April 28 2011

Dear Friends,

Some students asked for help on how to view Lama Zopa Rinpoche while doing practice for Rinpoche’s health and long life, as they experienced some confusion between seeing Rinpoche with pure view as enlightened while also doing practice to help Rinpoche’s ‘ordinary’ ill-health.

I asked Choden Rinpoche, who is one of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s gurus, for advice on this point.  Choden Rinpoche very kindly replied very quickly with the following advice:

“Students need to hold the view that the guru is holy Buddha, but he manifests ordinary appearance, like having a stroke.  Just like Buddha Shakyamuni in reality he is enlightened,  but he manifests ordinary appearance, like having a headache and back pain.

So when students engage in practices like Medicine Buddha and so forth for Lama Zopa Rinpoche to have a healthy and long life, students can do the practice while maintaining the view that the lama is Buddha, but  dedicate the practice in order to pacify the ordinary appearance of having a stroke.”

Ven Roger Kunsang also commented:

 “Your karmic projection is ill, the dharmakaya isn’t ill!
And we share a similar karmic projection. “

The Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive’s April newsletter also includes some very helpful and relevant advice on this topic.

love Claire

Dear Friends,

This morning was an early start for Rinpoche. The physiotherapist came to his room at 9 a.m. sharp and began Rinpoche’s training, helping him to understand how he can get out of bed by himself and into a wheel chair with the minimum amount of help.

Then the two therapists and I (with Rinpoche in the wheelchair) went to the gym. Sangpo and I had dressed Rinpoche in his swimming shorts and singlet. (This is the first time ever Rinpoche has gone to the gym, in gym style clothes.)

Rinpoche spent about one hour in the gym and the therapists were quite surprised by how eager and fast he was in learning to reuse his right leg again. The therapists are mainly concentrating on the right leg moving (the right arm has no movement at all, but that will come later). In the gym session Rinpoche was mainly learning how to help himself get onto the wheel chair and off and back on to the bed, and some simple walking movements.

Rinpoche still is not able to walk unaided but the process has started. At the end of the session the doctor and the two therapists were quite pleased with Rinpoche’s first session in the gym and his progress. Tomorrow they want to Rinpoche to go in the hydro pool to start exercises there. Later today Rinpoche will have a session with the speech therapist and the occupational therapist.

Both the therapists were surprised by how much Rinpoche was laughing and joking through the session. Rinpoche commented to the therapists that he thinks his progress is partly due to the 3,000 monks in Sera Je doing prayers.

Love

roger

Dear Friends,

Today was the first day we could have access to key medical staff due to the Easter holidays.

The doctors have said no visitors for sometime as Rinpoche is exhausted and with the physio it is going to be very tiring for him.

Here in the private hospital now we have 2 doctors looking after Rinpoche and a good team of physiotherapists. Plus great support  from the retreaters doing lots of prayers and pujas; Atisha Center and Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery are always helping out.

The doctors  say Rinpoche has a good  chance of  recovering with intensive therapy over the next several months … maybe not fully recover … that is still too hard to say, but they are  feeling quite positive after today’s tests.

In the next  2 weeks the doctors say they will have a better idea of the longer term outlook. The doctors do want Rinpoche to stay in the rehabilitation ward of the hospital for the next 2 weeks. Their biggest concern apart from the therapy is controlling the sugar levels and blood pressure … if this doesn’t happen  they are very concerned Rinpoche will have another  stroke and this could be far more  serious … although they say this was a serious one.

Khadro-la in Dharamsala is very eager to come to Australia to help  Rinpoche using her own unique methods … we are trying hard to get her here as soon as possible. Khadro-la has been on the phone every day giving advice and organizing pujas for Rinpoche.

All of Rinpoche’s Gurus, many High Lamas and so many students have been doing prayers and pujas … This is deeply, deeply appreciated, THANK YOU.

