Hobart Buddhist. Meditation Centre. NEWSLETTER Including Dorje Ling Retreat Centre Tasmania. Jan 2015 retreat. Guidelines for Dharma students

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1 TA S H I C H O L I N G D H A R M A F O U N DAT I O N I N C. Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre NEWSLETTER Including Dorje Ling Retreat Centre Tasmania TCDF Quarterly Newsletter Summer 2015 edition During Jan 2015 we were fortunate to be able to host another retreat with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Dorje Ling on Three Principal Paths of Lam Rim. Rinpoche also led a Green Tara initiation and commentary. Jan 2015 retreat More: pages 5, 6, 7. Photos by Charles Chadwick Our Spiritual Director Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation has a long-standing relationship with the Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, a meditation master of the Gelugpa Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Born in eastern Tibet in 1948, Acharya Zasep Tulku Rinpoche was recognized at an early age as a reincarnation of Lama Karma Kunchog Tenzin. Since arriving in the west in 1976, Zasep Rinpoche has taught Buddhism in Australia, Canada, the USA, and Mongolia. He is the spiritual director of Gaden for the West, headquartered in Nelson, B.C., as well as of other centres including Dorje Ling Retreat Centre and Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre. Zasep Rinpoche believes that the precious teachings of Tibetan Buddhism can be made accessible to and meaningful for Westerners in a way that respects the integrity of the teachings. Rinpoche is known for his gentle compassion and good humoured wisdom. Rinpoche has updated his guidelines for his students. The new version is available here: guideline2013.pdf. In this issue... President s report Page 2 Upcoming program Page 2 Guidelines, part three Page 3 Retreat report: 2015 retreat with Rinpoche Page 5 Coming soon: Easter 2015 retreat Page 6 Retreat report: 2015 retreat with Rinpoche Page 7 Caretaker s report Page 8 The Lorinna children Page 9 Guidelines for Dharma students Rinpoche has sent us some guidelines for all who are his students. Even if you are not formally a student of Rinpoche s, these guidelines contain much wisdom and will be helpful to you. The guidelines are available online so that you can print them out: or in epub (e-book reader) format here: guidelines/guidelines-rinpoche.epub They are also being printed in this Newsletter in instalments. The third of the four instalments is on Page 3 of this Newsletter.

2 P r e s i d e n t s R e p o r t We have just completed 2 wonderful back to back retreats with Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Dorje Ling on the Lam Rim, [Graduated path to enlightenment,] and Green Tara. Rinpoche brought the teachings alive in a new and fresh way appropriate for these changing times. We formed a very harmonious tent and hut community of young and old and delighted in the wonderfully kept property and beautiful forest. We now provide seriously discounted youth scholarships and this allowed a younger group to access Rinpoche s retreats. Many thanks to the volunteer cooks, Mark, Shane and Tanya who worked so hard to provide us with plenty of wholesome food, catered to special diets, juggled numbers at very short notice, produced some treats along the way and somehow managed to keep smiling! T A S H I C H O L I N G D H A R M A F O U N D A T I O N I N C. Upcoming meditation program Our meditation and discussion sessions are held every Tuesday between 7.30 and 9.00 pm. Location Tashi Choling rooms, Floor 2, 73 Liverpool St, Hobart. Go down the laneway to the right of the building, then look for the door between the two bamboo pots. Continue upstairs to the second floor. Suggested donation: $5. All welcome. Another major project last year was the very timely reroofing of the gompa. Many thanks to planner and organiser Guy and to everyone else involved. We were given a major donation, which has been earmarked to seed a new building initiative, by the Karuna foundation. Many thanks to Karuna, and also to Jan Edmitson who facilitated this. In the last year there have been an increasing number of solo and group retreats. It is wonderful that the centre is being used more frequently. There is obviously a growing need for a retreat environment in these busy and potentially stressful times. I would like to thank all the committee for their tireless work over the year, specifically mentioning Maria for all her communications including s, posters, the website and facebook page as well as coordinating our stall at the Mona Freedom of belief and religion fair, Madhu for seeing what needs to be done and doing it in