In-depth Stories

Geshe Tenzin Namdak teaching at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, UK. Photo courtesy of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre.

FPMT Spiritual Director Lama Zopa Rinpoche regularly encourages Western students to undertake serious, in-depth study of Buddha’s teachings. Rinpoche advises this to his students not only for their personal benefit, but because once they complete their studies, they are able to teach others.

Geshe Tenzin Namdak, a Dutch monk who spent more than two decades studying at Sera Je Monastic University in India, exemplifies this potential. His ability to combine the traditional Buddhist monastic education with a modern Western sensibility makes him a profoundly qualified teacher for students at FPMT centers. And in the short space of nearly three years, Geshe Namdak has offered teachings to hundreds of appreciative students around the world.

Kamlo Chen-Duffy, the spiritual program coordinator at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, shared this profile of Geshe Tenzin Namdak, who currently serves as the center’s FPMT resident geshe.

On May 8, 2017, Geshe Tenzin Namdak became the first Westerner to complete the twenty-year-long Geshe degree at Sera Je Monastic University. With that, his name joined a short but inspiring list of Westerners who have completed geshe studies programs, including Geshe Kelsang Wangmo and Geshe Tenzin Losel (Graham Woodhouse). This momentous achievement was followed by the completion of traditional postgraduate studies at Gyudmed Tantric College in India, solidifying Geshe Namdak’s status as a paragon and torchbearer for Dharma students practicing within the Nalanda tradition, both in the West and around the world.

Shortly after Geshe Namdak’s graduation, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who is Geshe Namdak’s root guru, appointed him as the resident teacher of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre. Geshe Namdak follows an illustrious line of resident teachers at Jamyang, including Geshe Namgyal Wangchen and Sera Mey Khen Rinpoche Geshe Tashi Tsering. In the summer of 2019, Geshe Namdak became the present custodian of this forty-year-old community, quickly building a rapport with its students, who were deeply grateful for his arrival.

During his first years in this post, Geshe-la, as he is called, has placed an emphasis on in-depth Buddhist study, recognizing the great benefit students derive from pursuing the structured study pathways provided by FPMT Education Programs. Geshe-la has highlighted the importance of this kind of education to students:

Why are we studying these in-depth aspects of Buddhism? Basically, to eliminate suffering for self and others. To commit yourself to something is good. If you really want to step further in your understanding of the Buddhist path, though it asks for effort, commit yourself to something like this. … Then it starts to come alive.

This focus on structured learning at Jamyang began with the launch of Discovering Buddhism, a Foundational FPMT Education Program. The cohort of students who embarked on this study path with Geshe-la celebrated completing the course in July 2021. At the end of the final teaching, students were invited to share their reflections.

“We all really want to thank you from the depths of our hearts for your incredible, skillful, and prudent guidance over the last three years on this fantastic journey of Discovering Buddhism,” said Nick Holzinger, speaking to Geshe Namdak on behalf of his peers. “Thank you for your amazing kindness and love. Thank you for your patience. And thank you especially for the incredible Dharma wisdom that you shared with us.”

Geshe Tenzin Namdak holding pecha pages at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre. Photo courtesy of the center.

Given Geshe Namdak’s dedication to providing in-depth study, it is perhaps unsurprising that he would next turn his attention toward the FPMT Basic Program (BP), which is a five-year course of advanced study. Before undertaking such a long-term commitment, Geshe-la checked with Lama Zopa Rinpoche about whether it would be of benefit. Rinpoche confirmed that commencing the BP at Jamyang would indeed be the best next step for the center. His observations were quickly corroborated when registration for the course opened in the summer of 2020 and Jamyang received more than two hundred applications from interested students worldwide.

This level of enthusiasm certainly exceeded expectations. As Geshe-la said during Jamyang’s Open Day for prospective program students, “There was a trend that in-depth studies maybe had less interest in recent years, but now I see there is a lot of interest. So I’m very happy to see that. That’s a sign of being extremely fortunate.”

Even in its second year, the BP at Jamyang has already had a transformative effect on the lives and minds of many students. They are being nurtured, supported, and encouraged by Geshe Namdak and a dedicated group of teaching assistants, who are graduates from the previous round of BP at Jamyang. Students are now used to Geshe-la urging them to persevere. “Studying to become a Buddha” is no easy task, he says, but a defeatist attitude that balks at the challenge is “not very constructive” and in the end “gives the victory to the afflictions.”

Geshe Namdak’s students have come to see the advantages of studying in a systematized manner and appreciate the value of being able to do that under the guidance of someone as learned as Geshe-la. “With each and every teaching I realize more and more how privileged we are to have Geshe Namdak as the resident teacher here at Jamyang. It feels like an impossible task to fully understand how precious it is to have him as our teacher,” said Adam South, a BP student. “His humility, patience, and kind nature are a testimony to the effectiveness of the Dharma. His ability to skillfully navigate the complexities of Dharma teachings while maintaining a light-hearted attitude makes Jamyang a wonderful place for in-depth study.”

With Geshe Namdak’s 2020 cycle of the FPMT Basic Program having firmly taken root, an exciting new project has begun to germinate: the Exploring Buddhism course. This new Foundational FPMT Education Program covers carefully selected topics of Buddhist philosophy and practice. These are compiled and presented in modules that help students build a good foundation for advanced studies. At the request of Ven. Joan Nicell, who at that time served as FPMT’s Foundational Program Coordinator, Geshe Namdak drafted the initial course in collaboration with Ven. Tenzin Legtsok, who is currently studying at Sera Je Monastic University. At present Exploring Buddhism is under further development by FPMT Education Services and is being piloted by various FPMT centers in several countries, enabling FPMT students worldwide to advance in their Dharma education. 

As we all know, 2020 was no ordinary year. The pandemic changed the way many Dharma centers provide teachings to students. Geshe Namdak, like innumerable other teachers, had to adapt to using video conferencing platforms to give teachings. Out of this disruption, however, new opportunities arose. Teachers found themselves able to connect with a greater number of students. Indeed, many of those studying the FPMT Basic Program with Geshe-la do so remotely, from around the globe.

Geshe Namdak giving an online teaching from Jamyang London Buddhist Centre. Photo courtesy of the center.

Even while Jamyang was in lock-down, online teaching allowed Geshe Namdak to continue to accept invitations to teach from other centers and study groups, extending his activities far beyond the stone walls of the courthouse where Jamyang is situated in London. For example, Saraswati Study Group in Somerset, UK, is mid-way through its own cycle of the FPMT Basic Program. Geshe-la has been teaching the group on specific subjects.

“We have already benefited significantly from Geshe Namdak’s teachings. He is so clear,” said Neil Atkinson, Saraswati’s coordinator. “It’s a very secure basis on which to practice. I have the instinctive feeling that if one listens, reflects, and then meditates on what Geshe-la says, the scope for making mistakes or for things going awry is very small.”

Being able to teach remotely also removes the demands of international travel. And Geshe Namdak has certainly made the most of this opportunity, teaching as far afield as the Netherlands (his home country); Bangalore, India; New York; and Madrid, Spain. Due to specific advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Geshe-la has also given well-attended teachings on philosophy to students at Nalanda Monastery in France.

“I am extremely lucky to be Geshe Namdak’s student,” said Conchi Fernandez, who is the spiritual program coordinator of Nagarjuna Centro de Estudios Budismo Tibetano in Madrid. “It is very easy for me to understand Dharma and integrate his teachings as he combines the traditional teachings with the way Western people need to study the Dharma. Also, his sense of humor and the way he is close to people—even though we study online—is something that makes the Dharma easy and profound at the same time.”

While Geshe-la is known by his students for his deep respect of the traditional presentation of the Buddhist teachings as preserved and passed down by generations of Indian and Tibetan masters, he is also innovative. Following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s example, he has made a concerted effort to collaborate with scientists. The fruit of this effort has manifested in “Science & Wisdom LIVE,” an initiative that brings contemplatives of various traditions into dialogue with experts in various scientific fields, including neuroscience and quantum physics.

As part of this project to make Buddhist wisdom accessible to new audiences, Geshe Namdak had an enlivening online conversation with theoretical biologist Dr. Rupert Sheldrake in June 2021. Their discussion explored the nature of reality, interconnectedness, and the relationship between consciousness and matter. “I much enjoyed the experience and found it very helpful in deepening my understanding of the Buddhist approach,” Dr. Sheldrake said of the encounter. “Geshe Namdak is amazingly clear in his explanations.”

Success in Buddhist studies requires many factors, including engaging in activities to accumulate merit, purify negativities, and eliminate obstacles. With this in mind, Geshe-la has inspired the community at Jamyang to undertake specific projects and adopt new traditions. These include annual recitations of scripture during the period of Saka Dawa and “Honouring the Lineage,” a project to install statues of the lineage masters in the gompa at Jamyang. Thus far, new statues of Shakyamuni Buddha, Lama Atisha, and Guru Rinpoche have been consecrated and installed, as well as Lama Tsongkhapa and his heart sons. The fundraising for the second part of the project—which will see the installation of statues of Manjushri, Chenrezig, Vajrapani, Nagarjuna, and Asanga—has already been completed.

Geshe Namdak on Losar at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, March 2022. Photo courtesy of the center.

Although he has adapted to life back in the West, for decades Geshe Namdak was immersed in, and derived great benefit from, Tibetan culture. He now gives regular talks to the UK Tibetan community, including the younger generation, in order to repay the kindness of the Tibetan people. Pempa Samuels is a teacher and member of the Tibetan community and also an FPMT Basic Program student at Jamyang. “He gives stories of his journey. He gives his time. He’s patient and encourages us. He gives us a realistic attitude,” Pempa said. “I’m really glad that Geshe-la has come to London and taken on board a massive amount of teaching roles. I’m grateful for that.”

A key factor that sustains Geshe Namdak’s connection to the Tibetan community is his fluency with the Tibetan language. This skill has also been put toward a number of virtuous translation projects, including short texts at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and a big project undertaken in partnership with Ven. Tenzin Legtsok for Sera Je Monastic University. Their translation of key parts of Khedrup Je’s Clearing Mental Darkness: An Ornament of Dharmakirti’s ‘Seven Treatises on Valid Cognition’ will be titled Freedom through Correct Knowing: On Khedrub Jé’s Interpretation of Dharmakirti and will be published by Wisdom Publications in August 2022.

Finally, Geshe Namdak sets an inspiring example for students, not only through his many teachings, but also by remaining committed to go into retreat for several months of the year, despite his active schedule. As he has said himself, “It is important to do retreat even when involved in many projects.”

Geshe Namdak giving a teaching for Losar, Jamyang London Buddhist Centre, March 2022. Photo courtesy of the center.

It is clear to see from these many endeavors that Geshe Tenzin Namdak is fulfilling the vast visions and wishes of his own teachers, including His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Those who have the privilege of hearing his teachings have no doubt that his motivations are sincere and steeped in compassion. In a short space of time, he has uplifted the minds of countless students. In their gratitude, they pray for his long life and that he continues to turn the wheel of Dharma, and they thank Lama Zopa Rinpoche for his immeasurable kindness in enjoining Geshe-la to teach.

Kamlo Chen-Duffy began working at Jamyang London Buddhist Centre as the center manager in September 2019. He transitioned to the role of spiritual program coordinator in May 2020. Since then, he has helped coordinate the enrollment of nearly four hundred students in long-term courses taught by the center’s resident teacher, Geshe Tenzin Namdak. Kamlo is also studying the FPMT Basic Program with Geshe Namdak. 

Learn more about FPMT Education Programs and opportunities to study Buddhism both online and on site on FPMT.org. You can also read more about Geshe Tenzin Namdak.

Ven. Thubten Lhamo offering puja.

The French nun Ven. Thubten Lhamo took refuge at Kopan Monastery in Nepal with Lama Thubten Yeshe in December 1979. She was ordained at Kopan in April 2017, on her sixty-sixth birthday. On November 13, 2017, under Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice, she started a three-year Vajrayogini retreat at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land in France. To conclude the retreat, Ven. Lhamo had to do fire pujas, which were done with the advice of Geshe Tenzin Loden, the resident geshe at Institut Vajra Yogini (IVY) in France. It took her four months to prepare for doing these pujas at IVY and four additional months to complete them, which happened in July 2021. As we publish this interview, Ven. Lhamo is in the Pyrenees finishing some commitments and doing more retreat.

As she was doing the fire pujas, Nicolas Brun, director of IVY, sat down with Ven. Lhamo to talk about the retreat. She shared that it does not feel appropriate to her to call it “her retreat” since so many people helped her with it. This reflection of her humble and sincere approach to practice runs throughout this interview. Please note that this interview was done in English although French is Ven. Lhamo’s first language. We are so pleased to share it with you. May it be the source of incredible inspiration for your own practice and retreat aspirations!

Offerings at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France.

The Interview

Nicolas Brun: How did you decide to do three-year retreat? It is a large undertaking. What motivated you to do it?

Ven. Lhamo: So, I did not decide. I asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche for advice because I have made so many mistakes. There were many things to do. The advice was written: “three-year retreat.” I thought it was a preliminary practice. I didn’t understand. And then when I stopped working, I asked Rinpoche about this retreat, and he told me, “Vajrayogini retreat.” That’s the way it happened. 

How long did it take to prepare to go into retreat? What are the preparations you made?

It took me a long time because when you do retreat you have to do nine preliminaries. Some preliminaries I had done before, but some I had not done. It took me, maybe … two years? More than one year. So I did them at different places—Osel Ling, my house, Institut Vajra Yogini, Nepal, Bodhgaya. I received help from Holly [Ansett] to know what all these preliminaries were because, again, I didn’t know anything about this. It was very funny, you know, I had no information about all this. So the main thing was this preparation.

Beautiful surroundings at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land.

Describe what an average day was like during the three-year retreat. What was your environment like?

For me it’s not easy to wake up early in the morning, so I woke up at 6:20 A.M. and would start quite late. But I felt okay doing like this. I was doing four sessions a day, maybe two hours each, and finishing later in the evening. I think it was okay for me to do like this. The main thing was to do the four sessions. Except sometimes when I was very tired, I would do three or even one when I was exhausted. But I kept doing my four sessions most of the time. I also had to do my normal practice. I had to cook. I went for a walk every day at lunch time because I was in a very beautiful place in the mountains, and I think for me this was a very good habit because I needed space, you know. The forest was beautiful, and there were animals. It was a good way to relax.

What advice was important to you during this retreat?

I was doing what Lama Zopa asked me to do. This was very important because most of the time I felt that I don’t understand anything, I’m unqualified, my mind is unsubdued. The only thing I had was Rinpoche told me to do this retreat. That was the only thing that could keep me there on my cushion. He knows why I am doing this. But I don’t remember that he gave me special advice. Maybe I would have needed more advice, but maybe I didn’t know how to ask for it, I don’t know. This could maybe have to come from me, but I didn’t ask Rinpoche.

For other people, I think it might be really nice if you have someone who can really help you when you feel bad. And at some point Geshe-la [Geshe Loden] here helped me, but more for practical questions like how to do the fire pujas and things like this.

But what was going on inside, I had to cope with it. I didn’t feel helpless, but maybe that’s the job to do.

Ven. Lhamo at Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France.

What was the most difficult part of doing the three year retreat? Did you ever think about giving up?

It was difficult just to be with myself. This is always difficult because you face your mind all day long. You cannot escape. You have to cope with it and face it.

I didn’t think to give up, I don’t think so. But I was desperate, I cried a lot. I had many wounds inside. But I could see that everybody has, so that gives me more compassion for people. When I do funny things or bad things, it is because I have this wound that is not cured. But my challenge was not to get hypnotized by my wounds, but to go very deep inside the wound because then at some point it’s like it disappears. I had this experience. I didn’t think to give up because I said, “Yes, I will do.”

Were there other difficult things other than being with yourself?

Sometimes you can be sick. I became very thin during my retreat. I had problems with the liver, pain all night. And to cope with this, the main thing is the mind.

