS 10! and Franco Piatti with the help of one it accessible to all. By Franco Piatti part-time worker. Yeshe Norbu believes The study group reports that Yeshe Norbu Appello per il Tibet, that it has made a significant impact on “there seems to be much interest in an organization dedicated to the the lives of poor Tibetan people with Buddhism in Israel today, with many preservation of the living Buddhist minimal effort and encourages anyone students and active groups: if you’re tradition primarily through the vehicle interested in setting up a similar program interested and in Israel, you can prob- of the long-distance sponsorship of in their own countries to contact them ably be sure to find almost any kind of monks and nuns, children, the sick for support. Buddhadharma that your heart desires! and the elderly, celebrated 10 years as www.adozionitibet.it/default_en.htm So we feel we’ll be joining a very fertile, a charitable trust and FPMT project. [email protected] interesting ground.” In the last 10 years, the project has distributed about €2.5 million [US Israel Japan $3.6 million], including US$300,000 In March 2011, Shantideva Study DONGAKSUNGJUKTHANKSFPMT to the Sera Je Food Fund and US Group opened in Israel with a very COMMUNITY FOR PRAYERS $100,000 to other projects. Yeshe Norbu energetic group of people: Ven.Thubten By Doc O’Connor survives on a collection of regular donors, Choekyi, Ven. Tenzin Thekchok, His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Japan anonymous large gifts, and an Italian Ven. Tenzin Tingyel, and Ruth Roih- and on April 29 chanted prayers at tax law that allows taxpayers to donate Weinstein (Thubten Palmo). Their Gokokuji Temple to commemorate the a small percentage of their taxes to current primary goal is to translate 49th day since the earthquake and

July - September 2011 MANDALA 59 FPMT News Around the WORLD tsunami struck northeastern Japan. I couldn’thelp but remember all the prayers that people around the world were saying on our behalf, too. This is a brief note to thank you again for your immediate response to my plea for help. It is at times like this that I am reminded how very,very fortunate we are to have the most kind and compassionate Lama Zopa Rinpoche to give us appro- priate practices and generously share his infinite wisdom. Rinpoche’s21st-century approach and embrace of technology allows his advice to spread globally within minutes. But it wouldn’t be as effective if his devoted students didn’t quickly respond to requests like everyone did. It was very touching to receive e-mails Ven. Yeshe Jigme, Rosa Estela, Jhampa Shaneman, Raquel Lozano, Irma Garcia, Elvia Manzo. The from around the world and hear about orange “leaves” on the tree behind are actually the wings of millions of butterflies. prayers for Japan. Again, thank you. currently under construction. It will Mexico We continue to feel aftershocks and take almost two weeks to finish it and SERLINGPA probably will for another six months, will house the Kuan Yin and White RETREAT CENTER but I like to think due to everyone’s Dzambhala statues. The foundation has By Jhampa Shaneman collective efforts we prevented the 70 to be built to specification to support Serlingpa Retreat Center hosted a three- percent prediction of another major the statues that weigh more than seven week Yamantaka retreat in January for 10 earthquake and tsunami from striking. tons. The shape of the foundation itself led by Jhampa Shaneman. After the re- The nuclear situation continues, but was modified a few times to adjust to treat, participants went to the Monarch maybe not as frightening as before. land contour and for aesthetic reasons. Butterfly Reserve in Michoacán and So from all of us here, thank you Meanwhile, the road leading up to did prayers. for helping us during Japan’s dark Rinchen Jangsem Ling has been Where else could one do prayers days. I hope our current strong prayers completed. The new road will facilitate for millions and millions of sentient and pujas will also be answered for the transportation of the Kuan Yin beings that then would fly all over North Rinpoche’s full and swift recovery. statue using a container and truck to America spreading the good energy? Practices recommended by Lama Zopa the top of the hill. In Vietnam where Rinpoche for controlling earthquakes You can view a YouTube video of the and the four elements, as well as prac- the statues were made, the height of millons of butterflies here. Music and tices for protection against radiation, are the halo was increased, making the video arranged by Ven. Yeshe Jigme: available in this issue’s featured online www.youtube.com/ content at www.mandalamagazine.org statue look more magnificent. watch?v=rfyz3AgrLD4 as well as on Rinpoche’s online Advice page at http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/ zopa/advice.html Mauritius Malaysia Grupul de Studiu Buddhist White Tara hosts the Maitreya Project Heart KUAN YIN AND WHITE Shrine RelicTour at Dinicu Golescu Arges DZAMBHALA STATUES UPDATE County Library June 10-12, 2011. From Rinchen Jangsem Ling Newsletter: The study group is also soliciting Buddhist books in any language for The foundation for the Kuan Yin donation to the library: statue at Rinchen Jangsem Ling is [email protected] Students from Dharmarakshita Study Group on retreat in Mauritius 60 MANDALA July - September 2011 other student to do practices to prevent version of the Sutra of Golden Light to CHAGNA PEMO STUDY GROUP natural disasters from occurring in the 100 students. After four days, Rinpoche By Mirjana Dechen region. only finished a little over the first four In a surprising turn of chapters of the sutra, but spent large events, Rinpoche was able amounts of time teaching on the history to visit Land of Medicine of Vajrapani Institute and the high Buddha in Soquel several lamas such as Zong Rinpoche who times. On March 2 Rinpoche taught there; performing extensive gave a Lama Tsongkhapa practices and prayers for the victims of Long Life initiation in the the tsunami and earthquake in Japan; gompa for a student with giving the oral transmission of The a serious life obstacle. On Dharani Called Possessing the Limbs of All Five participants listening (via Skype) to Dagri Rinpoche March 5 Rinpoche cele- the Buddhas, Making Requests and giving The Bodhisattva’s Way of Life commentary. Dagri Rinpoche was teaching at Centro Tara Cittamani in Italy brated Losar beginning with Offerings to the Landlord and Goddess of December 23-25, 2010. a 4:00 A.M. long Yamantaka the Four Elements and Wishing to Control In October, Geshe Sherab will visit Chagna Pemo Study Group, the group’s first in-person visit ever. In addition, Chagna Pemo is organizing a study group member meeting in order to discuss our future activities and the means to support them.

