Kagyu Ling Official Opening Ceremony, Saturday 27 June 2009

The move to new premises at Manor Drive was officially marked on Saturday with a formal opening ceremony held at Kagyu Ling. The event was well attended by local sangha, representatives from the other UK Dechen centres, the local MP and councillors, as well as neighbours and guests who had helped in the development of Kagyu Ling. John Sainsbury was the master of ceremonies in his new role as coordinator for Kagyu Ling and Jonathan Macaskill, Kagyu Ling’s other centre coordinator, gave a speech in which he outlined the various locations Kagyu Ling has resided in previously during its search for a more established home. Thanks were given to all who have supported Kagyu Ling during this process, in particular The Veolia Trust, who were represented by their chief executive Margaret Cobbold and Triodos Bank. Kagyu Ling was officially opened by Lama Jampa Thaye who explained the importance of a Dharma centre in housing the Three Jewels and enabling sangha to follow the Dharma path through the essential processes of hearing, reflection and meditation. To mark this auspicious occasion, Lama Jampa recited the prayer “The Twelve Deeds of the Buddha”, an English translation of which was provided for guests as a memento. Later all were able to enjoy tea and cakes in the garden and there was also an opportunity for guests to look around and see the fruits of all the work that has been carried out at Kagyu Ling over the last eighteen months.

An Authentic Tradition

After bestowing Geshe Se Chilbupa's commentary on Geshe Chekhawa's famed lojong text 'Seven Points of Mind Training' at Sakya Thinley Rinchen Ling on 13 June, Lama Jampa Thaye kindly spoke to the Dechen Blog about the Masters from whom he has received Lojong teachings.

I have received many Kadam initiations, lungs and teachings intermittently over the years alongside the Sakya and Kagyu teachings in which I’m mainly educated. The first time I received Kadam teachings was spring 1977. Karma Thinley Rinpoche gave me the lungs for Atisa’s ‘Lamp of the Path of Enlightenment’, the principle text of the lam-rim (‘graduated path’) system, Atisa’s ‘Jewel Rosary of a Bodhisattva’ and Geshe Chekawa’s ‘Seven Points of Mind Training’. He also gave me the lung for ‘The Thirty-Seven Practices of a Buddha’s Child’ by the great 14th century Kadam/Sakya master Thokme Zangpo. I later (1982) received teachings on this text from Gyaltsab Rinpoche.

In 1979 Karma Thinley Rinpoche taught Geshe Langri Thangpa’s ‘Eight Verses of Mind Training’ during his visit to England. That same year I received the lung for Jamgon Kongtrul’s commentary on the ‘Seven Points of Mind Training’, entitled ‘The Direct Path to Enlightenment’ from Ato Rinpoche at his home in Cambridge.

In Toronto in 1986 Karma Thinley Rinpoche gave me the lung for the dam-ngak (instruction) section of Jamgon Kongtrul’s ‘Treasury of Spiritual Instruction’ (Dam-ngak Dzod) This contained the earlier collection known as ‘Lojong Gyatsa’ (The one hundred lojongs) as well as the commentaries on the ‘Seven Points of Mind Training’ composed by Thokme Zangpo, Jamyang Chentze Wangpo and Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.

During this visit Rinpoche also gave me the lung for part of the Kadam Thorbu collection containing many instructions of Atisa and the early Kadam masters. It was on that occasion that Rinpoche told me that his wish was that the Kadam school should be revived and he urged me to found a Kadampa centre in England. He gave the name Kadam Drodon Khachab Ling to this proposed centre. Actually I was never able to fulfil Rinpoche’s wish but if I had maybe other things might not have happened.

Although I received all these Kadam sutra style teachings during these years, I only received a few Vajrayana initiations from the Kadam tradition in that period such as Atisa’s Green Tara from Ngor Phende Shabdrung Rinpoche and the initiation of Akshobya according to Atisa’s lineage from the late Gendun Rinpoche.

However in 1988 Karma Thinley Rinpoche gave the initiation for the set of famous Kadam deities (Shakyamuni, Chenrezi, Tara and Achala) at my request when we visited Germany. It was much later, in 1999, in Bristol that Rinpoche privately transmitted the accompanying tri-yig (‘written guide’) for the practices of the four deities that had been composed by Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye.

In 2003 I requested and sponsored the 35 initiations of the Narthang Gyatsa from H.H. Sakya Trizin in Sakya Centre in Rajpur. This famous collection of initiations and sadhanas was originally brought together by Chim Namkha Drak abbot of Narthang monastery in the thirteenth century. After passing from the Kadam to the Gelug tradition, it had been brought into the Sakya tradition at the time of the great Zhuchen Tsultrim Rinpoche.

