Letter from Rinpoche
December 20, 2006
Dear Everyone,
Jetsunla and everyone at Mindrolling and Samten Tse would like to convey their greetings and deep appreciation to everyone, especially to all those who contributed to the inaugural celebrations of Pema Gatsal.
So many of you helped in various ways during the months of preparations leading to the celebrations, enabling us to host and complete the ceremonies with great success and happiness. Many of us experienced the presence and blessings of our teachers and the lineage, and with great joy saw the planting of the seed of the precious dharma on the land of Lotus Garden. This would not have been possible without the combined efforts of all sangha members and the many others who have supported us in different ways.
I would like to thank our board members and heads of families and their assistants. All groups worked hard, with patience and sincerity, and despite many other responsibilities were able to do so much.
Our many residents who lived on the land and worked throughout the spring and summer made it possible for us to successfully complete all major programs and host a large group of monks, nuns and many teachers, as well as program participants. Many of us saw them work tirelessly and with such dedication that it inspired everyone who came on the land. They have been an example of selfless dedication to Dharma and have shown us how to truly live like practitioners. Thank you all. You have helped us to establish what I hope will be a clearer understanding of a spiritual community.
Of course many have helped in different capacities. We would like to thank them all: Cathie Papantonio and Judy Wolfer for being the main coordinators of the event, Andre Papantonio for his excellent contribution in publicity along with the various other roles he played, Jesse Munn and her team of people who worked tirelessly in the shrinerooms, Pam Shifflet and her family, Sheldron, Jennifer and Peter Stump. We thank Mark Beckstrom, Gordon Ryan and the entire Karma team, the Ratnakosha team, all our Loppöns and the Buddha Family members, Gay Williams, Debra Stoll, Alden and the AV team. We would also like to thank Stacy Wharton, John Benton, Georgia Metz, Joe Lux and the entire NY study group who hosted the monks in New York and made it a very memorable visit for them. Our thanks also to Stacy Erickson and the Santa Fe study group for just showing up and jumping right in as soon as their bags were placed in their rooms. Thanks to Barbara, Sarah, Karen Bowen and the entire household staff for making the household run so smoothly and for calmly taking care of everyone through all the business and chaos. It was so good to have your grounded presence. Thanks to the Padma staff and of course the very efficient Vajra Staff led by Judy Wolfer and Jud Williams. And of course our thanks must also go to our young and dynamic (inji pugus) young people's group who untiringly helped out with whatever needed to be done, and were integral to the monks having a good stay at Lotus Garden. They were there where needed, at every moment, and never failed to take on all kinds of responsibilities with humour and promptness. I am particularly appreciative to Brian Hanson, Cassell Gross, Lynele and Mary Pat for having contributed so much to Samten Tse Charitable Society. They have worked hard and selflessly for many years and it is only through their work that we have accomplished so much.
I would also like to welcome our new team of board members, who will serve for the next two years: Cathy Papantonio will be President, Gordon Ryan will serve as Vice President, Judy Wolfer has been appointed as Secretary/ Treasurer, and Andre Papantonio will serve as board Recorder and lead the public relations team. Stacy Erickson, Mark Beckstrom, Mary Pat Brygger, and Brian Hanson will serve as members-at-large. We wish them well and I hope everyone will assist this team in whatever ways possible.
I also would like to announce our next project, which has been blessed by His Holiness Mindrolling Trichen and Khochhen Rinpoche, and have given it the name DECHEN GATSAL (Joyous Garden of Great Bliss). Under this project, we will be allowing some 20 cabins/yurts (or similar structures) to be independently built on the Lotus Garden land. I would like to invite Sangha members to come forward to build your own retreat cabins or homes on your land. Such a project will enable people to feel at home, to now have a place to do retreats at Lotus Garden, and for Lotus Garden to transform into a retreat and practice community.
Of course, this project needs to be explained in detail and I will soon be sending you all that information through the board.
As the year comes to an end, I wish you all a Happy Christmas and very Happy New Year. H.H. Mindrolling Trichen, Sangyum Kushog, Khochhen Rinpoche, Khenchen Rinpoche, Jetsunla, all our monks, nuns and western sangha members here and myself send you our love and many Tashi Delegs.
Please continue to practice and engage in all activities with awareness and compassion. Be kind to one another and practice the precious Dharma with a sincere heart.
Much love and with many prayers,
KR