Letter from VKR
24 July, 2007
Dear Everyone,
I would like to thank our Lotus newsletter team for once again bringing out a wonderful and fresh issue of the newsletter, full of humour.
Those of us who were at this year's Lotus Garden Shedra continue to remember the wonderful moments that filled the program. It was special to all of us particularly because of the wonderful teamwork that was apparent everywhere.
The Lotus Garden residents and administrative staff members worked hard to have everything very well organized and ready much before the program formally began. Their hard work allowed all of us to enter an environment that felt settled and very much a practice land. There was no last-minute chaos and most things were in place and ready for people to just settle in and attend the teachings.
H.E. Kongtrul Rinpoche's kindness to our sangha is immeasurable. Rinpoche led the Shedra again this year and his brilliant teachings and advice, as in the past years, have once again helped guide us all on our path of practice. This year too, Rinpoche, with profound insight and understanding continued with his teachings on the Bodhisattvacaryavatara. With rare depth and clarity, Rinpoche's elucidation of the paramita of patience instilled in the minds of all the practitioners a renewed inspiration to practice the dharma with utmost sincerity. Rinpoche, with his remarkable wisdom and skilful manner, gently made us look into our own selves more honestly and reflect on our habitual tendencies.
It has been our hope that the LG Shedra will gradually develop one of the best curriculums for western practitioners who intend to study buddhist texts extensively. Towards realizing this goal, this year also saw the beginning of the buddhist history classes with Lopön Rita Gross. As one of the best scholars on this subject, her knowledge and experience is extensive, and we are truly fortunate in having her on the Shedra faculty. We are now in the process of designing the whole curriculum for the ten-year Shedra course which will be ready soon.
Following the traditional style for in-depth study, the LG Shedra is comprised of a strong group of accomplished Kyorpöns (reviewers) and Lopöns (Acaryas). This group of senior practitioners helps to benefit everyone with reviews and revisions of the materials studied during the course and guides people through meditation instruction and advising. This year the Shedra students benefited from the presence of Judy Wolfer and Judd Williams, and, of course our Lopöns Jann Jackson and Andre Papantonio. The Tibetan classes continued with Zöpa Chödrön and Geoff Picus leading these classes. Kalden Chödrön and Drolma Chödrön stepped in to help them teach an unexpectedly large number of interested students.
Personally, I was also delighted with the presence of our steadily growing sangha of young practitioners. While many participated in the program and made their presence felt, we also joyfully experienced the younger generation from our sangha stepping forward and taking administrative responsibilities, coordinating many important areas of the program. Their stepping forward and taking on more leadership roles has enabled the senior practitioners to gradually concentrate on other responsibilities and their own practices. We are very grateful for their hard work and courage. I hope this journey ahead of you will bring harmony and strengthening of our sangha and will personally be a rewarding experience for you.
A special thank you also goes to the board members who are now working on the building and expansion plans, the heads of all five families and their members; the residents; and of course the administrative staff. I would particularly like to mention the generous help of Carol Marks and Paul Stopforth. As I mentioned before, there was excellent teamwork in all areas, and all of them deserve our appreciation, so I will simply add a great big "THANK YOU ALL" here.
I now look forward to this year's Annual Retreat. This year it is my intention to give an explanation of the nine yanas and transmissions/empowerments as a part of entering the Vajrayana path. Often, I have felt that people do not have the complete transmissions and initiations related to the nine yanas so they do not understand the view of their particular path and practice in its entirety. A clear understanding of the nine yanas is imperative for anyone entering the Vajrayana practices. This dispels many misunderstandings, unnecessary doubts, and the hesitation and fear which build up around the Vajrayana practices. When the nine yanas are understood clearly, one sees that they are the natural progression of one's own view and the unfurling of one's own wisdom mind.
Hopefully, I will also be able to transmit the Vajrasattva Drubchö with its Fire Puja, Tara, Amitayus and the Vajrakilaya transmissions during this Retreat, in addition to continuing with the various texts that we have been doing these last few years.
So until then, from Jetsunla and myself, I send you all our love and good wishes. Please continue to practice well and be kind, always.
KR
Photo Credit: Jane Holden ©2007