Daughters of the Buddha: Reports from the 11th Sakyadhita Conference for Buddhist Women

A rainbow of robes; nuns and buddhist women from all Buddhist traditions of our world are meeting this week in Vietnam at the 11th Sakyadhita International Conference.

Ane Damcho, a member of Rigpa's monastic community, is attending the conference. You can read her reports and watch video footage from the conference on the new Rigpa monastic blog, Rigpa Vihara.

Video of Lerab Ling in the Snow

This video was recorded in the Tibetan Buddhist monastery of Lerab Ling, France almost exactly a year ago when we had snow for weeks on end. One day a group of three year retreatants were trapped for hours when a rooftop avalanche blocked the exit to their shrine room!

While other areas of Europe reported catastrophic weather, the snow provided ideal conditions for around 200 practitioners in strict retreat. Starting their days between 4am and 5am, all days were spent in silence and meditation, while thick snow turned the whole place into a perfect Himalayan backdrop that made contemplation and meditation almost naturally arise.

As you know, we've had some snow at Lerab Ling already this winter, but the big falls are still to come. Stay tuned.

A belated Merry Christmas from Lerab Ling

Mayum Tsering Wangmo, Khandro Tsering Chodron, Sogyal Rinpoche (L-R) and Namkha Rinpoche

It's a little bit late, but here are a few photos from Christmas which was, as usual, celebrated at Lerab Ling in grand festive style.

Sogyal Rinpoche, Namkha Rinpoche, who was visiting Lerab Ling for Christmas, as well as Sogyal Rinpoche's mother, Mayum Tsering Wangmo, and Khandro Tsering Chodron, were there along with more than 100 friends and students.

Namkha Rinpoche

The Lerab Ling choir sang beautifully and a joyous time was had by all.

Winter Scenes at Lerab Ling

Guru Rinpoche statue and stupa in front of the Lerab Ling temple

A light dusting of snow confirms that winter has truly descended on Lerab Ling. The last of Guru Rinpoche's lake has frozen over, and the waterfall turned to ice seemingly overnight.

Gone are the crowds of three year retreatants, replaced with a soft silence punctuated every so often by the sound of the choir practising Christmas carols.

For the small number continuing their retreat over the winter, the cold wind is excellent encouragement to stay warm indoors practising. For the rest of us, there is an atmosphere of transition as we readjust to a more public Lerab Ling post three year retreat. The stillness that comes with our reduced numbers does not mean that we are in hibernation.

Workers now join the small but dedicated group of practising students living at Lerab Ling for daily practices, and the local sangha join for special tsok days twice a month. This coming together has enhanced the strong sense of community here, keeping us all cosy as we gather in the temple on chilly mornings or in the dining hall for a cup of tea.

Preparations are well underway for the Christmas meditation retreat at Lerab Ling (26 December-1 January), not to mention Christmas itself. Everyone seems as busy as ever!

(Story by Elena Marie)

Sogyal Rinpoche meets His Holiness Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche in Seattle

His Holiness Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche (L) and Sogyal Rinpoche, Seattle, USA

Following his annual 10-day retreat on the West Coast of the US, Sogyal Rinpoche travelled to Seattle where he taught for two days at Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche's Nalandabodhi centre on Finding Peace and Stability in a Troubled World. He also gave a public talk to a sold-out crowd at the Sakya centre on the Guru Rinpoche tsok (feast offering) practice.

Before giving his public talk, Rinpoche met with His Holiness Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche and Her Eminence Dagmo Kusho Sakya at the Sakya Phuntsok Phodrang (Sakya family residence).

His Holiness was born into the Phuntsok branch of the Khön lineage of the Sakya school in 1929 in southwestern Tibet. H.E. Dagmo Kusho Sakya is the niece of one of the most highly realized Sakya masters of the twentieth century, H.E. Deshung Rinpoche III, and her training in Buddhist practice began at an early age. She has received extensive teachings and empowerment from many revered lamas throughout her lifetime.

Dagchen Rinpoche, Dagmo Kusho and their family settled in Seattle in 1960 after having fled Tibet in 1959.

His Holiness Dagchen Sakya Rinpoche (L), Sogyal Rinpoche and Her Eminence Dagmo Kusho Sakya (R)

The three masters, all students of Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, met for lunch and an exchange of gifts, laughter, katags (ceremonial white scarves), and good wishes.

Several students of HH Dagchen Rinpoche were also there and Sogyal Rinpoche said to them several times how lucky there were to know such a mahasiddha.

Her Eminence Dagmo Kusho Sakya holds a copy of Rigpa's View magazine

Watch HH Dagchen Rinpoche and HE Dagmo Kusho Sakya talk about their teacher, Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö, on Remembering the Masters.

From Seattle, Rinpoche travelled to Vancouver where he gave two free public talks at the University of British Columbia on Finding Peace and Stability in a Troubled World, How to Discover Inner Peace and Contentment and The Heart Essence of Tibetan Buddhism, The Profound Method of Meditation for Bringing Forth the Nature of the Mind.

Rinpoche will be teaching next in Germany, at the annual retreat at Kirchheim. For information about this event, please go to: http://www.rigpa.de (In German and English)

(Photos courtesy of Linda Lane. CC BY 2.0)

Khetsün Zangpo Rinpoche (1920-2009)

Khetsun Zangpo Rinpoche with Sogyal Rinpoche, Prapoutel 1990

Sadly, it seems that the great Nyingmapa master and scholar Khetsün Zangpo Rinpoche passed into parinirvana on 6th December. You can read about Rinpoche's remarkable life and accomplishments here. As many Rigpa students will remember, Rinpoche participated in the unprecedented gathering that took place at Prapoutel in 1990.