Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo | Tibetan Buddhist Altar

People Coming Forth

June 11, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

We received the following in an email from the Caretakers of the Sedona Stupa and wanted to share the great news:

Wow! What a night!! We had our art auction fundraiser and it was a smashing success. On many levels. We raised $8846. In 3 hours!

People coming forth

Last night was perfectly exemplified up by a woman we had never met before. She showed up in the morning to help hang the art. She was part of a team of four people who came to help. In a record-breaking 2 hours these pros hung 60 plus pieces of art—beautifully. The space looked stunning!

Then this gal comes back to the art auction, stays to the end, buys some art and says: “Thank you for taking such good care of our Stupa.” Turns out she visits the Stupa frequently and depends on it as a spiritual resource. This has become typical… people owning the Stupa!

We have shifted the conversation here from a financial problem the Buddhists are having to the Amitabha Stupa as a Sedona treasure that must be saved and we all want it to stay intact and available.

So here is how the evening came together and who made it happen:

The owner of Rene Restaurant in Tlaquepaque, Deborah Leatherwood, sponsored all the delicious food and wine, stayed through the event and loved it. Thank you Sam for introducing us to her 3 months ago!

Owner of Tlaquepaque gave us the ballroom free. Thank you Wendy Lippman!

65 artists, many well-known and many emerging artists donated every piece. And happily. Some even called up when they heard about the event and asked if they could still donate!

Linen company donated. There was a lot of linen! Wine distributers donated all the wine. Tara sang on the adjacent terrace and wowed people.

We had close to 100 people show up on a Sunday night, paying $30 and having a great time bidding on the art. It was a terrific community gathering.

Mayor Rob Adams and his wife were there. His wife Christie said that they don’t go out all that much unless it’s an event related to city business… but they wanted to support us and the Stupa.

Please, please get inspired to help make the webathon a huge success. Many of you have been to the Amitabah Stupa! You know how magnificent and powerful it is.

Jetsunma is extraordinary how she has so skillfully given us these hugely merit-generating projects. Last night every person who came made a connection to the Dharma. Their karmic fabric changed forever, their trajectory towards awakening now lined up.

That’s what’s going on and that’s the news for Sedona!

Let’s rock the webathon!! E Ma Ho and may all beings make a connection to the Amitabha Stupa.

The Sedona Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park caretakers

Opportunity…

June 8, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

We don’t know what karmic causes make our current results. How difficult! Think, then, in full equations, apply general cures. Please be strong enough to accept responsibility for hurt you’ve caused and make restitution. It is weakness that prevents it.

Again, please join us in repairing the Stupas for all the benefit they bring! It is a rich experience to take advantage of, KPC and the Palyul Stupas!

And we need gardeners and help clearing land. Any offering helps.

Please bring canned goods and food you haven’t used. A day ago a nice lady came by and wiped us out to feed old folks. So we must set limits and ask that the actual people come in. The Temple itself is nourishing. Please be fair, and do share with all.

A Garland of Utpala Flowers

June 8, 2012 by Holly

From the speech treasury of Padmasambhava

The Longevity Supplication of Lhacham Ahkön Lhamo called

A GARLAND OF UTPALA FLOWERS

EH MA HO ORGYEN DU MA THA LA’I ZHING KHAM NE

EH MA HO In the pure realm, Dumatala’i of Orgyen,

KHA CHÖD KHANDRO’I TSO MO DRÖL MA KAR

White Tara is the principal Dakini of Khachöd

DAKI LHACHAM MANDARAWA NYID

Whose nature is the Dakini Lhacham Mandarawa

BÖD YÜL AHKÖN LHAMO CHANG CHUB DRÖN

Appearing in the land of Tibet as Ahkön Lhamo Changchub Drön,

KU SUM ZHING NA TRO DU DZED PA’I GAR

Performing the dance of radiating and reabsorbing from the realm of the three Kayas.

AH KAR ÖD DZE LHAMO ME TOG DRÖN

Beautiful light of the white AH, Lhamo Metog Drön (Goddess Flower Light),

CHI LING KYE NUB DREN LA SÖL WA DEB

I supplicate you to save beings in the Western realm.

TSHE DAG RIG NGA TSHE YI PHO NYA DANG

The five classes of the owners of life and the messengers of longevity,

PEMA KA RA GYA GAR RIG DZIN GYED

Padmasambhava and the eight Vidyadharas of India

NE YÜL ZHING KYE PA WO PA MO’I TSHOG

And the assembly of Dakas and Dakinis of the realms of the sacred places and countries,

CHI DAG PUNG JOM KHYED NAM DEN TOB KYI

By your power of Truth, overcome and defeat the Lord of Death.

AH KAR ÖD DZE LHAMO ME TOG DRÖN

Beautiful white light of AH, Lhamo Metog Drön,

KU TSHE’I GAL KYEN BAR CHED YING SU SÖL

May the conflicting circumstances and obstacles to your life expectancy dissolve in the sphere

of Truth.

