The Wisdom Age Newsletter of Drogmi Buddhist Institute A Tibetan Buddhist Centre in the Sakya Tradition Issue 70 May 2024 Dear Dharma Friends, HAPPY SAGA DAWA MONTH 2151/2024 Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe and all of Drogmi Buddhist Institute wish you a very virtuous and joyous Saga Dawa Month. Saga Dawa commences on 9 May 2024 according to the Tibetan calendar, this year. Tampei Düchen, the Anniversary of Buddha’s birth falls on 14 May. Saga Dawa Düchen commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and Mahaparinirvana of our perfect and most supreme teacher, Buddha Shakyamuni. This year of 2151 in the Tibetan Calendar and 2024 in the Western Calendar, Saga Dawa Düchen falls on Thursday 23 May. Khenpo la has advised us numerous times in past years to try to be vegetarian and/or vegan especially during the first 15 days of this holy month; to also try and take The Eight Mahayana Precepts as often as possible – each day during this time, or on the auspicious days during this holy month; to take them as often as one can manage, being as virtuous as one can be capable of. Please read more here on this most holy month and Khenpo la’s message to us all for Saga Dawa… Enjoy the read and catching up with Khenpo la’s most recent meritorious Dharmic activities. Yours in the Dharma Sixteen Arhat Puja image credits: The thangka of Lord Buddha Sakyamuni surrounded by the 16 Arhats (Tib. Neten Chudruk གནས་བརྟན་བཅུ་དྲུག་) and an assembly of bodhisattvas, Dharma protectors and the four great kings. SAGA DAWA PROGRAM SAGA DAWA CANDLE OFFERINGS Each year at this time we have a full month of light offerings that are lit daily in the gompa at Kamalashila. You may wish to let us know for yours to be lit on a specific date of your choice and/or on an auspicious date. Make a candle offering for Saga Dawa SAGA DAWA EVENING PROGRAM Saturday 18 – Thursday 23 May, 7-8pm Khenpo la will lead us via Zoom in a continuous Mantra Recitation, from Saturday 18 May until the full moon date of Saga Dawa Düchen, Thursday 23 May. Zoom for continuous mantra recitation SAGA DAWA CANDLE OFFERINGS Sunday 26 May, 10.00-11.30am Marking Saga Dawa Düchen, there will be The Sixteen Arhat Puja followed by a community gathering. Please bring a vegetarian plate to share together, a joyous celebration . DROGMI NEWS WINTER RATES HIRE FOR RETREAT HUTS From 1 June until 31 August 2024, the retreat huts will have a 40% discount rate for all (weekly rate $210 and daily rate $45). Please email
[email protected] for any more information or details needed. Retreat Hut Hire UPCOMING COURSES & EVENTS 12th PILGRIMAGE to india & nepal holy sites Led by Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe 28 December 2024 – 18 January 2025 NOW TAKING BOOKINGS Join Khenpo on a transformative pilgrimage to the four holy sites: Bodhgaya: The place of Buddha's enlightenment Varanasi: Where Buddha gave his first teaching, turning the wheel of dharma Kushinagar: The site of Buddha's death and attainment of Parinirvana Lumbini: Buddha's birthplace The journey will also include visits to: Shravasti: Where Buddha lived most of his life after enlightenment Kathmandu: Explore Swayambhunath, Vajrayogini Temple, and Bodhanath Stupa It is truly a rare opportunity to undertake this very special pilgrimage as Khenpo only leads pilgrimages once every three years. For more information and to register contact Vanessa Howie at
[email protected] . NGONDRO RETREAT Thursday 16 – Sunday 19 May Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe instructs us on the first three practices of Ngöndro: Refuge, Vajrasattva and Mandala Offering. Khenpo la will give the required transmissions. This retreat is open to everyone who has received the Hevajra Empowerment. More details and bookings SHRI VAJRAPANI BHUTADAMARA RETREAT Friday 7 – Monday 10 June (Kings Birthday Long Weekend) Led by Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe, Shri Vajrapani Bhutadamara is the Master of Unfathomable Mysteries who upholds the truth of darkness and ignorance. In general, Vajrapani Bhutadamara is the remover of all sorts of obstacles, in particular to overcome difficulties for serious Vajrayana practitioners. This retreat is open to everyone who has received the Shri Vajapani Bhutadamara empowerment. There will be a Fire Puja on the last day of retreat, open to the public from (Monday, 9am-12pm) with a booking fee, followed by a lunch. More details and bookings RECENT EVENTS Mindfulness Day-long Retreat, 2024 Ayyas Jitindriya and Jayasara led a beautiful Mindfulness Day-long retreat at the centre. A large gathering in person and online really appreciated the Ayyas’ depth of knowledge and kindness. Thank you to everyone involved. It was so wonderful to see friends from different traditions coming together to enjoy the connections, to be surrounded by beauty of that land that has witnessed and held practices from many Masters and many traditions all welcomed. Read More Rongton Buddhist