such a committed way and George for making sure the numbers stack up. Many thanks also to the caretaker for all his work over the year. Lastly thanks to everyone who has supported us this year in whatever way, financially, voluntarily or through attending retreats teachings and meditation and joining us as Sangha. Charles Chadwick I m sorry but that will not help you find the eightfold path MARCH: Madhu Lilley. Subject: Eight-fold Noble Path. The Buddha taught the 4 Noble Truths and the 8 Fold Noble path is the 4th noble truth. The path to the cessation of suffering.the path is the process to move us beyond conditioned suffering.. We learn so we can unlearn and uncover. On the advice of our spiritual director, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche, we will be using Geshe Rabten s Treasury of Dharma as our source of teachings for much of this year starting in April. Treasury of Dharma is taken from a month long course given by Geshe Rabten to Westerners. It contains teachings and meditations that Geshe La thought most relevant for Westerners. It includes chapters on mental factors and the 12 links as well as most of the Lam Rim starting with suffering. Rinpoche was using this book as a source during the recent Dorje Ling Lam Rim retreat. Here is a description: A complete Tibetan Buddhist Meditation course and a true classic of contemporary Buddhist literature. It contains the essence of the entire path of Buddhism, explained out of the personal experience of one of the most outstanding Buddhist meditation masters of our time, the Venerable Geshe Rabten Rinpoche. Its clear and practical presentation make Buddhist thought and practice easily accessible to anyone who is seriously interested. APRIL: Guy Turnbull. Subject: Treasury of Dharma. MAY: Charles Chadwick. Subject: Treasury of Dharma. Please watch your s to get updates to our meditation and discussion program, and other events as they are finalised. If you are not on our list you can join here: Tsog dates. Dates based on new moon being day one. Southern hemisphere calendar. Tsog is on Day 10 and Day 25. See page 6. February: Saturday 28. March: Sunday 15, Monday 25. April: Monday 13, Tuesday 28. May: Wednesday 13, Thursday 28. 2

3 Revised Guidelines for the Dharma Students of the Venerable Zasep Tulku Rinpoche Canada, 2013, Part three of four. (See previous Newsletters for Parts 1-2.) Guidance for your practice Whenever you have important questions regarding your Dharma practice, you should not hesitate to contact me. As I would like to do more retreats in the near future, I may be unavailable to answer your questions directly. In this case, please contact a senior student at one of my centres. Initiating into Tantra There are different ways of receiving initiations. An initiation may be taken purely as a blessing, for protection or healing. Most of the thousands of people in Tibet, in India and in the West who flock to the Kalachakra initiations take the initiation as a blessing and to create auspicious conditions for the future. In order to receive a Tantric initiation as an actual empowerment, and not just as a blessing, you are required to take Refuge and Bodhisattva vows before the initiation. When you take a higher Tantric initiation, you are additionally required to take Tantric vows. Traditionally in Tibet, students completed the five foundation practices before taking a higher Tantric initiation, but this tradition has been relaxed somewhat in the West. I advise my students to do the foundation practices whenever they are ready. The five foundation practices are one, taking Refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha; two, Guru Yoga; three, Vajrasattva practice; four, prostrations; and five, Mandala Offerings. If you feel you are not ready to take Tantric initiations, then you should not feel under pressure to do so. In truth, the practices of Sutrayana, Lamrim, and the Three Principal Aspects of the Path (Renunciation, Bodhichitta, and Shunyata) are more important practices. When you are ready to take initiations, you could opt to take one or two initiations, as you wish; if you are not sure which initiation you should take, ask your teachers. Here is list of Kriya Tantra and Yoga Tantra initiations that I offer. I am not suggesting you take all of them. Green Tara, for overcoming fear, removing obstacles, gaining great protection and liberation Four armed Chenrezig, the compassion of all the Buddhas, emanated as a deity Chenrezig Gyalwa Gyatso, for developing Great Compassion and generating the clear light of bliss and Enlightenment Black Manjushri, for the cultivation of wisdom, healing, and good health Chöd initiation, for cutting attachment and selfgrasping, experiencing