Kagyu Samye Dzong London News

May 2004

Contents

1. News
2. Teachings, empowerments and refuge ceremony
   with Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche
3. Grand auction fundraiser on Saturday 15th May at 2.30 pm.
4. Forthcoming events
5. About the newsletter

Welcome to the May newsletter, especially to the 50 or so new subscribers who have joined us this month, bring our total readership to 518.

The undoubted highlight for May is an extended visit by Akong Tulku Rinpoche. The visit will include teachings, empowerments and a fundraising auction which includes many Dharma items. Read on for more details.

1 - News

Teachings on faith and devotion with Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche 7pm – 8:30pm Wed. 23 June £10
We are delighted to announce Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's visit to the Centre in June. This is not listed in the printed programme. Further details below.

Get your photo to the top of Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash in Western Tibet is a place of pilgtrimage for Buddhists, Hindus and Jains, all of whom revere it as the geomantic centre of the universe. In order to raise money for Kagyu Samye Dzong London's new premises, we will transport your photograph to the highest point on the Kora of Mount Kailash (5630m) when we go there this June. Send your photo (small!) by mid-May to: Fiona and David Stiedl, 16 Gloucester Road, Kew Richmond, Surrey TW9 3BU with a chq for £20, made out to Samye Dzong London. We will do the rest!

PROGRAMME ALTERATION
The Sun of Wisdom
with Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
These teachings will now take place on Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th June, 7.00 - 9.00 pm. and not on the 16th and 17th of June as advertised in the printed programme.

Lama Yeshe's visit and 6th anniversary celebrations
Many thanks to all those involved in this extremely successful and enjoyable weekend. Not only did we have the benefit of Lama Yeshe's teachings, but also a great party atmosphere for the 6th anniversary celebrations which included a range of excellent speakers and performers, including Sebastien's fire juggling .

No less important were those who helped organise and run the event, prepared food, and set up the bonfire and firework display. Lama Zangmo has since received thanks from some of Samye Dzong's neighbours for the wonderful fireworks.

£1,500 raised by marathon man
Many thanks to Greg Plumbly and those who sponsored his run in the Paris Marathon. The amount raised by direct sponsorship was £750 which his employers, Barclays Bank, will match. Unfortunately Barclays place a limit of £750 on their pound for pound sponsorship, otherwise we'd have put the whole £250,000 raised to date on Greg's run (the quick route to raising a deposit!). If there are any other Barclays employees out there, or if you work for an employer who runs a similar scheme, feel free to get in touch.

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2 - Teachings, empowerments and refuge ceremony
with Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche

Sat 8th - Sun 9th May, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. £45
Wed 12th - Fri 14th May, 7.00 pm. £10 per evening
Sat 15th - Sun 16th May, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. £45
or £108 for whole course.
We are very fortunate to be receiving this extended visit from Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche. This is a precious opportunity to receive teachings, empowerments and refuge from the Co-Founder of Kagyu Samye Ling in Scotland and the President of Rokpa Trust.
Rinpoche will be giving teachings and advice on how to integrate the Dharma in the hectic, stressful 21st century. He will also talk about hidden teachings (termas) of Guru Rinpoche and the blessing of termas.
During his stay, he will also give empowerments for
Guru Rinpoche on Sunday 9th May
Green Tara on Wednesday 12th May
and Medicine Buddha Practice on Saturday 15th May
as well as the lungs (scriptural authorisations) for those practices.
The full programme for Rinpoche's visit will be available on the Kagyu Samye Dzong London website.
Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche was recognised by the 16th Karmapa at the age of three, as the reincarnation of the first Akong, the Abbot of Dolma Lhakang monastery in Kham, East Tibet. At the age of six, he entered the monastery where he began the intensive training given to tulkus. Among his many teachers, were His Holiness the 16th Karmapa, Kilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and his root teacher, Sechen Kongtrul Rinpoche. He has received numerous dharma transmissions, commentaries and empowerments from all the main Kagyu lineage holders and his vast and unceasing activity to benefit beings has helped make the dharma accessible to his students all over the world.
Please book accommodation well in advance. Limited space is available.

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3 - Grand auction fundraiser on Saturday 15th May at 2.30 pm.

Akong Tulku Rinpoche will be present during this auction of over 60 items including many dharma objects (malas and thankas among other things). Two drawings by H.H. the 17th Karmapa will also be in the auction. A catalogue is currently available for inspection in the tea room at Samye Dzong, and the items themselves will be on display at the centre during Rinpoche's visit.

Included in the auction are the Blue Beads of H.H. the 17th Gyalwa Karmapa
This mala was a personal gift from His Holiness to the Venerable Lama Yeshe Losal, who has in turn donated it to this auction.
Because of this rare and wonderful opportunity for each of us to have a blessed bead of H.H. the Karmapa's mala, each bead will be auctioned individually.
You do not have to be personally present at the auction to bid for a bead from the mala. Simply post your bid (no cash or payment at this stage) to the office at Kagyu Samye Dzong London stating how much you are bidding and giving your contact details. The highest bidder wins the Guru bead with the next highest 108 bidders receiving a bead each. The minimum requested bid is £10 per bead. Bids must be received before the day of the auction.

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4 - Other forthcoming events

Introduction to meditation for beginners
Thurs 20th May - Thurs 10th June, 7.00 - 8.30 pm
£30
This four week course will give instructions in basic meditation techniques such as relaxation, posture and using the breath as a focus. Methods to help develop compassion and inner stability are presented with time for actual meditation practice during the sessions.

Chen Style Tai Chi
with John Henry
Sunday 22nd May, 10.30 am - 4.00 pm. £20
Another monthly class focusing on the Chen style of Tai Chi as taught by Chen Xiuo Wang (the acclaimed master and 19th generation head of the Chen Style). No previous experience or knowledge needed.

Medicine Buddha instructions
with Lama Zangmo
Sunday 6th June, 10.00 am - 4.00 pm.
£20
A day of instructions in the Medicine Buddha practice, a meditation which is used especially by medical practitioners. It is necessary to have received the empowerment and is not for complete beginners.
Please book in advance.

Teachings on faith and devotion with Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche 7pm – 8:30pm Wed. 23 June £10
We are delighted to announce Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche's visit to the Centre in June. This is not listed in the printed programme.
The Seventh Karmapa founded the Thrangu monastery around 500 years ago, and appointed one of his most gifted disciples to be its abbot. This was the first Thrangu Rinpoche. The present ninth incarnation is one of the highest scholars in the Kagyu school and has been responsible for the education of the highest tulkus of the Kagyu lineage. He is the full holder and teacher of the Kagyu vajrayana lineages and holds a direct transmission of the Shentong philosophical tradition. He lives in Kathmandu, Nepal and teaches in numerous countries around the world. He is now the tutor to His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa.

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5 - About the Newsletter

This newsletter goes out to those who have expressed an interest in Kagyu Samye Dzong London. It covers news of the efforts and progress towards finding and funding a new site for the centre, and other events taking place in the coming weeks

Being on this mailing list is not compulsory. If you do not want to receive this newsletter, or would like it to be sent to a different email address, please use the links at the bottom of the newsletter.

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Kagyu Samye Dzong London Tibetan Buddhist Centre
Carlisle Lane, Lambeth, London, SE1 7LG
Tel: 020 7928 5447
Fax: 020 7633 9339
Web-site: www.samye.org/london
Newsletter editor: David Bates david@treeoflifecoaching.co.uk

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