Lha Bab Düchen

Lha Bab Düchen (November 9, 2009 in the West) is celebrated on the 22nd day in the ninth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar, and marks the anniversary of the Buddha’s descent from the celestial realm to the earth. Buddha Shakyamuni went to the celestial realm, where his mother had been reborn. To repay her kindness and to liberate her, and also to benefit the beings there, the Buddha spent three months teaching before returning to earth. This is considered to be one of the great deeds of the Buddha among eight great deeds. It is part of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition to engage in virtuous activities and prayer on this day.

Lha Bab Düchen is considered a 10 million day - all the good (and bad) that you do is multiplied 10 million times.

May the merit of our activities be dedicated to the enlightenment of all beings, so that we may all cross the ocean to enlightenment with none left behind, to the long life of all of our teachers, and to the spread of the Dharma throughout all time and space.

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Envisionation

The History of the Five Tibetan Traditions of Buddhism and Bon

The four Buddhist traditions are Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya, and Gelug, while the pre-Buddhist Tibetan tradition of Bon makes the fifth. Often we hear the syllable "pa" at the end of these names. It means a follower of that tradition; for instance, Gelug pa means someone who follows the Gelug tradition.
Introduction of Buddhism by Emperor Songtsen-gampo

To survey the history, we need to go back to the seventh century of the Common Era. At the beginning of that century, a king from Central Tibet named Songtsen-gampo conquered the Western Tibetan kingdom of Zhang-zhung and created the first unified Tibetan Empire. The custom in those days to unify an empire was for the king to marry princesses from nearby kingdoms - neighboring kings were less likely to attack the palaces where their daughters lived. Emperor Songtsen-gampo married princesses from China, Nepal, and Zhang-zhung. These princesses brought with them the religions of their native countries. The Chinese and Nepali princesses brought Buddhist texts and the Zhang-zhung princess brought her Bon beliefs. Bon was the Zhang-zhung native religion.

If we look from a Western historical viewpoint, Buddhism did not have much of an impact in this earliest period. The main development was that this first emperor built thirteen Buddhism temples in his domain. The map of Tibet was seen as a female demon lying on the earth. Choosing thirteen spots on the body of the demoness, like acupuncture points, the emperor commissioned temples built on each of them to subdue and control the energy of the demoness of Tibet. That is how Buddhism came to the Land of Snows.

To unify his empire further, Songtsen-gampo wished to have an alphabet for writing the Tibetan language. Thus, he sent his minister, Togmey-sambhota, to obtain the alphabet from Khotan - not from India, as is often explained in the traditional Tibetan histories. Khotan was a Buddhist kingdom north of Western Tibet in Central Asia. The route to Khotan that the minister took passed through Kashmir. When he arrived there, he discovered that the master he was going to meet in Khotan happened to be in Kashmir at the time. This is how the story evolved that the Tibetan writing system came from Kashmir. Orthographic analysis reveals that the Tibetan alphabet actually follows features distinctive only to the Khotanese script. Afterwards, there was much more contact with Buddhism in China and Khotan then there was with Indian Buddhism. The Bon religion, however, remained stronger in Tibet than Buddhism during this earliest period. It provided the ceremonies used in state rituals.

The Old Transmission Period (Nyingma)

In the mid-eighth century, another great emperor, Tri Songdetsen, ascended to the throne. He received a prophecy about future Buddhist teachings in Tibet and, in accord with this prophecy, he invited a great Buddhist teacher from India, Shantarakshita. Soon after the arrival of the Indian Abbot, a smallpox epidemic broke out. The court ministers, who were against all foreign influences in Tibet, blamed the smallpox on Shantarakshita and expelled him from Tibet. Before leaving, Shantarakshita advised the Emperor to invite Guru Rinpoche, Padmasambhava, to come and subdue the adverse conditions and problems. Tri Songdetsen followed this advice, and Padmasambhava came and rid Tibet of the interferences. The Emperor then invited Shantarakshita to return. There were already several Buddhist temples in the land, but now they built the first monastery in Tibet, at Samyay, just south of Lhasa. The Indian Abbot ordained the first monks.

Guru Rinpoche taught a little, but actually did not teach very much in Tibet. He mostly buried texts, thinking that the Tibetans at that time were not yet receptive. These texts were of the highest tantra teachings called dzogchen, the great completeness.

After this, many Chinese, Indian, and Zhang-zhung scholars worked together harmoniously at Samyay monastery, mostly compiling and translating texts from their own traditions. Soon, Buddhism was made the state religion. The Chinese had the largest influence at this time. Every second year, the Chinese emperor sent two monks to Samyay. The form of Buddhism the Chinese monks followed was Chan, the Chinese predecessor of Japanese Zen.

Shantarakshita predicted some conflict with the Chinese. Please keep in mind that the religious history did not happen in a vacuum; it happened in connection with the political history and there were a lot of wars between China and Tibet at this time. Shantarakshita said that they should invite his disciple, Kamalashila, to settle whatever problems might arise.

Meanwhile, Emperor Tri Songdetsen sent more Tibetans to India to bring back teachings and invite more Indians to his land. More texts were buried. Because there were so many wars with China and Central Asia and because the ministers were against any foreign influence in Tibet, it makes sense that there was a persecution of the Bonpos in Samyay and at the court. After all, the Bonpo faction was primarily from Zhang-zhung.

There was also a Dharma debate between Kamalashila, representing the Indians, and the Chinese representative. The Chinese lost. Of course, there was no way that a Chan master could defeat, in logical debate, a master in logic from India. It was no contest: Chan practitioners have no training in logic. For many reasons, one could postulate that the debate was a political move taken to provide an excuse for expelling the Chinese and for adopting Indian Buddhism as the main form of Buddhism in Tibet. Of all the kingdoms and empires neighboring Tibet, the Indians posed the least military threat.

I like to present history not from the standard devotional Tibetan point of view but a little bit more from a Western, scientific viewpoint, since I do have that training. I think it indicates a little more clearly what happened. It makes more sense.

Many more translations took place after this. In the early ninth century, under imperial sponsorship, the scholars compiled a Sanskrit-Tibetan dictionary and standardized the translation terms and style. It is quite interesting that the scholars did not include any tantra terms in the dictionary; tantra was already quite controversial.

In the mid-ninth century, the infamous persecution of Buddhism by the Emperor Langdarma took place. Rather than making Langdarma into the devil, as devotional histories tend to do, it may be more objective to see this persecution as a reaction to the abbots and monks at Samyay who were trying to assert too much influence on the government. Too much of the taxes raised by the state went for supporting the monasteries, and the economic burden had become untenable.

