The spring from where the nectar of Bodhichitta flows

During a short holiday from our studies in Ranjung Yeshe Insitute, I decided to go to a sacred place of Guru Padmasambhava here in Nepal. I have heard about this place from different masters, but never had the opportunity to go.
Tibetans call this sacred spot Chumig Jangchub, ‘The spring of Bodhichitta. In the “Prayer which removes all obstacles from the path”, a terma revealed by Orgyen Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, this place is described in the following way:

“When binding under oath the protector who abides by his vows,
In that immaculate, ravishing, supreme place of power,
On the very border of India and Tibet,
You bestowed your blessing as soon as you came.
On that mountain, fragrant with sweet scented air,
Even in winter lotus flowers blossom,
And a spring with the nectar of Bodhichitta flows…”

Bringing this prayer with me, I went to this place together with a spiritual brother. Arriving there, I heard that there was a yogi that lived in this place since many years. I asked if I could see him, and it was said that in the following morning he would receive us. The next morning, we went to see him entering in a small shrine said to have been built by himself. There, there was an old lama sitting in a cushion right on the floor. He pointed the place in front of him for us to join him. As we set, I said we came from Kathmandu for the holiday of the Tibetan New Year. I was curious what practice lineage this yogi came from. So I asked him: who is your spiritual teacher?

The yogi remained in silence for a bit making us feel that there was something very profound in that question. After that, he just pointed to some photos of some lamas that were in his shrine – Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche and the Tibetan siddha Drubwang Shakya Shri (saying that he was a disciple of the disciple of Shakya Shri). He did not mention their names from his mouth.

Then I asked him where is he from and for how long he has been in retreat in that place.

He replied: I was born in Bhutan. Now I am 84 years old and it has been 46 years that I am in retreat at this place. Then he asked us what we do in Kathmandu.

We said, “We study Dharma and Tibetan language in a shedra or Buddhist University.”

The yogi replied: O that is very good. However, just study Dharma is not enough.
You have to put your knowledge into real practice; you have to get a taste of what it is actually about. Yet, even though you might practice Dharma if you mix your practice with the eight worldly concerns – wanting gain and trying to avoid no gain, wanting pleasure and tying to avoid displeasure, wanting praise and trying to avoid blame, wanting fame and trying to avoid infamy – no real benefit will come about from your Dharma practice. Therefore, try your best to not mix the Dharma and your spiritual practice with those worldly concerns.

At that moment, for some reason, I felt I was actually in front of Guru Rinpoche himself, receiving a key point instruction that I would carry deeply in my heart for all my life. I felt in my heart that that yogi was carrying within his mind the blessings that come directly from Guru Rinpoche. Maybe the real Guru Rinpoche is not a ordinary historical human but that state of realization that can be transmitted and felt within each one of us if we practice Dharma with a pure motivation free from selfish and self-centered concerns. I felt that if I want to know who really Guru Rinpoche is I would not find him in that outer sacred place or in the texts, but only within myself by following and putting into application the pith instructions of such realized yogis. 
There is nothing more important than this I thought. 

Chumig Jangchub – the spring nectar of Bodhichitta seem to be still flowing.

~Gabriel from Brazil

Nagi Gompa

Every time a semester ends at RYI, I feel especially joyous. One reason is that I have a sense of strength in my abilities to survive one more semester with its exams and to learn many profound key points of Buddhist philosophy and practice. Another reason is that I get to reward myself with some free time to spend either in Nagi Gompa or Asura hermitage. These two holy places have become my prominent get away from hussle-bustle of the city. Having these two getaways has been a key part of my experience in Nepal the last six years.

