Ven. Tenga Rinpoche has passed away

Dear Friends,

Very sorry to convey the message that, after giving final instructions to his monks, Ven. Tenga Rinpoche passed away early this morning at his monastery in Swayambhu. A great loss to all of us. I believe he is in tukdam right now. Our Lamas, who held him in immense esteem, have just gone to his monastery.

Regards,

Kathy

Best Wishes

Kathleen J. Morris
Secretary to the Abbot, Tulku Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche
Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery
P.O. Box 1200 Boudhanath
Kathmandu, Nepal

Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche on mental health

--from the Autumn Seminar at his monastery in Boudhanath, Nepal.

Lama Tenzin Sangpo singing beautiful mantra song

Lama Tenzin Sangpo singing beautiful mantra song.

He is the teacher for the upcoming Tara retreat at Gomde next week.

Tara Practice Seminar: The Triple Excellence Treasure March 30th - April 8th

In the instructions known as The Triple Excellence, Tara, the female Buddha of wisdom in action, reveals a complete path of perfect awakening. These teachings describe the entire Buddhist path in gradual practical instructions. With its rich and vibrant interface, The Triple Excellence is perfectly accessible and profound for both beginners and seasoned practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

The great treasure master of Tibet, Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, received these profound and pithy instructions from Tara herself and they are transmitted in a precious lineage of accomplished masters. In clear steps Tara's instructions cover all three vehicles of Buddhism (The Triple Excellence) from the Vajrayana perspective.

This spring Lama Tenzin Sangpo will lead a unique retreat seminar involving practices from all Three Excellences will be held at the Rangjung Yeshe Gomde in Denmark. Beginning with mind training practices of the First Excellence, we will gradually arrive at the bodhisattva perspective of insight and love, and from there explore some of the central practices of the Second Excellence. Finally we will, during the last three days, focus on the practice of green Tara, the first sadhana within the Third Excellence.

The retreat will unfold over nine days. Beginning with fundamental mind training described in the First Excellence, we will proceed to the Bodhisattva path of the Great Vehicle. We will train in recognizing the presence and power of loving-kindness and compassion and we will receive instruction on the way to let these qualities flourish through insight. After having trained in opening our heart with loving kindness and compassion, we will cultivate the vision of the equality of self and other and begin the practice of exchanging ourselves with others. Through this we will arrive at the aspiring aspect of the altruistic mind of awakening (bodhicitta), and from there learn how to train in the first five paramita, - the actions of a bodhisattva.

Having worked with central practices belonging to the First and Second Excellences, we will, as an inspiration for the Third Excellence, learn how to perform the outer sadhana of Green Tara.

This retreat is open to all who are interested in the instructions on Tara’s Triple Excellence – you are most welcome to join us here regardless of whether you are already participating in the online program offered through www.dharmasun.org, or not.


The practive seminar begins Friday the 30th in the evening. Arrival and registration will be open from 3 pm. Dinner is at 6 pm and after dinner, the first teaching takes place.

Prices:

400,- DKK / 52,- Euro per person per night in dormitory or double room (we fill the rooms first)

600,- DKK / 81,- Euro per person per night in single room

3 vegetarian meals are included. There is no child care available.

Registration is open at www.gomde.dk

Dansk:

Tara er den kvindelige Buddha for visdom og handling. I denne vejledning, kendt som The Triple Excellence, beskrives en komplet sti mod oplysningen. Hele den buddhistiske vej er her forklaret i gradvise praktiske anvisninger. Med sin rige, enkle og levende forklaringer, er The Triple Excellence rigtig god for både begyndere og erfarne.

Lama Tenzin Sangpo vil lede praksisseminaret og føre os igennem The Triple Excellence. Fra den første Excellence, som handler om sindets træning, vil vi gradvist nå frem til afsnittet om indsigt og kærlighed i bodhisatva perspektiv, og herfra udforske nogle af de centrale elementer i den anden Excellence. Endelig vil vi i løbet af de sidste tre dage, fokusere på Grøn Tara praksis, den første Sadhana i den tredje Excellence.

