Not all the generosity we’ve experienced in the last month has come in the form of money!  We want to acknowledge the volunteers who have helped us improve the state of our Peace Park.

After last winter’s storms, the Peace Park looks like, well . . . like a hurricane hit it.  It is full of downed trees, mostly juniper and white pine, the shallow-rooted softwoods that were bent by the weight of the snow and uprooted by the high winds of several severe storms.  Frankly, we’ve never seen anything like it!

Here our grounds manager, John Pelletier, takes a volunteer on a tour of one such damaged area.  The volunteer was one of several trained by the Sierra Club who called and offered help.  We love it when that happens!  Particularly when the help shows up with his own chain saw and the expertise to use it!

John and the volunteer conferred, then the volunteer used John’s back to sign a volunteer waiver.  Then he got down to work, making his chain saw sing its industrious song!

It was a great party—and we’d like to share it!  At least the entertainment part:  you can see select performances here.

Before the performances, the audience joined in Amitaba Practice together.  (Yep!  It was 7 p.m.:  time for worldwide prayer.)

Then KPC member Anne Kanengeiser, an actress and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway shows, performed several songs a capella.  In this picture, she’s showing that she downloaded the words to “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” by Rogers and Hammerstein, to sing by special request.

Anne was not the only professional:  singer/songwriter Tara Middleton, an alumna of the KPC Children’s Program, performed a number of songs.  Here she accompanies herself on the guitar.

And, in her debut at KPC, an amateur violinist surprised us all with a deft rendering of a Hungarian Dance by Bela Bartok. Keep practicing, Elizabeth!  We’ll be depending on you for future performances!

Other performances were more spontaneous.  Here young Siddhartha demonstrates the full-length prostration, then monitors a newcomer’s attempt at a five-point touchdown.

We enjoyed seeing old friends again, and new ones too—one man who had followed the webathons with friends in Pennsylvania, disappointed when they decided not to drive down for the party, came by himself, his first visit to KPC!  Others, not Buddhists, came because they make use of the Peace Park or the Mani Jewel Giftstore.  All enjoyed mingling and sharing stories.

And Leslie Mulvilhill’s cakes, of course!

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!

This has been an historic week for Kunzang Palyul Choling.  In just five short days with worldwide support we have raised $250,000 needed to pay off the bank note on the Temple, and secure it once and for all for future generations.  And we want to thank EVERYONE!

The outpouring of love and support and generosity has been overwhelming. We’d like to share some of the notes we’ve received.

Dear KPC

To preface, I don’t think any words that I have will be able to adequately express what KPC has done for my life – though I will certainly try. Before meeting with KPC I thought I had a pretty good hold on life, and if I could just be a good person, it would all go pretty smoothly. After being blessed to hear Jetsunmas teachings I realized that I hadn’t even scratched the surface – that there was so much more.  My life now has a purpose outside of my self, and for that I can thank KPC. The sangha is such a compassionate and wonderful group of people who inspire me every hour of every day. The love one experiences at the temple is so rare and beautiful. Through KPC I have been blessed to have a wonderful fiance – with whom I can share this precious life focusing on something that will bring benefit to so many. We have been given so many opportunities to help others, and to be of benefit. That is why we need to keep KPC – for all the future generations to know. To know love and peace and compassion.

Love

Leslie

Dear KPC,

Congratulations! I have been following the whole process and your actions. I am glad, you have made it. I am completely impressed and am glad I could take part in it. I hope, you will take time to celebrate. May you continue your work and mission for a long, long time. You have proved that one can do a lot with some help from people who care. Just imagine, what you can do next.

With best wishes,

Jolanta

CONGRATULATIONS!

GREAT WORK! YOU DESERVE TO KEEP ON HOLDING THIS BUDDHIST SPACE FOR MANY.

with Love,

Maria and Andras

Hello,

I am so very happy for this achievement – my heart sings and I thank you for all that you do in keeping this doorway open for us all,

With Love, john

We thank you ALL, and may all beings swiftly accomplish the path of liberation.

Y-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s-s!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We are happy to report that we have been able to raise the entire amount of the note being called by our bank:  $250,000.  (The blogger is almost too stunned to be able to type in that amount!)

Coincidentally, our attorneys were able to arrange a two-week extension, or “forbearance” period, yesterday.  It will take up to seven days for funds being transferred from overseas to arrive in the KPC account.

As you may know, through our Tuesday and Wednesday evening webcast telethons, we raised a total of $205,126.  A lot of people made this possible! We had worldwide support–with donations ranging from $5 to $10,000.

Then, at the end, a donor came forward with the offer to cover whatever we were not able to raise to meet the amount due. That donor wishes to remain anonymous.

In addition, His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, 12th Throne Holder of the Palyul Lineage, offered a loan of $50,000, in support of the work of Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo at KPC.  Fortunately, we did not have to accept his offer because of the generous stop-gap donation.  (But we understand that the business manager for His Holiness stayed up all night in case the funds needed to be wired!)