DÜL CHA’I KHAM LA DÜ SUM TAG ZHUG SÖL

Throughout the Three Times, pray, remain firm in the realms of beings to be tamed,

GYAL TEN DZIN KYONG PEL LA NÜ TOB GYE

Ever increasing your strength to hold, maintain and increase the Buddha’s Doctrine.

ZHAL JAL SUNG THÖ ZANG NGEN GANG DREL CHE

May whoever sees you, meets you or hears your speech,

MED JUNG KU ZHI’I LING DU WANG JOR SHOG

Be it a positive or negative connection, become a sovereign of the unsurpassed realm of the

Four Kayas!

Samaya ku sung tug kyi gya

This supplication prayer was revealed by the well-known incarnation of the Indian Mahasiddha Trilwupa, Tertön

Pedma Tumpo. May virtue prevail!

Take What You Need and Give What You Can

June 4, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I’m pleased to say we have dry and canned goods at KPC for locals that need it. All can take for their families and selves and give what they can. You need not go hungry or eat fast food. We do have dry beans etc with recipies on the bag. It’s not hard, I wish we could give more but law goes against spoilable foods. Ideas anyone? You needn’t be Buddhist, just hungry. Ordained first s best. Their ability to make money is limited. Come’n’ get it!

Come Experience the Blessings!

June 4, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Beautiful flowers are going in at the Stupa and other places. Hurrah, I love it!

I’m finding some strategy to move forward after being stalked for four years. Instead of feeling constant pain I’m diving into KPC and Palyul. Work. The trick is to move forward no matter what. No time to fear or react. If we are accomplishing we are happy. Even practice is better if one is useful and making a difference in the world. I need that wind in my sails! I can’t do dead calm. The Stupa work saves us all.

We are learning even more about Stupas. For instance, once fully consecrated, it is considered perfect, up and running. One must never open the holy Stupa again. All flaws are then cosmetic and if deeply damaged it may be wrapped or “boxed” and is still completely potent.

I saw that same thing in Nepal; a fragrant syrup would come out sometimes. That was considered a miraculous sign. It smells like pie. We have that, it usually runs twice a year. Amazing. So we re-pair and it runs again. This occurs in our Peace Park, it is not sour, but Pure and sweet. I pray you will make pilgrimage and /or come and help! For the sake of the planet and all sentient beings (that is all f us, actually).

We’d love to see you at the Palyul Stupas, and will soon sponsor an animal/pet blessing, With treats and love.

Come soon, anytime. See you then.

OM AH MI DEWA HRI!

Blessings and Opportunities

May 30, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

I made it to the Stupa today, difficult for me, and was happy to see repair continues. Joy to my heart! Weeding and gardening too. Gratitude.

It’s hard to express how important the Stupa is. So many blessings, opportunity to gather merit, a righteous life.

We need clearing too. All invited to come help, please, help is needed. We are aging fast here, and some are too old to do outdoor labor. But there are buyers needed to gather supplies, painters, mowers, etc. Who wants to change their life doing good works? It works when you work it.

I went to the aviary too. Such joy watching macaws and other wild beauties fly! Riggs gives them a good life. We always need help there too.

Now my back feels pretty sore.

I kinda hoped I’d see workers there to thank them. Maybe next time. Maybe I’ll bring pizza and fruit and nuts next time. I always bring offerings. And happily.

I love you all but especially those who help others. Don’t forget the Occupy folks and the homeless. The system is hurting us all.

Fire and Gentleness

May 27, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

An excerpt from a teaching called Dharma and the Western Mind by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo given on January 29, 1989

Adapting Dharma for Westerners is not difficult if you understand what our needs are. The first thing that a Westerner has to do is to become stable in this path. You have to remain stable and you have to remain stable for the right reasons. I have seen old time practitioners that have seen the best Lamas and had the best opportunities and the most glorious teachings, but I am not impressed with the stability of their path and I feel that the reason for that is that they have not come to the point where they have really cultivated a gentleness of mind. They haven’t really cultivated the necessary fire in the heart that keeps everything going. They haven’t lit that dynamo that makes them remain passionate about loving.

Sometimes I am disappointed in when I see old time practitioners doing the Dharma talk and walking the Dharma walk and spouting this name and knowing that term but their hearts are unchanged. There is a hardness there. The most tragic thing about that is that even though they are hot and heavy on the path now they may not remain firm on the path. And time has born that out. There are many Western Dharma practitioners who were really on and now they are really off. I think that the reason why this happens is because they did not take the time to build a foundation based on compassion. We cannot consider that it is a baby teaching. I talk about bodhicitta and compassion all the time. If bodhicitta, which is the term for compassion, were ice cream you would come here and you would get a different flavor every week. That is how I teach. And I teach it as many different ways as I can. I try to be creative and sometimes I pull rabbits out of hats and sometimes I whisper it and sometimes I shout it and sometimes I give it to you to read, but it is always about Bodhicitta. It is always about compassion, it is always about love in some form or another.

