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The Newsletter of Lhokha Gongkar Chde Dorje DhenTibetan Buddhist Monastery

Seat of the Dzongpa Branch of the Glorious Sakya Tradition

Dorje Dhen:

Issue 5

After the highly fruitful visit to the UK earlier this year, His Eminence Gongkar DorjeDhenpa Rinpoche continued His travels to the West, landing in the United States of

America for the first time in history on 20thJune, 2009. At the invitation of His close

student, Deborah Hilton, His Eminence began his tour on the Big Island of Hawaii,accompanied by the Abbot of Gongkar Chde, the Venerable Tsogchen KhenpoJamphel Chzin. Deborah, who is a much-cherished friend and supporter ofRinpoche and His monastery in India, is also our indefatigably kind and generouswebmaster, and what follows is her account of His Eminences recent trip:

This was quite an unprecedented tripfor Rinpoche and Khenpo-la, as theydid not travel with the usual support oftheir attendants and ritual master for

over two and a half months. This, in

teachings, initiations and ceremonies were by donations. The tour was made possible by sponsorship of twodonors, the centers where programs were held graciously offering reduced rates for their use, and the heartfeltgifts of danafrom those who came to His Eminences programs.

effect, meant an emergence into American culture and customs with a more organic,on-the-spot approach to transmitting the Buddhadharma. With sensitivity to thedifficult economic times, as in England earlier this year, all of His Eminences

One of the objectives of the tour was forstudents of all levels to be able todeepen their understanding of theBuddhadharma and to help strengthentheir practice. What can often happen inthe United States is that wonderfully

trained and precious Lamas come andgive empowerments and teachings butleave within a day or two, rendering italmost impossible to integrate preciousteachings. Rinpoche heard my heartfeltrequest and consented to concentrateHis first visit to the United States to justa few places. This provided the rareopportunity for more in-depth teachingsand explanations than is usuallypossible. The other tremendous benefitwas that many people got to meet and

spend substantial amounts of time with

His Eminence and Khenpo-la to forge deep bondsof understanding and to be in their holy presence. The tour began at Nechung Dorje DrayangLing, in Pahala on the Big Island of Hawaii. WoodValley Temple (as it is commonly called) has beenin existence for more than thirty years with virtuallyall Their Holinesses and many of the Rinpochesand high Lamas of all traditions having taught atthis very special Temple in this isolated part of thePacific Ocean. The collective Sangha of Hawaii openedtheir arms wide with a beautiful welcome picnic ona bright, sunny summer day. The Big Island is bigin comparison to the other islands in the Hawaiianchain, but very rural and small in population. There-fore, it was a continuing delight as to how many

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people somehow found their way to HisEminences programs. The Temple groundswere an idyllic setting of quietude and beauty.The devotion of its founders, Marya and MiguelSchwabe, was evident with the overseeing of all

the details and nuances of hosting visiting Lamas. Marya is also aTibetan translator par excellence, so we in attendance weretreated to many fine translations of His Eminence and Khenpo-lasprofound discourses.

The resident monk, Venerable Lobzang Toldan, who wasthe previous attendant to Nechung Rinpoche, was a tremendoushelp with necessary Dharma preparations and steadfast compan-

ion to His Eminence and Khenpo-la, softening the cultural differences of Tibetan monastic life and Americanculture. He also made some fantastic noodles and momos! The Temple guesthouse became our home-base aswe traveled back and forth to the mainland and the island of Oahu over the following two and a half months. Inhaving this kind of arrangement, it was manageable for His Eminence and Khenpo-la to perform several specialpujaswith Venerable Lobzang for the Temples prosperity, and also provided time for requested house blessingsand personal interviews with His Eminence. It was very auspicious that the first program Rinpoche offered was the White Tara Puja for the long life of

His Holiness the Dalai Lama on His Holinesss birthday, July 6th, and for the benefit of all sentient beings. This was

held at Paleaku Gardens Peace Sanctuary, overlooking Kealakekua Bay. This center originally began as aBuddhist centre of Kalu Rinpoche and in the ensuing forty years has also hosted many, many spiritual giants ofall traditions. The centre is now a place that honours all religions and spiritual traditions of the world. Barbara DeFranco, founder and visionary, also treated everyone to a delightful homemade dinner on the centers five-acreproperty that overlooks the sparkling blue Pacific. A few days later, at Wood Valley Temple, His Eminence performed a peaceful form of the Varjapani FirePuja, open to everyone, to remove obstacles and create positive circumstances for practicing the Dharma. Onceagain it was a glorious warm, clear day. However, during the Fire Puja, the wind began to blow from all directions,creating a vortex-like updraft over the fire and swaying the forest trees all around. A deep thundering sound washeard in the forest and then two Io, rare Hawaiian Hawks, could be heard calling to one another as they

