Rinpoche went on to talk about the significance of being truly familiar with Tibetan grammar when approaching the task of translating. In this context he mentioned the two important Tibetan grammar treatises, the Sumchupa and Takjukpa. However, in order to learn spoken Tibetan, he made clear that mingling with Tibetans is the most important thing. We are only at the beginning of our translation “career”, yet he addressed us as though he already considered us as potential candidates for the vast project of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche and Dzogchen Pönlop Rinpoche of translating the Buddha’s words and the shastras of the great Indian masters. Moreover Rinpoche stressed the importance of conveying the meaning of a text rather than merely translating the words without having a proper understanding of the text’s intent. The translated scriptures of the Nyingma-school are mainly meaning-translations, and as Nyingmapas he advised us to follow this approach. In order to do so, a good grasp of Buddhist philosophy is required, and the knowledge of the meaning of a word in a specific context.

The entirety of the Buddhadharma can be found in the Tibetan tradition. However the teachings do not belong to Tibet alone, they are for everybody. Now it is up to us to keep them alive and to translate the Buddha’s message into other languages.

Khenpo Pema Sherab concluded his speech by talking about the outer environment of the Lerab Ling temple and the more important inner environment of the Sangha who study and practice the teachings. And once again he offered his help if any problems should occur during our program.

This week Rinpoche has also been giving the lung for Khenpo Ngakchung’s namtar, the story of his life and liberation. We were fortunate enough to be able to attend. Usually the prerequisite for receiving this lung is the completion of a three year retreat, but he felt that the benefit outweighed the risk.

With this care and support on our side we are fully inspired to make the most of our time here.

On 18 July 2010, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche will give a Public Talk, The Lineage of a Good Heart, during his visit to Lerab Ling,Sogyal Rinpoche’s main retreat centre in France.

This year marks the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who was one the greatest
spiritual teachers of our time. A number of special gatherings, teachings and events have been arranged this year to celebrate the life and remarkable accomplishments of Kyabjé Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, and to introduce his incarnation, Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, to the world.

We are very excited to be able to offer free, live video streaming of this teaching:

Date: 18 July 2010
Time: 3pm, Paris time (GMT+2)
Video streaming website: http://videostreaming.rigpa.org
More information:  http://www.lerabling.org OR http://www.rigpa.org

For more information about the tour and the anniversary celebrations, go to:
http://web.me.com/vsandoval/Shechen_News/2010_Centennial_Celebrations.html

Please let your sangha and friends know. Everyone is welcome to join.

This spring at Lerab Ling, from May 25 till June 5, we had the great good fortune to receive the first of a series of teachings on Mipham Rinpoche’s ‘Beacon of Precious Certainty’ from Khenchen Pema Sherab, who is one of the senior-most Khenpos of the Nyingma tradition.

Structured around seven profound and difficult questions that have confounded many of the greatest minds of the past, in the Beacon of Certainty, Mipham Rinpoche offers clear and precise answers which give insight into the key points of view and meditation on the level of madhyamaka, tantra and Dzogchen.

Khen Rinpoche taught directly on the root verses, using the structural outline of a commentary by the great Khenpo Jamyang Drupé Lödro. He completed teaching on the third question, and began to teach on the fourth. His teachings clearly brought out some of the key themes of this profound text such as that understanding alone is not enough; we need to gain unshakable certainty in the selfless nature of reality and then make that insight our constant experience through meditation, in order to genuinely follow the path to enlightenment. Moreover, while the ultimate nature of reality transcends all thoughts and concepts and is the complete freedom from grasping, in order to get there, most of us need to skillfully use concepts and analysis as antidotes to the thick layer of delusion we’ve held in our mindstream from beginningless samsara.

Though this was by no means a beginning level text, to help us to understand Mipham Rinpoche’s profound points and Khen Rinpoche’s remarkable explanation, we were extremely fortunate to have his attendant and translator Lopon Sonam Tsewang give clarification sessions every afternoon. His meticulous, confident and patient manner made it possible for students of disparate backgrounds to improve and check their understanding of the teachings.

During this visit, Khenchen Pema Sherab also began teaching the Lerab Ling monastic community and on the last day he gave the lung for the ‘Beacon of Certainty’, as well as for the text ‘Ascertaining the Three Vows’, concluding with some heart advice to the Sangha. There he stressed the importance of the monastic tradition and reminded us that what’s most important is the good qualities that manifest in the students through their genuine study and practice of the teachings.

We are all very happy that Khen Rinpoche has kindly agreed to return and continue teaching  on the same text next year, and we look forward to having out minds and hearts illuminated further by Mipham’s precious Beacon of Certainty.

