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.