the two truths, and cultivating Bodhichitta and Shunyata Hayagriva, the emanation of Chenrezig and Buddha Amitabha, for healing sickness, gaining protection, and generating Great Compassion Maha Vairochana, for the purification of negative Karma and the development of luminosity and clear light towards Enlightenment Manjushri, the wisdom of all the Buddhas, emanated as a deity Medicine Buddha, for healing the body and mind; potentially one could become a healer Sarasvati, Buddha of wisdom and creative arts such as music, writing, and painting Singhamukha, for healing and exorcism, overcoming negative forces, and becoming fearless Vajrapani, the power of all the Buddhas, emanated as a deity Vajrasattva, for the purification of Karmic obscurations to realizations White Mahakala, the Buddha of Great Compassion for all living beings, for generating wealth and prosperity and fulfilling all your wishes and dreams Here is a list of the Annuttaryogatantra initiations that I offer. Again, one deity practice will suffice: Chittamani Tara, the highest form of Tara practice, with generation and completion stages to Enlightenment Yamantaka, the wrathful aspect of Manjushri, and the opponent power to death and the maras. Prominent commentaries express this practice is the most powerful practice for Enlightenment Guhyasamaja, for the cultivation of the illusory body, highest and condensed sacred Vajrayana practise. Heruka Five Deities according to the Mahasiddhi Vajra Ghantapa tradition, for the cultivation of clear light and bliss, and Enlightenment within this life Heruka Body Mandala according to the Mahasiddhi Vajra Ghantapa tradition the same as the Heruka Five Deity practice Vajrayogini (Naro Khachod) according to Mahasiddhi Naropa. Prominent commentaries express this is the most sacred Yidam (Yidam = heart bound) practice according to the Gelugpa and Sakyapa lineages Instead of taking additional initiations, I suggest you focus on the deity practice(s) you have already received. If you are a first timer and fairly new to Tantric practice, you could take one or two Kriya Tantra initiations for the deities of your choice. There is a Tibetan Buddhist tradition of choosing a personal deity, a Yidam. If you are not sure how to choose a personal deity or Yidam, consider which deity you feel most connected to, and seek advice from your Guru. When you decide to take an initiation, you should find out what are the daily commitments and vows. Some teachers do not explain the commitments at the time of the initiation. Later, you hear commitments were given but you are not sure what they were; should this happen, you need to find out and then keep them as best you can.

4 Keeping your Dharma practice pure and not giving up when you face a spiritual crisis T A S H I C H O L I N G D H A R M A F O U N D A T I O N I N C. We try to keep our physical body health by exercising regularly, eating nutritious food and drinking pure water. Likewise, we should keep our Dharma practice healthy without contaminating it with our own mental defilements. As human practitioners of Dharma, we make mistakes; from time to time we may break our vows and commitments. When we do so, we feel that in some way we have let down our Gurus, and the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. We may have faced many obstacles due to unfavourable conditions and lack of time and energy, but at the same we also know that we have made lifetime commitments. We try to practise every day, but sometimes we feel that the practices have become routine recitations, an obligation and no more. This can happen especially when our lives are too busy and we are very tired. When this happens, we need to make time for a retreat to renew our commitments and refresh our practice. When we break our vows and commitments, we should do purification such as Vajrasattva mantras, prostrations, and reciting the Sutra of the Three Heaps by chanting the names of the thirty-five Buddhas. Those of us who have done retreats on Vajrayogini, Yamantaka or other Annuttarayogatantra practices could do selfinitiation as a method of purification for broken Samaya and commitments. Do not think your practice is no longer worth the effort just because you have broken your commitments; do not abandon your commitments and daily practice; just pick up where you left off. My kind teacher, the most holy Tara Tulku Rinpoche said, If you forget to eat breakfast, you don t give up there and then. The next day, you go ahead and eat breakfast. Simple. Our Dharma practice could become weakened for a number of reasons. One contributing factor is the state of our mind. If your commitment and devotion are not well grounded, not solid, you could be influenced by