Contributed by: Mindrolling International News Staff
Published: 12 January 2012
At Mindrolling Lotus Garden, 2011 was a year of profound teachings, deepened practice, increased retreats, and care of the land. Following the Künzang Gongpa Zangthal empowerments in the fall of 2010, Lotus Garden seemed transformed. The downpour of blessings received from Kyabje Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche’s bestowal of these empowerments deepened and matured the sangha unmistakably and stamped a sacred imprint upon the land.
PRACTICE & STUDY
Following the transmissions of Künzang Gongpa Zangthal, sangha members have gathered for group retreats and practice days with increasing frequency. From November through June, practitioners flocked to programs led by Lotus Garden’s lopöns and senior students and devoted themselves to extended practice and deepened contemplation. In July, His Eminence Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche honored Lotus Garden once again by beginning a new cycle of teachings during Shedra. As the summer drew to a close, Her Eminence Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche bestowed many teachings including the Krodhi Kali (Vajrayogini) empowerment to over 200 people during the Annual Retreat.
This seamless stream of group practice will continue well into the fall of 2012. Last October all Lotus Garden residents went into solitary retreat, in November sangha members gathered for a ngöndro retreat, from December through to next September more people will gather each month for group retreats and practices, and an increasing number of people continue to come to Lotus Garden for solitary retreats.
It was a delight for the sangha that Jetsün Dechen Paldrön very generously remained in residence for much of the year, continuing her translation work and providing leadership and a continuity of guidance and teachings. In addition to directing many projects, Jetsünla was instrumental in the preparations for the empowerment and teachings of Krodhi Kali bestowed by Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche in September, and in preparing the beautiful edition of the liturgy which was distributed to practitioners.
Throughout the spring, summer and fall, we followed Rinpoche on her European and North American tours via Facebook, webcasts of the teachings and through the posting of photos which introduced and connected us to the larger sangha of Rinpoche's students in Europe, the US, and other parts of the world.
Rinpoche arrived at Lotus Garden in June, settling in immediately like an unmovable mountain of wisdom and compassion, bestowing her brilliant teachings and tirelessly using whatever means possible to lead us to an awareness of our innate primordial wisdom.
SERVING THE DHARMA
Throughout the year, continued activities of teachings, individual and groups practices, retreats and sadhana feasts and fire pujas took place. Our Sangha has always been encouraged to participate in various activities through which we can serve the vision of Dharma.
The Kalachakra for World Peace, bestowed by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in Washington, DC, offered yet another precious opportunity to serve the vision of the Dharma. On July 9th on the West Lawn of the Capitol Building, and again on July 12th, 13th and 14th at the Verizon Center, 175 of Lotus Garden’s sangha members and friends gathered to serve His Holiness and receive the blessings of his teachings and empowerments. We volunteered and offered assistance to thousands of people in the hot sun on the West Lawn, and served during the Kalachakra empowerments in various capacities including distributing ritual substances and articles to many thousands of people at the Verizon Center.
Lotus Garden was honored to represent western students of Buddhism during the opening day of the empowerments on July 13th. Britton Bosarge, Lopön Jann Jackson, Umdze Mark Beckstrom, Mary Pat Brygger, Lisa Cyrus, Zuzana Dankova, Alex Ryan and Patricia Deer recited The Heart Sutra at the foot of His Holiness’s throne on the first day of the empowerments. We also had the good fortune to hear Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche bestow a teaching on bodhicitta that same night to over two thousand people at the Verizon Center.
EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT
While 2010 was a year of major construction and renovation in preparation for the Künzang Gongpa Zangthal, 2011 focused on the land itself. Lotus Garden’s worldwide sangha made it possible to plant 108 new trees, repair all the roads and take other measures to protect the land from erosion. These measures included improving storm drainage all over the land and culminated in creating a new goldfish pond and new landscaping at Sönam Gatsal (garden around the pond area). We also put new windows and doors into Shedrub Gatsal (the retreat house), and built two new retreat cabins in Dechen Gatsal.
MOMENTS OF SADNESS
Amidst all of this practice and activity, there were also moments of sadness. On September 2nd, Kyabje Trulshig Chökyi Lodrö Rinpoche passed into parinirvana. One of the most venerated and revered masters in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition and head of the Nyingma School, Kyabje Trulshig Rinpoche had extremely close ties with Mindrolling. Again, on December 27th, another great master, Kyabje Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, passed into parinirvana. Thinley Norbu Rinpoche was a close friend of Mindrolling and Kyabje Mindrolling Trichen Rinpoche.
On April 23rd, beloved lopön, Peter Lieberson, lost his long and brave battle with cancer. Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche described Lopön Peter as, "an invaluable member of our sangha … a dedicated practitioner and a loving teacher who possessed a marvelous intellect, compassion, sanity and true grace of body and spirit."
As 2011 draws to a close, Lotus Garden looks forward to many more years of practice and study as the blessings of the Buddhadharma and the precious teachings of Jetsün Khandro Rinpoche and many other great teachers continue to take root on this precious land.
We are pleased to offer the story of 2011 visually, through the people and activities of Lotus Garden’s five families, which include the entire worldwide sangha.
©2012 Mindrolling International