RYI STUDENT BLOG

Looking back at year 2011 I simply have to admit that it has been a year of mistakes. Some bigger than others, and which have taken longer time to resolve, accept, and make friends with within myself. However, no matter how hard it can be at times to accept one’s failures, looking back at them now thinking: If I had a chance to undo these actions, would I do so? From the perspective of bringing harm to others I definitely feel regret and wish I hadn't done certain things, but from the side of bringing about certain understanding and internal and personal growth I can see how these mistakes have been tremendously helpful in that progress. Reflecting on why we do these things in the first place, it seems to me that the answer is pretty down to earth – because we all want to be happy. We all share this fundamental wish but it seems that we continuously engage in what leads to more suffering. However, in making mistakes and acknowledge these actions as mistakes (and by ...

Every year, starting on the 8 th day of the 12 th lunar month in the Tibetan calendar—which usually falls in late January or early February—a nine-day ‘drubchen’ is performed at Nagi Gompa according to the Ngakso (Ocean of Amrita) sadhana belonging to the Chökling Tersar collection. These are the new terma texts discovered by the tertön, or "treasure revealer", Terchen Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa, a great Nyingma master of the 19th century. Some blog-readers may wonder: “What is Nagi Gompa? What is a drubchen?” Nagi Gompa is a beautiful nunnery located high above Kathmandu, lying in the midst of the jungles of the Shivapuri National Park.   Nagi is an hour’s drive by taxi or about three hours by foot from Boudhanath. To reach the nunnery, one can climb the pleasant path of the natural reserve or, if you prefer, taxi up on the bumpy unpaved road. If one decides to take a taxi up to the nunnery, one must officially enter the park by way of the big front gate, sign in ...

Last year, I was looking for a Guru Rinpoche statue to present to my lama and that's how I discovered about the complicated work of statue making. There is a long tradition of handicraft in Kathmandu valley. The Newar people are the holder of this tradition, even though nowadays, it tends to be villagers from other ethnical groups who come to Kathmandu, and do these kinds of demanding works. Good statues are completely handmade and no detail should be neglected, if we wish the statue to be a good support for practice.  There are four stages during the making-process. First, the statue is designed in wax and casted into copper. The next step is to clean, smoothen and carve it. At this important stage, all the details of the design and facial expression are finalized. This is maybe the most creative part. After polishing, the statue is gold or silver-plated, with or without oxidizing touch, depending on the desired style. The last crucial stage is to paint the face with gold powd...

On Wednesday evenings we meet up to meditate together for an hour and a half. The Tergar Boudha Meditation group is given on donation basis and open for all. As we put up posters for the group, quite a lot of people passing through Boudha see them and drop in. Some are coming to try meditation for the very first time! Others are more experienced meditation practitioners and might come regularly to the group and a few are Shedra students wanting a community to practice with.       I am now beginning my last semester in the BA program at RYI and looking back, it has been very valuable to have this weekly meditation group, connecting with other meditation practitioners and as a compliment to the studies at the Shedra. Being a Shedra-student can be a bit tiring and stressful at times, especially since it often feels like an endless stream of things to learn and analyse, with the profound philosophies such as Madhyamaka and Yogacara to get into, practicing tr...

Lopon Tokpa Tulku and Translator during Philosophy class at RYI Once upon a time I was listening to an extraordinary human being, an embodiment of wisdom, the master Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche who gave a lecture to Khenpos, Lopons and venerable monks of his monastic university Dzongsar Shedra, in India. Rinpoche started his talk by sharing that the purpose of undergoing such a training in the Buddhist view was not just to transform oneself  (as that would be to much selfish) but to help others, to share the Dharma and skills we have learned and trained ourselves in, with the world we live in. He said to the monks that even though they are supposed to have renounced the world they couldn’t escape from the “reality” surrounding them. A monastery does not survive without a certain kind of economy; financial means do not come without good relationships and positive exchanges with society (in other words he said the positive and true purpose of politics). Also, not taking ca...

Spending years in the school, I was roughly introduced about my own culture and religion by my teachers and elders. But still there were a lot of things that I didn’t know about Buddhism. Hence, after the completion of class 12, I took the opportunity to follow my interest and under the recommendation from one of my relatives, I came here to study at the Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Being part of the Shedra community for the last one year was truly enriching and experiencing moment. And I really have the feeling that learning in the Buddhist environment is the most innovative way for a Buddhist beginner to study. There is a natural flow of curiosity when the environment itself helps us to generate more seeds of encouragement to work harder. I have met different kinds of people in this course of time. They all are so nice and supportive. Every day in the Shedra was great joy learning and discussing with friends and teachers. Exploring thoughts and sharing suggestions with frie...