Lama Tharchin Rinpoche Discusses His Trip to Bhutan and the Kudung of His Holiness' Cremation.

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche talks about the stupa park and it's significance.

Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche's talk about Lama Tharchin Rinpoche's Parinirvana on August 16, 2013

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During this three-day retreat Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche will teach us how to develop the Vajrayana view. He will explain how to practice Vajrayana meditation and transform our perception to establish a fearless vajra mind. 

Rinpoche will identify and elucidate Vajrayana principles according to Maha Yoga and the Guhyagarbha Tantra, showing us how to cultivate these principles in our daily life. 

Rinpoche says, if we have proper Vajrayana view and meditation our whole life will be affected, including our interactions, connections with others, and how we relate to emotions and beliefs. At the end of our life, by maintaining the Vajrayana view, our experience of death will be transformed. 

“The Vajrayana view affects all aspects of your life and will empower you to live your life majestically and robustly. We are Vajrayana practitioners, we must understand Vajrayana principles.” – Orgyen Chowang

Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche's Biography: 

Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche is a meditation master in the Nyingma lineage of the Buddhist tradition. He studied for ten years at Larung Gar in Serta, eastern Tibet, with his teacher, Jigmed Phuntsok Rinpoche, who is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Dzogchen meditation masters of the twentieth century. Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is the founder and spiritual director of Pristine Mind Foundation. He travels throughout the United States and around the world teaching a broad range of audiences, including those at universities, tech companies and yoga studios, how they can improve their lives through meditation. Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche is the author of Our Pristine Mind: A Practical Guide to Unconditional Happiness forthcoming from Shambhala Publications Spring 2016.

 

From Lama Tharchin Rinpoche:

“It is my heart wish that you come and make a connection with Khen Rinpoche (Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche) as he is truly special. Our lord of refuge Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche has said that this khenpo is unlike any other – really genuine. Not only is his knowledge vast, but he brought this into his experience, so that when he teaches he talks from his heart, which brings authentic penetration.”  

THANKSGIVING RETREAT

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Black Hayagriva is very special, rarely practiced these days and rarely known. For this reason both Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and Lama Sonam Rinpoche requested Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche to bestow the empowerment, which he kindly did in July this year.

This Thanksgiving, Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche will give teachings on the Black Hayagriva, which works quickly in turbulent times to restore balance and bring benefit to beings’ minds and thus the outer elements, to cure disease and to eliminate demonic forces, etc. Padmasambhava himself achieved deathlessness through practicing Hayagriva. 

The retreat is open to all – the empowerment is not required. The reading transmission for the practice will be given on the last day.

About Black Hayagriva by Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche

The emanation of all Buddha’s speech arises as Avalokiteshvara, the form of compassion. In order to tame the wildest beings, Avalokiteshvara manifests as extremely wrathful Hayagriva. In this time of degeneration the inner elements of beings are imbalanced with very strong clinging and passions. Externally, this causes war and the use of biological and chemical weapons. Many new diseases with no known cure appear and epidemics spread quickly. Even friends, husbands, wives, and children seem intent on cheating and manipulating each other, so that no one knows who to rely on. This naturally leads to imbalances in the outer elements. The water element causes floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes; the fire element causes volcanoes, drought, and heat waves; wind causes tornadoes and windstorms; and the earth element causes earthquakes and landslides. Likewise, all the different classes of spirits become upset. The whole world, whether it is the inner elements of sentient beings or the outer elements, is extremely turbulent and out of control. At times such as this it is difficult for Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and wrathful deities to penetrate beings’ minds. That is when this form of Hayagriva in union with Tröma Nagmo, who is the most wrathful and therefore the most compassionate, appears.  

Extremely Wrathful Black Hayagriva has special power to affect beings’ minds and benefit those who are depressed, dysfunctional, or crazy, as well as to cure disease. This is the condensed essence of all the billions of Hayagriva practices. It is easy to practice and highly effective. Even hearing this practiced will subdue all classes of spirits. Remembering it will eradicate all wrong views and demonic forces. Touching the image of this Hayagriva will pacify all disease and the passions of the five poisons. For whoever has a connection to this practice the seed of samsara will be destroyed. 

Padmasambhava accomplished deathlessness through practicing Hayagriva. He transmitted it to his heart disciples, Yeshe Tshogyal and King Trisong Deutsen to practice and hide as terma. This terma was later discovered by Dudjom Lingpa, who was the emanation of Khyeuchung Lotsawa and Guru Dorje Drolod in person. HH Dudjom Rinpoche compiled this whole practice to make it easy to practice.

