| PROSTRATIONS FROM AFAR
Have you wanted to begin (and complete) 100,000 prostrations?
Would you like the company and support of a Dharma community while you’re doing them?
Our “Vajrasattva Retreat from Afar” went so well that Patricio Ortiz suggested doing “Prostrations from Afar.” This would enable people to complete the Preliminary Practice of 100,000 prostrations at home while being connected to others who are also doing prostrations.
Patricio calculated that if you do three half-hour sessions daily, you will complete all 111,111 prostrations in a year (the added 10% makes up for being distracted). Or, if you’d rather do a half-hour of prostrations each day, you will finish in three years. It’s up to you to decide how many prostrations you want to do a day (However, you must do at least three prostrations each day in order to maintain the continuity of the practice. This is only for extreme situations, for example if you are ill.) However long it takes you, you will be connected to others throughout by joining in Prostrations from Afar.
If you would like more information about the purpose of the Ngondro or Preliminary Practices of which prostrations is one, please read this article. Instructions on the practice of prostrations to the 35 Buddhas can be found here. Geshe Jampa Gyatso wrote a wonderful book on this practice which you can get from Wisdom Publications, and the FPMT Store has material on it too, which we suggest you get. Read about karma, the four opponent powers, and the meaning of purification on www.thubtenchodron.org. This will energize you during the practice.
Prostrations from Afar will begin on the auspicious day of June 11, 2006, which is Vesak Day according to the Tibetan calendar, that is, the anniversary of the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and passing away. Let us know if you would like to join in. If you participate, you will be able to send in questions. Once a month Ven. Chodron will respond to them and we will put the audio recording of her talk on her website so you can listen to it. You can also write your reflections and send them to us. Once a month we’ll accumulate your writings and send them out to everyone who is prostrating from afar. Join in by emailing
and begin purifying and accumulating positive potential.
Patricio, who was the retreat manager for last year’s Vajrasattva retreat, will coordinate Prostrations from Afar. Thus send your questions and reflections to . He will pass your questions on to Ven. Chodron each month and will organize your reflections and send them out to everyone in a group email each month.
When you complete the prostrations, we’ll organize a celebration, and the prostrators from afar will gather at the Abbey. Then you’ll be able to meet each other in person and share the joy of knowing the people who have supported you in your Dharma practice and whom you have supported in theirs.
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