Newsletter of PhenDheLing Tibetan Buddhist Centre

Vol 57 October / November / December 2018

Continuing extracts from ‘My Spiritual Autobiography’ by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 2009. Personal Reflections, Teachings and Talks collected by Sofia Stril-Rever, Translated by Charlotte Mandell.

My Childhood in Lhasa

HIS PRIVATE SECRETARY explains that a great master has left his body. Mindroling Rinpoche died two days earlier. A delegation from his monastery has come to gather instructions about the rituals to perform and the arrangements to be made.

Twenty minutes later, the Dalai Lama is back. There is a veil of gravity in his eyes, but no sadness. In a confidential tone, he speaks about this lama who had been close to him and was just a little older. His death is a reminder of impermanence, in the Buddhist sense, which asserts the transitory quality of sentient beings and phenomena. Everything that is born from causes and conditions is perishable. Impermanence contradicts our feeling of the lasting quality of time and our human desire for immortality. It is unbearable for ordinary beings who have not trained their mind to conceive of the world’s absence of reality.

Denial of impermanence represents one of the main causes of suffering in our existences. Buddhist teachings invite us to contemplate and accept it.

CONTACT DETAILS FOR PHENDHELING We now have new email addresses at Phendheling to make it easier for our members and friends to direct their enquires to the relevant people. Spiritual consultations : secretary@phendheling.org Membership and accounts: treasurer@phendheling.org Newsletter and General enquires: info@phendheling.org Event bookings & registrations: bookings@phendheling.org

The Tibetans will decide if they want a

Fifteenth Dalai Lama

MINDROLING RINPOCHE DIED two days ago. Since the time of the Fifth Dalai Lama, very special, strong links have existed between our lineages. He was seventy-eight years old, almost eighty. . . .

I don’t know how many more years I will live, to eighty, ninety, a hundred. I don’t know. . . . (Laughs.)

Today I’m over seventy, seventy-two exactly. So obviously . . . I am the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and aside from the First,10 I’m the one who has lived the longest. All the other Dalai Lamas stopped before seventy. So . . . (laughs) I’m very lucky! (Laughs.)

At the same time, as a Buddhist practitioner, I meditate constantly on impermanence. Now, in my own case, impermanence is becoming a reality. A reality that’s closer and closer. . . .

In 1969 I had already anticipated that and made arrangements, making it clear that it would depend entirely on the Tibetan people to decide if the institution of the Dalai Lama should continue or not. At that time, some Tibetans expressed their concerns about what would happen after me and in the period following my death. I expressed the opinion that if a majority of Tibetans wanted to preserve the institution of the Dalai Lamas, they should consider several options

Things are constantly changing. We must act according to a new reality where Tibet is concerned and take into consideration, today, not only the Tibetans but also the Mongolians, who have traditionally been closely connected with the institution of the Dalai Lamas. If these peoples want to keep the Dalai Lamas, they should adhere to the custom of looking for my new incarnation according to ritual.

To be continued...

SEPTEMBER — NOVEMBER

Sat 29th 2pm Opening Ceremony, Mandala, Denmark

30 Sep– 6

Oct

8:30am-

9:15am

Morning Chanting Meditation, Denmark

OCT

Thurs 4th 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja (not at centre)

Sun 14th 10am Meditation at Gidgegannup

Fri 19th 7pm Tsog / Guru Puja (not at centre)

Sat 20th 3pm Sand Mandala Perth, Opening

Mon 22nd -

Fri 26th

8:30am-

4pm

Sand Mandala, Perth, Morning Medita-

tion (8:30am) and viewing

Sat 27th 3pm Sand Mandala, Perth, Closing

Wed 31st 7pm Namgyalma Puja

NOV

Fri 2nd Tsog / Guru Puja

Sun 4th 10am Meditation at Gidgegannup

Sun 4th 2pm ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tue 6th 7pm Mahakala Puja

Sat 10th 9-11am Namthoesay Puja

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EVENT CALENDAR

A VERY SPECIAL EVENT

Perth visit of His Eminence

Tenzin Jungne the Sixth Jhado Rinpoche

NOVEMBER 2018

Thu 15 Nov 6:30pm Public Talk - Buddhist Mind & Science

Fri 16th,

Mon 19th,

Tue 20th

7:00pm Vajrayogini Commentary

(Prerequisite - Vajrayogini initiation)

Sat 17th 9:30am Namgyalma Empowerment

Sat 17th 2:30pm Medicine Budda Empowerment

Sun 18th 9:30am Cittamani Tara Empowerment

Sun 18th 2:30pm Chenrezig Empowerment (Special Eye

Blessing), followed by Tsog.