You have to accept yourself and learn to love yourself. I considered that if I don’t love myself, then I cannot love anyone because then I will pretend I love others just to gain a good feeling or to look nicer or to have a reputation or things like this. I could see it was a duty to love myself. And I wrote, “I have to love myself even when I don’t love myself.” And maybe this is the main thing I have learned. I mean, I am not finished learning this.

Because then, all of the practice is twisted, and I had this question all the time, “Where is the practice? What is the practice?” I had this question and I still have this question. It’s like you have questions, and you just follow something, and the questions are more important than the answers. This is the feeling I have; it is a process—“Where is the practice? Who am I? Who is practicing?”—because I didn’t want to just pretend. 

Some of the animals of Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France. Photo courtesy of Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land.

What was the most pleasurable part of doing the retreat?

It was not coming from my practice. [Laughter.] The pleasurable part was to go outside in the woods and to see the animals, and I met the people living there, very simple people. It helped me a lot because I talked with them, not much, but yes I talked. They knew I was in retreat, but I didn’t talk about my retreat. I like people like this. No big words, no big complicated Buddhist world.

Sometimes I felt good, and I followed the advice of Lama Yeshe. Lama Yeshe said to write down things. So I had on my table a small booklet, and especially in the morning I wrote many things. 

So you had the advice to have a little booklet for writing down notes during the retreat?

Yes, when the thought comes, write it down because some seconds after, it’s finished. So you have to write it down when it comes. It used to come during my first session in the morning. I started and then I write. It was the best time to write. Have it ready to write in, so you don’t have to look for anything.

Do you read through the booklet again sometimes?

I am sometimes surprised what I wrote. Sometimes nice things, yes. So it’s just like a glimpse of something.

What was the most significant thing you learned in the retreat?

What I said before, to love myself. Then, at some point, I don’t know why I had this feeling that good or bad is the same—feeling good, feeling bad is the same. I had this feeling when I finished my retreat. I lost it now.

Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land, France. Photo courtesy of Thakpa Kachoe Retreat Land.

You noticed after the retreat there was a little bit of equanimity?

I have no name [for it]. I have this feeling to go somewhere I have no name. I cannot say. Just, to love oneself. Because it’s not me, me, me. Because you can be fascinated by this. It’s just to love yourself, kind of, at the same time detached. I had this feeling that really, this was necessary. And that [there are these questions about] the practice—Where is the practice? Where is the real point? You have to [do this] work, you know? Because I can pretend, which I did before. I did pretend I was a holy being [laughs]. Then I made so many mistakes. So, yeah, Where is the practice? What is the practice? What does it mean really?

What advice do you have for others who are considering doing a long retreat?

I would like to say first that I am a very ordinary being. That means, anybody could do this retreat. Because I am just nobody special. I could do this retreat because so many people helped me all the time. So I had this feeling that it’s not my retreat.

When you feel bad, when you feel lost, at least you remember, “my guru told me to do this.” At least I had this.

Of course, to prepare the material things is so important. Like your papers [such as mail], medicine, health, teeth, what to eat. So with these things you have to be very well organized and have different solutions if things change. People can die. People can get sick. So be very clear about all this.

And then, if you are sick, what do you do? Do you go to see a doctor? Are you going to stay in your house? So I think maybe something has to be done about the caretaker. To help them to know what to do. Because when I was sick, it was difficult, and it’s like, I had to really be sure that I was sick, you know. To allow myself to go to the doctor. I waited until really I couldn’t cope with it. I went to the doctor, and one time to the dentist also.

So the caretakers, it would be important that the caretakers have training or maybe advice about how to help people during retreat because sometimes you have to make big decisions.

Yes, like to go to the doctor, I was not sure if I could wait. Do I have to go or not? I didn’t know, so that was difficult. And you have to think about what to do if people die. Because, of course, some people can die. You have to prepare to separate from your family. For me to separate from my grandson was most difficult. 

Do you have any more advice?

Not to wait to be too old. You need energy and to be in good health. Because, of course, if you have pain, it is difficult. You have to know your limits and to know what you need. And for me, I had pain in the knees. But I couldn’t go see a physical therapist. I can go once to the doctor, but I cannot go every week to see them. So then, okay, you have to cope with your pain. 

Ven. Lhamo (center) with Geshe Loden and Nicolas Brun, Institut Vajra Yogini, France.

You are doing fire pujas to complete the retreat. How long will that last?

About the fire pujas, I didn’t know anything because you cannot know everything before starting, there are too many things to know. So then you learn little by little. When I asked Lama Zopa Rinpoche he told me to ask Geshe Loden at Institut Vajra Yogni. So then Geshe Loden spoke about making pills, 650,000 pills. Then, I had to buy a machine in China to make pills. So then, that was very difficult. But, what was nice is that many people helped me to make these pills. And during the process we learned a lot. Sometimes we were desperate during the retreat because the machine was not working. Then it was very friendly and very joyful at the same time—the feeling to help each other and do something nice. Actually it was a very good experience. So when we finished it was, “Oh! Finished!” But it is not finished because now I have to burn all of these pills. So to burn I think it will take maybe three months. Something like this.

What do you have planned for what comes next?

I don’t know what I will do next. Maybe I will go to Dorje Pamo Nunnery. I will ask Rinpoche’s advice. This is the main thing. I will offer what I intend to do, and I will ask his advice because I don’t know.

And I still have more retreats to do anyway, all the other retreats. But when I was doing the three-year retreat, I had the feeling that my life now is retreat. I didn’t have the feeling that I will finish now. It’s not that I mediate, I am not a meditator. And if I did this retreat I think it is because I am lazy, I have no discipline. So I need something strong, and then I do.

I hope you are able to find another strong project.

I will see what Lama Zopa Rinpoche says. Really, I feel him a lot. And this place, this place in the Alps, is a very nice place. Because as soon as you go outside, you have this big, big space and it’s beautiful. So this helped a lot.

Billions of Thanks from Lama Zopa Rinpoche

After the retreat, Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote a letter to Ven. Lhamo, including the following:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, November 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Billions of thank yous for finishing this retreat … so inspiring! And great that Geshe-la was able to help so it was clear for you.

Numberless thanks for doing the retreat and dedicating the life to sentient beings, following His Holiness’ wishes and Lama Yeshe, and that you were able to complete with Geshe-la’s help—as he did two three-year retreats himself—so fortunate! I am sure Vajrayogini is blissed out and extremely pleased. Now you’re ready to go to the pure land. Now in the world there are so many problems with the pandemic, environment, etc. Now you can go to Vajrayogini pure land and there you can become enlightened very quickly, much quicker than in Amitabha pure land, as it takes more than one life there.

This is great inspiration in the world for others to do the three-year retreat of Vajrayogini.

More Advice and Reflection from Ven. Lhamo

In addition to what Ven. Lhamo said about the retreat in her interview, she also wanted to share the following with students thinking about engaging in retreat:

Ven. Lhamo doing puja

• Know yourself with honesty before starting.
• Have a schedule that you can keep according to your capacities and preferences, but have a clear structure and rhythm.
• Have a mentor with whom you can communicate, receive help, and clarify what you are doing and what is happening involving inner work and practical issues.
• Receive the blessing of your teacher, sometimes it is the only “thing” you have to continue.
• Solitude makes you discover and perceive new things. You go through death and craziness. It is not an intellectual reflection but a practical living experience.
• You can sing the practice, listen to audio.
• Do practical work like painting and making things.

Ven. Lhamo said, “When I finished, my first thought was, ‘This was a preparation. I would like to do the real retreat.’ To finish is not easy. … And I really don’t know what I will do after.”

Ven. Lhamo also wishes to sincerely thank the many people who helped her, including sending offerings on her behalf, helping her with the fire pujas, and preparing the pills needed for the fire pujas.

FPMT.org brings you news of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and of activities, teachings, and events from FPMT centers, projects, and services around the globe as well as from students, teachers, and others in the FPMT community. If you like what you read, consider becoming a Friend of FPMT, which supports our work.

You can learn more about Thakpa Kachoe Tibetan Buddhist Retreat Land: www.thakpakachoe.org

Lama Zopa Rinpoche standing on the ridge where the very large Padmasambhava statue will be built above the Maratika Caves, Nepal, September 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

By Ven. Sarah Thresher

Maratika, known locally as Halesi, is a sacred pilgrimage site with ancient meditation caves located in eastern Nepal where Guru Rinpoche achieved immortality. Ven. Sarah Thresher has undertaken the journey to Maratika annually since 2007 to make offerings and prayers for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s long life, and shares here some of the history and features of this holy place, along with some details of Rinpoche’s recent visit and vast vision for its future.

According to the late head of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Maratika is one of the six holiest places in this world, along with Bodhgaya in India, Manjushri’s Five-Peak Mountain and the Potala Mountain in China. The remaining two places have not been “opened” yet: Uddiyana and Shambhala. Some years ago, Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote, “In the Maratika cave where Guru Rinpoche found immortal realization, all your prayers can succeed.”

Ancient scriptures record that long ago Maratika was blessed by the three Buddhas—Manjushri, Chenrezig, and Vajrapani—and that due to this blessing any practice performed on the three hills in Maratika that bear their names is a hundred times more powerful than practices done at other places. It is also said that Eighteen Long Life Tantras—along with other teachings taught by Buddha Amitabha in Sukhavati at the request of Chenrezig—were scribed by dakinis in symbolic script using pure gold and concealed in a jeweled casket in the caves of this holy place. This makes Maratika a particularly powerful place for any kind of practice and especially for those that dispel obstacles to life.

Padmasambhava (also known as Guru Rinpoche)

Since ancient times, generations of great Buddhist masters and practitioners have undertaken the sacred journey to Maratika to practice in its caves. Most famously, the legendary master himself, the second Buddha, Padmasmbhava (known also as Guru Rinpoche), sought the blessings of these caves for his practice of longevity with the Princess Mandarava. After engaging in long-life practice for three months, Buddha Amitayus appeared in front of the Guru and wisdom mother and placed a vase of long-life nectar on their crowns to grant empowerments. Upon drinking the nectar they accomplished the state of immortal life, free from birth and death, and then arose as Hayagriva and Vajravarahi.

The more one reads and learns about Maratika, the more devotion and faith arise that this is not an ordinary place. High lamas have composed praises of Maratika’s outer, inner, and secret qualities. His Holiness Trulshik Rinpoche writes that all twenty-four holy places are contained within Maratika:

Nowhere in India, Tibet, or elsewhere will such an exceptional pilgrimage place be found.
I, an ordinary being, could never finish expressing the qualities of Maratika
But since they are seen to be true, they cannot be denied.[1]

Maratika has long been a popular destination for pilgrims from all over the Himalayan regions—including high lamas from all traditions—but now more and more pilgrims are visiting from around the world. Many come to do long-life prayers and practice for their teachers or themselves.

The previous Trulshik Rinpoche would spend one month of his precious time each year in retreat at Maratika for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s long life and would send nuns from his gompa at Thubten Choling to stay all year round in continuous long-life practice for His Holiness in the main cave.

Kopan nuns doing puja on Manjushri Hill in 2013. Photo courtesy of Ven. Sarah Thresher.

For many years, Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme (Khadro-la) has also come annually to Maratika to do long-life retreat for His Holiness. She usually does retreat in the Guru Rinpoche Secret Save at Manjushri—a smaller cave located near the main cave of longevity—where His Holiness Sakya Trizin and His Holiness Drukchen Rinpoche spent time in retreat. On one occasion Khadro-la had a vision of Buddha Amitayus in this cave that lasted many days, and she made long-life pills, which she later offered to His Holiness.

Anyone can go to Maratika for a short or long retreat or simply for pilgrimage, and it’s still possible to practice in the caves. In the past Khadro-la has recommended that pilgrims stay for three days, three weeks, or three months. It is said that merely having the thought to go to Maratika is very powerful, and His Holiness Sakya Trizin said that on arriving in Maratika all of one’s life obstacles will be removed.

Maratika is situated on a ridge with distant views of the Himalayas to one side and river valleys and hills to the other. The journey to get there, through river valleys and rural Nepal, takes around eight hours by jeep from Kathmandu, so it is necessary to spend at least one or two nights there. Personally, I recommend at least a three-day, four-night stay as there is so much to see, and it’s important to have time for meditation and prayers also.

There are five main caves—the Long-life Cave, the Heruka Cave, the Secret Cave, the Garuda Cave, and the Naga Cave. There is also Mandarava’s Cave, which is in the jungle a half-day’s jeep trip away. Each cave has its own special character: some are very large and others are small, some are high up and others are deeper in the earth.

Both inside the caves and outside on the hills, there are many naturally arising rang jung, or special features—such as a natural conch in the Wrathful Cave, victory banners, umbrellas and pennants hanging from the roof of the caves, dakini script on the walls, a phurba, a treasure chest, a mandala, and so many more.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche praying at the Tsebum long life vase where all prayers are fulfilled. Photo by Ven. Sarah Thresher.

One small area of the main cave has many of these kinds of holy objects—the imprint of the holy body of Buddha Amitayus, the Buddha of Long Life; a naturally arising long-life arrow; a White Tara in the rock above; and next to that, Buddha Amitayus’ long-life vase (tse bum), where special nectar will sometimes flow on auspicious occasions. Many meditators like to practice here as these sacred objects make it the perfect place to recite long-life mantras or sutras. The long-life vase is considered the most holy object at Maratika, and it is said that any prayers made at the vase will definitely be fulfilled.[2] There are also four “pathways” inside the main cave—challenges in the rocks that a pilgrim must past through in order to purify the following: birth in the lower realms, the intermediate state, birth from an ordinary womb, and broken samaya with the guru.

There is a connection between FPMT and Maratika. The Lawudo Lama, Kunzang Yeshe, who is Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation, spent time at the pilgrimage site. His heart disciple, Ngawang Chophel, built the monastery at the mouth of the cave and became the first Maratika Lama.[3] On Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s first visit to Maratika in 2008, the young reincarnation of Ngawang Chophel (who passed away in 1997) was there to greet Rinpoche, and they have met since. (He is currently a teenager studying at Mindroling Monastery in India.) Rinpoche has been very generously supporting the small Nyingma monastery at Maratika for many years now. The most recent donations offered were to complete the new monastery building, which is currently underway.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Maratika Caves, Nepal, February 2016. Photo by Ven. Losang Sherab.

Over the past fourteen years, the small hamlet that was Maratika has developed rapidly due to the completion of a road from Kathmandu. The cost of land has skyrocketed, and it has become harder and harder to find and purchase suitable property. Like many places that expand quickly, Maratika’s growth has been somewhat chaotic and unplanned. Hotels and guesthouses have sprung up all over what used to be an idyllic landscape of fields. Whereas in the past it was necessary to trek several days to reach the caves and stay in conditions of hardship, it is now a relatively easy journey with quite luxurious new hotels in which to stay. 

There is no doubt that Maratika will continue to develop, bringing with it a constant influx of many thousands of pilgrims, similar to Bodhgaya. Most of these pilgrims will not be Buddhist and with this growth, there is the danger that some of the pilgrimage site’s rich Buddhist heritage could be lost.

With this in mind, Rinpoche has envisioned the construction of a huge Padmasambhava statue on Manjushri Hill above the Guru’s Secret Cave. People will be able to visit the statue and practice there. A plot of public land has been secured, plans have been drawn up, and the construction team and statue maker have been appointed.

The statue of Padmasambhava, which is planned to be 45 feet (14 meters) tall with a 15-foot (4.5-meter) throne, will be in the aspect of Padma Gyalpo, Padmasambhava’s magnetizing form. It will be made of bronze and plated with gold. The statue will take around five years to complete.

