TCPI

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet

Lotus Born Sangha

newsletter II Winter 2008

A Message From Rinpoche

Greetings to our Dharma support group members,

Your support to the monastery's dharma activities has benefited us a lot.

Therefore, we would like to thank you. I also would like to request you to continue
your support to our activities in Shedra, Drupdra, school, temples, building statues,
and the drashags outside the monastery. We always remember your kindness and
pray for you.
 "These days it is universally acknowledged that an education is the most important
thing to pursue. Education provides an insight into one’s own, and another’s Monastery Update
predicament and this opens up one’s vision of the world. Basically, all beings want to
The Ani druptra is almost
be happy and an education shows us how to actually bring this about."
finished. They still need
~Rinpoche
the 3 statues that are
traditionally placed on top
Shedra Program of the roof and to furnish
it.

Building of the monk

Beginning in the 8th century, A shedra is a monastic druptra has begun.
Tibetans consciously chose to follow university where monks, nuns and
a cultural course emphasizing serious pracitioners are trained in all Restoration of murals
wisdom and compassion. Following facets of meditation and the cultural and carved wood beams
the teachings of the Buddha, a arts, subjects that span Tibet’s in the old temple has
been completed.
sophisticated understanding and intellectual tradition. Under the
knowledge base of how to cultivate guidance of learned scholars and Murals in the Dorje Trollo
love, compassion and insight arose living masters, students study major temple have been
that has been taught for generations Buddhist texts, train in the wisdom completed.
in the Tibetan shedra. This Tibetan traditions, and acquire ancillary
Extreme rains destroyed
style "university" combines skills in Tibetan arts and medicine.
over 50 monastic houses
intellectual learning with experiential Here the methods of cultivating
this summer. New ones
training that leads to a profound wisdom and compassion are taught. are currently being built.
understanding of the nature of Over the course of a nine -to
consciousness. twelve- year study program, students
In Tibet, many shedras were study a wide variety of topics. The
established at the major monasteries
and from these an enormous number
of accomplished masters have
appeared, like a lake overflowing. As
Rinpoche describes it, "generally
speaking, a shedra is a place where
one can study the essence of the
Buddha Dharma in its entirety. Here
one learns to know what is or isn’t
the perfect truth. Students develop
the splendor of their own inner
knowledge and wisdom to pacify the
external suffering that surrounds
them. All the positive developments
that we have experienced in recent
times in the world have all stemmed
from an education."
The Tibetan word ‘shedra’
literally means “centre for teaching.”

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet

Monastery Update
A library is in the
planning stages and will
be built right behind the
old temple.
Lots of improvements
have been made to
existing structures. And a
new structure has been
built which safely stores
electricity from the main
electrical grid.
There is now a gas
station at the monastery.
A new 2000-meter road
was built to a new rock
quarry. Previously, stone
was carried by hand from
this area.
A 3000-meter road
extension to the monks
thogyal druptra was
completed.
Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative
Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet
Shedra Continued
education will start from a primary
level and go on to the higher
Buddhist studies. It begins with the
study of texts sacred to Rinpoche’s
tradition. Sutra texts include the
study of the four schools of Buddhist
philosophy; the art of debating; and
the study of the different categories
of mind and of reasoning. These
provide a crucial basis for the
understanding and practice of Tantra
and Dzogchen which follow.
Students in a typical shedra
will study Stutra texts for as much as
four and six years before beginning
their studies in Vajrayana. Students
are encouraged to foster values such
as kindness, compassion,
unselfishness, non-violence, open-
mindedness, and respect for all life.
Additionally, skills in the arts such
as thanka and sand mandala
painting, metal smithing, bronze
casting, sculpting, woodcarving and
carpentry, dance and theater are
taught. Coursework in traditional
Tibetan medicine is offered as well.
It is considered difficult to
attain accurate knowledge from
meditation training without having
the basis of learning and reflection.
After years and years of study,
students will enter 3 year retreat for
an experiential understanding of the
teachings.
Finally, all students receive
training in pedagogy so they will be
prepared to teach others. A person
who has gone through the shedra
program will have a comprehensive
understanding of the Buddhist
Teachings. This knowledge is not
only for oneself, but it is to benefit
others. Those who have that
knowledge will be able to directly
benefit others by helping them
actually bring about and reveal the
way to engage in virtuous activity
and realize a state of peace. Upon
completion of their training,
graduates become certified teachers
whose influence can be felt
throughout Tibet. They become the
vessels that hold the lifeblood of the
Tibetan people. For this reason, the
shedra system is the heart and
circulatory system of the Tibetan
society.
Rinpoche has over 1000
potential shedra students. Currently,
about 50 nuns and 35 monks are
actively engaged in the shedra
curriculum. Here is the voice of
Losan, a 26-year-old monk. Losan is
studying Tibetan grammar, poetry
and advanced meditation teachings.
When asked why he is studying, he
says, "I want to help preserve Tib-
etan Culture, so much of our culture
is being lost. I want to help benefit

