On the Eve of KPC’s Ngundro Retreat, our Spiritual Director and Teacher Jetsunma sent us a photo of her personal altar, a tribute to our pure Lineage. May it be an inspiration to all who see it.
Jetsunma's Altar
Work continues on the Enlightenment Stupa
Stupas are an ancient form of sacred architecture that represent and contain the mind of enlightenment; representing the highest qualities of the Buddha. Within them are millions of prayers, and many sacred and holy objects. The shape of a Stupa represents the stages to enlightenment, and is considered a spiritual generator. It broadcasts virtue of such power that it brings peace and harmony to all beings, while suppressing negative forces, bringing balance to the forces of nature.
The Enlightenment Stupa at KPC
This Stupa called the Enlightenment Stupa, is the first Stupa built by Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo in this lifetime and was completed in 1988, when His Holiness Penor Rinpoche gave the Rinchen Terzod. His Holiness consecrated the Stupa after this cycle of teachings and empowerments.
Every time someone experiences a healing, every time someone deepens in their spiritual practices, or experiences a clarification of their neurosis or mental sufferings, every time a life is saved by the blessings imbued in this Stupa, if you are one who helped to sponsor or build such a Stupa, you will collect the merit. You will be responsible for benefiting others in that inconceivable way. So if you want to go on collecting merit for as long as the Stupa exists, I would heartily suggest doing everything you can to make this happen.
– Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo
On July 3rd, the round portion of the Stupa, known as the Bumpa, was repaired. We will be preparing to paint the repaired portion soon, so stay tuned to www.tara.org on the calendar to see when this auspicious event will take place!
Stupa Cleaning
On June 7th, it’s a most auspicious day for us; Saga Dawa Duchen, Buddha Shakyamuni’s enlightenment. On his enlightenment at the age of thrity-five in Bodhgaya, the Buddha proclaimed: profound peace, natural simplicity, uncompounded luminosity, I have found a nectar-like dharma.
This day also marks the anniversary of the Buddha’s parinirvana. When Buddha lay dying in a forest grove in Kushinagara, surrounded by five hundred of his disciples, he said to them with his last breath: It is in the nature of all things that take form to dissolve again. Strive with your whole being to attain perfection.
Since June 7th is such an auspicious and profound holiday, we will be painting the Enlightenment Stupa at KPC, and all are welcome to participate in this most virtuous and auspicious activity. It’s a wonderful opportunity to participate in this type of activity on this day because it is also known as 10-million day, meaning your virtuous participation is multiplied by 10 million!
However, in order to get the Stupa prepared for painting, there is a bit of prep work. Tashi Dawa, one of our monks, Sangye Phuntsog and his girlfriend Leslie from Arizona, Ani Dawa and Ani Dolma worked all day on Monday, June 1st preparing the Stupa itself and surrounding gardens for the big day on Sunday.
Ani Dawa is inpecting the bumpa for water damage
Leslie plants in the gardens surrounding the Stupa
Sangye P. working hard with the power washer
Twenty Four
Today marks a big anniversary at KPC-the Prayer Vigil celebrates its 24th year. On April 18, 1985, Jetsunma instructed her students to begin the 24-hour Prayer Vigil-a non-stop chain of prayer dedicated to world peace and the end of all suffering. It was a revolutionary idea, and many a visiting Lama has commented on how unique it is.
It’s an enormous undertaking. Participants sign up in advance for 2-hour “prayer shifts.” Each week teams of Prayer Chart Caretakers take on the job of filling the shifts, ensuring there will never be the smallest gap where the Prayer Vigil is left unattended. Since most participants have full-time jobs and other responsibilities, the midday shifts can be just as challenging to fill as the middle of the night shifts!
When viewed in its totality, the Prayer Vigil is a remarkable chain of love. It’s a committed group of people who say, “We’ll do this not just for awhile and not just while it’s easy, but for as long as there is suffering in the world.”
When viewed as its individual links, the Prayer Vigil is just staggering. It is participants getting up in the middle of the night, driving on icy roads or through rainstorms to sit and pray for 2 hours, and then driving back home. It is people racing home from work to arrive at their prayer shift on time, and giving up their leisure time on weekends, evenings and holidays. It’s 84 times a week that despite life’s endless complications-a car that won’t start, the dog getting sick-people “show up” on behalf of all beings.