Actually, what Langdarma did was shut down the monasteries; it was not that he destroyed Buddhism. He did not destroy the Buddhist libraries, because Atisha found them when he came to Tibet a century later. Buddhism continued outside the monasteries. What had started before and continued during this so-called "old transmission period" (old translation period) later became known as "the old tradition," the Nyingma tradition.

The New Transmission Period

As already mentioned, a persecution of Bon had taken place many years before the persecution of Buddhism. Like Guru Rinpoche and other Buddhist masters at that time, several Bon masters had also buried texts for safekeeping. In the early tenth century, the Bonpos started to recover their texts, which were not only about tantra, but about sutra as well. The Bon teachings are very similar to those found in Buddhism. It is quite interesting that Bon started the tradition of revealing treasure texts before the Buddhists began the custom.

Later in the tenth century, there was a lot of misunderstanding about tantra in Tibet - this was in the Nyingma tradition, as it had survived outside the monasteries. People were taking the teachings too literally - particularly the parts that seemed to be about sex and violence. The fascination with sex and violence is not something new in society; they certainly had it at those times as well.

As before, the king at that time sent scholars to India to bring back the teachings once more and to try to correct the misunderstanding. The misunderstanding came about primarily because there were no monasteries anymore to standardize the study and training. Now, we get what is called the "new transmission period" (Sarma, new translation period). At this time, the Buddhist traditions called Kadam, Sakya, and Kagyu began. These names did not exist in India. They came about because many different translators went to India and Nepal and returned with different sets of texts, teachings, and tantric empowerments (initiations). Various Indian, Nepali, and Kashmiri teachers also came to Tibet. The different Tibetan lineages derive from these different teachers.

This phenomenon is quite similar to what we find today. A large number of Tibetan lamas come to the West. Hardly any seem to cooperate with each other and most of them start their own Dharma centers. Many Westerners go to India and Nepal to study with the Tibetans in exile there, and many of them also start their own Dharma centers when they return to their homelands. Now we have things like a Kalu Rinpoche lineage, a Shamar Rinpoche lineage, a Sogyal Rinpoche lineage, a Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche lineage, a Lama Yeshe lineage, a Geshe Thubten Ngawang lineage, a Geshe Rabten lineage, a Trungpa Rinpoche lineage: it goes on and on. None of them existed in Tibet. There are Western people saying, "I am a Kalu Rinpoche follower," "I am a Namkhai Norbu follower" - we identify ourselves with a teacher. The lineages in Tibet formed in the same manner as they seem to be forming now in the West. They were completely new; they did not exist before.

Just as, today, many people have studied with numerous teachers, so it was at that time. The lineages crossed; people studied several lineages and they intermixed in some way. Instead of starting Dharma centers, they founded monasteries. What happened then - and will hopefully happen in the West - is that several of these lineages with their distinct teachings and teachers combined to form a sustainable number of schools. It is impossible for two hundred different flavors of Buddhism to survive. The transmission lines of various practices, texts, and tantric empowerments came together and congealed into the Kadam, Kagyu, and Sakya schools during this new period. The various lines that were in Tibet before this new phase congealed into the Nyingma and the Bonpo schools. Prior to this period, there had been only scattered monasteries, not joined into any organized schools.

The five Tibetan traditions do not have inherent identities. They are just conventions, bringing together different lines from different teachers - lines of teachings and empowerments that visiting teachers transmitted in Tibet. This is how the five Tibetan traditions of Buddhism and Bon came about, starting at the end of the tenth century.

Kadam and Gelug

The Kadam lineage derives from the Indian master Atisha. One of the outstanding features of this tradition was the lojong teachings. Lojong is usually translated as "mind training," but I prefer "cleansing of attitudes." This lineage split into three, then was reunified and reformed by Tsongkhapa in the late fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries to become the Gelug tradition.

One of Tsongkhapa's most remarkable achievements was that he read almost the entire Buddhist literature available in his day. Many texts had several versions in Tibetan. Most had been translated three or four times and had a wide assortment of commentaries. Tsongkhapa read nearly all of them - sutra and tantra - and compared everything. He went through and wrote, "Concerning this passage, this version translates it like this and that version like that, and this commentary explains it like this and that one like that. But, this translation or this explanation is illogical and makes no sense, because it contradicts this and that…"
In this way, Tsongkhapa reached a conclusion as to the correct translation and understanding of ALL the major texts. He did not just state his findings as "This is what this passage means, because I say so," he supported everything with logic and reasoning. Moreover, he especially focused on the most difficult passages of each text, the ones that everybody else tended to skip over. His works became the foundation of the Gelug school.

Tsongkhapa had many disciples. One of them was later called "The First Dalai Lama," although the name "Dalai Lama" did not come to that line until the third incarnation. The Third Dalai Lama was given the name by the Mongols. It was the Fifth Dalai Lama, in the middle of the seventeenth century, who gained political rule of Tibet, given to him also by the Mongols. The Mongols did this primarily to end the 150-year-long Tibetan civil war and to foster unity and stability in the land. The Dalai Lamas then became the protectors of all traditions in Tibet, not just Gelug, although the Dalai Lama line had come originally from within the Gelug school. The Fifth Dalai Lama's main teacher became known as "The First Panchen Lama."

Sakya

The Sakya lineage came primarily from the Indian master Virupa. From him, derives the teachings known as Lamdray, "the paths and their results," the main Sakya teaching combining sutra and tantra. The Sakya school developed through a line of five early masters, all belonging to the same noble family. One of them, Chogyal Pagpa, was given the political regency of Tibet in the thirteenth century by the Mongol Emperor Kublai Khan. This step reestablished political unity in Tibet for the first time during the new translation period.

Kagyu

The Kagyu tradition has two major lines. One is Shangpa Kagyu, the lineage that the late Kalu Rinpoche headed. It came from the Tibetan master Kyungpo Neljor, who went to India at the beginning of the eleventh century and brought back teachings, primarily from Naropa and two great female masters, the yoginis Niguma and Sukhasiddhi.

The other main Kagyu line is Dagpo Kagyu. This is the line that passed from Tilopa to Naropa and then to the Tibetans Marpa, Milarepa, and Gampopa. After Gampopa, the line divided into twelve lineages among his students and then the next generation of students. Of the twelve, only three are widespread today and known in the West. The Karma Kagyu school was started by the first Karmapa, a direct student of Gampopa. The other two are Drugpa and Drigung Kagyu.