approached from the distance. They came into sight over the fire, calling their piercing cry, like a bell sounding inthe silence. They circled higher and higher in a figure-of-eight around one another, much to the delight andsurprise of those in attendance, and eventually disappeared high overhead. The wind stopped and a peaceful joyprevailed over everyone that day and set the tone for His Eminences entire tour. At the weekend, His Eminence began the first of many teachings and empowerments. The initiation ofWhite Tara, a special transmission held by His Eminence, was bestowed. At he end of the teaching, a spontane-ous request was made by a new practioner moved by His Eminences clarity, joy and overwhelming kindness totake Refuge with Him personally. Rinpoche consented, and on the spot, about twenty-five other people tookRefuge too! It was a moving and beautiful conclusion to His Eminences first official teaching in the U.S. and aprelude of what would be repeated over and over during the tour.

His Eminence and Khenpo-la befriend aturtle on the beach (top), by a dormantvolcano! (left), & presiding over theFire Puja (above).

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The following week, His Eminence and Khenpo-la travelled to mainland America to visit family who had not beenseen in many years. Rinpoche in Oakland, California, and Khenpo-la onto Boston, Massachusetts.

From Oakland, our small entourage travelled to Fairbanks, Alaska, with the kind and generous support ofNeville Jacobs, the founder of the Alaska Buddhist Center. We were also met by Rigdzin Tinghye from SakyaMonastey in Seattle, who was to be His Eminences and Khenpo-las translator during their stay in Alaska and laterin Seattle. Not only did Rigdzin translate, he also cooked breakfast and kept everyone laughing with his storiesand songs. Even though it was midnight when we arrived in Fairbanks, members of the Alaska Sangha metRinpoche and Khenpo-la at the airport to give a very wonderful Tibetan-Alaskan greeting! It was a heartening wayto begin His Eminences teaching tour in the Land of the Midnight Sun. It never did get dark! His Eminence spieda moose in the back yard of the Four Winds Foundation, our home for ten days, at 1am, and there was enoughlight to take photographs of the moose munching his way through the trees! The Four Winds Foundation is ownedby Debra Chesnut, a renowned Shaman. This lovely center also allowed for our accommodation on-site, with the

Sangha members bringing us fully cooked lunch and dinners everyday, co-coordinated by Kay Wilson - no smallfeat! Several outings into the surrounding Alaskan countryside were arranged by the extremely kind and consider-ate ABC members. During the ten-day stay in Fairbanks, His Eminence had a very full schedule. As He began theWhite Mahakala initiation and explanation, a gentle light rain began to fall and then a loud single thunderclapsignalled the beginning of His Eminences transmission, and simultaneously the rain completely stopped.

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Cultivating Communityfor the

Dharma to ThriveThe next day, Khenpo-la gave a very inter-esting and informative explanation of the

Five Dhyani Buddhas with a lively questionand answer period. In the following days,His Eminence taught The Letter of Instruc-tion to the Yogi of Kongpo, Nyida Zanpo,bestowed the White Tara initiation and atwo-day teaching on the practice, onceagain followed by students spontaneouslyrequesting Refuge from His Eminence.With Nevilles superb organisational skills,Rinpoche also gave a public talk at theUnitarian Church and a Senior Citizenshome. There was also time to conduct

several house and business blessings inbetween teachings and empowerments.This involvement of family, friends and commu-nity contributed to the feeling of really beingpart of this wonderful, friendly northern commu-nity. At the request of many new friends andstudents, His Eminence has promised to comeback again soon to this thriving and robustDharma community. We felt like were leavingfamily behind when we left. From the majesty and peacefulness ofAlaska to the bustling metropolitan city ofSeattle, we traveled once again by air. The

Sangha and board members of SakyaMonastery were waiting for His Eminence asHe arrived at the Alaska Air terminal. Onceagain, the feeling of friendship and Sanghamade everyone immediately at home. All the

board members took a special interest and took turns chauffeuring us around, providing fine meals, sightseeingtours and generally taking excellent care of us all.

His Holiness Jigdal DagchenRinpoche, Head Lama of SakyaPhuntsog Phodrang, and HerEminence Dagyum Kusho, whohave been ceaselessly kind to

His Eminence Gongkar DorjeDhenpa Rinpoche and GongkarChoede Monastery over theyears, graciously invited HisEminence and Khenpo-la totheir home for an informal visitand lunch the next day. HisEminence and Khenpo-la weregreatly moved by the kindnessand blessings that werebestowed by His Holiness. AndDagyum Kusho-las loving andgentle presence at HisEminences teachings at theMonastery and other functionswill always be cherished in ourhearts.