Having seen how rapidly Maratika has developed over the past five years, I can only guess at how important this project is and how it will affect the town that grows around it. It is an awe-inspiring vision. There is also a wish to have a place for our gurus and some students to stay and do retreat nearby the statue.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche and Khadro-la doing the bhumi puja on the ground where a 66-foot tall Padmasambhava statue will be built, Maratika, Nepal, April 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In April 2021, Rinpoche and Khadro-la traveled to Maratika to see the land and do a preliminary blessing. In September 2021, Rinpoche returned to Maratika along with the Kopan lama gyupas and nuns to do the actual blessing of the land on the most auspicious day. This was meant to be just a short trip of two days, but since all the conditions for our visit were so idyllic—a smooth journey, perfect weather, peaceful and conducive accommodation—the trip was extended a further two days. This gave time for Rinpoche to interact with some of the local people. He taught two of the hotel owners, blessed the goats in Maratika liberated for his long life, gave two Zoom teachings, and also visited the main cave to make special prayers at the long life vase, which was opened only for Rinpoche. For those of us fortunate to accompany Rinpoche on the trip, it felt like a very auspicious time.

Kopan lama gyupas performing the bumi puja and ground consecration puja on the Guru Rinpoche statue land in Maratika, before the actual building begins of the statue, September 2021. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

For pilgrims wishing to visit, Rinpoche translated The Requesting Prayer to Maratika, which is a concise guide to the holy places and holy objects of Maratika in the form of a prayer.[4]

I hope that everyone who reads this article will rejoice and aspire to visit Maratika and pray for the long lives of our precious teachers, the success of this holy object project, and for all our teachers wishes to be effortlessly fulfilled.

Ven Sarah Thresher is an English nun, currently living in Nepal. She first met Buddhism at Kopan in 1982 and ordained a few years later. In the past she has worked as an editor and taught at FPMT centers around the world.

Learn more about Rinpoche’s Vast Vision to build Padmasambhava statues around the world as part of the Padmasambhava Project for Peace.

Endnotes:

[1] Taken from The Vajra Song Melodiously Praising Maratika by Kyabje Trulshik Rinpoche.

[2] Good introduction to the sites of Maratika can be found on the websites Nekhor.org and Maratika.info.

[3] More information on this relationship past and present can be found in the book The Lawudo Lama.

[4] The prayer was composed by a Nyingma Khenpo while in retreat in Maratika and offered to Rinpoche in the cave while Rinpoche was doing practice.

Lama Yeshe and Geoff Jukes, Kew Gardens, London, 1982. Photo courtesy Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

For more than three decades, the Meridian Trust has been documenting Buddhist teachings and traditions around the world. The UK-based organization has collected an archive of more than 2,500 hours of film and video, including rare footage of the generation of Tibetan lineage holders who first went into exile. Vicki Mackenzie shares the story of the Meridian Trust and its connection to FPMT.

Unbeknown to most Buddhist students, there is a stash of hidden treasure accessible through a mere tap of the fingertip. Faces, voices and words of the most venerable masters who managed to escape from Tibet, video of His Holiness the Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace prize, extraordinary footage from Tibet itself of its culture and historical events, and little gems of meetings between students and gurus. It’s accessible through the Meridian Trust website, an archive of over 2,500 hours of footage that has recorded the vanishing Tibetan traditions. And it is the brain child of Geoff Jukes, a long-term British student of Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and manager of some of the biggest names in the British music industry. 

“The late 1970s and early 1980s, was an extraordinary time to meet the Dharma,” Geoff said. “There seemed to be an unending supply of these very rare beings, who appeared in our midst, the repositories of the unique Tibetan culture that was rapidly vanishing. It became very clear to me what an extraordinary window of opportunity we had been given, and it wasn’t going to go on forever. I wanted to record and preserve it for future generations. I discussed it with Lama Yeshe, and he was very enthusiastic.”

Geoff pulled together a group of people, friends, and friends of friends, and with his professional access to sound and video equipment started recording. At the beginning they filmed the Tibetan masters who Lama Yeshe boldly persuaded to come to the UK to teach at his newly formed FPMT centers—eminent teachers such as His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche, Geshe Dargye, Serkong Rinpoche, and of course Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche. “We all acted from the heart,” Geoff said. “In the early days it was remarkably easy, because the teachers were so available.”

Screenshot of Meridian Trust Digital Archive Service page

The project took a giant leap forward in 1985 when Geoff and his team approached His Holiness the Dalai Lama to ask if it were appropriate to continue filming the lamas. His Holiness not only approved but instructed that all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism should be included as well as Bon. “His Holiness gave us a list of the teachers and the commentaries that they were known for, to be recorded for posterity. He understood that it was vital that we capture something that was passing.”

In 1985 Meridian Trust was born, the name created by Greta Jensen, a founding trustee and camera person, signifying the global line of longitude where two cultures meet.

Today, more than thirty years later, Meridian Trust are still filming and offer a cornucopia of inspiring, instructive, and valuable footage. Following the Dalai Lama’s advice, they have filmed teachers from all schools, including Kalu Rinpoche, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Khensur Ngawang Nyima, Lati Rinpoche, Senje Choden Rinpoche, and many others. There are interviews with leading painters, sculptors, and weavers. There is footage following Namkhai Norbu and a group of pilgrims to the holy mountain of Kailash and the hidden kingdom of Shang Shung. You can also find hours of video of the His Holiness the Dalai Lama, including the first Kalachakra initiation in Europe, held in Rikon, Switzerland in 1985; his private audiences; his appearance, arranged by Geoff, at the famous Glastonbury Pop Festival in 2015; and his public talk with the comedian and author Russell Brand in 2012.

Meridian Trust homepage

“For me, however, it’s the early films that are particularly precious because no-one else was doing it then,” said Geoff. “We caught some iconic FPMT moments such as His Holiness’s and Lama Yeshe’s teachings at Institut Vajra Yogini in France and at Istituto Lama Tsong Khapa in Italy in 1981. Many FPMT centers do not realize the special, iconic moments we’ve captured and which are available to them.”

In recent years Meridian Trust has broadened its scope to reflect how Dharma is evolving in the West through a variety of emerging Buddhist teachers like Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Ven. Robina Courtin, Alan B. Wallace, and others, as well as Tenzin Osel Hita (Lama Yeshe’s reincarnation).

Greta Jensen recalls how things have changed for over the years:

“At the beginning the equipment was so large we had to hire big cars to carry it all around. It was like lugging furniture about. I remember setting up in Bodhgaya to film the Kalachakra. The Dalai Lama and a retinue of monks were on the stage going around the mandala staking it out before it began. I was trying to get these huge, thick sound cables in place. One had got stuck behind His Holiness’s throne, and I crawled along to untangle it when I came face to face with the Dalai Lama, who had seen the problem and had freed it. ‘Here you are,’ he said. There were lots of wonderful moments. I remember filming the meeting between His Holiness and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Basil Hume. I locked him out, but managed to get him in finally.”

Today, Meridian Trust has digitized all its work, making it available worldwide for different audiences: Buddhist, scholars, adventurers.

Screenshot of videos in Historical category on Meridian Trust website

“As more Chinese are engaging in their spiritual traditions, there may come a time when they will appreciate more what the Tibetans have to offer,” said Marie Beresford, trustee and long-term member of the Meridian team.

Meridian Trust has recently handed over a copy of the entire archive to the Tibetan Library of Works and Archives in India to be held for posterity. The trust has also over the years trained Tibetan film crews working for the library to document their own history.

“It’s very exciting for the Tibetan people to see not only His Holiness in Western countries but also their own land and culture. I feel as if Meridian Trust is paying homage, giving back something of the enormous treasure the Tibetans have given to us,” said Geoff. 

Meridian is expanding its scope by launching a new, updated website (meridian-trust.org) in January 2021, which will include podcasts and articles covering a wide range of Dharma subjects.

Visit the Meridian Trust online to watch videos and learn more about the video archive.

Vicki Mackenzie is a British journalist who has written for the national and inter national press for over forty years. Her articles have appeared in The Sunday Times, The Observer, The Telegraph, the Daily Mail and many magazines in Britain and Australia. She’s also the international best-selling author of Cave in the Snow; Reincarnation: The Boy Lama; Child of Tibet; Reborn in the West: The Reincarnation Masters; and Why Buddhism? Westerners in Search of Wisdom. Her latest book is The Revolutionary Life of Freda Bedi: British Feminist, Indian Nationalist, Buddhist Nun, published in March 2017 by Shambhala Publications and available in the Foundation Store. She has been a student of Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche since 1976.

Food distribution in Barachati Village, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, the FPMT center in Bodhgaya, Bihar State, India, has been distributing daily staples and food to local poor people and migrant laborers returning to their villages due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Community service is one of FPMT’s Five Pillars of Service. Samten Dolma Bhutia, center manager, shares the story.

Root Institute had the wish to offer service during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in our state of Bihar, one of the poorest states in India with a high volume of migrant workers. The merit-multiplying month of Saka Dawa helped us set this course into action.

Village representative Vijay Paswan helping with a survey in Ghongwa Village, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

By the blessing of Lama Zopa Rinpoche (please read Rinpoche’s message on this project), we began distributing food in May, funded by Root Institute. In June 2020, we received a donation from the Tzu Chi Foundation in Taiwan for food distribution around the Buddhist holy sites of Bodhgaya and Sarnath, and began distributing food on their behalf on June 5.

Two nuns, Ani Lhundrup Doma and Ani Tsangmo; Mr. Pema Tsering, Maitreya School principal; and Root Institute staff lent their kind assistance. We distributed 206 bags of food on the first day.

We sought the help of Father Lawrence, who familiarized us with the poorest village. Father Lawrence is a Jesuit priest who runs a school and missionary project in Bodhgaya and the surrounding area. Their church members surveyed the villages they are connected to and collected their clients’ names from their database.

They surveyed the first village we would distribute to, a remote village named Barachati, and made a list of 160 names. We had extra bags left over after visiting Barachati, so we distributed them to the Romani Indians who live in tents by the roadside.

Root staff members, including Mr. Pema Tsering, suggested that we conduct a survey on our own with the help of our staff. The next day Pema-la asked Umesh, our bus conductor, to take us to his village. Umesh was happy to help us with this survey.

When we go for a survey, we note down the names of the villagers and their identity numbers and give them coupons. The next day, when we do the food distribution, the villagers bring their coupons and identity cards, and we check our list and get their signatures to assure that all the names listed get a food bag.

We go from house to house, collecting their names from their identity card and noting down the identity number. (There could be many people with the same name, but identity numbers are unique.) Our purpose for going house to house or having a village representative help us is because not everyone in the village is poor. There are some who own land and a farm tractor and are not in dire need of food, and in some cases three or four members come from the same family for food, when we don’t visit house to house. 

MD Shahid and Binod packaging food at Root Institute, Bodhgaya, Bihar, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

Pema, Umesh, and I went by scooter to Illara, Umesh’s village, and the nearby village of Bandha. All together we collected 129 names. The next day we packed 129 bags of food and left Root to distribute food to Illara and Bandha Villages.

Our director contacted Ladakhi monk Anand Bhantey ji and asked him to help us find another village. He came the next day, picked up Shahid and I, and took us to a village named Phur Phuri. Anand Bhantey ji had helped these villagers make a tent to shelter them from rain and heat, and helped them with food as well. He also has plans to educate the children.

MD Shahid and Samten Dolma Bhutia on a Maitreya School bus delivering food to villages, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

The people of Phur Phuri Village don’t have anything — not even identity documents. Because of this they cannot access all of the provisions provided by the government. It would have been very hard for us to find this village without Anand Bhantey ji because they live in an area inaccessible by vehicles.

When we reached Phur Puri the people were so happy to welcome Anand Bhantey ji. They greeted Anand Bhantey ji, Shahid, and I by saying, “Namaste Guru ji.” There were 51 families, and we collected their names.

Most of the women of Phur Phuri Village are teenagers, cooking, cleaning, and looking after their children. Phur Phuri villagers belong to Musar, the lowest caste in the caste hierarchy. They live on whatever they can get in their daily lives, such as wages earned by carrying loads or by hunting rats in paddy fields. They seemed to us to be cheerful and hardworking. We distributed 51 bags of food in this village. This totaled 386 food bags distributed in the community on behalf of Root Institute.

On July 6, I revisited this village again to distribute clothing to the children, sponsored by my kind friend Kumphen, who has also helped with Root Institute activities and social service projects.

Samten Dolma Bhutia collecting coupons and signatures from the villagers while Shatrudan offers bags of food in Bandha Village, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by MD Shahid.

Surveying was the most overwhelming phase of our work as it was during this period that we met villagers and encountered their lives in the village. Our hearts were particularly touched by the elderly people living in mud houses and still struggling to obtain their basic needs. As we conducted surveys we were assisted by a village leader or an active member of the village due to their familiarity with the people.

After conducting the surveys we made many food distribution trips, offering bags of food to 140 families in Kundali Village, 193 families in Baighanbigha Village, 69 families in Sihodavatad Village, 86 families in lalita Ganj Village, 98 families in Sukandih Village, 24 families in Gaya Krimganj Village, and 101 families in Cherki Village. In sum, we reached 711 families.

Barachati Village, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

We had identified 224 more people in need of food assistance from Dab Manshidi and Godwadi Villages, but we had to stop delivering food before we could reach them due to a sudden and total lockdown beginning on July 16, due to increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in Bihar. 

Finally, on September 13, we were able to distribute food to these communities. As our school buses were not allowed to move around, we distributed the food by asking village heads to bring their farm tractors to Root Institute. Dinesh Kumar, the Navidih Village headman, came to Root Institute with a farm tractor and auto rickshaw to pick up food distribution sacks. Then Tashi-la, Mahakala Cave manager; Kishori, Maitreya School staff; and Raj Kumar, Gopa, and I from Root went to the villages with Dinesh to distribute the food to the people on our list from the surveys. Although we had collected the names of 224 people from Dab Manshidi and Godwadi Villages before the lockdown, by September only 208 bags were distributed as some people had left the village.

The following day we took the remaining 15 sacks of food to Veda Orphan Old Age Home in Bodhgaya, where we distributed 13 bags. We gave the remaining 2 bags to the people we met on the way back to Root Institute.

We have not yet completed our food distribution project on behalf of the Tzu Chi Charitable Foundation. We will be going out to distribute food in the future when the time is good for us to do so.

Lucy Khujur and village representative Ravi helping with food distribution in Sukhandi Village, Bihar State, India, July 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

We are grateful to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and feel blessed to have been able to distribute food to people in need. With Rinpoche’s blessings we were able to reduce our fear. When we see others suffering it helps us forget our own suffering. Thank you to the many benefactors who have so generously benefitted the poor laborers struggling to meet their basic needs. Thanks to their generosity, we were able to help others, thereby collecting merit and purifying negative karma.

Barachati Village, Bihar State, India, June 2020. Photo by Samten Dolma Bhutia.

After Lama Zopa Rinpoche heard about the food distristribution activities as Root Institute, he offered this message:

Benefits of Charity: Root Institute’s Food Distribution Program during COVID-19

Guru Shakayamuni Buddha said in his teachings that if even a strand of hair is given in charity to a sentient being, for 80,000 eons one will not be reborn in the lower realms and for many lifetimes will be born into auspicious wealth, good health, and fulfilment of wishes due to this action. In the Arya Sanghata Sutra it says one will attain enlightenment by doing the same action. These are the kinds of benefits that are beyond expression and concept.

This food distribution that Root Institute is offering is not just a strand of hair but a variety of food items that are given in charity to the poorest of the poor. So there is benefit beyond expression and concept. When they receive the sacks of food they are extremely happy.

Normally, these kinds of free distributions happen only around local election times. So when we did the food distribution, they were wondering what election was happening. Our food distribution was made across the board, irrespective of the recipient being a Christian, a Muslim, or a Hindu. When the food distribution happened for the first time, we collaborated with the local priests, thinking they might be most familiar with charitable works, but then there was a sense of selective charity toward only those associated with their missions. This did not appeal to us. So after the first distribution we did our own survey to identify the poorest of the poor families, who were extremely happy and appreciative of the help.

We used the school bus for transportation and draped the side of the bus with a huge picture of the Buddha. [Recordings of Rinpoche chanting prayers and mantras were also played over the bus’s speaker.] By merely seeing the image of the Buddha [and hearing the prayers and mantras] they accumulate vast amounts of merit and purified unimaginable amounts of negative karma.

