Tsoknyi Rinpoche's Blog, page 27
March 31, 2012
This Is My Mind, Luminous and Empty
"This Is My Mind, Luminous and Empty," an excerpt from Open Heart, Open Mind by Tsoknyi Rinpoche is featured in the May 2012 issue of Shambhala Sun.
Tibetan Monasteries Placed Under Direct Communist Party Rule
From Reader Supported News, this article is dated 3/19/12. So Far this has not affected the Nangchen region of Tibet wherein Rinpoche's monasteries are located.
March 30, 2012
Gina Thompson
For Tsoknyi Rinpoche and all of us at Pundarika, Gina has been a true friend and blessed all of us with so much care, intelligence, enthusiasm and, of course, breathtaking graciousness and beauty. Today, as we tearfully rejoice and honor her, it is fitting that this day is sacred to Tara and the Medicine Buddha in the Tibetan Buddhist calendar. May their blessings and our prayers protect and guide the journey she is now on.
Gina is one of those rarest of people, who having experienced close calls with death and cancer as a young woman, knew deeply the evanescence of our lives and vowed to make the times in which she lived meaningful for herself and all those around her. She shared her goodness and beauty with us all and worked hard doing whatever was needed to make virtue and happiness grow. She had an undaunting, "never give up" quality of a warrior. Anyone who spent time with her knew she was made of the kind of steely courage and toughness that would gain recognition and respect from a Samurai, yet at the same time she was so elegant and exquisitely feminine, the kind of beautiful presence that somehow made you want to join with anything she believed in because you knew and trusted that she had a deep intuition about what was true.
We will always appreciate and smile at her kindness, her lightning-like insights into what was really going on in any situation, her natural warmth and readiness to give of her time, energy, friendship and her faith. She told me many times how blessed she was to know the dharma and practice with so many fine masters and "meet," through Tsoknyi Rinpoche and the film Blessings, a group of remarkable women (the Nangchen Nuns), like her, who got down to the daily, living deeds and accomplishments of bodhicitta.
As you all may know, Rinpoche was able to talk to Gina close to her passing and give her teachings and instructions. This is so wonderful and we are so happy she heard these "final" teachings with a clear understanding. He was also able to talk to his friend John who remains in our prayers.
May Gina realize the ever present compassionate light of the dharmakaya and come back soon to continue her love for all that is good and noble.
Goodbye, dear Friend. Hope to see you again soon.
Esteban and Tressa
March 27, 2012
Huffington Post: Who Do You Think You Are?
Read Rinpoche's article on the mere "I," just published on Huffington Post. Excerpt: "One of the ways we manage change is to define ourselves, and to hold on to such definitions even if they're unflattering. In fact, over many years of teaching around the world, I've been struck by the numbers of people I've met who are strongly attached to unflattering, limited, painful, destructive identities." Please click here to read the entire article.
March 13, 2012
Garrison Institute Offers Scholarships for Persons of Himalayan Heritage
Garrison Institute is pleased to announce that persons of Himalayan heritage in North America are eligible to attend Tsoknyi Rinpoche's April 6-8 retreat at reduced or no cost, through the auspices of the Garrison Institute, the Office of Tibet, the Tibet Fund, and the Conservancy for Tibetan Art & Culture. For more information or to apply, email scholarships@garrisoninstitute.org.
Click to download flyer below with information on Garrison Institute's scholarships for persons of Himalayan heritage.
March 5, 2012
Crestone Retreats Open for Registration
The Crestone 2012 August retreats are now open for online registration. For more information about the programs and to register online, please click here! We look forward to seeing you in Crestone this summer!
February 29, 2012
Richard Gere on Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Essence Love
"Rinpoche has worked very hard to understand the peculiarities of the Western mind so that he might more effectively help us break through our self-imposed limitations and seriousness," writes Richard Gere in the Foreword to Open Heart, Open Mind: Awakening the Power of Essence Love.
"Lasting love, wisdom, and bliss are possible. But we can get pretty stuck in ourselves and our ideas.
Essence love is wide open and without bias.
It's the freedom in a child's wild laughter, the soft warmth of well-being when we are happy for no particular reason. It is defined by Rinpoche as 'unconditional kindness, gentleness, and affection born of openness and intelligence that can be nurtured into a bright, burning flame that warms the whole world.' It's the joyous loving embrace of life itself—with all its craziness.
