Losar greeting from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche

Here is a new year message from Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche.

Losar Greetings from Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche

Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters

As the Tibetan year of the water snake 2140 comes to an end my family joins me in making many aspiration prayers to welcome the Tibetan New Year of the wood horse 2141.

May the new year bring you and your family good health, peace, happiness, success and fortune. May your dharma practice continue to flourish, realization deepen and wakefulness expand.

Please know that you are always in our hearts, prayers and thoughts with ineffable affections. We are looking forward to seeing you again soon.

Until then, please take good care of yourselves and keep in touch. With continuous blessings and prayers:

Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and family.

Padmasambhava Day message from Phakchok Rinpoche

Dear Friends Near and Far,

 
On this Guru Rinpoche Day I would like to share three short points:

1. Our routine is extremely important. In terms of practice, this means keeping a daily routine of practice. This is the first point.
    
2. Secondly, generating compassion—correct, unmistaken compassion—and balancing it with meditation is very important.
    
3. And thirdly, finding our own faults, but without judging ourselves. This is key, but it is also quite difficult. We have our own problems, difficulties, and in particular bad habits. We have a lot of selfishness and many bad habits. So it is very important to check and become aware of these.

 Please try to keep these points in mind and apply them throughout your lives.

With many aspirations,

Sarva Mangalam!

Phakchok Rinpoche

Padmasambhava Day message from Phakchok Rinpoche August 2013

Dear Friends Near and Far

Hoping you have been well in all ways this past month, I would like to share a short piece of advice to highlight a crucial point for our practice.As practicing Buddhists, so-called dharma practitioners, our conduct is extremely important. From among the trio of view, meditation, and conduct it is explained that our conduct should enhance our view and meditation, but not only that ― how we behave is also a sign of our own progress. And as the great master Padmasambhava himself said:Though your view is as high as the sky,Your conduct should be as fine as flour.So our view, meditation, and conduct should go hand in hand. In particular, as members of society (and as practitioners, representatives of the sublime buddhadharma) our conduct in daily life ― how we speak, act, interact, and respond to other people and situations ― is really extremely important. As I explained in my message last month, there is the conduct of abandoning harmful actions and the conduct of performing positive actions and so forth.Please take a moment to reflect on your own conduct and behaviour and throughout the coming month try to bring this to mind each day and keep your behaviour in check. And finally, as one of my own kind teachers once advised me, even if you are unable to benefit and serve sentient beings and the buddhadharma at the very least make sure you do them no harm.

With many prayers and aspirations, Phakchok Rinpoche Sarva Mangalam

Message from Phakchok Rinpoche

Dear Friends,

I hope you have all been healthy and truly happy this past month. As many of you probably know, the previous month in the Tibetan calendar was Saga Dawa, which is regarded as an especially blessed time. Marking the anniversary of both the enlightenment and parinirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, it is said that the effect of the deeds you perform during this month are multiplied and for that reason the importance of practice is emphasized. During this month, at the blessed Boudhanath stupa and other sacred Buddhist places it was inspiring to witness the stream of devoted pilgrims and practitioners performing prostrations around the stupa, making circumambulations, offering butter lamps, and making aspirations that continued day and night without break.

            Inspired by this special month and anniversary, I would like to share with you a short excerpt of a text entitled The Sage Who Dispels the Mind’s Anguish by the late Dilgo Khyentsé Rinpoche. In this short, pithy text Rinpoche explains the practices of shamata and vipashyana based on Buddha Shakyamuni. Towards the end of the text, Rinpoche quotes from the Wisdom of Passing Sutra and explains:

 Likewise, all of these phenomena, such as death, have no established identity whatsoever, yet like illusory appearances their expression is completely unobstructed. When analyzed they cannot be expressed whatsoever in terms of the extremes of existence and non-existence. They are naturally non-conceptual and luminous. Therefore, one’s own mind that does not abide as any entity or non-conceptual thing whatsoever is primordially luminous; in the state of the present direct awareness all phenomena of samsara and nirvana are totally equal. Therefore, resolve the enlightened mind of the Teacher, Lord of Sages (Buddha Shakyamuni), and one’s own mind as well to be indivisible in the nature of mind, the state of self-existing wakefulness. If without getting distracted from that state you come to possess confidence and develop certainty in it, that is the realization of the true nature of one’s mind. Other than that there is no so-called ‘buddha’ whatsoever.

