Lama Norlha Empowerment
20/1 Saturday- 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Ngondro Teaching
21/1 Sunday- 10.00am – 12.30pm
The Practice of Recalling the Life of Guru Rinpoche
21/1 Sunday- 2.30pm – 5.00 pm
Venue: Po Kok Primary School Hall 11-15 Shan Kwong Road, Happy Valley
We are very pleased to announce our eighth annual Sādhana Ritual Course, scheduled 15 December – 11 January.
The course this year will focus on the Sangtik Dorsem (Vajrasattva of the Secret Essence) sādhana practice from the Chokling New Treasures Lineage (Chokling Tersar). The main points of practice, as well as the ritual tradition of chant melodies, mudrās, torma, shrine arrangement, musical instruments and more, will be taught in Tibetan by Lama Sherab Dorje, a senior lama of Ka-nying Shedrub Ling monastery, and translated into English.
Our objective is for non-Tibetan practitioners to be able to learn and practice the Vajrayāna ritual tradition in a genuine and thorough way.
In the secret mantra tradition, Buddha Vajrasattva is considered the source of all maṇḍalas and the embodiment of all Buddha families. Most commonly Vajrasattva is practiced as a way to cleanse all negative actions and breakages of samaya by connecting to the ultimately pure nature of phenomena, the ultimate Vajrasattva.
The Sādhana for the Single Mudrā Vajrasattva is part of The Essential Secret Essence cycle which contains the three main yidam deities practiced by Guru Rinpoche: Vajrasattva, Vajrakīlaya, and Yangdak Heruka. This treasure teaching was revealed by the great tertön Orgyen Chokgyur Lingpa in the 19th century in the Derge Kingdom of eastern Tibet, while the sādhana was written down by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.
The Sādhana for the Single Mudrā Vajrasattva includes a very concise and beautiful long-life practice, as well as gathering offering practice (tsok).
To read more about these practices and the Chokling Tersar lineage, please click here, and here.
Requested donation of USD $450 for the course. (Includes shared accommodation, food, and practice texts.)
Scholarships and concessions are available. Please email us at [email protected].
Registration is available online at Samye (starting in November)
It is with great joy that we bring you news of the Chapagaon Dharma School. On the day of the Great Festival of Miracles (22 Feb 2016), we initiated the ground levelling on the site of the Dharma School. The land on which the school will be built is uneven with three different ground levels, so we have now brought them all to the same level, approximately 9 feet below the original monastery.
Then subsequently on Dakini Day (4 March 2016), Kyabje Chokling Rinpoche and Tulku Rigzin Pema Rinpoche came to consecrate and bless the land, burying a geomancy earth vase specially made by Tulku Rigzin Pema Rinpoche. It was a beautiful day where the sky was clear, our monks from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery and the monks from Chapagaon Monastery themselves preparing everything needed for the ceremony.
Read more about the school here and click here to contribute to this meritorious project.
Early this month, our monks at Pal Kadgyu Shedrup Tashi Phunstsok Ling (aka Riwoche) monastery sat their annual examinations. This marked the end of the first year of the new streamlined curriculum at the monastery.
In the spring, at the beginning of the Tibetan new year the education at our two monasteries was streamlined so that all the younger monks studying at elementary level now live at Pal Do-Ngak Nyida Mindrol Norbuling Monastery, while the elder monks studying the three-year curriculum of introductory buddhadharma and ritual practice now live and study at Riwoche.
The change has been a huge success. Both groups of monks are thriving in the new set-up. Below are some photos of the monks at Riwoche doing some final practice before their ritual instruments examination. After finishing their exams, the monks went up to Asura cave to attend the week-long tsok offerings with Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche. They are now enjoying a few days of well-earned rest. After this, some will go to visit their families and others will begin additional studies, such as language, ritual dance and so on.
The monks send their heartfelt best wishes to the global sangha and in particular send their thanks to the kind sponsors who make their blessed life of dharma a living possibility.
This November marked 7 years since the clinic opened and we have been able to help people in the surrounding villages in Chapagaoun, Kathmandu. We rejoice in Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche’s vision and the effort of all the volunteers who have come to this clinic to offer their expertise and benefit many. Especially, we were so happy that Nicky Glegg could join us for the day’s celebrations. It is Nicky who has worked tirelessly from the beginning up until now to make possible what our clinic is today.
Thank you to all our staff and volunteers, and to all the kind sponsors who have made this possible!
Read more at the VVH Facebook page.
Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Dear Friends,
We are pleased to announce Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche’s arrived safely in Kuala Lumpur this morning and that all the scheduled teachings will continue as planned (click for full details).
Dear Friends,
On Saturday 25th April Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake along with numerous aftershocks. Thousands of people have died and many tens of thousands of others are destitute, vulnerable, and filled with fear.
Fortunately, our community of monks, nuns, and students are safe and our monasteries relatively undamaged. Many other areas though have suffered overwhelming loss and destruction.