The first time I came up to Nagi Gompa to attend Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s retreat I completely fell in love with the beautiful scenery, warm atmosphere and of course the amazing nuns. Above Nagi Gompa is Shivapuri peak, an important place of pilgrimage for Buddhists, because Kashyapa the previous Buddha visited the high top of the mountain where he cut his hair as a sign of renouncing the worldly life. But also Nagi gompa is saturated with Tulku
Urgyen’s blessings. One of the most revered and highly accomplished masters of the last century, Tulku Urgyen chose to spend many years in the nunnery, dedicating himself to practice. It is still possible to feel Rinpoche’s blessings while meditating in the room where he stayed for about nine years in retreat. In the last few years the presence of Rinpoche has become even more acute, since
Tulku Urgyen’s reincarnation is living and studying at the hermitage. 
Likewise, many nuns themselves are quite accomplished practitioners; from among the hundred Nagi Gompa nuns about fifty have completed the traditional three-year
retreat. Nagi Gompa has become my spiritual home, and the community of nuns my heart family. 

I hope all students—new and old—will take the time to visit these inspiring sacred places.




~Anya from Russia

See you in the Fall term!

Friends celebrating completion of semester

In one of my classes, I heard of a mental and emotional ability, which a Bodhisattva needs to develop on the path of preparation in the Mahayana. This path is one out of five paths that describe the training of a Bodhisattva. And this ability that one develops on the path of preparation is the ability to be comfortable with groundlessness.

In studying the teachings on emptiness, as in the discussion of the 9^th chapter of the Bodhicaryavatara, the Lopon got asked continuously: “If things are not as substantial as they seem: aren’t I to fall through the floor?” This is one kind of groundlessness that arises when listening and contemplating the teachings on emptiness.

A little bit of falling through the floor is actually right now happening to those RYI students who enter summer break. If only for a short month or for three months: there won’t be a schedule and the routine that carried us through the last two semesters is no more. As for me, of course, I know ‘how to defend myself’: a new schedule, a new project and new events are soon to fill the open space of the summer break. Yet, I can’t deny that with the end of the spring semester, the reality of impermanence makes itself known once again and I find myself feeling close to the reflections on emptiness, once more. Reflections, which consider that every person or event is arising through inconceivable conditions and don’t inherently exist.

As I say good bye to my friends for the summer and am preparing to leave Nepal for three months, I hear myself repeating the wish: “See you in the fall!” Now in the context of these reflections on groundlessness, this simple wish seems also like an aspiration prayer to me. Known and unknown conditions contribute to my ability to come back to Nepal for the fall semester. Known and unknown conditions support me to write these reflections right now. Slowly I find myself growing in the understanding that it is important to open to the emotional and mental ability to be comfortable with uncertainty. Slowly and with the wonderful support of study at RYI, I see my mind becoming ready to plunge into the gap between events and thoughts. While at the same time, I also seem to find the ease to embrace the current moment, saying: “Thank you for all the study. – See you in the fall!!”

~Shoho from Germany

Impermanence and continuity

During summer of 2011 when Tenga Rinpoche concluded his summer course in Allmuthen/ Belgium, he gave a final speech which might be summarized in the following way:
"Don't you sometimes wonder? You have been born in all these different parts of the world, most of you within Non-Buddhist surroundings. But for some reason, you all became interested in the Buddha Dharma at some point and eventually, you have all found your way here.
Also, isn't it amazing that I have been born in the very East of Tibet and had no idea that one day I would go to the West and teach the Dharma to people like you?
So, if you are a little bit sad because we will once again be separated for a little while, just consider how we have come to meet each other here. Keep in mind that it was only due to our aspiration prayers of the past that we were able to meet in this lifetime. If you make the same aspirations now you can be sure that we will meet again!"

Seven months later Tenga Rinpoche passed away. During the last weeks of his life he gave us a most profound teaching on impermanence. But by the way he passed into Parinirvana he also taught us deep devotion, leaving us with the confidence that the connection between him, the lama, and us, his students, will continue.

