Gomde's history 9 - 2002 - Another perfect Gomdé summer

2002 - Another perfect Gomdé summer

Peter Olin

On arriving at Gomdé in the summer of 2002, one immediately saw that this was a year of dramatic development and change, especially for those of us that come from afar, and only for the summer. For those close by, I am sure the changes were more gradual, and involved lots of investment in time and energy to make it all happen.

Already the year before we saw some of the old buildings torn down, and the old pigsty towards the pond transformed into a tool shed and workshop. This year the top floor of that building had changed into a comfortable apartment with kitchen for the caretaker Ole. He had already been staying at Gomdé for a full year, but for the summer visitors, he was also good news.

Next to the apartment, a dormitory hall with room for at least 12 beds had been built. On the lower floor, a part of the building was reserved as a primitive indoor dining area. Next to this, there were also a few new inhabitants in the workshop to keep Ole company. To start out with there were four white pigeons and two chickens. During the summer another pigeon was hatched.

Some distance away there was another new creation: the large barn and storehouse, with a section for three donkeys, connected to the corral with the four horses.

The rolling hills on the land of Gomdé that had started to get a bit overgrown the previous year were now beautifully green and trimmed by the grazing horses and donkeys. The biggest change of all was the acquisition of Albertgaarden, the neighbouring farm with land stretching all the way down to the sea, and with that a new and shorter path down to the beach.

Mingyur Rinpoche

The summer camp of 2002 started out with a seminar with Mingyur Rinpoche, the youngest of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche’s sons. During his weeklong stay, this first visit to Gomdé, Rinpoche gave a thorough teaching on The Jewel Ornament of Liberation by Gampopa.

The manageable crowd of approximately 40 students was all very pleased by Rinpoche’s clear exposition of the subject. The very structured teaching on the text coupled with meditation instructions was both food for thought and non-thought. The whole event was a great success despite the short time available for organisation and planning.

Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

For the following week there were no teachings scheduled, so it was one of relaxation and preparation for Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s visit. In this relaxed and blissful atmosphere, I let myself be persuaded to help with the coordination of the following two seminars, a completely new experience for me.

Therefore, the two weeks to follow were a period of some stress and a new perspective on the whole stay at Gomdé, as I teamed up with Peter Braae for the coordination tasks.

When Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche arrived, we were all customarily lined up with khataks and incense receiving Rinpoche, this year arriving on horseback, I guess much to Rinpoche’s own surprise.

This year was the first when we had a general 40% discount policy for students, the unemployed and the retired. In addition, for the first of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche’s weeks this certainly had the desired effect: there were many newcomers and young people attending the seminar. Rinpoche gave lojong (mind training) teachings on the five strengths.

When the second seminar was to begin, the whole atmosphere changed from the lively, busy, eager and inspired, to a more relaxed and homely atmosphere, as more oldies arrived. Everything ran much more by itself, and the pressure on the coordinators became considerably less, as everyone was feeling at home, knowing what to do etc.

For the Dzogchen Retreat Rinpoche taught from a text by Padmasambhava: “Self Luminous Wisdom Mind”, which we got copies of, stamped with the seal of Rinpoche. The text elaborates on the three words that strike the vital point (tsig sum nedeg), by Garab Dorje.

Needless to say, all the teachings given were excellent, and I think I speak for all when I say that we all felt very fortunate to be given these teachings.

On the practical side, there were a few highlights as well, not all that positive, but still something which have created memories and strong impressions. A few nights we had the most amazing rainfall and thunderstorms, which flooded the whole yard including Gita’s tent shop and the rest of Helgenæs and Denmark. We had disappointed parents relying on the kindergarten service, which did not really work as expected, and a few other practical wrinkles that were ironed out as we went along. Then there were wasps, and wasps, and wasps. An unprecedented amount of wasps joined us at meal times, or actually at all times, which really had us all practicing patience and mindfulness around the dining tables and dishwasher areas.

Overall, we had another perfect Gomdé summer, with perfect weather, perfect conditions and perfect teachers for teachings on the Great Perfection at Rangjung Yeshe Gomdé.

