| MAY 2006 UPDATE
Dear Friends,
We hope you are enjoying the beauty of spring as we are here at the Abbey. Our garden is bursting with colorful flowers, the swallow tail butterflies glide around the fra
grant lilacs, and the deer prance in the meadows. We’re enjoying the long daylight hours which provide time for a walk after evening meditation.
Ven with FOSA -Singapore
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It’s a full time too. I was in Singapore for two weeks, teaching, seeing old friends, and making new ones. To my great joy, I was requested to teach Shantideva’s Guide to a Bodhisattva’s Way of Life for four evenings, in the first installment of what will be a yearly series. I gave two public talks at KMS/PKS, the largest temple in Singapore, and then led a two-day Vajrasattva retreat which 370 people attended! Buddhist Library asked me to speak on an inspiring topic, “Bearing the Unbearable: The Bodhisattva’s Practice of Patience.” Our dedicated Singaporean web team will edit all these teachings and put them on thubtenchodron.org for you to listen to. I was delighted, too, to speak at a prison in Singapore. The inmates really took the teachings in, and to show their appreciation, they gave me a beautiful drawing of the Buddha that one of them did. FOSA Singapore did a wonderful job of letting people know about the Abbey, and the eagerness with which Singaporeans want to support the spreading of the Dharma was touching. On May 12, Chinese Vesak Day, the Abbey did a Lama Chopa puja during which we dedicated for the enlightenment of all sentient beings and especially for the welfare of the hundreds of Singaporeans who made special prayer requests. We were pleased that two Singaporeans, Jillian and Leng Poh, were here for the occasion.
On the way back from Singapore, I stopped in Seattle to teach at DFF and at Sakya Monastery. The Suicide Prevention Action Network and the American Association of Suidicology had a conference “Healing After Suicide,” especially for those who have survived the death of a dear one by suicide. They asked me to speak at the luncheon as well as on a panel with other religious leaders. I was touched by their invitation and grateful to them for opening my eyes and educating me about the prevalence and effect of suicide. Some writing I’ve done on the topic is on the Thubten Chodron web site and soon the talk given at the conference will be as well.
The Abbey was delighted to host Ven. Lobsang Dechen and Dr. Betsy Napper, co-directors of the Tibetan Nuns Project, whose work to improve the education and situation of Tibetan nuns has been extraordinary. They are both active in the collective efforts to introduce the full ordination for women into the Tibetan tradition. We enjoyed their all-too-brief visit to the Abbey and their presentation in Coeur d’Alene.
There have been lots of teachings here. Due to good attendance in previous three-week series, our new class in Newport, entitled “Transforming Adversity into Joy and Courage” will run for eight weeks. Coeur d’Alene Dharma Friends and Peace CdA sponsored three talks on peace at North Idaho College, which went very well. The tele-teachings “Working with Anger” organized by Tricycle have been going well too. We’re eager to receive Venerable Panchen Otrul Rinpoche at the Abbey May 27-29 for teachings on “The King of Prayers.” (Read his kind comments)
Families with children under ten, we’re having a special Family Weekend for you at the Abbey, July 22-23! This is your chance to come to the Abbey with your children for a fun weekend. Buddhist Practice and Community Living for young adults aged 18 25 is May 31 to June 7we’ll have a good group here thenand Exploring Monastic Life, a program for monastics and those contemplating ordination which was so successful last year, is in August. There are still a few places at the retreat at Cloud Mountain Retreat Center on Chenresig, June 9 16, after which I’ll give a talk in Portland at Maitripa Institute. Our winter retreat this year will be on Chenresig, so those of you who wish to take a three-month vacation with the Buddha of Compassion, let us know. Due to the kindness of previous retreatants, a scholarship is available this year.
Some good news: Snow Lion Publications just wrote, “We are happy to pass on the news that your book How to Free Your Mind: Tara the Liberator was among those that received "The Best Spiritual Books of 2005" award from Spirituality & Health magazine (June 2006 issue). Congratulations!”
Our offering opportunities began in earnest in April with people coming from near and far. We seeded the road with natural grasses, planted wild roses, day lilies, and summer bulbs. The veggie garden has been planted too. Thanks to Teresa, KayDee, Yusuke, Gioia, Rozie, Miles, Jillian, and Joan! Mary, an IT specialist, has played an important role in getting our new computer integrated into the network. She’s a good teacher for those of us who are technologically challenged.
Let
know if you’d like to join in and help care for the garden, the forest, or the buildings and enjoy Abbey life in the upcoming months. Mary Grace and Leah, old friends from DFF visited us to celebrate Mary Grace’s 50th birthday. We happened to have a naga puja on that day as well.
Prostrations from Afar is happening! There was such wonderful energy among all the participants who did Vajrasattva Retreat from Afar that now the Abbey is continuing this with the preliminary practice of prostrations. This is a potent purification practice, so even if you want to do it slowly, join with a community of others bowing to the Three Jewels. It begins on Tibetan Vesak Day, June 11.
May our hearts be fragrant with the scent of love and compassion, just as the garden is perfumed by lilacs.
In the Dharma,
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