All my dearest dharma friends,
I feel we haven’t seen each other in a long time, but I have always prayed, currently pray and will pray in the future that all of you are fine. As we know well about the pandemic, the whole world is going through great hardships in 2020. Particularly the great centers of education and monasteries cannot have their program as usual, such as teachings and dharma events. Many places have had to cancel even their great annual Drubchens and prayers for world peace this year. Also, the students can’t travel from one place to another to participate in important courses. This year is an unusual year.
I have also had to cancel the great summer course of the five-year course on the Relaxing in the Nature of Mind, the great winter Drubchod on the embodiment of the three roots of Padmasambhava (Konchog Chidu), the four great festivals of Buddha, as well as smaller and bigger dharma gatherings. I have also not been able to teach in other countries, such as Denmark (Dzogchen Urgyen Ling) and Sweden (Danakosha Sweden), which I have visited at least once a year for the last 20 years. We dharma friends haven’t seen face to face in a long time. I really miss you, and I continuously wish that all of you continue to be fine.
From another point of view, since the pandemic came to Europe, through the power of technology we have started to study and practice Tara together every evening with people from so many different countries, as well as practiced Tsog on 10th day Guru Rinpoche day and 25th day Dakini day. We have also practiced together the Buddha Shakyamuni sadhana called the Treasure of Blessings on full moon days. It’s wonderful we have been able to practice and study together through these new methods. I really rejoice in the participation of all of you who have joined for many months on Zoom.
Onwards from Lha Bab Duchen, the festival of Buddha’s descent from heaven, I’m preparing to go to a short retreat. It is my estimate, hope, wish, and plan today, that it will be possible for us to make a great gathering practice on Saga Dawa, festival of Buddha’s day of enlightenment, in 2021.
My plan is that the great summer course of 2021 will start on July 4th, the Dakini Day of the 5th month of Tibetan calendar, and the entire great 5-year summer course will conclude on July 19th, the 10th day of 6th month of Tibetan calendar, Guru Rinpoche’s birthday. To make that happen and remove all the obstacles, all of us have to pray to Guru Rinpoche.
During my retreat, until Tibetan New Year, I will participate in Tsog on Guru Rinpoche days and Dakini days through Zoom as before this year. Whoever wishes to participate is welcome to join the Ganachakra puja together on Zoom or locally at Danakosha Ling.
Due to today’s situation it is difficult for practitioners to gather together and study dharma as usual, and we don’t know how long this difficult situation will continue. In this kind of situation the most important thing is health. The great Indian master Aryadeva says: the precious human body is very hard to obtain, and once you obtain it, it’s important to maintain it to remain as long as possible, because through the support of this body you can accomplish the great accumulations of merit and wisdom.
I request each and every one of you, whoever you are and whatever you practice, to try to keep your practice continuously and without interruption.
Those who don’t have much experience in practice, at least try every day as much as you can to first develop good motivation, then do the actual practice of reciting three times the 7-line prayer of Guru Rinpoche and one mala of OM AH HUNG BENZRA GURU PADMA SIDDHI HUNG, and finally conclude with a dedication and aspiration.
If you can’t do those, from your side try to be stably confident in the law of karma, cause and effect, have stable devotion to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and diligently abandon unvirtuous actions and accomplish virtues as much as possible.
If you do those, it can be of great benefit to yourself and others.
As for myself, during the practice I try as much as possible to generate bodhichitta mind, for the actual practice try to avoid distraction physically and mentally, and conclude with dedications.
I pray that through the power of our practice all sentient beings in general, and particularly all who have a link to me directly or indirectly, physically, mentally, verbally, or materially, each and everyone to be temporally healthy, have a long life, wealth and joy, and ultimately attain enlightenment together in the space of primordial Buddhahood.
I also wish to express my wishes of a happy New Year 2021 in advance to all of you.
SARVA MANGALAM
With best wishes,
Tulku Dakpa Rinpoche
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