United States CALIFORNIA LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE VISITS BAY AREA From February 26 to March 22, Lama

Zopa Rinpoche visited several FPMT Lama Zopa Rinpoche leading prayers on Golden Gate Bridge, Yangsi Rinpoche at left. centers in the Bay Area, continually Photo by Ven. Thubten Kunsang. providing teachings and inspiration to hundreds of students in one of sadhana, then a Palden Lhamo California’s busiest regions. puja, followed by a very San Francisco’s Tse Chen Ling extensive Lama Chöpa. Later, hosted Rinpoche’s first set of teachings on March 12, Rinpoche led in California at the San Francisco Baha’i an extensive Medicine Buddha Center February 26-27. Although puja. He made his last visit scheduled to teach on Lama Tsong- on March 15 to complete khapa’s Three Principles of the Path, Vajrayogini self-initiation Rinpoche instead spent most of his time followed by Lama Chöpa Lama Zopa Rinpoche received offerings in San Jose, talking about lam-rim and telling stories with tsog. California, USA, March 2011. Photo by Dionne Wilson. about his youth, the early days of FPMT, Next, Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited the Earthquakes, Prayer Fulfilling Wishes andtraditionaltalesaboutMilarepa,Marpa Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center in Simultaneously, Heart Sutra, and the and other renowned teachers. Rinpoche San Jose, March 12, 13, 19 and 20. The Medicine Buddha Sadhana; bestowing also made a surprise visit to the Golden highlight of the teaching event was the the White Tara jenang, and teaching at Gate Bridge with Yangsi Rinpoche and oral transmission of the 31-chapter length on the benefits of bodhichitta.

July - September 2011 MANDALA 61 FPMT News Around the WORLD

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit con- INSIGHT MEDITATION his considerable technical programming cluded with a trip to Vajrapani Institute IN THE REDWOODS skills in the service of this noble project. in Boulder Creek on March 22 to give By Heidi Oehler Wisdom recently released Principles Vajravarahi initiation. To the surprise of For the third year in a row, Vajrapani of Buddhist Tantra, Kirti Tshenshap 85 students, Rinpoche changed plans Institute hosted Ven. Antonio Satta’s Rinpoche’s teachings on the grounds and gave Dorje Palmo 9 Deity/Throma insight meditation retreat, which and paths of Buddhist tantra given at Nagmo initiation instead. consists of vipassana practice with Vajrapani Institute in 2003-2004; A full collection of photos from Gyalwa a drop of mahamudra. Twenty-one Meditation of the Nature of Mind Gyatso Buddhist Center’s event can be individuals traveled from different based on His Holiness the Dalai found on their Facebook page. parts of the country to sit and watch Lama’s 2009 teaching given at University LAND OF MEDICINE BUDDHA their minds for 10 days straight. One of California Santa Barbara at the By Denice Macy retreater commented, “I have previ- request of Professor José Cabezón; Discovering Buddhism began again at ously sat five ten-day silent meditation and His Holiness Sakya Trizin’s first Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB) retreats. Of these, Ven. Antonio’s book, Freeing the Heart and Mind. in February with Jon Landaw, author (retreat) was of greatest benefit to Tim once again participated in the and long-time Dharma student and my mind.” London Book Fair (April 11-13) where teacher. Local public radio announced Next year, April-May 2012, Ven. he met with Wisdom’s international the upcoming courses and more than Antonio Satta has agreed to lead three network of literary agents as well as 75 people, many new to LMB, found consecutive weekends on various topics editors from around the world interested their way to the gompa to participate within insight meditation: “Shamatha in in acquiring foreign language rights to in the amazing course that FPMT Early Buddhism,” “Four-Day Vipassana Wisdom titles. Education Services has developed for Weekend: The Path to Purification in www.wisdompubs.org beginning students. the Four Foundations of Ven. Steve Carlier returned and Mindfulness,” and “An soon led three nyung näs after a few Approach to Mahamudra.” months away teaching at Kopan and This allows retreaters to try accompanying Khenshur Rinpoche various types of meditation Geshe Jampa Tegchog on pilgrimage. techniques within shorter LMB also won “Best Retreat” by a time frames and without Good Times reader survey in April. The needing to commit to a full award is LMB’s second “best of” award ten-day retreat. this year from a local publication. www.vajrapani.org You can read Good Time’s award and review by searching online for MASSACHUSETTS Liberation Prison Project’s Timothy Powell and John Castelloe “Good Times Best of Health & with Wisdom Publications’ director Tim McNeill next to Wisdom Fitness 2011.” WISDOM PUBLICATIONS Publications’ donation to Liberation Prison Project in North Carolina By Joe Evans Tara Home, a hospice project of Land This spring Tim McNeill, Wisdom KURUKULLA CENTER of Medicine Buddha since 1998, has Publications’ director, visited the OPENS DOORS TO THE taken the steps to become an independent Liberation Prison Project (LPP) LARGER COMMUNITY probationary FPMT project. Tara office in Raleigh, North Carolina, By Debra Thornburg Home is now listed separately from coincidentally arriving on the same day Kurukulla Center was pleased to be Land of Medicine Buddha, and is that Wisdom’s donation of 5,160 able to provide space for the Tibetan another great FPMT hospice service, books to LPP were delivered. Tim was Association of Boston (TAB) to set up serving the needs of the dying and greatly inspired by the dedication of the voting booths for both the primary and their loved ones in California. folks at LPP especially John Castelloe general parliamentary elections, one of http://tarahome.org who has given over his home as well as many locations around the world

62 MANDALA July - September 2011 Yangee, Sangay, General Manager Rosanne Hebert, Nima, Tenzin Drolkar, Director Ven. Amy Miller and Lobsang at Center The Tibetan Association of Boston held primary and general parliamentary elections at Kurukulla Center where Tibetans gathered to vote. It was thrilling to observe the arrival of so many Tibetans to exercise their democratic rights and vote for members of the Tibetan government-in-exile. The election garnered international attention due to the recent decision by the Dalai Lama to give up his political role. Local resident Lobsang Sangay was elected to serve as the new prime minister and we were thrilled he chose the gompa at Kurukulla Center as the location for his interview with the BBC.