Traditionally, each Kagyu school was independent, without there being a general head of all the Kagyu lines. When the present Tibetan refugee community fled to India at the time of the Lhasa uprising in 1959, the most eminent of the Kagyu lineage heads that escaped was the Sixteenth Karmapa. To help with the resettlement process, he was provisionally chosen as the leader for all the Kagyu lineages. Nowadays, the various Kagyu traditions have resumed their individual paths.

During the early eleventh century when the new translation schools were emerging, Nyingma masters started to uncover the texts that were buried earlier. Longchenpa put them together in the thirteenth century to form the textual basis for the Nyingma school. The Nyingma tradition is probably the least uniform of the various Tibetan schools; each of its monasteries is quite independent.

The Rimey Nonsectarian Movement

One more movement needs mention, the Rimey or "nonsectarian movement." This began in the early nineteenth century in Kham, Southeastern Tibet. The founding masters all came from the Kagyu, Sakya, and Nyingma lineages. Among them, perhaps the most well known was the First Kongtrul Rinpoche, Jamgon Kongtrul. The main reason for starting the Rimey movement was to preserve lineages and texts from all traditions, including Gelug, that had become rare at that time.

Some Western scholars speculate an additional hidden political agenda behind the establishment of the Rimey movement. The Gelug school had become extremely strong and was the main tradition in Central and Northeastern Tibet (Amdo). Moreover, followers of that school dominated the Central Tibetan Government. The other traditions perhaps felt threatened and, by working together, they might have felt that they could not only preserve their identities, but could also present an alternative unifying force for Tibet. Thus, we get the Rimey movement.

This is perhaps enough of an introduction to the history of the five Tibetan traditions. Although there are many names, it is helpful to have some idea of the history and who the main figures are, such as the Dalai Lamas, Panchen Lamas, and Karmapas. This, in turn, can help us to avoid the pitfalls of sectarianism so that we can develop respect for all the traditions of Tibet.

Tulku Ogyen Rinpoche, Introductory History of the Five Tibetan Traditions of Buddhism and Bon, Retrieved from Facebook, October 29, 2009 at 9:14pm

Message from His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche

Below is from an email from Palyul Ling International:



October 23, 2009


Dear Palyul Students and Friends:

The Great Vidyadharas - all of the Palyul Throne Holders of the past up to our present root teacher, the late His Holiness Pema Norbu Rinpoche, the Eleventh Throne Holder - have purely upheld the authentic teachings of the Palyul Lineage.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has enthroned me as the Twelfth Throne Holder of the Palyul Lineage, and following his advice and enlightened intention, along with the assistance of his two heart sons, I have accepted the responsibility for upholding the Buddha Dharma, as well as overseeing and serving the Palyul mother monastery, and all of its branch monasteries and dharma centers worldwide. I have full-heartedly taken on this responsibility, and I am doing my very best.

Therefore, I advise all of our Palyul students and friends to not become entangled in any unnecessary confusion and worries but rather to devote yourselves to learning and practicing the dharma, and to continue your support of the Palyul dharma centers. At this time, for the sake of peace and harmony for all, it is my fervent request that you mingle your mindstream with the dharma and earnestly practice the teachings.

With blessings,

Signed
Paltrul Karma Kuchen

NGA GYAI TSUG GYEN PEN CHEN BIMALA
You are the crown jewel of five hundred scholars,

LAR YANG SID PA ZUNG WAI TSUL TEN CHING
The great scholar Vimalamitra, who has taken birth once again;

NYING POI TEN PA PEL LA DA DRAL WA
You who have no rivals in spreading the heart essence of the teachings:

PEMA NORBUI ZHAB LA SOL WA DEB
I pray to Drubwang Pema Norbu.

GANG GI YANG SID CHOG GI TRUL PAI KU
Hold us with your compassion

NYUR WA NYID DU JON PAR TUG JE ZUNG
Through the swift coming of your reincarnation, the supreme emanation!

This email was sent to those identified as members of the CLOSE STUDENTS list of the Palyul.org email list who have expressed an interest in thi type of content. The contents of this letter are intended for Dharma students of Palyul and anyone else who might benefit.

May all beings benefit!

An Aspiration Prayer for Actualizing Words of Truth

by Rigdzin Jigmé Lingpa

I offer homage to the source of an ocean of accomplishments: the masters, the Three Jewels and the bodhisattvas. I take refuge in you—

Grant your blessings, I pray!

In all my future lives, may I gain a precious human rebirth complete with all the eighteen freedoms and advantages, and may I become the student of an authentic master!

Training my mind through study, reflection and meditation, the source of higher rebirths and definite goodness, may I follow the Buddha’s precious teachings!

May renunciation, the root of all Dharma practice, and the four thoughts which transform the mind, arise naturally in my mindstream and may I see samsara with all its endless activity as a prison or a pit of fire!

Gaining confidence in the infallibility of karma, may I strive to carry out even the smallest good deeds and avoid even the slightest harmful actions!

Without falling prey to adverse circumstances, busy places, distracting companions, or any other such obstacle on the path to enlightenment, may I take the Three Jewels as my refuge and train in the gradual path for beings of the three levels of spiritual capacity!

May I give up any doubts regarding the master, the embodiment of all the sugatas, and without slipping into the mistaken view of considering him as an equal, may I see him as an actual buddha!

In this way, may my body, speech and mind be matured through the four empowerments and so may I embark upon the path of the wondrous vajra vehicle!

Through the medium of fervent prayer and devotion, may the wisdom of the lineage be transferred into me and may my realization become equal to space!

Perfecting the mahayoga practices of the generation stage, may I come to perceive the whole universe and beings as the three mandalas and traverse the four levels of a vidyadhara, just like the bodhisattvas Padmasambhava and Vimalamitra!

Perfecting the practice of anuyoga, may all concepts of samsara and nirvana be purified into the state of indivisible bliss and emptiness and may I experience the pure realm of Akanishtha!

Perfecting the atiyoga practice of Dzogpachenpo, may all experience dissolve into the expanse of intrinsic reality and may I be liberated into the youthful vase body, just like the vidyadhara Garab Dorje!

In short, beginning with the training in the conduct of the bodhisattvas, may whatever I do, with body, speech or mind, bring nothing but benefit to all sentient beings, my very own parents!

Whatever my situation or circumstance, may I never feel the slightest wish to follow worldly ways which run contrary to the Dharma!

Even if, whilst under the sway of karma and habitual patterns, a mistaken thought occurs to me, may it never succeed!