We are thrilled and grateful beyond belief!  We thank our Precious Guru, Jetsunma Ahkon Lhamo, for her blessing and for providing our connection with the precious Palyul Lineage.  We thank our Lineage Masters, whose loving support during this crisis was incalculable, and, of course, we thank the generous donors who made this outcome possible! E Ma Ho!

What has happened to our finances is what is happening to many other non-profit organizations:  the economic downturn.  We struggle, as many non-profit organizations in these times do, to fulfill our commitments and to provide a place of prayer for all and yet our expenses exceed the donations we receive.

The note in question is a mortgage-backed line of credit.  We had paid off the mortgage on the temple property about twelve years ago, but continued to carry a mortgage on the land across the road, where our Peace Park and many sacred monuments are located. When the necessity arose to complete payments on the Peace Park, we paid that mortgage off through this note, using the temple property as security.

We have been falling quite a bit behind, and of course are in the process of fund raising to cover such expenses.  But this calling in of the note was a surprise.  We had been in touch with the bank about our efforts, and there had been no 30 day warning, or any other notification.

We are, however, aware that this obstacle is an opportunity. Of course, this is a scary moment.  We have no guarantee that we will be able to raise the money, but since we notified our larger community just Saturday evening, we have been able to raise about $65,000.  We are working hard to reach out to those who know us and may be able to help with any amount.

Thank you for your interest and for any support you might kindly offer. May all beings benefit from your generosity!

Save the temple!

It seems as if the economy might be picking up some steam . . . but KPC is no longer in a position to wait for the economy to get back in gear. Our bank has called the note on the temple property. We must have the entire amount, about $250,000, by Thursday, April 29.

The bank has the legal right to seize our assets and liquidate them.  This includes the temple and the property.

Our experience has been that when the most auspicious opportunities arise, obstacles arise in proportion to the opportunity. When we were given the relics of Migyur Dorje for the stupa dedicated to healing, we came within hours of losing the property on which the stupa now stands.  We trust that we will be able to overcome this obstacle as well.  In fact, we trust that the appearance of the obstacle signifies just such an auspicious opportunity.

We call for your prayers as well as whatever financial support you may be able to offer. Please dedicate your prayers for KPC and for the precious Dharma to gain a firm footing in the West. That is our highest aspiration, and that is what we call to you to support.

The “Keep the Lights On for Dharma” telethon was a lot of fun! We raised $1990, in addition to the $2,250 we raised in an internal appeal. Thanks to everyone who participated! We enjoyed it so much that we’re planning another one in a couple of months. In the works: A “KPC Comedy Quiz Show.”

We DO still need to raise $2000 to avoid the cut-off. You can donate here. Or send a check to KPC/ P.O. Box 88/ Poolesville, MD 20837. Thanks!

To who our appreciation, we are offering the following gifts:

For donations of $100 or more:

White Tara, Audio CD by Sarah Patterson

Inspired by Buddha White Tara, this beautiful CD weaves together new devotional chants and Irish-inspired music with traditional Tibetan mantras and prayers. It is a simple, joyful, and profound listening practice.

OR

Pure Light, Video CD or DVD

Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche chronicles the evolution of Palyul, from Tibet to southern India, where the Golden Temple at Palyul Namdröling is the largest in the region and attracts visitors daily by the thousands.

For donations of $500 or more:

All Pervading Melodious Sound of Thunder: The Outer Liberation Story of Terton Migyur Dorje, by Karma Chagme, translated by Lopon Sonam Tsewang and Judith Amtzis

Synopsis:
A translation of the biography of the great Nyingma master Terton Migyur Dorje composed by Karma Chagme. Penor Rinpoche made the request that this terton’s namthar, or liberation story, be translated into English. The namthar is not just the tale of one extraordinary terton, or treasure revealer, revealing as it does the deep personal relationship that existed between two great masters: Migyur Dorje and Karma Chagme Rinpoche. It also contains considerable information on the nature of liberation stories themselves, how authentic tertons and tulkus can be identified, the importance and significance of treasure teachings and sacred places, the nature of the guru-disciple relationship and other crucial topics.

This is a story of Macho Kindness:  tough guys with tough machines and soft  hearts, who came to the aid of some helpless birds, the temple, and each other.

It was a dark and stormy night—all over the East Coast on Friday, December 18, 2009.

At KPC in Poolesville, MD, it was snowing up a storm when we heard an engine idling outside in the driveway.  Upon investigation, we found a four-wheel-drive truck with a snowplow on the front and a trailer on the back.  (No picture:  it was a dark and stormy night!)

The driver was glad to see someone.  He had come to repair the generator for the Garuda Aviary and had never been there.   In the dark, he couldn’t figure out where to go.

Now, it happens that he had been asked to repair it some time before, but, for various reasons, hadn’t  been able to get to it.  On that stormy night, he was responding to an urgent plea to see what he could do.  (If we were to lose power in the storm, it would mean probable death by freezing for the birds. And he knew that.) Trouble was—he couldn’t see.  We showed him where the lane went down the hill, and figured that the snow wasn’t deep enough yet to cause any trouble for a truck like that.

