March 15, 2015 Join us for a Ganapuja followed by a Community Meeting

Anniversary of Ayu Khandro & International Day of the Vajra Dance

Date:

March 15th, 2015

Location: Schoolhouse Gonpa

Time:

6:00 PM

Category:

Dakini Ganapuja

Website:

http://tsegyalgar.org/communityworldwide/gakyil/

5:00PM Vajra Dance Tun in costume 6:00PM Ganapuja Community Gathering after the Ganapuja Karen Prestwood & Cindy Thibeau would like to invite people to a community gathering immendiately following the ganapuja on 3/15/15. The purpose is to update the community and to listen to ideas, suggestions and concerns.  For a biography of Ayu Khandro Dorje Peldron, one of the principle teachers of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, click here.

Necklaces made by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu for Dzamling Gar Fundraising

Recently Chögyal Namkhai Norbu hard began to make necklaces as a fundraiser for Dzamling Gar's Gonpa Development project. To view the dozens of his personally crafted creations, each one unique, visit this link on the Mirror website. The project is called Evolution Creations.

Dzamling Gar is the International Gar in Tenerife, Spain. To read more about their exciting new projects visit their website at http://www.dzamlinggar.net/en/

Town and Country Winter Wonder

This winter the New England northeast has received a negative rep for being unbearably cold with harsh wind conditions, Going beyond such limited points of view, some of our community have documented the landscape with exceptional results. Facebook seems to be the repository of these pictures.

here are a few:

Kathryn O’Connor form NYC captured the East River in photos that convey the romanticism of a cityscape from bygone eras.

[Kathryn o’Connor]

[Kathryn O’Connor]

Sean Quinn from Shelburne Falls often captures photos of local farms on his way to and from work, which he posts on his Facebook page. His photos of Khanrdoling nearby during every season offer vast views via the wide angle lens he often favors when photographing on the land.  You can see many of these on the Khnadroling Facebook Page, which you can join.

Here are a few recent winter scapes of Khandroling  he posted on Facebook the other day:

[Khandroling, Sean Quinn 2/2015]

[Khandroling, Sean Quinn, 2/2015]

[Khandroling, Sean Quinn, 2/2015]

Cape Cod Bay above posted by Tibetan translator, Constance Wilkinson on her Facebook page. The Cape was specially hard hit this winter. Constance has been documenting the various extreme conditions. Below her house:

[Tara Mandala, Pagosa Springs, reprinted from TM Facebook]

If you are a shutter bug yourself send in your own winter wonderland 

photos and we will post them here.

The Importance of Singing and Dancing for the Continuity of Tibetan Culture

The joyful Khaita songs and dances are now widely practiced all over the world. If you missed the charming international birthday greeting to Rinpoche back in December, here it is again. It very much conveys the flavor of this community practice.


 

 During the Teacher Trainings in Dzamling Gar in January, Rinpoche again addressed the importance of these Tibetan songs and dances for the continuity of Tibetan culture. The following is reprinted from the Mirror. Click onth e link below to continue with the article. 

 In the program for this retreat [the Teacher Authorizations - Jan 30-Feb.4, 2015] we also have the program of singing and dancing. This may surprise many of you, for example, that many times during retreats I not only explain the Teaching and we practice together, but we also sing and dance. When I start singing and dancing most people go away. They think, “I do not enjoy this singing and dancing, this is not Dzogchen, this is not teaching”, and some people may also think, “Oh, our Teacher is doing stupid work, always singing and dancing instead of doing practice.” I imagine they have this kind of idea and that’s why they do not remain and are not participating.  To continue Reprinted from the Mirror 

The Tsegyalgar East blog has covered this story over the past year or so from both a Tibetan perspective and Western. 

Visit the links here:

On Tibetan Songs and Dances by Choegyal Namhai Norbu

What One Tibetan is Doing for his Country

Modern Tibetan Dancing at Tsegyalgar

Choegyal Namhai Norbu on the Meaning of Contemporary Tibetan Song and Dance

Videos and Songs being taught in the International Community

Order E-Book of Tibetan Songs Here

Khaita Joyful Dances Facebook

More photos from Losar

Sean Quinn, one of the community photographers took the following photos at Tsegyalgar East

In the gonpa

Dr. Phuntso Wangmo explaining the traditon of the divination soup

(seen below)

All photos by Sean Quinn reprinted from his Facebook page

Mandarava Ganapua at Tsegyakgar East

Saturday, March 1,  there will be a Webcast of Mandarava Ganapuja at 
11 am EST in the schoolhouse gonpa at Tsegyalgar East. Participants will need to prepare food for the puja either before the 9:30 am Mudra explanation or sometime before the 11:00 am webcast puja begins.