others who are fearful and confused about their own Dharma practice. These days it is easy to get confused about Dharma practice and the teacher-student relationship. Some of the confusion has arisen from inexperienced Western teachers who lack skill and experience in how to teach and guide Dharma students. But a big part of the confusion has been caused by the Eastern teachers, who unfortunately have imported their sectarian views to Western Dharma communities. I alluded to this earlier. Certain groups condemn other groups, and certain teachers condemn other teachers. Not only do they condemn each other s practices, but they even condemn the personal deities that others practise. People become superstitious, and act in a ridiculous and silly manner. If we take Refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, the Three Jewels will protect us. We don t need to be worried about spirits harming us. Machig Labdron, the famous enlightened Tibetan Chöd master said, There is no demon or bad spirit outside of our mind; the real demons and bad spirits are your own confused and superstitious mind. Milarepa, the equally famous enlightened Tibetan yogi said, If you think evil spirits will harm you, then they could because you imagine they are real; otherwise, there are no evil spirits; it is your entire mind. The Buddha always said one must use a logical mind, and not practise with blind faith. There are three Tibetan sayings that express this: GANG ZAG LA MA TAN CHOLA TAN means one should not rely on a teacher based on blind faith, but should instead contemplate the Dharma and rely on Dharma. It means that there are no human beings who are not fallible; human beings make errors, but the Dharma is always reliably correct; TSEG LA MA TAN DON LA TAN means one should not rely merely on words of others, because words are unreliable and easily misinterpreted; one should instead contemplate on the deep meaning of what is being said; Rinpoche at Cradle Mountain, Tasmania, Photo: Charles Chadwick. DRANG DON LA MA TAN NEY DON LA TAN means do not rely on relative truths, but contemplate absolute teaching and absolute truth. (Part 4, final part, will be published next issue)

5 Our Summer Re -Treat with our blessed Spiritual Director: Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. January 3rd to 17th 2015 Our new year bounced into a whirl wind of celebration of life with a new baby cousin born to my family and the arrival on New Year s day of our blessed teacher Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. Rinpoche had one whole rest day on the SE coast of Tasmania with our family, coinciding with Seymour s 28th birthday and Taj s arrival. Perfect timing as Rinpoche has held the Uncle status with our boys since they first retreated at Dorje Ling when they were 4 years olds. The public talks at Philip Smith provided inspiration for a wide audience of known and new sangha of all ages and varied backgrounds. The subject was Buddha Nature following on with a one day Practice of Mahamudra. Our journey to Dorje Ling is always enjoyable, especially travelling with Rinpoche & our son Taj brainstorming about the title of Rinpoche s soon to be completed memoirs. This will be Rinpoche s second publication after Tara in the palm of your hand (contact us for purchase). During the 3 Principal Paths retreat, Rinpoche s teachings were supported daily by some of our sangha s well seasoned meditators. Each leader guided meditations, discussions and commentary in their own individual way, sharing their experiences and interpretations, and deepening our enquiry of each of the topics: Renunciation, Compassion and Wisdom. The remarkable teachings Rinpoche gave on Boddhichitta were deeply felt as he told tales of his earlier life, overcoming obstacles and journeying across continents. These stories had a presence infused by his recent writings for his memoirs. Also my attention was surely sharpened through my maturing mind and practices of sitting, of silence and of contemplation, while giving dana to the land. Our dear guru gave so generously and thoroughly, and we are only one of his Australian Centres! Yoga and Chi Gong with a few Tang Soo Tao moves helped support our bodies through these long and beautiful days of retreat. The lake swims and magical bush trail wanderings gave us lots of opportunity to connect with our place and dwell in our awakening heart/minds. The food awaiting each break was simply a celebration of Tasmanian summer delights and a joy to watch being created with impeccable timing and freshness for all our long life diets! Ahh the garden salads and fruits. Our group of 30+ included five mothers and children, one a 3rd generation associated with Dorje Ling Retreat