Resident teacher Geshe Tenley Geshe Tenley (third from right) and others with Milarepa Center’s newly consecrated initiated a series of public talks specially Guru Rinpoche statue geared to newcomers or those whose daughters Yangee and Tenzin Drolkar, to sister center, Kurukulla Center, in the interest in Buddhism is very pragmatic. along with Nima’s brother, Lobsang, Boston area where the group and Called “Buddhist Thoughts for Every- visited Milarepa Center March 17-18. resident teacher, Geshe Tenley, meticu- day Life,” these talks are held once a Sangay and Nima live in Kathmandu, lously filled it. A puja to bless the statue month. A class for children is offered Nepal and Sangay is very active as the followed, after which the precious at the same time by resident nun director of the Lawudo Retreat Center statue was loaded back in the car, and Tsunma-la and a brief orientation is in the Mt. Everest region of Nepal. returned as a newly energized Guru available following the classes. They came to visit their children now Rinpoche statue to Milarepa. An interview with Lobsang Sangay, living in New York and have been very Milarepa Center Tibetan government-in-exile’s newest eager to come to Milarepa Center. It also has a new logo prime minister, is available online: www.bbc.co.uk/news/ was wonderful hosting them and we that was designed world-asiapacific-13190731 enjoyed the many similarities between by Lama Zopa Rin- Rinpoche and his brother. poche and drawn at VERMONT Milarepa Center’s new Guru Rinpoche’s request NEWS FROM MILAREPA CENTER Rinpoche statue was consecrated March by Sonam Sherpa at By Ven. Amy Miller 25. Residents of the center drove the Nalanda Monastery Sangay Sherpa (Rinpoche’s younger statue, along with all of the necessary in France. N brother), his wife, Nima, and their rolled mantras and incense three hours www.milarepacenter.org

July - September 2011 MANDALA 63 Featured CENTERS

FEATURED CENTERS: Atisha Centre Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion

Three FPMT-affiliated groups – Atisha Centre, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion – teamed up together to host the month-long retreat in Bendigo, Australia, with Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Literally connected by a yellow brick road, these Featured Centers prove that coordination and harmony go a long way in the Land of “Oz.”

Atisha Centre replacing iconic railway carriages removed from the prop- erty in 2006. The new accommodations, named Shi De Founded by Ian Green in 1981 with the help of many other Kang Sar (A Peaceful and Blissful Abode), was made early students, Atisha Centre was just the beginning of what possible by the generous support of FPMT sister centers Lama Yeshe envisioned as a Dharma city capable of taking including Vajrayana Institute and The Great Stupa of care of the needs of Buddhists in all stages of their life, a Universal Compassion in Australia and Chandrakirti vision which included a lay community, a monastery, an Tibetan Centre in New Zealand. aged care facility and a large stupa. The land was donated This year the center also completed the sculpting and by Ed Green, Ian’s father, and Ed arranged for his company, ornamentation of a breathtaking fiberglass Green Tara Stramit, to donate and erect the toilet block, kitchen, the statue that will eventually find its place in Atisha Centre’s small gompa and the adjoining accommodation block, all Lama Yeshe Memorial Garden. After sculpting this in time for Lama Yeshe’s first course in August 1981. impressive work, Barbara McLean also painted and adorned Now, 30 years later, Atisha Centre is a retreat center in the statue with hundreds of German crystals. As Barbara the Australian bush that has a lot to celebrate. In addition to was finishing up, she reports that people walking past the a regular and robust teaching schedule under the direction studio would stop, look in and knock on the door to of Geshe Konchok Tsering, the center has recently com- request if they could see her. She said that “one man was pleted the construction of new 24-person accommodation, welling up with tears – he just loved it.”

64 MANDALA July - September 2011 Thubten Shedrup The Great Stupa of Ling Monastery Universal Compassion

A five-minute walk from Atisha Centre sits Thubten Sharing the same land as Atisha Centre and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery, Australia’s first Tibetan Buddhist Shedrup Ling Monastery, the Great Stupa of Universal monastery, founded by Ven. Thubten Gyatso (Dr. Adrian Compassion is arguably the grandest project of the three. Feldmann) in 1996 at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Although Lama Yeshe suggested a large stupa be the center Currently, nine monks are closely associated with the of a great Dharma city in Bendigo, it wasn’t until 1994 monastery: seven living onsite (including Atisha Centre’s that the vision began to really take shape. “Lama Zopa resident teacher, Geshe Konchok Tsering), one in part-time Rinpoche sent me a coffee table book ofTibet,” Ian Green residence, and another studying abroad. remembers, “Over a spread on the Great Stupa of Gyantse

From left, opposite page: Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ven. Lhundrup (director of Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery), Ven. Thubten Gyatso, and George Manos (director of Buddha House) on the yellow brick road built by Ven. Gyatso to connect the monastery with Atisha Centre. Photo by Ven. Roger Kunsang. New accommodation at Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery will house eight new monks. The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, April 2011. Photo by George Manos. Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Ian Green on upper levels of The Great Stupa of Universal Compassion, April 2011. Photo by George Manos.

Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery has also been busy he had written ‘This is my idea for the stupa in Bendigo.’” building, completing their new accommodation building At Rinpoche’s suggestion, the Great Stupa of Universal in time for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit to Australia. The Compassion will be the same size and design as the Great building will be used to house eight new monks. Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet – 50 meters (164 feet) wide Plans are already underway for the next phase of along each side at its base and nearly 50 meters (164 feet) tall building: a large gompa and separate living quarters for – making it the largest stupa in the West. The stupa is teachers who are visiting or are in residence. already home to a large statue of Guru Rinpoche and a

July - September 2011 MANDALA 65 Featured CENTERS butter sculpture offered to His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his teachings in 2007. It will also house the Jade Lama Yeshe Sketches His Buddha for Universal Peace, the largest Buddha carved from gemstone quality jade in the world; a life-size statue Plans for Australia of Lama Yeshe; a magnificent Green Tara statue carved from By Adele Hulse the same boulder as the Jade Buddha; a collection of 120 Buddhist relics offered by various Buddhist traditions from around the world, and other examples of holy objects and . Today, the stupa has already erected the steel supports and laid some of the foundational concrete. During the month-long retreat with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, a large mar- quee was set up in the middle of the steel supports, allowing this retreat to be the first to ever be held within the stupa. Rinpoche expressed continual pleasure with the stupa’s progress during the retreat. When Lama Zopa Rinpoche was brought up to visit to the upper levels of the stupa on April 15, 2011, he remarked, “Amaaazing.” He then called out to everyone, “Let’s say it together … amaaazing!” Then, looking around at the surrounding bushland, he said, “What a great place to build a stupa!” N Lama Yeshe giving public talk in Melbourne, 1981. Please visit page 46 for an interview with Ian Green. Photo by Ian Green. Courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR LIFE In 1974, the Lamas [Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche] made their first international tour. On August 15 that year, the Lamas arrived in Melbourne and stayed at Nick Ribush’s mother’s JEWEL HEART home. This was the first time Tibetan lamas had ever RETREATS visited Australia. WITH GELEK RIMPOCHE The Lamas’ last trip to Australia together was in September 1979, when a new student, Ian Green, met them for the first time. “There was an enormous TIBETAN BUDDHIST COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE FOR queue,” said Ian. “Lama took my hands and looked TODAY’S SPIRITUAL TRAVELER into my eyes and I knew I’d do anything for this Thursday, August 25 - Sunday, September 4 Jewel Heart, 1129 Oak Valley Drive, Ann Arbor, MI man.” A year later his father, Ed Green, suggested to his son that the lamas might like to use part of a large THE HEALING PRACTICE OF MEDICINE BUDDHA tract of bush he owned outside Bendigo, Victoria. Friday, October 7 – Monday, October 10 Held at Garrison Institute in Garrison, NY By March 1981, Ian Green and three others were living on the land. Lama Yeshe taught mahamudra For Jewel Heart’s new Digital Dharma offerings of there in the old chapel and Ian Green and Garrey audio, video and transcript teachings by Gelek Rimpoche plus the full schedule of programs, Foulkes took him for a drive around the place. At one please visit www.jewelheart.org point Lama crouched on the ground, picked up a stick and began sketching a map of how the center 1129 Oak Valley Drive | Ann Arbor, MI 48108 should develop, with a big stupa as a centerpiece, a For more information, please email monastery, a hospice and a small village. N [email protected] or call 734 994 3387

66 MANDALA July - September 2011 FPMT DIRECTORY This directory is a listing of centers, projects and services worldwide which are under the spiritual direction of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). You can find a complete listing with address and director/coordinator information on the FPMT website: http://www.fpmt.org/centers/directory.html Please contact [email protected] with any updates to your listing.

Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche FPMT REGIONAL AND AUSTRALIA (Tel Code 61) Karuna Hospice Service Tara Institute c/o FPMT International Office NATIONAL OFFICES Windsor Brighton East New South Wales www.karuna.org.au www.tarainstitute.org.au FPMT International Office Australian National Office Tel: (07) 3632 8300 Tel: (03) 9596 8900 1632 SE 11th Avenue www.fpmta.org.au Sharawa Resident Geshe: Portland, OR USA Tel: +61 (2) 4782 2095 Buddhist Institute A project of Karuna Hospice: Geshe Lobsang Doga www.fpmt.org Copacabana Karuna Books Tel: (1) (503) 808 1588 Brazilian National Office www.kadamsharawa.org www.karunabooks.com.au Thubten Shedrup Ling [email protected] Tel: (0402) 688 620 Eaglehawk INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS Tel: +55 (47) 9127 3314 Langri Tangpa Centre www.tslmonastery.org Kunsang Yeshe Centre Camp Hill Tel: (03) 5446 3691 European Regional Office Katoomba Enlightenment for the www.langritangpa.org.au Resident Geshe: www.fpmt-europe.org www.kunsangyeshe.com.au Dear Animals Tel: (07) 3398 3310 Geshe Konchog Tsering Denistone East, NSW Australia Tel: +31 (0) 20 627 3227 Tel: (02) 4782 1263 Western Australia www.enlightenmentfor South Australia animals.org Italian National Office Vajrayana Institute [email protected] Ashfield Hayagriva Buddhist Centre Tel: +61 (2) 9808 1045 Buddha House www.vajrayana.com.au Kensington Tusmore Mexico National Office Tel: (02) 9798 9644 www.hayagriva.org.au Foundation for Developing www.buddhahouse.org Compassion and Wisdom www.fpmt-mexico.org Resident Geshe: Tel: (08) 9367 4817 Tel: +52 (987) 869 2222 Geshe Ngawang Samten Tel: (08) 8333 2824 London, United Kingdom Resident Teacher: Resident Teacher: www.essential-education.org Ven. Thubten Dondrub Nepal National Office Wai Cheong Kok De-Tong Ling Retreat Centre Tel: +44 (0) 20 7820 9010 [email protected] Kingscote Hospice of Mother Tara Tel: +977 (1) 442 4091 Queensland www.detongling.org International Mahayana Bunbury Tel: (08) 8559 3276 Institute www.hmt.org.au North American Chenrezig Institute San Francisco, CA USA Tel: (08) 9791 9798 (USA and Canada) Eudlo Tasmania www.imisangha.org Regional Office www.chenrezig.com.au AUSTRIA (Tel Code 43) [email protected] Tel: (07) 5453 2108 Chag-tong Chen-tong Centre Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive Tel: +1 (831) 334 2777 Resident Geshe: Snug Lincoln, MA USA Panchen Losang Chogyen Geshe Lobsang Jamyang www.chagtong.org www.LamaYeshe.com Gelugzentrum South Asian Regional Office Resident Teacher: Tel: (03) 6267 9203 Tel: +1 (781) 259 4466 Vienna [email protected] Ven. Tenzin Tsepal www.fpmt-plc.at Tel: +91 (98) 1802 7901 Victoria Tel: (1) 479 24 22 Liberation Prison Project Projects of Chenrezig Institute: Ashfield, Australia Spanish National Office The Enlightenment Project www.liberationprison Atisha Centre BRAZIL (Tel Code 55) www.fpmt-hispana.org for Purification and Merit Eaglehawk project.org Tel/Fax: +34 (91) 445 6514 info@enlightenment www.atishacentre.org.au Centro Shiwa Lha project.com Tel: (03) 5446 3336 Rio de Janeiro Lotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Taiwan National Office Resident Geshe: www.shiwalha.org.br Translator Programme www.fpmt.tw The Garden of Enlightenment Geshe Konchog Tsering Tel: (21) 9322 0476 Dharamsala Tel: +886 (2) 2523 0727 www.chenrezig.com.au/ http://lrztp.blogspot.com/ content/view/42/146 The Great Stupa of CANADA (Tel Code 1) FPMT CENTERS, PROJECTS LKPY: Loving Kindness AND SERVICES Cittamani Hospice Service Universal Compassion Gendun Drubpa Study Group Peaceful Youth Palmwoods Bendigo www.stupa.org.au Williams Lake Unley, SA Australia ARGENTINA (Tel Code 54) www.cittamanihospice.com.au www.gendundrubpa.com www.lkpy.org Tel: (07) 5445 0822 Tel: (03) 5444 2440 Tel: (250) 398 5681 Tel: +61 (4) 0695 0726 Yogi Saraha Study Group Buenos Aires Dewachen Study Group Shen Phen Ling Study Group Lama Yeshe Ling Centre Maitreya Project [email protected] Mackay Wodonga Oakville International Tel: (11) 4541 7112 www.dewachen.info shenphenlingaustralia@ www.lamayesheling.org www.maitreyaproject.org Tel: (07) 4954 5188 yahoo.com.au Tel: (02) 6059 8104 Tel: (905) 296 3728