THANKSGIVING DAY: Thursday November 26

From 1:30 - 3:30 PM Lama Sonam Rinpoche will lead us in Dudjom Lingpa's pure land practice of Buddha Amitabha, which will be followed by our annual Thanksgiving sangha dinner.

Thanksgiving is a special day for loved ones to gather and for that reason it is positive. But it is also a time when many turkeys' lives are taken. We are doing this puja to pray that these turkeys be reborn in Amitabha's pureland. This practice will focus our compassion for them and all sentient beings, including our loved ones who may be ill or have passed away."  Lama Sonam Rinpoche/2014


Thanksgiving Dinner:RSVP by emailing office@vajrayana.org 



BIOGRAPHY of Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche

 

"Lama Sonam has a very good heart and is noble and honest. He is also knowledgeable about practice. He is very efficient in a pure way and can analyze what is wrong and right in a beneficial way." Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche/Letter to Vajrayana Foundation - March 2000

Lama Sonam Tsering is a Nyingmapa master of Tibetan Buddhism. At a very young age he began learning the scripture with his father. In 1959 his family settled in His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche camp in Orissa, India where he  began his training in the Dudjom Tersar lineage, the two stages of creation and perfection. His studies included ritual arts, music, sacred dance and retreats. He received empowerments and instructions from great Nyingma lamas  and also served as a Ritual Master (chopen) for many years.

Under the guidance of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, Lama Sonam completed his extensive Buddhist education at the Ngagyur Shedrup Dodjo Ling. He received the complete teachings, empowerments and instructions on the Dudjom Tersar and other Nyingma traditions from many lamas and khenpos.

In 1984 Chagdud Rinpoche invited Lama Sonam to the United States. Over the years, he served as a resident lama at Dechen Ling Buddhist Center, Chagdud Gonpa, in Cottage Grove, Oregon.  In 1999, His Holiness   Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche and Lama Tharchin Rinpoche both entrusted Lama Sonam to oversee and guide the Vajrayana Foundation, Pema Osel Ling, where he currently resides.

Lama Sonam has an extraordinary ways of conveying the wisdom and compassion of the Buddhadharma to young people and adults alike. He is a humble practitioner with boundless energy for the dharma which he ceaselessly and joyfully applies for the benefit all beings.

KYABJE DUNGSE THINLEY NORBU RINPOCHE'S 4th DECHO  


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Lama Tharchin Rinpoche's words about Dungse Rinpoche's DECHO
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This December 11-13 marks the FOURTH Anniversary of Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche’s parinirvana (Dechö in Tibetan). We will do three days of Dorsem Lama Chöpa (the Guru in the form of Vajrasattva) practice with self-empowerment on this occasion. Tulku Thadral Rinpoche will preside as Vajra Master. Lama Gyaltsen Rinpoche will also join us at this time.

With regard to Dechö ”De” is the time when a lama passes into parinirvana and “Chö” is the aspect where the student makes offerings to connect with the blessings of the lama’s wisdom mind. This is a time of particular significance for all of us with a Dharma connection to Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche.

As Lama Tharchin Rinpoche, in speaking of Kyabje Rinpoche’s Dechö, said:

“For us, our Lama’s Dechö is equal to that of Buddha Shakyamuni and all past Buddhas, and is in fact more important because Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche is our root lama: He shows us the path, gives teachings, guides us on the path and we rely on Rinpoche until we become fully enlightened and inseparable with him. It is like doing one mantra on a holy day where the merit multiplies by millions. During this time, we can remember Rinpoche’s wisdom, his kindness, how much that has penetrated our mind, how our lives would be inconceivable without him ... We can come together and pray, make aspiration prayers together that immediately this life has set we can be reborn in the Pureland, that we can practice together and attain fully enlightened Buddhahood always together. Then we don’t have any separation, from life to life.”  

[For Rinpoche’s full words about Dechö please click here]

Lama Sonam Rinpoche encourages all sangha to attend. Please make every effort to join us at this time so that we can come together, pray and make aspirations. 

There is no charge for the pujas but please bring a tsok offering to share. Meals and lodging are $10/meal and $20/night. Please register so we can arrange for your participation. 

If you are unable to join us in person, Lama Sonam Rinpoche recommends that, for your own accumulation,"it would be very beneficial during this time to do Vajrasattva practice,to sponsor tsok, butterlamps and make any kinds of offerings, including water bowl offerings, prostrations and circumambulations.” 