Gomde's Historie 8 - 2001- Construction and more horsepower

2001- Construction and more horsepower

Jonas Doctor

Rangjung Yeshe Gomdé – The Retreat Land of Self-Existing Wakefulness. There is a lot of power, or juice as Tsoknyi Rinpoche would probably put it and beauty in that name. This is the name that our kind teacher Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche came up with when he first envisaged a European place for passing on the instructions of masters past and present. I think it is fair to say that the name has found a worthy recipient in the 47 acres of hills, ponds, and fruit trees that our team of able scouts stumbled upon ten years ago.

I was seventeen years old at the time, and when I think back, I must admit that I remember the two crazy Summer Camps of ‘94 and ‘95 on Samsø far better than the purchase of Tornbjerggaard, the run-down farm on Helgenæs destined to become a spiritual home for so many people. Well, shame on me. In fact, I am sure there are many, many things I have forgotten during the past ten years.

The memories I do have from the retreat land of self-existing wakefulness, and I am happy to say that, after all, there are still quite a few, are like snapshots arranged in random order; I am not sure exactly when they were taken, but they are there, and they are fond and beautiful. That is what matters. Mostly, of course, I remember Rinpoche, our spiritual friend, father, teacher; without his kindness Rangjung Yeshe Gomdé would not be.

I remember him sitting in the shrine hall, radiating wisdom and loving kindness, and installing in everybody a sense of calm and belonging, and I remember him laughing, joking, and hugging me and everyone else while reminding us not to take things too seriously in this strange world of ever-changing experiences. I remember him, and I cannot wait for the next Summer Camp to happen.

Then there is the place itself; the view from atop the hill with the deep blue sea in front of you and soft green hills everywhere else. I remember sitting there one morning as the sun came up, the whole sky on fire; and the apple orchard with its endless rows of trees where, if you are lucky, you can meet Gomdé’s most elusive residents, the deer. Try going there for a walk in the evening as the dew is falling and listen to the sounds of silence.

There are of course the people, our Sangha, or extended family. Lawyers, students, dentists, psychologists, artists, businesspeople, doctors, farmers, you name it we have it. We really are a mixed bunch, and in many ways very different from each other. Still, I feel very strongly that we are all connected. We share something much more important than line of work or music taste, and it has been a pleasure to meet all of you in these wonderful surroundings. May we meet repeatedly in the retreat land of self-existing wakefulness!

In 2001 the people living and working on Gomdé were as follows: Kim Hansen, Morten Røgild, Ole Pedersen, and Mikael Bonde. In January the last remains of the old pig and cow barn were removed, a semi-open eating pavilion was added to the pig barn in June, and in September construction began on the new dormitory, the caretaker flat, and on the new roof for the pig barn. The year 2001 also brought more horsepower to Gomdé as Tara Goleman donated three beautiful Icelandic horses to the land. New caretaker Ole Pedersen, who brought his donkeys with him when he moved in, provided additional donkey-power.

Summer Camp 2001 consisted of two seminars with Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche: Songs of Enlightenment from July 16^-22, during which time Rinpoche taught “A Dear Treasure for Destined Disciples, Pointing Out the Great Perfection by H. H. Dudjom Rinpoche”, and Cloudless Sky Dzogchen Intensive from July 22-29, where Rinpoche gave his first set of teachings on “The Oral Transmission of the Three Family Lords” by Chokgyur Lingpa. No empowerments were conferred. Rinpoche rounded off his visit to Denmark with a sold-out public talk entitled Fearlessness, the Buddhist Path to Inner Peace in Astrologihuset in Valby, Copenhagen, on July 30.

In the fall of 2001, Tsoknyi Rinpoche visited Aarhus where he gave a public talk, Buddhist Meditation, on November 16 and a two-day seminar entitled Introduction to Dzogchen on the 17th and the 18th. In spite of his busy schedule, Rinpoche managed to find the time to make a memorable one-day visit to Gomdé. Also in 2001, we were fortunate enough to have Dzongsar Gongna Rinpoche and his son, Simok Rinpoche, come to Gomdé and bless the land.

