RYI STUDENT BLOG

Pemba Prayag Sherpa Pemba Prayag Sherpa In one point of our life, we all will face death as death is inevitable. I’m sure we were all annoyed, disappointed and worried when someone explained us about death for the first time in our childhood. I always wondered why there is such phenomena called death! My earlier understanding of the death that it separates us from oneself (one’s body), parents, beloved ones and our belongings made me so sad and helpless, helpless in the sense that no one can bring the deceased back to life, and I acknowledged that. The tragedies of death of our beloved ones have caused us the great amount of grief and suffering. All of us have gone through this. Moreover, the news about the death tolls from accident, wars and so forth make us even more concerned and trigger us to imagine about the enormous suffering that deceased victims experiences in such incidents. Such experiences, undoubtedly bring us the fear about the death that one will have  to...

Picture shows me camping at RYI yard during earthquake It’s now over six weeks that the massive earthquake hit Nepal. The changes that began through it are still in the works and their ends are not to be seen, yet. Houses, monasteries, temples…in fact the main class rooms and offices of RYI needed to move and are on the way to being rebuilt. One might wonder, what is it like to be in a massive earthquake like that? While individual experiences differ, one can summarize this experience as being very un-grounding. All that was familiar and considered stable before the earthquake, now seems unreliable. A massive earthquake that changes ones lives so drastically, does indeed give much insight into impermanence, one’s mortality and the preciousness and fleeting nature of this moment of our life.  Although impermanence is generally considered frightening and a topic most likely avoided, in Buddhist studies this topic is not only discussed, but its contemplation highly enc...

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!" Sev...

Having realized thatness, the nature of the dharmadhatu, just as it is,  those of understanding are released from birth,sickness, aging, and death. Though free from the destitution of birth and so on, they demonstrate these, since by their insight they have given rise to compassion for beings.                                                                                          ~ Maitreya’s Uttaratantra It is out of unconditional love and compassion to sentient beings that holy beings appear to be born, fall ill, age, and die.  Although they are beyond all of these temporary circumstances, for the benefit of beings they display aging and death as a reminder of the momentariness and uncertainty of life.  On March 3 rd in Bhutan, on...