Living and DyingMeaningfullyOctober Long Weekendby Jill StonerSaturday’s dawn broke brightly, a morning of glories to offerthe Triple Gem as I made my way to the October longweekend teachings on Living and Dying Meaningfully. GeshePema Tsering kindly presented a commentary on a text ofHis Holiness the Dalai Lama that has not previously beentranslated into English, so we were the recipients of ateaching unavailable from any other source, highlighting tome the enormous and unique benefit of attending teachingsin person.During the course of two days we were skilfully guidedthrough the death process, with descriptions andexplanations of the journey that consciousness takes duringand after its separation from our current physical form. Fewof us can hope to aspire to achieve control of our owndeath, but as Geshe-la taught, by contemplating thistransmigration and the wonders of the most subtle mind andthe winds upon which it rides provides an impetus for us toprepare ourselves for what lies ahead of each and every oneof us.These teachings presented us with the challenge of askingourselves the questions: Where will I go after I die? How will Icope with death? How can I prepare for death? How can Imake my life meaningful? Questions that it became clear lieat the very heart of <strong>Buddhist</strong> practice and that are relevantboth for those of us at the very beginning of our studies andalso more experienced students.We were given the rare occasion to immerse ourselves inDharma for an entire weekend and appreciate the feeling ofwarm community that sharing in the teachings with fellowstudents engenders. This experience reaffirmed for me thatthis precious human rebirth that we are so privileged to enjoyincludes as a vital component the opportunities that TBIoffers us to fulfil our highest potential as exemplified in ourSpiritual Teachers.Once again TBI provided the continuity and consistency of astable, reliable and unbroken lineage of oral instruction,offering us the precious opportunity of practising pureDharma. Or at the very least trying our best unto death.I would like to personally thank everyone who voluntarilycontributed their time, energies and skills to make thisweekend possible, and to my fellow students who enrichedthe experience for me with their friendship in the Dharma.We were advised to make the most of this while the causesand conditions are favourable, for who knows when they willchange?12 • TBI• tibetanbuddhistinstitute.org
NewsfromSeraby Jampa KhedrubWith the annual debate exam now finished the comingweeks are boding to be a little more relaxed until the relativemadness of HH Dalai Lama’s 9 days of Lam-Rim teachingshere in December, where more than 20,000 people willstream into an area with enough beds for probably less thanhalf that. As more junior members of the monastery ourclass promises to be given a lot of work to do in the projectof first making every corner of the monastery spick andspan ready for His Holiness’ arrival, and then eventuallygetting food and tea to the many guests from around Indiaand the world. 20-odd thousand pieces of bread and cupsof tea don’t make themselves so it will be hard work but it’snice to help out and try to make the stay nice for others sothat they remember fondly their time at Sera.In other news Khensur Rinpoche, who I was fortunateenough to see briefly just this week, is still in very goodhealth, albeit Rinpoche continues to show difficulties withHis hearing. In any case Rinpoche was in very good spiritsand asked many questions regarding the progress of thecentre, who is helping out with what jobs and how thecentre turned out in preparation for His Holiness’ inauguralvisit earlier in the year, and was extremely pleased to hearthat it all turned out so well. After some health problems inrecent years, Khensur Rinpoche Lozang Palden, one ofRinpoche’s eldest students and recent outgoing Sera JeyAbbot, seems to be on the mend and we are very happy toreport that a very kind sponsor has come forward to build anew Ladrang (Lama’s residence) for Him, which is wonderfulinasmuch as His current room is quite basic. Next to the siteof this new Ladrang, a new housegroup assembly hall andkitchen has also been constructed thanks to the kindness ofsponsors and the many monks and workers charged withmaking the project happen, and this site was recentlyblessed by Khensur Kangyurwa Rinpoche and KhensurRinpoche Lozang Palden, a day on which we were alsofortunate enough to hear Rinpoche’s advice to his studentsto be tireless in their efforts towards pursuing listening,contemplation, and meditation in a unified way.Geshe Jampa Gyaltsen is still awaiting the settling of hispassport/visa issues, and is much looking forward toreturning to TBI. Geshe-la’ has for several weeks been inretreat under Rinpoche's instructions.Here at the Westerners’ house meanwhile probably thebiggest story of this year for my fellow foreigners was thegranting of the title of Rig Chung to one of mycontemporaries from America, who became the firstWesterner to receive the title for over two decades (after afew others very narrowly missed out in recent years), andprobably the first to do so in such a big class (well over 100).Long story short, it is a prestigious award given to the topsixteen debaters (based on a debate exam on material inpart of chapter one of Maitreya’s Ornament of ClearRealisation) from the sixth-year class here. He ranked animpressive fifth in that exam and went on to give a veryrespectable account of himself at the later Rig ChungDebate Ceremony, in front of the 2000 or so monks present.As for the rest of us, Jampa Choephel (Nick) and I are welland eagerly pursuing our reading, memorisation, and debateon a day-to-day basis and Rinpoche seems very pleasedwith our progress, which is the main thing.We look forward to the coming months, with both HisHoliness and our precious Khensur Rinpoche givingteachings and look forward to catching up to those from thecentre making the journey across.13 • TBI• tibetanbuddhistinstitute.org
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