A Day in the Life of
Ani Ngawang Chodron
Druptra Retreatant
I spend all my time training my mind on the
path and to see all phenomenon as
impermanent in nature.
At dawn, I put on my holy robe, clean myself and then
join with other sisters for prayer. We spend about two hours on
generating perfect motivation, engaging in preliminary practice,
including practicing guru yoga and reciting auspicious verses.
This practice is carried out before daybreak. We have no
problem engaging in this practice in daily basis in the dark
without the sunlight and it gives our body a sense of bliss and
clarity to our mind. After the daybreak, we have our morning
tea and then dedicate our prayers to end the prayer session. If
there is monastery work in the morning, all the sangha members
spend their time between 9 and noon to accomplish our work
task. Sometimes we have to work for a whole day.
If there is no work assignment in the morning, the
individual group unit leaders will ring the bell to urge the
practitioners to engage in morning retreat session. We stay in
our cell and do our practice in silence. I usually do my guru
yoga practice at that time and I am able to produce virtuous
results at this time.
At 11:30AM, when the break bell rings, we dedicate our
practice and then carry out our daily domestic tasks, which
consumes up to two and half hours easily. When the lunchtime
comes, we have our group lunch. At that time we do our
offering and rituals. After lunch, we would have about 40
minutes to rest. Around 1:40PM, the Dharma King (the teacher)
will bestow the students with profound teaching. I feel this is
the most meaningful part of my life. At 3PM the teaching
session ends and we have to go back to our afternoon retreat
session. At 6:00PM the prayer bell rings and all the sisters
gather for evening prayer. We do our deity yoga practice, and
sadhanas for protectors during this session. This is followed by
evening meal with noodle soup.
When the night bell rings, we would stay in our bed and
carry out our meditation practice, this provides a good facility
for our practice. At 11:30PM, we go to sleep.
beings and practice the Dharma,"
Losan said. "For monastics, really
our studies are never completed. But
after I complete most of my studies, I
will meditate to gain experience of
the knowledge I’ve learned and find
work in which I will benefit beings."
The impact of a proper shedra
is to remove the veils of lack of
understanding, partial under-
standing, and misunderstanding and
doubt, and to gain a correct and
exact comprehension of the
Buddha’s flawless words. The shedra
provides a valuable education for all
_______________________
I want to help preserve
Tibetan Culture, so much of
our culture is being lost.
_______________________
those fortunate to attend, allowing
these individuals to offer their gifts
to others, thus preserving a rich
tradition of compassion and wisdom.
In addition, graduates provide basic
support to the Tibetan community by
sharing their skills and knowledge.
These are reasons why a shedra is so
important.
Kathy Gervasi
Pagosa Springs, CO