Under the direction of Phakchok Rinpoche and senior monks, our community in Nepal has organized to aid the immediate area and has also sent out groups to help those in the worst-struck regions such as Tara Bir and Yolmo, where thousands have been rendered homeless and uncountable have died. Aid agencies have yet to reach such villages. Our monks, nuns, and lay volunteers know the terrain, and have strong connections with these villages. In a stressful time such as this, their presence as aid volunteers is both spiritually and materially soothing to the affected people. Their knowledge of the local dialects, customs, and expectations equips them to deal very effectively with the needs of the Nepalis.
Currently, everyone is helping out in whatever ways they can. And as you can imagine, there is much need to buy more supplies. As lines of communication are becoming stronger, our global network outside of Nepal has started effectively coordinating with our network inside of Nepal. Very soon, we will have updates to share.
As we are currently assessing various local needs in Kathmandu, Chapagaon, Tara Bir, Yolmo and other areas within Nepal, we encourage you to consider making a financial contribution. One thing that is abundantly clear at this time is the need for financial support. In time, we will share information about other forms of aid that will be needed.
To those of you who have already donated, we extend our sincere gratitude and rejoice in your generosity. You are embodying our motto of “Compassion in Action”. Please rest assured that your gift will go directly to support those who are in severe need.
Please click here for more information and to make an emergency donation
Dear Dharma Brothers and Sisters:
My family joins me in most sincerely thanking you for all the heartwarming messages of love, well wishes, prayers, release of lives, lighting lamps, and other merit makings for my health and longevity. We have been deeply touched by your profound compassion and devoted concern.
After a few months of rest and convalescence, we are happy to share with you the good news that I am healthy. I have been able to join in Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery’s annual prayers including the Tsekar and Ngakso Drubchens.
Although I won’t be travelling much this year, please know that you and your family are always in our hearts and daily prayers. We make aspiration prayers that we shall meet up again soon.
My heartfelt advice is for you to please continue to strive in your personal dharma practice in accordance with the empowerments, transmissions, and instructions I have affectionately offered to you. In the future I shall share with you more of the nectar of Dharma so please take care and tashi delek.
With much love, blessings and prayers;
Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche
A recent photo of Kyabje Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and Kyabgon Phakchok Rinpoche, father and son.
In this video Phakchok Rinpoche describes the recent Long-Life Ceremony for both Tsikey Chokling Rinpoche and Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche that was performed very simply and beautifully during the annual White Amitayus Drupchen in Kathmandu. Phakchok Rinpoche goes on to thank all of the donors and groups and centers who made offerings to the two Rinpoches on such short notice.
Terton Chokgyur Lingpa
The 5th annual Sadhana Ritual Course began on Guru Rinpoche day, December 31st with the Chokling New Treasures three roots empowerments being bestowed by Neten Chokling Rinpoche. It was an honor that Neten Chokling Rinpoche was able to grant these precious ripening empowerments upon the thirty participants and all were very grateful for the rare opportunity. People from over 10 countries participated in the course at Asura Cave retreat center which was founded by Kyabje Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche and his consort, Mayumla Kunzang Dechen. It is a blessed environment for vajrayana practice and for the Nyingma tradition of Guru Rinpoche.
sangha group photo at the conclusion of the Vajrakilaya segment of the retreat.
Two senior lamas from Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling taught upon the profound development stage teachings in general and transmitted the visual and explanatory lineage for the sadhanas of Tukdrup Trinley Nyingpo, Sangtik Phurba and Kurukulle. The course participants were all of varying degrees of experience and knowledge of varjrayana practice and the teachings were deeply meaningful and helpful for everyone. There was ample time for questions and answers both during formal sessions and during breaks with the lamas.
sunrise over Pharping
In the early morning the group practiced the given sadhana being taught and offered a tsok each evening led by the lamas. On Dakini day they practiced extensively all day and on Dharmapala day they practiced vajrakilaya together with dharma protector offerings. Throughout the course all who were interested had the chance to learn to be shrine master, make tormas and learn to play the instruments used by the chant master as well as how to use the vajra, bell and hand drum. Everyone learned how to carry out a personal retreat focusing on these sadhana practices as well as how to do the practices in a group.
Lama Sherab Dorje teaching the intricacies of making tormas.
This course was a great success and all participants came away with a deeper understanding and experience of the development stage practices and the blessing of the lineage practices being taught.
The purpose of the sadhana ritual courses is to allow practitioners to learn, practice and come to master the development stage meditative and ritual tradition along with its profound pith instructions and lineage traditions. The final day was concluded with a Cleansing Smoke (sang cho) Offering on the mountain above Asura Cave.
short pilgrimage to Guru Rinpoche cave at Yanglesho on the break day.
It is due to the great kindness and initiative of Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche that beginning in 2015 it is planned to offer a number of other such courses though the dates have yet to be confirmed.