July - September 2011 MANDALA 67 CHINA (Tel Code 852) Resident Geshes: Maitreya Project Trust Centro Lama Tzong Khapa Yeshe Norbu - Geshe Tenley and Gorakhpur Treviso Appello per il Tibet Mahayana Buddhist Assoc. Geshe Tenzin Loden india@maitreya [email protected] Pomaia (Pisa) (Cham-Tse-Ling) project.org Tel: (0422) 300 850 www.AdozioniTibet.it North Point, Hong Kong Kalachakra Centre Tel: (551) 2342 012 Tel: (050) 685 033 www.fpmtmba.org.hk Paris Centro Muni Gyana Palermo Tel: 2770 7239 www.centre-kalachakra.com MAITRI Charitable Trust JAPAN (Tel Code 81) Tel: (01) 4005 0222 Bodhgaya www.centromunigyana.it Resident Geshe: Tel: (0327) 038 3805 COLOMBIA (Tel Code 57) www.maitri-bodhgaya.org Do Ngak Sung Juk Centre Geshe Drakpa Tsundue Tel: (631) 2200 841 Tokyo Centro Studi Cenresig Centro Yamantaka www.fpmt-japan.org Nalanda Monastery Bologna Bogotá Root Institute Tel: (070) 5562 8812 Labastide St. Georges www.cenresig.org www.yamantakabogota.org Bodhgaya www.nalanda-monastery.eu www.rootinstitute.com Tel: (347) 246 1157 Tel: (311) 251 0993 LATVIA (Tel Code 371) Tel: (05) 6358 0225 Tel: (631) 2200 714 Resident Geshes: Centro Tara Cittamani CZECH REPUBLIC (Tel Code 420) Ganden Buddhist Geshe Losang Jamphel and A project of Root Institute: Padova Meditation Centre Geshe Sonam Ngodup Shakyamuni Buddha www.taracittamani.it Dompipa Study Group Riga Community Health Tel: (049) 864 7463 Dolni Podluzi www.ganden.lv Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land Care Centre www.dompipa.cz Marseille Centro Terra Tel: 2949 0141 Tel: (412) 373691 www.thakpakachoe.com di Unificazione Sera IMI House Ewam Tel: (612) 918 949 Florence MALAYSIA (Tel Code 60) Bylakuppe DENMARK (Tel Code 45) www.ewam.it [email protected] FRENCH POLYNESIA (Tel Code 689) Tel: (055) 454 308 Chokyi Gyaltsen Center Resident Geshe: Tong-nyi Nying-je Ling Tushita Mahayana Penang Meditation Center Ven. Gyatso Copenhagen Meditation Centre www.fpmt-cgc.blogspot.com Tahiti www.fpmt.dk New Delhi Tel: (4) 826 5089 [email protected] Chiara Luce Edizioni Tel: 33 13 11 08 [email protected] Resident Geshe: Pomaia (Pisa) Resident Teacher: Tel: (11) 2651 3400 Geshe Deyang GERMANY (Tel Code 49) www.chiaraluce.it Stephan Pende Wormland Tel: (050) 685 690 Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre Aryatara Institut Tushita Meditation Centre Projects of Tong-nyi McLeod Ganj Triang München Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa Nying-je Ling: [email protected] www.aryatara.de www.tushita.info Pomaia (Pisa) The Center for Conscious Tel: (89) 2781 7227 Tel: (1892) 221 866 www.iltk.it Living and Dying Resident Teacher: Tel: (050) 685 654 Kasih Hospice Care www.cbld.dk Ven. Fedor Stracke INDONESIA (Tel Code 62) Resident Geshes: Selangor Khensur Jampa Thegchok and www.kasih-hospice.org Dharma Wisdom Publishing Diamant Verlag Lama Serlingpa Bodhicitta Geshe Tenzin Tenphel Tel: (3) 7960 7424 Kaltern, Italy Study Group FINLAND (Tel Code 358) www.diamant-verlag.info Jambi Projects of Istituto Losang Dragpa Centre Tel: +39 (0471) 964 183 [email protected] Lama Tzong Khapa: Selangor Tara Liberation Study Group Shenpen Samten www.fpmt-ldc.org Helsinki Tara Mandala Center Potowa Center Ling Nunnery Tel: (3) 7968 3278 [email protected] Landau Tangerang Resident Geshe: Tel: (50) 353 2886 [email protected] www.potowa.org Takden Shedrup Targye Ling Geshe Tenzin Zopa Tel: 9951 90235 Tel: (21) 9359 2181 Monastery Resident Teacher: FRANCE (Tel Code 33) MAURITIUS (Tel Code 230) Dieter Kratzer ISRAEL (Tel Code 972) Kushi Ling Retreat Centre Editions Vajra Yogini Arco (TN) Dharmarakshita Study Group GREECE (Tel Code 30) Shantideva Study Group Marzens www.kushi-ling.com Vacoas Herzeliya Tel: (347) 2113471 www.vajra-yogini.com [email protected] Gonpo Chakduk [email protected] Resident Geshe: Tel: (05) 6358 1722 Tel: 258 3054 Ling Study Group Tel: (544) 451981 Geshe Dondup Tsering Athens Gyaltsab Je Study Group [email protected] MEXICO (Tel Code 52) ITALY (Tel Code 39) Sangye Choling Study Group Ile de la Reunion Tel: (210) 762 7189 Sondrio association.gyeltsabje Bengungyal Center Casa del Buddha della www.sangye.it @gmail.com INDIA (Tel Code 91) Aguascalientes Medicina (Associazione Tel: (39) 0342 513198 www.bengungyal.org Dare Protezione onlus) Choe Khor Sum Institut Vajra Yogini Livorno Shiné Jewelry Tel: (449) 973 5550 Ling Study Group Marzens www.associazionedare Pomaia (Pisa) Resident Geshe: Bangalore www.institutvajrayogini.fr protezione.it www.shinegioielli.it Geshe Losang Khedup www.cksl.in Tel: (05) 6358 1722 Tel: (050) 685 033 Tel: (80) 4148 6497

