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European Sanghas Welcome Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche

H.E. Mindrolling Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche completed the first part of the European teaching schedule of 2009 on the 21st of May. Between the 2nd of April and 20th of May, Rinpoche taught in ten Dharma centres in seven different countries throughout Europe.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche gathers with some members of the European sangha ©2009 Mindrolling International

Germany (Berlin)

The very first teaching program of the tour took place in the new Rigpa Centre in Berlin, which happens to be a magnificent historical building, providing a suitable and generous environment for all the centre's activities. The German Rigpa sangha was delighted that Rinpoche accepted their invitation. Rinpoche gave a public lecture on "The Essence of Buddhism" and also bestowed a two-day seminar, teaching on the topic of the "Way of the Bodhisattva."

Rinpoche herself was equally delighted to get to know the active and thriving sangha of the Rigpa students, who were so incredibly efficient in all their undertakings, and at the same time very cheerful and friendly. The lively and joyful sangha, as well as the whole environment laid out with so much warmth and attention to detail, seemed to be a testimony to the sangha's true dedication and devotion to their teacher and founder of Rigpa, H.E. Sogyal Rinpoche.

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France (Dordogne)

From Berlin Rinpoche traveled to the beautiful region of Dordogne in France - an area greatly blessed by the activity of such masters as H.H. the Dalai Lama, Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, H.H. Karmapa and many other great teachers who have bestowed teachings and established centres of Dharma in this region. Today the area of Dordogne is the seat for a number of major centres of both the Nyingma and Kagyu lineages of Tibetan Buddhism. Dordogne is also an extraordinarily beautiful part of France, with its soft rolling hills changing into rocky cliffs, and then again into gentle valleys, while all this natural beauty is accompanied by the nonchalant charm of the French countryside.

While in Dordogne, Rinpoche gave a two day teaching at Dhagpo Kagyu Ling. More then four hundred students from France and abroad came to attend Rinpoche's teachings, among them many long-term practitioners who have known Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche for decades. Despite her brief and very busy sojourn in Dordogne, Rinpoche accepted the invitation to bless the newly constructed temple and shrine of Nehnang Samten Choling at Les Tranchats, where she was able to speak with some of the senior practitioners and students of Nenang Pawo Rinpoche. The sangha consists of many old time practitioners who are now retired and happy to be able to spend their life in retreat.

Also during her stay in Dordogne, Rinpoche met with some of the sangha members from the Association du Centre d'Etudes de Chanteloube (ACEC) who came to pay respect to Rinpoche. The wonderful centre known as Chanteloube was the main seat of Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Europe and is directed by the Venerable Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche and Jigme Khyentse Rinpoche and it is one of the major Nyingma centres of Dharma in Dordogne.

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Spain

From Dordogne Rinpoche traveled to Dag Shang Kagyu in the Spanish Pyrenees. At Dag Shang Kagyu of Pannillo, a magnificent centre under the direction of Ven. Lama Drubgyu and other senior monks of Ven. Kalu Rinpoche, Rinpoche continued to bestow the introductory teachings for the Minling Dorsem Cycle. These teachings are followed by students from all over Spain, as well as from nearby France and Portugal. The students met throughout the past year in individual study groups to review the teachings and to practice together. At the moment there are study groups in Panillo, Barcelona, Madrid, San Sebastian, Zaragoza as well as in the south of France. During the teachings this year Rinpoche introduced the idea of discussion groups, which was very warmly welcomed by the Spanish sangha because, in their own words, "the southern warm-blooded Spaniards delight in talking and voicing their opinions.” The Lamas of Dag Shang Kagyu also requested Rinpoche to bestow some personal transmissions as well as the empowerment of the Minling Dorsem.

Rinpoche also visited the newly constructed three year retreat centre at Dag Shang Kagyu, the Naro Ling (the retreat centre for men) and Nyigu Ling (the retreat centre for women). Rinpoche met with the group of retreatants who are currently in a six month retreat where they are completing the preliminaries after which they will begin the traditional three year retreat. When Rinpoche visited Dag Shang Kagyu last year, she had blessed the construction sight of the retreat centre and at that time, many of its buildings were still unfinished. It was truly inspiring to see how in a year's time, the retreat centre was now completely functioning and housing the first group of retreatants.