In that state there is no death and birth. Death and so forth are mere concepts; in the truth of the innate nature of mind free from concepts, birth and death are not in any way established. If one passes away resting evenly in that state, you will be reborn in a buddhafield without the deluded appearances of the intermediate state and so forth occurring.

If you do not have that level of confidence, but at the time of death and all throughout the intermediate state remember only the Guru, Lord of Sages, and do not forget, simply through that you will be led to a pure realm. Moreover, no matter what terror and suffering you encounter in this life, if you remember the Buddha you will definitely be liberated from those difficulties. No matter what happiness and excellence you may encounter know it to be the great kindness of the Buddha, and visualizing those pleasurable objects as a Samantabhadra offering cloud offer them to the Buddha.

Constantly reflect on the three liberations taught by the Teacher, and the meaning of the six paramitas and so forth. With great compassion for all sentient beings arouse the mind of supreme enlightenment and train as much as you are able in the conduct of the bodhisattvas. Recalling the Teacher like this is extremely important, for recalling the Buddha is that which sets one out on the beginning of all the bodhisattva paths and has immeasurable benefits. It generates all the excellent qualities of the path.

These days when most people hold the practices of their own school to be the most important, there are only a few people who consider the Teacher, Lord of Sages, as especially important. However, those who have entered into these teachings yet lack the faith and trust that regards the Teacher as supreme lack intelligence. Why is that? Because it is solely due to the compassion of the Teacher demonstrating the acts of the Buddha in this realm and time to us wandering beings of the degenerate age that the teachings—the three pitakas, and not only that, but all the way up to the teachings of the secret mantra Vajrayana, the path that can actualize in one short lifetime of this degenerate age the unified state of no-more learning—appeared. It is also solely due to his compassion that the beings who are the holders of the teachings, those who have entered the teachings of sutra and mantra, the sangha of noble beings as many as they are, appeared.

If the Teacher had not radiated out the light of the teachings here in this realm and time, we would not hear even the name of the three jewels. What need to speak then of being able to practice the paths of sutra and mantra? That beings so, whichever tradition one practices, whether it is be the New Schools or the Old School, to have intense faith that acknowledges the Teacher as especially important is indispensable at all times. Therefore, one must be especially devoted to the Teacher and persevere in that practice!

Keeping these profound and important instructions in mind, I hope you can find the time this month to joyfully engage in the three wheels Buddha taught his followers: the wheel of study and reflection, the wheel of relinquishing the afflictions through meditation, and the wheel of benefiting others through actions.

With constant prayers and aspirations and the best of wishes,

Phakchok Rinpoche

Sarva Mangalam!

Summercamp 2013 med Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

Meditation - indsigt med hjertet

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

Vi har alle hørt om meditation - og nogle af os træner måske i meditation fra tid til anden. Men hvad er meditation egentlig? Er det noget man træner i på en pude med lukkede øjne? Eller er det muligt at meditere i løbet af hverdagen? Og hvad med mindfulness? I dette seminar vil den anerkendte meditationsmester, Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, forklare hvad meditation er ifølge den buddhistiske tradition og give direkte anvisninger til personlig træning. Ved at meditere sammen med deltagerne vil Rinpoche guide dem i et autentisk træningsforløb. Dette seminar er for alle. Uanset om du er bare interesseret i at lære at meditere, eller har mediteret i mange år, er her en enestående mulighed for at træne under vejledning af en kvalificeret lærer.