To understand the extent of this merit, it is stated in the Sutra of the Mudra: Entrance to Generating the Power of Devotion that Buddha said, “Manjugosha, a boy or girl of the race, for eons equaling the sand grains of the River Ganga, offers divine food of a hundred tastes and, likewise, divine dress every day to solitary-realizer buddhas equaling the atoms of the whole entire universe, but, Manjushri, any other boy or girl of the race who sees a painting or statue of a buddha collects numberless greater merits. What need is there to mention that anyone who puts their palms together or offers flowers, scent, incense, or lights, [or offering water bowls, Rinpoche adds] collects numberless greater merits than that?” So it is like this, benefitting us from lifetime after lifetime and in dependence upon this we attain the state of Buddhahood.

I also instructed the nuns to participate in the food distribution so that the people can see the robes of a Buddhist and rejoice, and thereby become a condition for them to meet the perfect teachings in their future life—the Buddha’s teaching on the four noble truths, the means to liberation from the great ocean of samsara, for them to have the opportunity to study and practice these teachings, and attain enlightenment. For these benefits, the two nuns went and distributed food.

Thinking from the side of the beneficiaries, these are times of great hardships for them, and help has arrived in their utmost time of need. When we are extremely poor with nothing left to eat and when someone helps us in such a time of need, imagine how extremely happy and appreciative we feel. By this you know exactly what it’s like.

Colophon: Lama Zopa Rinpoche dictated this message in Tibetan to Ven. Tsenla, director of Root Institute, at Kopan Monastery, Nepal, on July 3, 2020. Translated by Ven. Tsenla, edited lightly by Carina Rumrill.

Root Institute center manager Samten Dolma Bhutia writes, “Thank you to everyone who has been helping with this project, including Root Institute staff members Sunil Kumar Manjhi, Arun Paswan, Anil Paswan, Ramananad Das, Lucy Khujur, Lily Kujur, Poonam Devi, Pravin Malakar, Gauri Shankar, Sunil Das, Karan Prajapat, Rupan Manjhi, Binod Kumar, Mehfuz Alam, Raj Kumar, Gopal, Ajay, Kishori, and Ven. Dekyong for looking after Root Institute and for always giving us valuable information and suggestions.

“Thank you to Ladakhi Lama (fondly known as “Baling”), who has been very kind and caring during this time, and Root Institute director Ven. Tsenla for gathering funds to reach out to the poorest of the people affected by COVID-19, for being constantly available, and for guiding us in the work.

“We would also like to thank the villagers who have represented their villages and helped us with our project: Viijay Paswan, Ravindra, Ravi, and Dinesh. Thank you to Tashi-la, Mahakala Cave manager, who has selflessly helped the Root and our staff with food distribution.”

For more information about Root Institute for Wisdom Culture, visit their website:
https://www.rootinstitute.ngo/

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi at Kopan Monastery, May 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi is abbot of Kopan Monastery and Kopan Nunnery, the FPMT monastic institutions in Kathmandu, Nepal, and resident geshe at Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC), the FPMT center in Singapore. This story is based on the July 2020 video “The Story of Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi and the History of Kopan Monastery,” in which Khen Rinpoche shares his experiences from when he was a boy in the Solu Khumbu District of Nepal to being a monk at Kopan in the 1970s to becoming the abbot of Kopan Monastery.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi was born in Solu Khumbu District, Nepal, in 1962, and was ordained by Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the age of twelve on Tibetan New Year.

His father, a carpenter, had developed a wish for one of his sons to become a monk after visiting Lawudo Gompa in Solu Khumbu—where Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s previous incarnation had meditated and where Rinpoche had established a monastery school called the Mount Everest Centre for Buddhist Studies in 1971—and seeing the little monks there. Lama Thubten Yeshe and Max Mathews (known as Mummy Max) visited their village in 1974, looking for young boys to join the Mount Everest Centre, which eventually moved year round to Kopan Monastery.

Khen Rinpoche’s father set out to meet Lama Yeshe, bringing along only Khen Rinpoche’s younger brother. But then before reaching Lama Yeshe, as Khen Rinpoche recounts, his father thought that he had better bring Khen Rinpoche, too, reasoning that if Lama Yeshe doesn’t accept both of his sons, he will accept one son. So his father returned home to get Khen Rinpoche.

“My mother told me that at that time I was washing my feet,” Khen Rinpoche says. “I was so excited to see Lama Yeshe. So I just completed washing one leg and had no time to wash the other leg. [As I left to go meet Lama Yeshe] I was wearing one shoe on my foot and carrying one shoe in my hand and rushing.” Happily, Lama Yeshe accepted Khen Rinpoche.

Four or five years after he began his monastic studies, Khen Rinpoche’s older brother, who was living in Kathmandu, advised Khen Rinpoche to leave the monastery and go to a school, thinking his brother wasn’t really studying at the monastery. When Khen Rinpoche consulted Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, who was overseeing monastic education at Kopan, Khensur Rinpoche said, “If you go to a school what can you achieve? Just the basic knowledge, not much more than that. But then you are also creating so much negative karma in your life. So even if you don’t learn much, it is better to stay in the monastery. In this way every day you can collect merit all the time.”

Many teachers from Sera Je Monastery in South India, such as Geshe Doga and Geshe Jampa Gyatso, came to visit Kopan Monastery and teach philosophy. Scholastic monks from Sera Je Monastery also would sometimes stay at Kopan while on pilgrimage in Kathmandu. “Then we had to debate with them,” Khen Rinpoche explains. “Most of us were not good in debate at that time, so we were very nervous to debate with them. … I noticed that whatever questions were asked to the monks from Sera, they answered very well.” This inspired Khen Rinpoche to want to know everything about Buddhist philosophy.

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi with Kopan monastics celebrating his birthday at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, July 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

In 1980, Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup, Lama Yeshe, and Lama Zopa Rinpoche decided to send twelve Kopan monks to Sera Je Monastery to study. Lama Yeshe and Khensur Rinpoche asked Khen Rinpoche if he would want to go to Sera, which he did.

Khensur Rinpoche then accompanied the group of Kopan monks to Sera Je Monastery and stayed with them for the first month. Feeling discouraged after the first month, Khen Rinpoche told Khensur Rinpoche that he didn’t understand anything and wanted to return to Kopan. Khensur Rinpoche said, “One month is too short. So you must stay longer and try.”

Three or four months later, still feeling discouraged, Khen Rinpoche thought to return to Kopan. “But,” he said, “I didn’t have contact with my parents or my brother. At the same time I didn’t have money. So I couldn’t go back because there was no money for me to go back.”

After one year things improved. He understood more of what was being taught so he could debate with others. And Merry Colony, a long-time FPMT American student, began helping him at the request of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Merry sponsored Khen Rinpoche until he graduated, about twenty years. He said, “Because of her support, I had a deep interest to study. Because of that, I was able to complete my studies.”

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi and Lama Zopa Rinpoche celebrating Khen Rinpoche’s birthday at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, Nepal, July 2020. Photo by Ven. Lobsang Sherab.

Khen Rinpoche received the geshe lamrampa degree in 1997 and then completed a year of study at Gyudmed Tantric College. After he completed his studies, his mother told him a story he had never heard before.

When he was three years old, she and his father decided to go to India and leave Khen Rinpoche with his grandparents in Nepal. One week after leaving Khen Rinpoche with his grandparents, she had a dream that he was requesting to her, “Please don’t go.” Feeling uneasy and worried something might happen to him if she went to India, she set out the next morning to bring him home. His father, unhappy, went to India alone. Shortly afterwards Khen Rinpoche became very sick. If she had gone to India, she told him, then he probably would have died.

He says, “When I heard that, it really touched my heart and tears came to my eyes. If my mother didn’t protect me at that time, then there’s no way I can study, no way I can graduate, no way I can teach.”

After completing his studies Khen Rinpoche taught philosophy to the young monks at Kopan for nine or ten months. Then Lama Zopa Rinpoche decided to send Khen Rinpoche to teach at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, the FPMT center in Singapore, and the center invited him.

When he went to Singapore in October 1999 he thought he would just try it for one year, but has now been there twenty-one years. After Khen Rinpoche began to teach the FPMT Basic Program at ABC at Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s request, Khen Rinpoche says, “Many people showed a big interest, especially the senior students. All of them came to the class. At the same time, I saw that people were very interested in learning Buddhist philosophy. They had very busy lives. They were at their jobs from morning until evening. Then they would have a quick dinner and come to class from 7:30-9:30 p.m. twice per week. When I saw that, it really encouraged me to teach more and share with them what I learned.”

About Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s visit to ABC in 2019, Khen Rinpoche says, “Rinpoche expressed that he was extremely happy about the center. He said that his wish is fulfilled. When Rinpoche expressed his happiness it really touched my heart. I am able to make a little contribution to fulfill Rinpoche’s wishes.”

In 2011, when Khensur Rinpoche Lama Lhundrup’s sickness got worse, Lama Zopa Rinpoche asked Khen Rinpoche to become abbot of Kopan. He advised Khen Rinpoche to spend eight months each year teaching at ABC and four months looking after Kopan.

“Who I am now is truly due to the kindness of the teacher, the gurus who teach me, who guide me, who show me the true path,” Khen Rinpoche says. “The best way to repay the guru’s kindness is to follow the guru’s advice as much as possible and fulfill the guru’s wishes. This way we make our lives meaningful.”

Watch “The Story of Khen Rinpoche Geshe Thubten Chonyi and the History of Kopan Monastery” on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/-4GMJ-68xI8

You can find more information about Kopan Monastery and Kopan Nunnery online.

For information about Amitabha Buddhist Centre, please visit their website.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, Avondale College Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand, March 2020. Photo by Peter Tram.

His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche visited New Zealand during the Fifteen Days of Miracles from February 26 to March 21, 2020. Rinpoche visited FPMT centers Dorje Chang Institute for Wisdom Culture on February 29–March 2, Amitabha Hospice Service on March 3, Mahamudra Centre on March 6–8, and Chandrakirti Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre on March 10–15.

Dorje Chang Institute spiritual program coordinator Gyalten Wangmo, Mahamudra trustees Ven. Tenzin Nangsel and Katrina Robertson, Amitabha Hospice operations manager Anjalee Pieries, and Chanrakirti spiritual program coordinator Jennifer Coyne share the story.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, Avalon College Theatre, Auckland, New Zealand, March 2020. Photo by Dirk Jutzas.

His Eminence the 7th Kyabje Yongzin Ling Rinpoche’s delightful and meaningful first visit to New Zealand started in Auckland at Dorje Chang Institute for Wisdom Culture (DCI).

During the visit, His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s presence showed the aspect of relaxedness, acute precise awareness, warm friendliness, and a deep happiness and joyfulness. His Eminence offered such clear, precise, accessible, and practical teachings about how to get the experience of Dharma, emphasizing how to have realistic expectations about our practice. His Eminence taught on “Transforming Problems into Happiness: The Eight Verses of Thought Transformation,” “Compassion and Loving Kindness Meditation,” “Public Talk: A Peaceful Mind in a Turbulent World,” and “An Introduction to the Secret, Profound Practice of Tonglen.”

We hired an outside venue, Avondale College Theatre, to allow for greater attendance. In total we had approximately 428 attendees. This visit was supported by the generosity of volunteers and benefactors, big and small, who took responsibility to make meaningful contributions so that everyone could benefit.

Geshe Wangchen, our FPMT resident teacher, welcomed the opportunity to offer His Eminence Ling Rinpoche and his entourage—Ven. Kartsön (Yaki Platt), Ven. Tenzin Khentse, and Geshe Lobsang Yonten—outings to a variety of beaches and other places in Auckland. Geshe-la said that especially when they went for walks and swimming, it was an unforgettable time.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche expressed, during a thank you tea with core visit volunteers, that His Eminence enjoyed the time at DCI, commenting that it is a beautiful center with so much green land—including jungle—and yet is so centrally located for people. The center was nourished by His Eminence showing the aspect of enjoying and appreciating DCI’s environment and center.

We sincerely thanked His Eminence Ling Rinpoche for all of the blessings and believe much benefit was offered through the visit through the precious teachings people received, the service they offered, and the connections they made for the future.

While in Auckland, His Eminence Ling Rinpoche also met with and gave advice to the local Tibetan community in Auckland, and visited Tashi Gomang Centre and the Kagyu Buddhist Centre.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, Mahamudra Centre, Colville, New Zealand, March 2020. Photo by Niki Arends.

For many weeks Mahamudra Centre was filled with hustle and bustle akin to preparing for a royal visit. We were fortunate to have several experienced and enthusiastic Sangha members staying at the center at the time to assist with preparations.

The trip from Auckland was not a smooth one. The brand new car’s air-conditioning unit decided not to work and for no apparent reason would only blow hot air on the four passengers on what was an unusually hot and humid day.

After stopping the car in desperation twenty minutes into the trip, thinking His Eminence Ling Rinpoche would need to be transferred to the vehicle transporting Ven. Kartsön and the luggage, the air conditioning proceeded to work perfectly. Rinpoche showed his sense of humor by advising the driver that she would be recorded in his biography as “the woman who tried to cook the Lama.”

The Mahamudra Centre community welcomed His Eminence Ling Rinpoche into our very New Zealand rainbow decorated gompa, where we did the traditional welcome. Rinpoche, humble and gentle, was beautifully attended to by his team. Their soft and gentle manner settled the most nervous among us, and we couldn’t help but beam radiant smiles.

The center is located on eight acres of land on the remote Coromandel Peninsula. In true rural Kiwi style one of the center’s founders, Roy Fraser, organized a road trip. Heading north on the dirt roads, Hi Eminence Ling Rinpoche was shown the rugged beauty of the coast and mountains on the tip of the peninsula.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s daily walks included a search for sheep, an encounter with the local goat, a pat for a lucky horse, and blessings given to calves being readied for transport.

The weekend program included “An Introduction to White Tara Practice,” teachings on The 37 Practices of a Bodhisattva, and an Orange Manjushri initiation. The teachings were pertinent for our center, where many personalities work together and the path is not always easy. These teachings provided a solid foundation to fall back on when things are not smooth.

After the Mahamudra Centre events concluded, His Eminence Ling Rinpoche visited and met with students at the local Chinese Buddhist Centre.

We are grateful for His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s willingness to travel far distances to reach students of the Dharma. We pray for Rinpoche’s long life, the spreading of Rinpoche’s teachings throughout the world, and that we will meet Rinpoche in New Zealand again.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche with patients, volunteers, staff, and trustees, Amitabha Hospice Service, Auckland, New Zealand, March 2020. Photo by Rinchen Dhondup.

Amitabha Hospice Service staff, patients, and volunteers had the opportunity to meet and greet His Eminence Ling Rinpoche when he visited Amitabha Hospice Service, the only Buddhist hospice in New Zealand, on March 3. Rinpoche was very impressed by the hospice’s work and commended all of the staff and volunteers for all they do to help the elderly and vulnerable people in our community. We were very much honored by this visit and Rinpoche’s blessings.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche, Chandrakirti Centre, Nelson, New Zealand, March 2020. Photo by Seija Brogi.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s visit to Chandrakirti Centre was wish-fulfilling for the whole community. On March 10 Rinpoche was welcomed at the airport by center FPMT resident teacher Geshe Jampa Tharchin, director Phillipa Rutherford, and students. Rinpoche came directly to Chandrakirti Centre, where after the traditional welcome Phillipa gave a short speech, observing the auspiciousness of Rinpoche’s arrival day as it was also the day Maitreya is predicted to arrive. Rinpoche chuckled on hearing this.

The following day His Eminence Ling Rinpoche took a short tour of the center and blessed the stupa, the prayer wheel house under construction, and the giant Buddha statue. Geshe-la introduced Rinpoche to the Chandrakirti resident ducks, and Rinpoche paused to feed the ducks!

The following day His Eminence Ling Rinpoche toured the new retreat land project, Wish Fulfilling Land. Rinpoche admired the earth bricks we had been making. Phillipa and Geshe-la shared Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s vision for the retreat land. His Eminence Ling Rinpoche led prayers and blessed the land, then tied a khata to a tree.