 

Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche's Biography

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(The retreat will start at 2:30 PM January 2 and end at Noon on January 10)
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Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche will give step-by-step meditation instructions on His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche’s Vajrakilaya Namchak Putri Trekchod commentary.

These instructions, together with the requisite meditation practice, provide an unparalleled opportunity for the student to gain stability in meditation under the guidance of a genuine and experienced meditation master. 

"Namchak Putri is actually the king of all the collections of Vajrakilaya tantras from Tibet as it is a complete treasure cycle from ngöndro to the Togal clear light teachings. It is very rare to get the complete trekchod teachings from a completely qualified practitioner lama such as Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche. To receive this kind of teaching requires many positive circumstances and conditions coming together and therefore it is very precious.” Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche 

The retreat will start with a couple of days of rushen practice, to integrate those who have not completed a formal rushen retreat, before the actual trekchod teachings will begin. Rushen (or Khor-de Rushen) is the special preliminary practice for Dzogchen, where the student experientially learns to extract the essence of nirvana from the gross phenomena of samsara.

Retreat Attendance

According to Lama Pema Dorje Rinpoche, the retreat is open to 

1. Those who attended the Namchak Putri Rushen retreat with Rinpoche earlier this year. 

2. Those who have completed a full Nyingma or Kagyu ngondro – “completion of a full ngondro is very good” 

3. Those who have at completed at least 10% of their ngondro. 

You also need to be able to attend this retreat in its entirety. There is no part-time attendance. 

Lama Tharchin Rinpoche performs the Black Hat dance 

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Sponsoring Prayer Flags and Ritual Activity (to come)
Concise Vajrakilaya Practice
Vajrakilaya Aspiration Prayer


Registration will open soon.

The wrathful Vajrakilaya Gutor practice is a powerful purification ritual traditionally done in the final days of the outgoing Tibetan year to cleanse and pacify all accumulated negativities, defilements and obstacles in order that we start the New Year afresh. 

We are deeply honored that Tulku Jigme Wangdrak Rinpoche, a fourth generation familial descendant of HH Dudjom Lingpa, will return to lead our 27th annual Vajrakilaya retreat. We will do His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche's Putri Rekphung - The Razor that Destroys at a Touch Vajrakilaya practice. 

The practice culminates in the Gutor ritual, this year on February 7th, where the wrathful torma is cast out accompanied by the sacred Black Hat dance, paving the way for a New Year where “all positive circumstances increase like the waxing moon. Relative circumstances such as longevity, merit, glories, joy and family lineage are increased. And on the path, meditation qualities, experience, wisdom and fruition of practice are accomplished.” Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

Please join Tulku Jigme Wangdrak Rinpoche (pictured above L), Tulku Jamyang (pictured above, R), Lama Sonam Rinpoche and other lamas and sangha for as much as your schedule allows.

 
More about the Retreat Practice Schedule

The retreat will start on February 3 at 3 PM.
  

Over February 4-6 we will start at 9 AM each day with a 3 PM afternoon session.

Gutor itself will start at the earlier time of 8:30 AM with a 2 PM afternoon session on February 7. In the morning we will go through the sadhana up to tsok. The afternoon will start with the averting ritual, where the sacred black hat dance is performed, and the ritual torma cast and consumed in a wisdom bonfire. We will complete the Vajrakilaya sadhana and celebrate our "renewal" by drinking a traditional soup, with a fortune dumpling that will indicate your fortune for the new year. (This will serve as dinner).

As "Thanksgiving" on February 8, we will perform the Vajrakilaya sadhana at 9 AM, followed by Losar preparations in the afternoon. On this day, traditionally, house cleaning is undertaken to usher in good energy for the New Year.

Losar day, the Year of the Fire Monkey, will start at 8:30 AM. Offerings will be made to the Guru Rinpoche statue and the resident lamas and everyone will be seated and served auspicious rice and traditional festive drinks. Lake Born Vajra tsok with Orgyen Khandro Norlha long life and wealth practice will follow, up to lunch time. After lunch, a Riwo Sangchod smoke offering puja will be peformed to accompany the raising of our New year's Prayer Flags.