Ud over Rinpoches undervisning vil der være daglige dharma foredrag med Erik Pema Kunsang og meditationstræning med Lama Tenzin Sangpo, hvilket udgør en fin mulighed for at reflektere over undervisningen og anvende den i praksis.

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche er en anerkendt tibetansk buddhistisk mester, der har undervist i meditation og buddhistisk filosofi over hele verden. Han har dannet meditations centre i mange lande og udgivet adskillige bøger om meditation og filosofi.

Good News from Gomde Denmark about Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche

We are happy to announce that Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche have accepted our invitation to teach at Gomde Denmark during 2013!

Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche will lead a Vajrayana retreat from July 19-23.

Phakchok Rinpoche will lead a Mahamudra retreat from September 6-9.

Further details will be available shortly.

Best wishes,

Gomde Seminar Team

Guru Rinpoche day message from Phakchok Rinpoche

Dear Friends Near and Far:

 

I hope you've all been well and that your dharma practice is flourishing. On 10th April, here at our main monastery in Boudhanath, Kathmandu Chokling Rinpoche kindly began bestowing upon us the empowerments and oral transmissions for Konchok Chidü (The Embodiment of the Precious Ones), a set of blessed treasure teachings focused on Guru Rinpoche that were revealed by the great master Jatsön Nyingpo (1585 – 1656). These empowerments were specially arranged for the lamas and practitioners from all the villages in Nepal, and lamas from more than forty states in Nepal made the journey down to Kathmandu for this precious event. While the five hundred+ guest lamas were seated inside the main shrine hall together with our own monks and nuns, the monastery's entire front lawn and courtyards were jam-packed with other lamas, monks, nuns, and laypeople who had come to joyfully receive these rare transmissions. The entire event was sponsored by the Foundation, and this included giving lunch to everyone present (1300kg of rice per day!), as well as water throughout the day and afternoon tea. Of course this was a great expense, but it was also a wonderful opportunity to practice generosity, and on top of this it was inspiring as always to witness the relentless generosity, devotion, and gratitude of the Himalayan people, who in spite of being relatively poor made unstinting offerings day after day. We concluded yesterday with a long-life empowerment that was attended by more than 15,000 people, all of whom devotedly queued up in the monastery for six or more hours in order to receive the blessings in spite of the heat, dust, and crowds. At nine pm when everyone had finally received the blessings, I then began the final teaching session for the Nine Yanas retreat which was attended this year by many international students as well as about thirty of our young monks and nuns. 

 

During the Nine Yanas retreat, with teaching sessions crammed in between the intense schedule of empowerments, we talked in detail about the twelve links of dependent arising which are the focus of the Pratyekabuddhas (self-realised buddhas).  The twelve links are an extremely profound teaching, something that all of us practitioners need to reflect on repeatedly. These twelve links are explained in great detail by Buddha Shakyamuni in sutras such as the Rice Sprout Sutra which I would recommend you all to study and contemplate. In particular, we should understand the benefits of understanding the twelve links, which in short are as follows:

 

• By gaining an understanding of the twelve links of dependent arising, automatically you will become very skilled in practicing the dharma because you now see and know that samsara and your suffering are in fact created by your own ignorance, nothing and no one else. Having understood that you will also know that the ability to relinquish samsara and gain liberation lies in your own hand;
• You will naturally gain compassion, and not just superficial compassion but an authentic, grounded compassion towards all sentient beings who are trapped and suffering in this cycle of samsara because of not realizing the process and function of the twelve links;
• You will gain deep-felt trust in the Buddha’s teaching which reveals to us so clearly the path to liberation; and
• You will gain an understanding of capacity, how causes and conditions give rise to results; for example, how performing certain actions of body and speech (for example, practices such as prostrations, offerings, and supplication) can lead to profound changes in your own mind. 

 

Keeping the swift and powerful blessings of the Lotus-born One, Guru Rinpoche in my heart, I would like to request all of you to keep the points I have mentioned in mind - generosity, devotion, and gratitude, and the twelve links of dependent arising - and to endeavor each and every day to bring them to mind and let them seep deep into your heart.

