CONTACT DETAILS FOR PHENDHELING. Newsletter of PhenDheLing Tibetan Buddhist Centre

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1 CONTACT DETAILS FOR PHENDHELING We now have new addresses at Phendheling to make it easier for our members and friends to direct their enquires to the relevant people. Spiritual consultations : secretary@phendheling.org Membership and accounts: treasurer@phendheling.org Newsletter and General enquires: info@phendheling.org Event bookings & registrations: bookings@phendheling.org Newsletter of PhenDheLing Tibetan Buddhist Centre Vol 58 January / February / March 2019 Continuing extracts from My Spiritual Autobiography by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Personal Reflections, Teachings and Talks collected by Sofia Stril-Rever, Translated by Charlotte Mandell. The Tibetans will decide if they want a Fifteenth Dalai Lama Given that the obvious aim of a reincarnation is to continue the task that hasn t been finished by his predecessor, then logically, if my death occurs while I am outside of Tibet, my reincarnation will manifest abroad in order to complete what I have left unfinished. But there are also other possibilities. Many years ago I explained that, according to Tibetan tradition, the process of succession can be determined in a different way. My Dalailamaship IT WAS MY wish that temporal authority be handed over to a prime minister, the Kalon Tripa, and he was elected for the first time in So now I m part-time, and I m sometimes asked if I plan on retiring. Is that possible? Can my Dalailamaship retire?

2 No, I cannot become a retiree (laughs). Unless a majority no longer regards me as the Dalai Lama then I ll be able to go into retirement! (laughs). I m joking! Since 2001, we have had a leader of the executive branch elected by vote every five years. That is how I could go into semi-retirement in politics. In Tibet, in 1952, I initiated changes that were the preliminaries for democratization. But we weren t able to set in motion our modernization program, since so many upheavals happened. Then, when we arrived in India as refugees, we were all favorable to democracy. Since 2001, the main decisions have been made by people who were elected, and not by me. In fact, I act as an experienced adviser. In 2006, Samdhong Rinpoche was reelected, and the rule is that one can only serve for two terms.11 So in four years a new person will be chosen by election. I don t think it is important to preserve the institution of the Dalai Lama. We should make a clear distinction between safeguarding Tibetan culture and Tibetan Buddhism, on the one hand, and preserving the office of the Dalai Lama, on the other. This institution, like others, appears at a given moment in time and then disappears; Tibetan Buddhism and its cultural heritage, however, will remain as long as the Tibetan people. That is why in 1992 I declared that, when the time has come for us to go back to our homeland, to Tibet that is, when we have won a real autonomy then I will hand over all my legitimate authority as Dalai Lama to the Tibetan government. To be continued... 2 EVENT CALENDAR FEBRUARY - MARCH Tue 5th 7pm Losar - Tibetan New Year Thu 7th 10am Lamrim Teaching Sun 10th 10am Sunday Meditation Tue 12th 7pm Guide to Bodhisattva s Way of Life Fri 15th 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja Sun 17th 10am Meditation at Gidgegannup Tue 19th 7pm Medicine Buddha practice Miracle Day Thu 21st 10am Lamrim Teaching Tue 26th 7pm Guide to Bodhisattva s Way of Life Thu 28th 10am Lamrim Teaching MARCH Fri 1st 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja Tue 5th 7pm Guide to Bodhisattva s Way of Life Thu 7th 10am Lamrim Teaching Sun 10th 10am Sunday Meditation Tue 12th 7pm Tuesday Meditation Thu 14th 10am Lamrim Teaching Sat 16th 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja Sun 17th 10am Meditation at Gidgegannup Tue 19th 7pm Guide to Bodhisattva s Way of Life Thu 21st 10am Lamrim Teaching Tue 26th 7pm Tuesday Meditation Thu 28th 10am Lamrim Teaching Sat 30th 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja Sun 31st 9-4pm` White Tara Day Retreat 15

3 MEDICINE BUDDHA PRACTICE ON MIRACLE DAY These first fifteen days of the year commemorate the event when Shakya muni Buddha performed a different miracle each day to instill devotion and increase merit among heretics. Tuesday, February 19th 7pm. WHITE TARA RETREAT A day long retreat on White Tara, who is the manifestation of all the Buddha s omniscient mind as a deity of longevity. In order to accomplish spiritual practice, we need a healthy mind and body. This practice is to rejuvenate health, wealth, good fortune and life-force energy. 31st March Day Retreat 9am-4pm Cost $35 members $45 - non-members Vegetarian lunch provided 14 LETTERS FROM GENLA Dear Members and friends, First I would like to wish you a very happy New Year 2019 and Tibetan Earth Pig Year, We had a very successful 2018 with H.E.Jhado Rinpoche visiting and empowering all of the initiations and teachings and blessings. It was very much a fulfilment of our aspiration, which benefits so many living beings directly and indirectly. From my heart I would like to thank everyone who was involved in Rinpoche s visit, from all the process of organising to the completion of Rinpoche s visit, both financially and physically. I would especially like to thank all the Phendheling committee members for organising the visit. I pray and hope that Rinpoche will visit again soon. I would also like to express my thanks to Michael for organising the recent Pilgrimage to India, and thank you to all the people who joined in the Pilgrimage. It was another successful trip to India. I believe visiting all the great eight sacred places of Buddha and Holy sites of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas was a great purification and accumulation of merit. I appreciated Ven. Chodzin and Mahakaruna Buddhist Centre, and Thelma John and Alison Zollo for organising the Sand Mandala in Denmark and Perth. Also thank you to Denmark Arts and North Metropolitan TAFE, Perth for hosting the Mandala. And thank you to all the volunteers for helping at the mandalas and offering foods. Finally I express my huge thank you to H.E. Jhado 3