We can find it in ourselves because that's who we are. It is our birthright as human beings. Just as we have two eyes and two arms, we are this basic love. It can be covered over and confused such that we cannot recognize it or feel it. So we spend our lives chasing after it in relationships, money, power, things, and ideas—as if our inner loss can be found outside of ourselves. And maybe it can be momentarily. But eventually it just makes us feel hollow, exhausted, afraid, and angry. Somewhere in our hearts we recognize this, and in our most naked moments, we sense the emptiness and sadness that lies under the surface of our busy lives. Yet we yearn for so much more and sense deep down that true happiness is attainable."
OPEN HEART, OPEN MIND national book tour (April – July 2012)
OPEN HEART, OPEN MIND is available for pre-order now and will be available in book stores everywhere on April 3, 2012.
February 24, 2012
Crestone 2012 Losar
"With this inexhaustible and great Samantabhadra offering cloud, Completely filling the realm of the sky, Unfailing Three Precious Jewels whom we rely upon as refuge until enlightenment, Accept this cleansing offering."
Local practitioners observe Losar on February 22, 2012, at Jangchub Chorten, the Stupa of Enlightenment located in Crestone, Colorado. Greg and Gisela Rabold make smoke offerings above with the help of Jampa Stewart.
Tenzin Namsel led the Concise Guru Rinpoche practice and the Sangcho (Condensed Cleansing Offering) according to Lamey Tukdrub Barchey Kunsel for everyone participating. (Also pictured: M.L. Mackie, Jane Harrison, Neil Hogan, Wayne Hallstrom, and Katherine Campbell)
The Stupa sparkled brilliantly on this exceptionally warm and clear winter day.
Some Crestonians in attendance: Avadhan and Dick Larson, Gisela Rabold, Katherine Campbell, Greg Rabold, and Ken Campbell
February 21, 2012
Losar Tashi Delek!
Losar Tashi Delek!
From the foothills of the Himalayas, I send you all my best wishes for a happy and prosperous Tibetan Year of the Water Dragon.
I am writing to you from my home in Nepal, where I have been staying for the past several months. My mother-in-law passed away recently, and I have been offering support to my wife, Chime-la, as she mourns that loss.
Now as a new year begins, I would like to take a few moments to reflect on some of the projects and events of the past year and share some of the exciting news about the coming year.
Gebchak Nuns
As some of you may know, two years ago Gebchak Changchub Nuns Meditation Retreat Center was resettled in the small village of Chobar, close to Kathmandu. Since then, a number of young women—including 80 girls from my own hometown of Nubri—have come to Chobar to participate in the general and the spiritual educational opportunities offered there. In order to accommodate so many new arrivals we transformed the administrative building into a boarding house and built temporary structures to use as classrooms, dormitory space and clinic space. We also hired an English teacher, a Nepali teacher and a Tibetan teacher to enhance the curriculum and support the monks and nuns who already teach there. A total of seven teachers are now in residence, while two caretakers have been engaged to look after the basic needs of the youngest nuns. Doctors have also begun visiting regularly during the past year, to provide immunizations and regular health care.
Chobar Nuns Studying
Meanwhile, the nuns enrolled in the Chobar shedra—or center for the higher study of Buddhist philosophy—recently completed their second year examinations. Several senior teachers from the renowned Nyagyur Nyingma Institute of Namdroling Monastery in Mysore, India are teaching in the shedra. Our goal is for the nuns studying there to become qualified to teach the Dharma in both Tibetan and English, fulfilling the first Tsoknyi Rinpoche's vision of establishing an order of fully accomplished women who are able to impart their knowledge and wisdom to others.
New Shrine Hall at Muktinath; Grandfather, H.E. Khamtrul Rinpoche & Tsoknyi Rinpoche
I am also pleased to announce that last October, the new shrine hall at Chumig Gyatsa nunnery in Muktinath was formally consecrated. Details of the consecration ceremony—which was attended by His Eminence Khamtrul Rinpoche, the Prince and Princess of Mustang, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, Shangpa Rinpoche, my grandfather, my mother, my daughters, and many monks and nuns—can be found here.