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His Eminence taught The Letter ofInstructions over two evenings at theSakya Monastery to a very attentivelay and ordained Sangha. The careand attention to detail were evidenteverywhere: in the exquisitely trans-formed church, to the Happy TrailsTo You song that was sung by thewhole Sangha holding hands before

Rinpoche and Khenpo-la departed forthe Big Island of Hawaii. Once again,it was truly wonderful to see theBuddhadharma flourishing in theWest. With a days rest upon arrivingback to Wood Valley Temple,Khenpo-la gave a fantastic and clearexplanation of The Heart Sutra. Thenext day, His Eminence gave the

restricted initiation to Vajrayana practitioners of the multi-coloredVarja Garuda that is special to his lineage. Two days later, the

White Mahakala initiation and explanation, which supports thewell-being and prosperity of Tantric practitioners, was given by HisEminence. Even though this was in the middle of the week, it waswell attended and His Eminence continued to attract new peoplewho were interested in the Buddhadharma. Two days after that,Marya and Miguel requested that Rinpoche and Khenpo-la, alongwith Venerable Lobzang, conduct a Mahakala Puja specifically forthe temple. This lasted most of the day and ended with a Tsokattended by a few fortunate people who were also staying at thetemple.

Keeping up with the pace, His Eminence and companywent for a lovely visit to the home of Barbara Lee in Pahala for a

house blessing and dinner. Attending the blessing were three localJapanese Hawaiian Buddhists, all between 80 and 93 years old! Itwas a most delightful exchange between two different Buddhisttraditions. Several days latter, His Eminence gave teachings over foursessions based on The Letter of Instructions. This teaching wasskillfully translated by Marya, which was paramount to understandthe precise points about Tantra, the resultant Mahayana, and its

correct practice by those who have enteredthe causal Mahayana Buddhist path that HisEminence was conveying. The next stop was Honolulu on theneighboring island of Oahu, where Rinpocheand Khenpo-la both gave a public talk atKapiolani Community College on DiamondHead Road, a part of the University of Hawaii.The co-coordinator of the event, ElainaMalm, did such a good a job in promoting HisEminences visit that the space was overflow-ing, all seats filled and some having to sit inthe aisles! It was truly heartening to seecollege students, professors and interestedlocal people come to hear, What ismeditation? as taught by an eminentlyrecognised high Lama of Tibetan Buddhism.

Elaina had never personally met HisEminence before His coming to Honolulu, butshe was inspired to support and work veryhard to make this event happen. After theevening, there was much discussion and

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planning as to the next time Rinpoche comes back!

Upon arriving back at the Nechung Temple, the Venerable Thubten Ngdrub, Medium of the Chief StateOracle of Tibet, also arrived at the same time. At the invitation of the Temple, His Eminence and Khenpo-la wererequested to take part in a Fire Puja along with the Nechung monks. In the mists of a tropical downpour, the fireburned brightly throughout the two and a half hour ceremony. Not one person left for shelter, many becomingcompletely soaked! The next day, a Varjakilaya blessing and Guru Padmasambhava Tsokwere performed by theDzongpa and Nechung monks together. That night, Marya and Miguel cooked one of their famous dinners for alltheir distinguished guests and a few very fortunate friends. The summers tour had drawn to an end and it wastime to leave the sanctuary of this blessed Temple and friends.

In the last few remaining days, His Eminence and Khenpo-la stayed in a cabin on two acres of land in theKau forest at 3,200 feet. This small house will be the new retreat centre for His Eminences activities here in theHawaiian Islands. The overwhelming request that His Eminence return and the success of being here for a longertime for more in-depth teachings has taken root. His Eminence has listened and has responded to the repeated

requests of His American students and friends to return to America as soon as possible to establish a branch ofGongkar Dorje Dhen and further the Buddhadharma in America.

The astounding compassion of His Eminence to freely and tirelessly share the Buddhas teachings wasself-evident by the tremendous success of His tour. As with all large endeavors, this tour and further plans wouldnot have been possible without generous support in many forms. Many kind and committed Buddhists andinterested persons gave freely of their time and skills to help make His Eminences first visit enjoyable andprofound. The teachings would not have been as accessible without the support and devotion of Gelong NgawangKhyentse, who provided all the written translation into English for the texts and prayers. Khyentse-la was ourmonk-attendant from afar and was much appreciated!