Staying to clean up afterwards would be very appreciated.

       

Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, Words on Generosity

[Photo by Lilly Granger, courtesy of the Mirror]

February 18, 2015, Dzamling Gar  [reprinted from the Mirror]

In the Western world we are organizing retreats and teachings and everybody participates. There is an entry ticket and people should pay. The reason is that when you invite a teacher and you are organizing a place and everything, it is expensive and you need to have money, otherwise it cannot be done. But when we think a little of ancient times and how it started, there is a possibility that we can go in that same way. The teachings are for people who are interested, not only for people who have money. We know that and we should generously help other people to have the possibility to participate. For that reason I wrote an article (see http://melong.com/?p=1580) on how to go ahead and organize the teachings. After I wrote that article, we started not asking people to pay. But there are always people who invite the teacher and organize; this activity is called jindag (sbyin bdag). Contiinue

Make Your Offering Now: An Important Message from the Tsegyalgar East Gakyil about 2015 Memberships

Dear Tsegyalgar East Members,

On behalf of the TSEGYALGAR East Gakyil and in the spirit of the coming LOSAR, we want to thank you all for your last year Membership and announce that our 2015 MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

This year our membership tiers are adapted to the guidelines issued by the International Gakyil and you can choose between the 3 tiers:

• ORDINARY: $23.64 / monthly - ($260/ yearly)
• SUSTAINING:  $54.55 / monthly - ($600/yearly) 
• MERITORIOUS: $163 / monthly -  ($1800 / yearly)

NEW: You pay now Monthly or Yearly! 

RENEW & BECOME A MEMBER: https://dzogchen.net

For "Membership benefits" and "how to": http://tsegyalgar.org/membership/membershipforms/
For help or questions email: yellowgakyil@tsegyalgar.net

ABOUT OUR MEMBERSHIP 

This new 2015 Membership structure will facilitate implementation of an important desire of Rinpoche’s, recently announced, that whenever possible, Dzogchen teachings will be free and can be followed by anyone, regardless of economic status.

Our Membership is still the fundamental commitment of “taking responsibility” and represents Tsegyalgar's lifeblood, allowing us to sustain Rinpoche's Dzogchen Teachings in North America.

Through Membership fee sharing, you contribute to the life of your Gar, your  Ling, and the International Community. A certain portion of everyone’s Membership fee helps cover these annual expenses, as well as the cost of organizing programs and the creation and hosting of a whole schedule of events

FOR NEW MEMBERS - WELCOME! 

For the first time in 2015, Tsegyalgar East is introducing a Welcome Status to all New Members (valid for 3 years). All new Members can select any of the available 3 Membership tiers and enjoy the same benefits (even though they do not have the rights and duties) of active Members. After 3 consecutive years of Welcome Status, new Members will be eligible to become active Members of the Tsegyalgar East Dzogchen Community and the International Community.

FOR LINGS - YOUR GAR CONTINUES TO SUPPORT YOU! 

For all Members who are part of a Ling who want to share their Membership dues with their own Ling, it can now be done by selecting the name of your Ling of choice. As per IDC, 45% of your membership will go back to your Ling. 

WE WANT TO THANK YOU!

No amount is too small. Membership helps sustain us as we work together to create a vibrant and supportive community that shares the great blessing of our Master's transmission.


With many thanks and Tashi Delegs,
wishing all a HAPPY LOSAR!


Your Tsegyalgar East Gakyil


[Image of Snow Lion butter lamp by Glen Eddy]

__._,_.___

The Wild Horses of Tara Mandala

Come tame your mind at Tara Mandala, our Dam Trog sister organization founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione, which  offers year-round personal retreats in a pristine environment for short and long term retreats in either cabins or their residence hall Prajna   

Tara Mandala encompasses 700 beautiful acres in the wilderness of Southern Colorado. The Facility includes the Community Building, the Kitchen, the Bookstore, the Residence Hall, the …  

More→

[Photo credit courtesy of Tara Mandala, Choegyal Namkhai Norbu at Tara Mandala, 2013]  

Rinpoche will teach again at Tara Mandala July 17-19, 2015.