I really have had old time Dharma students say, “Hey I have had Bodhicitta already, and I am tired of Bodhicitta.” I am so sad when I hear that because if you can get tired of that subject then you don’t know it at all. You think that it is a baby subject yet it is the very union of the wisdom of realizing the emptiness of self-nature and the compassionate self that is truly the awakened mind. There is no time when you are finished learning about compassion. There is no time when you are finished learning about love.

Westerners who have been to college, to university and have papers are the worst problem we have in this country when it comes to practice, because we think that having got papers we don’t need to be learning about this simple stuff. We say, “I need the real teachings. Give me some Dzogchen. Give me some heavy stuff. I want the real stuff, because I am an American and I can deal with it.” The problem is that as Westerners, no matter who we are, if the mind is not prepared, it is like the ground not being cultivated. You drop the seed and it goes plunk on the top and if our minds are not gentled and deepened we go plink. We may be able to memorize a wonderful Dzogchen teaching, we may be able to read the text but we are still plinking merrily away. We have to have these foundational teachings and they have to be with us always. There is never a time, no matter how advanced you are that you should forget that the greatest Dzogchen teaching, the most pure and pristine understanding of the Nature of Mind is an understanding of the nature of compassion. The most pristine, achingly beautiful understanding of the Primordial Wisdom State is the awakening to love. There is no difference: the two of them are inseparable. You can’t have one without the other. And you may think to yourself, “What comes first the chicken or the egg? Can’t I learn to love after I am wise already?” I don’t think so because really the mind has to be prepared for these precious deeper teachings. It has to be gentled.

There is a confession that His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche gave to us and the translation that I have says, “That my mind is as hard as horn.” And I think about that all the time because at any stage it is possible for the mind to become hard as horn, to become so impressed with its prowess in playing with Dharma terms, to become so impressed with how we can sit straight when we meditate, to become so impressed with how good we live and how sorry we are for every one else, to become so impressed that we are hard. It is important for us as Westerners and as part of the human family to cultivate gentleness so that we can truly accomplish Dharma.

Stupas and Healing

May 26, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Greetings all from Poolesville Md where it is steamy and humid. All is well at KPC we are getting ready to make repairs and maintain Stupas. We will of course go to Palyul Retreat but there is fund raising and prep to do. And land clearing, taming the beast across the Temple.

Seems we are happiest working together as a family. Anyone wishing to give or help should watch here for how to get together.

We are busy these days and there is plenty to do. Members need to keep informed and responsible, and helping new people. Any Buddhist wanna dance?

Many miracles happen by the Stupa, healing, help with prosperity, we have many stories and testimonials as well.

To live long and well one must have merit. A good way to make some is by giving and helping with building and repair, and practicing near the Stupa.

I went to the Stupa yesterday and saw the need for repair and upkeep. I made offerings, and today I feel better than I have. My body craves rest and my Gurus demand it, so I’m working on resting. (Joke, haha) and saw “Avatar” again, and remembered that we are doing the same to this planet (see director’s cut) and we need Stupas more than ever. Worldwide.

We need help with our Sedona Stupa too. Always.

Stupas are curative for the land and balancing as well. They will help.

Stand up!

Incalculable Benefit of Stupas by Lama Zopa

Blessings of a Stupa by Tulku Sang Ngag Rinpoche

For the Benefit of Beings

May 20, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

During my Enthronement, I was in meditation the whole time. I was really annoyed at the flashes and the sounds from the news reporters. Any flashes like that, I felt wrath, “This is so sacred, there shouldn’t be any modern shit here.” And yet His Holiness was kind enough to let that happen so that modern people could see it.

The ceremony itself went off perfectly, but it hit like a bomb. When it was over, there were certain things I had to do, but all I wanted to do was just go be quiet. I didn’t want to go out to dinner, I just wanted to go be quiet. But His Holiness leaned over and said, “You don’t get to do that.” You never get to do what you want again! “You’re in jail” Gyaltrul Rinpoche said. That’s how it turned out.

Truth and Healing

May 19, 2012 by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo

The following is from a series of tweets by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo:

Please forgive me. This is my twitter space and yours too, as I offer it as a teaching vehicle. I’ve not been on and I am sorry. My body is breaking down. My mind too. So beat up. Now it seems I must divulge more of my story. I will as I must. And I can’t tell why. But it is the truth. They he/she must print tonight. Why? I don’t know bit I will cooperate. No choice. Tonight a post will come out on a multiple “user groups”(?) and will be seen by all.

The horror KPC has been through, and myself as well. So much must be disclosed. And must be told well. I can’t do it and I don’t know who will. I just know it will happen and I give permission. So I trust. And will do what I can.