ShabdaMonthly Newsletter of Losang Dragpa Center

Transcription

1 ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 1 ShabdaMonthly Newsletter of Losang Dragpa Center In the Lam Rim, when talking about relying on the spiritual master or virtuous friend, it mentions the benefits of relying on the spiritual master and the faults of not relying on the spiritual master. It also mentions that having relied upon the spiritual master, if one transgresses or acts in a contradictory way towards the spiritual master, there is great danger arising from this fault. This is the general advice found in Lam Rim. September 2005 Excerpt from Choden Rinpoche s teaching on the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion at LDC on 14th August 2005 However in this particular text of the 50 Verses of Guru Devotion, it does not speak about the benefits of relying upon the spiritual master or on the faults of not relying upon the spiritual master; both are not mentioned here. However it advises on the danger or the faults of degenerating one s practice of Guru Devotion. Because this text caters to those who have entered into the path of the secret mantra, these are practitioners who, in general need to have greater faith so they need to place greater emphasis on Guru Devotion than those practicing sutrayana. The reason for this is because prior to entering into the path of secret mantra, one is first trained in the common path the sutrayana path within which the benefits and faults have already been expounded, so in tantra practice of secret mantra, greater emphasis is placed on Guru Devotion, more so than in the sutrayana path. Of the 2 ways of reliance upon the spiritual master - reliance through thought and through action, here emphasis is more on the action. VERSE 6 In order for the words of honour of neither the Guru nor the disciple to degenerate, there must be a mutual examination beforehand (to determine if each can) brave a Guru-disciple relationship.

2 2 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 3 What type of vajra master is worthy of homage and respect? One should examine this prior to establishing a dharma relationship. This examination is not restricted to the disciple toward the master, the master should also examine the disciple; ensure that one s samaya does not degenerate. One should spend as long as twelve years to examine each other. The master should examine the disciple for twelve years, and the disciple spend twelve years to examine the guru; both party should be very certain about the qualification, only then should one establish a dharma relationship. If the guru teaches to an unqualified disciple, the guru s samaya/ commitment to the lineage will degenerate; if the disciple relies on the guru who is not qualified, then the disciple will not receive blessings. Therefore the guru should observe the disciple and the disciple should observe the guru. According to the text, they should examine for 12 years, and after the dharma relationship is established, one should ensure the samaya/ commitment between the guru and disciple does not ever degenerate. If the spiritual relationship between the guru and disciple degenerates, it is extremely dangerous. An analogy given here shows the relationship of the guru and disciple are so strongly connected, it is just like two oxen yoked together, when and if one ox falls over the precipice, the other will fall too. So if the disciple is not practicing well, it poses great dangers to the guru, not only the disciple fall to the lower realm, the guru will also fall along with the disciple. However if one desires such kind of faith, then one can go ahead to listen to teachings but whenever one wants to establish a dharma connection, it must not be recklessly done without examining if the guru is a qualified master. One might be putting oneself in danger. So understanding this great danger, one should be extremely cautious on the guru-disciple relationship. ANNOUNCEMENT New premises found for LDC Due to the blessings of our very precious Guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, we have successfully found new premises to house our meditation center. The purchase was approved at a special EGM convened on the 26th August 2005, and a Sale and Purchase Agreement has been signed to acquire the new premises. For those of you who would like to drive and take a look at the new premises the address is Number 1 Road 17/ 31 F. Our proposed new center has a land area of 11, 700 sq. ft. and a built-up area of 8,000 sq. ft. Minimal work is required to be done before moving in and we envisage that the documentation and minor renovation works should take about 3 to 4 months so we are aiming to move in by January 2006 if not earlier. The new center looks like a mini Kopan Monastery (our mother monastery in Katmandu) with a big garden, large Koi pond and a wonderful regular shaped pink building. We can hold many extra Dharma activities there; while our teachings and pujas will now be able to accommodate more people. LDC is growing and these premises will help us benefit even more people interested in the Dharma. It is even sufficiently large for us to organize fund-raising dinners here. The main gompa can comfortably accommodate 150 people. Last but not least, the new premise has excellent feng shui. We hope the new premise will benefit our members and many new members. The following are two s received from our Holy Guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche in response to our request for Rinpoche s advice regarding the new premise:-

