Kagyu Samye Dzong London
News

July 2006

Contents

1. Rinpoche's visit
2. Manor Baths
3. Understanding and accepting death and dying
4. Medicine Buddha
5. Buddhism and family life
6. Forthcoming events

1 - Visit of Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche to the Centre, 7th-11th June

Ani Paltso writes: "The week of Rinpoche’s visit was marked by glorious weather (up to 30C) and a high pollen count, leading to many sneezes all round! In the breaks we stretched on benches in the garden enjoying the green canopy and birdsong, and rejoicing in the good fortune of being able to remain in this special location for a little longer.

Akong Tulku Rinpoche answered questions in a public session on Friday, and on Saturday and Sunday, bestowed the Konchu Chido and Medicine Buddha empowerments respectively. There was a moment when offering the mandala of the universe to Rinpoche as Vajra master, that it struck home how fortunate it was to be offering this mandala to Guru Rinpoche in the form of Akong Rinpoche. What a ripening of good karma!

Ken Holmes gave several talks on Buddha nature from the Uttara Tantra Shastra, reflecting the depth and scholarship of a practitioner with over 30 years experience within the Dharma. He explained the distinctions between sutra and tantra, gave teachings on the different kinds of refuge and their meanings, and touched on the profound philosophy of emptiness. Gently presented, the teachings were both inspiring and illuminating.

On Sunday, after some entertainment, Rinpoche drew the winning tickets for the Big Raffle. Congratulations to the winners and thanks to all who took part."

Norbu shows the movement of thoughts in the mind through the motion of balls in the air. To see more pictures of Rinpoche's visit click here.

2 - Manor Baths

Work is progressing (so nothing new there!). What is new is the latest wishlist from Colin, our site manager. He's particularly looking for:

• A carpenter to help finish off the doorframes, skirting boards and to work on the shrine (astounding amounts of good merit for this one!!)

Also on the wishlist are:

• A long Youngman Board
• Grid ceiling tiles
• A 240v extension lead (long please!)
• Another stepladder and
• A vice

If you are able to assist with any of these items, please contact the office by email or phone
on 020-7928 5447.

3 - Understanding and Accepting Death and Dying

Rob Nairn writes: "As we die the elements start to dissolve and we leave the body in stages and move into the bardo of dying. If we can recognise what is happening while it's happening during this process, there is a chance for the mind to become liberated.

The reason we are not liberated in life, dream or death is that we do not recognise the true nature of our existence and experience. In life this means we don't recognise or understand what is happening in our minds, because of our mind's layers of ignorance.

To free ourselves, we need to cultivate within our mind the capacity for recognition. In life we can do that through meditation - training in mindfulness - which enables us to penetrate the immediacy of our thought processes. Through training in mindfulness we bring the mind increasinly into focus in the moment. When that happens, the mind naturally sharpens and gains insight into its own processes. We unmask the most subtle, hidden activities of our minds, and begin to gain an enormous amount of understanding about ourselves: the way we are in the world, what is really going on in our minds.

This process of recognition is enormously beneficial when we start to die, because mindfulness is a faculty that does not disintegrate when the body dies. It is a quality within consciousness. Mindfulness survives into the death experience and provides the basis for being able to recognise what is happening at that time. It enables us to recognise how consciousness passes through definite transits, and to take advantage of the opportunities offered by those transits."

For those wanting to put a bit more work into recognising the true nature of our existence and experience, there are a couple of helpful courses coming up shortly:

At the Centre, Clive Holmes will be teaching on Understanding and Accepting Death and Dying from the 14th-16th July. You can book your place on this course by phoning the Centre on 020-7928 5447, or by emailing London@samye.org

Lama Zangmo will also be leading an 8 day retreat at the Purelands Retreat Centre, Samye Ling, "Training for this life and beyond", from Saturday 12th - Sunday 20th August. For more details and to book your place on this course click here.

Back to contents

4 - Medicine Buddha - from a teaching by the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche

It is said that if one meditates on the Medicine Buddha, one will eventually attain enlightenment, but in the meantime one will experience an increase in healing powers both for oneself and others and a decrease in physical and mental illness and suffering.

"We might think that fundamentally we are practicing the Medicine Buddha in order to benefit our own bodies, whereas the motivation of bodhicitta is the wish to benefit all beings. But in fact there is no contradiction, because, in order to be effective in benefiting other beings, we need to accomplish an excellent samadhi or meditative absorption; and in order to accomplish that, together with the insight and realization that it brings, we need to have a stable practice. In order to have a stable and profound practice, we need to be physically and mentally healthy or comfortable, because by being comfortable in our body, and comfortable in our mind, we will be free of obstacles to diligence in practice and free of obstacles to the cultivation of meditative absorption. So therefore, we are practicing the Medicine Buddha in order to attain states of mental and physical health or balance, not merely for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others as well."

"The primary technique in the meditation consists of imagining ourself to be the Medicine Buddha, conceiving of yourself as the Medicine Buddha. By replacing the thought of yourself as yourself with the thought of yourself as the Medicine Buddha, you gradually counteract and remove the fixation on your personal self. And as that fixation is removed, the power of the seventh consciousness is reduced. And as it is reduced, the kleshas or mental afflictions are gradually weakened, which causes you to experience greater and greater well-being in both body and mind."

"In most religious traditions, the deities of that tradition, when they are related to or imagined, are imagined in front of one. Then, visualizing the deity or deities as being present in front of one, one prays to them, and by doing so hopefully one receives their blessing, which benefits one in some way. In the vajrayana tradition, however, we regard the blessing and the power and the qualities of the deities as being innate, as being within one’s own mind."