On Friday evening His Eminence Ling Rinpoche gave a public talk in a packed Nalanda Hall on “Overcoming Anxiety.” Rinpoche took questions at the end and everyone left with a warm, happy, peaceful feeling.

On Saturday and Sunday His Eminence Ling Rinpoche very kindly gave us the oral transmission and commentary on The Three Principal Aspects of the Path, reminding us to make life meaningful by developing a stable foundation in renunciation, bodhichitta, and emptiness. On Sunday afternoon Rinpoche gave a White Tara initiation, which was a very auspicious and moving occasion for everyone.

Following the events at Chandrakirti Centre, His Eminence Ling Rinpoche continued his New Zealand tour in Dunedin and Christchurch, before returning to India.

His Eminence Ling Rinpoche’s visit to New Zealand was a very special and memorable experience. We all hope that we have the merit for Rinpoche to return to New Zealand very soon!

For more information about the FPMT centers in New Zealand, please see their listing in the FPMT directory.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Kathleen Everett and Jemma Galova, Women’s Healthy Relationships Group at Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, an FPMT touring teacher, visited the Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group, an FPMT study group located in a coastal town in northern Western Australia. The week spent together left lasting impressions on everyone involved. Sandy Faber, Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group coordinator, shares the story.

In March 2019, Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group was fortunate to have Geshe Tenzin Zopa visit Broome and engage with a variety local of First Nation, health, and community groups, forming connections with people and discussing various topics from a Buddhist psychology perspective.

Broome is a small town on the northwest coast of Western Australia, on traditional Djugun Yawuru lands, where the red Great Sandy Desert meets the blue tropical Indian Ocean. The hot and humid wet season weather was in force during Geshe-la’s visit. Broome’s population of 14,500 is a wonderful mixture of Indigenous Aboriginal First Nations people along with (due to a history of pearl-hunting in the area) Japanese, Malay, and Indonesian intermixed families, as well as more recent western European arrivals.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with local First Nations Yawuru and Karajarri Elder Jimmy Edgar, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la’s visit began on March 21, 2019, with a Welcome to Country ritual by local First Nations Yawuru and Karajarri elder, Jimmy Edgar. Geshe-la and Jimmy connected immediately as they shared, compared, and exchanged cultural knowledge. Jimmy accompanied Geshe-la to an afternoon Harmony Day event held at Broome CIRCLE, where Geshe-la had been invited to speak by the HelpingMinds group. Everyone at this event was Welcomed to Country by Yawuru representative Natalie Dean. Most appropriately and fortuitously, Geshe-la spoke about receiving the 2019 Global Peace Leadership and Excellence Award and the importance of practicing harmony.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Yawuru representative Natalie Dean at Broome CIRCLE, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la said harmony is the basis for all positive achievements on an individual, community, state, national, and international level. Harmony is practiced through love, kindness, compassion, and respect. We can practice by seeing and respectfully acknowledging qualities in others, and expressing our respect through the actions of our body, speech, and mind. He told us harmony is also present in the practice of “the wisdom of understanding the interdependence among all of the different cultures, ethnicities, beliefs, and not only humans but also nature, including oceans, space, and plants.”

Geshe-la expressed that if we are first able to practice harmony perfectly towards ourselves, then we will also be able to practice it towards our loved ones, family members, and further within our community at the local, state, national, and international levels. He said, “Even within a small family of two people if you are able to practice respect, compassion, and loving kindness for each other then this will bring success, happiness, joy, fulfillment, and the meaning of life to that family.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Sandy Faber and Neil Turner at Broome CIRCLE, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo courtesy of Sandy Faber.

“My belief and understanding is that the best solution, the best antidote to overcoming violence, depression, misunderstandings, disrespect, self-centeredness, or greediness is harmony expressed through love, kindness, compassion, and respect,” Geshe-la said. Harmony is a simple practice that everyone is able to engage in. “It doesn’t require money or someone else’s approval to practice,” Geshe-la told us. “It can be practiced by anybody: young and old, poor and rich, the powerful and less powerful.” Harmony can be practiced by people from any belief system or way of thinking.

Geshe-la shared, “Harmony doesn’t mean you have to go shake hands with someone or smile all of the time. The first move is to start within, by harmonizing one’s positive energy with oneself: loving oneself correctly, practicing compassion for oneself, offering respect to oneself. Then take that energy, that practice, that attitude and share it, beginning with the person nearest to you. This could be your children or your spouse.”

Geshe-la concluded by saying, “May we all be able to practice this practice of harmony perfectly to the best of our ability. May the world be completely actualized in the practice of harmony.”

Watch Geshe Tenzin Zopa’s twelve-minute Harmony Day talk on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/QsmSfQWNbmE

The following day Geshe-la was invited to speak about mental health at a Mental Health Luncheon at Mabu Liyan, a government-run mental health rehabilitation center with locations in Broome and East Kimberley Kununurra. This was well attended by the local Broome mental health team as well as the East Kimberley Kununurra team who work at another center 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) away and attended the luncheon via video conference!

The next morning, Saturday, March 23, Geshe-la gave a two-hour public talk kindly hosted and sponsored by the Broome Convention Centre. Geshe-la spoke to a small gathering about the hardships of growing up and overcoming challenges. He also spoke about the making of the film Unmistaken Child, which had been screened as a fundraiser prior to Geshe-la’s visit.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Blue Body Spiritual Centre’s Buddha Sanctuary, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

That afternoon Geshe-la spoke on “How to Find Serenity in Difficult Times: How can we work on ourselves and our minds to become a positive force in the world” for two hours at a well-attended event. The venue, Buddha Sanctuary, was generously offered by Broome Blue Body Spiritual Centre.

On Sunday morning, March 24, Geshe Tenzin Zopa presented a special talk “Self Care and Managing Stress” for people working in the health sector. The event took place at the government-run Broome Recovery Centre, which provides programs, support, training, and employment opportunities for people recovering from mental health issues. This talk attracted many of the people in our community who are caring for and working with clients in a health role. Geshe-la discussed ways of maintaining one’s own health and well-being and avoiding burnout.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Many attendees expressed their gratitude by sharing the positive effects that Geshe-la had on their minds and the way his talk benefitted their carer situations.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to meet this Buddhist master here in my very own hometown of Broome,” one carer said. “I have learned so much from the two hours spent sitting with you: having an unstructured friendly conversation around self-care while caring for others, and hearing your stories of challenge with a positive viewpoint was very powerful and inspiring.”

Another carer said, “My biggest take-home message from today is that we can find the strength to keep going if what we do is based on compassion, and we are genuinely doing the best we can to help ourselves and others as individuals.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Jacob Corpus-Smith, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

One of the attendees was Jacob Corpus-Smith, age 22, who works in a full-time position in social and emotional well-being at Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services. Jacob is also involved in youth suicide prevention as a youth ambassador, organizing leadership forums to give Kimberley youth a greater voice in the national youth suicide prevention conversation.

After hearing from Geshe-la Jacob said, “All the small things we do in our role as carers, whether it be as parents, partners, family members, friends, community members, and even pet owners, need to be celebrated within ourselves and with the people we care about!”

A person who cared full-time for her mother in the end of her life expressed, “Many thanks to my Inspiring Buddhist Monk. Geshe appeared for me at the right time, and I was at the right place to be inspired by his powerful words of wisdom. These words have helped me see and move through my years of trauma with positive healing energy. Moving forward has become an easier process for me. Thank you, Geshe Tenzin Zopa.”

That afternoon Geshe-la presented about “Letting Go: A Buddhist Perspective: How do we acknowledge our past hurts, grief, and anger, and begin to let go of our disturbing emotions” at Buddha Sanctuary. He investigated and discussed ways to heal our minds and past mental experiences from a Buddhist perspective. Geshe-la also gave the Broome Buddhists instructions and explanations on prostrations.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Blue Body Spiritual Centre’s Buddha Sanctuary, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Next, on Monday morning, March 25, Geshe Tenzin Zopa visited the Broome Recovery Centre again, this time to meet with the Women’s Healthy Relationship Group, a collaboration between nonprofit Broome Youth and Families Hub and Kimberley Mental Health and Drug Service Team, led by Women’s Healthy Relationship Group facilitator Jasmine Phillips.

The Women’s Healthy Relationship Group participants were really impressed with Geshe-la and later sat with drug and alcohol rehabilitation counselor, Lesley Baxter, to reflect on the session.

One participant said, “[He talked] about his upbringing and what his country was like, how he became a monk and went to school. He had to wait a long time to become a monk. He never gave up. He made me feel sorry because of his stories. I felt sorry for his early life … how he used to get picked on when he was small.”

Lizzie, Bee, Shayna with baby, Kathleen, Cheryl, Mali, Jasmine (Jazzi), unnamed, Geshe Tenzin Zopa, Jemma, Melody, Sandy, unnamed, unnamed, and Jermaica, Women’s Healthy Relationship Group at Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Lesley Baxter.

“He made me feel calm and happy inside,” another participant said. “I still think about him and how he talked. He looked so calm when he talked and that made me calm.” Someone else shared, “He was warm and friendly. He loved meeting Aboriginal people. I was happy to meet him.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Jasmine (Jazzi) Phillips, Broome Recovery Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Jasmine Phillips.

Someone else commented, “I thought he was inspiring. He talked about looking at things in different ways.” Another participant said, “He came with a very positive way of looking at life.” Another group participant noted, “I found that he was calming. He helped us look at the beauty of things.”

Someone shared, “He said that he thought that Tibetans and Aboriginal people have the same sort of beliefs. They are people of the earth. He talked about the belief systems of Aboriginal people, like reincarnation.”

Another person said, “He talked about valuing women: that women give birth, they look after the children, that women are very loving and caring. We didn’t know that they were valued like that.” Someone else said, “It was very easy to understand what he was saying.”

That same day Broome radio station Radio Goolarri (99.7 FM) Indigenous station manager and presenter Matty J (Matthew Francis) invited Geshe Tenzin Zopa to the station to pre-record a radio interview. Geshe-la articulated a very thoughtful message to the global community about Buddhist practice and the requirements for world peace and harmony.

Listen to Geshe Tenzin Zopa’s March 25, 2019, Radio Goolarri interview on YouTube:
Part 1: https://youtu.be/V9FDgB9ae6k
Part 2: https://youtu.be/2zMlcdEV_yg

Geshe Tenzin Zopa presented an interactive discussion session on “Dealing with Addictions” at Broome’s non-governmental Milliya Rumurra Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre. Millya Rumarra’s program coordinator, Phoebe McGuiness Morich, commented, “People were most receptive to Geshe-la’s wisdom and sharing stories concerning addiction, the pure mind and the ability to change, and the ability to reach one’s own desired potential.”

Geshe Tenzin Zopa and Phoebe McGuiness Morich, Milliya Rumurra Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Sandy Faber.

Geshe-la also enjoyed a most interesting outing to Reddell Beach with Dianne Bennett of Broome’s Dinosaur Coast Management Group, a nonprofit organization protecting and promoting dinosaur tracks of Dampier Peninsula, to check out the huge and impressive sauropod dinosaur track imprints visible at low tide.

Geshe-la enjoyed his time in Broome, connecting with a myriad of locals, including many canine friends such as Didj.

Geshe Tenzin Zopa with Didj, Reddell Beach, Broome, Western Australia, March 2019. Photo by Lily Chin.

It was so wonderful to have Geshe Tenzin Zopa visit Broome. Everything easily fell into place, and a wonderful and interactive program naturally unfolded. Individuals and groups continue to ask when Geshe-la will return. Community members are eager to continue to engage in the above types of presentations and discussions, and would like to further extend discussions into the topic of suicide prevention and coping with suicides in a community and family context. A thousand loving thanks to Geshe-la, and please, please, please visit us again!

For more information about Gyalwa Ensapa Broome Buddhist Study Group, visit their website:
http://gebbsg.org.au/

Drilbu Ri, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

The FPMT resident teacher, staff members, and volunteers from Tushita Meditation Centre, the FPMT center in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, went on pilgrimage to Lahaul (Garsha) in August 2019. The group traveled together in the Tushita bus and two additional vehicles on a route which included crossing the Rohtang Pass on the Leh-Manali Highway from Kullu district to the Lahaul Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. Ven. Tenzin Kunphen, spiritual program coordinator, and Maria Nobuko Corrales, creative project assistant, share the story.

In August 2019, the Tushita staff did something remarkable following Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice. We closed our doors for a week and went on pilgrimage together! Our destination was Garsha, the Land of Dakinis (also known as Lahaul), in northern Himachal Pradesh, India. This spiritual adventure was filled with both trying and recurring obstacles that threatened our safety and caused some to turn back, but it was also filled with powerful blessings for those who endured!

This wasn’t the first time Tushita staff had traveled to Lahaul. In 2013, we were blessed to be invited by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to visit Lahaul, where Rinpoche did a private retreat in Triloknath together with Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche and Khadro-la (Rangjung Neljorma Khadro Namsel Drönme). Tushita staff traveled with Rinpoche for two weeks. Then in 2015, following Rinpoche’s advice, the Tushita team went on pilgrimage for the first time, making a one-week pilgrimage to Lahaul.

In August 2019, our primary pilgrimage destinations were:

• Drilbu Ri Mountain—revered Chakrasamvara mountain, Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Body
• Phakpa Temple in Triloknath—revered Chenrezig statue and the Milky Chenrezig Lake (Omay Tso), Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Speech
• Markula Temple in Udaipur—revered Vajravarahi temple, Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Mind

On the way we visited:

• Sangam—the spot where the Chandra and Bhaga Rivers meet and unite together as Chandrabhaga River
• Tara Temple and Palden Lhamo waterfall near Sissu
• Padmasambhava caves and statue in Rewalsar (Tso Pema)

Manali, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Through the Bardos

At 10 P.M. on August 18, nineteen of Tushita’s staff and volunteers loaded up into a bus and two additional vehicles to begin our long overnight drive to our first waypoint: Manali. Ginger tablets and Dramamine were washed down, strategically timed, along with prayers for effectiveness by those pilgrims susceptible to the destabilizing effect of the twists and turns promised by the road ahead. The hours of winding roads lived up to their reputation as a few meals reversed course, never completing their digestion, and others barely held on.

In the early still-dark hours of the next morning, just outside of Manali, we came to a halt. We were faced with a two-lane road that had crumbled to less than one, washed away by the heavy rains into the river below. Vinod, Tushita’s trusted driver who manned one of the vehicles, assessed the situation, uncertain if we could make it across. With a nagging feeling telling him “no” he reluctantly backed off, allowing the car that had come up behind us to make their choice.

As this new vehicle asserted its confidence in forging ahead, we all felt a wave of both relief and empathy as the car became stuck precisely where Vinod had a bad feeling. Reversing and attempting two hour-long detours before finally finding an alternate way through, all three Tushita cars reconvened in the light of a new day in Manali.

Before we could continue our ascent, we were required to obtain permits to go through Rohtang Pass, a high mountain pass at an elevation of 3,978 meters (13,050 feet), connecting the mostly Hindu Kullu valley below with the predominantly Buddhist Lahaul and Spiti high-altitude valleys above. With a history of dangerous conditions, Rohtang Pass literally translates to “corpse field.” Fortunately, most of the pilgrims were ignorant of that specific charming detail, and when our permit was denied that day due to landslides, we happily embraced a day to explore Manali.

On the road from Manali to Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

With a good night’s sleep in comfortable hotel beds, breakfast in our bellies, and permits in hand, we piled back into the cars on August 20 to continue towards Rohtang Pass and beyond.

Now we were moving! Up and up we climbed, the air getting cleaner and thinner, and the mountains surrounding us becoming more majestic. With each turn of the road the views became more spectacular. Waterfalls decorated the green soaring mountains covered in a multitude of wildflowers.

Outside of Manali on the way to Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

We turned a corner at 3,000 meters (10,000 feet) and hit the breaks. A long line of vehicles were at rest. Close inspection revealed that our predecessors had already been here for quite some time, stopped by a landslide far ahead. Our progress was halted!