Take a minute to reflect on everything you’ve experienced in the past 24 years-the joy and celebrations, the sadness and difficulties. Maybe you’ve lost family, friends or pets. Maybe you’ve experienced especially tough times-natural disasters, poverty, sickness, homelessness, war. And consider how much has happened in the world since 1985, when personal computers were just becoming available, and the Berlin Wall still stood.
Without Jetsunma’s guidance and her teachings on compassion, none of us would have thought to do it on our own, and without everyone’s participation, we couldn’t have kept it going all these years.
Today at 4:00 pm, we’ll be having a Shower of Blessing Tsog Practice at KPC-MD to celebrate the anniversary. If you’re in the vicinity, we’d love to have you join us for this beautiful practice, and stay after as we share stories about the Prayer Vigil!
The 11th throneholder of the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, entered his final meditation at 8:20 pm on Friday, March 27, 2009, at the Palyul Namdröling Monastery in Bylakuppe, South India.
Earlier, at noon, he received offerings from many of the highest Nyingma Lamas, Tulkus and dignitaries who had assembled to pay homage to him. At 3:30 he left Columbia Asia Hospital with the Indian government providing a police escort. He reached Palyul Namdröling at 6:40 pm and remained on his bed in his residence. Tulkus, Khenpos and lamas did aspiration prayers together with His Holiness until 8:20 pm. Then he looked around, closed his eyes and went into meditation. Prayers continued for 5 minutes and then everyone remained in silence for the next two hours. His meditation continues today, and is expected to continue for a couple of days. When he releases his body from meditation, there will be an official acknowledgement of his final passing, allowing everyone to pay their respects according to tradition.
Kyabjé Drubwang Pema Norbu Rinpoche was born in 1932 in the Powo region of Kham, Eastern Tibet. After leaving Tibet, he settled in South India, where he built, from his own hands and with the help of a few monks, the Palyul Namdröling Monastery. It has grown into one of the largest temples in the world, housing over 6000 monks and nuns in the complex, which also includes a hospital, and hospice.
His Holiness has also built temples around the world – in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Philippines, United Kingdom, Greece and the United States – among others. He has frequently traveled to teach and give empowerment at all of them. Worldwide, His Holiness is revered for his compassion, pure upholding of the Vinaya and ceaseless dedication to the welfare of all beings. He has brought and nourished the Buddha-Dharma everywhere he has been. He will live forever in our hearts.
The Miraculous Long Life Stupa
Long Life Stupa Nectar
There is a story on a blog about Jetsunma about the Long Life Stupa of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, that I, as the nun who opens and closes that stupa, would like to refute.
One day in the summer of 2007, a type of leakage began to happen on the side of the Stupa. At first we were befuddled, thinking that the Stupa might not have been sealed properly, which often happens. But then we began to notice that the nectar coming out of the Stupa smelled like cookies. It smelled like a bakery, just delicious. And what we noticed is that when we picked up the nectar, it had the consistency of molasses and it smelled like nectar, so nourishing.
So we sought the advice of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, and showed him the pictures, and he said, “Leave it; it is extraordinary.” During this same time, some of our sangha also contacted the Lama who was the original builder of the Stupa. He responded to several questions of the students, and offered to come and re-consecrate the Stupa. But when His Holiness heard about that, he said, “Absolutely not. If Americans cannot see the miraculous, just clean it and paint it, and know what it is. Repair it nicely, plug the cracks, and let them see the Stupa the way it was originally.”
As time went on, I began to notice that the rivulets of nectar were forming kapalas, or skull cups, all around the trimming of the Stupa. Every day the nectar flowed gently from the Stupa into the little skull cups, and then overflowed down the face of the Stupa throne. Some of the nectar was white, and some of the nectar had a reddish hue in the sunlight. This went on for many weeks. And still Americans do not believe, but we know.
All around the Stupa park, not only are there not dead animals, but that land is an animal sanctuary, and there are animals everywhere. Many deer live there and countless species of birds. We feed the animals there. It is a huge sanctuary.
Know that this is the truth about the Long Life Stupa of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo.
Ani Thupten Zangmo March, 2009
This was posted by Ani Sonam on behalf of Ani Thupten Zangmo
