In This Issue
March Events
- 3/22 - 3/23 Khenpo Jigme in Boise
- 3/29 Khenpo Jigme teaches on Medicine Buddha in the Bay Area
April Events
- 4/5 - 4/6 Mahakala Practice at VVRC
- 4/7 - 4/9 Advanced Tibetan Class 7pm
- 4/11 - 4/13 Tibetan I & II New Class 7pm
- 4/18 - 4/19 Khenpo Jigme at Boulder Shambhala
- 4/18 Lama Wangdu in NYC
- 4/20 Khnepo Jigme at Boulder Mahamudra Group
May Events
- 5/16 - 5/17 Khenpo Jigme at Boulder Shambhala
- 5/18 Khenpo Jigme at Boulder Mahamudra Group
- 5/20 Monthly Sukhavati Practice
- 5/24 - 5/25 HHK in Boulder
Dreamy Links
- For a beautiful multimedia presentation of Namo Buddha Monastery, visit the Thrangu Vajrayana Buddhist Centre website from Hong Kong.
-
The journey continues with slideshows from 15 events from 2006 & 2007.
Karmapa in America '08
The Karmapa's Office of Administration in the United
States has joyously announced that His Holiness the Seventeenth
Gyalwang Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, will visit the United States
from May 15 – June 2, 2008. His Holiness will visit Boulder on May 24 -
25.The tour will cover three main regions, Eastern, Central, and Western according to the following schedule.
May 15 - 18: New York, NY
May 19 - 23: Karma Triyana Dharmachakra
May 24 - 25: Boulder, CO
May 26 - 28: Rest Days
May 29 - June 2: Seattle WA
For details continue to the Karmapa Visit website.
Many Buddhist organizations have come together to create the auspicious conditions for the visit including:
- Karma Triyana Dharmachakra and affiliates
- Nalandabodhi
- Shambhala International
- Mangala Shri Bhuti
- Centers affiliated with Venerable Kalu Rinpoche: Kagyu Droden Kunchab, Kagyu Changchub Chuling, Kagyu Dakshang Chuling, and Sukhasiddhi Foundation
- Satdharma
- Naropa University
- Centers affiliated with Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche: Vajra Vidya and Karma Mahasiddha Ling
- Rigpa USA
- Evam Buddhist Institute
At Vajra Vidya, it is our sincere wish to make a mandala offering of body, speech and mind to His Holiness if conditions come together in Boulder. This will be a time to reinforce the connection between His Holiness and Thrangu Rinpoche by expressing the heartfelt support of Rinpoche's students in the United States. Lama Wangdu and Khenpo Jigme will be excellent coaches for our group.
Contact coordinator@vajravidyaretreatcenter.org to express interest in participating in the mandala offering. We are also building a list of practice commitments.
There was something for everyone at Khenpo Jigme's generous teachings in the Boulder Shambhala shrine room. Karen Smith reports:
There were over 30 students in the Main Shrine room at the
Shambhala Center on Friday night for Khenpo’s
Lojong (mind-training) teaching. The teaching was very warm, clear and practical. Erik Drew did a great job
of translating and the Practice and Education
Director, Cynthia Kneen was very pleased. Khenpo said
that enlightenment is available now, on the spot, when
we overcome our afflictive emotions and our habitual
idea of ‘self’ and ‘other’
On Saturday Khenpo had three group audiences. The
first was for the general public and had about 20
students. The second was Tantrika (those who have
taken tantric vows and started the outer
preliminaries-Ngundro) and there were about 15 there
and for the final, Sadhaka (finished their preliminaries-Ngundro) there were perhaps 12 or 13.
Lama Wangdu's Report from Nepal and India
Birthday Celebration Finale
Rinpoche said he is now 75 years old and during this time he has not had many difficulties because of the love and support from his students. During the birthday celebration he made a commitment to long life in order to benefit all sentient beings. He explained that he had gained confidence towards a long life because of the samaya of his students and love towards him. The long life puja was a powerful expression of that dedication. Because of his aspiration for a long life, all of the participants knew that their efforts had been rewarded.
Dharma and Family Combination
Then I went to see my family. At that time, I got a chance
to go Thrangu Tara Abbey at Shambu. Since the next day was Mahakala day, they
were doing a long puja so I contributed toward a good lunch and made a feast offering. I had originally planned to take my mother and sister to Tibet.
However, based on Rinpoche's recommendation, we made a pilgrimage in India
instead. We spent two days in Sarnath where Buddha had given his first
teaching. I practiced by myself and did some group practice too. Then I offered
a good lunch and dana offering to all the monks and our Rinpoche, since he was
also in Sarnath at that time.
Kagyu Monlam
Then we went to Bodhgaya where Buddha obtained enlightenment
under the Bodhi Tree. I participated in the whole Kagyu Monlam with thousands
of monks and nuns and many other Buddhist practitioners. The fully ordained
monks had to be trained in every detail of the events. I had to learn about the
set of six dharma robes, a new hat and bowl. For the robes for example, there
are different instructions for wearing the robes during prostrations, while
walking and while sitting at monlam.
I was fortunate to be able do all of the monlam prayers in the presence of HH the 17th Karmapa, Gyaltsab Rinpoche, Jamgon Rinpoche, Thrangu Rinpoche, Tenga Rinpoche and many others Rinpoches, Khenpos, Lamas, monks, nuns and many others students from different countries all over the world.
The first day of the 25th Silver Jubilee Kagyu Monlam started with vows and guidance by HH 17th Karmapa. Ven. Thrangu Rinpoche started the second day. Then Ven.Gyaltsap Rinpoche started the third day. They traded off the rest of the time. The Monlam lasted for eight days to be followed by three additional days of Medicine Buddha Puja.
His Holiness made it so that from five in the morning until bedtime every moment was filled with just dharma activities. The eight days of Kagyu monlam arranged by HH the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa is something to compare with what we normally experience during the rest of the year. During monlam HH Karmapa gave teaching on the life of Milarepa and his songs and also gave teachings on and the empowerment of Medicine Buddha. Every day there was always special dedication prayers for the deceased and for the living. My mom was so happy to get blessing from all the high Rinpoches, the empowerment from HH the Karmapa and for the Kagyu Monlam. There were plenty of good experiences during the entire monlam. I felt like the Buddha was present with us and we were in a pure land. I was glad to see my mom was so satisfied with the pilgrimage.
The Return Trip
Then we three returned to Nepal.
I had a full annual physical check-up. Then I got chance to do the long
Mahakala Puja at Bouddha Monastery with the monks there. Not only that, but I
was the chant master after many years back to shrine room where I spent the
first day of my life as a monk. Then I went to Bhaktapur where they were
holding a three year retreat. I paid for a good lunch for the retreatants. I
went to offer khatas and butter lamps at Milarepa's cave. Then I returned to
Bouddha for few days shopping for the VVRC dharma store. Then I started the
journey back to Crestone VVRC.
I would like to thank all the people who supported my meaningful and successful dharma activities, dana, and puja offerings in Nepal and India. At every pilgrimage site, I dedicated the merit to all my sponsors and sentient beings.
May all sentient beings get chance to do such a pilgrimage.
Lama Karma Wangdu
On a final note, please consider coming to do retreat at VVRC now that the snow has melted in Crestone. Before Rinpoche's visit in June, we would like everyone to have a chance to experience the center.
Spring Blessings,
Deb Wolfe
Director
Vajra Vidya Retreat Center