Dette 9-dages retreat er åben for alle interesserede, uanset om man allerede deltager i det online-program, der tilbydes gennem www.dharmasun.org.

Praksisseminaret begynder fredag d. 30. om aftenen. Ankomst og registrering åbner kl. 15, aftensmad er kl. 18 og herefter begynder praksisseminaret.

Priser:

400,- DKK / 52,- Euro pr. person pr. nat i dobbeltværelse og på sovesal (vi fylder værelserne først)

600,- DKK / 81,- Euro pr. person pr. nat i enkeltværelse

3 retter vegetarisk mad er inklusiv i prisen. Der vil ikke blive arrangeret børnepasning.

Registrering er åben på www.gomde.dk

Teaching by Phakchok Rinpoche

Practicing Kindness

Dear Friends Near and Far,

I hope you've all been healthy and happy. It's been two months since our last connection, and for those of you who noticed that I didn't drop into your mailbox last month, I truly apologize. I've been away the past month on a family pilgrimage where I din't have access to internet. Anyhow, a very happy Guru Rinpoche Day to you all today. This month's Guru Rinpoche Day is a special one as it falls on a Saturday, and therefore a "pen chu".

Today I want to relay to you all the importance of practicing kindness. Actually what is kindness?

Kindness is the basis of happiness. Kindness is the basis of the life we live. Kindness is the basis of the dharma. The basis of practicing the dharma should be on a caring positive mind. So kindness is understanding. Kindness is a thing that you don't take advantage of. It is seeing that it is directly and indirectly benefiting you. For example, if you are giving alms to a beggar and if you have a feeling of savior or superiority, then think twice. Who is doing a favor to whom. I would say that the beggar is doing a favor to you. If there is no beggar, and if you have the motivation of accumulating merit by giving alms to beggars, then who are you going to give to? Kindness can produce a good caring heart. So think of kindness towards your parents who care for you, your friends who are doing something special to you, and even to a waiter who is serving you. Don't take advantage of that or think you own that because it is their responsibility or that they should since you are paying for it.

Kindness can help you gain caring and showing kindness means you understand. So please practice kindness. When you think of kindness towards your teacher, you gain devotion. When you think of kindness towards your parents, you gain respect and caring. And when you practice kindness towards the general public, you become more positive and good hearted, naturally. When you practice kindness towards your loved ones, your understanding grows and so does your patience. So basically only by practicing kindness, you are producing more positive thoughts and as a result, improving the qualities of your life.

For those of you who don't feel much kindness towards others, you should at least be very kind to your ego! The most important key is that you need to see your own faults and to do this, you need to be kind to your ego. Because when you do so, you'll see your mistakes and the causes of those mistakes.

I know that everyone has so many things to do mundanely and in their practice as well and I wouldn't want to add anymore to that. But please do think of my message today. I'm participating in a ceremonial puja of longevity which goes on for nine days on a 24 hour period. I'm sitting through the day session from sunrise to sunset and today I'm a feeling a little down with a cold and at the moment a little tired and dizzy while writing this to you. So think of kindness towards me for starters!

Kindness is a very positive thought which leads to a positive life and that in turn makes your life more meaningful leaving no room for regrets and therefore free of suffering. How kind of "kindness" in creating a ripple of kind positive effects in our lives.

Last but not the least, when you are having your next meal, try to practice kindness towards the person preparing the meal, or to the one serving you that meal, to those who planted that meal and to those insects who died in the process and when you think of kindness in this manner, your meal naturally becomes precious, more delicious, more unique and as a result, makes you more positive, more compassionate and basically more meaningful all because of just thinking of kindness!

Thinking of kindness, I seal today's GRD message with much love and affection towards all of you, wherever you are.

Sarva Mangalam,

Phakchok Rinpoche

Note: To those of you participating in Guru Rinpoche's pilgrimage next month, I look very much forward to seeing you.