anisonam

Mandala Offering Prayer from Palyul Ling Retreat Center

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The following is the Mandala prayer offered by Lama Lobsang to His Holiness Karma Kuchen at the end of the retreat in New York 2011

Om Swati!

Born in the heritage of Shakya with excellent methods and compassion;

Destroyer of all demonic forces that others cannot accomplish;

Having a body magnificent like golden Mount Meru;

I forever prostrate to you, Lord Buddha, King of Shakya.

Beginning with auspicious praise to the Buddha Shakyamuni, we are gathered here today to offer the mandala and express our gratitude.

To the feet of His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, the embodiment of the Buddhas of the Three Times, heir to Guru Rinpoche and the source of all common and supreme siddhis; and to the feet of the Tulkus, who take rebirth in samsara to liberate beings from cyclic existence; and to the feet of the Khenpos, the holders of the Buddha’s precious teachings; and to the feet of the Noble Sangha, the source of merit that results from offerings; I pay homage!

Palyul Ling and the students of the 2011 Summer Retreat, humbly make the following statement.

It is stated that “As the sole source of happiness and peace, may the Buddha Dharma remain forever in this world.”

The Buddha Dharma has two parts: the Dharma of Learning and the Dharma of Realization. The Dharma of Learning encompasses the transmission of the Buddhist teachings and the contemplation of their meaning which result in a complete understanding of Dharma that is free of any misconceptions or omissions.

With this understanding, one engages in the three trainings and practices of the secret Mantrayana and experiences the signs of accomplishments. This is the Dharma of Realization.

Seeing these two aspects of the Dharma as the authentic teachings of Lord Buddha, our unparalleled kind master, our Late Holiness Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche established Palyul Ling Retreat Center, a  place for engaging in the genuine teachings of the Buddha. A perfect and auspicious place such as this is rare in our world. In this life and all future lives, we should never forget his kindness.

In this perfect place, we have the presence of perfect masters. Previously, our most compassionate supreme guide was HH Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche. Today we have his heir, the twelfth throneholder of the Palyul Lineage, the Supreme Nirmanakaya HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche.

The perfect retinue is the assembly of Khenpos, Tulkus and other members of the ordained Sangha who are endowed with the riches of virtue and devotion and possess the jewel of the three trainings. The perfect retinue also includes the Dharma brothers and sisters of the same mandala, who, with Bodhicitta as the ground, practice the generation and completion stages as the path to attain the fruition of the union of emptiness and appearance.

The perfect Dharma is the Dzogchen teaching of the Namchoe Sky Treasure, The Buddha in the Palm of Your Hand. It is practiced from Ngondro through the  completion of the Trekchod and Togyal practices. The outer, inner and secret aspects of these traditional teachings have been passed on by our late Holiness in accordance with the needs of modern time.

The perfect time is the auspicious day of the First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma. That is the day on which the Buddha taught beings according to their individual levels of understanding. For us in particular, it is the time of the conclusion ceremony of our month-long summer retreat, in which students have gathered to practice the outer, inner and secret mandalas in accordance with their levels and abilities.

On this auspicious day it is appropriate to provide a brief explanation of the outer, inner and secret mandala offering.

The outer mandala is the phenomenal world mandala. It is comprised of the fundamental golden ground surrounded by an iron wall. At the center is Mount Meru surrounded by all the continents. In the east is the continent of Lüphagpo. To the south is Dzambuling, to the west is Balangchöd and to the north is Draminyen. Also included in the world mandala are the eight subcontinents, the sun, moon, seven golden mountains and the seven oceans. The heavenly realms of the gods are also included. Multiply this by a thousand, three times over to offer the three thousand myriad worlds along with all the wealth that exists in them, without attachment, to the Nirmanakaya Lama.

The inner mandala is the body mandala. It is made up of the skin, which is the golden ground; the spine, which is Mount Meru; the right hand, which is the continent of Lüphagpo to the east; the right leg, which is Dzambuling of the south; the left leg is Balangchöd of the west; and the left hand is Draminyen of the north. The two eyes represent the sun and moon. The hair of the head and the body represents the wealth of the gods and human beings. Without dualistic grasping, offer the Sambhogakaya mandala offering.

The secret mandala is the Channels and Chakras. The Chakra of Bliss along with the essence of fire, Ah Thung, is the golden ground. The branch channels are the external wall. The central channel is Mount Meru.  The Dharma Chakra at the heart is Lüphagpo to the east. The Navel Chakra of manifestation is Dzambuling to the south. The throat chakra of enjoyment is Balangchöd in the west. The crown chakra of Great Bliss is Draminyen to the north. The roma channel is the sun and the changma channel is the moon. The minor channels are the wealth of gods and humans. Without conceptualizing subject, object or action, offer the secret mandala to the Sambhogakaya Lama at the final stage of the tenth bhumi.