"It is through regarding oneself as the deity that defects are gradually eradicated and qualities gradually revealed. The primary technique of visualization is to visualize ourselves as the deity, because the potential to transcend our problems is innate rather than external to us."

Lama Zangmo will be giving instructions on the practice of the Medicine Buddha on the 29th-30th July and a monthly Medicine Buddha puja will begin at Samye Dzong in the autumn (details will appear in the new program out in August). Contact the office by email or phone on 020-7928 5447 to book your place now.

5 Buddhism and Family Life - by Rachel McHale

Are you a mother or father who is trying to practice Buddhism in your daily life, whilst bringing up your children? Would you like to be able to teach your children some of the principles and practices of Buddhism?

If this sounds familiar then we’d love to hear from you! Myself and my husband are in the same situation, and struggle to find time to do all (or any in fact!) of the above well! We have two children, India aged 3 and Zak aged 1, and constantly find ourselves trying to be mindful in the midst of complete chaos – you know the scene….one child having a tantrum, the other one pulling out the cats whiskers, and the house looking like it has just been burgled – but in fact it is just the trail of disaster left behind by the little ones! It is certainly a challenge to remain mindful, calm and compassionate at times like this! And even more difficult to find the quiet time to meditate daily!

We also live outside London so do not find it easy to come regularly to Kagye Samye Dzong, and when we do we often come independently which can put further pressure on the ones left at home!

There may be many of you reading this, who are in a similar situation, and perhaps there is some more we could do to support families in the centre (and in the future at Manor Baths).

As a first step, perhaps you could let us know your views about the following, and then perhaps we could find ways of bringing families together and supporting each other both within and outside the centre.

• What would encourage you to come to the centre as a family more regularly?
• What puts you off coming currently?
• Would you like to meet other Buddhist families/parents? If yes, what specific support would be helpful to you?
• What could you personally do to help address these issues?
• Would you be prepared to be part of a working group to develop further proposals?

Click here to email your answers to me. It would be great if you could also include contact details (if you are happy to be contacted).

We look forward to hearing your ideas!!

Rachel McHale

6 - Forthcoming events

JULY

The Way of Drawing
with Bella Green
10am-5pm Sat 8 – Sun 9 July
£55
Learning to see through drawing enables us to experience directly the amazing world we live in, and our feeling responses to it. The process of drawing enriches our perceptions and helps us to be in the here and now. For beginners and those with a little more experience. A list of course materials will be given upon booking.
Bella Green is a practising artist who has also been teaching art and design for over twenty years. She is a visiting tutor of drawing and colour at the Royal College of Art in London.

Understanding and Accepting Death and Dying
with Clive Holmes
7pm Friday 14 July; and 10am-4pm Sat 15 – Sun 16 July.
£55
In our society death and dying are taboo subjects yet they are inevitable for us all. By facing our fears and dispelling our ignorance about impermanence, we can learn how to improve the quality of our lives. This course will include exercises to help us be at ease with change, impermanence and the human condition. Please bring lunch to share.
Clive Holmes has been teaching meditation for the last fourteen years within the UK. He has completed over a year in intensive retreat and has studied widely.

Tai Chi
With John Henry
10.30am-4pm Sun 16 July
£25
A monthly class of tai chi with John Henry who has been studying martial arts for the last 13 years within the lineage of Chen Xiao Wang. The classes include a variety of chi kung exercises excellent for health, calmness, balance and relaxation. They are suitable for anyone and beginners are always welcome at any class.

AUGUST

Volunteer Working Holiday
Weds 9 – Sun 13 Aug, 10.00 am - 5.00 pm
An opportunity to use your holiday time in the best possible way, ie. helping Samye Dzong at Manor Baths and accumulating lots of merit! There is plenty of cleaning, decorating and repairwork to do at the new place, and a ready suppy of tea and biscuits to keep us going! Free accommodation and food will be provided at our current location and participants will be able to use the shrine room, library and other facilites during the week. The Centre will be closed to the general public, so this quiet period will be a good time to do your own personal practice outside of work times.
Please book in advance by contacting the office on 020-7928 5447 or by email.

Tai Chi
with John Henry
Sunday 20th August, 10:30 am – 4.00 pm
£25
A monthly class of Tai Chi with John Henry who has been studying martial arts for the last 13 years within the lineage of Chen Xiao Wang. The classes include a variety of chi kung exercises excellent for health, calmness, balance and relaxation. They are suitable for anyone and beginners are always welcome at any class.

Visit of the 18TH Dulmo Choje Tulku Rinpoche, Karma Shedrup Tenzin Tinley Palzang
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th August
Friday evening: £10 Sat/Sun: £30 per day Full course: £55
Friday 7.00 pm - Teaching on the Bodhisattva Vow
Saturday 10.30 am - Bodhisattva Vow
Saturday 2.00 pm - White Tara Empowerment
Sunday 10.30 am - Green Tara empowerment
We are extremely fortunate to have a visit from Dulmo Choje Rinpoche from Damkar Ling monastery in Tibet. The first incarnation of the Dulmo Choje lineage, Bartsa Tatul, was most gifted and miracle-endowed, and was a personal disciple of the first Gyalwa Karmapa. He founded the Damkar Lhundrup Dechen Chokhor Ling monastery and since then, has manifested in an uninterrupted succession of incarnations, all of whom were extraordinarily accomplished beings.
For further biographical details of Dulmo Choje Rinpoche please click here.

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.

Back to contents