Gomde's historie 7 - the first Ngakso Drubchen

1998 – The Ngakso Drubchen

Erik Meier Carlsen

When I think of the final Marme Mönlam, the prayer of the butter lamp where we all joined hands and lifted the small lamps in an unending chain of disciples and masters, tears come to my eyes and shivering runs through my body. The wonderful sparkling mandala, endowed with beautiful brocade, unique Buddha-rupas and great, colourful tormas, spread blessing through the hall of our Lhakhang, and witnessed that without any doubt, here was an unmistakably presence of the Buddhas.

These strong and deeply touching experiences of open contact to the Pure Lands had manifested continuously during the five days of Drubchen – Great Achievement – in Gomdé, Jutland. In the Lhakhang from three majestic thrones, we were directed through the continual praxis of the Barchey Künsel guru-yoga and the detailed and fascinating development of the mandala of the Peaceful and Wrathful Buddhas of the Kama-Zhithro mandala.

I had never before participated in a full-scale drubchen and never before performed collective praxis with a full mandala of Zhithro Buddhas – though both experiences had been objects of my dreams for many years.

Though practicing Tibetan Buddhism for 30 years, I never visited Nepal – and not until two years ago, I visited Tibetan exile communities in India. The Lamas had come to me – to Denmark and Copenhagen – for the first decennium of my Buddhist life. Later I visited Tibetan masters in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Great Britain, USA and Austria.

Six years ago, I visited Bhutan, and four years ago, I went to Eastern Tibet, Kham, Derge and Dzogchen Monastery for two months. I selected the “authentic”, living Tibetan culture as objects of my pilgrimages. But the drubchen in Gomdé was without any doubt authentic, living Tibetan culture – although nearly all of the participants were westerners.

The Three glorious masters, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche and Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, followed strictly the classical rules and patterns of the detailed and beautiful ritual.

We walked in ceremonial parade around the Lhakhang. Rinpoche burned and buried the “linga”, representing our demons of attachment and distraction – and danced on top of it.

A frightening Yamantaka with kilaya were protecting the doorway. I loved the black cloth with red stripes that all three Rinpoches graciously waved in the air to spread all evil. And I loved the rainbow coloured silk that distributed the blessings.

I will never forget the tight, intimate community in the mantra-reciting group in the corner of the Lhakhang, keeping the chanting up in many hours at each watch, and I remember the feeling of presence of the manifested holiness, when I – as temporary leader of the chanting group, received the vajra, connected by a rainbow-cord to the mandala.

Most beautiful of all was the chanting of the song of Yeshe Tsogyal from the famous northern terma-text “Leu Dünma”, when we jointly prayed for the byin-lab, or “falling down of blessings”, which obviously transformed the most carefully constructed mandala into Guru Rinpoche’s pure land, Zangdo Palri.

During the pauses in the praxis, I tried to write down an index to the carefully translated text to the drubchen. I have always tried my best to transcend the level, where the Tibetan chanting becomes “Tibetan mumbo-jumbo” as late Chögyam Tryngpa Rinpoche once put it. I have learned a little Tibetan and succeeded in constructing a primitive overview of the very complex text to the drubchen.

It delighted me immensely. My first contact with Tibetan Buddhism was – as for many in my generation – “The Tibetan Book of The Dead”. I have worshipped and dreamed of the wonderful mandala of the peaceful and the wrathful ones nearly all my life.

I have had the good fortune to receive the initiation of the Karling Zhithro from illustrious masters like Benchen Tulku Tenga Rinpoche, Palpung Tulku Situ Rinpoche and Dzogchen Tulku Kyabje Pema Kalzang Rinpoche. I have practiced alone the short sadhana, written by a famous Kathok Tulku.

From my root guru Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche, I received the wang of his master, Nyagla Tulku Byangchub Dorje, for the Khordä Rangdrol Zhithro, and practiced Namchö Mingyur Dorje’s Zhithro. However, never had I been among a full mandala of fellow practitioners, unfolding the classical mandala of Gyutrul Zhithro before.