More information will be available shortly

SUMMER RETREAT 2016


Black Hayagriva and Troma Nagmo ( June 14-July 1) --- retreat order unconfirmed 

Troma Nagmo Initiatiation with Gyepa Rinpoche July 2 --- awaiting confirmation          

Shitro Ngagso July 3-4        

Collection of Seven Treasures Drupchen July 6-14    

Children's Retreat July 6-14   

Tulku Jigme Wangdrak Rinpoche's Biography

Tulku Jigme Wangdrak Rinpoche was born in the Golok region of Eastern Tibet as the fourth descendant of the great Tibetan master Dudjom Lingpa, one of the foremost spiritual masters of 19^th Century Tibet. At the age of 15 he was recognized as the reincarnation of Rigzin Longsel Nyingpo by Choktrul Tamdrin Wangyel. He attended Larung Gar Monastery and studied Buddhist teachings in great depth, including Sutra and Tantra as well as Dzogchen pith instructions and empowerments with Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok, who formally requested for Rinpoche to teach and preserve the lineage of Dudjom Lingpa. In addition to his training at Larung Gar, Rinpoche received teachings from a well-known female teacher and descendant of Dudjom Lingpa, Dakini Kunzang Wangmo, who also encouraged him to teach and preserve the Dudjom lineage.

While in Tibet, Rinpoche was responsible for the publication of many revelatory writings from Dudjom Lingpa and produced an original woodblock edition of the Nyingma Gyudbum, The 100,000 Tantras of the Nyingma Lineage, published at the Derge Printing House. Since 2011, Rinpoche has lived primarily in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In 2014 Rinpoche founded The Abhaya Fellowship, which is a Buddhist community dedicated to keeping the Nyingma lineage of the Dudjom Tersar alive, and functions as an umbrella for activities like meditations retreats, teachings and as a center for satellite sanghas or practice communities.

A revered lineage holder of the Dudjom Tersar, Tulku Thadral Rinpoche is an incarnation of Lama Thadral Rinpoche, a second generation student of Dudjom Lingpa who achieved rainbow body. He is a Khenpo and Principal and Director of Education at HH Dudjom Rinpoche’s shedra, the Nyingmapa Wishfulfilling Center for Study and Practice in Nepal. He is a master of ritual and philosophy, and when possible spends months of each year in retreat.


Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche introduced Tulku Thadral Rinpoche to Lama Tharchin Rinpoche a few years ago, saying that in the future it would be good to have Rinpoche teach at Pema Osel Ling as he has the perfect lineage, knowledge and realization and is extremely humble and very noble. Tulku Thadral Rinpoche visited Pema Osel Ling for the first time in 2014, giving his first teaching on the land and presiding as vajra master over a Mendrup Drupchen.

Extensive Biography

We are delighted that Tulku Thadral Rinpoche will return to the US once again for events in Pema Osel Ling, in other Californian locations and in Oregon. 


UPCOMING EVENTS

A note regarding all empowerments: there is no formal commitment - Rinpoche asks that you pray to Guru Rinpoche.

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OREGON EVENTS : October 13-23
For details re Eugene, Portland and Corvalis, click here

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LOS ANGELES EVENTS: October 27 - November 2
For details, click here

Pema Osel Ling, Watsonville, California

November 8: Green Tara Empowerment and Teachings ( Dudjom Lingpa's Tara)
Time: All day - Times TBD
November 9: Red Saraswati Empowerment - evening. time TBD (Khathok Dudul Dorje's Saraswati)
November 10-11: Saraswati Teachings - evening - time TBD

Contact: Jaffa Elias office@vajrayana.org

Summer Retreat 2014 Offerings and Sponsorship

(Scroll down to sponsor Medrup Druphen)

“If you are able to come to a retreat that is wonderful, but the other way you can establish tendrel (auspicious connection) is to make a material offering with faith, devotion and a pure mind. You can send an offering with names of loved ones, family or pets, dead or living and we will read your names in dedication. Your dedication of material offerings and the blessings of the retreat are connected.

“ Tsok is the most profound method of accumulating merit and wisdom, its special qualities make one moment of tsok practice equal to eons of confessing downfalls in our samaya.

“Butterlamps - Just as a lamp dispels darkness, offering light from a butter lamp represents removing the darkness of ignorance in order to attain Buddha’s luminous clear wisdom… Butter lamps are also offered as a dedication to the dead in order to guide them through the bardo by wisdom light.”    Lama Tharchin Rinpoche

SPONSOR MENDRUP DRUPCHEN

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Send the names of your loved ones to offerings@vajrayana.org before 3pm each day so we can read the names during the puja.

Any offerings over total costs of activity will go to cover other shrine and puja costs including tormas, ritual substances and items, lama shrine implements, etc.

Thank you and may all beings benefit from our generosity.

~~~~~