Centre. This was the first year we have had the scholarship offer taken up by so many very curious and deep thinking young people from as far as Mexico and as close as Hobart. Two of these experiences so well expressed by Taj in drawing and Josef in words. EIF - FIE (Emptiness Is Form, Form Is Emptiness) offers a small aesthetic representation of my attempt to understand and embrace this idea. It has always fascinated me since it s introduction and has served as a great conversation sink hole, one that I will continue to willingly explore. P.S If anyone is interested in seeing more of my work, please visit www. swoopandmelodie.com by Taj Alexander The group changed with a new influx for the Tara initiation & commentary, but there were still around 30 people! Even a local living Tara joined in and helped Taj and Guy present a specially cooked last supper for the 25 guests who decided to stay the extra night to watch Rinpoche s amazing film of the 108 Springs, a threemonth Chod retreat he did in Mongolia. Morning Qi Gong outside the Gompa with Paul Angell and team. What a great blessing Rinpoche gave us all with the Tara initiation and commentary, along with a strong suggestion we do more personal retreats. Being reminded 5

6 that I am a carrier of an unbroken oral tradition inspires me to practice more, both on and off the cushion. Rinpoche included a wish to do a solo retreat in his Dorje Ling cabin some time in the near future. That idea encourages us to clear the trees around his house for light, lakeviews and safety. Once again we are charged to practice, to connect and to support our beautiful Dorje Ling Centre. With this encouragement the committee and I have decided to offer a combined Meditation, Yoga and Working bee retreat at Easter, April 3-7th. Now open for bookings and enquiries, see next page for more. Your contribution may help fund a water tank for the gompa, a fence for the dam, perhaps carpet or paint for the walls of Eenie, Meenie Minie and Moe accommodation rooms or maybe some native shrubs for the Sacred Fire place garden on the rise looking over the Gompa paddock.! If you cant attend you can still contribute or sponsor someone else to attend there are many ways. Details can be seen on www. HobartBuddhistMeditationCentre.com and www. livingyogatasmania.com Please download and share this poster through your networks. Roslyn Alexander January retreat with Rinpoche: audio files available If you would like a copy of the audio of these sessions in mp3 format please let Maria know. Cost: Hobart sessions (Mind and Buddha-Nature, Mahamudra) $10. Three Principal Paths of Lam Rim, $20. Green Tara (initiates only), $15. ABOVE: Rinpoche signing copies of his book Tara in the palm of your hand. NEW: Easter Retreat 2015 at Dorje Ling Retreat Centre, Lorinna Development of compassion and wisdom with a pliable mind and body Based on the six perfections, which are: Generosity, wholesome activity, patience, joyful perseverance, meditative concentration, and wisdom. DOWNLOAD POSTER Family friendly 4-day Easter retreat focusing on bringing together Buddhist meditation and simple yoga practices. Suitable for newcomers. The meditations will be led by senior students from Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre, with Roslyn Alexander leading the yoga sessions. There will be daily karma yoga included as part of this low cost retreat (dana to the Centre). Simple wholesome vegetarian meals provided. Cost: $285 waged/ $245 concession. TCDF members: $240 waged / $200 conc. Youth scholarships are available at $120 (under 25s). Arriving Friday 3rd April in afternoon. Light supper provided. Departing Tuesday 7th April after lunch. Bookings by 30 March. Enquiries to info@tashicholing.net or call Charles on TSOG Each month there are two days, the 10th and 25th, which are especially important for practitioners of Highest Yoga Tantra. The tsog offering is very important for renewing commitments and averting obstacles. It is a special method through which we come under the care and guidance of the Dakas and Dakinis who bestow completion stage realizations. Our wealth, merit, and great bliss will increase through this practice. When we make a tsog offering we should regard both those to whom the offering is made and those who are making the offering as Heroes and Heroines. We offer the tsog offering to the Field for Accumulating Merit, which includes the entire assembly of Heroes and Heroines. When we gather together in a group to do a tsog offering puja it is very important that we regard everyone as an assembly of Heroes (Dakas) and Heroines (Dakinis). If we do this puja alone we should visualize ourselves surrounded by all beings in the aspect of Heroes and Heroines.