For the sake of others, may I be fearless and ready even to give away my own body, just like Prince Siddhartha[i]!

Having reached the state of spontaneously accomplishing my own and others’ welfare, may I stir the depths of the ocean of samsara’s three worlds by means of the ten strengths and four fearlessnesses!

The buddhas and bodhisattvas have vowed to work towards the accomplishment of selfless aspiration prayers such as these.

Homage to the sages who proclaim the truth!

om dharé dharé bhandharé bhandaré svaha

May the strength of virtue increase!
May the power of aspiration grow!
May negativity be swiftly purified!

dzaya dzaya siddhi siddhi phala phalaa a ha sha sa mamama ko ling samanta

Composed by Rigdzin Jikmé Lingpa at the request of Chöden from East Tibet.

Sarva mangalam!

Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2005. With the encouragement of Lodi Gyari Rinpoche, 10,000 copies of this prayer were printed for free distribution.

[i] This is a reference to Prince Siddhartha’s previous lives, and especially to his life as Prince Mahasattva when he offered his body to a hungry tigress. This well known story is recounted in The Sutra of the Wise and Foolish.

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Rigdzin Jigmé Lingpa, An Aspiration Prayer for Actualizing Words of Truth Retrieved on 10/12/09 from http://www.lotsawahouse.org/city.html

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How to Transform Sickness and Other Circumstances

by Gyalsé Tokmé Zangpo
Namo guru!

This illusory heap of a body, which, like others, I possess—
If it falls sick, so be it! In sickness I’ll rejoice!
For it will exhaust my negative karma from the past,
And, after all, many forms of Dharma practice,
Are for the sake of purifying the two obscurations.

If I am healthy, so be it! In freedom from sickness I’ll rejoice!
When body and mind are well and remain at ease,
Virtuous practice can develop and gain strength,
And, after all, the way to give meaning to this human life
Is to devote body, speech and mind to virtue.

If I face poverty, so be it! In lack of riches I’ll rejoice!
I will have nothing to protect and nothing to lose.
Whatever quarrels and conflicts there might be,
All arise out of desire for wealth and gain—that’s certain!

If I have wealth, so be it! In prosperity I’ll rejoice!
If I can increase the stock of my merits that will suffice.
Whatever benefit and happiness there might be, now and in the future,
All result from merits I have gained—that’s certain!

If I must die soon, so be it! In dying I’ll rejoice!
Without allowing negative circumstances to intervene,
And with the support of positive tendencies I have gathered,
I will surely set out upon the genuine, unerring path!

If I live long, so be it! In living I’ll rejoice!
Once the crop of genuine experience has arisen,
As long as the sun and rainfall of instructions do not diminish,
If it is tended over time, it will surely ripen.

So, whatever happens then, let us always cultivate joy!

In response to a question from a Sakya geshé, asking what should be done in the event of sickness and the rest, I, the monk Tokmé, who discourses on the Dharma, set down these ways of bringing sickness and other circumstances onto the spiritual path.

Sarva mangalam!

Translated by Adam Pearcey, 2007. Edited by Phillippa Sison.

Gyalsé Tokmé Zangpo, How to Transform Sickness and Other Circumstances, Retrieved on 10/16/09 from http://www.lotsawahouse.org/lojong/transform_sickness.html

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Bodhichitta

To Kuntuzangpo, the Buddhas and all their sons and daughters,
I go for Refuge with single-pointed devotion.
For the purpose of sentient beings, I generate the awakened mind.

~ The Great Perfection: Buddha in the Palm of the Hand

by H.H. The XIVth Dalai Lama

"Every day, think as you wake up, today I am fortunate to have woken up,
I am alive, I have a precious human life,
I am not going to waste it,
I am going to use all my energies to develop myself,
To expand my heart out to others,
To achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings,
I am going to have kind thoughts towards others,
I am not going to get angry, or think badly about others
I am going to benefit others as much as I can"

The Four Noble Truths by Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche

One needs to understand that when the Buddha taught, he was not teaching as a great scholar who wanted to demonstrate a particular philosophical point of view or to teach for its own sake. His desire was to present the very essence of the deep and vast teachings of Buddhism, for that reason he gave teachings which suited the abilities of his disciples. All the teachings he gave, some long and some short, were a direct and appropriate response to the development of the disciples who came to listen to him. Of course, people have very different capacities and different levels of understanding. They also have very different wishes and desires to learn and understand the dharma. If the Buddha had taught only the very essence of his own understanding of those vast and far- reaching teachings, then apart from a small number of disciples who had great intelligence and diligence few people would have ever understood the Buddhist teachings. The Buddha taught whatever would enable a person develop so he or she could progress gradually towards the very deep and vast teachings. When we analyze all the Buddha's teachings, we see that they fall into three main approaches or vehicles.

The Buddha's teachings helped each student in a way appropriate for the level he or she was at. Because of that, one finds that on the relative level each student received some benefit from what Buddha taught. On the absolute level, one finds all of the Buddha's teachings have the same goal. When one analyzes the Buddha's teachings on the relative level, one finds that there are three levels. But, when one examines them from the absolute level, one sees there is only one level, or yana, because all beings are directed towards the same goal.

The Hinayana

Of the three yanas, the first is the hinayana. Hinayana literally means "lesser vehicle" but this term should in no way be a reproach or be construed to any way diminish the importance of the teachings. In fact, the teachings of the hinayana are very important because they suit the capacities and development of a great number of students. If it weren't for these teachings, which are particularly appropriate for those who have limited wisdom or diligence, many persons would never been able to travel the mahayana path. Without the hinayana teachings there would be no way for practitioners to progress in the dharma because they would have never entered the path. The path is similar to a staircase: the lower step is the lower step. This doesn't mean it is not important or should be ignored because without this lower step one can never reach the top of the stairs. One can never gain access to the upper stories of a building without that lower step. It is very necessary. It should be very clear that this term "lesser" vehicle is in no way a pejorative term. It just puts the path into a realistic context.

The fundamental teachings of the hinayana are the main subject matter of the first dharmachakra or turning of the wheel of dharma. These teachings were given mainly in India in the town of Varanasi which is now called Benares. The main subject matter of these teachings is "The Four Noble Truths."