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LETTERS FROM GENLA

Dear Members and friends,

Venerable Thupten Jigme is coming soon. Genla.

Thupten Lodey will create a Sand mandala in Denmark organised

by Mahakaruna Buddhist Centre from 29th September to 7th

October. There will also be a Mandala created from 20th

October to 27th October at Perth TAFE art gallery organised by

Phendheling Buddhist Centre conjunction with North

Metropolitan TAFE. Please see the flyers included here for more

information.

As Phendheling Buddhist Centre requested in 2015, H.E. Jhado

Rinpoche is visiting us in November and once again we will be

very fortunate to receive teachings and empowerments from

great teacher Rinpoche. Please see the flyer for more

information. If anyone would like to volunteer during Rinpoche’s

visit please contact Alison on info@phendheling.org. We are

need someone to help with transportation of the mandala to

the Central TAFE Gallery. Thanks.

With prayers

Thupten Lodey

Be kind to others

Please see the flyer for venue and cost details and other information.

Dharma Teachings

TSOG OFFERING / GURU PUJA

Twice a month, based on the lunar calendar, the practice of

tsog offering / Guru puja is done.

It is a commitment for those practicing tantra to restore and

reaffirm their vows and pledges.

However, anyone and everyone is welcome to attend this

ritual of making extensive offerings to the Buddhas and

Bodhisattvas, thus accumulating the positive energy needed

to progress along the spiritual path. Everyone is welcome to

attend.

OCTOBER

Thurs, 4th (not at centre)

Friday, 19th (not at centre)

Friday, 2nd Novemeber

Time: Please arrive at 6.45pm for a 7.00pm start.

Cost: By donation

Offerings of food or flowers are welcome

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GENERAL NEWS PhenDheLing Website For general information on PhenDheLing Tibetan Buddhist Centre, including the calendar of events, please visit: www.phendheling.org. Newsletter Contributions If you would like to contribute to the newsletter or have any suggestions, please forward your copy or message to info@phendheling.org with the subject "Newsletter".

SUNDAY MEDITATION AT GIDGEGANNUP

Morgan has kindly opened her house to hold meditation sessions at 54 Waterford Drive, Gidgegannup.

The meditation will be led by Ven. Thupten Lodey. Genla will teach meditations based on compassion, respect and happiness using techniques such as focusing on the breath and visualisations. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Please join us for morning tea afterwards. Any queries please call Morgan on 9574 6186 / 0438 055 732.

Sunday 14th October.

Sunday 4th November

Time: 10.00am.

Cost: By donation

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IMPORTANT NOTICE

Genla Thupten is leading a Pilgrimage to India from late November so there won’t be any events at the centre until he returns in early 2019.

NAMTHOESAY WEALTH PUJA

Special puja for our members and friends to revitalise wisdom, health and wealth energy. Activities of the Bodhisattva Namtoesey or Vaishrawana, one of the Four Guardian Kings who help sentient beings through the special proficiency of wealth showering.

Not only did he shower benefit materially but also spiritually through increasing dharma wealth. The power of this Deity and its ritual, magnetise wealth and luck all the time to congregate and increase wealth, prosperity, auspiciousness and good luck, also to dispel poverty.

Having a wealth vase at home is considered as having all the wealth and good luck of the universe.

Saturday 10th November 10:00am - 11:00am

Bring Offering flowers and foods.

Dress up and wear nice or new clothes.

Bring a plate to share for lunch.

6 15 THE KING OF PRAYERS (continued)

Circling in the various realms of existence May I amass inexhaustible goodness and wisdom

And may I become an unending treasure of qualities Such as wisdom, method and Samadhi and the

experience of a bodhisattva.