New Chumig Gyatsa Nunnery at Muktinath
I am grateful for the help and contribution of many of my students from all over the world, and especially for the support of James and Jean Chang, for bringing this project so close to fruition. The shrine hall, where the nuns will study and practice, is nearly complete—and I must admit that, of the many building projects in which I've been involved over the years, this is the most exquisite. The enormous building stones, the splendid interior artwork, and the superbly crafted shrine objects all combine to create an inspiring environment for study and contemplation. It was also quite moving to see the rapt expressions on the faces of the elderly nuns who have resided there for many years. This new shrine hall fulfills, for many of them, a lifelong dream.
I have high hopes for the future of the Chumig Gyatsa community. The younger nuns, who range in age from 22 to 45 years old, are brimming with enthusiasm for the Dharma. When the shrine hall is finally complete, approximately ten of these dedicated women will enter a traditional three-year retreat.
Tsoknyi Nangchen Nuns in VajraKilaya Practice
The community of Tsoknyi Lineage nuns in Nangchen has grown somewhat over the past year. At Gebchak, the central nunnery, the main shrine hall—severely damaged by the 2010 earthquake—has been fully demolished. It is my sincere hope that construction of a new shrine hall can begin this year. Some funds have been raised, and we hope to fulfill the endowment fund this year. In the meantime, we are coordinating with the Chinese authorities on a variety of matters. More information the Tsoknyi Lineage Nuns of Nangchen can be found here.
Meanwhile, the Pundarika organizations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe sponsored a number of wonderful retreats throughout 2011 (14 retreats in 10 countries in 5 continents across the globe). This included the month-long pilgrimage, which visited the Buddha's four sacred places in India and Nepal, the consecration of the new shrine hall for the Tsoknyi Nepal Lineage Nuns at Chumig Gyatsa, and a spiritual tour of Bhutan. I also participated in a major conference on the future of Buddhism in Mongolia, which took place in Lumbini, Nepal and one on global Buddhism, which took place in Delhi. Vajra Television in New York City invited me to give a dharma talk that was broadcast across the Himalayan region and China. I was also very fortunate to be able to attend, for the second year in a row, six weeks of teachings on the history and transmission of the Dzogchen lineages given by Khenpo Namdrol in Oakland, California.
Yeshe Tsogyal Cave in Bhutan
In the fall of 2011, a large group of my students and friends from all over the world embarked on a pilgrimage to India and Bhutan—a very powerful means of enhancing practice and deepening our connection to the great bodhisattvas and yogis of the Buddhist tradition. The pilgrimage was a wonderful opportunity to make an actual physical connection with a sacred place and to open ourselves to the blessings that permeate the atmosphere. Photographs and a description of some of the highlights of the pilgrimage can be found here.
Looking ahead, I'm happy to announce that my new book, Open Heart, Open Mind, will be published in the United States on April 3, 2012. As many of you know, I have been working on this book for some time now, together with Eric Swanson. The book focuses primarily on the importance of connecting with "essence love—the tender, unbiased openness toward all creatures that lies at the heart of our being—and explores a variety of practical tools for making that connection and for nurturing that brilliant spark into a bright, burning flame that warms the whole world. Understanding the importance of essence love and learning to cultivate it is, I believe, crucial for the times in which we live, and is equally relevant to people who may know little or nothing of the Dharma as well as to long-term practitioners.
To date, rights to the book have been sold to publishers in Germany, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan. In addition, Pundarika Foundation in the United States has just launched a new web site, www.tsoknyirinpoche.org. The new site includes all of the resources of the former Pundarika web site, and it will also offer new learning resources and incorporate some exciting new social media features that will help us stay more connected as I travel around the U.S. and the globe over the coming year.
My U.S. book tour and international teaching schedule can be found here, and I hope to see many of you over the coming year. In the meantime, I encourage you to check the new web site for the latest news and updates. I also invite those of you who are active on Facebook and Twitter to join me there, too—and to please bear with me as I learn a few new skills!
With deep love and respect,
Tsoknyi Rinpoche
February 6, 2012
When the Iron Bird Flies Premieres at BuddhaFest
When the Iron Bird Flies, Pundarika's new film production, has been invited to premiere in June in Washington, D. C.
Tsoknyi Rinpoche will join the producer, Victress Hitchcock, in presenting this much-anticipated feature documentary on the arrival of Tibetan Buddhism in the West at BuddhaFest – a 4-day festival dedicated to promoting spiritual awareness, compassion, and peace in the world. In order to complete the film in time for the premiere, a KickStarter campaign has been launched to raise the final funds needed. Learn more about the KickStarter campaign for When the Iron Bird Flies.
