Tushita News of 2007
December 2007
His Holiness the Dalai Lama being awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on October 17th in Washington DC, U.S.A.
CONGRATULATIONS TO HIS HOLINESS THE DALAI LAMA
FOR BEING AWARDED THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL!
May His Holiness have a long & healthy life and may all of HIS holy wishes be instantly fulfilled!
Saka Dawa – May 31st
The day on which Tibetan Buddhists celebrate Shakyamuni Buddha’s birth, enlightenment & paranirvana. This special day provided plenty of opportunity for those at Tushita to create merit…
The program started at 4am with taking the 8 Mahayana Precepts either at Tushita or at His Holiness’ temple with hundreds of Sangha & lay people. We continued the day at Tushita with a Tara Puja, Yellow Dzambala Puja, readings of the Sutra of Golden Light, Guru Puja, Medicine Buddha Puja and finally light offerings at Lama Yeshe’s stupa.
For those joining in the Nyung Nay retreats, this was also a fasting day and a beautiful & auspicious ending of the eight’s and last set of the retreats.
Chenrezig Initiation with Denma Locho Rinpoche (May 12th) & Nyung Nay Retreats (May 15-June 1)
Denma Locho Rinpoche had very kindly agreed to confer the 1000-Armed Avalokitesvara initiation as a prerequisite for the Nyung Nay retreat and gave the full wang in one afternoon of May 12th. Our small Vajrasattva Gompa was packed tightly the Tibetan way with prospective Nyung Nay retreatants, Western & Tibetan Sangha and old students. Whoever couldn’t squeeze in sat on the lawn in front of the gompa.
Despite of the construction work at Tushita 27 people attended part or all of our eight sets of Nyung Nay retreats in the run-up to Saka Dawa. The retreat was masterfully led by Nyung Nay veterans Ven. Rita & Ven. Namdrol. With this Ven. Namdrol finished her 144th Nyung Nay and went straight afterwards off to Nepal for more – what an inspiration to us all!
We rejoice in all the merit the Nyung Nay retreatants created!!!
Farewells…
As if rebuilding the Gompa is not enough novelties to cope with – Tushita had undergone another fundamental change in May.
After more than 15 years Ani Rita packed her small but heavy bag and returned to the West to share her knowledge and wisdom with other fortunate students. Many thanks to Ani Rita for her years of dedicated service and we wish her all the best for the future.
Also leaving Tushita, is our longest serving staff member and co-director Soktsang Nigan. He is moving down under to the land of kangaroos. Many thanks Nigan, and all the best!
Thank you!!! Both of you for all the years of service and best wishes from all of us here on the blessed hill…
Intro & Intermediate-level Courses…
Introductory & intermediate-level courses, workshops and retreats have been running back-to-back, side-by-side (and sometimes upside down) since February.
Tushita’s staple Introduction to Buddhism courses continue to transform lives, thanks to the inspired guidance of Ven. Rita Riniker and visiting teachers Ven. Namgyel, Ven. Siliana and Jimi Neal.
Geshe Graham Woodhouse’s amazing 10-day Emptiness course in March offered experienced students a challenging immersion in Lama Tsongkhapa’s wisdom teachings.
For the second year two 3-day workshop on Death and Dying led by Gregg Ruskusky & Ven. Rita in April were again a great success.
Gompa Rebuilding – March 2007 until end of 2008
Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, FPMT’s Spiritual Director, has been requesting Tushita to re-build its main meditation hall for approximately 15 years! We are proud to announce that this wish will finally be realized…
Big changes are afoot at Tushita Meditation Center as we have raised enough funds to begin rebuilding Tushita’s dilapidated old gompa, thanks to the generosity of supporters in Singapore and all over the world.
This project is underway but still requires more funding. Visit our projects page if you would like to support us in this huge task.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Losar Teachings – March 3-14
Hundreds of people packed Namgyel monastery in McLeod Ganj for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s annual Losar teachings in March. His Holiness taught on “A Guide to a Bodhisattvas way of Life” by the great master Shantideva and a Lam Rim text called “Essence of Super Refined gold” by the Third Dalai Lama. It was a wonderful opportunity to hear His Holiness teach on such all-encompassing subjects!
Tushita hosted some 50 Sangha from all over the world during the teachings.
In July, His Holiness will give again his annual monsoon teachings. It is truly an inconceivable blessing to have Chenrezig living just down the road!
Pre-Ordination Course (POC) – February 7-28
The ever-expanding international Sangha welcomed 13 new novices and 4 gelongs, all of whom received their vows from His Holiness the Dalai Lama after completing Tushita’s Pre-Ordination Course in February.
Under Sister Jotika’s & Ven. Rita’s expert guidance, the new monks and nuns were primed in everything from Vinaya in modern life to the intricacies of tying robe. They also received precious teachings on the novice’s vows by Geshe Graham.
Tushita is already very actively planning the next Pre-Ordination Course January 23 – app. March 13, 2008.
Losar – The Tibetan New Year – on February 17th
2007 – Year of the Fire Pig!
According to Chinese legend, the easygoing, generous, virtuous yet unassumingly wise pig was the most loved and esteemed creature in the Celestial Garden. When Buddha summoned all the animals for his Banyan Tree Sermon, unlike the other animals vying to be first, the pig arrived last but perfectly on time, cool and unruffled, at full attention to receive Buddha’s teachings. May we all have a year of such humility, devotion, and timing! – From a greeting card received by Mahamudra Centre in New Zealand.
Tushita welcomed the Tibetan New Year with celebrations, pujas, putting up new prayer flags and raising a victory banner. The skies had been cast with clouds only days before but we had perfect weather on this day…