April 10, 2010

Dear members and friends of Albany KTC,

As you may have already heard, several special events are coming soon. Foremost among them is the first North American Kagyu Monlam at KTD, July 13-17th. This great prayer gathering is an ancient tradition specially adapted by the Gyalwang Karmapa for the modern world. The great master, Yongdzin Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, senior tutor to the Gyalwang Karmapa and the supreme Khenpo and Vinaya holder of the Kagyu lineage will preside over the assembly. He will be assisted by our own Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, the spiritual representative of the Gyalwang Karmapa in North America, and Lama Norlha Rinpoche, along with hundreds of the Sangha of lamas, monks, and nuns. The Kagyu Monlam is the single most important Kagyu gathering of the year and I urge each and every one of you to attend as much of it as you can. I also urge you to please make an offering to the Three Supreme Jewels by donating whatever you can, large or small, to support the Sangha of lamas, monks, and nuns at the North American Kagyu Monlam. Included here is an attachment that explains how to donate. Please remember that giving is one of the primary ways in which we create merit. No donation is too small since many tiny drops of water will eventually fill a great resevoir.

The Tibetan word monlam means apiration prayer and it is one of the principal practices of a bodhisattva. Without aspiration prayers bodhisattvas could not become buddhas nor could buddhas enact their vast benefit for living beings. Throughout innumerable lives, bodhisattvas pray to venerate and serve all buddhas and to be friends and helpers of all living beings. They also pray to purify or transform all impure realms into pure realms and to liberate all sentient beings bound in the six miserable realms of samsara into the peace of nirvana. What could be more wonderful than that? At the Kagyu Monlam, we aspiring bodhisattvas join our own fledgling prayers with the powerful and mature prayers of the great bodhisattvas and the pure renunciate Sangha. All of these prayers combined together have the power to pacify suffering, disputes, and warfare and to quell natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and floods.

Second, our great master Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche will bestow the ritual of the Bodhisattva Vow at KTD, June 11-13th. This ceremony is the entrance to the Mahayana path and constitutes the initial generation of the precious bodhichitta, the mind intent upon supreme awakening for the welfare of others. I encourage all practitioners who have taken refuge to receive these precious vows from Khenpo Rinpoche, a perfect bodhisattva and lama.

Finally, at Albany KTC, Lama Karma Drodul, Khenpo Rinpoche’s nephew, attendant, and close disciple, will teach on ethics, meditation, and wisdom, the three higher trainings that encompass all the Words of the Buddha and the entire path. How is that, you make ask? Well, come to the weekend, April 23-25th to find out.

Lama-la will also give the upasaka or lay practitioner’s vows. These vows are connected with the pratimoksha or personal liberation discipline of the hinayana, and form an indispensable basis for the higher trainings in meditation and wisdom to arise. Receiving and holding the vows well serves to accumulate boundless merit and creates the causes for rebirth in the higher realms as a human or deva. The defect of not holding any personal liberation vows makes it difficult to practice shamatha meditation—no matter how hard you try—and creates the risk of taking rebirth in one of the three lower realms. Therefore I strongly recommend that all practitioners receive at least one of the five upasaka vows from Lama Karma, an incredibly pure gelong or fully ordained monk.

Furthermore, Lama Karma will bestow the Kurukulla initiation, a red aspect of Tara. In general, praying to and meditating upon the bodhisattva Tara is important for all vajrayana practitioners because she is supremely effective in dispelling obstacles, protecting from harm, and fulfilling wishes. In fact, Tara is so beneficial and her practice so widespread that it would be difficult to find a single lama, monk, nun, or lay practitioner among the four vajrayana lineages who do not know her practice or recite the celebrated Twenty One Praises to Tara. In addition, most of the major gonpas or monasteries in Tibet, Nepal, and India have separate shrine rooms called drolkang that are specifically dedicated to Tara. As it is said in the Praises to Tara, even the great bodhisattvas who have accomplished the paramitas rely upon Arya Tara. It is for all of these reasons that I have instituted the short Green Tara practice at Albany KTC, and so Iencourage everyone to attend the empowerment and participate in the practice.

I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the bodhisattva vows, upasaka vows, or any of the events. I wish all of you the greatest success in your Dharma practice and in your lives and look forward to seeing you at KTD or KTC.

Yours in Dharma,

Lama Zopa