 

As always, with many prayers and aspirations,

 

Sarva Mangalam,

 

Phakchok Rinpoche

Chokyi Nyima, Chokling and Phakchok Rinpoches

The Three Gateways to Liberation, by Phakchok Rinpoche

The Three Gateways to Liberation

The Ground, Emptiness

The Path, Absence of Characteristics

The Fruition, Wishlessness

Dear Friends Near and Far:

I hope you've all been happy and healthy. I'm doing very well and at the moment in Kathmandu sitting in our annual Ngakso Drubchen. For today's Guru Rinpoche Day, I would like to take you back to the roots. With all your varied backgrounds and the different stages you are in your practice, it is sometimes good to refresh yourself of the basics, the essence. And to those of you who are new to the dharma, this should be a good start for you all. 

Buddha's teachings are extremely vast and for that reason we are often left thinking, where to begin? When first entering or inquiring about the Buddha's teachings, the starting point should be the view since this forms the ground of the practice to follow. When training on the path, the view should be in accord with the capacity of the individual and for this reason Buddha gave a variety of different teachings. The ultimate, essential view that the Buddha taught howeaver is none other than the profound emptiness and this is the first of the three gateways to liberation. 

Having ascertained the view, the second step is to put this view into practice on the path. Yet if you do not know how to practice correctly, then your path will go astray. Thus to prevent us from going astray on the path, Buddha taught freedom from grasping and clinging and told his disciples repeatedly to not fabricate. This is the mode in which we should practice on the path; abscence of characteristics.

But what is the result of doing this kind of practice and holding such a view? One needs to know what the result is and not be mistaken about this. To use a simple example, if you are traveling somewhere you need to know the route and you need legs to get you there and eyes so you can see the path. But you also need to know something about the destination and also how will you know when you have arrived? Likewise, the fruition of the Buddha's path is the collapse of all hope and fear, all notions and concepts; wishlessness. 

In this way, the three gateways to liberation contain the essence of the ground, the path, and the fruition of the Buddha's ultimate teachings. Thus if you can study, contemplate, and practice these correctly, your path will be unmistaken and will lead to perfect enlightenment without a doubt. 

For those of you receiving this note and not knowing how or why and wondering what this note is all about. I can atleast answer the what part, and that is, for the last six years, I have been sending notes to my students all over on each GRD to gently remind them to not go completely astray fom the path and remind them of the three jewels and to bring thier mind home for few minutes and to basically take a pause!

Sending you all much love and affection from the Blessed Valley.

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche 

First anniversary of Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's passing into Parinirvana

Today marks, according to Tibetan calendar, the first anniversary of our Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's passing into Parinirvana. On this occasion I'd like to share with you again this wonderful picture, taken in July 2000 after Tenga Rinpoche had taught the Phowa at RYG DK. May Rinpoche be reborn soon and may we all reunite again ♥

Heide

Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche's Long life ceremony

Video and Photo gallery of Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche's Long life ceremony, emergence of 3 year Retreatants and 5 Khenpo title promotions!  

Dear Friends all over the world,

 On February 25th, the high Lamas and monastic assembly of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery paused in their performance of the White Amitayus drubchen in order to offer a Long Life ceremony, for the monastery's Vajra Master, Kyabjé Tsikey Chokling Mingyur Dewé Dorjé Rinpoche.
Adding to the auspiciousness of the day, 12 monks emerged from their three-year meditative retreat.
Equally propitious, Kyabjé Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche chose meritorious Chötrül Düchen to promote five remarkable monks to full “khenpoship.” 

For your enjoyment, you may view highlights from the five-hour Tenshuk ceremony here
(video and photo).

More details:

Early Monday morning, on February 25th, the high Lamas and monastic assembly of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery paused in their performance of the annual 9-day Great Accomplishment Sadhana of White Amitayus (Tsékar Drubchen) in order to offer a special "tenshuk," or Long Life ceremony, for the monastery's Vajra Master, Kyabjé Tsikey Chokling Mingyur Dewé Dorjé Rinpoche.

