tcp i newsletter 200812

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet

TCPI

Lotus Born SanghaWinter 2008newsletter II

A Message From Rinpoche

Greetings to our Dharma support group members,

Your support to the monastery's dharma activities has benefited us a lot. Therefore, we would like to thank you. I also would like to request you to continue your support to our activities in Shedra, Drupdra, school, temples, building statues, and the drashags outside the monastery. We always remember your kindness and pray for you.

Monastery Update

The Ani druptra is almost finished. They still need the 3 statues that are traditionally placed on top of the roof and to furnish it.

Building of the monk druptra has begun.

Restoration of murals and carved wood beams in the old temple has been completed.

Murals in the Dorje Trollo temple have been completed.

Extreme rains destroyed over 50 monastic houses this summer. New ones are currently being built.


Beginning in the 8th century, Tibetans consciously chose to follow a cultural course emphasizing wisdom and compassion. Following the teachings of the Buddha, a sophisticated understanding and knowledge base of how to cultivate love, compassion and insight arose that has been taught for generations in the Tibetan shedra. This Tibetan style "university" combines intellectual learning with experiential training that leads to a profound understanding of the nature of consciousness. In Tibet, many shedras were established at the major monasteries and from these an enormous number of accomplished masters have appeared, like a lake overflowing. As Rinpoche describes it, "generally speaking, a shedra is a place where one can study the essence of the Buddha Dharma in its entirety. Here one learns to know what is or isn’t the perfect truth. Students develop the splendor of their own inner knowledge and wisdom to pacify the external suffering that surrounds them. All the positive developments that we have experienced in recent times in the world have all stemmed from an education." The Tibetan word ‘shedra’ literally means “centre for teaching.”

Shedra Program

"These days it is universally acknowledged that an education is the most important thing to pursue. Education provides an insight into one’s own, and another’s

predicament and this opens up one’s vision of the world. Basically, all beings want to be happy and an education shows us how to actually bring this about."

~Rinpoche

A shedra is a monastic university where monks, nuns and serious pracitioners are trained in all facets of meditation and the cultural arts, subjects that span Tibet’s intellectual tradition. Under the guidance of learned scholars and living masters, students study major Buddhist texts, train in the wisdom traditions, and acquire ancillary skills in Tibetan arts and medicine. Here the methods of cultivating wisdom and compassion are taught. Over the course of a nine -to twelve- year study program, students study a wide variety of topics. The

Monastery Update

A library is in the planning stages and will be built right behind the old temple.

Lots of improvements have been made to existing structures. And a new structure has been built which safely stores electricity from the main electrical grid.

There is now a gas station at the monastery.

A new 2000-meter road was built to a new rock quarry. Previously, stone was carried by hand from this area.

A 3000-meter road extension to the monks thogyal druptra was completed.


Shedra Continuededucation will start from a primary level and go on to the higher Buddhist studies. It begins with the study of texts sacred to Rinpoche’s tradition. Sutra texts include the study of the four schools of Buddhist philosophy; the art of debating; and the study of the different categories of mind and of reasoning. These provide a crucial basis for the understanding and practice of Tantra and Dzogchen which follow. Students in a typical shedra will study Stutra texts for as much as four and six years before beginning their studies in Vajrayana. Students are encouraged to foster values such a s k i n d n e s s , c o m p a s s i o n , unselfishness, non-violence, open-mindedness, and respect for all life. Additionally, skills in the arts such as thanka and sand mandala painting, metal smithing, bronze casting, sculpting, woodcarving and carpentry, dance and theater are

taught. Coursework in traditional Tibetan medicine is offered as well. It is considered difficult to attain accurate knowledge from meditation training without having the basis of learning and reflection. After years and years of study, students will enter 3 year retreat for an experiential understanding of the teachings. Finally, all students receive training in pedagogy so they will be prepared to teach others. A person who has gone through the shedra program will have a comprehensive understanding of the Buddhist Teachings. This knowledge is not only for oneself, but it is to benefit others. Those who have that knowledge will be able to directly benefit others by helping them actually bring about and reveal the way to engage in virtuous activity and realize a state of peace. Uponcompletion of their training, graduates become certified teachers whose influence can be felt throughout Tibet. They become the vessels that hold the lifeblood of the Tibetan people. For this reason, the shedra system is the heart and circulatory system of the Tibetan society. Rinpoche has over 1000 potential shedra students. Currently, about 50 nuns and 35 monks are actively engaged in the shedra curriculum. Here is the voice of Losan, a 26-year-old monk. Losan is studying Tibetan grammar, poetry and advanced meditation teachings. When asked why he is studying, he says, "I want to help preserve Tib- etan Culture, so much of our culture is being lost. I want to help benefit


beings and practice the Dharma," Losan said. "For monastics, really our studies are never completed. But after I complete most of my studies, I will meditate to gain experience of the knowledge I’ve learned and find work in which I will benefit beings." The impact of a proper shedra is to remove the veils of lack of understanding, partial under-standing, and misunderstanding and doubt, and to gain a correct and exact comprehension of the Buddha’s flawless words. The shedra provides a valuable education for all _______________________I want to help preserve Tibetan Culture, so much of our culture is being lost._______________________those fortunate to attend, allowing these individuals to offer their gifts to others, thus preserving a rich tradition of compassion and wisdom. In addition, graduates provide basic support to the Tibetan community by sharing their skills and knowledge. These are reasons why a shedra is so important.

