Kagyu Samye Dzong London
|
  |
Contents |
|
News in Brief
|
|
|
1 - Letter from Lama Yeshe Rinpoche For so many years now my brother, Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche, has been working on countless projects in Tibet, establishing schools, clinics and rebuilding monasteries. As always, because of his humility, he puts his own monastery last, and till now he has not been able to fully help his own monks and nuns rebuild his monastery. Recently he received some help towards this, and he is hoping to finish the rebuilding in the summer of 2008. In the past the Tibetan monasteries all had the resources to look after their Sangha. However, after the communist takeover everything to do with the monastery has been confiscated. Now even with the so-called religious freedom, the monks and nuns are not permitted to go and look for their own funding. Therefore, I and some of Akong Rinpoche's students decided to help raise some funds in order to set up a business which will give a continuous , longterm support for the monastery. The funds raised will be invested in a business in Chamdo, the capital of Kham, and the income it makes will help feed the Sangha and provide them with their basic needs. Our way of achieving this goal is to take as many people as possible on a pilgrimage to Dolma Lhakang for the inauguration of the new temple in the summer of 2008. We are asking a minimum of £1000 offering towards this project in addition to travel costs from everyone joining the pilgrimage. If you are able to raise more than that it would be better still. I ask you all to help raise the funds needed so we can make a meaningful contribution to all of Rinpoches students in Tibet. A detailed plan of where we will be visiting and the full cost of travel etc will be available in late 2006. I write this now to let you all know so you can start to prepare and have time to raise the necessary funds. Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche |
|
|
2 - Interview with Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche about his monastary in Tibet, Q: Rinpoche, would you please describe your monastery in Tibet. "The old Dolma Lhakang which existed before 1959 is in very high altitude, above tree level, and it’s a very, very cold part of Tibet. The new Dolma Lhakang, where we are building the new temple, is five kms lower than the old one. Originally we thought of rebuilding the old monastery, but it’s a very inconvenient place without any road, and very cold, and the water is very far away. Also, the mountain is a holy mountain and if you wanted to make the monastery a little bigger, then you would have to destroy part of the mountain. So I decided to leave the old area, and move to a little warmer place where it is more convenient for transport." Q: When do you think the inauguration of the new monastery will take place? "I very much wish to inaugurate it in 2008. I hope the temple itself will be finished by that time, but the monk’s headquarters in the retreat area and the college part will not be finished by that time." Q: Rinpoche, when did you last visit Dolma Lhakang? "I think 1993 or 1994 was the last time I was there." Q: Your students in Tibet have not seen you for many years, but we’ve all had the great fortune to meet you and benefit from the Dharma through you. It seems very appropriate that we show our appreciation by helping the monks and the nuns in Dolma Lhakang. "Yes, I hope so. You have all managed to use me since 1967 onwards, up to now. I am here every year. In Dolma Lhakang they saw me after 1959, from ’83 to ’95 they saw me more or less every year, but then from’95 up to at least now, they did not have a chance to see me." Q: Rinpoche what is the best way to help, for those who are able to help financially? Lama Yeshe talked about setting up a business for long term support of the monastery. "At the moment all of the monks, whenever they do prayers, they have to bring food from their own families. There are no proper meals and those other things that they need, like robes, they all have to be provided by the family. According to the Chinese government, in order to accept a person becoming ordained, there are several conditions. The first condition is that they have to be over 18. The second condition is that they have to be independent. They do not depend on the income from their family or society, they have to be independent from the society. So that means that the monastery must have income to support whatever the number of monks and nuns there are going to be. We also have four nunneries. The Holy mountain has four directions, which has four nunneries. So when the monastery is finished, I am also responsible for building a small project at What most monasteries do now is either they set up a business like a guest house, or a restaurant somewhere in a town nearby, so that the income from that business will support the monks and nuns in the long run, or they have income from animals, or income from renting houses to tourists. So my wish is to have some kind of business in order to establish more monasteries, so that there will be a future income to support them on a regular basis every year. Giving a lump sum of money will not be very useful. It has to be income-generating, like some kind of business." Q: Rinpoche, there is a planned pilgrimage in August 2008 for the inauguration, together with yourself and Lama Yeshe Rinpoche. What do you think it will mean to the Tibetans there, to meet many of your western students on this pilgrimage? "I hope that they will be very happy and feel that they have friends who support them outside. Also they will see that I’m not wasting my time staying in a western country. They will see that people practice Dharma and go on retreat, and become monks and nuns, and that many spiritual people sympathize with Tibetan Buddhism. If they see this, then I am sure that they will themselves feel uplifted. Their feeling of being the only one, or feeling that Buddhism has not much hope, I’m sure that will be very much uplifted." Thank you |
|
|
We are very pleased to give you the good news that we have received another extension of four months here at the Centre on Carlisle Lane. After meeting with a representative from Guys and St Thomas's Hospital we have now been granted a lease until the 1st February 2006, which is when they expect to be ready to start building work here. We have also informally agreed to a 5 year lease on Manor Baths near Kennington / Elephant & Castle. We will be able to sign the lease once all the planning permissions have been approved, hopefully by early October. Although not the ideal solution, as we were hoping to be able to buy a place by now, this will give us a much needed window, during which time we will continue to raise funds. At the end of the five year term we should be in a much better position to buy a permanent Centre in London. Manor Baths will be a beautiful place for the new Kagyu Samye Dzong London, and with your help and support we will be able to continue the activities that are of benefit to so many people in central London. |
|
|
4 - Amitabha Practice and the Bardo Many people have heard of the Bardo, and it is generally assocaited with
after death states. It is the fifth and sixth bardos that are what most people think of
when they refer to “the bardo” and each has a number of stages. While
death grants a number of opportunities for liberation, the separation of
mind and body at death is a considerable shock which can generate great “It is possible [to have awareness at that time]. My example for how it might be possible is something like this: I’m taken in an aeroplane to 35,000 feet high, and then someone puts a paper in my left hand and puts a pen in my right hand, and then throws me out of the airplane with no parachute, and I”m supposed to write the most beautiful poetry before I hit the ground. It would be possible, but very, very difficult.. but, if we practice now, then it becomes easier.. Because this [disembodied state after the separation of mind and body] is the most extreme state of mind, one automatically turns to what one believes in most. So, in this way, [if we have a strong daily dharma practice], it will be possible [for us to experience proper awareness at that time and to attain enlightenment or a favourable rebirth].” You can find out more on the 24th and 25th of September when Lama Zangmo will be giving instructions in the meditation, visualisation and meaning of the Amitabha puja, which is dedicated especially to attaining a good rebirth, along with teachings on the bardos mentioned above. See Forthcoming Events below for further details. |
|
|
September The Karmic Cycle - a sponsored bicycle ride in aid of Samye Dzong Chen style Tai Chi Tibetan Language classes Transforming stress Volunteer Weekend Amitabha Practice and the Bardo |
|
|
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. |
|
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 |
|