Impermanence and continuity – many thoughts about these complementary aspects of life have accompanied me since then. I would like to share some of them with you:

All of us here in Nepal can directly witness how Tibetan Buddhist culture is preserved and protected by so many realized lamas and lay practitioners in exile with so much care and devotion. This seems to be an extremely difficult task which has been considered of prior importance for 50 years. Additionally, within the course of globalization and the change of generations cultural changes have taken place which have entered the lives of contemporary Tibetan Dharma practitioners.
It has also been several decades now that Tibetan Buddhism has been spread in the West. It was adopted by people who were born within the occidental culture and who, being brought up with Christianity influenced belief and philosophy, with the background of modernism, secularization, sexual revolution and contemporary Western lifestyle, have their own particular view on the Buddhist teachings. So, while on the one hand it is of utmost importance to preserve the authentic Buddhist Dharma together with the Tibetan culture as it still existed 60 years before, on the other hand it will probably not keep its same appearance within the Western countries in the long run.

It is also due to impermanence that the older generation of lamas who were born and educated in Tibet pass away. The new generations take over an immense responsibility for preserving the tradition while at the same time having to respond to new approaches to the Buddhist teachings from all over the world. There are so many people needed who are trained and skilled enough to help the Dharma flourish in an authentic way through translating it, practicing it genuinely
and mediating between the distinct cultural and philosophical approaches.

So what about us, who study here? It seems that we are in the middle of all of it! 
We might not be very skilled and learned, yet. But the most important thing seems to be that we are here ― and now ― to give our best in order to get trained in Buddhist philosophy and Himalayan languages and help the Dharma spread. I cannot cease being amazed about how each of us have found our way here. What has driven us to take over all these hardships? The reasons might be slightly different for each of us but for all of us it meant a big change in life. Maybe we gained our courage from aspiration prayers in our former lives. And now that we are here, we have the great opportunity to directly take part in this important era of change! And if you believe in rebirth, just
think about our chances to continue this work together with our teachers and many more people in our former lives!

What an important task! What a responsibility, what a blessed privilege!

I call it continuity within impermanence.

~Judith from Germany

Paul and Anita’s wedding.

Yesterday a few friends from “Shedra” got together to celebrate a joyful event: Paul and Anita’s wedding. We got together in a nice garden-cafe beautifully decorated for the reception. Each one of the guests congratulated the couple as it is the tradition here in Nepal amongst Buddhists: we offered a khatag to Paul, Anita, their parents and close relatives. They all looked lovely with a growing pile of khatags around their necks!

Later on, a group of Tamang girls from a local school performed a beautiful dance in their traditional dresses. And even though the rest of us in the party didn’t know how to dance like them, we joined the dance anyway!

Nepalese are known by the ethnic indigenous group they belong to. This differentiates them from the other ethnic groups in their family life, food, dress, occupations and culture. It basically determines their way of life. There are many ethnic groups in Nepal amongst various communities mainly in the hills, valleys and the plains. These different groups, together with a complex cast system, have an important role in social stratification in Nepal. The Tamang are one of the ethnic indigenous groups of the Himalayan regions in Nepal. They are one of the major Tibeto-Burman speaking communities and trace their ancestry from Tibet. Anita is Tamang, and Paul is from the United States. This makes this wedding an even more special event, since usually the ethnic groups do not allow marriages with other ethnic groups.  

Paul and Anita are one example of the experience of coming to Nepal to study. In our Rangjung Yeshe Institute we make friends with people from all around the world! Last night, at dinner, I sat with a few friends from “Shedra” and one could hear conversations in English, Tibetan, Russian, Nepali and Spanish! That’s how it is everyday at RYI. Different cultures and languages meet there. One can tell the differences, but at the same time we have many things in common that bring us together in this place. 

That makes studying in RYI an even more interesting and rich experience. 

~Marcela from Mexico

Releasing Life

Dear Friends,

The practice of releasing life is said to dispel obstacles that shorten our life, purify negative karma accumulated by taking life, as well as lengthening our life so that we have more time to accomplish the Dharma. During one of Phakchok Rinpoche's teachings to students of the Rangjung Yeshe Shedra, Rinpoche encouraged everyone to make a donation towards his yearly fish release, which many did. 

The fish release took place on the 2nd of March a few days after the Tsekar Drupchen. For the event Phakchok Rinpoche invited all the young monks from his two monasteries Riwoche and Vajravarahi Gompa. We left around seven in the morning in a bus and drove approximately four hours to a small village were two rivers merge. Since it was also a holiday trip for the monks, we arrived about two hours before the Rinpoches came. This gave the monks enough time to play, stroll around and to have a pick-nick next to the river bed. 