Kathy GervasiPagosa Springs, CO

A Day in the Life of Ani Ngawang Chodron

Druptra Retreatant

I spend all my time training my mind on the path and to see all phenomenon as impermanent in nature.

At dawn, I put on my holy robe, clean myself and then join with other sisters for prayer. We spend about two hours on generating perfect motivation, engaging in preliminary practice, including practicing guru yoga and reciting auspicious verses. This practice is carried out before daybreak. We have no problem engaging in this practice in daily basis in the dark without the sunlight and it gives our body a sense of bliss and clarity to our mind. After the daybreak, we have our morning tea and then dedicate our prayers to end the prayer session. If there is monastery work in the morning, all the sangha members spend their time between 9 and noon to accomplish our work task. Sometimes we have to work for a whole day. If there is no work assignment in the morning, the individual group unit leaders will ring the bell to urge the practitioners to engage in morning retreat session. We stay in our cell and do our practice in silence. I usually do my guru yoga practice at that time and I am able to produce virtuous results at this time. At 11:30AM, when the break bell rings, we dedicate our practice and then carry out our daily domestic tasks, which consumes up to two and half hours easily. When the lunchtime comes, we have our group lunch. At that time we do our offering and rituals. After lunch, we would have about 40 minutes to rest. Around 1:40PM, the Dharma King (the teacher) will bestow the students with profound teaching. I feel this is the most meaningful part of my life. At 3PM the teaching session ends and we have to go back to our afternoon retreat session. At 6:00PM the prayer bell rings and all the sisters gather for evening prayer. We do our deity yoga practice, and sadhanas for protectors during this session. This is followed by evening meal with noodle soup. When the night bell rings, we would stay in our bed and carry out our meditation practice, this provides a good facility for our practice. At 11:30PM, we go to sleep.


Lama UpdatesRinpoche has been at the monastery since June overseeing all the new construction, teaching at the festivals, and continuously giving interviews. He has been giving daily teachings on Words of My Perfect Teacher, and also teaching at the druptras. He is directly involved with every project at his monastery which just represents a small piece of his activity as a whole.

Tulku-la was at the monastery all summer studying texts. He is working on getting pictures of monastery activities. He is presently in Chengdu and will be heading back to the monastery soon.

The venerable sister has been in Chengdu since June. She is one of the main contacts for Rinpoche and all his students in Tibet and China. She is the liaison for Rinpoche and his Chinese students fulfilling their prayer requests. Recently she has been taking care of thank you letters for donations made this year. There was damage from the earthquake to the Chengdu apartment and she has been working on getting the repairs done, and also finishing the office above the apartment.

Words From Our Perfect Teacher

“Now more than ever compassion is import-ant in our lives. Com- passion is the source of all peace in the world. Everything good stems from compassion. It is important to develop compassion in the right way. Mere study will not suffice.We need natural a n d s p o n t a n e o u s compassion which is ever-present and has the correct attributes. This is not easy to do.

Compassion alone is not enough for one's practice. For example, just like it is not enough to know the alphabet to pass the exam, it is not enough to feel sorry for someone. One should feel compassion no matter the circum-stance. Without compassion the world would destroy itself.”


Thogyal Druptra: Rainbow Bodies At Work

Our teacher is creating two Thogyal druptras, one for nuns and one for monks. Thogyal is the practice that leads ultimately to Rainbow Body. The right environment is required to complete the practice. Susan Purcell interviewed Lama Tsultrim Allione about the druptras and the practice of Thogyal.SP Lama Tsultrim, I have the impression that our teacher is doing something unusual in building druptras for the practice of Thogyal. There will be eight practitioners in each druptra, one per room. Is it unusual to be doing this practice as a group rather than in solitary retreat?L Ts Well, I think that Thogyal in itself is unusual. It’s a very high practice, and you have to have certain conditions. For example, you have to have long views—rising sun, setting sun—ideally, and clear skies. Many people are not in the position to have those conditions. So just the fact that they have those conditions where they are is unusual. For example if someone is practicing in Kathmandu, they don’t have those conditions. If they’re practicing in many other

places in the United States even, they don’t have those conditions. Also it’s unusual to practice Thogyal because it is a very high practice. If you’re practicing Thogyal, it means that your Thekchod, or your nature of mind practice, is stable. It has to be stable or there’s no point in doing Thogyal. And that’s unusual. I’ve never heard before of a Thogyal druptra. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t existed in the past or that it didn’t exist in Tibet. I imagine that it probably did. It would be sort of like the graduate school from the three-year retreat, that you would do the three-year retreat first and then go into the Thogyal druptra. Because the stabilizations and the development that happened in the three-year retreat would then


