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Kagyu Samye Dzong London NewsDecember 2004 |
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Contents |
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News in Brief
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1 - Interview with Lama Yeshe Rinpoche on 1st December 2004 for Kagyu Samye Dzong London Newsletter Rinpoche, could you please say something about the role of city centres? Is it really possible for people to benefit from meditation practice in such a stressful environment? Well I think this is what I’ve been talking to all of you about for a long time. The city has so many millions of people with so many things happening in their lives. So they would like to have a place where they could actually come to learn to meditate and find peace and tranquillity. So for me, a city centre is one of the most precious things you can ever offer to the city dwellers. It’s beneficial, and it’s something people appreciate. How can a practitioner remain nourished on the path while working for the benefit of others, especially if one feels one doesn’t have the right view? I think that’s even wrong to think that one doesn’t have the right view. As far as we’re concerned, we are following a lineage of 2,500 years. That means it has been nourishing all these years of mankind’s needs. So we shouldn’t need to have any doubts. We should believe in this. It’s possible. Rinpoche, how do you maintain vajra confidence when it feels as if you are not practising in the way that students traditionally did? That’s because you become judgmental and don’t have enough belief in yourself. If we believe that we all have a vajra body (chuckles), then we should have fullest confidence, and bring joy in what we do. So I’ve been teaching all of you that if we as individual people stop thinking of what I want, or what I don’t want or what I like, what I don’t like, if we have total joy in what we can do to help other people, then there will be confidence. Now that Kagyu Samye Dzong London is looking for a new place and will be moving, could you say something about your vision and your hopes for the future of Kagyu Samye Dzong London? Well first of all, I am a Lama so I believe that we should be fearless. And we should have a great vision. When you have a proper vision for the benefit of others, everything is possible. So what is our great vision? We can’t go down to the size we have already, because when we have activities, this place isn’t even big enough. So what our vision should be: we should be looking for a better place than even this. Also, a safer place for people to come to. Safety is something many people worry about, because they can’t come in the day-time, so they have to come in the evening and afternoon. So if we look for a safe place, also with easy accessibility, and a bigger and nice place, then I’m quite sure it is possible and we will be able to find it. And lastly, do you have a message for the people who receive this newsletter please? Absolutely. I am called a visionary Lama, and I believe everything is possible. So with my vision we were able to achieve the Holy Island project and the Samye Ling project. Now here in London, I see it as the biggest potential, because London is one of the biggest cities in the world. Also we have a woman Lama here, and we don’t want to end up with the first European woman Lama in the street! So we should have vajra pride to have a woman Lama and Ani-la and to have a real decent place. I would like them to hear that Lama Zangmo and Paltso and everybody have been working under such pressure, fulltime, to find a place for the benefit of people of London. I would like everybody else to join with them, so that with all of your help and our unshakeable confidence in the lineage, we will get the right place. We are never going to be giving up easily, even if you looked at a hundred houses, even if you tried a thousand times. I am a Lama who doesn’t believe in giving up easily until we achieve this. I would like all of you who receive this newsletter to have this 100% confidence in what the lineage is about and also what benefit you can get out of this by helping us. So, whatever way you are able to give your service unconditionally, the sooner we will be able to achieve this most precious and most inspiring project in this part of the city right now (giggles). Thank you very much. |
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2 - Update on the property search Since we started looking for new premises for Kagyu Samye Dzong London almost 18 months ago, there has been much activity and learning, as well as a great deal of support from our friends. Much enthusiasm and creativity has been put into the property search by a dedicated team. Although we have not yet found the ideal building, we have gained a lot of experience of the property market in London. Collectively we have looked at over 600 buildings on paper, visited more than 60, developed room plans for about 10 prospective buildings and put forward proposals for offers on 4. One of those 4 is the Beaufoy Institute. This is another beautiful old building, just 10 minutes walk from our current location. We have put in a proposal to Lambeth council and went to speak at the executive councillors meeting. The council has expressed a preference to relocate the Michael Tippett school to the site but the final decision has not been made yet, so we can only wait and see. We have several meetings lined up with the Head of Property and Head of Regeneration of Southwark as well as the Special Projects Officer in Lambeth Education. We hope to enlist their support. Recently, we have also been negotiating another extension with the hospital, and all going well, it looks like we will be able to stay here till the end of summer 2005. Please continue with your prayers and support for the Centre, and together we will surely be able to find the right place. |
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3 - Fundraising Auction There will be an auction of goods held at Kagyu Samye Dzong London on the afternoon of Sunday March 20th 2005 during the time of Lama Yeshe Rinpoche’s visit. There will be some precious items including thankas, wood carvings, and other breathtakingly wonderful objects! There will also be an unparalleled opportunity to buy Lama Yeshe’s personal car: a fantastic quality Saab 9000 in brilliant condition, fully maintained and THOROUGHLY BLESSED! We still need good high quality items for the auction, and if you have anything you would like to donate, please contact the office. All money raised from the auction will go towards the new building for Samye Dzong London. |
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Green Tara Prayers dedicated to Samye Dzong London The Centre will be closed from 9.00 pm on the 19th December and re-opens on Sunday 2nd January at 2.00 pm. New Year's Retreat January 2005 Introduction to meditation Chen style Tai Chi The Special Foundations - Prostrations and Dorje Sempa |
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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 davidjbates@mac.com |
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