In London in 2006 Karma Thinley Rinpoche gave me the lung for Jamgon Kongtrul’s commentary on Atisa’s ‘The Lamp of the Path of Enlightenment’ which he had transmitted to me some twenty nine years earlier in spring 1977.

Over the years Rinpoche has told me how he feels that the Kadam teachings are particularly appropriate and important for the West. It’s for this reason that I have often taught ‘The Thirty Seven Practices’, ‘The Eight Verses of Mind Training’ and ‘The Seven Points of Mind Training’.

Karma Thinley Rinpoche himself received Atisa’s ‘Lamp of the Path’ and many other Kadam teachings from Geshe Baru Rinpoche. In addition he received Kadam teachings from masters from all four traditions including Ling Rinpoche from Gelug, Dingo Chentze Rinpoche from Nyingma, the Karma Kagyu master Drupon Rinpoche Sangyay Phuntsok, the Sakya masters Khangsar Khen Ngawang Yonten Gyamtso and Ngawang Tashi Chopel Rinpoche, the Taklung Kagyu masters Shabdrung Rinpoche and Phamchok Rinpoche. He received all the Kadam teachings collected in Jamgon Kongtrul’s ‘Treasury’ from the great Kagyu yogin Kalu Rinpoche.

H.H. Sakya Trizin received the Narthang Gyatsa initiations together with the rest of ‘The Collection of Sadhanas’ from Khangsar Khen Ngawang Lodro Tenzin Nyingpo.

Lama Jampa Thaye visits Sakya Thinley Rinchen Ling

On Saturday 13 June in Bristol Lama Jampa gave the second part of the Kadampa master Geshe Se Chilbupa's commentary on Geshe Chekhawa's 'Seven Points of Mind Training' to around 120 people. This part of the profound teaching focused on conventional bodhicitta, the wish to become a Buddha for the benefit of all sentient beings, and gave comprehensive advice on how we can utilise the difficulties that arise in our lives by transforming them into the path. Everyone was very happy to receive these precious teachings and there were opportunities for questions at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions. It was a joyful experience to return to the Friends Meeting House once again, where H.H. Sakya Trizin bestowed the two-day initiation of Chakrasamvara and the blessing of Vajrayogini in 2002. The Dechen Dharma School was also a success with the children who were present learning about impermanence and reciting prayers to Chenrezik together.

On Sunday 14 June, due to the success of the group in Bath and the number of people who have taken refuge recently in both Bristol and Bath, Lama Jampa kindly bestowed Bari Lotsawa's Chenrezik Mahamudra initiation and gave the reading transmission for the sadhana by the remarkable Ngorpa master Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrup, thus enabling the Bath group to start practising the Chenrezik puja together on a regular basis. Around 40 people attended this initiation which was the first for several years held in the beautiful shrine room at Sakya Thinley Rinchen Ling.

Update on His Holiness Sakya Trizin's Teaching Activities

His Holiness has recently completed giving the precious Lamdre in Balmain, Australia. His Holiness was invited by Khenpo Ngawang Damchoe who Lama Jampa Thaye met recently at the World Buddhist Summit in Japan . His Holiness is now touring Australia and New Zealand and will visit Singapore and Mongolia in July. The visit to Mongolia is particularly auspicious given the Sakya tradition's historical links with Mongolia which can be traced back to Sakya Pandita and Chogyal Phakpa.

Further pictures of the Lamdre teachings can be found at http://www.drogmi.org/gallery/index.html.

Karma Thinley Rinpoche's Birthday

On May 25th Rinpoche's seventy eighth birthday was celebrated in his presence at his nunnery, Tegchen Legshay Ling, in Nepal. A long-life tsok feast was held and afterwards the assembled monastics and lay-people presented ceremonial white scarves to Rinpoche with prayers for his long life.
Prayers for Rinpoche's long life were also made at Dechen centres in the West.

Launch of new translation of Way of Tibetan Buddhism in Sofia

On the evening of Wednesday 27th May the new translation of The Way of Tibetan Buddhism was launched at a famous bookstore in Central Sofia. Kaloyan Christov from the Sakya Choling centre introduced the event after which Lama Jampa gave a short introduction to the book and also answered general questions such as ‘Why is religion necessary?’ and ‘Why is Tibetan Buddhism appropriate for the modern world?’. The launch was attended by around 40 people who enjoyed some refreshments and were able to ask questions and have their copies of the book signed.

Lama Jampa Thaye teaches in Manchester

At the weekend, Lama Jampa Thaye taught Patrul Rinpoche's famous work, The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones. The event was hosted by Kagyu Ling in Manchester and was attended by students from across the UK and overseas.

This remarkable text delineates the view, meditation and action of Dzokchen, the most profound system of spiritual practice in the Nyingma tradition. Lama Jampa concluded the weekend by bestowing the initiation of Chenrezik from the lineage of Mingyur Dorje.