7 Retreat Report: Three Principal Paths and Green Tara Retreat Rinpoche s 2015 visit to Tasmania was my first proper retreat, save for a handful of faint memories of time spent there as a child, while the adults conducted their mysterious rituals within the gompa. Arriving at the serene grounds of Dorje Ling and meeting and spending some time with the other retreatants, I soon felt a genuine sense of community unified by a shared goal, something I ve rarely experienced in such an authentic way. There was a warm familiarity with people I d only just met, an unspoken desire for others to know peace, vibrating among the group, a feeling that grew deeper as we settled into the practice. The periods of silence were an invitation to an expansive space where my thoughts gradually lessened in impact and duration, from identification with them to just noticing them as though I was a mountain and they were clouds drifting across the sky. Not this, but something better was the general theme they clamoured at me. Like there s something that just needs to be added or changed in every experience, past and future, in order to make it complete. The carrot on stick experience of the unruly mind. The mutual support was never wavering through the more difficult aspects of the retreat; I know I wasn t the only one who, at times, found myself overwhelmed by a tide of dredged up emotion, especially following the Green Tara initiation. I felt fortunate to be in a space where I could allow myself to feel those things directly without, pushing them away. With the mental quiet came the richness of direct sensory experience blooming, bringing with it a gentle sense of compassion and desire for all living beings to be liberated from suffering. One afternoon, after enjoying dimensions of a bowl of pumpkin soup I hadn t thought possible without the use of an illegal substance, I noticed a fly on the window sill with a fragment of old spider web stuck to his wing, buzzing and struggling frantically to move. Cupping him in my hand, gently peeling off the web and watching him take to the air was a profoundly joyful experience; I can only assume he was fairly pleased with the outcome as well. In my normal day to day interactions I often recall the awareness of what Alan Watts defined as a hintergedanken, a German word which he described as a thought way, way, way in the back of your mind. Something you know deep down but can t admit. A more direct translation of hintergedanken is ulterior motive, something existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden. My hintergedanken is that I would like to awaken from the illusion. We live in a world where most people aren t aware this motive exists, much less that they might be interested in exploring it, and personally this difference has a tinge of isolation to it. To attempt to relay this feeling to someone who hasn t discovered it on their own is a hollow exercise. As Terrence McKenna once put it, a secret is not something untold. It s something which can t be told. To be around others who are also on the path and to practice with them, especially in such beautiful surroundings, felt like arriving home after a long journey which didn t seem to have any particular goal or end in sight. The feeling of unity in sharing a mantra, the way the room shimmers with laughter when Rinpoche cracks a joke, his eyes sparkling like a child, and the glowing peace when stepping out of the gompa to look up in awe at the endless sky. I think I d like to do this again. Josef Fazackerley It was interesting to see how my mental activity differed during periods of talking being allowed, and silence. When conversations were happening, there was a sense that I might be missing out on something, and so the thoughts would increase, rehashing past and future experiences, rehearsing opinions and labelling and judging. In silence this feeling subsided. A knowing smile to another was enough to communicate that we re both steeped in the mystery. Kate Macnicol and Josef Fazackerley. Photo by Nitya Rolfe.