put you in the position to focus on Thogyal, which is the highest practice. And it is the special method to reach Rainbow Body. I don’t think he’s setting up a situation where he thinks that people reach Rainbow Body together particularly—you know, all at once—because the process of Rainbow Body really happens at the time of death. But with a great teacher like ours, it would be traditional that many of his students would reach the Rainbow Body. And so, if they’re doing Thogyal retreats, it is likely that they would have the signs that it might be possible, that not only one or two but quite a few of them could reach Rainbow Body.SP The other question I had was, what could people who have reached Rainbow Body accomplish for themselves and other beings? What kind of siddhas would there be? Is it being able to fly in the sky or digest rocks?L Ts The point is not flying in the sky or those kinds of siddhis. Those are more by-products or signs along the way. They’re not the real point. The real point would be that they have reintegrated into their true condition, which is luminosity. We think that our true condition is density and the coarse physical body. But the actual true condition of our being when clinging is completely released is luminosity. And so if a being has returned to their true condition and has the technology—it really is a kind of technology or a methodology—to reach the Rainbow Body, then that would mean that

They would be out of the limitations that we find ourselves in. They would have the omniscience to benefit beings in lots of ways.SP Because they wouldn’t have the limitations of the physical density?L Ts Not only the limitations of the physical body but they would have an illuminated state. When we die, we don’t have the physical body, we don’t have that limitation, but that doesn’t mean we can help others, because we’re still caught in Samsara. It’s almost like the vibrational field has been changed and elevated into a higher vibration, a vibration of rainbow light and luminosity. But the consciousness is still present, that individual consciousness. That consciousness can move between dimensions; has omniscience, so knows that another being’s suffering; and so on. From that sort of state, they would be able to help a lot of beings. SP Would they have a huge...view? I’m trying to

________________________________________________

We think that our true condition is density and the coarse physical body. But the actual true condition of our being when clinging is completely released is luminosity.

____________________________________they would be free of the bonds of Samsara. And therefore free to benefit sentient beings in innumerable ways.

Druptra

The Tibetan word druptra literally means "place of accomplishment.” In the ideal environment, one can lend one's full attention to the task at

hand: deepening one's realization of the nature of reality. One uses visualization, yogic energy

control, and meditation. One goes from the place of knowledge, shedra, to the place of accomplishment, druptra. Without a druptra

facility, the extensive education of the shedra (8- 12 years) remains purely theoretical.

Three-Year RetreatA typical three-year retreat would go something like this: Ngondro, followed by Guru Yoga, then yiddam practice, followed by dakini practice. Sometimes there may be a long-life practice inserted for a few months. Chod is typically done every night throughout the three years. Usually there will be six months of breath practice and Longchen Nyingthig yogas.

Thekchod“Cutting through,” the practice that preceeds Thogyal.


Council MembersRobert Olander Chairman monastic coordinator Renee PittsKathryn Gervasi Secretary Treasurer Jim Boal Mac McCarty Jody Deychen

understand omniscience.L Ts It’s almost inconceivable, I think, what that experience would be like, to be able to tune in to anyone at any point. But then it’s also true that the faith of sentient beings in those illuminated beings facilitates their being able to help. It’s like…if we don’t have our TV on, we can’t receive the signal. So our practice is really “turning on the TV” so that we can receive the signal from that level of consciousness. So when we practice something like Guru Yoga, we attune to that field of energy. SP Is there anything else you would like to say about Thogyal and the druptras?L Ts To have the number of people that our teacher would like to put in these druptras indicates that he already has many students at a very high level of practice. And therefore, our supporting these druptras allows for this extraordinary level of practice to happen, which really has a worldwide significance. A practitioner practicing in the conditions that are there at this monastery, doing these kinds of practices—that level of practice will affect the whole world. That it is occurring on the planet at

this time changes things. And anyone who participates in supporting this, you have a direct karmic link with making it possible. And that’s an extraordinary connection to make. As they say, the blessings of the one who supports someone in retreat are equal to the blessings of the one in retreat. So it’s a very direct link to the beings who are at this extremely refined level of consciousness. SP On a bit different thread, is the practice of Thogyal universal among Buddhists?L Ts It’s unique amongst Buddhists. It’s really only practiced in the Nyingma and Bon traditions. Susan PurcellPagosa Springs, CO

Anyone who participates in supporting this, you have a direct karmic link with making it possible.

I rejoice in the virtue that creates the cause of gaining the enlightened state, and celebrate the freedom won by living beings from the round of

pain.

May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, may I be a guide for those who journey on the road. May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge for all who wish to

cross the water.

~Shantideva

_____________________________________________________________________________________

tcp i newsletter 200812

Documents