The Four Noble Truths

If the Buddha had taught his disciples principally by demonstrating his miraculous abilities and various powers, it would not have been the best way to establish them on the path of liberation. The best way to bring them to that wisdom and liberation was to point out the very truth of things; to point out the way things really are. So this is what he did: He showed the truth through the four noble truths and the two truths (relative and absolute truth). By seeing the way things really are, the students learned how to eliminate their mistakes and their delusions. Eliminating ones mistakes and delusions automatically destroys the causes of ones suffering and hardships. This allows one to progressively reach the state of liberation and great wisdom. That is why the four noble truths and the two truths are the essence of the first teachings of the Buddha.

The First Noble Truth

The first noble truth is the full understanding of suffering. Of course, in an obvious way, people are aware of suffering and know when they have unpleasant sensations such as hunger, cold, or sickness and recognize these as things that one doesn't like. But the first noble truth includes awareness of all the ramifications of suffering because it encompasses the very nature and essence of suffering. This includes knowledge of the subtle and the obvious aspects of suffering. The obvious aspect of suffering is immediate pain or difficulty in the moment. Subtle suffering is more difficult to understand because it begins with happiness. But by its very nature this happiness must change because it cannot go on forever. Because it must change into suffering, then subtle suffering is the nonpermanence of pleasure. For example, when Thrangu Rinpoche went to Bhutan with His Holiness Karmapa, he was invited to the palace of the king of Bhutan. When he arrived there, the palace was magnificent, the kings chambers were beautiful, there were many servants who showed complete respect and obedience. But he and Karmapa found that even though there was so much external beauty, the king himself was suffering a great deal mentally and had many difficulties. The king himself said that he was quite relieved that His Holiness had come and emphasized how much the visit meant to him because of the various difficulties with which he had been troubled. This is the subtle aspect of suffering. One thinks that a particular situation will give one the most happiness one can ever imagine, but actually, within the situation, there is a tremendous amount of anguish. If one thinks of those who are really fortunate-- those gods or human beings with a very rich and healthy life--it seems as though they have nothing but happiness. It is hard to understand that the very root, the very fiber of what is taking place is suffering because the situation is subject to change.

What is happiness? By its very nature it can often mean that there will be suffering later on. There is no worldly happiness that lasts for a very long time. Worldly happiness includes an element of change, of built-in suffering. For that reason the first noble truth of the awareness of suffering refers not just to immediate suffering, but also to the subtle elements of suffering. The Buddha taught the truth of suffering because everything that takes place on a worldly level is a form of suffering.

If one is suffering but is not aware of it, one will never have the motivation to eliminate this suffering and will continue to suffer. When one is aware of suffering, one is able to overcome it. With the more subtle forms of suffering, if one is happy and becomes aware that the happiness automatically includes the seed of suffering, then one will be much less inclined to become involved in the attachment to this happiness. One will then think, "Oh, this seems to be happiness, but it has built-in suffering." Then one will want to dissociate from it. The first truth is that one should be aware of suffering. Once one has a very clear picture of the nature of suffering, one can really begin to avoid such suffering. Of course, everyone wants to avoid suffering and to emerge from suffering, but to accomplish this one needs to be absolutely clear about its nature.

When one becomes aware that the nature of day-to-day existence is suffering, one doesn't have to be miserable with the thought suffering will always be present. Suffering doesn't go on forever because the Buddha entered the world, gave teachings, and demonstrated clearly what suffering is. He also taught the means by which suffering can be ended and described the state beyond suffering which is liberation. One does not have to endure suffering and can, in fact, be happy. Even though one can not immediately emerge from suffering by practicing the Buddha's teachings, one can gradually eliminate suffering in this way, and move towards eventual liberation. This fact in itself can make one happy, even before one has actually completely emerged from suffering. Applying of the Buddha's teachings, one can both be happy in the relative phase of ones progress and then at the end one will gain wisdom and liberation and be happy in the ultimate sense, as well.

The first noble truth makes it clear that there is suffering. Once one knows what suffering is, one must eliminate that suffering. It is not a question of eliminating the suffering itself, but of eliminating the causes of suffering. Once one removes the causes of suffering, then automatically the effect, which is suffering, is no longer present. This is why, in order to eliminate this suffering, one becomes aware of the second noble truth, the truth of universal origination.

The Second Noble Truth

The truth of universal origination is an English translation of the name Buddha himself gave to this noble truth. It means "that which is the cause or origin of absolutely everything." The truth of universal origination indicates that the root cause of suffering is karma and the kleshas. Karma is a Sanskrit word which means "activity" and klesha in Sanskrit means "mental defilement" or "mental poison." If one does not understand the Buddha's teachings, one would most likely attribute all happiness and suffering to some external cause. One might think that happiness and suffering come from the environment, or from the gods, and that everything that happens originates in some source outside of ones control. If one believes this, then it is extremely hard, if not impossible, to eliminate suffering and its causes. On the other hand, when one realizes that the experience of suffering is a product of what one has done, that is, a result of ones karma, eliminating suffering becomes possible. Once one is aware of how suffering takes place, then one can begin to remove the causes of suffering. First one must realize that what one experiences is not dependent on external forces, but on what one has done previously. This is the understanding of karma. Karma produces suffering and is driven by the defilements. The term "defilement" refers mainly to ones negative motivation and negative thoughts, which produce negative actions.

The Third Noble Truth

The third noble truth is the cessation of suffering through which it is explained that the causes of karma and the defilements can be removed. We have control over suffering because karma and the defilements take place within us--we create them, we experience them. For that reason we don't need to depend on anyone else to remove the cause of suffering. The truth of universal origination means that if we do unvirtuous actions, we are creating suffering. It also means if we abandon unvirtuous actions, we remove the possibility of experiencing suffering in the future. What we experience is entirely in our hands. Therefore the Buddha has said that we should give up the causes of karma and the defilements. Virtuous actions result in the external state of happiness and unvirtuous actions result in suffering. This idea is not particularly easy to grasp because one cannot see the whole process take place from beginning to end.

There are three kinds of actions: mental, verbal, and physical. These are subdivided into virtuous and unvirtuous physical actions, virtuous and unvirtuous verbal actions, and virtuous and unvirtuous mental actions. If one abandons these three types of unvirtuous actions, then ones actions become automatically virtuous.

There are three unvirtuous physical actions: the harming of life, sexual misconduct, and stealing. The results of these three unvirtuous actions can be observed immediately. For example, when there is a virtuous relationship between a man and woman who care about each other, protect each other, and have a great deal of love and affection for each other. They will be happy because they look after each other. Their wealth will usually increase and if they have children, their love and care will bring mutual love in the family. In the ordinary sense, happiness develops out of this deep commitment and bond they have promised to keep. Whereas, when there is an absence of commitment, there is also little care or love and sexual misconduct arises. This is not the ground out of which love arises, or upon which a nice home can be built in which children can develop happiness. One can readily see that from the lack of commitment to sexual fidelity, many kinds of difficulties will arise.

