You, Sleeping in Class?

“Everyone’s Teacher”.   Khensur Lama Lhundrup Rigsel.  Kopan Monastery.  

Sera Je Lharma Geshe.  Master Debater.  Father.  Walks around holy campus.  

Talks to every new student.   Mischief manages our turbulent emotions.  Emotionally regulates things.   Says,   “Be kind.  Patient.  Courageous.  Oh yeah.”

Happy Saka Dawa – Day 13 + the awakening of a funny-happy-old memory.

Kopan Monastery – September 2007.   Two weeks remaining to cram-study for our Basic Program Year 1 “Big Final Exam,” Our Highly-demanding + German Venerable Course Teacher had decided all his students would also write a graduation essay on a lam-rim topic we would each randomly select from folded slips of paper inside a Tibetan singing bowl.  

He said, “600-word essay, please.”

That 2895-word Dharma Research Paper

Venerable Course Teacher.  Brilliant Scholar.  Geshe-in-training.  Good teacher.  Does translations.  Happy Monks Publication .   Buddha’s Sales Rep.  Very German Traditional.   Workaholic.  Button Pusher.   Middle-Aged Moody.   

Happy Saka Dawa – Day 12 + the awakening of a funny old memory.


When you wrote that 2895-word research paper:  “Relying on the Spiritual Teacher” , two monks appeared on the path to give you special attention.  

Draft-Paper Stage:  Khensur Lama Lhundrup.   Paper-Submission:  Course Teacher.   

Who do you choose?  The Perfect Teacher to rely on?

The Ch’an Teachings of the Sixth Patriarch Hui-Neng 六主惠能

My old university research paper about the Buddhist teachings of a famous ancient Chinese monk from the 7th century.  Funny how I wrote this 20 years ago, as an undergraduate student in year four, for a course “History of Chinese Thought”, long before I became a “dharma girl” (in the Tibetan tradition).  

I didn’t know anything about anything but the professor did say to me:

“Final exam, you wrote the best answer, better than my graduate students, on the emptiness question – on the definition of nothingness.  ”

Ha ha:  I was that girl who got good grades in school.  And now, in this our Dog-eat-doggy 21st century, I still haven’t learned all the tricks to “empty” my two mental obscurations – afflictive and knowledge – directly.

Like The Elephant Man, I fight for my human dignity, I cry,

“I have afflictions, but I am not an affliction:  I am a human being.  

With feelings.  Therefore, I am not an object of abandonment.”

This our troubled times, I fight for the dignity of all SSBs,

“You are not an affliction:  you are a suffering sentient being.

Therefore, you are also not an object of abandonment.”

我是有情 、雖然「我」有煩惱、我並不是「煩惱」所以、我不是「拋棄之物 」妳們也不是 。

Lama says, “We are all in jail, our minds, in jail.   Samsara Jail .  You, must get out of jail, samsara jail.  Study and practice the Buddha-dharma.  Your mind, get out of jail.”

First Basic Program at Kopan 2007 - 2011

FPMT Basic Program – Year 1 at Kopan Monastery – July to October 2007 (3 months)

Focus:  “Lam rim – the Graded Path to Enlightenment – 3 Scopes”

Graduation Day.  Basic Program Class of 2007 with our precious course teachers = Late Great Abbot Khensur Lama Lhudrup Rigsel + Venerable Fedor Stracke, Kopan Monastery .

Lama Tsong Khapa:  Middle Length Lam-Rim.  Additional Outlines by Trijang Rinpcoche.  Translated by Philip Quarcoo.

•   Outline:  Up to the Calm Abiding Section of the Great Scope (February 2006)

•   Up to the Calm Abiding Section of the Great Scope (February 2006

•   Calm Abiding Section (FPMT March 2007)

•   Special Insight and Concluding Sections (FPMT April 2007)

Kopan Monastery Library Bookstore「柯盤寺圖書館書店」

“Restoration”.  Post Nepal Earthquake, the library holding a very good collection of dharma books in English, Tibetan, Chinese, French, Spanish, Italian.  Beautiful oak cabinets were first installed in 2010.  

First year retreat during Basic Program, I remember re-organizing the shelves with the help of an 10-year-old young monk who did very well in school, often best in his class, who liked to hang with me during free time, eat ice cream, and talk about his Nepalese mommy.

Geshe Nawang Thinley, Kopan Library Bookstore Manager and more.

Geshe-la kindly let me use the library computer.  This is where I typed up that 2895-word dharma research paper.   Before nearly body-crashing into Khensur Lama Lhundrup.

Graffiti on the Wall「 牆壁上的塗鴉 」

“I love my rice noodles sitting next to Ilha Formosa Taiwan.”

「我愛台灣米粉」

Projections

A glass of water is offered:

Buddhas see healing nectar of compassionate wisdom;

Humans see refreshing water to quench their thirst;

Pretas see revolting blood and pus.

Five emails are offered:

CC sees salt on his wound; she sees a girl,

Kicking his ass with compassion carefully held by wisdom.

“He studies rocks.  I save lives.  You can’t marry him.”

Are you asking me to marry you?  When will that happen?

“Don’t know.  7 years, 10, 15.   Maybe.  Don’t know.”

We met at 10 pm, talked until 4 am, you walked me to my door.

Open Your Heart

Poking, prodding, probing,

Making every girl cry, singing, 

“Karma, karma, karma,” this Dharma Chameleon.

Gladly they return for more S and M

Of which they cannot have enough:

“S is for subjugating the crazy elephant mind .

M is for manipulation via rope, hook and pillar.”

Waltzing away laughing,

Making every girl cry, singing, 

“Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice,” this Dharma Chameleon.

Heaven knows what he does to the boys?