Progress halted on the road between Manali and Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Camping on the alpine mountainside was not on the itinerary, yet I think we all embraced it as a marvelous gift. The sun shone (particularly precious after the monsoon we left behind), the view (again) was spectacular, and some astute entrepreneurs threw up tents and started selling chai, instant noodles, and omelets for the stranded hungry masses. All our needs were met!

Chai, instant noodles, and omelets outside of Manali on the way towards Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

As the sweetness of the day began to fade with the setting sun and the chai shops disappeared just as they had miraculous appeared earlier, engines started and wheels began to roll. We were off again!

We climbed another 305 meters (1,000 feet) and passed through a dhaba [roadside restaurant] shanty town called Marhi. Its dhabas promised warm dinner with an indulgent array of options that extended beyond two items, but no, we were going to push on! Cover ground! Get. Through. That. Pass!

Onward we went, now in the darkness. Climbing, climbing, following the train of cars. As we were busy calculating what time we would now arrive at our next waypoint, we came to a temporary stop … which gradually revealed itself to be a temporary stop of the longer nature. Just as quickly as the wind of movement had filled our sails, it dropped out, and we were again sitting totally still on the mountainside. Another landslide.

Marhi, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Somewhat crestfallen, we surveyed the situation and decided to head back down the hill to Marhi where we could enjoy a late dinner and hopefully find some rooms to rent. The food renewed our spirits and bellies, and helped the news of “no rooms available” land a little softer. We all spent a night in a variety of contortions, with varying temperature regulation success in our respective vehicles. Those on the Tushita bus surely purified the most karma that night.

The morning of August 21 we reverse Tetris-ed ourselves out of our vehicles to see the snow-topped mountains that held us in their midst. At 3,360 meters (11,020 feet), we were fortunate for this extra time to acclimate our bodies to the lower oxygen levels, and some of us capitalized on this by hiking around to see more of the beautiful scenery and stimulate red blood cell production.

When the unmoving line of cars on the mountainside above finally began to move just before lunchtime, we jumped into the cars and sped up the hill to join the queue. We passed the point we had stopped at the night before and felt the satisfaction of gaining ground before turning the bend and finding ourselves stopped once again. The culprit? You guessed it. Another landslide.

Traffic between Marhi and Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

We found ourselves in a bardo state: having left but not yet having arrived. Just as we were in an in-between we realized the mountain itself was in its own bardo state—transitioning, changing, becoming something new—no longer the mountain it was, but not yet settled into the mountain it would become. We had no option but to honor the mountain’s process and use the time to honor our own.

Making the most of our bardo experience, we spent another day perched on the mountainside sharing snacks and soaking up the expansive views and warm rays of the sun. This time we weren’t far behind the slide. As the road looped back on the mountain above us we could see where the disruption had occurred; an enormous boulder obstructed the road.

Taking in the view between Marhi and Rohtang Pass, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Eventually we heard the startling boom of dynamite, and some time later we began to see the trucks that had been halted on their way down resume their journey through a one-lane pass that had been created. For well-over an hour these trucks rumbled past us in a seemingly unending stream as we awaited our turn with varying appearances of patience.

At some point, the unseen decision-maker deemed it was time to switch directions and allow those of us going up the mountain to have a turn. We were ecstatic! Engines started, gears were engaged, and we rolled forward the length of five cars before stopping again. What’s going on? Why aren’t we moving anymore? Say it with me now: “landslide.”

This continued in stops and starts until we made our way just behind the thwarting segment of road as darkness took hold. All movement halted. It was too dangerous to proceed. We would not get through that night. The promise of a real bed and warm meal dissolved as we realized we had no option but to sleep (once again) in our vehicles. Turning back to Marhi was not an option either.

It was at this point that a few stalwart pilgrims felt they could not continue. Four took their bags and headed back down the mountain on foot to catch buses back to Manali and then home. Other brave (and fit) members hiked down to Marhi, loaded up on fresh paranthas, and selflessly hiked back up the mountain in the darkness. Dinner arrived near midnight to our exhausted and hungry group trying to find a more comfortable arrangement of body parts for another night of car sleeping.

With the dawn came the tractor operators and renewed energy. Before too long, hardly trusting the reality of it, we drove through the troublesome tract and made our way finally up to Rohtang Pass on August 22.

Rohtang Pass, connecting Kullu and Lahaul Spiti districts, Himachal Pradesh, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

After crossing Rohtang Pass and stopping to share our epic triumph with the local yaks and enjoy some snow, we went down, down, down the winding road into Lahaul Valley. Following the Chandra River, near the village of Sissu, we could see on the opposite side of the river the impressive Palden Lhamo waterfall, which is said to be a self-arisen manifestation of the Dharma protectress.

Not long after, another grand view greeted us: Sangam, a natural triangle that forms where the Chandra and Bhagra Rivers meet and become the Chandrabhaga (Chenab) River. The rivers Chandra and Bhaga first branch from the two sides of the Baralacha high mountain pass, then flow in opposite directions forming a circle, before finally meeting here again. This confluence is regarded as a holy place for Buddhists and Hindus alike.

Celebrating with yaks on the opposite side of Rohtang Pass, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

We were now standing right at the foot of Drilbu Ri, or Heruka Mountain, our first pilgrimage destination. But before starting the climb the next morning, we were yearning to spend the night not in our car or bus, but in real beds again! Finding a hotel in Keylong, a small administrative town at the base of the mountain, we collapsed on our beds. We delighted in the sweetness of bathing, and rediscovered the alternate clothing items we vaguely remembered packing days earlier.

Drilbu Ri Mountain: The Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Body

Early on August 23, we headed to the sacred Drilbu Ri, the Mountain of Spontaneous Union, associated with Chakrasamvara. Traditionally said to be “the Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Body,” many realized practitioners have come here to meditate and receive its powerful blessings. These practitioners include the great master Nagarjuna and the legendary Mahasiddha Ghantapa.

Drilbu Ri, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Starting near Kardang Gompa, we passed through fields of medicinal pink and red flowers as we climbed ever higher in the thin air, working our way with much effort toward the peak. Under the cover of the misty morning, the fifteen of us (along with a group of Spanish pilgrims led by our former co-director Kiko Llopis) began our slow but steady circumambulation (or kora) of the sacred mountain, basking in its purifying and wish-fulfilling vibrations.

Drilbu Ri, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

One could easily imagine the times when villagers, as mentioned in pilgrimage guide book Garsha, Heart Land of Dakinis, would regularly tell of hearing “music emanating miraculously from the mountainside, as if divine beings were engaging in sacred rituals.”

After five hours we reached the summit at 4,420 meters (14,500 feet), exhausted and happy, following in the footsteps of many great modern masters such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, His Holiness the Sakya Trizin, and His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa. We offered incense, prayer flags, and prayers from our heart, said to definitely be fulfilled in such a powerful place as this.

We completed our kora with the inevitable descent, testing the vitality of our knees while feeling deeply satisfied. One could almost imagine the sky around us filled with dakinis offering their blessings. We felt that deep purification had surely taken place in making pilgrimage and kora at such a holy mountain, described by His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa as having three times the merit as a kora of Mount Kailash in Tibet!

A good night’s sleep in Keylong helped restore our bodies after climbing the equivalent of 255 flights of stairs. Refreshed, we were ready to continue to our next destination: Phakpa, the Unequalled Abode of Compassion, in Triloknath.

Drilbu Ri, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

However, first we had to overcome a few more obstacles. Due to the landslides there was no gasoline available for our vehicles and the only public bus was hopelessly full to the brim. But as we know, the more hardships on a pilgrimage, the more merit! Somehow, we overcame the challenges of the morning and could finally continue on.

Phakpa Temple: The Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Speech

Triloknath is a tiny village in the Chandrabhaga valley. Archaic structures with low ceilings and full of character line the two brief paths that make up the town. One easily feels transported to another century. Locals say the relatively large building in the center, the former residence of the local king, is 1,000 years old. The original settlement is thought to have been founded by Nagarjuna himself. Archaeological evidence suggests Buddhism has been flourishing here since the second century C.E.

Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

We now headed to the Phakpa Temple, which is dedicated to Chenrezig. The temple was built in the late ninth or early tenth century C.E. after the miraculous appearance of a white marble statute of Chenrezig with Amitabha Buddha at his crown.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explained the importance of Phakpa and this Chenrezig statue to Ven. Sarah Thresher and others. Read Rinpoche’s explanation in Continuous Light Offered to Chenrezig.

Phakpa Chenrezig in the Phakpa Temple, Triloknath, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

The statue is believed to be imbued with extraordinary blessings, renowned for miraculously seeping nectar in the late 1930s and again in 1964. It is also known for its power of fertility, for which pilgrims come from afar. As we gathered in the cool refuge of this ancient temple, making offerings and heartfelt prayers, the power of this place resonated deeply. One felt that prayers made here with sincere motivation, devotion, and universal compassion had unmistakable power. How fortunate we were to receive such active and vibrant blessings from Phakpa Chenrezig! It is no wonder it is known as the Unequalled Abode of Compassion!

Walking around the tiny village and the temple, we could still see and feel the blessings of Lama Zopa Rinpoche from his visit in 2013. Villagers greeted our driver, Vinod, like an old friend. They showed us were Rinpoche, together with Serkong Tsenshab Rinpoche and Khadro-la, had stayed back then in a private retreat. When we visited the temple we saw Chenrezig praises written by Rinpoche, framed and hung up in Tibetan, Hindi, and English. These brought up memories of long days spent translating and framing the praises, and several trips to have them hung up by the temple management.

Triloknath, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Visitors entering the village of Triloknath are greeted by a golden rock covered in mantras painted by Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

We would have loved to have stayed in Triloknath longer and visited Omay Tso (the Milky Chenrezig Lake), a challenging but very rewarding day trip into the mountains. The white water from the lake is said to be blessed and can be enjoyed in many places around the area and the temple. However, this time we had to hurry on.

Amitayus mantra-covered rock painted by Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Triloknath, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Markula Temple: The Palace of the Buddha’s Enlightened Mind

Continuing on, we drove to Udaipur, in ancient times called Maru/Markula/Margul. Markula Temple, the “Great Tantric Site of the Underground Dakinis,” is in Udaipur. This is one of the twenty-four abodes of dakinis in our world as described in many tantras. Each abode is associated with a part of the human body. They are places of divine power, profound blessings for pilgrims, and swift enlightenment for yogis. Markula is connected to the big toes of the Vajra Kaya. This is the realm of the Underground Dakinis presided over by Vajrayogini.

Markula Temple, Udaipur, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

To our great disappointment the “cable-way” over the river, which we had so much enjoyed and feared from our previous visit in 2015, had been replace by a solid bridge. Passing the dakini footprint embedded in solid rock and the “heavy stone” of the Buddha’s toe outside, we entered the ancient shrine, allowing our eyes to adjust to the darkness of the room.

The temple is carved from darkened wood, the air filled with incense. We knelt, making heart-felt prayers, encouraged by Naropa’s message that this place, like the other twenty-three power places, is one of particular support to the liberation of spiritually immature practitioners such as ourselves. The pilgrimage guide book Garsha, Heart Land of Dakinis mentions that by visiting these sites and worshiping properly, practitioners can have their “unhappiness, delusions, and obstacles … supremely dispelled.”

Following in the footsteps of several of the eighty-four Indian mahasiddas who meditated here in the eighth to eleventh centuries C.E. and countless advance tantric practitioners who followed them, we made our offerings and prayers. This was a particularly auspicious time to invoke the protection and blessings of Tara and other feminine Buddhas inseparable from Vajrayogini, and we did our best before the temple steward made clear he wanted us to leave! Some of us finished our prayers on the bench outside, hoping to have our subtle energies blessed by the countless dakas and dakinis in residence here.

Filled to the brim and beyond with blessings, we happily piled back into the vehicles to begin our journey back to Manali. This time, all the obstacles were removed. We made it up and over Rohtang Pass with only the slightest delay to quickly clear rocks out of the road in the rain. We slept at a hotel in Manali that night, with one final destination awaiting us the following day.

Markula Temple is on the far left, Udaipur, Lahaul Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Tso Pema

On August 25, we made one final stop on our return trip home. About a five-hour drive from Tushita, in Mandi district, Tso Pema is a small mountain town centered around Rewalsar Lake. It is famous for being the place where Padmasambhava spent months in a cave practicing long life practices with the royal princess. The king, angered by this, tied the two of them to a funeral pyre and set them ablaze. But rather than being burned, Padmasambhava miraculously transformed the fire into a lake in which he was found sitting atop a lotus in the center with the princess, unharmed.

Tso Pema, Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

Today, pilgrims circumambulate Rewalsar Lake beneath an enormous statue of Padmasambhava and visit the caves in which he meditated. We gathered in the main cave, where we made a special tsog offering and prayers. It was a joyful culmination of our incredible journey together.

Tso Pema, Mandi district, Himachal Pradesh, India, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Tushita Meditation Centre.

We are deeply deeply grateful to all who made it possible for us to take this profound pilgrimage together. We dedicate all the merit we received that the Dharma wishes of our teachers, such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, may succeed immediately, and that we may fully develop our positive qualities to be of greatest benefit to all beings in this and all future lives.

First published on Tushita Meditation Centre’s website: http://tushita.info/news/pilgrimage2019/

Written by Tushita Meditation Centre staff and referring to Garsha, Heart Land of Dakinis published by Garsha Young Drukpa Association, Keylong, 2011.

In 2014, Lama Zopa Rinpoche wrote a letter to an international Buddhist organization concerning care of the Chenrezig statue in the Phakpa Temple in Triloknath, published on the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive website: https://www.lamayeshe.com/advice/care-chenrezig-statue-garsha-india

For more information about Tushita Meditation Centre, visit their website:
http://tushita.info/

Prostrations at Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, Triang, Malaysia, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre.

On August 25, 2019, a large prostration event took place at Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, the FPMT center in Triang, Malaysia. FPMT Southeast Asia regional coordinator, Selina Foong, shares the story.

I’ve made countless trips to beautiful Rinchen Jangsem Ling over the years. On previous trips the highlight was the arrival, not the journey.  We’d be in our car chatting away, typically heading to an executive committee meeting or a retreat. The scenery would zip by, familiar but fleeting. A recent trip, however, could not have been any more different!

A few months earlier I had been pleasantly shocked to learn that a tour group from out of town had visited Rinchen Jangsem Ling and decided to organize an impromptu prostration event. (Often large groups of friends and acquaintances will visit Rinchen Jangsem Ling in large tour buses.) For every three steps they took they would prostrate once. And not just over a short distance, but all the way from the bottom of the hill up to the Rinchen Jangsem Ling gompa!

Prostrations at Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, Triang, Malaysia, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre.

“Wow!” I marveled. That’s more than 1.2 kilometers (three quarters of a mile) on a variety of purification-inducing surfaces, including red dirt, sharp loose gravel, and knee-punishing concrete! Throw in regular whiffs (not to mention actual patches) of cow dung. Add in the relentless tropical heat and high humidity. And top it off with the fact that many of these visitors were new to Rinchen Jangsem Ling and had not done even one prostration before, let alone 1.2 kilometers worth!

Incredibly, this impromptu prostration event turned out to be a huge hit. So much so that there were immediate calls for a repeat event. “Yes!” I thought. ”Here comes my own chance to burn off eons and eons of negative karma!” After all, Lama Zopa Rinpoche has taught us time and again about the effectiveness of doing prostrations with body, speech, and mind. And the more atoms of our bodies that are in contact with the ground when we prostrate, the better. What’s more, the higher the location of our prostrations, the better that would be too. (All the more atoms below us!)

Keen to take Rinpoche’s advice to heart, I had to nonetheless concede that my chances of prostrating all the way up to Mount Everest were rather slim. I could indeed, however, try to prostrate all the way up to Rinchen Jangsem Ling! And that was how I found myself at the base of the Rinchen Jangsem Ling hill one Sunday morning, standing in pitch darkness among the trees with Oi Loon Lee and several hundred others. Already sweating and tingling with anticipation, we were at the back of the huge crowd but could easily hear Rinchen Jangsem Ling’s center director, Ven. Sonam Yeshe, who was at the front leading the motivation and prayers on a loudspeaker. It all felt quite surreal. Then very slowly everyone started moving forward and the prostrating began.

