Into the Heart of Life (28 page)
Read Into the Heart of Life Online
Authors: Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo
Tags: #General, #Religion, #Buddhism, #Rituals & Practice, #Tibetan
The bodhisattva aspiration leads us to enlightenment, to the fullness of wisdom and compassion, so that we may be of eternal benefit to others. It is a most profound aspiration. One aspires to be a bodhisattva not in order to reach out for the bliss of paradise, heaven, or any kind of pure land, but rather to come back, again and again, in whatever form that will be of benefit to others—wherever there is need. Bodhichitta is the generation of great compassion, which is all-encompassing. It extends to all beings everywhere. Such compassion cannot rest for even one moment in idle bliss and pleasure—it is ever-present for the sake of others. Bodhichitta is expressive of the interconnection of all beings. And we are all interconnected.
Our exploration of compassion may seem a bit heavy, but if we look at Chenrezig, the Bodhisattva of Compassion, we can see that he is smiling. All the bodhisattvas are smiling. There are none that are weeping or in anguish. When we meet great lamas and teachers from other traditions, we may note not only their inner tranquility but their radiance! When we are in their presence, we feel peaceful and happy. Although the task of liberating all beings may seem difficult, we learn through our spiritual practice to see the situation as it truly is. As we open to the wisdom and compassion within us, as we open to our inherently empty spacious nature, we find that everything lightens up. Perceiving at a very deep level that it is all just a dream from which we can wake up, we can truly smile.
Acknowledgments
I
deep debt of gratitude to Camille Hykes, who selflessly offered to take up the mountain of my transcripts and tapes—often boringly repetitious—and transform these ramblings into a sequence of coherent chapters. Without Camille this book would not now be in your hands. My appreciation for all the time and effort that she has expended on this formidable task is boundless.
All of the teachings in the book have been recorded and transcribed by dedicated teams of volunteers in many countries. I am so grateful for their willingness to undertake this time-consuming task.
I would like to warmly thank Evan Zazula and Deborah Garrett, co-directors of the DGL Nunnery Endowment Fund. This book would not have happened without their support and encouragement.
My sincerest appreciation goes to Monica Joyce, our Nunnery Project Director, and my assistant Heather Conte, for going through the edited transcripts and making valuable suggestions and amendments.
Finally, my heartfelt thanks to Susan Kyser of Snow Lion Publications, who went through our manuscript with great sensitivity and a skillful eye, suggesting many excellent amendments to polish this text ready for publication.
The Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery Project
Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery
was founded in Himachal Pradesh, northwest India, in 1999, at the request of His Eminence Khamtrul Rinpoche, head lama of the Khampagar Monastery, in order to provide an environment where young women from Tibet and the Himalayan border regions could come together to study and practice in accordance with the Drukpa Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
These young women are given the opportunity to develop their intellectual and spiritual potential through a balanced training of study, meditation, and service. At present their program includes philosophical study and debate, ritual, Tibetan language and writing, English language, and hatha yoga. The nuns also gather for daily ceremonies and meditation.
The special aim of the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery is to re-establish a precious lineage of yogic practice particularly emphasized in the Drukpa Kagyu lineage. Although there are still a few monk exemplars of this yogic tradition presently residing at the Khampagar Monastery, it seems that the female line was annihilated during the Cultural Revolution.
As it is an oral tradition, handed down from master to disciple, it is essential that this rare and precious practice is passed on while there are still living masters. The yogins of Khampagar Monastery have agreed to train the nuns who show the necessary qualities and potential, once they have completed their studies and preliminary meditation practices.
If you would like to help support the Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, please contact them through the e-mail address given on the website http://www.tenzinpalmo.com, or write to Dongyu Gatsal Ling Nunnery, PO Padhiarkhar, via Taragarh, District Kangra, H.P. 176081 India.
All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to the DGL Nunnery Endowment Fund, which has been set up to help secure the future of the nuns. If you would like more information about this, please email: [email protected].