4 Rinpoche, Geshe Thupten Tashi and venerable Thupten Jigme for their time, kindness and teaching, so that we all had a blessing and such a wonderful experience. So, I rejoice in all our positive deeds of inviting H.E. Jhado Rinpoche for teachings, creating the sand mandala and for travelling on our Pilgrimage to Buddha s sacred places. We dedicate all this merit for peace and harmony in this universe and to achieve ultimate joy for all sentient beings. As His Holiness the Dalai Lama has advised all the audiences during recent teachings at Bodhgaya (as a commitment of Empowerment): Everyone must practice the development of Bodhicitta and meditation on emptiness on a daily basis. And check the result of our practice next year, in 2020, to see how much you achieved in the transformation of your attitude in day to day life. If there is a certain degree of positive change or transformation then it will be worthwhile to practice Dharma and take initiations. So I request all of us, we all should follow His Holiness advice for the benefit of ourselves and others. 4 GENERAL NEWS PhenDheLing Website For general information on PhenDheLing Tibetan Buddhist Centre, including the calendar of events, please visit: Newsletter Contributions If you would like to contribute to the newsletter or have any suggestions, please forward your copy or message to info@phendheling.org with the subject "Newsletter". 13 With prayers Thupten Lodey Be kind to others

5 GENERAL MEDITATION ON SUNDAYS Genla will be teaching meditations based on compassion, respect and happiness. These meditations will include techniques such as focusing on the breath and visualisations. All welcome: Suitable for both beginner and more advanced students. Sundays: 12 February, 12th March Time: 10.00am. Cost: By donation 12 GUIDED MEDITATION ON TUESDAYS Visualisation meditation is a unique Tibetan Buddhist technique to develop concentration, to purify your negative energy and to enhance your positive energy. Buddha and Green Tara meditations are held on alternate sessions at the Centre. Everyone is welcome to attend. Time: 7.00pm. March 12th and March 26th 5 SUNDAY MEDITATION AT GIDGEGANNUP Morgan has kindly opened her house to hold meditation sessions at 54 Waterford Drive, Gidgegannup. The meditation will be led by Ven. Thupten Lodey. Genla will teach meditations based on compassion, respect and happiness using techniques such as focusing on the breath and visualisations. Everyone is welcome to attend. Please join us for morning tea afterwards. Any queries please call Morgan on / Time: 10.00am. Sunday 17th February Sunday 17th March

6 GUIDE TO THE BODHISATTVA S WAY OF LIFE Tuesdays at 7pm The great Buddhist scholar Master Shantideva s classic work on the bodhisattva path, teaches what we require and what our commitments need to be to achieve peerless happiness. February, 12th and 26th March, 5th and 19th LAMRIM TEACHING Lamrim Chenmo (Great Lamrim) composed by Lama Tsongkhapa with extensive details The lamrim, or graduated path, is a presentation of Shakyamuni Buddha s teachings that details the stages in the complete path to enlightenment. Thursdays 10am February : 7th, 21st,28th March: 7th,14th,21st,28th 6 Happy New Year 2016 Happy Tibetan New Year 2146 (Earth Pig) Losar - Tibetan New Year Celebration Traditionally, Tibetan New Year, or Losar, (Lo means year and sar means new) is a 15 day festival. On the first day of the New Year, people dress in new clothes, which symbolises a new beginning, and spend the day with family. Prayers for purification and offerings are made in the home and special foods are eaten. People also visit the local monasteries and offer khatas. In the monasteries a protector deity puja is done in the very early hours of the first day to ensure an auspicious start to the year. All the monks offer khatas to their teachers and to the monastery abbot. The khatas are given straight back, then later the monks offer all the khatas to His Holiness the Dalai Lama s throne. Losar will be celebrated at the Centre with Green Tara four Mandala offering puja for successful spiritual and mundane activity for New year. Please bring a plate to share after the puja. Tuesday 5th February pm. 11

7 THE KING OF PRAYERS (continued) 10 Dharma Teachings 7 All future eons that could possibly be Manifest within me in a single instant And I myself in a fraction of a moment Enter into all these eons of the three times. All past, present and future lions amongst human beings I envision with the instantaneous wisdom And by the power of the bodhisattvas examples I focus upon the objects of their experience. I manifest Buddha fields past, present and future Upon one single atom of existence And then I transform every single atom Of existence into a Buddha field. By this, when the future lights of world Gradually gain bodhi, turn the dharma wheels And reveal the passing to nirvana s supreme peace May I take rebirth in their very presence. Then may I attain the ten powers The power of instant magical emanation The power which is a vehicle with every door The power of excellent activity The power of all pervading love The power of constantly positive energy The power of passionless wisdom The power of wisdom, method and Samadhi And the power of enlightenment itself. TSOG OFFERING / GURU PUJA Twice a month, based on the lunar calendar, the practice of tsog offering / Guru puja is done. It is a commitment for those practicing tantra to restore and reaffirm their vows and pledges. However, anyone and everyone is welcome to attend this ritual of making extensive offerings to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, thus accumulating the positive energy needed to progress along the spiritual path. Everyone is welcome to attend. February - Thursday 14th March - Friday 1st Saturday 16th, Saturday 30th, Time: Please arrive at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start. Cost: By donation Offerings of food or flowers are welcome

8 Indian Pilgrimage 2018