3 4 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 5 First from Ven. Roger Kunsang Rinpoche checked and the latest house (in Petaling Jaya) comes out very good according to Rinpoche and Rinpoche said according to the text it says With this house there will be prosperity of human beings and wealth, double vajra in a turquoise sky encircled by the sun and moon, a golden ground turned clockwise, blue clean water, in the middle prosperity of human beings and wealth; it is good fortune will turn towards the right. In conclusion this means very good excellent. Second from Roger Kunsang following immediately after: I am very excited jumping up and down, I might land on the roof of Geshe Sopa s Center! And then jump down not quite suicide I must laugh I don t know how to laugh... in what manner HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HO HO HO HO HO HO HE HE HE HEE HEE HEEE HANG HA maybe this way is better Thousand Offerings Event on October 2005 This will be our 4th Thousand Offerings Event held at the Chinese Assembly Hall, 14th -16th October It has become LDC s annual trademark event since the year 2002! Please do come join us and make this event even more special, meaningful and successful than ever before. Tell your friends and relatives and we would be very appreciative of every kind of help and support. We need help in different forms, to help us raise funds and to add man power. Please call our offi ce at if you can offer any kind of help to us. Thank you very much. We welcome the following new members who joined us in July and August JULY 1) Khoo Pek Ling (Life Member) 2) Cindy Gan (Member) 3) Wong Chee Soo (Member) 4) Jennifer Too (Member) 5) Chris Yeo (Member) 6) Tan Sheng Hoong (Member) 7) Lim Han Jin (Member) 8) Audrey Tan (Member) 9) Janice Yeong (Member) 10) Wong Yew Sun (Member) 11) Cheryl Chow (Member) 12) Darron Tan (Life Member) 13) Nickque Tan (Member) 14) Connie Leong (Member) 15) Phillip Lim (Member) 16) Chiew Seng Koon (Member) 17) Chang Heng Loon (Member) 18) Leong Kwan Weng (Member) AUGUST 1) See Siok Kim (Life Member) 2) Andrew Tan (Life Member) 3) Chang Kok Wei (Life Member) 4) Tai Yit Chan (Life Member) 5) Dexter Ong (Life Member) 6) Evelyn Ngo (Life Member) 7) Kok Yuen Choo (Member) 8) Amelia Leong (Member) BIG love like Mount Everest, and prayer, longest tank like the sky. HOW TO WORK AT THE CENTER - ESSENTIAL ADVICE (Further advice from Lama Zopa Rinpoche for us all! Please rejoice if you are already working in this way!) We must bring peace between people at the center, deal with each other with the good heart, talk with each other with compassion. Without Dharma, can t have peace, harmony and success for yourself, and especially for others, who are numberless. Advice given on August 8th, 2005

4 6 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 7 August review (by Kieren Lim) Chasing away the haze Although the August skies were shrouded with thick haze as a result of the Sumatra forest fires, at the Centre, we were incredibly blessed to have a most Precious Jewel, our Venerable Choden Rinpoche whose presence graced LDC this month. As many of you would have discovered attending the many programs held at the Centre, Ven. Choden Rinpoche is an amazing, highly realized lama and a teacher to Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche. As Lama Zopa Rinpoche has mentioned,...ven. Choden Rinpoche is an exceptional lama, most kind, compassionate and speech is most powerful, able to move, bless the mindstream - the result of having been in a retreat for 19 years. Ven Choden Rinpoche s quiet presence belies his wonderful qualities as an object of refuge to many: 1) COMPASSION We had some problems (obstacles) arranging for Ven Choden Rinpoche s arrival. This is not uncommon when a great being is able to benefit sentient beings and because of our own negative karma, obstacles or interferences can and often do arise. The person who was getting the visas for Rinpoche met with a fatal accident and then, due to miscommunication, Rinpoche s personal attendant delayed getting his traveling documents stamped on time. He was thus unable to travel to Malaysia with Rinpoche. Despite that, due to Rinpoche s kindness and compassion, Rinpoche traveled to Malaysia all by himself, without any attendants and not speaking any of our languages! This truly is compassion in action and it reflects Rinpoche s precious qualities as a true teacher who practices what he teaches. In Malaysia Ven. Choden Rinpoche acceded to many requests for house blessings, giving advice to a continuing stream of people who consulted him, sometimes with only short breaks in between, without thinking of himself and always only benefiting us. 2) POWER OF PRAYERS A true teacher does not reveal nor boast of his miraculous power. Ven Choden Rinpoche is most humble and showed no display of the power of his prayers yet to the many who requested Rinpoche s help, the results speak for themselves. Most amazing was the request made to Rinpoche to remove the strong haze that kept Kuala Lumpur shrouded and to bring rain to ease the suffering of the people here. Despite forecasts in the press and meteorological experts prediction that the haze would stay with us for several weeks, the haze cleared immediately when we requested Rinpoche s help and after the group recitation of Sutra of The Great Rain Cloud and Sutra of Pacifying the Ten Directions on the night itself at LDC, the haze cleared miraculously and the following morning all was bright and clear. The blue skies could once more be seen! Everyone who witnessed this amazing miracle were full of praise for Ven Choden Rinpoche s strong prayers! 3) WISDOM It is mentioned in the texts that a true teacher displays wisdom and skilful means to teach the Dharma. Ven Choden Rinpoche s clear and precise teachings in LDC on the meditation of Calm Abiding, on the 50 Verses on Guru Devotion are clear indications of the wisdom of a true guru. With skilful means, Rinpoche ripens our mindstream to receive the teachings and blessings. We were also incredibly lucky to receive initiations in the powerful protector of Palden Lhamo, 6 Armed Mahakala as well as long life Deity, Namgyalma. These were bestowed to enable us practitioners to clear our various obstacles and hindrances to our Dharma practice and also to receive the blessings of longevity that we may continue our Dharma practices and attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings. With so little time, Ven Choden Rinpoche also visited our Centre in Triang, Pahang to conduct a Medicine Buddha Puja to benefit the local residents there. As a small token of our gratitude for Rinpoche s visit, LDC members, students and friends offered a Namgyalma statue and a double dorje brocade as a humble gift for Rinpoche to please live long and also to please return to LDC. For all members who might have missed attending any of Ven Choden Rinpoche s teachings, initiations and pujas, you have truly just missed an opportunity to form a karmic connection with a very precious being. We pray that we will be able to host Rinpoche in Kl once again soon. Meanwhile watch this space as LDC is currently making arrangements to invite more high lamas and gurus to visit in the coming months. Be sure not to miss out the next time!

