March Newsletter 2025

Dear All,

Welcome to the March newsletter. Those of you who are regular readers of this august missive will be fully aware that both Lama Zangmo and Nangdrak have spent the last month or so in South Africa and Zimbabwe, visiting the African Centres and attending the temple opening in Johannesburg. As you can see from the picture above (taken shortly before the opening), they weren't the only ones! If you check out the photos on the Samye Dzong Facebook pages, the eagle-eyed among you may also spot Alex and James who lived at the Centre in Carlisle Lane. As I write this, both Lama and Nangdrak are on their last stop before returning to the UK - it's the Tara Rokpa Centre that Joelle Peeters wrote about in last month's newsletter (you can read that article here if you missed it first time around). For those missing Lama's presence, she'll be back in time to teach the first of her upcoming courses next Saturday, 15th March - details below.

Sunday 23rd March will be a very busy practice day - kicking off with Green Tara at 10.00 am, followed by the return of a Vajrasattva Practice Day, and then followed in the evening by a Medicine Buddha Puja.

Also coming up this month:

New Tibetan Language classes kick off this Wednesday, 12th March, with the continued beginners course at 5.30 pm and the study of the Songs of Milarepa at 7.30 pm.

The Tibetan Doctor will next be available in KSDL on the weekend of the 22nd - 23rd March. To make an appointment for a consultation please contact Doctor Soktsang directly. If you want to check Dr Soktsang's availability in 2025, the dates of his attendance at the Centre are available on the website.

The ParliaMentor's Meditation workshop will be taking place on the afternoon of Saturday 29th March. You can find out more, both about the award-winning ParliaMentors program, and the event itself on the website.

Now, moving away from events there are two book related announcements:

First of all, the Centre welcomes donation of second hand Dharma books for the Library.

And secondly, there's a free ebook which may be of interest to some of the more...rich in years, members of our community. Written by the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche it's titled "A life of happiness: a practice guide for older practitioners".

Best wishes,

David Bates

Newsletter Editor

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Upcoming courses with Lama Zangmo

An Introduction to Meditation - Saturday 15th March. This is a day of meditation instruction especially suited for complete beginners and those who would like to refresh their knowledge and get more meditation experience.

The Seven Points of Mind Training - a new monthly course running from March to December starting on Saturday 22nd March. For centuries Tibetans have used the seven points of mind training with a series of fifty-nine slogans as a skillful method for training the mind and cultivating limitless compassion. Find out how to apply these to your own life and practice, starting on Saturday 22nd March.

Chenrezig - a weekend of instructions and practice - Saturday 5th - Sunday 6th April. Over this practice weekend Lama Zangmo will give some instructions on the visualisations, meditations and benefits of this practice, but the emphasis will mainly be on getting familiar with the meditation through having plenty of time for actual practice on both days.

A Precious Garland of the Supreme Path - a monthly course running from April to July. The first session is on Saturday 12th April. A Precious Garland by Gampopa succinctly outlines what we need to know at every stage of the path. The text gives precise instructions on what is needed to develop one's understanding, meditation and conduct on the spiritual path.

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Travelling to Tibet with Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche - plus a Skills Auction - Sunday 27th April

Taking that headline in reverse order:

We've got some great offerings for you at the Skills Auction and it would great to have some more. If you've been hesitating, please don't hold back. Here are some of the skills currently on offer:

• Beginner's Qi Gong

• Learn to Knit

• British Sign Language Lessons

• Bonsai Care.

• Learn to make bread

However, if you're not able to offer something for the auction, you are more than welcome to come along to it and enjoy bidding for some great things on offer.

All funds raised from the event will go towards Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche’s monastery in the autonomous region of Tibet and the monks and nuns living there.

To tell us more about Rinpoche's work in Tibet, we also have Barbara Pfeiffer from ROKPA Germany who will be sharing her memories of travelling with Rinpoche to visit the many ROKPA projects in the region. Accompanied by slides, the talk will also include details of life in the monasteries and nunneries.

This has all the hallmarks of a really great day at the Centre and we hope to see as many of you there as possible.

Sunday 27th April, 14.00 - 17.00. Full details, including how to offer something for the Skills Auction, can be found on the website.

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The 5th UK Kagyu Monlam at Samye Ling this June

"The Kagyu Monlam is a major international prayer festival held annually in Bodhgaya, India, where people gather to listen to Buddhist teachings and to pray for peace and harmony and the well-being and happiness of the world. It is now also held annually in other countries all over the world on a smaller scale and this will be the fifth time it is being held in the UK.

We hope this fifth UK Monlam, which takes place at Kagyu Samye Ling from 30th May - 5th June, will be a magnificent event and that as many people as possible will take part.

The Kagyu Monlam will take place during Saga Dawa, the most auspicious month in the Tibetan calendar, where the anniversary of Lord Buddha’s Birth His Enlightenment and Parinirvana all occur. The Monlam begins on the 4th day of Saga Dawa and finishes on the 10th day, Guru Rinpoche day.

After the Monlam there will be several days dedicated to prayers purifying and blessing the ashes of people who have passed away during the previous year. Following this will be the ceremony to place the ashes in the Stupa and Prayer Wheel Walkway. Everyone bringing ashes can make arrangements via bardo@samyeling.org.

On the auspicious 15th day of Saga Dawa (11th June 2025), the anniversary of Lord Buddha’s Enlightenment and Parinirvana, our Abbot, Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche will give Refuge to anyone wishing to enter the Buddhist Path. Please send an email to reception@samyeling.org if you would like to take refuge on this day.

Both Drupon Khen Rinpoche Karma Lhabu and Lama Yeshe Losal Rinpoche will preside over the Monlam prayer sessions and we will also have the good fortune to receive daily teachings from Drupon Rinpoche.

For those who have not been to Samye Ling before, we can arrange a group journey. Just let us know if you are interested.

Bookings for the 5th UK Kagyu Monlam will open mid-April 2025. Full details can be found on the Samye Ling website.