Sure enough, he went down and after a while came back, with the news that he didn’t have to haul the generator away, after all—just needed to install a new battery.  He had one at home, he said, and would be right back with it.  And so he was.

Good thing the power didn’t go out that night!  Because it turned out that he wasn’t able to fix it on the spot after all.  He did wind up hauling it out that night on his trailer, taking it home, where he worked on it all the next day.

We didn’t know that at the time, however.  We only found that out when, late the NEXT afternoon, he showed up again with the truck, the trailer, and the generator.  By that time, we will remind you,  we already had fifteen inches of snow.  In fact, we had just been rejoicing about the arrival of our neighbor, with his Bobcat, to plow the driveway and parking lot.

It was still light when we looked outside and realized that the generator guy and the neighbor in the Bobcat were putting their heads together.  We wondered about that .  . . and next time we looked, we saw the generator guy’s truck stuck in the lane coming up the hill from the aviary.  He was shoveling frantically, so we grabbed a shovel and hurried down . . . only to find that our neighbor was there too.  We really wish we had a picture of him surveying the scene:  there was his Bobcat, at the bottom of the lane, in front of the aviary.

Now, this neighbor is an expert with the Bobcat.  We pay him to clear the drive, and he is kind enough to work it in even though he spends long hours clearing roads in a storm like this.  On this occasion, he was just on his way home from a day of plowing the Beltway, all the way to Route 50 and back.  But it was a steep hill, low visibility, and an unpaved lane.  (NOT an area we expected him to plow!)  His machine had tires rather than tracks.  And somehow it had slipped all the way down the hill . . . .  We were just glad to see him, the Bobcat, and the aviary all in one piece.

“All the way to Route 50,” he muttered, “and I wipe out across the street from home!”

So, we all dug, and scraped, and jumped out of the way as the truck freed itself and gunned its way back up to the driveway.  Then everything became clear.  The two guys had been trying to open up the lane enough to get the truck, with the trailer and the generator, down to where it was needed.  And they were still determined to get that generator down there.  Now that the truck was out of the lane, they could drag the trailer down by . . . man power, and install the generator.  And that’s what they did.  In the dark.

And that’s why the parking lot still hadn’t been cleared by Sunday morning.

The rest of the story has pictures.  Here’s what the Bobcat looked like on Sunday.

On Monday morning, our neighbor arrived with his tractor and a crew.

They had a plan, involving the tractor, and chains . . . .

And of course shovels.

It took some maneuvering . . . and some manpower . . .

But it worked!  Our neighbor is pretty happy about it!

The Bobcat is free at last!

It’s time to go now.  We ask our neighbor if it’s okay to use his picture, and he says yes—just not his name.  We ask him if he went down the hill in the storm on Saturday because he knew what it would mean for the birds if the power went out.  “So,” we accused him, “you were being kind, right?”

He looked down at his boots and smiled.  “N-a-a-w . . . !” he said.

KPC is supported by members, visitors, and friends.  You can join them by donating here!

This is what it looked like yesterday at KPC during the Great Blizzard of 2009.

Beginning Friday evening, the snow was unrelenting until late Saturday night. It fell fine and fast, with a pretty good wind behind it at times.

You can see in the picture below what the flags are doing!

The stupa is barely visible . . .

. . . and every bush is wearing its own snow-cone extension!

The bird feeders are too. The winged ones are having a hard time finding food!

Ani Palmo went out to clear the bird feeders and fill them with birdseed.

Now at last the birds can find a footing, and some food. That’s a peanut-butter pine cone she’s waving around in her right hand:  an easy way to get some nutrition out to them.  (That’s right–it’s just what it sounds like!  You smear peanut butter on a pine cone.)  And she took some bread crusts out too, tossing them in a place with some protection from the snow.

At midafternoon, 15 inches of snow had fallen, and it was still coming down.

One of the other nuns, Ani Pema, had to make her way down to the Garuda Aviary (our parrot sactuary) to tend to the birds. The photographer missed Ani-la on her trek–but here’s her trail.

We caught up with Ani Pema later, warm and dry, inside the temple.

Meanwhile, the 24 Hour Prayer Vigil, the heart of our activity at KPC, continues, with the residents tag-teaming on shifts.  Ani Pema did a double shift earlier in the day, four hours.  Here’s Gonpo, arriving from elsewhere on the property, to take a late-afternoon shift.

You can see how the snow is piling up!  It seems we are completely cut off from the outside world.  But wait–here comes help!  The cavalry!  Our neighbor with a bobcat.

It was such a beautiful sight, we think we want to show more of it.  After all, plowing means that YOU can get here!

By the way, you can sponsor the Prayer Vigil and dedicate your support to a loved one or a cherished cause.  Click here to learn more about Prayer Without Ceasing.