The secret-most Dzogpa Chenpo Mandala offering is as follows, according to the pith instruction of Marpa, the great translator:

On the immaculate natural mandala, variegated flowers are arranged.

In the mandala of pure space, flowers of unceasing dependent existence are arranged.

In the Great Bliss mandala of one’s mind, the flowers of variegated conceptualization are arranged.

As said in this verse, the fundamental ground of dharmadhatu, free of all limitations, is the golden ground. The unceasing four visions of Togyal, are the continents, subcontinents, sun and moon. The fruition of the inexhaustible activities of the wisdom body, speech and mind are all the wealth of gods and humans. In the secret-most mandala offering there is no distinction between subject and object. This mandala is created by meditating on the view and seeing the inseparable nature of the master and student. This is the ultimate mandala.

These are the different types of mentally constructed mandalas. The type of mandala to be visualized should be done in accordance with one’s own capacity.

A flower, though small, serves as an offering. Likewise, our material mandala offering is small, but it represents our gratitude to you for your kindness and the guidance provided to us during this month.Through the merit of this mandala offering, may the Buddha Dharma flourish all over the world. With the flourishing of the Buddha Dharma, may there be no famine, wars, disputes, epidemics or other undesirable conditions. May the wishes of all beings be fulfilled and may they remain in peace and happiness.

May HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche be free from all obstacles of body, speech and mind, and live long for hundreds of kalpas, and may his Dharma activities flourish without any obstacles. May the incarnation of our teacher, the Lord of Refuge Drubwang Pema Norbu swiftly appear and take the fearless lion throne again. In addition, may all Dharma teachers live long and may their Dharma activities flourish in the ten directions

May the students who have gathered here be free from all undesirable conditions, and may their wishes be fulfilled. May all achieve the stage of the four kayas and five wisdoms.

In all life times may we never be separated from the perfectly pure guru.

Utilizing the glorious Dharma to its utmost,

And by perfecting all pure qualities on the stages and path,

May we swiftly attain the state of the Glorious Lama.

 

#TroyParrot Update – BREAKING STORY

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The following post was contributed by Ani Sangye “@sangyeH” on twitter:

After speaking with two individuals in Ohio who have direct knowledge of the Troy Parrot situation,  we have learned that the 50 parrots remaining on the property are still in harm’s way. They have been moved to a building on the property that is completely inadequate and unsafe for the birds, despite what the Humane Officer (Sharon Karns) in charge of the case says. It’s a metal building without windows, running water or air conditioning and has one fan to cool 50 birds. The parrots are not in good condition after having been starved for an indefinite amount of time and having eaten drywall, furniture and been exposed to toxins,etc…. They are not receiving proper veterinary care and no consideration is given to their intense psychological trauma. Basically, the parrots are being treated like chickens.

The officials at a neighboring county Humane Society are furious at how this case has been handled. They said they would have immediately seized the birds and arrested the owner (Doug Ratcliff) and certainly wouldn’t have given him two weeks to clean up a house that is or should be condemned. According to these individuals,  Doug Ratcliff has been in similar trouble before, with a record of parrot abuse and neglect that extends back 8 years—yet another reason to have arrested him and seized the birds immediately.

There is a fair amount of suspicious activity surrounding this case. No one understands why Sharon Karns didn’t seize the birds or why she gave Doug Ratcliff two weeks to clean up the premises. No one understands why she insists that the metal building is suitable housing for the birds when every parrot specialist says it is not. No one understands why she won’t authorize Dr. Bauer (the veterinarian who has the 10 sickest birds) to treat and foster the remaining 50 birds. She is married to the President of the Miami County Humane Society, which may explain why no one at her office is intervening on behalf of the birds. Last night there was a public meeting scheduled by the Humane Society for discussion of the Troy parrots.  When our sources and numerous other bird lovers arrived, they found a sign saying the meeting had been moved, but there was no new location. This is apparently an illegal action, as the 501c3 is required to have public meetings. Finally, one of our sources said there had been tampering of evidence at the property.

We hope that the ASPCA and PETA will intervene on behalf of the parrots who are still very much in harm’s way.