Lama Tsultrim will be offering a free webcast on Guru Rinpoche Day, February 28, 2015 - the first in the New Year of the Wood Sheep Year. For further details and time zone conversions, click here. 

The following video on Facebook captures the essence of this unique practice center.

Post by Matthew Crow.

Raising Lungta at Tsegyalgar East for the Year of the Wood Sheep

[Traditional Lungta Flag reprinted from Rigpa Wiki on Lungta]

"The word lungta (ཀླུང་རྟ་, klung rta) is composed of two syllables: the first, lung, represents the element 'space' in the fivefold classification of the elements 'earth, water, fire, air and space' and signifies 'universal foundation' or 'omnipervasiveness'. [...] The second syllableta (horse) refers to the 'excellent horse' (རྟ་མཆོག་, rta mchog), and since in ancient times in Tibet the horse was the symbol of travelling with the greatest speed, in this case it seems to refer to the transmutation of every thing that depends on the five elements from negative to positive, from good to bad, from misfortune to good fortune, from baleful portents to auspicious signs, from poverty to prosperity, and it implies that this should ensue with the greatest speed."

[Namkhai Norbu, Drung De'u and Bön, translated by Adriano Clemente, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1995 p. 68-70]

Each year on the designated date considered auspicious for raising the Lungta flags, Tsegyalgar East goes through considerable effort to place these around the  schoolhouse and on Khandroling if the roads are passable. 

Our geko, Jeremy Keaton, captured this year’s undertaking in the following photos. 

The kind of Lungta Tsegyalgar East uses are flags imprinted with an AH and Song of the Vajra (seen below).  These can be ordered through the Shang Shung webstore

More Losar Greetings from Tsegyalgar East

A Video of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu Teaching in Nevada City in 1985

Check out this archival video of Rinpoche at his most quintessential - a teaching in Nevada City, CA in June of 1985.  

Post by International Shang Shung Institute.

Losar 2015 at Tsegyalgar East

Laila Reiss sent us the following photos she took during our Losar celebrations. Enjoy!

Display Created by Local Artist Martha Braun of Thangka Painter, Glen Eddy’s, Pigments

Glen Eddy (1941-2006) was a prominent American thangka painter in the Tibetan tradition. He was an early participant in the formation of Shang Shung Institute of America under the direction of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu where he founded the Golden Vajra Guild. During his years in collaboration with the Institute under whose auspices he created a number of large scale  Thangkas in the lineage of Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, Glen had several students. 

In honor of the 30th Anniversary last summer, Martha Braun, a local artist and former student of Glen’s, began to create an exhibition display showcasing Glen’s personal pigments and his unique palate. Glen was well known for the precision of his deity drawings (Tikse) as well as painting with natural pigments he made himself from minerals and precious stones

Ms. Braun’s display is hung in the Tsegyalgar East Library. Reproductions of these works including many drawings can be found in the Shang Shung webstore. 



[Photo by Ellen Pearlman of Glen Eddy in Tashigar Sur - Argentina]

Happy Losar from Tsegyalgar East

Teaching the Vajra Dance

The following video depicts an extraordinary Vajra Dance class taught by Carmen Rivas in Caracus, Venezuela. The origin of this practice derives from Choegyal Namkhai Norbu who received this treasure on Khandroling, our retreat land in Buckland, MA. Today, It is taught all over the world.  

Please visit our events calendar for the many trainings in the Vajra Dance at Tsegyalgar East in the schoolhouse and on Khandroling scheduled for 2015.

 



Published on Feb 18, 2015

The Vajra Dance was transmitted by Chögyal Namkhai Norbu, a Tibetan Master and teacher of Dzogchen. Through the Vajra Dance we harmonize the body, speech and mind in interdependence of a mandala, which is a symbolic representation of our globe and its essential elements.

Dancing at a perfect tempo, with harmonious movements and mantra sounds, it leads to a state of calm relaxation and contemplation, an experience that projects itself throughout the daily activities of the person’s life.

This video is a celebration of an exceptional experience of a course for special persons, a group of young students from Ikanos (a special inclusion organization). 

The results were amazing. The video and commentaries will speak for themselves.

