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Nalanda
Monastery Newsletter
February 2009
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Upcoming
Events
Feb 16
Second Year of the Basic Program starts.
May 2009
Lama Zopa Rinpoche leads retreat at nearby
Vajra Yogini Institute .
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Winds of Change
French tradition allows the whole month of January to
wish
everyone an enlightening and prosperous New Year. We are late even with
regard to this delay, but we relay this greeting to you wherever you
are, and whatever your special wish.
 Heavy
storms battered South West France on January 22nd. They left Nalanda
without electricity for two days, caused some trees to fall across the
driveway, lose branches and, most unfortunately, broke our stupa. After
consulting Lama Zopa Rinpoche we learned that it is possible to repair
the stupa.
A three week Yamantaka retreat started the
following evening, Saturday, without heating or light. Seven
retreaters, three monks and four laypersons, had the opportunity of
experiencing conditions similar to those in Tibet where monks practiced
for centuries in what, for us westerners at least, are primitive
conditions. We had to learn to use candles to read rituals and get
around, matches to light the gas stove for hot drinks and pile blankets
on the beds. On Monday, just after the morning session, the lights came
on in the entrance hall and a smile came to our faces. We could have
toast for breakfast!
 As
we write many people, including the very old and sick are without
electricity. In some areas forests have been badly affected. We
remember them in our dedication prayers.
Of course many willing
hands are chipping in to put the damage right for Lama Zopa’s upcoming
visit. There is however a shortfall of funds to realise this, as well
as for some other projects. We would therefore be very happy to receive
even the smallest contribution, to enable us to repair the stupa, do
some finishing work on the new building, clear up the park and do some
planting, and make repairs to the roof of the old building, which has
had a tarpaulin on it for nearly two years now.
If you are able to make a donation, please do so before the
end of the retreat and give us the opportunity to say our end of
retreat dedication prayers remembering you and/or someone close to your
heart. Thank you!
Ven. Tendar,
Director
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"Cherishing others
opens the door to every happiness for self and others."
Lama Zopa Rinpoche
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| Nalanda Monastery Success Report 2008
- In
February 2008, the Nalanda FPMT Basic Program got off to a flying
start. The teachings were made available in Tibetan,
English, French
and Spanish!
- We had the
inauguration of our new abbot, Geshe
Losang Jamphel. He and Ven. Fedor gave excellent teachings as part of
the programme. In addition, Dagri Rinpoche, Choden Rinpoche and Khensur
Rinpoche Losang Tenzin came and gave teachings and initiations at
Nalanda.
- Five monks
were ordained, and the community almost doubled from about 24 to 45
persons.
- The extension
of the new gompa, the new dining room and the kitchen were completed.
- More than 30
people did their exams every two
months or so. In general, the results were greatly satisfying! Debate
and Tibetan classes were optional, but all the same were well attended.
- Nalanda
contributed to spreading the Dharma by
organizing teachings in Nantes and Monaco which given by Geshe Jamphel,
reciting the Sanghata Sutra marathon live on internet for ten days, and
organizing a conference at the monastery under the heading ’Buddhism
meets science and science meets Buddhism’, dealing with the parallels
between the Buddhist concept of emptiness and quantum physics .
- We organized
Feng Shui, Essential Education and Non-violent communication workshops,
as well as a computer training course.
- Nalanda
sponsors two students at the LRZTP translator program in Dharamsala in
order to have future translators.
We
thank you for the support over the years. Only with YOUR help can we
continue to invest in the future of the Dharma! Besides the repairs,
our wish list includes wooden furniture for the library, an ecological
reed bed for water purification, traditional ornaments for the roof and
a rainwater storage tank.
All small and large
donations are necessary and very welcome.
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Talk
given by Dagri Rinpoche at Nalanda - 27 November 2008
I have been
here for a few days, and I have also
visited several times in the past. What I have seen with regard to the
state of the monastery, the number of monks, and the interest from the
monks, makes me very happy.
"Nalanda Monastery" is a very great name and was of course the name of
the great  monastic
university in India. In the ancient monastic university, all the
teachings of the Buddha were studied, and based on these extensive
studies, many great scholars and masters, such as the Protector
Nagarjuna, arose. Due to the arisal of so any great masters, Nalanda
became known as a source of scholars, masters, and skilled beings.
