It could be said that 2011 was an auspicious year for KPC Australia, with seven of Jetsunma’s students attending the annual Palyul New York Retreat in July and August. His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche attended Guru Yoga practice every day and gave many empowerments, thus attracting busloads of Tibetans and Nepalese on weekends who contributed greatly through their robust cheerfulness, great appreciation for the kindness of His Holiness and the Lamas, and their colourful national dress.

Lungtog, Ani Wangmo and Ani Sherab travelled from Victoria, Christine Lennard and Sonja Petter from Alice Springs, Virginia Quinn from South Australia and Sherida Carrick from Brisbane. For most, this was an opportunity to renew old friendships and for all retreatants, a visit to the Maryland Temple was front and centre on their travel itinerary.  Christine, Sonya and Virginia did an excellent job of managing the Dharma Shop during retreat, and such was the karma of the group that all Aussies had the amazing experience of greeting their Precious Guru – Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, when she arrived at retreat and even being on the receiving end of a hug! It doesn’t get any better than that!

The Garuda Aviary is one of a very short list of lifelong sanctuaries for parrots.   And of these, very few specialize–as Garuda does–in hard-luck-no-hope-left cases.

Take Harry, a blue and gold macaw.  When he came to The Garuda Aviary he was in a state that in a human would be called insane, crying out constantly in distress. He had spent possibly 25 years on display, a creature with the consciousness of a small child, sitting in one place for years with no toys to occupy him and no proper nutrition, “pinioned,” that is, with wings cut so that he could not fly.

Harry was smuggled into the USA as an object of art, valued for the brilliant colors of his plumage. The trapper who trapped him as a nestling and killed his parents didn’t hang around to watch Harry grow up. His purchaser finally tired of him and dropped him off at the Aviary, without support.

Fortunately, after much loving care, Harry has been brought to a state of good health, and, with an expected lifespan of about 75, he’s now in no more than a hearty middle age.

Like Harry, the majority of our parrots come to us abused and neglected–and rarely come with financial backing.  We get our parrots because no one wants them anymore, for whatever reason, and no one is able to care for them any longer.  Once we take them into the Aviary, they can be with us for 70 years or more.

Funding has ALWAYS been a challenge, especially now that many people are struggling to make ends meet.

On a much larger scale, The Garuda Aviary offers a much needed voice in the world.  We give voice to the belief that parrots should not be pets and that the parrot pet trade should end.  We want to see a world in which sanctuaries like ours are no longer needed. Very few people in the world take that goal seriously. Very few believe that ending the parrot trade is possible.  And there are very few consistent and strong voices for us to join with.

How about you?  Will you help end the suffering of millions of beings like Harry?  Make a financial donation today and change another being’s life!

Click here to donate

Senge was dumped by his owner in an over-crowded kill shelter, because the owner had “no time” to spend with his pet.  Affectionate, well-behaved and laid-back, Senge did not understand what had happened, and, although every volunteer fell in love with his affable nature, his time quickly ran out.  He was rescued by Tara’s Babies just a few hours before his scheduled euthanasia.

In this current economic climate, hundreds of family pets are being dumped at kill shelters or picked up as strays by animal control throughout the USA. The chances of their getting out alive are slim, as adoptions and donations are down with the economy. Still, at Tara’s Babies, we continue to work to save lives and care for dogs who have no other hope.

Please help us care for dogs like Senge.  Senge now has a chance to live a long and happy life only because a community of kind-hearted people rallied to help us.

We especially need money for the medical needs of our Sanctuary dogs, for daily medications, routine examinations and emergency visits.

Watch how wonderful Senge was during examination of his blind eye by our local vet:

One-Eyed Senge from NYCACC aces his Vet visit

You can directly help support Senge and his friends by donating here:
http://tarasbabiesdogs.chipin.com/taras-babies-medical-fund

Thank you–and have a safe and happy holiday season!

