#14 – May 2016 Newsletter
Quick links in this edition:
Completion of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche’s Three Year Retreat
Report on the drupchens and monastic dances in Nepal
News from Shechen Bhutan
New Hostel for Shechen Nuns
Shechen Mexico update
Building Group Support for Shechen Monks and Nuns
Other Links
Completion of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche’s Three Year Retreat
We are very joyful to announce the completion of Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche’s extended three year retreat at Satsam Chorten in Bhutan. A small group of Rinpoche’s close disciples joined Rinpoche in the auspicious ceremonies and tsokpa offering to ritually conclude Rinpoche’s retreat on April 21st.
Rinpoche is in good health and spirits and we are delighted that he was able to take this important time for intensive practice and meditation, and successfully conclude his retreat without hindrance to his practice.
Report on the Drupchens and Monastic Dances in Nepal
Due to the reconstruction work on the main temple since it was badly damaged during last year’s earthquakes, the annual drupchens and monastic dances in March were held using large tents for the assembly and for the dances. Despite this disruption, the ceremonies were a great success, attracting many visitors and attendees as usual.
The season’s ceremonies began with the Yamantaka Drupchen according to the Shinje Drekjom. This ritual is performed just prior to Tibetan New year to dispel obstacles for the coming year. After New Year the Tsokchen Dupa and Minling Dorsem Drupchens are performed, along with five smaller drupcho’s from the Nyingma Canonical Teachings. The ceremonies culminate with the Lama Sangdue Tsechu and monastic dance, which is one of the great events of the year, taking place on the 10th day of the second lunar month. It was held in a marquee in the main courtyard in the presence of thousands of spectators, bringing a much needed sense of joy and auspiciousness to a people who have undergone a lot of hardship in the past year. Shechen continues to offer prayers and help for those in need.
News from Shechen Bhutan
Shechen nuns received their annual exam results on March 29th from Adzom Gyaltse Rinpoche, at Shechen Orgyen Chodzong Nunnery in Sissinang, Bhutan. Twenty-two elementary school nuns and 51 shedra nuns sat for their exams, with three graduating from the shedra as Lopon.
Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche made prayers and lit lamps for the victims of the earthquakes in Nepal on its one year anniversary on April 25th and offered prayers and a message of support for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Japan and Ecuador.Starting April 27th, the 18th annual Vajrakilaya Drupchen according to late Kyabje Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s Gongter (hidden treasure) is being performed through to May 6th at Thegchok Chokyi Gatsel Satsam Chorten Paro in the Vajrakilaya temple.
On April 27th Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche also visited Shechen Orgyen Chodzong nunnery for the first time since his long retreat and met with all the nuns. Rinpoche also visited the retreat center in the nunnery and spent a whole day teaching to a group of nuns who are in the third year of a three year retreat. Rinpoche also congratulated the first group of nuns to graduate from the nine year Shedra course and who are now Lopon-mas, the equivalent of a Master of Philosophy.
New Hostel for Shechen Nuns
Many women want to join the Shechen Nunnery (Shechen Orgyen Chozong) to study and practice. We needed to find additional space for them. Last year the Royal Bhutanese Grandmother, Ashi Kesang Wangchuck, offered a beautiful temple in the sacred valley of Phobjikha (Gangteng Valley) to Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche and the nuns.
The valley is rich in biodiversity and home to many globally threatened species, including the migration of the black-necked cranes from Tibet. The site of the temple is sacred and was visited in the past by many great masters, including Guru Rinpoche.
Last winter, 10 of our nuns spent the winter there but suffered from the cold in flimsy, dilapidated, temporary huts. It became apparent that we needed to build them a hostel, and construction began. We are building a beautiful Bhutanese-style hostel for 20 nuns and a teacher, installing a new septic system and a boundary wall to protect the area. Eventually this special site will be used for a retreat center or a small shedra.
The creation of this hostel opens a new chapter for Shechen’s support of women in Bhutan. A grant from the Pema Chödron Foundation has helped to make the final construction possible.
Join Shechen and the Pema Chödrön Foundation by helping us complete the building. Together we will ensure the establishment of a strong foundation for training and educating female practitioners now and in the future.
Update from Shechen Mexico
Lopon Tashi has given the following report on the activity at Shechen’s centre in Mexico:
Khenpo Karma Tsultrim and I have been in Mexico since 2012 as the resident monks at Shechen Mexico’s two Dharma centres: Mexico City and Guadalajara.
Our first six months were challenging, as we had to adapt to life outside our monastery, a new culture, a big city and a new language. We enrolled in Spanish language classes at the National University and after six months, as our Spanish had improved, we decided to change from both staying together at one centre, to switching between the centres every six months.
The dharma activities in both centres follow the traditions of Shechen and the practice lineage of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s treasure texts. Every week we have four days of philosophical classes, beginning with an introduction to Buddhism, then Mahayana teachings and finally an introduction to Vajrayana Ngondro Practice. We also have practices on auspicious days according to the Tibetan lunar calendar: Tara practice, Guru Rinpoche practice, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s Guru Yoga practice. We give a public dharma talk on the first Saturday of every month and ngondro group practice on the last weekend of the month.
At present, according to the advice of our teacher Rabjam Rinpoche, we lead a study group on Shantideva´s The Way of the Bodhisattva. For beginners, we introduce Nagarjuna´s Letter to a Friend and The Heart of Compassion, which is Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche’s commentary to The Thirty-seven Practices of a Bodhisattva. Every year we hold a retreat at both the centres where we practice silent meditation and the ngondro (preliminary practices).
Tashi Delek
Lopon Tashi
Shechen Mexico
Other Links
For continuing news please regularly visit our website where you can sponsor a monk or nun, donate to one of our projects, request prayers and find new information and photos. Current photos and news can also be found on our Facebook page.
