To publicise and gather local interest in our centre we are having an open day on the 5th of February. Activities will include DVD teachings, Seven-Line Prayer accumulation, Torma making and Mudra workshops, Stupa circumambulations, gift shop, food and friendly conversation.
All who are in the area are welcome to visit. Activities will start from 10a.m.
For more information contact kpcaustralia@gmail.com
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!
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.
It is always surprising how much there is to experience in this absolutely still place. Although the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park is in the heart of West Sedona and readily accessible, it seems very much removed from daily life. The 14-acre parcel of land is studded with arroyos, pinions, junipers, brush and cacti, as well as abundant wild life that either live on the land or pass through—from quails and ravens to the occasional meandering coyote. In the center of this bounty, stands the stupa.
With so much to see, it’s no wonder that hikers come through the land as well (one day last week there were two groups of 25 people in addition to many individual hikers), and tour guides often bring visitors to experience the extraordinary beauty and calm energy. The stupa has even been dubbed “an unofficial vortex” by Sedonans.
As spectacular as the scenery is, it is secondary to the spiritual refuge that this sacred land provides. People come from all over the world to connect with the power and goodness of the stupa, often leaving offerings of personal meaning in addition to contributions to the upkeep of the land in designated offering boxes. One day it might be conch shells, a rose quartz, a red toad with a quarter in its mouth, a friendship ring and an American Indian sage bundle. At another time it might be silk flowers, cylindrical metal chimes, a clear jar of blood-red heart stones, a ceramic egg, a wooden cross, a black and yellow toy car and a Buzz Lightyear figurine.
A few years ago someone left a song of peace, which ended with “Feel the wind of love increase, as we move this world to peace. Come love the world with me.” A few months ago, a grieving son and daughter left a carved bird for a father who just passed away (he had spent many hours on the land bird-watching); and the other day, a Japanese visitor left a letter to her half brother, whom she had never met. She assured him that “nothing is your fault. … You are an heir of love, remember that. … My prayers are with you.”
People of all spiritual traditions are drawn to the stupa. It is a place where one can feel safely at peace and where the mind can experience stillness, hope, inspiration and love. It is a place to keep one’s spirits up during difficult times and a place to pray for those who are suffering. During times of world crisis, many people are drawn to the stupa to pray. This movement of consciousness from the particular to the general comes naturally at the stupa where the mind seems to expand easily and embrace all of life.
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!
With its graceful antebellum columns and portico, the temple building at KPC in Poolesville, Maryland, is much admired for its beauty. Built in 1972, 13 years before being acquired by students of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, KPC Spiritual Director, the building pre-dates most current building codes and energy protocols.
KPC is therefore pleased to announce our acceptance of an award of $21,000 from the Montgomery County Commercial/Multi-Family Energy Efficiency Rebate Program. The award, in the form of a rebate, will supplement a legacy gift of about $180,000 specifically for renovation of the temple building. The current estimate for the building renovation stands at about half a million dollars, primarily for changes that will bring the building into compliance with various Montgomery County codes. (The cost of bringing the temple grounds into compliance with new County codes is still being studied.) And, more important, the renovation will enhance the temple as a setting for the Three Precious Jewels.
Watch our website, tara.org, for updates about the project.
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.
KPC is in a thank you mode! In a posture of giving back to the community, we will hold a “Walk for Those Who Can’t” on Saturday, June 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Members (and friends) of the KPC community will spend four hours in continuous relays of prayer around the Enlightenment Stupa (the one closest to the temple). The idea is to walk for those who can’t circumambulate–either because of distance, health, or ignorance of the opportunity.
We will do a continuous reading of the names given us to pray for, including those already in our prayer book, and each one of the donors who gave in our recent appeal to save the tempe. We invite you to submit names as well (no intentions, please, as they can increase the length of an already lengthy process). You can submit names by writing to kpcprayerwalk@gmail.com.
Lunch will be available for a nominal fee at the end of the event, courtesy of the Burmese American Collective. The Burmese-American community will be featured this year in the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, and members are raising money to support the performers. KPC is delighted to support this community, who have supported us in many ways, especially during our recent emergency appeal!