They say, “Boys don’t cry.”

Perhaps they sing in Dorothy-like soprano:

“Somewhere over the rainbow, way up high,

There’s a land that I’ve heard of, once in a lullaby.

Somewhere over the rainbow, blue birds fly,

Birds fly over the rainbow, why oh why can’t I?” 

   

By Judy Lin for Venerable Lobsang Namgyel 2007-9

“Open Your Heart” from Dharma in Her Heart.  

© Photo: Dr Lee, “Aunt Mi’s Rose Garden – Vancouver” 

「溫歌華三舅媽的玫瑰花園」Copyright © 2012 Judy Lin

Francis of Assisi「 亞西西 」

Be Gentle with Your Self

“Afflictions arise?  Be gentle with yourself.  Like a mother to her 2-year-old child.” – Lama Zopa

Hail Mary, full of grace

Our Lord is with thee

Blessed are thou among women

And blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Pray for us sinners

Now and at the hour of our death

Amen.

萬福瑪利亞、妳有充分的善意

我們的主陪著妳

在婦女中、妳是神聖者

妳的子宮產生的果位是神聖者、耶穌

聖母瑪利亞、天主之母

為我們罪人祈禱

現在與我們死亡的時刻、阿門

Water Bowl Offerings: 14-Step Instruction「水供十四步驟 」

Offering water bowls is a powerful practice for purifying obstacles and accumulating merits for a happy life, creating the causes to study and practice well the dharma.

Practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism have a happy daily morning ritual of “Offering Water Bowls” to speed one’s dharma practice along the path to E.

藏傳佛教徒、早上佛前供水的進行、供水的步驟、亦是想累積「六加行十萬杯水供修行之一」有興趣加入供水行列的人、歡迎與我們聯絡 FPMT Taiwan 經續法林 02-2577-0333 。

2015 © Photos courtesy of Ms Wu Ching-Mei at FPMT Taipei 經續法林

“If you can offer water bowls without spilling a drop, that is very auspicious,” says Geshe Lama Konchog.    

每天、若能於供水時心專注於上、而不使水溢出、已圓寂「袞卻格西 」曾開示提到「一心不亂」專注做供水亦是修定 。

Lama Zopa Rinpoche suggests:  “100,000 offerings of water bowls for 10 years without stop.  Very auspicious.”  

臺北經續法林奉行「梭巴仁波切」的指示：「每天、作百供水行之數十年、從不間斷 」。

Big Love Avalokiteśvara 100-syllable Mantra

Fastest way to purify all negative karmas.  Develop deep compassion for all sentient beings.  You.  Me.  All.  Humans.  Animals.  Dark Creatures.  Until the end of time.

How Chinese Buddhists do this chant:  “1000-arm Buddha Avalokiteshvara’s Great Compassion Long Mantra” (Maha Karuna Dharani) in Sanskrit:

Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind

First discovered this much-loved prayer in Vancouver in summer of 1990, I think.  HH the Dalai Lama was in town.  Big Sister had gone with her grade-school girl and brought back the event program for me.  Inside was this prayer.  I made a photocopy to tape beside my bed, so that I could look at it every day.  In the morning when I awake.  In the evening when I sleep.  

These “Eight Verses” have carried me along the yellow-brick road to E – Canada, Japan, Taiwan, Nepal, India and back again to Ilha Formosa.  West to east.  Skipping along with all my quirky friends –  Friend.  Stranger.  Enemy.

“Diamonds in the Rough” – HH the 17^th Gyalwang Karmapa gives an excellent teaching on the Eight Verses of Mind Training for 21^st century minds in London, May 2017.

Verse 1 + Verse 2  + Verse 3 + Verse 4  + Verse 5 + Verse 6  + Verse 7  + Verse 8

“Annihilating the Demon of the Self-Cherishing Mind”

Ever Flowing Nectar of Mahayana Thought Training

Tibetan root text composed by the great spiritual friend of the Kadam tradition, Langri Thang-pa Dorje Senge – a disciple of the virtuous friend, perfect in all knowledge, Kadampa Potowa Rinchen Sal, who was in turn a disciple of the holy lamp of the teachings, Atisha.  Of his guru Potowa’s eight heart-sons, Langri Thang-pa was the only one to receive the special instructions on exchanging oneself and others.   

Essential Buddhist Prayers.  Translation by Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche.
Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition

Determined to obtain the greatest possible benefit from all sentient beings, who are more precious than a wish-fulfilling jewel, I shall hold them most dear at all times. (1) 

When in the company of others, I shall always consider myself the lowest of all,  and from the depths of my heart, hold others dear and supreme. 
(2)

Vigilant, the moment a delusion appears in my mind, endangering myself and others, I shall confront and avert it without delay. 
(3)

Whenever I see beings who are wicked in nature and overwhelmed by violent negative actions and suffering, I shall hold such rare ones dear, as if I had found a precious treasure. 
(4)

When out of envy, others mistreat me with abuse, insults, or the like, I shall accept defeat and offer the victory to others. 
(5)

When someone whom I have benefitted and in whom I have great hopes gives me terrible harm, I shall regard that person as my holy guru. 
(6)

In short, both directly and indirectly, do I offer every happiness and benefit to all my mothers, I shall secretly take upon myself all their harmful actions and suffering. 
(7)

Undefiled by the stains of the superstitions of the eight worldly concerns, may I, by perceiving all phenomena as illusory, be released from the bondage of attachment. 
(8)

The wish-fulfilling gem is a mythical jewel which, when obtained is said to bring to its possessor all that may be desired in this world.   The eight worldly attitudes are concern with gain and loss, fame and disgrace, praise and blame, pleasure and pain.

Picture:  Google Images – rigpawiki.org