In every atom there are Buddha fields numberless as atoms

Each field is filled with Buddhas beyond conception And each Buddha is surrounded by a myriad of

bodhisattvas To all these dwellers in sublime ways I turn my attention.

Thus, in all atoms within the directions Abiding within the space of a single hair An ocean of Buddhas and Buddha fields

Performing enlightened activities for an ocean of eons.

Each Buddha with his perfect speech releases An ocean of sounds with every word he says

To satisfy the infinitely diverse tendencies of beings: Thus does the speech of a Buddha constantly flow.

All these conquerors past, present and future Continually turn the methods of dharma wheels;

With all the powers of my mind I listen For the inexhaustible sound of their words.

H.E. Jhado Rinpoche is visiting

us in November. He arrives in

Perth on the 13th November. It

would be really good if as many

people as possible could come to

the airport to greet him when he

arrives. Genla will let us know the

arrival time soon.

THANK YOU

REQUEST FROM GENLA ...

THE KING OF PRAYERS (continued)

May I strive to complete the ways of enlightenment And to abide in ways harmonious with the world May I expose to others the ways most sublime

And myself abide in them through all future eons.

May my ways and the ways of a bodhisattva Always go together hand in hand

In body, speech and mind May I attune to their sublime ways.

May I always meet with the good friends Who reveal the path of sublime ways

And who wish only to benefit me; May I never disappoint them for even a moment.

May I constantly envision the perfect Buddhas The protectors who are surrounded by bodhidattvas

And in the future may I never weary Of devoting myself to them with all my strength.

May I forever uphold the holy dharma of Buddhas And illuminate the sublime way of enlightenment

May I practice throughout all future ages The ways of deeds of the sublime path.

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Lhabab Düchen Buddha decent from 33 Deva realm

Lhabab Düchen, is one of the four special days in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. It falls on the 22nd day of the ninth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar, and marks the anniversary of Buddha Shakyamuni’s descent from the god realm to earth.

The Buddha’s mother, Queen Mayadevi, had died six days after his birth. When Buddha became enlightened, he saw that his mother had been reborn in the desire god realm known as The Heaven of Thirty-Three (Skt. Trayatrimsha) as a result of her pride.

At the age of 41, Buddha manifested in this god realm to give teachings to benefit the gods there and to repay the kindness of his mother by liberating her from conditioned existence through spending the three summer months of that year teaching her the Dharma. He was then exhorted to return by Maugalyayana, his close Arhat student, and after a long debate managed to return.

It is said that the gods created a stairway made of beryl, gold and silver which the Buddha descended. He arrived in the town of Sankasia.

This is considered to be one of the eight great deeds of the Buddha.We believe by doing positive actions and Dharma practice on this day our merits are multiplied millions of times.

Everybody is welcome to attend Namgylama Puja.

Date: Wednesday 31st October

Time: 7pm

By donation - please bring flowers of fruit for offerings.

MAHAKALA PUJA FOR MEMBERS

Six armed Mahakala is the protection deity of our centre.

Mahakala, a wrathful deity, is considered to be the fierce and powerful emanation of Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva of compassion.

tutelary deity is one of the Dharmapalas in Vajrayana Buddhism who defend the Dharma from corruption and degeneration and from forces hostile to it; to keep the site of the ritual free from impure thoughts and actions; to guide and protect the individual practitioner from all kinds of deception and delusion; bestow the power to overcome life struggles; and to eliminate one’s obstacles and impediment that hinder.

Mahakala has been the Dharma protector since the historical Buddha Shakyamuni.

All members and friends are welcome.

(This practice will be performed in Tibetan)

Date: Tuesday 6th November

Time: 7pm

By donation - please bring flowers of fruit for offerings.

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10 7

10 11

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Dear members, this years AGM will be held on Sunday the 4th November at 2pm.

All members are welcome to attend.

If anyone has any items that they wish to have discussed at the meeting they must be forwarded to the Secretary at P/O Box 160 Hamilton Hill WA 6963, no later than Wednesday the 31st of October.

Thank you.

May all beings be happy

Om Mani Pad Me Hum

Thank you so much to people who contributed donation towards Rinpoche throne and mandala house.

Specially thank you so much to Ray for making the Throne.