Centre, Queensland, 2024 Khenpo la’s visit to Rongton Buddhist Centre this year was a greatly anticipated and joyful occasion, with all members of the sangha relishing face to face connection with one another here in Brisbane. The teaching program in 2024 consisted of two topics: an introductory one-day teaching on The Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Prajna Nama Mulamadhyamakakarika), followed by a one-day teaching on the 21 Taras. Read More Shamatha & Mindfulness Easter Long Weekend Retreat At the Shamatha & Mindfulness Retreat, Easter Long Weekend, Khenpo la began by explaining how we can apply these teachings in our lives to help ease difficulties in coping with this ever-changing world. We can develop gratefulness in realising and to constantly contemplate, to learn in having awareness of this precious opportunity we all have in being in a human form, for this likened to having a unique power to potentially help countless sentient beings to create an undisturbed and peaceful mind through Shamatha meditation. Read More Sixth Karma Yoga Group Retreat Another hugely successful Karma Yoga Group Retreat concluded today at Kamalashila. Twice a year we get together as a large group and work on various projects to upgrade the centre’s facilities. Everyone came with such a strong motivation to work in joyful effort for the centre, which in turn has the potential to help so many sentient beings. After a day of hard work, we all relaxed around our new campfire place that Khenpo la built, enjoying the beautiful sunset. Read More Sydney Teachings on Mind Training Over the weekend of 9-10 March 2024, Khenpo la led a two-day teaching on Mind Training to a full house of students at Croydon in Sydney along with Zoom-ers joining us from right around Australia. Saturday’s teaching commenced with Khenpo taking us through the importance of the preliminary practices in the training of the mind: the Four Common Foundations, Taking Refuge and Generating Bodhicitta which is the main cleansing of our minds. He then taught the Four Reasons we recognise the Lord Buddha as perfect. Read More Wentworth Falls Public Talk Khenpo la made a return to teach at the Blue Mountains at the community hall in Wentworth Falls, for the first time in almost 10 years! There were lots of old friends and new ones who came to hear Khenpo la’s practical guidance on how to live a meaningful life. Starting with giving to others, even mentally giving if you can’t physically, is a helpful technique to change our minds to have a more meaningful use of this life. Read More Windsor Public Talk We were delighted with the joyous occasion of Khenpo la’s recent return to the Hawkesbury region. On 5th March, Khenpo presented a teaching entitled, “How to Create Happiness in Troubled Times: A Buddhist Perspective” at Windsor Library. It was the first time Khenpo had graced the Hawkesbury community with his wisdom since 2017, and it was truly a momentous occasion. Despite the passage of time, the enthusiasm for the Dharma was palpable. Read More 3rd Annual Vajrayogini Retreat Our 3rd Annual student-led Vajrayogini Retreat was extremely beautiful. Sangha attended in person and online via Zoom. Khenpo la very kindly accepted our request to lead the final session with a tsog and answered questions. Khenpo la then gave a spontaneous teaching on the absolute essential aspect of all our practice which is to work towards freeing ourselves from suffering with the sole purpose of having the capacity to help all sentient beings to be free from suffering. Read More Losar 2151 Celebrations On 11 February Khenpo la led the sangha in the celebrations for Losar. We began with writing all dedications on the sponsored new prayer flags and hung them. The old flags were burnt, and smoke cleansed us all of negative thoughts and actions. We offered barley flour to the local spirits as a way to clear obstacles for the year ahead and create positive conditions. Read More Annual White Tara Retreat 2024 The Annual Six Dome White Tara Retreat began Thursday 1 February 2024, on the Anniversary of the great Sakya master Zangtsa Sonam Gyaltsen, who had a very close connection to the White Tara practice. The retreat concluded with a Tsog offering practice. Over the four days Khenpo la gave very detailed teachings on the sadhana and led practice sessions. Read More FROM OUR MASTERS Tséring Chödrön wrote: “Ah, precious lama, listen please! Bit by bit, as I fail to think sincerely about Dharma, continuously, steadily, this life of mine is slipping away. Death, it is certain, will bring passage to the hells.” Her husband, the lama, replied: “Right now, you have all the help you need, in your own hands. Even though you cannot manage many different kinds of Dharma practice, keep a good heart and be kind to everyone, dedicate the merit and make wholesome prayers of aspiration, maintain the unborn nature of the mind, which is the union of clarity and emptiness. And always remember, and pray