Therefore, Nalanda is a name of great meaning. We could also say that
the Dharma, particularly as presented in the Tibetan tradition, exists,
is due to Nalanda Monastery.
Therefore, there is great meaning
to this name "Nalanda" which has to do with great monastic studies and
being the source of scholars. With regard to our Nalanda here, it is
going very well in terms of people studying well and engaging in the
Dharma. It is my hope, my wish, that you have the motivation to keep
this going continuously, so that our Nalanda can become a place of
great monastic studies and can bring forth scholars and experts in the
future. Up to now, you have the great name of Nalanda, but I want to
request you to constantly have the motivation to study and develop into
similar masters, so that the actual situation and the name are in
harmony, in accordance.
The Dharma came from Nalanda to Tibet
and the very first abbot in Tibet was Shantarakshita. He came to Tibet
to teach and was one of the outstanding masters of Nalanda. Other
scholars from Nalanda came to Tibet and even studied Tibetan. By being
able to speak Tibetan they were able to present the Dharma in a way
that Tibetans could easily take it up. This resulted in Tibet being
like Nalanda. The teachings arrived from Nalanda, were established, and
were studied like in Nalanda. Therefore, the whole Tibetan tradition
comes from the Nalanda tradition. That there was a Nalanda tradition
and accomplished scholars, meant that there were masters,
practitioners, who had a clear understanding of the perfect view, of
dependent arising. Furthermore, they engaged in pure conduct, pure
activities. Based on this perfect view, they were able to engage in
conduct that was able to purify a great number of negativities and
bring about that the accumulation of great masses of virtue. By
following this example, it is definite that the same effects can come
about in every place where this example of study and practice is
followed. Therefore, this is also true for you here.
That the
Mahayana Dharma has come to the West, and to this monastery, is firstly
due to the kindness of His Holiness the Dalai Lama himself, and
furthermore, the kindness of Lama Yeshe and Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. The
existence of the monastery was continued due to the kindness of the
abbots; firstly Abbot Jampa Tegchok, thereafter, Abbot Jampa Gyatso,
and now Abbot Losang Jamphel . Geshe Jamphel is really a great scholar
and very skilled with regard to both sutra and tantra. I have
connection with Geshe-la from Tibet and have seen how he has studied
and on this basis I can say how very skilled and what a great scholar
he is, with regard to both sutra and every aspect of tantra. It is a
sign of you being very fortunate that you have a scholar like Geshe-la
here and teaching in this monastery. Geshe-la is teaching you the
Dharma and leading you through the texts and this is something that you
should engage in and put into practice. It would be incorrect to be
disrespectful towards Geshe-la; rather you should show your deep
respect towards him and study and reflect on everything that he is
teaching, as much as possible.
Your Buddha statue is of
outstanding beauty and has obviously been made by a very skilled expert
who has accumulated great waves of merit. I would like to advise that
as this is a big monastery, you should have the complete kanggyur and
tängyur, which should be quite possible to do. Either you can place it
above the statues, or somewhere where it is more accessible. The
kanggyur and tängyur actually contain the complete teachings of the
Buddha, all the Buddha’s advice and commentaries to this advice. This
is what needs to be taught and studied. It would be excellent if
Nalanda had such a complete set. It would also be excellent if in the
future the monks at Nalanda would engage in debate. There are debate
yards in the Tibetan monasteries, which are places that are dedicated
solely to the practice of debate. It would be good if the practice of
debate could be incorporated at Nalanda and if in the future a debate
yard could be constructed. You should also keep in mind that everything
that you achieve with your practice, comes about due to the kindness,
firstly of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, as well as the kindness of
Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche. That being the case, you should engage in
activities to act in accordance with their wishes. This would include
praying for the success of the different activities of these great
lamas.
Furthermore, there are many other holy beings present
on Earth and through their presence, they bring about great benefit for
the sentient beings living on Earth, so it would be very appropriate to
do prayers for the long life of these holy beings. In addition, there
are many problems on Earth, such as warfare, natural catastrophes, and
so forth. It is also appropriate to make many prayers that the
difficulties that arise from this, cease.
COLOPHON:
This
talk, which followed a session of oral transmission of the Lam Rim
Chenmo, was translated live by Ven. Sonam Tharchin and transcribed by
Ven. Losang Dorje.
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