One can also see the immediate consequences of other unvirtuous physical actions. One can see that those who steal have difficulties and suffer; those who don't steal experience happiness and have a good state of mind. Likewise, those who kill create many problems and unhappiness for themselves while those who support life are happy.

The same applies to ones speech, although it is not so obvious. But on closer examination, one can also see how happiness develops out of virtuous speech and unhappiness from unvirtuous kinds of speech. At first lying may seem to be useful because one might think that one can deceive others through lies and gain some advantage. But Sakya Pandita said that this is not true. If one lies to ones enemies or persons one doesn't get along with, very well, because they are ones enemies they are not going to take notice of what one is saying anyway. It will be quite hard to deceive them. If they are ones friends, one might be able to deceive them at first by telling a lie. But after the first time, they wont trust you any more and may think that you have been a hypocrite. Lying doesn't really work. Then if one looks at the opposite, a person who takes pains to speak the truth will develop a reputation of being a truthful person who can be relied on and out of this trust, many good things will emerge.

Once we have considered the example of the consequences of lying, we can think of similar consequences relating to other kinds of damaging speech: slander, and coarse, aggressive, and useless speech. Except for the immediate and the short-termed consequences virtuous speech produces happiness and unvirtuous speech produces suffering.

When we say useless speech, we mean speech that is really useless, not just conversational. So, if we have a good mind and want someone to relax and be happy, even though the words may not be of great meaning, then its useful speech based on the idea of benefit and goodness. When we say "useless speech," we mean chatter for no reason at all. Worse than that is "chatter rooted in the defilements" when one is saying bad things about other people because of dislike or is jealous of them or one sets people against each other. One just gossips about the character of people. That is really useless speech. Besides being useless, this very often causes trouble because it sets people against each other and causes bad feelings.

The same applies with "harmful speech." If there is really a loving and beneficial reason for talking, for example, scolding a child when the child is doing something dangerous or scolding a child for not studying in school, that is not harmful speech because it is devoid of the defilements, being a skillful way of helping someone. If there is that really genuine, beneficial attitude and love behind what one says, it is not harmful speech. But if speech were related to the defilements such as aggression or jealousy, then it is harmful speech and is something to give up.

We can go on to examine the various states of mind and see that a virtuous mind produces happiness and unvirtuous states of mind create unhappiness. For instance, strong aggression will cause us to lose our friends. Because of our aggressiveness, our enemies will become even worse enemies and the situation will become inflamed. If we are aggressive and hurt others and they have friends, then eventually friends will also become enemies. On the other hand, if we wish to benefit others, goodness will come out of it through the power of caring for our loved ones and then through wishing to help them develop goodness. Through this they will become close and helpful friends. Through the power of our love and care, our enemies and the people one doesn't get along with will improve their behavior and maybe those enemies will eventually become friends. If we have companions and wish to benefit others, we can end up with very good friends and all the benefits which that brings. In this way we can see how cause and effect operate, how a virtuous mind brings about happiness and how a non-virtuous mind brings about suffering and problems.

There are two main aspects of karma: one related to experience and one related to conditioning. The experience of karma has already been discussed in relation. Through unvirtuous physical actions one will experience problems and unhappiness. Likewise, through unvirtuous speech, such as lying, one experiences unhappiness and sorrow. Through an unvirtuous state of mind, one experiences unhappiness. This was demonstrated by the example of an aggressive attitude. All of this is related to the understanding that any unvirtuous activity produces unpleasantness or unhappiness.

The second aspect of karma relates to conditioning. By acting unvirtuously with ones body, speech, or mind one habituates oneself to a certain style of behavior. Unvirtuous physical or verbal behaviors add to the habit of doing things. For example, each time we kill, we are conditioned to kill again. If we lie, that increases the habit of lying. An aggressive mind conditions our state of mind so we become more aggressive. In later lives, then, that conditioning will emerge so that we will be reborn with a great tendency to kill, to lie, to engage in sexual misconduct, and so on. These are two aspects to karma. One is the direct consequence of an act and the other is the conditioning that creates a tendency to engage in behavior of that kind. Through these two aspects karma produces all happiness and suffering in life.

Even though we may recognize that unvirtuous karma gives rise to suffering and virtuous karma gives rise to happiness, it is hard for us to give up unvirtuous actions and practice virtuous actions because the defilements exercise a powerful influence on us. We realize that suffering is caused by unvirtuous karma but we cannot give up the karma itself. We need to give up the defilements because they are the root of unvirtuous actions. To give up the defilements means to give up non-virtuous actions of body (such as killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct), the unvirtuous actions of speech (such as lying, slander and harmful and useless speech), and the unvirtuous aspects of mind (such as aggressive, covetous, or ignorant mind). Just wanting to give up the defilements does not remove them. However, the Buddha in his great kindness and wisdom has given us a very skillful way to eliminate the very root of all the defilements through the examination of the belief in the existence of ego or self.

We cannot just understand this belief in a self easily because it is very deep-rooted. First of all, we have to search for this self that we believe in and through this search we can discover that the self does not exist. Then we will be able to gradually to eliminate the belief in a self. When this is done, the defilements are also eliminated because with the elimination of a belief in self unvirtuous karma is also eliminated.

This belief in a self is a mistaken perception, its an illusion. For example, if one has a flower and were to interrogate one hundred people about it, they would all come to the same conclusion that it is indeed a flower. So one could be pretty sure that it is a flower. But, if one asked a person "Is this me?," he would say, "No, its you." A second person would say, "Its you." One would end up with one hundred persons who say this is "you" and only oneself would consider it as "me." So statistically ones self is on very wobbly ground.

We also tend to think of "me" as one thing, as a unity. When we examine what we think of as ourselves, we find it is made up of many different components: the various parts of the body, the different organs, and the different elements. There are so many of them, yet we have this feeling of a one thing which is "me." When we examine any of those components and try to find something that is the essence of self, the self cannot be found in any of these bits and pieces. By contemplating this and working through it very thoroughly, we begin to see how this "I" is really an incorrect perception.

Once we have eliminated this wrong way of thinking, the idea of an "I" becomes easy to get rid of. So, all of the desire rooted in thinking, "I must be made happy" can be eliminated as well as all the aversion rooted in the idea of "this difficulty must be eliminated." Through the elimination of the idea of "I" we can annihilate the defilements. Once the defilements are gone, then unvirtuous karma, which is rooted in the defilements, can go. Once the unvirtuous karma is gone, suffering will no longer take place. This is why Buddha says that the root of suffering needs to be abandoned.