8 From the Caretaker. A Pilgrim s Perspective Invariably, for most people who consistently live an urban lifestyle, the prospect of taking a journey into the wilds of North Western Tasmania is not something one does effortlessly. It usually requires the planets to align, the weather to be fairly stable, unfettered time in one s pocket and a deep inner motive to bother with the physical upheaval of going somewhere that is quite frankly, a little bit one o clock. I mean really, why one would bother giving up good coffee, a fluffy bed, Wi-Fi, top restaurants and road rage, just to have silence, simple distractions, no phone reception, feral possums and jack jumpers. It doesn t make any sense to an indolent mind. However, the truly peculiar are not just the people who take such a journey to be in nature, but the ones who do so to attend a group retreat. To most onlookers, this must be the epitome of inexplicable abnormality. You can picture the standard conversation with a loved one being left behind and asked to look after the cat, the garden and the bills, Bye dear, I am off to Lorinna to be in natural surroundings, sit in silence and stare at my inner navel. See you in two weeks. Naturally the wished for reply would be, That s nice darling, happy searching and may your journey be blessed. The actual response is probably more akin to, Hmmm, what on earth would you want to go and do a thing like that for? Though, once the decision has been made and the seeker is out the door and underway, the monotonous stream of centre line markers flash and thrum-out the hypnotic cadence of travel and the mind begins to let go. Past niggles, patterns and behaviours begin to evaporate and a lightness of being murmurs within the ether. The moving backdrop of decaying, rural boredom, nestles into the mind and echoes as a sounding board of acceptance for all one s stuff that arises and falls in waves, jostling somewhere between regret and promise. Knowing full well that one s return along this same path will be in a quite a different state of mind. Along the way, the obligatory café stop is made, that last opportunity to get the vicarious city-hit of what is being left behind, before descending into the transformative, murky depths of egoic script-shedding in paradise. It is in this lucid moment of caffeinated trance that the last grumbling thoughts of possibly turning around are shed and instead, purpose steels itself to the inevitable. The mainstream highway of ease is soon in the rear-view mirror and paddocks give way to forests and creeks and interminably winding roads that only the rugged terrain of NW Tas can offer so spectacularly. A newcomer s mental image must surely be one of Deliverance, the connotation at either end of the spectrum, be it divinity or pop-culture, depending on one s projection. Yet, the scene aches with a melancholic beauty of what once was and will be again. Then, as if from the hand of god, in a single majestic flash, the pilgrim suddenly reaches the Lemonthyme lookout and stares into an apparition, the heartland void of the Devic engine called Cradle country, a manifest promise of The Way. A sledgehammer of a hint that shouts, If you cannot find IT here, then where, then when? Astonishingly, there is no longer a sense of past, only present, and this feeling via osmosis, that all is well and that there could only have been one choice, to make space in one s life for this adventure, for this moment, far from the habitual drone of a monotonous cacophony. The pièce de resistance surely has to be the final 8km of torture, otherwise known affectionately as, The Road!*^?. The outside edge of a single lane, gravel goat track, liberally sprinkled with hair-pin turns and precipices, forged precariously by Zeus himself on the edge of an ancient glacial valley that is skirted by the dark depths of Lake Cethana. It is the final hurdle of one s determination to do the work. Actually, one can use the road as a useful gauge of inner turmoil. If the road is traversed without meeting an oncoming car, then one is in the zone. However, to meet a vehicle requires choice and a momentary stand-off and judgement in size, as to whether to try and pass the obstacle where it stands, and if not, who will reverse 1km backwards to allow the exchange to happen, a bit of a metaphor really. It can say much more in that instant than in two weeks of sitting. Either with or without an impasse on the road, one eventually reaches the entrance to Diamond Land, usually with white knuckles. However, on the final drive past the dam, up the trail and over the rise, one s arrival is greeted by the sight of the tired, yet trusty Gompa. A singularly unique place of worship and joy that has witnessed and embraced thousands of souls over its time, helping transform them from their cocoons into iridescent butterflies via blood, sweat, tears, laughter and madness. The vehicle stops, the occupant rests, motionless, blank, staring into space. Slowly, sifting silence into the 100km/ h thought process that still dominates, taking tentative mental notes of one s surroundings before crossing the threshold. The door opens, one foot, then the next, a stretch to the sky, and the peaceful stillness hits like a freight train; a deep breath to catch the forceful blow of recognition, followed by a soulful sigh. Listen, a simple welcoming phrase whispers from the trees, the soil and the soul in a gentle, continually howling moan; I am home. In that moment an inner tear forms and falls headlong into the ocean of nothingness, rippling into infinity. There is nothing more. The Caretaker.