The teachings, in which Rinpoche displayed his customary clarity, humour and uncanny knack for conveying difficult points in a practical and accessible way, were attended by more than a hundred students in Lerab Ling, and simultaneously streamed via the internet to centres in Dublin, Barcelona, Madrid, Brisbane, Sydney, Düsseldorf, Munich and Nice.

We are very happy to announce that the audio files are now available online for free download here.

The Shedra West will continue on May 26th with teachings by Khenchen Pema Sherab on Mipham Rinpoche’s Beacon of Certainty.

REGISTER HERE!

The shedra’s new Tibetan translator training programme got under way earlier this week in Namdroling, South India. Pictured, along with the shedra’s long term teacher Khenpo Sonam Tobden and his translator Stefan Eckel, are the very first students to arrive. More students are expected to join in the coming weeks. The programme will continue until October.

The last Tendrel Nyesel Tsok, joined by Khenpo Sonam Tobden

Each day students engaged in a rich schedule of study, debate, contemplation, practice and Tibetan language classes. Those new to Tibetan worked diligently to master the key points of grammar, while more advanced students trained in the spoken language as well as translating texts. This year students also had the great good fortune to meet with many great masters from the Tibetan tradition, including Sogyal Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, Lodi Gyari Rinpoche and Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, as well receiving the constant blessing and guidance of Khenpo Namdrol, who also kindly granted students a series of precious transmissions and empowerment.

Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche

Sogyal Rinpoche and Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche during Sogyal Rinpoche’s visit in February

Khenpo Sonam Tobden reminded students on the last day of how much merit there is in studying the Dharma. He urged everyone to dedicate their vast store of merit to the spreading of the teachings in the world, their enduring stability, the good health and long life of all the great teachers and for the welfare of every living being. Dharma is about bringing benefit to others, which we can only do by applying the teachings we receive to our own minds and hearts. And Khenpo Namdrol urged everyone to return next year, acknowledging how rare it is to find the right circumstances to study the Dharma, and reminding students that to the extent that they make effort to study in the face of whatever challenges arise, to that same extent they receive the blessings. In that spirit students joined together to sponsored a tsok on the last dakini day so all may be auspicious for everyone to return. But for some, this year is just getting started. A half dozen students will journey to Namdroling monastery in South India to begin the first year of the Rigpa Shedra’s new Tibetan Translator training programme. Khenpo Namdrol wished them all the best in their studies, and playfully suggested that they not return to Pharping until they are ready to translate next year’s teachings!

Study time!

Report by Ian Ives. Photos by Jurek Schreiner

After a request from one student to receive the reading transmission (Tib. lung) for the Guhyagarbha Tantra, Khenchen Namdrol, in his enormous kindness, made sure that not only all the students of the Shedra East received the lung, but also that we got the necessary empowerment beforehand. So, on Saturday Khen Rinpoche gave the empowerment of the peaceful deities from the mandala of one hundred peaceful and wrathful deities (Tib. shyi tro) to the Rigpa Shedra.

We were cozily packed into Penor Rinpoche’s room in Khen Rinpoche’s house. He took the time to patiently guide us through all the steps of the visualization, and made sure that we understood the significance and reason for the empowerment and the lung: since the great masters who composed commentaries are not with us anymore, they cannot give us permission to study their words. So, a lung is given to pass on the authorization and the blessing of the lineage to students. Khen Rinpoche also authorized us to study his own teachings on the Guhyagarbha Tantra that he gave in Lerab Ling. He requested that we listen to them, study and understand them and practise accordingly.

Photo by Jurek Schreiner

The Guhyagarbha Tantra (Tib. Gyü Sangwé Nyingpo) or The Essence of Secrets Tantra is the main tantra of the Mahayoga. For centuries, detailed study of its root verses has been the key to understanding the most prominent themes and practices of Vajrayana, such as empowerments, samayas, mantra recitation and the use of mandalas. There are many famous commentaries on this tantra, including Longchenpa’s Trilogy of Dispelling Darkness, Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima’s Key to the Precious Treasury and Mipham Rinpoche’s Essence of Clear Light.

Khenchen Namdrol gave teachings on the Guhyagarbha Tantra to the Rigpa Sangha in Lerab Ling, 2003-2006, using Dodrupchen Jikme Tenpe Nyima’s commentary.