Prostrations at Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, Triang, Malaysia, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre.

In my enthusiasm I had already decided to do full prostrations all the way in order to maximize my purification on this “little” outing. As you can probably guess “little” turned out to be a gross understatement. In fact, “MAMMOTH” came more to mind when my delight at what I thought were already numberless prostrations was quickly erased upon daybreak. I looked around at the familiar dirt roads. Huh?!?! I was not even halfway to Rinchen Jangsem Ling! Then I caught myself: silly me, since when was intense purification ever going to be a walk in the park, pardon the pun?

I decided to change tack: instead of fretting about how much further there was to go, I retreated inwards. What a rare and amazing opportunity this event truly was. Every second presented us all with another chance to amass much merit and purify negativities. What a gift; what a blessing!

Prostrations at Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre, Triang, Malaysia, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Rinchen Jangsem Ling Retreat Centre.

As time slowed down into fragments of moments my prostrations developed a gentle rhythm. I became aware of how the different parts of my body were feeling. (Or rather, how they were aching). I grew familiar with how the various terrains looked, felt, and smelled, and decided that concrete was the most challenging surface to prostrate on. (Red dirt and cow dung any day please!) I enjoyed the ever-so-gradual change in light—from pitch black to a subtle blue—which eventually mixed with the pink of sunrise. I felt the pull of Rinchen Jangsem Ling, its blessed energy looming ever closer.

All around me others were enveloped in their own thoughts, each traveling their own journeys. Some were walking, others were doing half-prostrations. A few, incredibly, were barefoot. Many elderly folk, some children, too. Thinking of all sentient beings, marveling at this precious opportunity, rejoicing for my fellow prostration mates, spilling with gratitude towards my holy gurus and dear Rinchen Jangsem Ling … many thoughts went through my head as my increasingly weary body hit the red dirt … then gravel … then concrete … then grass … then tiles, over and over and over again.

By the time I arrived at the top where I did my final prostration, the Rinchen Jangsem Ling gompa was already packed with participants and it was past 8:30 A.M. What a joy it was to complete this special event! (And what a relief, too!) It didn’t matter that I ended up a muddy mess, with bruises on my knees for weeks afterwards (despite wearing knee pads), and was so unrecognizable that none of my friends at Rinchen Jangsem Ling were very conversational at all. I only understood this when I looked in the mirror much later that morning … no wonder they had no idea who I was!

In any case, our gurus as well as all the buddhas and bodhisattvas must have been looking after us that morning. The weather remained cool and dry for almost the entire time. A very gentle rain started to fall just as the last of us were approaching Rinchen Jangsem Ling, lasting for an hour or so before clearing up again for the rest of the day. How wonderful it was, how wonderful it was!

For more information about Rinchen Jangsem Ling Center, visit their website:
http://www.jangsemling.com/

Nalanda Monastery monks on the property they are seeking to purchase to create Maitreya Pure Land, Lavaur, France, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

Nalanda Monastery is a community for Western Gelug monks located in a peaceful rural setting in the South of France about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Toulouse. The monastery, which is affiliated with FPMT, offers monastic students, as well as lay students, a place for ongoing in-depth Buddhist study and practice. The monastery is excited to announce a new expansion project. Ven. Gyaltsen, Nalanda’s director, shares the story:

Nalanda Monastery has been offered the opportunity to purchase the neighboring property, called Gachepel. During his visit to the South of France in May 2019, Lama Zopa Rinpoche met and spoke with the owner of the property. Rinpoche took the opportunity to pray and bless the grounds. He gave the property a name—Maitreya Pure Land. Rinpoche then auspiciously made the first donation to our purchase fund.

Detail from a building at Gachepel, the property neighboring Nalanda Monastery, Lavaur, France, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

In October 2018, the owner of the property informed us of his intention to sell. As a friend of Nalanda, he offered us the opportunity to purchase it, without putting it on the open market. The property has been a family home for approximately 200 years. Purchasing it is a rare opportunity and is full of potential for Nalanda. It would enable the monastery to expand and offer further services to both the monastic and lay communities and the wider FPMT family.

In early November 2018, we had a constructive meeting with the owner. Following that, we requested Lama Zopa Rinpoche to check the karmic potential of the property. Two weeks later we received an email informing us that Rinpoche had checked and advised that this property has the best (most beneficial) karmic relationship with Nalanda.

Coincidence or not, Rinpoche was scheduled to come to the South of France for the Vajrayogini retreat at the nearby Institut Vajra Yogini in May. During the retreat, he took the time to visit the property and to explain his vision for retreat huts to be built at Gachepel. He suggested that it would be an excellent place for Nalanda students and Buddhists from around the world, both monastics and lay people, to do semi-isolated lamrim retreats in order to realize the teachings. 

Lama Zopa Rinpoche visiting the property, Lavaur, France, May 2019. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

“Monasteries and gompas where there are holy objects of the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha—statues, stupas, and scriptures—are called ‘abiding places’—nä-khang in Tibetan,” Rinpoche said. “What is abiding is the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. So an ‘abiding place’ is a great, great place to subdue the mind, collect extensive merits, and achieve enlightenment. Even the name nä-khang is incredible.” In this way, Rinpoche emphasized, monastic communities benefit everyone, lay and ordained.

Ven. Gendun is one of the eldest monks at Nalanda in terms of seniority. He is a board member and has lived at Nalanda since 2000. “Some years ago we were attending a funeral for the mother of one of the volunteers in the church in Lavaur. After the service, we went up to meet the service leader, and he turned out to be our neighbor. He later attended the inauguration of our newest monks’ accommodation building in 2016, and we kept in touch after that. I was surprised when he said he was planning to sell his property. It seems that none of his children were interested in keeping it and maintaining it was costly and time consuming,” Ven. Gendun explained.

The property, adjacent to Nalanda, is quiet and encompasses 5.5 hectares (13.59 acres) of beautiful parkland and includes two large residences.

View of Nalanda Monastery and the neighboring property, Gachepel. Image courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

German monk Ven. Tharchin has lived at Nalanda since 1999 with an interruption of three years when he joined FPMT’s Lotsawa Richen Zangpo Translator Program. He has served as a translator at Nalanda ever since and is also a board member.

“When I came to Nalanda, there were only about six monks living here in one building,” said Ven. Tharchin. “Ever since, there has been a continuous and very organic growth in the community and in the monastery’s Dharma activities. It is especially important to note that Nalanda has achieved an ever-increasing standard of studies of the vast Dharma scriptures. Although there was no formal study program when I joined Nalanda, Geshe Jamphel taught us Dharma for many years. As the community grew, the then director Ven. Tendar worked towards establishing a Basic Program at Nalanda. This was a great step forward for us and we didn‘t know if we were up to the task. It turned out, fortunately, that we were, and we are now running the third Basic Program in a row. The number of monks has steadily increased and many lay followers have joined the study program. Furthermore, we have embarked on our first Masters Program, which is still running.”

“The monastery now hosts these two major study programs, which are led by two geshes with two translators,” Ven. Tharchin explained. “Both programs are attended by monks, nuns, and lay students. I can say that the development of the study programs was a terrific initiative and the benefits coming out of these studies are huge. More and more monks are going out to other centers to share the Dharma they have learned here at Nalanda. All of this also has led to a growth in the facilities at Nalanda. When I joined, there was only an old manor house. We have added two new buildings, and all three buildings are now being fully used. Nalanda definitely needs more space so that it can continue to welcome more monks and to extend the range of Dharma activities it can offer.”

Aerial view of the buildings at Gachepel, which would house students doing lamrim retreat. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

In “Benefits of Building Monasteries,” Lama Zopa Rinpoche said, “Many lineage lamas of the lamrim built monasteries. I understand that business people who are not Buddhist may not understand the benefits of building monasteries, but if you are saying it has no meaning to build a monastery, then all those lineage lamas, Buddha himself, the Kadampa masters, those who actualized the path, including Lama Tsongkhapa’s disciples, who established monasteries, made big mistakes.”

Nalanda Monastery has been doing the bi-monthly sojong ritual and the yearly yarne and gayay (rains retreats) since 2009. These rituals and retreats distinguish Nalanda from other Western Buddhist centers. Without them, Nalanda would not be able to call itself a monastery. The monks of Nalanda feel committed to preserving the essential vinaya tradition and organize annual vinaya teachings for the fully ordained monks.

Nalanda Monastery has an increasing potential to be instrumental in preserving the vinaya tradition in the West. All Nalanda monks participate in daily prayers and in the large pujas, such as the Tara puja, the Sixteen Arhats puja, and the Medicine Buddha puja. All these pujas are held weekly. Rinpoche would like some of our Nalanda monks to go to Kopan in 2020 to participate in the Monlam prayer festival, and he would like to see the prayers for the festival translated into English. Perhaps this is an indication that Rinpoche would like Nalanda to organize prayer festivals in the future? It would be another landmark for us.

“When we are studying, a monastery or nunnery offers us the opportunity to study with more supportive conditions and fewer obstacles. Mundane tasks like shopping, cooking, cleaning, and maintenance, etc., are shared by all, freeing up much time and mental space. By studying the Dharma in a large community, we are exposed to more well qualified teachers and students with a broad range of ideas and perspectives, deepening and enriching the quality of our learning. The greater our wisdom of hearing, the greater our wisdom of contemplation will become, and accordingly the greater will be our wisdom gained through meditation. Recognizing such benefits, monastic scholars of the past naturally formed major communities of study and practice, like Nalanda and Vikramashila in India, and the ‘Three Great Seats’ [Ganden Monastery, Sera Monastery, and Drepung Monastery] in Tibet.”

— from “The Benefits of Monasteries and Nunneries,” by Ven. Tenzin Legtsok

Monks viewing land to become Maitreya Pure Land, Lavaur, France, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

Purchasing the Property

The realization of this project to purchase the neighboring property, which will help to fulfill Rinpoche’s wishes, relies entirely on the kindness and generosity of sponsors. All donations, regardless of size, will be most welcome and greatly appreciated.

Geshe Graham Woodhouse, Nalanda director Ven. Gyaltsen, and Nalanda Monastery monks on the property they are seeking to purchase to create Maitreya Pure Land, France, August 2019. Photo courtesy of Nalanda Monastery.

The original asking price was US$1,650,000. However, due to the good will on both sides, the owner will accept US$1,340,000. Our deadline to secure the funding to purchase the property is the end of December 2019. Additionally, we shall need to renovate and adapt the buildings to suit our monastic community, and for this we estimate that a further US$100,000 will be required.

Two Nalanda monks are visiting North America for a promotion and fundraising tour from October to December 2019. They are visiting FPMT centers where they will talk about the benefits of monastic community and the plans to expand Nalanda. As they travel, they are documenting their journey on a Facebook page.

The positive karma generated by making offerings to the monastic community is beyond measure in this and future lives. The Buddha said in the Mindfulness Sutra, “Whoever has built the support [statue] and supporting [temple] well and arranged a place and for the needs of the Sangha will always have more and more happiness and virtue. The virtue can never be wasted or lost, even for millions of eons. One who has built the holy body of Buddha (statue), the holy speech of Buddha (scripture), the holy mind of Buddha (stupa), the kungarawa (temple or shelf for Dharma texts), and establishes the monastery (Sangha), gains very extensive merit, which is never lost and always increases.”

Monastic communities do not just preserve the Dharma and provide a place for monastics, but also help lay people directly and immediately. In this regard, those outside the monasteries are able to collect merit by coming to the monasteries, getting inspired and making offerings. By building monasteries, Buddhist practitioners collected so much merit in the past.

The acquisition of this property will provide benefit for the Dharma and the Sangha in the West for now and for the future. It will also give an opportunity to many lay students to not only develop their Dharma knowledge through our extensive study programs, but to integrate these teachings through intensive meditation practice. This will create the foundation for training more qualified Western teachers in order to benefit all sentient beings.

To give you an idea of the project, Harald Weichhart has made an inspiring video that shows how we envisage the future of the monastery.

Watch the video on Maitreya Pure Land:
https://youtu.be/1RKwuywh-ww

If you want to follow the efforts of the Nalanda monks to raise funds for the Maitreya Pure Land Project, you can find information on their Facebook page, which is called “Nalanda’s North-America Merit Tour” or “NalandasTour.”

The Nalanda monks would be very happy to be invited to present their project directly at a center and to answer any questions. Contact Nalanda.tendar@gmail.com for possibilities.

Please see Nalanda’s website for more details on the project and to offer your support:
https://maitreya.nalanda-monastery.eu/

Overnight Praise to Tara at Losang Dragpa Centre, Selangor, Malaysia, January 2017. Photo by Gavyn Teh.

It is always a challenge for a Dharma center to balance the wish to benefit all sentient beings with the practical day-to-day needs associated with running a nonprofit organization. Funds are needed not only for the expenses of rent or a mortgage, utilities, and furnishings, but also for holy objects and offerings, practice materials, offerings to teachers, and so forth. Since it is FPMT policy that FPMT centers can charge students only a “facility fee” to cover the practical costs of organizing a teaching but cannot charge for the Dharma, FPMT centers have come up with creative solutions to keep their centers running.

The practice of generosity is fundamental to Buddhism, and it can take many forms. For most students of Dharma, offering money or belongings is a familiar way to practice generosity, or dana in Sanskrit. Many centers have developed methods to skillfully offer students opportunities for practicing generosity that support and align with the center’s efforts to share Dharma.

We invited several FPMT centers to reflect on how they sustain their centers while providing meaningful programs to the public.

Jaya Reddy, Carol Laing, Kim Lillig, Siddhi Shonibare, and Carol Vogel at Kadampa Center’s 25th Anniversary Gala, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, June 10, 2017. Photo by Doug Pitts.

Kadampa Center

Raleigh, North Carolina, US
Jill Marie, center manager

“Generosity is the most natural outward expression of an inner attitude of compassion and loving-kindness.” This quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama speaks volumes about the model of giving at Kadampa Center.

Twenty-seven years have passed since Lama Zopa Rinpoche formally named the fledgling study group “Kadampa Center.” In 2017, we celebrated our Twenty-fifth Anniversary with a festive, fancy gala, and after gathering “Stories from the Past,” it brought to mind how our generosity model began.

Our founder, Don Brown, when asked about how we charged for classes and other programs in the early days, said, “We started with fees, then suggested donations. Since there weren’t many people to begin with, a few individuals supported the teachings because they wanted to make it happen.”

He explained, “We tried to charge for classes and visiting teachers, but it wasn’t very successful. People were way more generous than the suggested donations.”

When Bo Lozoft, a visiting teacher came in the early 1990s he suggested that if you value these teachings you vote with your pocketbook for what makes a difference for you. Joanna Smith, a founding member and first board of directors secretary commented, “Bo said he would not teach if we required a fee. He didn’t feel the Dharma should be charged for. We decided that that was a good policy and have been that way ever since.”

Gradually we moved from a “charging” culture to a “giving” culture. It didn’t happen overnight. Yes, we were apprehensive, but also optimistic. As Herb Cunningham, our first treasurer, said after we got settled, “We had packed houses all the time! More checks than I could put on a single deposit slip. We were flush. That took care of the worry about dana.”

Kadampa Center’s 25th Anniversary Gala, Raleigh, North Carolina, US, June 10, 2017. Photo by David Strevel.

At one time we had gradations of membership. It didn’t work well and set a limit on giving. Eventually we created a monthly pledge plan, and that gave us confidence and reliability for continual funding.

As our center grew we needed a bigger space. To create connectivity for giving, we gathered in small groups for meals in folks’ homes to discuss our vision. We also used to show a visual pie chart of where the funds went every quarter on our wall. This seemed to help members have confidence in how their generosity was allocated.