Interview with Lynn Newdome on Santi Maha Sangha

[Lynn receiving her diploma from Choegyal Namkhai Norbu, 

February 2015]

§     How has SMS Training enhanced your personal practice?

Santi Maha Sangha Training has given direction to my practice and introduced me to new types of meditation; I appreciate its balance of study and meditation.

§     What made you decide to take the Teachers’ examination?

Recognizing that my personal “realization” was limited, I felt it would be more helpful to share what I’ve learned (from the teachings) with others.

§     What was the actual exam like for you?

It was quite intimidating: we each had 10 minutes to speak on a topic chosen on the spot from Rinpoche. Basically, this meant we would “teach” about two pages in detail from The Precious Vase (300 pages). I didn’t realize how much composure I’d pulled together until after I finished the exam and felt my lips totally trembling!

§     Is there any particular area of the Base Teachings that you feel a special affinity for?

I’m motivated by the vivid imagery of the ancient verse, such as “Human life lasts as long as a lightning flash,” and “(reflecting on the impermanence of this life) one must seek…the essence with the same fervor as someone whose head has caught fire.”

§     It’s said that Teaching  is the transcendent aspect of generosity--how do you envision your role as a SMS teacher in the Dzogchen Community?

I see myself more as a Dzogchen student who can share and explain what I’ve learned. I’d like to set up an ongoing class of The Precious Vase at Tsegyalgar East, for people interested in study and practice of the Base Teachings.

Lynn Newdome has been a member of the Dzogchen Community for 15 years, completing SMS practices through Level III, but with little to show for it!   Prior to that, for 25 years she studied and practiced the 9 yanas from the Tibetan Mahamudra approach.

Community Member Erica Raynor-Horn to Present Awake & Alive: Mindful Living with Cancer Retreat March 30-April 3, 2015 on Whidbey Island, WA

Awake & Alive: Mindful Living with Cancer Retreat

facilitated by Dzogchen Community member Erica Rayner-Horn

& Diana and Kelly Lindsay

Monday, March 30th – Friday, April 3rd
At the Whidbey Institute

Information & Registration:

Cost, including meals & lodging, is on a sliding scale

from $795 to $1,095

www.whidbeyinstitute.org/awake-alive-retreat-2015

SPACE IS LIMITED only 10 participants

Questions?

contact Erica at:

erica@mindful-therapy.net

We have a few spaces left in this life-affirming, empowering retreat that offers anyone diagnosed with cancer the opportunity to explore what it means to live well– even while facing serious illness.

Cancer can be one of the greatest challenges in life, it can be a stressful, lonely and overwhelming for everyone it touches.This retreat is for anyone with any type of cancer, at any stage, who’s interested in learning tools to alleviate stress, live with more ease and acceptance and explore their own unique healing journey with cancer.We bring together powerful researched-based healing modalities that improve physical health, emotional stability, and resilience to cope with stress.Through simple mindfulness and stress reduction practices; the ancient healing discipline of Qigong; supportive sharing circles, and expressive arts there will be opportunities for self-reflection, exploration and learning skills to meet the challenges of living with cancer.

Both body and soul will be rejuvenated with delicious, organic food; time to rest and explore acres of unspoiled peaceful, old-growth forest; and the gift of the nurturing, supportive community we create together. Past participants have found it a powerful, transformative experience.

Here are a few of their comments and a short video from one: http://vimeo.com/116578462

- This retreat really helps one deal with the pain and uncertainty of living with cancer. Helps one live a “healed” life, regardless of diagnosis and prognosis.—Betsy D.

- I highly recommend this program; I found a different relationship with cancer and tools to find my own healing within me – Wendy H.

- This is my first time in a group with other people living with cancer-it has been so healing. I feel heard and understood at such a deep level– Robin B.

Explanation for the Next WW Transmission of Garab Dorje on March 4, 2015

Tsegyalgar East will  host the World Wide Transmission explanation with Gerry Steinberg at the Tsegyalgar East Gonpa, February 25th at 7pm. This is required for people planning on participating in the www transmission with Choegyal Namkhai Norbu on March 4, 2015 at 22.00 (-5). Details to follow. You can call in to this explanation session from anywhere in the USA. For more details on how to do so, please contact our secretary, Harold at 413-369-4153,  or secretary@tsegyalgar.org. Gerry has been a student of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu for 25 years.