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet
Lama Updates Words From
Our Perfect Teacher
Rinpoche has been at the monastery since June overseeing all the
“Now more than ever
new construction, teaching at the festivals, and continuously compassion is import-
giving interviews. He has been giving daily teachings on Words ant in our lives. Com-
passion is the source of
of My Perfect Teacher, and also teaching at the druptras. He is all peace in the world.
directly involved with every project at his monastery which just Everything good stems
represents a small piece of his activity as a whole. from compassion. It is
important to develop
compassion in the right
way. Mere study will not
suffice.We need natural
Tulku-la was at the monastery all summer studying texts. He is and spontaneous
working on getting pictures of monastery activities. He is compassion which is
ever-present and has
presently in Chengdu and will be heading back to the monastery the correct attributes.
soon. This is not easy to do.

Compassion alone is
not enough for one's
The venerable sister has been in Chengdu since June. She is one practice. For example,
just like it is not enough
of the main contacts for Rinpoche and all his students in Tibet to know the alphabet to
and China. She is the liaison for Rinpoche and his Chinese pass the exam, it is not
enough to feel sorry for
students fulfilling their prayer requests. Recently she has been
someone. One should
taking care of thank you letters for donations made this year. feel compassion no
There was damage from the earthquake to the Chengdu matter the circum-
stance. Without com-
apartment and she has been working on getting the repairs done, passion the world
and also finishing the office above the apartment. would destroy itself.”

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet
 Thogyal Druptra: Rainbow Bodies At Work

Our teacher is creating two Thogyal druptras, one for nuns and one for monks. Thogyal is the
practice that leads ultimately to Rainbow Body. The right environment is required to complete the
practice. Susan Purcell interviewed Lama Tsultrim Allione about the druptras and the practice of
Thogyal.
SP Lama Tsultrim, I have the impression that places in the United States even, they don’t have
our teacher is doing something unusual in those conditions.
building druptras for the practice of Thogyal. Also it’s unusual to practice Thogyal
There will be eight practitioners in each druptra, because it is a very high practice. If you’re
one per room. Is it unusual to be doing this practicing Thogyal, it means that your
practice as a group rather than in solitary Thekchod, or your nature of mind practice, is
retreat? stable. It has to be stable or there’s no point in
L Ts Well, I think that Thogyal in itself is doing Thogyal. And that’s unusual.
unusual. It’s a very high practice, and you have I’ve never heard before of a Thogyal
to have certain conditions. For example, you druptra. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t existed in
have to have long views—rising sun, setting sun the past or that it didn’t exist in Tibet. I imagine
—ideally, and clear skies. Many people are not that it probably did. It would be sort of like the
in the position to have those conditions. So just graduate school from the three-year retreat, that
the fact that they have those conditions where you would do the three-year retreat first and
they are is unusual. For example if someone is then go into the Thogyal druptra. Because the
practicing in Kathmandu, they don’t have those stabilizations and the development that
conditions. If they’re practicing in many other happened in the three-year retreat would then