Rinpoche seems in very good spirits, laughing and joking a lot and entertaining the staff with short little comments on Dharma  (that need to be translated), but tiring easily.

roger

Practices Requested on April 24 2013

The full list of pujas and practices to do and which are being done:

1. Animal Liberation – do as much as possible, either yourselves or by donating online to Amitabha Buddhist Center, who does substantial animal liberations every two weeks. Text available here and in Essential Buddhist Prayers, vol 2.
2. Tendil Nyersel prayer flags should be hung in all FPMT centers, projects and services.  How to order.
3. Recite Hayagriva mantras as much as possible.
4. Offer long life puja(s) to Rinpoche through the 5 Dakinis. FPMT will request Khadro-la to offer a long life puja to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Also when Rinpoche visits FPMT centers during the year, good to offer a long life puja with the 5 dakinis.

Practices being done at monasteries (can be done personally too):

5. Read the longest version of the Golden Light sutra x 67
6. Recite 100,000 praises to Tara within Tara pujas
7. Dor.de Kelsang x 67
8. Dukchuma as much as possible
9. Dukka x 1000
10. Mamo Trukung x 2
11. Gyal sod Tsen sod

 April 25 2011

Dear Friends,

Lama Zopa Rinpoche entered hospital on Saturday 23rd April, now is the second day under observation. Yesterdays cat scan showed no bleeding or clot in the brain. There will be another scan to confirm that. Possibly Rinpoche will be able to leave the hospital tomorrow if doctors say ok.

Rinpoche’s right arm and leg have lost some use, speech is slurred making it difficult to understand him, but this part got a little better today.

Doctors say Rinpoche will need intensive therapy for His right side and speech … Hopefully to regain all or most use back. This can take several months but difficult to say.

Rinpoche’s tour in Australia and Indonesia as well as his return to Nepal will have to be cancelled.

Practice Requested Dec 7 2011:

Recite the Golden Light Sutra (see posting above for more details)

This is the advice for practices that can be done, as advised by Khadro la and Choden Rinpoche:

1. Medicine Buddha puja … with extensive offerings.

2. 4 Mandala offering to Tara … as many as possible.

3. Most Secret Hayagriva mantra with supplication as much as possible:

Chinese
Portuguese

4. White Tara mantra with Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s name

Chinese
Portuguese

With deep gratitude for all your support,

roger

Lama Zopa Rinpoche is in hospital in Australia receiving treatment for a stroke.

All FPMT centers, projects, services and study groups are requested to offer Medicine Buddha puja with strong prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life.

All students are requested to do Medicine Buddha practice, and to recite the mantras of long life deities such as White Tara and Amitayus, with strong prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life.

Rinpoche’s Schedule: Rinpoche’s remaining teachings in Australia, and the program in Indonesia have been cancelled.

Previous Updates from Ven Roger Kunsang:

Dear Friends,

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been admitted to hospital, the medical staff have confirmed that Rinpoche has had a stroke and temporally lost some of the movement of his right side and his speech is impaired.

The hospital have requested that Rinpoche stay for a few days to observe and monitor him to ensure there are no further complications.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama has been informed of Rinpoche’s situation and high Lamas close to Rinpoche are doing pujas as well as Kopan Monastery.

Apart from Rinpoche’s right side and speech being affected, Rinpoche seems in good humor and is doing his prayers in the hospital (altar is set up with prayer wheel, thanka and texts)

Regarding practices – at this time the main practice is Medicine Buddha puja and to recite the mantras of the Long Life Deities such as White Tara and Amitayus.

Specifically I am requesting if Centers could organize extensive Medicine Buddha pujas or Medicine Buddha practice with many offerings and to do strong prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life at this time.

Love

roger

Dear Friends,

Yesterday I received some important advice from Khadro la that we need to do Medicine Buddha puja and recite the mantra of one of the Long Life deities such as White Tara and Amitayus for Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health and long life.

Specifically I am requesting if centers could organize extensive Medicine Buddha puja or Medicine Buddha practice with many offerings and doing strong prayers for Rinpoche’s health and long life.

Thank you everyone for your understanding and help and support, it’s very important at this time.

Love

roger