Report by Verena Pfeiffer

]]> http://www.rigpashedra.org/?feed=rss2&p=401 0 http://www.rigpashedra.org/?p=386 http://www.rigpashedra.org/?p=386#comments Wed, 14 Apr 2010 17:13:00 +0000 davide http://www.rigpashedra.org/?p=386

Today a group of shedra students joined by our very own Khenpo Sonam Tobten completed successfully a training on how to handle Tibetan Language digitally held by Digital Tibetan.org wizard Dominik Schlösser. The content of the course ranged from the basics of how to configure your PC for Tibetan script, up to the somewhat esoteric art of digital pecha creation.

Thanks Dominik!

RSE 2010 with Ring Tulku Rinpoche - Photo by Jurek

On 23 February 2010, the Rigpa shedra was invited to meet with Ringu Tulku Rinpoche in Kathmandu.  After diverse adventures and teachings throughout Nepal during the Losar break, the shedra students had also enjoyed an audience with Sogyal Rinpoche and Khenpo Namdrol Rinpoche earlier that day.  The group then met for lunch at Shechen Gompa and made their way along winding lanes behind the holy stupa of Bouddhanath to Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s house.  They were greeted initially by barking dogs, friendly youngsters and other signs of normal family life.  In his shrine room at the top of the house, Rinpoche gave the shedra group a warm and gracious welcome.  Shedra students presented some of their most burning questions, which Rinpoche addressed with profound simplicity and humour.

Report by Greg

To watch the teachings click here

No pilgrimage would be complete without its share of hardships, and as anyone knows who has travelled in Nepal, the road is not an easy one. At 5:00 AM, the group of intrepid pilgrim students waited shivering on the side of the road, as the driver, in true Nepali fashion, arrived with the bus about forty minutes late. The group cheerfully boarded and proceeded in the direction of the first stop, Namo Buddha, about three hours to the west.

Namo Buddha is the name given to the place where, in a previous lifetime, the Buddha gave his blood, and then his whole body, to feed a mother tiger nursing her cubs. It is one of the great pilgrimage destinations for Buddhists, and as such, the group proceeded to do circumambulations and their daily morning practice of Riwo Sangcho. The practice was led by a friend of the Rigpa Shedra, a local yogi and student of Chadral Rinpoche, Jigme Wangyal. Jigme also helps in the tutoring process for students learning spoken colloquial Tibetan.

Descending the terrifying road from Namo Buddha, with the usual narrow scrapes as the bus met other vehicles coming up, the group proceeded to its next destination, an ancient Garuda shrine in the Changu Narayan Temple, which includes statues and artwork dating from as far back as the fifth century. As in so many of Nepal’s shrines, Hindu and Buddhist worship is shared in the same location. Although mainly considered a Hindu temple, the site has been a destination for Tibetans and other Buddhists for countless centuries. One lama told us that it has been a traditional stopping point for Tibetans on voyages because of the coolness of its lofty location overlooking the often sweltering Kathmandu valley. It has traditionally been a place of special practices to entice rain, since water is associated with the Nagas, the traditional rivals of the Garudas.

By now, running far behind the schedule planned by shedra manager, Davide Piai, the hot, tired and hungry group stopped in the tiny village surrounding the Changu site. Several hours later, having duly exercised and enriched the owners of the local restaurants, the pilgrims rejoiced to hear the bus start its ancient engines once again. Lacking the time to do the world-famous historic Bhaktapur royal palace area, the students, led by our own intrepid Ani Samten Palmo, threaded their way through the tiny, ancient streets to a remarkable, unprecedented worship site featuring a unique Red Tara—a Red Tara in a kneeling position, bound, with head down, certainly contemplating compassion and protection for all sentient beings. It is an unforgettable sight. Some Nepalese describe the statue as a representation of Dipamkara, a Buddha anterior to the Buddha Shakyamuni, but from whatever point of view, it is a compelling image of the compassion of the enlightened ones.

Not phased by the dusty roads and interminable traffic congestion, the group vowed to do circumambulations at the two great stupas of Kathmandu, Boudanath, and Swayambhunath to complete the day of pilgrimage. But the Kathmandu valley had not finished throwing obstacles in their path. Blocked in an impassable traffic jam on the ring road of Kathmandu, the bus was unable to move for over an hour until one student, versed in the language of animated motivation (French) breathed life into the local constabulary to unblock the road and allow the to bus pass. Alas, the delays had exhausted what little time remained in the day, and students were forced to return to Pharping or proceed to the stupas on their own for personal practice. Nevertheless, the pilgrimage was lauded as a success, since more than a few of the pilgrims, including the present author, noticed a radical removal of obstacles in the hours and days to follow.

No road is without its obstacles, but no pilgrim allows them to be anything but that: mere obstacles to remove on the path of enlightenment.

Reportage by Rob Spaulding