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Norway

The next stop of Rinpoche's tour was Karma Tashi Ling in Norway. After sunny Spain, Norway felt like landing back in the winter, with stretches of snow still lying on the ground and the air brisk and cold. On the first day Rinpoche was asked to give a public lecture at the Paramita city centre on the topic of "Inspiration." The rest of the program took place at the retreat centre of Karma Shedrup Ling, where Rinpoche stayed in a small retreat cabin in the woods. When the sangha asked Rinpoche if perhaps, in this cold whether, she would prefer to stay in the main house of the centre where heating was available, Rinpoche answered that since the sangha members apparently were not using the retreat cabins, she might as well put them to some use. Indeed, the sangha of Karma Tashi Ling seems to find it hard these days to find the time to in stay in retreat, as most of the members are currently preoccupied with a number of expansion projects and thus, in Rinpoche's own words, preparing the ground for the next generation. Over the last fifteen years, Rinpoche has guided the sangha of Karma Tashi Ling in their projects and practices.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche with the Norwegian sangha in front of the stupa at Karam Tashi Ling. Oslo, April 2009 ©2009 Ani Konchog

Last year, the sangha expanded with the founding of the new city centre Paramita in the heart of Oslo, and this year they have begun another major project, the building of a new traditional temple. The resident lama of Karma Tashi Ling, Ven. Lama Jangchub and the sangha also supplicated Rinpoche to perform the earth breaking consecration ceremony for their new temple. Rinpoche then gave a short commentary to the text of the Riwo Sangchö so that the whole sangha would be able to join the ceremony which Rinpoche performed as part of the consecration of the land for the temple.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and the Norwegian sangha during the Riwo Sanchö performed as part of the consecration ceremony of the land of the new temple. Oslo, Norway, April 2009 ©2009 Ani Konchog
Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Jangchub and the Norwegian sangha during the Riwo Sanchö performed as part of the consecration ceremony of the land of the new temple. Oslo, Norway, April 2009 ©2009 Ani Konchog
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Sweden

From Norway Rinpoche travelled to Sweden, where she was welcomed by our gracious host Annette Kreuger who escorted us - by car and by boat - to the serene island of Idoborg in the Stockholm Archipelago. The entire program went very smoothly, mainly thanks to the efforts of Tamsin Smith and Bohdana Syptakova, the main resident practitioners on the island, who very capably coordinated the entire program. Rinpoche's teaching was a continuation from last year, when she taught on the Outer Preliminaries, and this year she continued with the Inner Preliminaries. Each day the teachings were followed by Ngöndro practice sessions and Rinpoche was able to give individual guidance to many of the students, mainly with regard to prostrations.

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Czech Republic

From Sweden Rinpoche headed south again, to the Czech Republic. Like last year, the sangha of KTC Prague organized the program in a recreation resort in Southern Bohemia. Its remote location doesn't leave the participants with much option in their spare time other than practice. The Czech sangha supplicated Rinpoche to start a series of teachings on the Ocean of Definitive Meaning by the 9th Gyalwa Karmapa Wangchug Dorje. Rinpoche kindly agreed, and she also combined the commentary to the Ocean of Definitive Meaning with heart advice from the texts of Longchen Rabjam and Khenpo Gangshar. After each session people were asked to sit and apply the instructions in solitary meditation, for which the surrounding woods and meadows gave ample opportunity. A large group of disciplined students spent the entire time very dedicatedly practicing and studying the Dharma.

This year Rinpoche also bestowed the empowerment of Green Tara, one of the regular sadhana practices at KTC Prague. Furthermore, Rinpoche also gave the lung and instructions for Ngöndro practice and in an unprecedented way, a large number of new students began the practice of Ngöndro.

Photo Credit: Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche bestowing the empowerment of Green Tara in the Czech Republic, April 2009 ©2009 KTC Prague/Samten Tse Czech Republic
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Denmark

Denmark was the next stop, where Rinpoche stayed at the home of her Danish students Lone and Anne and their cats. Rinpoche always enjoys time with their pets. This year there was a new male cat who apparently just wandered into Lone and Anne's veterinary clinic and since then refused to leave. Rinpoche named this new cat Norbu and he was a source of amusement to us throughout our stay, as he seemed to be constantly oscillating between ostentatious, dignified detachment, and extreme cuddliness; a funny cat indeed.