It was a hot fall day at the Amitabha Stupa. The sun glinted off the tigle (teardrop) at the top. Golden wildflowers garlanded the clearing, and chirping birds filled the air, adding their own praises. One Colorado blue bird regularly nose dives for one of the water offering bowls to get a quick drink and then resumes his antics in a nearby pinion pine.

Nearly a dozen KPC members from Sedona gathered to practice the “Shower of Blessings,” a moving, devotional ceremony which, each Saturday afternoon (currently at 4 p.m.) and on ritual holy days, includes a food feast or tsog offering. Often visitors join the practice or share in the food feast at the end. Everyone is welcome.

During the middle of the ceremony, a Sri Lankan family came to the stupa to say some traditional prayers. They had made the trip from California especially for this purpose. After a few moments of silent prayer, the three visitors walked around with candles. They were unlit because of fire restrictions. Although initially disappointed, the family was reassured that imagining them ablaze is considered to be equally effective.  In the Buddhist tradition, visualizing an offering is as potent as making one.

During the “Shower of Blessings,” visitors kept coming. Some hesitated to walk around the stupa at first, but were warmly greeted and told it is always appropriate to circumambulate a stupa, even if there is a ceremony in progress.

As the sun went behind the red rocks, more people came to meditate and pray. The cooler evenings always bring locals who come to the site to worship. By 6:30 the sun was gone, and the stupa park closed.

Ani Wangmo drove through a deluge of hail stones, as a huge storm hit the centre, a roar of thunder took out the power. As the final preparations for Tsok were taking place, the storm subsided and a vivid rainbow appeared. This was Dakini Day in Australia at KPCs new retreat centre in Buninyong, Victoria.

We are all happy to have a place for group practice and to anchor activities in Australia. We envisage having weekly group Tsoks, monthly weekend retreats and Lama visits throughout the year.

A General Assembly for KPC Australia was held the day following Dakini Day with the following Board members elected; President-Lungtog; Secretary-Ani Sherab; Treasurer-Sarah McMullen, Board Member-Sherida Carrick. We hope that we can work well together so that Jetsunma’s teachings and the Palyul lineage can flourish in Australia.

As “Caretaker in Chief,” Namgyal is proud of his work with the Prayer Vigil. “When I look back over my life, I’m most proud of the work I’ve done with the Prayer Vigil. As a team, we’ve done something unprecedented that has made a real difference in the world. We’ve had the opportunity to participate in many miraculous events.”

In particular, Namgyal remembers when Jetsunma and the Sangha held a weekend retreat in August of 1999. One could feel the probabilities at that time as somewhat ominous. Many spiritual groups were aware of the potential dangers of an unusual astrological configuration, called the “Grand Cross.” People around the world were praying to avert the negative probabilities. After that global effort, one could feel that something was different, that most of the negative potentials had dissolved.

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama heard about the 24-Hour Prayer Vigil, he jumped for joy. When other Lamas have come to KPC they have marveled and wondered how Jetsunma and the Sangha were able to accomplish so much – until they found out about our Prayer Vigil.  It is truly the heart of the mandala that keeps everything going.

Namgyal believes that KPC needs to strengthen the 24-Hour Prayer Vigil – especially the younger generation of newer practitioners needs to be involved in this effort. The Prayer Vigil has kept KPC alive and has kept many of the participants alive and on the Path. The best days of the 24-Hour Prayer Vigil may be in our future!

Jetsunma is currently on retreat at the Palyul Retreat Center in McDonough, New York.  Her intention while on retreat is to connect with her Palyul family, and to spend time with His Holiness Karma Kuchen. Jetsunma has been doing her heart practice, Chime Tsog Thig and Guru Yoga every day.

Jetsunma has encouraged her students that have never attended Palyul Retreat in New York to please do so, indicating that the Palyul Retreat center built by Kyabje Penor Rinpoche in 1998 will help her students to receive the entire cycle of Nam Cho teachings. Terton Migyur Dorje revealed the Nam Cho termas (hidden teachings) hundreds of years ago.   These are the same teachings taught at the New York Palyul Retreat Center during the annual summer retreat.