68 MANDALA July - September 2011 Chekawa Study Group Enlightening Mind Thubten Shedrup Ling POLAND (Tel Code 48) Nagarjuna C.E.T. Granada Uruapan Ulaanbaatar Monastery Granada [email protected] www.fpmt.org/mongolia Solu Khumbu Lopon Chok Lang Study Group www.nagaryunagr.org Tel/Fax: (452) 523 5963 Tel: (11) 330 463 Resident Geshe: Warsaw Tel: (95) 825 1629 Geshe Thubten Yonden www.Zbigniew-Modrzejewski. Khamlungpa Center Ganden Do Ngag Shedrup webs.com/Loponchoklang Nagarjuna C.E.T. Madrid Zapopan Ling Lawudo Retreat Centre Madrid www.khamlungpa.org.mx Ulaanbaatar Solu Khumbu ROMANIA (Tel Code 402) www.nagarjunamadrid.org Tel: (33) 3122 1052 www.fpmt.org/mongolia www.lawudo.com Tel: (91) 445 65 14 Resident Geshe: Tel: (11) 321 580 Tel: (1) 221 875 Grupul de Studiu Buddhist Resident Geshe: Geshe Losang Khedup White Tara Geshe Thubten Choden Judetul Arges NEPAL (Tel Code 977) THE NETHERLANDS (Tel Code 31) Khedrup Sangye Yeshe [email protected] Centro Nagarjuna Valencia Study Group Tel: 4829 4216 Valencia Ganden Yiga Chözin Buddhist Maitreya Instituut Amsterdam Morelia www.nagarjunavalencia.com Meditation Centre Amsterdam khedrup_sangye_yeshe@ RUSSIA (Tel Code 7) Tel: (96) 395 1008 Pokhara www.maitreya.nl/adam yahoo.com.mx Resident Geshe: www.pokharabuddhist Tel: (020) 428 0842 Tel: (443) 308 5707 Aryadeva Study Group Geshe Lamsang centre.com Resident Teacher: St. Petersburg Ven. Kaye Miner Padmasambhava Tel: (61) 522 923 www.aryadeva.spb.ru O.Sel.Ling Centro de Retiros Study Center Tel: (812) 710 0012 Orgiva Maitreya Instituut Emst Durango Himalayan Buddhist www.oseling.com Emst [email protected] Meditation Centre Ganden Tendar Ling Tel: (95) 834 3134 www.maitreya.nl/emst Tel: (6181) 711 102 Kathmandu Study Group Resident Teacher: Tel: (0578) 661 450 www.fpmt-hbmc.org Moscow Ven. Champa Shenphen Rinchen Zangpo Center Resident Geshe: www.fpmt.ru Torreo´n Khachoe Ghakyil Nunnery Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen Tel: (926) 204 3164 Tekchen Chö Ling www.rinchenzangpo.org.mx Katmandu Ontinyent Tel: (087) 1712 6873 A project of Maitreya www.kopannunnery.org SINGAPORE (Tel Code 65) www.centrobudistaontinyent.es Tel: (1) 481 236 Instituut Emst: Tel: (96) 291 3231 Serlingpa Retreat Center Resident Geshes: Maitreya Uitgeverij Amitabha Buddhist Centre Zitacuaro Geshe Lobsang Zopa, (Maitreya Publications) Singapore Tushita Retreat Center http://calendarioretiroserlingpa. Geshe Tsering Norbu, Emst www.fpmtabc.org Arbúcies blogspot.com Geshe Konchog Nodrup, Tel: 6745 8547 www.budismotibetano.net/ Tel: (715) 153 9942 and Geshe Losang Chodak NEW ZEALAND (Tel Code 64) Resident Geshe: tushita Geshe Thubten Chonyi Tel: (97) 217 8262 Thubten Kunkyab Study Kopan Monastery Amitabha Hospice Service Group Avondale SLOVENIA (Tel Code 386) SWEDEN (Tel Code 46) Coapa Kathmandu www.amitabhahospice.org www.meditadf.blogspot.com www.kopanmonastery.com Tel: (09) 828 3321 Chagna Pemo Study Group Tsog Nyi Ling Study Group Tel: (552) 325 5861 Tel: (1) 482 1268 Domzale Ransta Resident Geshes: Khenrinpoche Chandrakirti Tibetan [email protected] www.fpmt.se Vajrapani Tibetan Buddhist Geshe Lhundrup Rigsel, Buddhist Meditation Centre Tel: (40) 573 571 Tel: (0224) 200 22 Study Group Geshe Lobsang Sherab, Richmond Huatulco Geshe Lobsang Nyendrak, www.chandrakirti.co.nz SPAIN (Tel Code 34) Yeshe Norbu Study Group [email protected] Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen, Tel: (03) 543 2015 Jonkoping Tel: (958) 587 0902 and Geshe Tashi Dhondup Resident Geshe: Ediciones Dharma yeshenorbustudygroup@ Resident Teacher: Novelda hotmail.com Yeshe Gyaltsen Center Geshe Jampa Tharchin Ven. Karin Valham www.edicionesdharma.com Tel: (0707) 321 793 Cozumel Resident Teacher: Alan Carter Tel: (96) 560 3200 www.fpmtcozumel.org Projects of Kopan Monastery: SWITZERLAND (Tel Code 41) Tel: (987) 869 2222 Mu Gompa Nagarjuna C.E.T. Alicante Dorje Chang Institute Chhekampar Alicante Gendun Drupa Centre MONGOLIA (Tel Code 976) Avondale www.fpmt/projects/tsum www.budismoalicante.com Muraz/Sierre www.dci.org.nz Resident Geshe: Tel: (66) 387 124 www.gendundrupa.ch Drolma Ling Nunnery Tel: (09) 828 3333 Geshe Jampa Tsundu Tel: (27) 455 7924 Ulaanbaatar Resident Geshe: Nagarjuna C.E.T. Barcelona www.fpmt.org/mongolia/ Geshe Thubten Wangchen Rachen Nunnery Barcelona Longku Center nunnery Chhekampar www.nagarjunabcn.org Bern Mahamudra Centre www.fpmt/projects/tsum Tel: (93) 457 0788 www.fpmt.ch Golden Light Sutra Center Colville Resident Geshe: Resident Geshe: Tel: (31) 332 5723 Darkhan www.mahamudra.org.nz Geshe Jampa Tsundu Geshe Losang Jamphel www.fpmt.org/mongolia Tel: (07) 866 6851 Tel: (1372) 28856 TAIWAN (Tel Code 886) UNITED STATES (Tel Code 1) Colorado www.wisdompubs.org Virginia Tel: (617) 776 7416 All Taiwanese centers are Arizona Lama Yeshe House Guhyasamaja Center accessible through: Study Group Montana Centreville www.fpmt.tw Manjushri Wisdom Center Boulder www.guhyasamaja.org Tucson [email protected] Osel Shen Phen Ling Tel: (703) 774 9692 Bodhicitta Culture www.manjushriwisdom Tel: (303) 447 0630 Missoula Resident Geshe: Enterprise Publishing fpmt.org www.fpmt-osel.org Khensur Lobsang Jampa Fongyuan Tel: (520) 971 1681 Florida Tel: (406) 543-2207 Rinpoche Tel/Fax: (2) 8787 8019 Land for Nagarjuna’s New Mexico Washington Heruka Center California Sutra and Tantra Ciaotou Dharma Study Group Thubten Norbu Ling Pamtingpa Center Tel: (7) 612 5599 Gyalwa Gyatso Santa Fe Buddhist Center Sarasota Tonasket www.tnlsf.org [email protected] Jinsiu Farlin Campbell [email protected] Tel: (505) 660 7056 Tel: (509) 223 3003 Taipei www.gyalwagyatso.org Tel: (941) 745 1147 Resident Teacher: Tel: (2) 2577 0333 Tel: (408) 866 5056 Don Handrick URUGUAY (Tel Code 598) Resident Geshe: Resident Teacher: Tse Pag Me Study Group Geshe Gyurme Zephyrhills Ven. Losang Drimay Ksitigarbha Tibetan tropical_moments@ Thubten Kunkyab Study Buddhist Center Shakyamuni Center verizon.net Group Land of Calm Abiding Ranchos de Taos Taichung City Montevideo San Simeon Tel: (813) 783 1888 Tel: (4) 2436 4123 [email protected] thubtenkunkyabsg@ http://landofcalmabiding.org Resident Geshe: yahoo.com.ar Tel: (303) 945 4977 Tubten Kunga Center New York Tel: 2708 3501 Geshe Ngawang Gyatso Deerfield Beach Land of Medicine Buddha www.tubtenkunga.org UNITED KINGDOM (Tel Code 44) Shantideva Meditation Group What does it mean Tel: (954) 421 6224 Soquel New York to be an FPMT Center, Resident Geshe: Jamyang Buddhist Centre www.landofmedicine [email protected] Study Group, Geshe Konchog Kyab London buddha.org Project or Service? www.jamyang.co.uk Tel: (831) 462 8383 North Carolina White Tara Tel: (02078) 208 787 If a center,project or service is Buddhist Group Resident Geshe: Tara Home Kadampa Center affiliated with FPMT, it means Maitland Geshe Tashi Tsering Soquel Raleigh that it follows the spiritual www.tarahome.org www.whitetaracenter.com www.kadampa-center.org direction of Lama Zopa Rin- Jamyang Buddhist Tel: (831) 477 7750 Tel: (407) 467 2706 Tel: (919) 859 3433 poche. It means that centers Centre Leeds Resident Geshe: and study groups use FPMT’s Leeds Tara Redwood School Indiana Geshe Gelek Chodha educational programs and www.jamyangleeds.co.uk Soquel material, created in the unique Tel: (07866) 760 460 Oregon www.tararedwoodschool.org Chenrezig Study Group lineage of Lama Yeshe and Evansville Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Jamyang Coventry Maitripa College Tsa Tsa Studio / www.chenrezig.org Each FPMT center, project Study Group Portland Center for Tel: (812) 425 2100 or service is incorporated indi- Coventry www.maitripa.org Tibetan Sacred Art vidually (is a separate legal www.coventry-buddhists.com Tel: (503) 235 2477 Richmond Massachusetts entity) and is responsible for its Resident Geshe: www.tsatsastudio.org own governance and finance. Khedrup Je Study Group Yangsi Rinpoche Liverpool Tel: (415) 503 0409 Buddha Maitreya All FPMT centers, study Study Group groups, projects and services [email protected] Texas Tel: (0758) 356 7309 Tse Chen Ling Northampton follow the FPMT Ethical Policy. [email protected] FPMT study groups are San Francisco Land of Compassion Land of Joy Tel: (413) 586 6288 groups which are using this www.tsechenling.org and Wisdom www.fpmtukretreat.co.uk status as a probationary period Tel: (415) 621 4215 Austin Tel: (07949) 595691 Kurukulla Center before a group becomes a legal Resident Geshe: www.austinfpmt.org entity and a full FPMT center or Geshe Ngawang Dakpa Medford Tel: (512) 280 8687 Saraswati Study Group project. Resident Teacher: www.kurukulla.org www.saraswati.org.uk FPMT study groups are not Emily Hsu Tel: (617) 624 0177 Vermont Tel: (01458) 252463 Resident Geshe: yet affiliated with the FPMT,and therefore do not have the same Vajrapani Institute Geshe Tenley Milarepa Center Yeshe Study Group responsibilities as a center or Cumbria Boulder Creek Barnet Wisdom Publications Inc. project, financially or adminis- yeshebuddhistcentre@ www.vajrapani.org www.milarepacenter.org Somerville tratively. yahoo.co.uk Tel: (831) 338 6654 Tel: (802) 633 4136 Tel: (01229) 885 329

