Boudhanath Aspirations

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The Great Stupa of Boudhanath

The first time I arrived at the Great Stupa of Boudhanath, I had heard of a legend… the legend of the poultry woman and her sons building a stupa and the pure aspiration to bring the Dharma to the barbarous lands of Tibet.  These three sons were later reborn as the King Trisong Deutson, Santarkshita, and Guru Padmasambhava.  It was due to their pure aspiration and great kindness that the Dharma flourished in Tibet and is still available for us to study today.  It was also due to the kindness of translators, risking their lives to travel from Tibet to India to study Sanskrit for many years in an unfamiliar land and return to translate the Dharma into their own language, Tibetan. 

It is thanks to teachers, such as Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche and Rangjung Yeshe Institute, which provides a place for Westerners to do such a study of Buddhism and the Tibetan language.  We are given an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Dharma and to integrate the teachings in our lives through contemplation and meditation.  And it provides us with the stepping stones to help others in the future to do the same.  I have seen former students become teachers and translators, helping others in developing their understanding of Tibetan and Buddhist Philosophy, and making available the teachings which our otherwise not available for non-native Tibetan speakers.  It is my hope that Rangjung Yeshe Institute, and other places of learning such as this one, provide an environment for the study of Dharma to continually thrive, and the students become sources of inspirations for others to do the same.

~ Julie from Canada

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