News - Spring 2009
His Holiness the 17th Karmapa Orgyen Trinley Dorje
H.H. Gyalwa Karmapa Orgyen Thrinley Dorje, who is the crown jewel of our Kagyu Lineage, is continuing to perform many activities for the sake of sentient beings.
Following his historic tour of the United States, His Holiness returned to India, to Ladakh, and gave blessings and teachings to the local people there. His Holiness then went to Gyuto Monastery where he gave daily interviews with visiting students, bestowing initiations and teachings. His Holiness traveled to Sarnath where he oversaw the Karma Goncho activities. More recently, His Holiness led the Kagyu Monlam in Bodhgaya. Many students from all over the world joined the Monlam activities, along with a few thousand monks and nuns, turning the town of Bodhgaya into a Kagyu village. At the conclusion of the Kagyu Monlam, His Holiness Karmapa gave a series of initiations and teachings specifically for the visiting students who had come great distances.
We pray for His Holiness’ long life and good health, and for his activities to flourish in all the three worlds.
His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche
His Eminence Kalu Rinpoche, who came out of retreat September 9, 2008 had a big “Coming Out of Retreat Celebration” at Mirik Monastery, September 9-12. Following that event, Rinpoche departed for Palchen Monastery in Sikkim to meet with His Eminence Gyaltsap Rinpoche. During Kalu Rinpoche’s three-year retreat Gyaltsap Rinpoche had given instructions and guidance on each and every sadhana. In appreciation of this profound kindness, Kalu Rinpoche presented a mandala offering and long life prayer for H.E.Gyaltsap Rinpoche.
Kalu Rinpoche received a welcoming ceremony while in Palchen Monastery. He enjoyed his few days’ stay, receiving more instructions from Gyaltsap Rinpoche, and giving blessings to all the monks there. H.E. Kalu Rinpoche returned to Mirik Monastery where he stayed until September 17, 2008. His next destination was his own monastery in Sonada. Rinpoche was, of course, given a very warm welcome, first by the Sherpa Monastery, then by his own monks from Sonada Monastery. There was a big ceremony prepared in Sonada’s Samdrub Darjay Choling Monastery, replete with banners and canopies, drums and horns, and dancing -- symbolizing long life. Flowers were scattered on the path where Rinpoche walked. Upon his arrival in Sonada, Rinpoche went to the main temple where he paid his respects and offered a kata to the golden stupa containing the preserved body of the previous Kalu Rinpoche. Afterwards, Rinpoche retired to his room where he received lamas and students from all over the world, each offering a kata and heartfelt respect to His Eminence. Everybody sat down to enjoy the ceremonial saffron rice and Tibetan tea that was served. Following this, Rinpoche rested for a few minutes, then proceeded to the main shrine hall where the monks began chanting, and each representative of His Eminence’s monasteries and centers from all over the world made mandala offerings. First in line was Khenpo Lodro Donyo, from Bokar Monastery, who offered the Seven Branch prayer with other monks bowing to His Eminence with respect. Khenpo then proceeded to offer a universal chopen silver mandala plate, the eight auspicious symbols, eight auspicious substances, and eight possessions of a universal monarch. There were also other material offerings carried by more than fifty monks, such as a silver mandala, special metals complete and perfectly presented, an image of Amitayus offered as a symbol of body, sutra and tantra volumes, as symbols of speech, a gold stupa as a symbol of mind, offering bowls, symbols of gyaling, kangling, dungchen, drums, lots of multicolor brocades, five different kinds of grains, and other offerings too numerous to mention. It was moving to see the offerings that Khenpo had arranged, each offering accompanied by the appropriate offering recitation.
Sonada monastery was the second monastery to give offerings. The next to present offerings was a representative of His Holiness Karmapa from Rumtek, followed by a representative of Gyaltsap Rinpoche from Ralang, followed by other representatives of centers from all over the world, including our own Lama Lodu Rinpoche. After the offerings were presented and a long life prayer performed, Rinpoche went back to his room, where he had lunch with representatives from Sikkim, Bhutan, Tibet, Europe, the United States, and other parts of the world.
After lunch, everybody enjoyed Nepali, Tibetan, Sikkimese, Sherpa, and other ritual dances. A birthday cake for Rinpoche was served around 8 p.m., as Rinpoche’s birthday was also on September 17. Around three thousand people attended, all of them expressing their joy that Rinpoche had come out of retreat, ready to continue the activities of the previous Kalu Rinpoche. On the following day, September 18, Rinpoche left for the Salagara stupa and his own Droden Kunkhyab Chodey Monastery, where they also performed a grand welcoming ceremony.