The complex team of practitioners in the Lhakhang was as colourful and as varied as the gods of the mandala. Here were old-time friends and many unknown mysterious strangers. Here were a dear, close colleague and friend – and the most irritating people with looks and attitudes, completely different from my taste and preferences. Here were in fact the whole scope of 100 gods and goddesses, angels and demons of the holy circles of peaceful and wrathful ones.

I believe these circles of gods are the most powerful religious symbols ever to arise in this world, and during these sparkling summer days in Gomdé they were present, among the tormas on the mandala and in the sunrays of the crisp early mornings and golden hours just before sundown.

Gomde's historie 6 - 1997 – Still on the road to Gomdé

1997 – Still on the road to Gomdé

Poul Albret

Nowadays there is a sign on the left side of the road just before you get to Esby. It is a very inconspicuous white sign with black letters. Instead of “Rangjung Yeshe Gomdé” it might as well have said “John Doe’s machine factory”. I mean, you see them everywhere around the country.

In 1997 there was no sign there. Or maybe there was a little something made of wood ornamented with a couple of prayer flags. But coming down Smedehalden in my old orange Volvo, I did miss it several times. Even then I realised that the (missing) sign was not to blame. It was my own anxiousness, for the very first time I was going to Gomdé and all kinds of thoughts were dancing around, blocking my eyesight.

Why I was there at that particular place, at that particular time is a long story. So we will not go into that now. Let us just say, that the person I regarded as my teacher had died several years before and that I had been shopping around for quite some time. Six months before the trip this searching had led me into a bookshop in Copenhagen, where I found a book called “Song of Karmapa” written by a Tibetan master called Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche, who was completely unknown to me. That book was really something, because it made me realise the crucial importance of pointing out instructions: The situation where a teacher in actual reality is pointing out (by gesture, fingers, words, closeness, love, compassion, etc.) the Buddha nature in your own mind stream. As they said in an old advertisement for coffee: It takes two to make a good cup of coffee – you and your merchant. The case of pointing out is similar: It takes your guru to do it, and you to be open enough to realise, what is taking place.

At that time, I had my own rigid ideas about people, who connected with Buddhism. Either they had to be very curious about life and the world – or they had to have a natural kindness and affection for other beings. I was of the first kind, I had decided, and I was very curious about what kind of people I was going to meet at Gomdé, particularly the hardcore Buddhists that actually lived there. Let us not go into detail, but just say, that the first face I talked to was really kind. But in general I would add that the old guard maintained a certain reservation and distance in relationship with all us newcomers.

I am not blaming anybody. People looking for paradise or nirvana have often so inflated egos that they are hard to be around. That is the big challenge for people living at Gomdé. They do all the ploughing and seeding, while the guests are picking the fruits.

But at that time I found it a bit disappointing, because it seemed to be in contradiction with the space like quality of the teachings and a sad repetition of the usual hierarchical structures, that you see all over the place. It did not bother me too much, though. As a true newcomer I was so taken by the kindness and intelligence of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and his brother Tsoknyi Rinpoche, who were both giving teachings the first week that I felt like being in another world. I even got to talk with Chökyi Nyima, so who was I to complain?

And believe me, when I look at my hardly readable notes from that year, they told us everything: The ground, the path and the fruition according to the different yanas (including Mahamudra and Dzogchen); the view, meditation and action; a whole range of methods to accumulate merit and wisdom and so on and so forth. On top of that, in the second week we had the great fortune of Chökyi Nyima introducing us to one of the most essential texts: Patrul Rinpoche’s “Three Words Striking the Vital Point”.

In other words: Even the most diligent person participating that summer would have had enough stuff to practice for the rest of his or her life. Nevertheless I am still coming back each year for more instructions. Why? Well, the mind seems to be very fickle and our habitual tendencies appear to be deep rooted. So even after all these years a lot of us are still on the road to Gomdé.