9 TA S H I C H O L I N G D H A R M A F O U N DAT I O N I N C. Children from Lorinna Valley meet Rinpoche At the end of Rinpoche s January retreat, the children of Lorinna had a special meeting in the Gompa to meet the spiritual director of Dorje Ling, a much loved location in the valley that the children call home. The meeting started with an introduction of Rinpoche explaining that tulku in his name means incarnation and Rinpoche means precious one. The fifteen children were enthralled to hear the various stories that Rinpoche shared about his learning, his teachings and his life. He identified instantly with the children and explained that Rinpoche told the children how much he enjoyed growing up with animals when he was a child. His family were nomadic herdsman in the high Tibetan country, with 10,000 sheep, 200 yaks and 11 dogs. He loved to play in the snow. He and the other children made toboggans out of frozen yak dung the toboggans would stay intact all winter. He told them he remembered the first time he saw candles; prior to that the family, like most Tibetans, used butter lamps. He said he was always interested in sport and music, and remains so to this day, particularly soccer, basketball and saxophone. When asked by one of the parents how we can help children to stay in the present, Rinpoche said children were generally always living in the present, but they would not continue to be in that state as they grew older. Meditation was the method to return to that state. He did a bit of meditation with the children and parents, showing them how to concentrate on the breath and still the mind. The Lorinna children were interested his life as a monk in Thailand and he told them how the monks begged for their food each day and had to put up with whatever was given he was always happier to see banana and paw paw rather than the anchovies that sometimes ended up in his bowl. they had so much in common because Lorinna people try to look after the earth and live a simple life. He explained life as a young boy in Tibet and how he would make a frozen Yak poo sleigh to ride down the hills in winter because there were no trees to make a wooden sleigh. He also answered many questions which explained the teachings, like how to have a strong mind, was to have no worries mate. When he was asked about meditation, he had all the children join him in a beautiful meditation, with only a few managing to cross their legs like him. In answer to a question from a parent about social action among Buddhists, Rinpoche said there was more engaged Buddhism these days; he talked of nuns starting a hospice. He said Christians are learning to be more meditative, and Buddhists more socially active. The children were also fascinated by the time he spent as a young monk in a monastery in Thailand with just a robe, a begging bowl and a mosquito net. Some interesting information was shared about Yetis and how some monks and nuns had food delivered to them by tall, hairy beings one night. Amanda Buckley [The story about the yetis was about a great Tibetan meditator who was very afraid of yetis, but they respected the great man, and actually made offerings to him that they left in the snow.] The children left the session with a tangible fondness for Rinpoche and look forward to his next visit to Lorinna. Lavina Wagner Photos this page by Nitya Rolfe

10 Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation Inc. Tashi Choling Dharma Foundation Inc. is a non-profit incorporated association based in Tasmania, Australia. Our Spiritual Director is Zasep Tulku Rinpoche. TCDF Inc. aims to ensure the continuity of the study and practice of buddhadharma through providing teachers, courses and facilities, to foster open communication amongst all spiritual traditions, and to bring benefit to others through providing opportunities for the development of wisdom and compassion. We have two main thrusts: Hobart Buddhist Meditation Centre (running in Hobart since 1982) and Dorje Ling Retreat Centre (running at Lorinna, Tasmania since 1977, and purchased by us in 2002). You can find out more about Tashi Choling at Become a member Memberships are the lifeblood of our organisation. You can become a member in two ways: Become a regular member: $45 per year. Donate to Dorje Ling Retreat Centre and automatically become a member. To join, go to our web site. We also deeply appreciate any practical help that you can give to our Retreat Centre at Lorinna. Jobs may vary from large (e.g. caretaking or building projects) through to small (e.g. gardening or cleaning). You can also help us by supporting our fundraising ventures, serving on our committee, making a bequest, or simply attending retreats or coming along to our regular meditation meetings in Hobart on Tuesday evenings (see p. 2). Committee 2015 Charles Chadwick President Guy Turnbull Vice President, building project manager Madhu Lilley Secretary Kate MacNicol Secretary George Ramm Treasurer Roger Maclennan Public Officer Maria Grist Committee, web & newsletter manager Jill Wright, Christine Batten General Committee Mailing address PO Box 593 North Hobart TAS Australia 7002 Online info@tashicholing.net Facebook: We thank Andrew Wilkie MP for his kind assistance with printing this newsletter. 10