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet

put you in the position to focus on Thogyal,
which is the highest practice. And it is the
special method to reach Rainbow Body.
I don’t think he’s setting up a situation
where he thinks that people reach Rainbow
Body together particularly—you know, all at
once—because the process of Rainbow Body
really happens at the time of death.
But with a great teacher like ours, it
would be traditional that many of his students
would reach the Rainbow Body. And so, if
they’re doing Thogyal retreats, it is likely that
they would have the signs that it might be
possible, that not only one or two but quite a
few of them could reach Rainbow Body.
SP The other question I had was, what could
people who have reached Rainbow Body
accomplish for themselves and other beings?
What kind of siddhas would there be? Is it
being able to fly in the sky or digest rocks?
L Ts The point is not flying in the sky or those
kinds of siddhis. Those are more by-products or
signs along the way. They’re not the real point.
The real point would be that they have
reintegrated into their true condition, which is
luminosity.
We think that our true condition is
density and the coarse physical body. But the
actual true condition of our being when
clinging is completely released is luminosity.
And so if a being has returned to their true
condition and has the technology—it really is a
kind of technology or a methodology—to reach
the Rainbow Body, then that would mean that
________________________________________________
We think that our true condition is density
and the coarse physical body. But the actual
true condition of our being when clinging is
completely released is luminosity.
____________________________________
they would be free of the bonds of Samsara.
And therefore free to benefit sentient beings in
innumerable ways.
Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative
Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet
Druptra
The Tibetan word druptra literally means "place
of accomplishment.” In the ideal environment,
one can lend one's full attention to the task at
hand: deepening one's realization of the nature
of reality. One uses visualization, yogic energy
control, and meditation. One goes from the
place of knowledge, shedra, to the place of
accomplishment, druptra. Without a druptra
facility, the extensive education of the shedra
(8- 12 years) remains purely theoretical.
Three-Year Retreat
A typical three-year retreat would go something
like this: Ngondro, followed by Guru Yoga, then
yiddam practice, followed by dakini practice.
Sometimes there may be a long-life practice
inserted for a few months. Chod is typically
done every night throughout the three years.
Usually there will be six months of breath
practice and Longchen Nyingthig yogas.
Thekchod
“Cutting through,” the practice that preceeds
Thogyal.
They would be out of the limitations that
we find ourselves in. They would have the
omniscience to benefit beings in lots of ways.
SP Because they wouldn’t have the limitations
of the physical density?
L Ts Not only the limitations of the physical
body but they would have an illuminated state.
When we die, we don’t have the physical body,
we don’t have that limitation, but that doesn’t
mean we can help others, because we’re still
caught in Samsara.
It’s almost like the vibrational field has
been changed and elevated into a higher
vibration, a vibration of rainbow light and
luminosity. But the consciousness is still present,
that individual consciousness. That
consciousness can move between dimensions;
has omniscience, so knows that another being’s
suffering; and so on. From that sort of state, they
would be able to help a lot of beings.
SP Would they have a huge...view? I’m trying to
Anyone who participates in supporting this, you have a direct karmic link with
making it possible.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

understand omniscience.
L Ts It’s almost inconceivable, I think, what that
experience would be like, to be able to tune in to
anyone at any point. But then it’s also true that
the faith of sentient beings in those illuminated
beings facilitates their being able to help. It’s
like…if we don’t have our TV on, we can’t
receive the signal. So our practice is really
“turning on the TV” so that we can receive the
signal from that level of consciousness. So when
we practice something like Guru Yoga, we attune
to that field of energy.
SP Is there anything else you would like to say
about Thogyal and the druptras?
L Ts To have the number of people that our
teacher would like to put in these druptras
indicates that he already has many students at a
very high level of practice. And therefore, our
supporting these druptras allows for this
extraordinary level of practice to happen, which
really has a worldwide significance. A
practitioner practicing in the conditions that are this time changes things.
there at this monastery, doing these kinds of And anyone who participates in supporting
practices—that level of practice will affect the this, you have a direct karmic link with making it
whole world. That it is occurring on the planet at possible. And that’s an extraordinary connection
to make. As they say, the blessings of the one who
supports someone in retreat are equal to the
I rejoice in the virtue that creates the cause of blessings of the one in retreat. So it’s a very direct
gaining the enlightened state, and celebrate the link to the beings who are at this extremely
freedom won by living beings from the round of
refined level of consciousness.
pain.
SP On a bit different thread, is the practice of
May I be a guard for those who are protectorless, Thogyal universal among Buddhists?
may I be a guide for those who journey on the road. L Ts It’s unique amongst Buddhists. It’s really
May I be a boat, a raft, a bridge for all who wish to only practiced in the Nyingma and Bon traditions.
cross the water.
Susan Purcell
~Shantideva
Pagosa Springs, CO

Tibetan Cultural Preservation Initiative

Helping to Preserve the great wisdom traditions of Tibet

Council Members
Robert Olander Chairman monastic coordinator Renee Pitts
Kathryn Gervasi Secretary Treasurer Jim Boal
Mac McCarty Jody Deychen