On September 19, Rinpoche traveled to Sherab Ling, where he was warmly received by His Eminence Tai Situ Rinpoche. Kalu Rinpoche participated in the initiations being given at Sherab Ling.
After the initiations, Rinpoche went to Bhutan, having been invited by the Royal Family to attend the enthronement of the new Bhutanese King. Then Rinpoche came back to Salagara. There was a big Shedra built by Khenpo Lodro Donyo located between Bhutan and Salagara. His Eminence was invited to Bless this Shedra by Khenpo Lodro Donyo, and another grand welcoming ceremony was given. Upon his return to Salagara, Rinpoche gave empowerments to local devotees; he then did a brief personal retreat before traveling to Bodhgaya where he joined His Holiness Karmapa with aspiration prayers for universal benefit. Kalu Rinpoche will be attending the ten day year-end Mahakala retreat just before the Tibetan New Year.
Mingyur Rinpoche will give Commentary on the Seven Points of Mind Training and Chenrezig Empowerment
June 12-15, 2009 at KDK, Fell St., San Francisco
Full details in the Teaching Schedule
Very Venerable Mingyur Rinpoche is one of the most accomplished and well-known teachers of our time. He is the son of the great yogi, Urgyen Rinpoche. His ancestor, Chokling Rinpoche, was a 19th century Treasure Master who discovered many spiritual treasures and tantric objects hidden by Guru Padmasambhava and Yeshe Tsogyal. Urgyen Rinpoche had five sons, and four of them are acknowledged as reincarnations of previous masters.
Beautiful Thangkas Available Again
Kagyu Droden Kunchab is happy to announce that our bookstore has obtained many beautiful thangkas and other ritual objects which are now available for purchase. Each of these items was carefully selected by a qualified Lama who confirmed that the images and iconography are in perfect accordance with the deity sadhana. These thangkas are invaluable as sacred tools, especially useful during the "creation stage" of the meditation practice. Some are decorated with gold and all are framed by exceptionally good quality brocade.
Among the thangkas which are of especially fine quality with remarkably vivid, clear imagery, are Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava) and the Kagyu Preliminary Practice thangka. Each of those is $400. Amitaba thangkas are priced between $150 - $400 depending on the size. Vajrasattva is listed at $300, Machig Labdron, $400 and Manjushri, $300. We are also able to custom order Thangkas for you. Prices range between $260 and $1000.
We have priced these items so that they are affordable for most practitioners. KDK members receive a 20% discount. The bookstore manager will accept installment payments from those who wish to purchase a thangka.
If you have any questions, please call (415) 752-5454. These items and more are available for purchase on line through the KDK Bookstore page or even better, come by the KDK bookstore before or after puja, where you can view these inspiring works of art up close.
Personal Retreats at the KDK Retreat Land
The KDK retreat land was purchased and developed by our Venerable Lama Lodu Rinpoche with one goal: to provide students of the dharma with an environment where they may engage in serious meditation practice in beautiful, silent and sacred surroundings. Much effort went into securing and establishing the facilities, and scores of public teachings, empowerments, retreats, (including two traditional 3-year retreats), have taken place there. Now Lama Lodu Rinpoche has expressed the hope that many people will engage in personal retreats on the land. The daily fee is $20, $10 for KDK members. This stipend covers housing, the use of the community kitchen, bathroom and shrine room, as well as full hiking access to the 160 acres.
(Please note: KDK cannot provide food for your retreat. And, since a traditional Tibetan 3-year retreat is now in progress, visitors will be asked not to enter those compounds, and to observe quiet behavior when nearby.)
Registration for personal retreats is required by calling (707) 984-7038. Samten, the KDK retreat land caregiver, will provide more information. People wishing to stay on the land for a personal retreat will be given a set of simple rules which we request that they read carefully. Lama Lodu Rinpoche has repeatedly stated that the intention to go on a religious retreat, whether in a group or on one's own, creates vast merit. Carrying out the plan, taking time off from one's daily activities, packing up, making all the necessary preparations, all of this adds to the purification and benefit. We hope that those of you who are interested in pursuing a personal retreat on the KDK retreat land will do so with the knowledge that all your merit joins with the merit of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas past, present and future for the benefit of all beings.
KDK Membership dues
Have you considered paying your KDK membership dues online? Many banks have automated bill paying systems. It is easy to schedule a regular contribution to KDK. Set up your "bill pay" to send payments to: Kagyu Droden Kunchab, 1892 Fell Street, San Francisco, CA 94117. Remember that dues went up last year to $240 for a year, or $120 for six months
Or see the KDK Membership page for other options.