The first two noble truths may be summed up with two statements:

One should be aware of and know what suffering is. One should give up the universal origination of suffering.

To summarize, once one recognizes what suffering really is, then one begins by removing its causes. One stops doing unvirtuous actions which create suffering. To stop these unvirtuous activities, one digs out their root which is the defilements and the various unhealthy attitudes. To eradicate the defilements one needs to remove their heart, which is this belief in a self. If one does that, then one will eventually come to realize the wisdom of non-self. Through understanding the absence of a self, one no longer creates the defilements and bad actions and brings an end to that whole process. This is highly possible to reach; therefore there is the third noble truth of cessation.

The very essence and nature of cessation is peace. Sometimes people think of Buddhahood in terms of brilliant insights or something very fantastic. In fact, the peace one obtains from the cessation of everything unhealthy is the deepest happiness, bliss, and well-being. Its very nature is lasting in contrast to worldly happiness which is exciting for a time, but then changes. In contrast, this ultimate liberation and omniscience is a definitive release from the defilements which are the cause of suffering. Their cessation is the most deeply moving peace. Within that peace all the powers of liberation and wisdom are developed. It is a very definitive release from both suffering and its result and four main qualities of this truth of cessation. First, it is the cessation of suffering. Second, it is peace. Third, it is the deepest liberation and wisdom. Fourth, it is a very definitive release. Cessation is a product of practicing the path shown to us by the Most Perfect One, the Lord Buddha. The actual nature of that path is the topic of the fourth noble truth, which is called the truth of the path because it describes the path that leads to liberation.

The Fourth Noble Truth

The truth of the path is called "the truth of the path" because a path leads one to the ultimate goal. One does this step by step, stage by stage, progressively completing ones journey. The main stages of Buddhism are called "the five paths" because by progressively traversing them one eventually reaches ones destination which is cessation. This path of the Buddha can be analyzed through its five main stages which are called the five paths (Skt. marga). The names of the five paths are the stage of accumulation, the stage of junction, the stage of insight, the stage of cultivation, and the final stage of nonstudy. Properly speaking, the first four of these are the path with the fifth one being the effect.

The first path is called the "path of accumulation" because gathering or accumulating a great wealth of many things. This is the stage in which one tries to gather all the positive factors which enable one to progress. One tries to cultivate diligence, the good qualities, and the wisdom which penetrates more deeply into the meaning of things. One commits oneself to accumulate all the various positive aspects of practice. One gathers the positive elements into ones being while at the same time working on many different ways to remove all the unwanted elements from ones life. One also applies various techniques to eliminate the various blockages and obstacles which are holding one back. This is called the stage of accumulation because one engages in this manifold activity and gathers all of these new things into ones life.

In ordinary life we are caught up in the level of worldliness. Even though we don't want to be, we are still operating on a level of conditioned existence (Skt. samsara) because we are still under the influence of the defilements. They have a very strong habitual grip on our existence. We need to get rid of these defilements in order to find our way out of samsara. Of course, we want to find this happiness and peace and we know it is possible. But even with the strongest will in the world, we cannot do it overnight. It is like trying to dye a large cloth in that one needs to bring many different elements together to change the color.

So, first of all, in order to gain the good qualities, we need to work on creating all the different conditions which will make those qualities emerge. To develop the various insights of meditation and real wisdom, we need to develop great faith and confidence in the validity and usefulness of that wisdom. Once we are convinced of its value, we need to change our habits so that we have the diligence to do all the things necessary to make insight and wisdom emerge. Therefore, there are many factors and conditions we must generate within our life that will bring about our happiness.

To remove all the unwholesome factors binding us in samsara, we must uproot belief in a self, eliminate the various defilements which are hindering us, and bring together the many different conditions that make this transformation and purification possible. We talk about accumulation because we are assembling all the different conditions that make this transformation possible. We won't be able to progress in a significant manner until we have gathered all these causes and conditions in a proper and completely perfect way within ourselves. For that reason the purpose of this stage of accumulation is to complete all the necessary conditions by gathering them into our existence.

Eventually, because of the complete gathering of favorable conditions, we will reach the third path which is the "path of insight." This is the stage during which insight into the way things actually are is developed which is beyond the veil of delusion. Linking the path of accumulation and the path of insight is the second path of junction. Here our inner realization, the very way we can perceive things, begins to link up with the truth of the actual nature of phenomena because we are gathering all the favorable circumstances that will eventually lead us to the actual insight itself. When we attain insight into the way things really are and this insight develops beyond the level of delusion and mistaken views, we realize that there is no self. Once there is no longer a belief in self, there are no longer any root defilements of attachment, aggression, or mental darkness associated with the idea of self. Once there are no longer any defilements, one does nothing unvirtuous and has no more suffering.

Now, it is true that once we have that insight, all suffering is immediately removed, but in another way, that is not true. This is because the delusion of a self is a habit which has been built up for such a long time and is very, very hard to remove. For example, when we believe in the self and we hit our finger with a hammer, it hurts. Even when we have realized that an unchanging self is just a delusion fabricated by our minds, still when we hit our finger with a hammer it hurts. We still have the feeling, "I am suffering" because there is an enduring built-up association of "I" with the flesh of our body. Removal of that long established conditioning of self is carried out through a long process of accustomization to the truth of non-self. This is the fourth stage of the cultivation of insight.

The fourth stage is called the path of cultivation (gom ki lam in Tibetan). The word gom is usually translated as "meditation" but actually means "to get used to something" or "to accustom oneself." This is why it is translated here as "the path of cultivation," while other texts translate it as "the path of meditation." But this stage is the idea of getting used to the insight into the nature of things. Through becoming more and more familiar with the truth of things, we can remove the very fine traces of defilements and subconscious conditioning that still exist. Through gradual working on these the goal of Buddhahood will be attained.

Through the cultivation of insight we eventually reach the goal of the fifth path which is called "the path of no more study." Through cultivation we remove even the most subtle causes of suffering. Once this is completed we have reached the highest state and there are no more new paths to go along making this "the path of no more study" or "the path of no more practice."

There are two Tibetan words which are pronounced "gom" but spelled differently. There is sgom which means "meditation" and khom which means "to habituate." In the Buddhist view the ordinary reality that we see is actually a delusion. Only with great spiritual attainment can we then see through this delusion and see "things as they really are" (Tib. nga lu).