Today we continue in our generosity model with our annual fundraising appeal that draws in sixty-five percent of our budget. The spiritual program brings in fifteen percent, and the bookstore plus the family program makes up the rest. We fundraise from time to time if we have any holes in our budget.

During our annual appeal we offer four ways of giving: financial, practice, service, and in-kind donations. This strategy helps everyone be able to practice generosity on some level, while our skits and heart talks inspire generosity on many levels. In fact, that is also the name of our financial committee, the Inspiring Generosity Committee.

To keep the generosity idea fresh during the year our center manager, Jill Marie, pops into the first night of every new class to say hello and talk about dana. Other members talk about sponsoring visiting teachers and pujas.

Many opportunities arise for inspiring generosity when specific charges are not required for classes, workshops, or retreats. While this takes more work on the side of providing information, funding categories, and creative campaigns, it keeps giving heart-based for the donors. They have options to make connections to visiting teachers, pujas, holy days, and more. The bookkeeping can become cumbersome and a little overwhelming at times, yet we love our model of generosity. We definitely challenge our “church software” technical support folks as they have never encountered as many fund codes that offer this many choices for giving. It makes tithing seem easy.

Our center thrives today: from the causes and conditions our founding members created by craving the teachings, and those who support us regularly, to our newest members who walk into the door and slip a five dollar bill into the donation box. It’s all inspiring.

Naga Puja at Losang Dragpa Centre, Selangor, Malaysia, September 2018. Photo by Gavyn Teh.

Losang Dragpa Centre

Selangor, Malaysia
Candy Tan, spiritual program coordinator

We charge a minimal facility fee for retreats—just to cover the cost of food and utilities—but other than that Losang Dragpa Centre (LDC) has never charged for any program since the center was setup. Members know the value of Dharma, and charging a fee may not work in Asian culture.

So far our method of fundraising is working well. Members know we need funds to operate the center so they support in this way.

We do fundraising annually to achieve a certain amount to cover the center’s expenses. Proceeds (non-Dharma) from all fundraising goes to maintaining the center only.

We have a Dharma shop. We sell a variety of Dharma and non-Dharma items. The shop generates a consistent stream of income. We follow the FPMT guidelines for proceeds generated from Dharma and non-Dharma items sold in our shop. All proceeds from Dharma items goes to purchasing and the restoration of statues, printing Dharma books and materials, and more. 

Asians are generally quite a generous bunch, and we find these individuals give towards and support their preferred Dharma centers. At LDC we combine the Asian culture of giving with the FPMT guidelines about how to use income from Dharma by offering sponsorship opportunities like light offerings, incense offerings, and altar and puja sponsorship to members as part of our fundraising program.

Candles are placed in the gompa for those who would like to make light offerings. We make arrangements so that members can pre-order lights and incense offerings for merit or multiplying days like Losar, Vesak, Saka Dawa, and Chinese New Year.

Overnight Praise to Tara at Losang Dragpa Centre, Selangor, Malaysia, February 2018. Photo by Gavyn Teh.

We offer monthly puja sponsorship opportunities. Members can make monthly or annual sponsorship contributions for Guru Pujas, Medicine Buddha Pujas, and Tara Pujas. We also offer opportunities to practice generosity by making offerings for big pujas like overnight Tara Pujas, Fire Pujas, Naga Pujas, and Jangwa Pujas.

We organize an Annual One Thousand Offering Event. It is a two-day event, conducted annually in a public hall and presided over by invited lamas. Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi has been the presiding lama for the past few years. During the two-day event people can sponsor the altar and the Jangwa Puja for the deceased, and also make long life or light offerings. Additionally, people can sponsor pujas, or house or office blessings, conducted by Kopan Monastery monks.

We also make the following available for sponsorships: blessed malas, blessed mandala sets, prayer wheels, stupas, and more.

We place a list of items in our office that members can sponsor, and we also approach members for bigger items. This list can include flight tickets, hall rental and setup, flowers, and food expenses. Usually these items are incurred during big events or when a lama visits LDC.

Members also sometimes donate or sponsor items LDC needs, such as a water filter, refrigerator, or air conditioning unit for the center.

Pauline, woodland and wildlife manager, Caroline, Sally, and Michael at a woodland working party, Land of Joy, Greenhaugh, UK, July 2018. Photo courtesy of Land of Joy.

Land of Joy

Northumberland, UK
Jenny MacQueen, director

The desire to have an FPMT retreat center for the UK was a long-term vision of many people, and around ten years ago, a small group got together to make Land of Joy a reality.

We were hugely fortunate that one benefactor gave a very generous donation, sufficient for the outright purchase of a building, Greenhaugh Hall in Northumberland, a county in northeast England. This happened in September 2014. The first official retreat took place in May 2015.

Looking back at all that has happened in less than four years, it is quite amazing, culminating in a July 2018 event attended by more than seventy people—our coming of age, as it was described! Sometimes we can lose sight of our accomplishments—things seem to stand still, or even dip a bit—but “Wow, wow, wow,” as Lama Zopa Rinpoche would say.

And we all truly believe that one of the major reasons for the flourishing of this very special place is the generosity model we use, a total generosity model. Everyone connected with Land of Joy offers service as a volunteer—the live-in team, the board, the teachers—and all the other volunteers who work with us regularly or occasionally. We offer everything—teachings, accommodation, and food—freely and joyfully without expectation, as far as we are able! It’s not without its challenges, and it can be uncomfortable on both sides, but it is working and we are all totally committed to it.

The commitment and generosity of our volunteer team is an integral part of our generosity model; managing that team for the benefit of both the volunteer and the center is essential. Our live-in staff members are all volunteers, working six to eight hours a day, five days a week. We also have other regular volunteers, both local and non-local.

All live-in volunteers are provided with accommodation, meals, and basic personal toiletries. However, as an organization we are very conscious that volunteers may have additional financial needs, both short-term and long-term, and we make efforts to respond to this as far as resources and legal restrictions allow. We offer state pension contributions where applicable and contribute to attendance at teachings and retreats both at the center and elsewhere. Occasionally, we have a specific project that a volunteer can claim payment for (on a self-employed basis). In addition, retreatants often offer dana for the volunteers, and this is shared out among the whole team.

Many of our volunteers do have additional means of support such as from savings from employment, pension, or sponsorship from other sources. Some have done outside paid work via technology or very occasionally locally.

However, as the center has developed we have become aware of the need to move towards formal term agreements for both volunteer engagement and tenancy, in order that there are clear expectations and understanding of these agreements on both sides, and to encourage volunteers to be aware of the need to take personal responsibility for their situation.

Ven. Amy Miller and students during the Meditation, Mindfulness, and Making Life Meaningful retreat at Land of Joy, Greenhaugh, UK, June 2017. Photo courtesy of Land of Joy.

Making the decision to go forward with the total generosity model did not come easily to the board. Strong arguments against it were expressed, particularly the aspect that staff were not paid. However, the board was persuaded to trial it as an experiment. The key to understanding that decision is the concept of service, so highly regarded in the FPMT organization, and the recognition that funding flows from positive spiritual potential, not the other way round.

It was helpful that the original business plan followed a traditional model of market research and used standard business model costings. This meant that the board had well-researched background information and was very aware of what funding was required for set-up and on-going costs.

We carefully monitor all income and expenditures on an on-going basis. Overall, the generosity model meets—and even exceeds—the targets of the standard business model, although every individual donation or retreat may not. That is the beauty, and challenge, of working in this way.

Our spiritual program coordinator, Beth, describes her experience of the model in the following way: “Implementing a generosity model requires open-heartedness and trust. It regularly challenges my thoughts and actions through redefining what I see as being sincerely generous. It gives me the chance to see how limited my ideas surrounding it are and the chance to go beyond them.

“It has enabled me to see how generosity can manifest in many different ways—not just through money but through kindness, time and effort, and compassion—and that these different forms of generosity are equally as generous and should be celebrated equally. It has given others and myself the precious chance to become more willing to give. It’s liberating and inspiring.”

Adopting a radical model as an organization is one thing. Convincing others to accept it is another. For many people in the West, the concept is totally alien.

We are frequently asked, “But what is the suggested donation?” or “How do I know how much to give?” The idea of giving too much appears to be as challenging as giving too little.

The reality is that it is very simple to come up with a realistic amount just by looking up the prices at other retreat centers. The much harder question is, “What does generosity mean to me?” That can be uncomfortable, but that is Dharma in action—mind transformation.

Ven. Mary Reavey, a regular teacher at Land of Joy who has been involved from the early stages, had her doubts as to how the model would work. Now she says, “I have seen this generosity model generate waves of altruism, directly combating selfishness. No wonder it’s the first step on the path of a Bodhisattva.”

Then again, there is a perception in the West that if something is not priced high, then it is not of much value. Andy Wistreich, a key member of the original founders expresses our response to that perception in this heart-warming way: “If there is a vestige of it in people’s minds before they come, this is quickly melted by the warm, welcoming, generous energy that greets them on arrival, and continues throughout their stay. This energy is in every meal, every cup of tea, and in every experience of walking in the woods, enjoying a hot shower, sitting by the fire in the sitting room, or helping in the garden.

“Simply Dharma is a joyful practice. Retreat from the ordinary world is retreat into Dharma, which transcends ordinary boundaries. We try to reflect that in the way we relate to people.” What about the future? Up until now, we have mainly offered group retreats. Now, we are moving into phase two of our long-term plan, offering facilities for personal retreat.

We have converted an old coach house, creating three modern, en-suite rooms plus a new meeting room, and a gompa where a fourteen-foot high high Kurukulla will dance as advised by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We will also have three retreat huts in place on the grounds this year. We will offer all of these new facilities on that same generosity model.

Our income currently comes from retreat donations, supplemented by regular and one-off donations from supporters. These cover our overall outgoing costs and generate a small surplus. We also fundraise for specific projects—largely from individuals, but also from various funding bodies.

However, Greenhaugh Hall is an old building with high maintenance costs. Going forward we will have to consider developing income generation streams beyond our current methods.

Our commitment to the generosity model not only remains strong, it is gaining in strength. Working with the total generosity model creates an energy very different from normal transactions—a real and ongoing connection, that “pamily peeling” that FPMT founder Lama Yeshe often talked about. It also encompasses everything that we and our supporters give, way beyond money—time, practices, mantras, just being here and taking part, giving with a good heart, dedicating the merits to all sentient beings. This creates the merit and the causes and conditions for Land of Joy to flourish for eons to come.

Vesak Celebration, Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, May 2017. Photo by Tan Seow Kheng.

Amitabha Buddhist Centre

Singapore
Cecilia Tsong, long-time student, active ABC member and volunteer

Amitabha Buddhist Centre (ABC)’s success in fundraising and Dharma propagation has its roots in the guidance and advice we receive from Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. We are also fortunate to have a long-serving, well-liked center director, Tan Hup Cheng, who seems to have the Midas touch when it comes to sourcing for financial support.

It helps too, that ABC is in a cultural environment where many have faith in the Triple Gem and believe in the benefit of making offerings to temples and Dharma centers, commissioning holy objects, as well as supporting Dharma publications and various Buddhist initiatives.

As part of their cultural values, Chinese people have a strong belief in the law of cause and effect, even though they may not necessarily be practicing Buddhists. Often, they will support temples, Dharma activities, and ordained Sangha with funds so that they may enjoy prosperity and happiness in this life.

Through a better understanding of the Dharma by attending teachings at ABC, students learn that generosity can be practiced in other ways: offering service to the center, participating in animal liberation activities to protect the lives of animals, and sharing their understanding of the Dharma with newer students.

ABC’s main fundraising drive takes place every year on Vesak Day, a public holiday in Singapore. This is a time when the general public is inclined to make offerings as a way of remembering the kindness of Shakyamuni Buddha and requesting his blessings for a life well-lived.

Mindful that Dharma is priceless, local Buddhist centers and temples offer Dharma teachings free of charge. However, ABC does levy a nominal charge for Nyung näs and one-day retreats to cover the costs of meals, refreshments, and altar offerings. ABC also organizes pilgrimages and retreats overseas, and every effort is made to keep prices low. For these activities, there is differential pricing for ABC and non-ABC members.

FPMT resident geshe Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi during an Ullambana puja at Amitabha Buddhist Centre, Singapore, August 2014. Photo by Noelle Teoh.

Apart from Vesak Day programs, ABC has developed special Dharma events over the years to bring more people to the center. The Medicine Buddha Dharma celebration, Most Secret Hayagriva puja, and Ullambana puja are popular and have been attracting a growing group of participants each year. Corporate sponsorships are available for these pujas, an option that appeals greatly to local business people.

For those who love all things beautiful we have a well-curated collection of Dharma objects—statues, malas, offering bowls, prayer wheels, prayer flags, incense, thangkas, and so forth—that are available at our Tashi Delek retail store. This generates additional income that is pumped back into serving the center’s needs.

In its fundraising activities—including its Dharma shop—ABC is fastidious in making sure that these funds are used in accordance with the donors’ wishes. Also, when holy objects are sponsored from the Dharma shop, such income is directed to supporting the maintenance and building fund of the center, and not to the support of the Sangha as such.

Lastly, as an on-going fundraising drive, ABC runs a program of electronic debit sponsorships where people can choose to have regular deductions made from their bank accounts.

There are also donation boxes in the center for our building and maintenance fund, Sangha fund, publications, animal liberation, puja fund, and general funds. Visitors are free to drop their offerings—and say a silent prayer in the sacred ambiance of the merit-field—while recalling the words of Lama Zopa Rinpoche in The Four Noble Truths: A Guide for Everyday Life, “Be as generous as we can to benefit the poor and sick. Make offerings to holy objects and other living beings, and dedicate this generosity for the happiness and enlightenment of all beings. Doing so offers great release to our minds.”

Pay-It-Forward Kopan West lamrim retreat led by Glen Svensson at Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, US, November 2014. Photo by Glendon Papa.

Vajrapani Institute

Boulder Creek, California, US
Ven. Fabienne Pradelle, former director

For years we’ve been battling with ways to make our retreats financially accessible to all, so that money would not come in the way of people being able to experience retreat. In this quest we tried so many different things, such as sliding scales or making scholarships opportunities very visible on the retreat registration pages.

Our success was limited. While some people would apply for scholarships many didn’t, thinking they would take away from a Dharma center.

Then in 2013, we started exploring a different model, Pay-It-Forward. Pay-It-Forward is different from the dana model where people make a donation towards their retreat.

Retreats offered at Vajrapani Institute on the Pay-It-Forward model are free, totally free. There is a deposit—which is non-refundable if you don’t show up—just to minimize the amount of no-shows and empty beds.

Whatever people offer towards Pay-It-Forward goes towards sponsoring future retreats. People get to experience being here thanks to the kindness of strangers who offered money to make it possible for them to be here.

Pay-It-Forward Kopan West lamrim retreat led by Glen Svensson at Vajrapani Institute, Boulder Creek, California, US, November 2014. Photo by Glendon Papa.

This may sound like semantics. A cynic could ask, “Well, aren’t they really paying for what they receive?” The answer is it’s not semantics.

It’s extremely valuable for participants to experience being the recipient of other’s generosity. And out of that space, to have the wish to make it possible for others to have that experience—to sponsor not ourselves, but others who will never know who we are, and will never thank us. There is so much richness in those experiences.

We have found that this Pay-It-Forward model has increased the social diversity of participants. We see more people who are between jobs, single parents, students, and so forth. We see people who normally wouldn’t be able to access those retreats.

A quarter of our retreats are now offered on a Pay-It-Forward model. Our hope is to be able to offer more on this model in the coming years. Virtue begets virtue, and who knows who may be inspired to help us make this possible in the future!

For more information about Amitabha Buddhist Centre, visit their website:
http://www.fpmtabc.org/

For more information about Losang Dragpa Centre, visit their website:
http://www.fpmt-ldc.org/

For more information about Kadampa Center, visit their website:
https://kadampa-center.org/

For more information about Land of Joy, visit their website:
http://landofjoy.co.uk/

For more information about Vajrapani Institute, visit their website:
https://vajrapani.org/