Jetsunma has also invited all retreatants at the Palyul Retreat Center to come to KPC throughout the year, to help them continue their practices in an environment that supports their Path.   While in retreat, Jetsunma has continuously spoken of the countless blessings His Holiness Penor Rinpoche brought into the world, and has written beautiful prayers for His Holiness Penor Rinpoche and His Holiness Karma Kuchen. She vows to uphold Kyabje Penor Rinpoche and work to ensure that His blessings continue to thrive in the world.

How did His Holiness Penor Rinpoche meet Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo?

In June of 1985, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche came to the United States and visited an American woman in Kensington, Maryland.  It was his first trip to the United States, and this was his only stop.  They had a wonderful summer meal outside on a patio, and many have talked about the laughter and joy that was shared that day.  His Holiness then proceeded to interview the students this American woman had gathered and began asking these students what she was teaching them.  After the interviews were completed, he called the American woman in to speak with her.  He told her that that she was teaching her students, no matter what she called it, were the basic teachings of Mahayana Buddhism.  Mahayana Buddhism is characterized by the bodhisattva ideal in which one seeks enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings, not just oneself.

While in Maryland, His Holiness bestowed refuge and bodhisattva vows on the American woman, and her students.  He also approved the refuge vow that she had been giving to her students as an authentic refuge vow and authorized her to conduct the refuge ceremony using that vow rather than the traditional one.

When requested, His Holiness prophesied the location of the new World Prayer Center for which members of the center were actively searching at the time.  He told the students that it would seem to be too costly but that they should get it anyway as their center would grow in the future.  In October of that year, settlement was made on the present location of Kunzang Palyul Chöling near Poolesville, Maryland, in a building that exactly matched the prophesy of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche right down to the four white pillars on the front porch.   And it was more expensive than anyone imagined they could handle, but devotion won out in the end.

After this amazing visit, events proceeded and a number of high lamas of the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism visited the new center to give teachings, including the Khenpo brothers, Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche, Chagdud Tulku, Ven. Gyaltrul Rinpoche, and others.  In February, 1987, the American woman traveled to India at the invitation of His Holiness where he officially recognized her as the incarnation of Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo, the Tibetan saint and sister of Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab, founder of Palyul Monastery.  After formally recognizing her, he gave her many teachings and transmissions and fully empowered her as a lineage holder in the Nyingma tradition.  He also gave her a name, Ahkön Norbu Lhamo.  The honorific title of Jetsunma was added later.

The next year His Holiness returned to Maryland to bestow the Rinchen Terdzöd cycle of empowerments for the first time in the West.   The Rinchen Terdzöd is a compilation by Jamgon Kongtrul the Great of all known terma revelations in the Nyingma tradition and takes three full months to confer.  Near the end of the empowerments, His Holiness formally enthroned Jetsunma as a tulku and lineage holder in the Palyul tradition.  This startling recognition of an American woman as a reincarnate Tibetan lama was picked up by news services around the world.

Migyur Dorje was only a young boy, about 12 years old, when he began spontaneously revealing the terma cycle known as the Nam Chö (Space Treasure) from his mind.  Although he died young at age 23 in 1667, Migyur Dorje did have students, and his closest heart students were Rigdzin Kunzang Sherab and his sister, Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo.   Kunzang Sherab was the first throne holder of the Palyul lineage that continues to this day, and Palyul is now considered to be one of the six principal mother monasteries of the Nyingma tradition.

Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo spent most of her life in retreat in a cave in the mountains above Palyul.  She was widely considered to be a saint because of her renunciate lifestyle and her accomplishment in her practice.  Held in particular by the ordained nuns (or anis) of Palyul, the valley in which her cave was located became known as the Red Valley because of the red-robed nuns who gathered there daily to seek blessings from Ahkön Lhamo.  It is said that Ahkön Lhamo never bathed or otherwise tended to her personal hygiene, yet the sweet smell of flowers always emanated from her cave.