Chokling Rinpoche and Phakchok Rinpoche arrived together with a truck loaded full with buckets containing about 65,000 fish. All the fish were bought from different fish farms around and in Kathmandu. They were of various kinds and sizes, up to 15 cm. 

In total Rinpoche collected about 500,000 Nepali Rupees for the fish release and with this money intended to buy and release 100.000 fish. Therefore a few days later a small group of monks came again to release another 35.000 fish. The fish were transported with great care and it was made sure, that all the fish are able to acclimate in the river environment again. To make sure that the fish don't suffer a shock when being released into the river monks constantly brought water from the river and mixed it with the water in the buckets. Together with some lamas and senior monks from the white monastery, the Rinpoches practiced a sadhana next to the river bed, during which the names of the donors were read out loud and the fish released. The event took about two hours in total. 

 

Phakchok Rinpoche's wish is to release all sorts of animals; that if possible are also beneficial for the environment. Thus besides the yearly fish release in the past Rinpoche has also released earth worms. In the future Rinpoche wants to look into other kinds of animals that can be bought and released without complications. All in all it was a wonderful event and great fun to attend it. 

Thank you for all your donations :-)!!!

~Stefan from Germany

Buddha-Nature and Pure Perception

Many of us these days study the Uttaratantra with Khenpo Urgyen Tenpel. As everyone probably knows, this text explains Buddha-nature. It seems very important to study this topic in order to understand what pure perception means – the concept crucial for the Vajrayana Buddhism. 

We often hear that Vajrayana view is seeing everyone and everything as pure and perfect – ourselves, other beings, our environment. It might be very challenging however to try to apply it. For example, imagine we are in a position of a boss and our employees have not done their work properly. Should we say: “Thank you guys, well done?” Similar things happen in personal relationships as well. For instance, our partner, relative or friend tends to behave in a way that drives us crazy. 

Incorrect understanding of pure perception may easily drive us into very immature way of behavior: instead of telling another person that we feel uncomfortable with certain things, we just throw him or her to garbage. This is because we think that we must practice pure perception and therefore should not express that something goes wrong. Or we think that everything must be perfect, and if it is not the case with something, we ignore it.

One more example. Sometimes we might think that since everything is a pure realm, we should forget that we are in samsara and just be happy. However, until we actually did not get rid of samsara, we will again and again face with the uncontrollably recurring problems and sufferings. As Dr. Alex Berzin explains, samsara does not mean only wandering in the 6 realms of beings. It also means that everything in our lives goes up and down – our mood, level of discipline that we are able to maintain, our interest in our Dharma study and practice, our health, our relationships with every person and so on – just everything. So we need to be prepared to all these problems and going down phases. Otherwise, we will be easily discouraged and upset when things will go wrong again – and again, and again. And, of course, we should never abandon our perseverance and effort, despite the notion that everything is perfect from the beginningless time. 

As a Russian musician and poet Konstantin Kinchev wrote: “The pure heart is not obtained by a mere coincidence. The clear realm is conquered through the effort to live.”

So Uttaratantra explains that although our Buddha-nature is pure and perfect, at our current state it is defiled by the adventitious stains. I find very clear the explanation of this issue by Dr. John Makransky in his 'Awakening through Love'. He says that pure perception means that we acknowledge our own and everybody else’ basic goodness and go beyond our own limiting ideas about ourselves and others.
However, it does not mean that we suppress our thoughts and emotions towards others or ignore their thoughts and emotions towards us. 

Moreover, our Buddhist teachers actually confront our shortcomings in order to guide us on the path while seeing our pure and perfect Buddha-nature. I would say that it is quite an interesting experience – to be able to communicate with the gurus – with those who directly see and commune with our pure nature beyond what we might think about ourselves, and who will never abandon us no matter what. Probably one of the most important reasons why I joined the Shedra is to be with these extraordinary beings.

~Evgeny from Russia