After a free day spent at Lone and Anne's home with Norbu and Mona the cats, Rinpoche gave a three day teaching program at the Phendeling meditation centre in the heart of Copenhagen. The program was very well organized by Elsebeth Kristensen, who was greatly helped by many others, mainly the members of the newly established group of Samten Tse Denmark. Rinpoche taught on the topic of the Nine Yanas. While in Denmark, Rinpoche had an opportunity to meet with the renowned translator and author of the Rangjung Yeshe, Eric Pema Kunzang who now directs Gomde, the centre of H.E Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and H.E.Tsikey Chogling Rinpoche.

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France (Paris and Normandy)

From Denmark Rinpoche traveled to France one more time, this time to teach a two day program at the Kagyu Dzong Centre in Paris, and then at Vajradharaling in the countryside of Normandy. At Kagyu Dzong Rinpoche continued with the series of teachings on the Thirty Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva, and at Vajradharaling she completed the series of teachings on The Aspiration of Mahamudra, and continued with the Minling Dorsem Cycle.

Photo Credit: The sangha from France and other European countries attending the Dorsem Cycle of Teachings at Vajradharaling, May 2009 ©2009 Nathalie Eno
Photo Credit: Ven. Lama Gyurme and the lamas of Vajradharaling offering mandala to Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche, May 2009 ©2009 Nathalie Eno

Supplicated by Lama Gyurme of Vajradharaling, and in order to fulfil the aspiration of the previous Kalu Rinpoche that the Dorsem drubchö be performed at Vajradharaling regularly, Rinpoche started bestowing the Minling Dorsem Cycle of Teachings at Vajradharaling in 2004. Since then, both Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and Jetsün Dechen Paldrön have been coming back to Vajradharaling each year, sometimes even twice or three times a year, in order to continue teaching on all the various aspects of the Dorsem Cycle. Thanks to their tireless guidance and care, it became possible that last year, a western sangha was for the first time able to perform a drubchö of the Minling Dorsem sadhana in Tibetan language, guided by both Rinpoche and Jetsünla. At the conclusion of this year's program, a drubchö took place again. And even though everyone was overjoyed to have been able to complete the practice, there was also a strong sense of awareness that so much more still needs to be learned. Also Lama Gyurme requested Rinpoche to bestow the Minling Dorsem empowerment again, for all those who would like to join the regular drubchö practices, and Rinpoche kindly gave the empowerment at the end of the program.

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Germany (Bremen)

For the very last program of the spring tour Rinpoche returned to Germany, this time to the city of Bremen in the north. As we drove from the airport to the centre of Samten Tse Bremen- Germany, we couldn't help but notice that the whole town was literally in full bloom, be it rhododendron bushes, lilac trees, tulip flowers, fruit trees, everything was blossoming. Ani Dam Tshö and the sangha members of Samten Tse Bremen have done a tremendous job since last year of reconstructing and refurnishing a house in a quiet Bremen district, which is the base for the Samten Tse Bremen sangha, and which is also now a home to Ani Dam Tshö, the resident lama. Attached to the house is a lovely garden, of course, full of blooming trees and flowers, enhancing even more the uplifted atmosphere of the centre.

Last year the German students had repeatedly requested Rinpoche to begin the Minling Dorsem Cycle of Teachings in Bremen. Therefore, Rinpoche began with instructions on the preliminaries of the Minling Dorsem. The teachings were attended by students from all over Germany, and also by a group of students from Scandinavia as well as the Czech Republic. All the students who wish to follow the cycle of teachings will meet throughout the coming year for reviews of the teachings under the guidance of Anila Dam Tshö and Arne Schelling.

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Return to India

From Bremen, Rinpoche finally returned to India to lead the nuns into their annual summer retreat. Rinpoche will resume her teaching schedule in June 09 with the beautiful country of Greece and the Samten Tse, Athens Centre.

—Story contributed by Zuzana Dankova

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