Born in the Year of the Water Snake in 1953, Kyabjé Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche will celebrate his 60th birthday in July this summer. Because Tibetan astrology suggests that the return of one's 'animal year,' in the 12-year cycle, may attract impediments, monasteries customarily perform certain rituals to help dispel any such obstacles for their treasured incarnate Lamas.
Kyabjés Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, Phakchok Rinpoche and Tulku Urgyen Yangsi Rinpoche led our entire family of monks, nuns and lay sangha — both local and international — in offering the very touching and beautiful Tenshuk ceremony.

One by one, representatives from all of the monasteries and nunneries connected to our incarnate Lamas made special Tenshuk offerings. Elaborate gold and silver mandala-offerings were made by the high Lamas and their immediate family members. Moreover, exquisite statues, stupas, scriptures and so forth, which symbolize enlightened Body, Speech, Mind, Quality and Activity, were also offered by Rangjung Yeshé Institute and by the various international Rangjung Yeshé Gomdés' representatives to Kyabjé Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche. Each and every offering was accompanied by heartfelt prayers for Rinpoche’s extremely long life and for his enlightened activity to remain unceasing for the benefit of all beings.

In addition to the more than 400 monks, nuns and lay people from all over the world participating in the White Amitayus drubchen, several thousand visitors appeared Monday morning to help celebrate the Tenshuk which took place on full moon, the 15th day of Chötrül Düchen, the Month of Miracles.

Adding to the auspiciousness of the day, 12 monks emerged from their three-year meditative retreat carried out under the close guidance of Kyabjé Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at our extraordinary Asura Cave Retreat Centre. Imagine the delight of their families, friends and fellow monks who greeted these bearded, long-haired retreatants as they entered the shrine-room! None had been seen nor heard from by anyone, except Rinpoche, since November, 2009. For 3 years of intensive Buddhist practice, the monks adhered to ngakpa vows which prohibit the trimming of any bodily hair whatsoever during retreat.  However, soon the 12 retreatants will again be clean-shaven and return to everyday monastic life in our monastery.

Equally propitious, Kyabjé Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche chose meritorious Chötrül Düchen to promote five remarkable monks: Trokpa Tulku, Lodro Rabsel, Pema Namgyal, Urgyen Tenphel and Tsöndru Sangpo from their current standing as “lobpön,” which means “scholarly teacher,” to full “khenpoship."  Throughout their many years of academic training, these five monks, who were raised and educated in our monastery and its monastic shedra, consistently remained at the top of their classes. Therefore, in recent years Rinpoche assigned four of these monks to teach courses in advanced Buddhist studies to the Western students attending Rangjung Yeshé Institute. The fifth monk, Pema Namgyal, became the personal tutor of Kyabjé Tulku Urgyen Yangsi Rinpoche and accompanies him everywhere.

Based on their brilliant qualifications and personal achievements, Rinpoche formally endowed each monk with the designation “khenpo” which means “professor” and is the equivalent of a “doctor of divinity” degree in Western terms.

The Tenshuk was a joyous occasion for one and all. Thereafter, the monastery offered a delicious banquet luncheon for everyone in attendance.

For your enjoyment, you may view highlights from the five-hour Tenshuk ceremony here:
Video
Photo gallery

May Chokling Rinpoche live long

Dear Rinpoche,

Please live for a long long time, dancing in joy and great health. Please continue to spread the sacred teachings to all corners of the world.

Om soti, tsasum tse lha gyamtso jinlab kyi
Chokgyur dechen lingpa mi yi gar
Gyurmey dewey dorjei sangwa sum
Tagten trinley dzam ling kunkyab shog

Om svasti,
Oceanlike divinities of long life Triple Roots,
Bless the blissful Chokgyur Lingpa, here in human form,
So Unchanging Blissful Vajra’s triple secrets remain firm,
And all his activities may spread throughout the world.