When Ahkön Lhamo died, she was cremated, as was the tradition.  As the fire burned her body, suddenly the skull cap, or kapala, flew from the body and through the air, landing on her brother’s throne in the monastery about a kilometer away.  Upon examination, the kapala revealed a number of seed syllables – ultimate condensations of the Dharma into a single syllable, such as “AH.”  Such manifestations are only associated with practitioners of very high attainment.  This event was considered a miracle by those who witnessed it, and the kapala became the most sacred relic of Palyul Monastery.  For centuries it was used to distribute the blessed amrita during empowerments and large group practices or pujas.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche often passed out the amrita to the gathered monks using this precious relic.  It so impressed him that he made prayers to find the reincarnation of Ahkön Lhamo if she lived in the world.  When the Chinese invaded and annexed Tibet, they destroyed nearly all the monasteries and temples in Tibet and killed many monks and lamas.  Among the monasteries destroyed was Palyul, and one of the many sacred objects destroyed was the kapala of Genyenma Ahkön Lhamo.  His Holiness Penor Rinpoche was able to recover a piece of the kapala, and after recognizing Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, he gave it to her.  This relic rests today at Kunzang Palyul Choling, and is shown on specific Buddhist holidays.  The piece of the kapala that His Holiness was able to recover displays the miraculous “ah” on the kapala itself.

For Jetsunma, recognition occurred at a much older age than was traditional in Tibet.  It also involved the recognition of a woman and a Western woman.  Jetsunma also had no formal training in Buddhism, instead teaching directly from her mind.  Such a recognition caused some controversy because of its nontraditional aspects.  Yet His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, who was widely venerated as a Living Buddha, was adamant in his recognition, and he was supported by His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, also a former Supreme Head of the Nyingma tradition, and the Second Dzongnang Jampal Lodro Rinpoche, the most senior Palyul tulku.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche enthusiastically supported Jetsunma’s efforts until the end of his life in 2009.  His successor, His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, has also stated on numerous occasions that he supports her just as His Holiness Penor Rinpoche did and that her activity and her center must continue.  Jetsunma has fully fulfilled His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’s trust in her, and countless sentient beings have benefitted.

While at the Palyul Retreat His Holiness Karma Kuchen indicated that he knows and understands that Jetsunma and the late His Holiness Penor Rinpoche were very close and that he would like for her to consider their relationship to be the same as hers with Kyabje Penor Rinpoche; that they both want to uphold Palyul in the world and His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’s legacy.

The lowing of the conch shell sounded from various points the temple grounds like a soft foghorn. It overlaid the patter of hammers as stupa construction continued. Sometimes the sound wavered and spluttered out, and Jetsunma would laugh, lowering the conch. She was practicing for the enthronement ceremony the following day and had been told at the last minute that she would have to blow the conch. She never had before, at least not in this lifetime. She wiped her mouth and joked to her students, “I’m never going to get this down.”

She gamely tried again, continuing her gradual circumambulation of the temple. The sound came out clear and strong and hung in the air. After a moment of stillness, the students cheered.

On September 24, 1988, the temple filled with cameras and mics angled in every direction. Jetsunma sat quietly humble on the throne, and straightened the brocades draped over her shoulders, blinking at the lights. The temple had never been so brightly lit. To the blare of Tibetan horns and ringing bells, NBC filmed while His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, Throne Holder to the Palyul Lineage of the Nyingma School of Vajrayana Buddhism, formally enthroned Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo as a tulku, or reincarnate teacher.

According to tradition, ceremonial items were carried from H.H. Penor Rinpoche to Jetsunma, empowering her to teach and formally represent the Palyul Lineage. When the time came for her to blow the conch on camera, the sound came clear and then wavered. Not as good as the night before. She shared a wry smile with her students, tipping her head, Oh, well. Then one of the monks had to blow the conch. His Holiness chuckled and Gyaltrul Rinpoche translated his comment, ”They should have had Jetsunma do it.”

The news spread via Associated Press, and world newspapers printed photos of the spectacle of a western woman with long dark hair on a Tibetan throne. Her enthronement came at a time when Vajrayana Buddhism was relatively unknown in the US. The year before, an obscure Tibetan monk, H.H. the Dalai Lama, spoke at the National Cathedral to a scattered audience of about a hundred. At Buddhist temples in the late 1980s, teachers were universally Asian.