It is with deep gratitude and reverence that the merit of this tour be offered to all sentient beings. May givingand receiving benefit all beings!

Recently, Roger Upright, who was very involved with facilitating the Somerset leg of His Eminences UK tour

earlier this year, was interviewed by BBC radio about His Eminence Gongkar Dorje Dhenpa Rinpoche and theMonastery in India, where Roger was heading for his first visit. The interview can be heard on-line at http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0044yz1/Pippa_Quelch_30_08_2009Heres what Roger had to say about his experience at the monastery:

I recently had the good fortune to be invited to stay at the monastery ofHis Eminence Gongkar Dorje Dhenpa Rinpoche in Dheradun in NorthernIndia for two weeks.

I arrived in Delhi to have my senses bombarded by all the soundsand smells of this crazy, overcrowded city. I have never seen so manypeople all trying to get their car/scooter/cycle/rickshaw/motorbike allalong a road at the same time at speeds that made you think you weregoing to die at any moment. This was a feeling that was to repeat itself

many times during my visit to India as I travelled by bus and car. I musthave shut my eyes and prayed to whatever gods there were out there(this isn't easy for a Buddhist who doesn't believe in God) to please saveme from being crushed to death by the next oncoming vehicle.

I was met at the airport by Ngawang Tenzin-la who took me to the Tibetan quarter of Delhi to spend my first night.He looked after me and made sure this slightly dazed Englishman didn't get completely lost on his first night.

The next day, he got me onto a bus to Dehradun. This is an experience as anyone will know who hastravelled in India. The bus was about thirty years old and looked as if it had hit just about everything in site it wasso badly dented. It took eight hours to get upto Dehradun and I spent it in the company of a young Tibetan girl whowas travelling to meet her teacher to have her exam papers marked.

When I finally arrived in at Dehradun bus station, two monks were waiting patiently to take me the 45min.drive to the monastery in the pick-up truck. We finally left the main road and took a small winding graveled track

down through a forest into the Tibetan owned farm land and at the end of the road: Gonkar Chde monastery.My lovely room was next to Rinpoche-la and we spent many a happy hour eating meals and putting the

world to rights. During the day, after puja, I would spend some time with the younger monks playing badmingtonor throwing a frisbee and sitting with them to practice their English.

Being in the monastery is like having an invisible bubble over your world in which you move from one place

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quietly to another in an atmosphere of tranquility and friend-ship, it was quite an amazing feeling.

The highlight of my visit was an audience with HisHoliness the Sakya Trizin. We spent about 20mins. sitting andtalking with him. He asked me where I came from and how longI was staying, and said he was coming to England next yearand would I be able to get to Bournemouth or Reading to seehim? (You bet I will!)

I wont list all the exciting things I did during my visit - itwould take too many pages. Its enough to say that if you getthe chance to go to spend time with Rinpoche-la, Khenpo-la theAbbot and all the other wonderful people there, take it. It willchange your life.

Tashi Delek- Roger Upright - Seaton, Devon, England.

Tranquility&

Friendship

As the supreme protector

guarding the northern regions,

A place completely filled

with an ocean of learning

and accomplishment,

Illuminating

the Buddhas Dispensation

in the Land of Snows:

May the teachings and practices

of the Sakya-pa radiate!

As we explained in our last issue, this year it is the turn of the Dzong-pa branch of the Sakya lineage ofTibetan Buddhism to organise the annual Sakya Monlam in Lumbini, Nepal, which starts on 23rd November. Weare especially honoured as this year a special ceremony will be added into the usual schedule to mark the GoldenJubilee of His Holiness the Sakya Trizins fifty years as Supreme Head of the lineage. A joint committee hasformed for this special day in the programme of events. There will be a ten-shugor Long Life Offering Ceremonyfor His Holiness the Sakya Trizin and also one for His Holiness Jigdral Dagchen Rinpoche. For more details, youcan e-mail or call the Venerable Umze Jamphel Chdhar at the monastery (contact details are on the website:www.dzongpa.com). We look forward to seeing as many friends who can make it at this momentous event! Shortly after that, His Eminence and an entourage will travel almost directly from Lumbini in Nepal to Biharin India to make a pilgrimage to Bodh Gaya and the other sacred sites of the Buddha in India. Friends are welcometo join His Eminence for this very special and auspicious occasion. We cannot confirm dates and details untilnearer the time, but all those interested can keep in touch by e-mail and we can provide them as soon as anitinerary is established. As His Eminence has not had time to visit Taiwan and other countries that he has beeninvited to, our next newsletter should have details of His forthcoming teaching schedule abroad.

Sarva Mangalam!