Words from Phakchok Rinpoche

Dear Friends Near and Far: 

I hope you've all been happy and healthy. I'm well and at the moment in Kathmandu performing the annual Tsekar or White Amitayus (Buddha of Longevity) Drupchen, a nine day puja based on a collection of liturgies belonging to the "Great Accomplishment Group Sadhana of White Amitayus". This drupchen beginning on the 8th day of the first lunar month of the Tibetan New Year brings forth auspicious circumstances for the practioner's two fold attainment of longevity and primordial wisdom. 

In the past few evenings of the drupchen, I have been re-reading some of the great texts of Shechen Gyaltsab, Pema Namgyal and in particular, the "Advice from Old Vijaya" which never fails to inspire me. I have taken few lines from the text to remind you of the basic elements of the path which in a way is also an interesting analysis to check whether if you are actually on the true path. 

1. Make sure the topics of: 

 - Precious Human Birth

 - Death and Impermanence

 - Karma: Consequences of Action

 - The Defects of Samsara

Do not become mere words and ideas, but reflect upon them from the core of your heart.

Once you are well acquainted with them, your mind will have turned away from samsara and towards the sublime Dharma.

Once you feel this way, you have already covered half of Dharma practice!

2. Constantly keep reminding yourself of the excellent qualities of your Guru and the Three Jewels. Having trained in this, you will seek no other refuge than your Guru and the Three Jewels, no matter what joys or sorrows befall you.

Once that happens, you will have become one of the Buddha’s followers.

3. Once when you are on the path, train in accepting all sentient being as your parents, and maintaining this attitude uninterruptedly, cultivate loving-kindness, compassion, and awakened mind.

Once when you have become accustomed to benefiting others and freed from the chain of selfishness, you deserve the name “child of conquerors.”

The merit and benefits of this are beyond measure. 

These are the ways in which you avoid going astray from the True Path. And once on it, I hope that you are constantly showered with blessings and have unwavering trust and devotion.

 

Signing off from the Valley with much love and affection on this Guru Rinpoche Day just before midnight!

Sarva Mangalam,

 

Phakchok Rinpoche

Pure Milk - latest Saturday Talk

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche's latest Saturday Talk

is now posted on

www.DharmaSun.org

 

 

 

 

Pure Milk (direct link)

(You need to be logged in at DharmaSun for the direct link to work)

 

Best Wishes,

DharmaSun

Ceremony for Chokling Rinpoche's health and long life

Dear all:

A very happy New Year to you all.  There will be a Tenshuk long life offering to our Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche on the 25th February 2013 at the main monastery, to all those who cannot be here i urge you all to kindly pray for his longevity.

Much love and prayers.

Kebula
(Chokling Rinpoche's daughter)

Helping others

Rangjung Yeshe Shenpen

is a volunteer-based, non-profit organization established to alleviate poverty and to address social challenges, mainly in Nepal. Founded in 2004 by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and working under his regular direction, Shenpen focuses on helping the poor and disadvantaged gain access to health care, education and employment opportunities. It offers support to the elderly and street children, and works to improve the treatment of animals.

Based in Boudhanath, Nepal, Shenpen provides technical and financial support to trusted organizations with strong track records that work directly with poor communities. Shenpen also helps strengthen these organizations so they are better able to meet their long-term objectives.

Shenpen uses the skills and resources of its members and associates to identify where services are most needed, and aims to benefit as many people as possible with the resources available. It also has a strict policy of keeping its overhead at a bare minimum.

Since its inception Shenpen has sponsored over 100 projects across Nepal.

Read more here: http://www.shenpennepal.org/

New Year greetings from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling

Everyone from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery wishes you a Happy New Year 2013! For a short video clip with greetings from our Rinpoches, please click here. Video link

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Lama Dances at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling

Happy New Year from 84000

Happy New Year from Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Nepal

Happy New Year from Khandro Rinpoche