It was openly questioned whether Westerners could accomplish this Eastern religion.

H.H. Penor Rinpoche, who never shirked what was needed, answered with a resounding “Yes.” As he enthroned her, he said, “People have asked me why there are no American tulkus. And people have asked me why there are no female Lamas. Now you have both. So you should be very happy.”

“This is for you,” Jetsunma said later to her students. “It’s for all of us really. This is your own enthronement, your own future accomplishment that you’re seeing.” She explained that the enthronement meant that not only can Dharma be accomplished, it can be accomplished by Westerners, even in this day and age. “Yes, even you.” And she wrinkled her nose impishly at her students, and laughed.

• To promote Jetsunma’s health and long life, and to encourage her to remain, he has advised the Medicine Buddha Mantra:  Tayatha Om Bekadze Bekadze Maha Bekadze Radza Samungate Swaha.
• To remove obstacles for KPC and to pacify negativity, he has advised the Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita) Mantra: Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha, and the recitation of the sutra itself.

Here is the text of the Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita):

THE SUTRA OF THE HEART OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGE
(Prajnaparamita)

Thus have I heard.
Once the Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagriha at Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great gathering of the sangha of monks and a great gathering of the sangha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called “profound illumination,” and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while practicing the profound prajñaparamita, saw in this way: he saw the five
skandhas to be empty of nature. Then, through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shariputra said to noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes
to practice the profound prajñaparamita?”
Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Shariputra, “O Shariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajñaparamita should see in this way: seeing the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form. Emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness. Thus, Shariputra, all dharmas are emptiness. There are no characteristics. There is no birth and no cessation. There is no impurity and no purity. There is no decrease and no increase. Therefore, Shariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no
mind; no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas; no eye dhatu up to no mind dhatu, no dhatu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhatu; no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no nonattainment. Therefore, Shariputra, since the bodhisattvas have no attainment, they abide by means of prajñaparamita. Since there is no obscuration of mind, there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvana. All the buddhas of the three times, by means of prajñaparamita, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajñaparamita, the mantra of great insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequaled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering should be known as truth, since there is no deception. The prajñaparamita mantra is said in this way:
OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
Thus, Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajñaparamita.”

Then the Blessed One arose from that samadhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying, “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family, thus it is. One should practice the profound prajñaparamita just as you have taught and all the Tathagatas will rejoice.” When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shariputra and noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One.

Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje

We can tell the story now:  KPC thanks Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje (Peter Yeung) of the Pathgate Institute in the United Kingdom for the generous donation that enabled us to meet the challenge of our recent financial crisis.

Lama Dondrup Dorje is the Principal of the Pathgate Institute of Buddhist Studies and the Founder of the Palyul Nyingma Buddhist Association in the United Kingdom, Greece, and Australia.  He was the donor who offered the challenge grant that doubled the proceeds of our second evening webathon on April 28, then made up the difference between our fund-raising results and our goal.

For those who just came in, KPC had a surprise at the end of April:  the note on our mortgage-backed line of credit was called by the bank—with five days notice.  (You can catch up on that story here.)

Lama Dondrup’s generous response to the plight of KPC was rooted in his devotion to the late Holiness Penor Rinpoche, 11^th Throne Holder of the Palyul Lineage, by whom he was entrusted with the charge of the largest Palyul ordained sangha in Europe.  He has always maintained his only mission in life is to promote and preserve the Dharma activities of his Root Guru, Penor Rinpoche.  For more information about the donation, click here.

Penor Rinpoche is also the Root Guru of KPC Spiritual Director Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo; he enthroned her as a Lineage Holder in 1988 and consecrated the center she had established as the first seat of Palyul in the Western Hemisphere.  She has gathered the largest Palyul ordained sangha in the Western Hemisphere.

Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo and the sangha at KPC are indebted to Lama Dondrup Dorje.  May he see the fruit of his generosity in this very life!