70 MANDALA July - September 2011

Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa-Pomaia-Italy

Q Introduction Q A residential and on-line to Literary Tibetan UNIVERSITY ACCREDITED* with Bill Magee FPMT Basic Program October 17th - December 16th, 2011 January 2012-December 2013

This two-month full-time course is tailored speci cally for those Spend two years totally immersed in traditional Dharma study and who wish to learn to read Tibetan in order to support their study and practice of nine of the foundational texts of the Tibetan Buddhist practice of Tibetan Buddhism. It is aimed at complete beginners and no tradition of Lama Tzong Khapa. previous knowledge of Tibetan is either expected or required. - Stages of the Path This course consists of three daily sessions, each with a dierent - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds approach to studying Tibetan: - Mahayana Mind Training 1.Mornings: devoted to studying classical Tibetan grammar through - Mind and Cognition close reading of a variety of Tibetan texts, including selections from - Tenets Tzong-kha-pa, , and Mi-pham Gya-tsho. - Heart Sutra 2. Afternoons: students will learn the basics of Tibetan dialectical - Tathagata Essence debate through reading and debating Pur-bu-jok’s Collected Topics. - Ornament: 4th Chapter 3. Optional evening sessions: working with digital recordings of - Grounds and Paths of Secret Mantra teachings and translations arranged by Jerey Hopkins and Bill Magee Applications are open. especially for the needs of rst-year Tibetan language students. The program is an excellent preparation for the Masters Program of Classes take place Monday to Friday. Advanced Buddhist Studies scheduled to begin in January 2014. Dr. Bill Magee is Professor of Tibetan at Dharma Drum Buddhist College in Taiwan. Language: English Bill studied with Je rey Hopkins at the University of Virginia and taught at the University’s prestigious Summer Tibetan Language Institute for * Graduates of the residential program qualify for the diploma thirteen years. Bill is the author of numerous articles and books about ‘International Master’s in the Preservation and Development of Tibetan Buddhism including (with Elizabeth Napper) Fluent Tibetan: Wisdom Culture and the Art of Liberation’ and 90 university credits. a Prociency-Oriented Learning System. Graduates of the on-line course qualify for 20 university credits.

www.education.iltk.org/tibetan www.education.iltk.org/basicprogram