#TroyParrot URGENT: Rescue Parrots in Troy

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Links to story about birds: http://www.whiotv.com/news/28788559/detail.html

http://parrotnation.com/2011/08/06/an-avian-auschwitz/

SIGN THE PETITION: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/5/save-the-parrots-of-troy-ohio/

Owner: Doug Ratcliff – who currently is refusing to allow volunteers to feed and water

10 birds have been rescued and are being cared for at Dayton South Veterinary Clinic but dozens more are remain in wretched conditions at the home, 30 birds have already died.

Initially Ratcliff allowed members of the Miami Valley Bird Club to rescue the 10 birds, and to begin offering food and water to those that remained. However, in an interview with a veterinarian in the article above:

““Now, he has put a stop on everything, and they are no longer allowed to go in and feed, clean or water,” Brauer said.”

Please help save the parrots! Here is contact information for government officials:

Mayor:

Senator Sherrod Brown  in Washington DC

Phone 202 224 2315

Send Senator Brown a letter via http://brown.senate.gov/contact/

Governor John Kasich

Phone 614 466 3555

Send a letter via http://governor.ohio.gov/Contact/ContacttheGovernor.aspx

Humane Officer Sharon Karns
phone: (937)216-0070

Miami County Humane Society Director Terese Lynn
phone: (937) 698-7322
phone 2: (937) 335-9955
email: [email protected]

Prosecutor Lenee Brosh
phone: (937) 440-3928

Ohio SPCA
phone: (740) 420-2984
email: [email protected]

Miami County Animal Shelter Director Marcia Doncaster
phone: (937) 332-6919

HSUS Ohio State Director
web form: http://www.humanesociety.o​rg/forms/states/contact_oh​io_director.html

Union Township
phone: (937) 698-4480
fax: (937) 698-6171
email: [email protected]

Prosecutor Gary Nasal
phone: (937) 440-5960
email: [email protected]

Miami County Health Department
phone: (937) 440-8105
email: [email protected]

Speaker of the House Congressman John Boehner
phone: (937) 339-1524
 

Mayor Michael L. Beamish
phone: (937) 339-1221
fax: (937) 339-8601
email: [email protected]

Congressman Michael Tuner
phone: (937) 225-2843
fax: (937) 225-2752

Senator Rob Portman
Phone: (202) 224-3353

Tri-State County Animal Response Team
phone: (513) 702-8373

Concord Township
phone: (937) 339-1492
fax: (937) 332-1828
email: [email protected]

 

Union Township Trustees

President – Jim Albaugh  ph – 937-698-6432

 

Vice President  – Bill O’Brien ph – 937-698-4216

 

Trustee at large – Phil Mote  ph – 937-947-1217

 

Fiscal Officer – Majorie Coate

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Qualities of the Lama

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The following is an excerpt from a teaching by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche called “Guru Yoga” reprinted here with permission from Palyul Ling International

The teachings we know of as Buddhism were first taught by the Buddha Sakyamuni. These teachings have been maintained by a lineage of living transmission up to the present day by those who have been inspired to follow the example of the Buddha and to study that path and transmit it to others. In any of the various Buddhist traditions we find that there are countless numbers of people who through their study and contemplation have become extremely learned and gifted with spiritual power and realization. But the reason why they teach and the reason why these individuals undertake to become learned in the dharma should not be to indulge in self-aggrandizement. One does not become learned in dharma in order to think of oneself as learned and to gain some special status. One does not teach others from a sense of personal pride, either. Dharma is maintained because it brings benefit to those who hear the teachings. That is the motivation behind teaching.

In order to become an authentic teacher of the tradition, it is not sufficient to simply read enough books to become very clever at the teachings and then set oneself up as a teacher. Rather, it is the case that one’s own teacher, a particularly realized individual, must give one permission to teach. It may also be the case that one will be graced with a vision of one’s chosen deity during which experience the deity will confer upon one the blessing and authority to teach.

So it isn’t simply a question of ordinary people developing enough cleverness to be able to talk well about the dharma. The true benefit of the teachings doesn’t come about through an ordinary approach, because that more ordinary approach tends only to feed one’s own pride and conflicting emotions. No benefit that can come out of that. It is only when the teaching is a selfless gesture to benefit others based upon an authentic transmission that we really have the benefit that is necessary for the dharma to be maintained.

If we take into account all of the teachings of the Buddha, including all of the commentaries on those teachings by the great mahasiddhas – the learned pundits of the Indian, Tibetan and other traditions of Buddhism – it would be impossible for a single individual to try and put all of that into practice. This does not mean that there is any aspect of those teachings that are useless and have no function. The Buddha Sakyamuni turned the wheel of the dharma in three successive transmissions during his time in the world. In vajrayana when we consider the thousands of volumes that collectively known as the buddha dharma, including the 84,000 collections of the Buddha’s teachings and the 6,400,000 texts of tantra, it is obvious that no single person could absorb and practice all of that.