5 8 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 9 HIGHLIGHTS in SEPTEMBER The month for rituals Tibetan Buddhism is rich in rituals but what exactly do these rituals mean? Are rituals Dharma? Come and find out the answers yourself at LDC when we invite ritual master, Ven Lhundup Sherab from Kopan Monastery who will be with us in LDC in the months of September and October. This specially arranged program aims to help practitioners understand the full significance of each of the different rituals at pujas and initiations, their meaning, the merits associated with each and the reason we engage in them. So, if you ever wonder what is a fire puja, what is a lama dance, why do we do hand mudras or even why we ring the bell and use the dorje in our practices, wonder no more. Come and experience yourself the rich and deeply meaningful rituals of Tibetan Buddhism with Ven Lhundup Sherab. Learn how to perform these rituals and enrich your practices further. Visit our website at or call our office for details information on the dates and times for the teaching sessions with Ven Lhundup Sherab. Mooncake Lau Juak Festival in Jangsem Ling, Triang on 17th & 18th September 2005 As our Center Director, Lillian Too would say... it s time to Lau Juak when the mid Autumn Mooncake Festival comes around! This is the time to hang up those lanterns and gather with Dharma brothers and sisters for a celebration of our human existence, rejoicing in our human rebirth and having the ability to gain merit to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings. We invite members and friends to join our planned celebration in TRIANG to make delicious moon cake offering and light beautiful lanterns to the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, gain much merit even as we lau juak together. Yes indeed, LDC is organizing an Autumn Mooncake Festival to revitalize the positive energy of our center in the country. It will be a memorable night as Jang Sem Ling Center, situated on the hill top gets beautifully lit amidst undulating hills and against a starry night sky and a full moon. It will be a night made for prayers and for rejoicing. Hospice Training Course in mandarin on 11th September 2005 in response to strong requests for LDC to conduct our very successful hospice workshop we are once again organizing a hospice workshop on the 11th September 2005, this time the course will be conducted in the mandarin language. Members and their friends can use this opportunity to learn from our in-house hospice experts - Dr Loh Ee Ching and Dr Goh Pik Pin as they share their expertise on how we can prepare ourselves to help those who are in pain and are dying. Having lived well, many of us also want to die in the most conducive environment, in a way that can bring peace and comfort to loved ones. Join our experienced experts as they explore the many myths and fears associated with death and dying. Come and find out how death need not necessarily be a terrifying experience and how we can use Dharma in this most significant moment of our life.