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Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche. The Four Noble Truths. Retrieved 06/13/08 from http://www.rinpoche.com/fornob.html

Anniversary of the Teachings of the Four Noble Truths by Shakyamuni Buddha

Tashi Delek,

The following is from a message received from Palyul Ling International.

The anniversary of the date of the First Turning of the Wheel of the Dharma by Shakyamuni Buddha is on July 25 this year. On this day we celebrate the teachings of the Budda on the Four Noble Truths. These are:

1. The Truth of the Nature of Suffering

2. The Truth of the Origin of Suffering

3. The Truth of the Cessation of Suffering

4. The Truth of the Path that Leads to the Cessation of Suffering.

For more information and teachings, visit http://www.palyul.org/eng_resources.htm.

If you would like to accumulate merit and join in the practices on this special day, you can do any of the following:

- Join practice at your local center

- Do not eat meat

- Feed and save the lives of animals

- Recite the Mantra of the Buddha

- Watch the Puja at the United States Retreat Center by tuning into http://www.palyul.org/broadcast.htm

May all beings benefit!

Sincerely,

Palyul Ling International

Chökhor Düchen

Chökhor Düchen (July 25, 2009) is the anniversary of the "First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma" (first teaching). One of the four major Buddhist holidays, it occurs on the fourth day of the sixth Tibetan lunar month. For seven weeks after his enlightenment, Buddha did not teach. Finally, encouraged by Indra and Brahma, he turned the Wheel of Dharma for the first time, at Sarnath, by teaching the ‘Four Noble Truths.’

Chökhor Düchen is considered a 10 million day - all the good (and bad) that you do is multiplied 10 million times.

May the merit of our activities be dedicated to the enlightenment of all beings, so that we may all cross the ocean to enlightenment with none left behind, to the long life of all of our teachers, and to the spread of the Dharma throughout all time and space.

For more Buddhist resources click on this link to:
Envisionation

The Universal Medicine for Healing All Ills

Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

The Universal Medicine for Healing All Ills

by Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

Homage to the lama!

Sickness is conceptual thought.

When you are ill, be ill within the dharmata nature.

Within the nature of things, there is no illness.

Sickness, without reference—let it be released into all-pervading space.

Sickness is an embellishment of dharmata's display,

And the play of intrinsic reality is unceasing.

All that appears to us is sickness,

All sickness is by nature wisdom.

Within this wisdom, settle undistractedly,

And causes and effects of sickness will be purified into all-pervading space.

May all living beings throughout the three worlds

Be spontaneously freed from the sickness of destructive emotions!

When Rabchok was ill, I, the one called Lodrö, composed this in jest.

May virtue abound!

Translated by Adam Pearcy, 2008. Many thanks to Ringu Tulku and Stefan Eckel.

Jamyang Khyentse Chokyi Lodro, The Universal Medicine for Healing All Ills, Retrieved on 7/21/09 from http://www.lotsawahouse.org/universal_medicine.html/

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His Holiness Penor Rinpoche and Activities at Namdroling Monastery

Tashi Delek Friends,

I am writing to give you an update on all of the activities currently taking place at Namdroling Monastery.

As you may know, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche's Holy Body ("Kudung") is now in Zangdokpalri Temple. Every day His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche leads the sangha of Tulkus, Khenpos, Lopons, Lamas, monks, and nuns in practices that include Shitro, or the Hundred Deities practice, among others.

They also are chanting two very special prayers that we want to provide for your personal practice.

Prayer for the Swift Rebirth of
H.H. Penor Rinpoche
H.E. Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche in his great compassion has given us two prayers for the Swift Rebirth of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.

The first prayer is based on the one we recite as part of our Namcho Daily Practice. In the U.S. summer retreat practice book, this prayer is directed to the Second Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche, Thubten Chokyi Langpo. This prayer is also recited as a Long Life prayer for His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Dungse Rinpoche added two lines so it can be recited as a prayer for Swift Rebirth.

The second prayer is a longer version that Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche wrote especially for us.

These prayers are now available on Palyul.org and we plan to update this page with an audio version to help with learning this prayer as soon as available.

The link is here:
http://www.palyul.org/eng_hh_swiftrebirth.htm

Commitment
Traditionally, local people at our monastery make a vow in the presence of the Kudung to accumulate a number of recitations of these prayers. You may also follow this practice and make your individual commitment by visualizing His Holiness and making the promise to complete a certain number of recitations.

Puja Schedule
The Pujas at Namdroling will continue for 49 days from the time of His Holiness' Mahaparanirvana, through to May 22 (not May 15 as previously posted).

About the Forty-Nine Days
I also want to clarify that practices performed during the Forty-Nine Days are not for His Holiness but for our own sake. Spending these seven weeks in intensive practice gives us the opportunity to purify our samaya, receive the lineage blessings, and so on. And on a relative level, this period of time gives us the opportunity to be together and to grieve. Even though we know His Holiness is "only changing clothes," until we have attained a level of realization we will continue to experience attachment and feel sorrow. Through our practice and going through this time together, I know we have all felt the strengthening our connection with one another and with the heart essence of our precious teacher, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.

Summer Retreat
We have been working with H.H. Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, H.E. Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche and H.E. Khentrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche to update information for our Summer Retreat program in Upstate New York. We will send a revised flier out in the next six weeks, and any further updates will be posted on the website at: http://retreat.palyul.org

H.H. Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, H.E. Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche, H.E. Khentrul Gyangkhang Rinpoche and I are thinking about and praying for you and all sentient beings.

With blessings,

Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso

__________________

Important Notes

Joining the Practice in Namdroling
If you would like to join the practice, it is possible to do so either from home or to come to Namdroling.

Although this could change, currently the local police are not enforcing the requirement for the "Protected Area Permit" out of respect for His Holiness. If this changes, you will simply be required to book a hotel room in one of the local towns.

While we cannot take reservations for accommodations by email, it would help us greatly to know in advance if you are coming, so please send your travel itinerary as soon as you have confirmed it. You can simply reply to this email with the itinerary information, and it will be forwarded to the office in Namdroling.

Webcast
We will attempt to webcast the 49th Day Ceremony. For your location, please check the following times:

Namdroling (Bangalore): May 22, 8 AM

Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore: May 22, 10:30 AM
London: May 22, 3:30 AM
New York: May 21, 10:30 PM

This webcast will appear here:
http://www.palyul.org/broadcast.htm

A handy time converter is at this website if your location isn't listed:
http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html

__________________
Email From Palyul Ling International