The Importance of Oral Transmission

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The following is an excerpt from a teaching by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche called “Guru Yoga” – reprinted here with permission from Palyul Ling International

Regardless of the particular level of teaching or practice that we are discussing in the Buddhist tradition, whether it be Hinayana, Mahayana or Vajrayana, the process of spiritual development is one of the student relying upon a teacher. We may call that teacher a lama, a guru, or whatever, but the essential point is that there is an oral transmission that takes place in which a teacher teaches the student: the student listens to the teachings, absorbs their meaning and puts them into practice.
There is a reason for this emphasis on an oral transmission. From the time of the Buddha up to the present day, the buddha dharma has always been transmitted and meant to be transmitted orally, ensuring that there is a living tradition that is still embued with the blessing and power of the original teachings. It also guards against the possibility of so-called teachers simply coming up with their own ideas. Instead, the teacher passes on a proven tradition of teachings.

This makes the buddha dharma different from other kinds of learning where it may be possible for people to innovate. In such realms of learning it may be appropriate to come up with new systems of thought or to introduce new ideas. But when we are talking about the buddha dharma, every teaching must connect with the original teachings of the Buddha in order for a teaching to be valid. The teachings cannot be something that someone is simply coming up with on their own. The teachings are something that the teacher passes on.

Similarly, in other types of human knowledge it may be permissible to present information in a manner as entertaining and pleasing as possible. But although it is important for dharma teachings to be presented in a manner which is pleasant to hear, it is most important that the transmitted teachings have the power to bless and influence those who hear them in a positive way – not only in this lifetime, but in future lifetimes as well. So even though the teaching of the dharma should be elegant and well-presented, what is most important is the blessing of the essential message.

The Flawless Captain

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From a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Nothing referred to as “precisely” or “exactly” is anything other than conceptual proliferation.  These subtleties can only be truly understood with Guru-disciple transmission, maturing mind with Empowerment, directly. It is necessary to receive pointing-out instruction from an awakened “Sublime Being,” fully qualified. Too much talk about emptiness or primordial view is no good, misleading. All such talk leads to concepts, one becomes deluded.

The problem is this: After direct transmission, empowerment, and instruction, one must experience empty nature for oneself. If one talks or preaches endlessly about emptiness, there is no direct experience, the secret transmission is lost. If one adheres to such false talk, putting trust in such false teaching, they will be lost, like blind leading blind. To cross the ocean of suffering, one must have a perfect ship (method) and a flawless captain (Guru Buddha) who has crossed many times.

This teaching is without the stain of pride, and in the spirit of loving kindness, may we all accomplish.

Copyright © Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.  All rights reserved

Palyul Retreat Upstate New York 2011

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The following information was originally posted on http://retreat.palyul.org/ and is being offered here for the benefit of beings:

Liberation is in the Palm of Your Hand!
Summer Retreat Manual and Guide

The 2011 Flier and Registration Form are posted here!

This year His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche will lead our retreat along with HE Gyangkhang Rinpoche, HE Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche, and Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche.

The schedule for the retreat classes is the same; the one difference is the dates of Nyungne are July 1 – July 4, 2011.

The empowerment schedule will be posted shortly.

Looking forward to seeing you all!

July 10 – August 10: Main Retreat with His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, His Eminence Gyangkhang Rinpoche, His Eminece Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche and Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche founded the Palyul Retreat Center in 1998 on land located near the town of McDonough, north of the Catskill mountains of New York State. The retreat center spans an area of approximately 500 acres and is the site of annual summer retreats, and of ongoing practices conducted by monks stationed in the United States by the late Kyabje Penor Rinpoche. With advance permission, the center may be used by those who wish to conduct a personal weekend retreat (except during winter months). In the future, facilities will be available for extended personal retreats.

Every summer, formally organized retreats are held at the center beginning with the July 4th weekend “fasting, purification, and compassion” Nyungné retreat conducted by Khenpo Tenzin Norgay Rinpoche. This is followed by the annual summer retreats which last from July 10 to August 10. Ngondrö, Tsa Lung, Dzogchen Tögyal and Trekchö, as well as other upper level retreats are offered.

For more information on the Palyul Retreat in New York visit: http://retreat.palyul.org/introduction-to-palyul-retreat

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