6 10 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 11 Selina Foong shares her experiences at FPMT s Foundation Training in Compassionate Service at Kopan Monastery in Kathmandu a half days of pure immersion into the FPMT mandala. By the end, I was so energized my head was spinning with all sorts of (hopefully not too crazy) Dharma aspirations! Our schedule each day was very civilized not too relaxed, not too taxing. After our personal practices, we would meet for breakfast at 7:30am followed by the first session of the day to set our motivation: Lama Tsongkhapa Guru Yoga. Then it was on to business, and Kendall, Allys & Merry would take turns over the course to present a range of subjects In the last week of July, I traveled to Kathmandu to participate in FPMT s first Foundation Training in Compassionate Service course. One might well wonder why I was doing things back to front 2 years as SPC and now she is going for foundation training? Has she gone nutty from all the work?! Sanity intact, I can happily report that the course was invaluable and enjoyable. So much that I highly recommend it to ANYONE interested in serving LDC in even the smallest capacity (and I don t just mean officially!) should the course ever be offered again. What was so great about this course? Firstly, Kopan! This magical place has such a grip on my heart, it gets harder and harder to leave each time I go sigh. Then, there were the course leaders & participants. What a highly inspiring group of people, from different backgrounds, yet with the same, single-minded purpose. All serving our guru in some way or other, an easy camaraderie developed between us almost instantly. As the days went by and we got to know each other better through discussion groups, tea breaks & mealtimes, the feeling of being part of a huge and close-knit family grew even stronger. And, last but not least, there was the course itself! Led by FPMT stalwarts Kendall, Merry Colony & Allys, it was five and including FPMT purpose & structure, Giving, Speaking Kind Words, Teaching According to the Level of the Student, & Practicing What You Teach. I would usually be hanging on to their every word so there was never an opportunity to get bored, but I also did wonder how they could have had so much energy to keep on going sometimes for up to 2 hours without a break! Adding a nice variety to the pace of the course were slots for discussion groups, tea breaks (which inevitably meant further chats & discussions), and special goodies each evening after dinner. Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup

7 12 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 13 came to teach on two occasions, and, on other evenings, Allys read from Adele Hulse soon-to-bepublished Lama Yeshe biography, to be aptly titled BIG LOVE! Needless to say, the excerpts we heard were wonderful. The days seemed to fly, and before long, the course was over. Fortunately however, I had a few free days before departing. This was put to good use, due mainly to the efforts of our dear former Resident Teacher, Geshe Losang Sherab! It was so good to see Geshe-la again, not least because he is so healthy and well. One blazing hot afternoon after the course had finished, Geshela brought me to the Naga Gompa, high up on a ridge from which the whole Kathmandu valley below was laid out in lush splendour. And there I was - tummy full of Coca-cola (Geshe-la s generosity!) which had turned into foaming gas due to the bumpiest cab ride on the rockiest road ever experienced (Road? It was more like a dried-up riverbed!) - panting hard as I climbed the interminable steps up the gompa. And there was Geshe-la, merrily sprinting up the last flight of steps! So, I can vouch that Geshe-la is not kidding when he says he is feeling good these days. Having recovered from Naga Gompa, Geshe-la also brought me to spend a night at his brother s (very nice) home at Thamel, and an action-packed whirl around Kathmandu the next day. Rarely have I accomplished as much in a day as I did that Monday 1st August with Geshe-la!!! No wonder I was wiped out by the time we returned to Kopan that evening. No visit to Kopan is complete without mentioning the utter kindness, pure warmth, and huge love & generosity that is Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup. It is always enough just to see Khenrinpoche s smiling face all around Kopan. But, there is always more! Khenrinpoche offered a gigantic feast to us participants on the final day of the course, complete with yummy cakes & icecream(!), and also decided to offer free accommodation & food to one participant from each centre. To best sum up the gratitude all of us felt is what Ned, from Texas, related to us at the breakfast table one morning Last night, I had this dream that I was checking out of Kopan, and the monk at the office presented me with the bill. I looked at the bill, and did a double-take. It was for US$5,000!! I was a bit shocked to say the least, but I paid up anyway. Then I thought about it later, and, you know, even if I had paid that or more, it would not have been enough to repay everyone here for their kindness. So, there you have it Kopan: Highly recommended. FPMT Foundation training: Highly recommended. Be sure to give neither a miss when an opportunity comes up for you to visit Kopan! In the meantime, may all merits from writing this humble article be dedicated to my dear course mates, my greatly admired course leaders, Khenrinpoche Lama Lhundrup, Geshe Losang Sherab, and of course, my holy guru and source of all that is good, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

8 14 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ ~ September 2005 ~ Shabda 15 LDC Dharma Program for September 2005 P - Precepts BP - Special Days of Lord Buddha Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday P 4 Namglyama P Moon Cake Festival at Jangsem Ling, Triang 8pm Hospice Training Course (Mandarin) 9am-6pm Tara Puja 6:30pm Medicine P 13 Guru Puja 7:00pm Buddha Puja at Jangsem Ling, Triang 10:30am Guru Puja 7:00pm Hospice Debriefing Session 3pm - 6pm Animal Liberation 11am - 12noon Om bhrum svaha, Om amrita, Ayur da de svaha

9 16 Shabda ~ September 2005 ~ CENTER OPERATING HOURS : Monday-Friday : 9:00am - 5:00pm For donations, please make all crossed cheques payable to Losang Dragpa Buddhist Society. Your donation is greatly appreciated. Thank you. LOSANG DRAGPA CENTER S : Address: No.11A Jalan Birah, Bukit Damansara, 50490, Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia. Tel: (03) Fax: (03) ldc01@streamyx.com Website: LDC S SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR : Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche Website dedicated to Rinpoche: (look for Spiritual Director) &