December 1998
Season's Greetings to the Dharma Family,
After several weeks of being blessed by Rinpoche's presence at Tashi Chöling, I understand again how incredibly fortunate we are to have had the Buddha here in town. When you receive this letter, Rinpoche, Mimi and Sangye will have gone on their way and we will have a big dose of Dharma to heal us during the months (and years) to come. Wow. The teachings and empowerments were transforming. Thank you Precious Teacher, Sangye, and everyone who made this wonderful experience possible.
Everyone please feel cordially and sincerely invited to this year's...
Sangha Holiday Celebration and Potluck Dinner
Come mingle with the family and enjoy our friends so rare,
bring your own table setting and a delightful dish to share
and we'll offer it up to all sentient beings in a feast beyond compare!
Saturday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m.
at the home of Mark, Lisbeth and Keith LaCoste,
5301 Highway 66, Ashland, near Emigrant Lake.
Take Hwy. 66 out of Ashland toward Klamath Falls. Just .2 miles past mile-marker 4 notice a green sign that says `Emigrant Lake 1/2 mile', at which point you'll cross a small bridge. Then immediately turn left onto a dirt driveway where you'll see a small sign that says `Hancock'. Continue on for .8 miles to the house at the very end of the road. Parking is limited, so please carpool.
PLEASE R.S.V.P to Stephanie Cole at 482-1620 by Wed., Dec. 9th!
The Guya Gharba retreat's mandatory Dec. 15th pre-registration deadline (including a $100.00 deposit) is quickly approaching. This rare event, taught by Khenpo Namdrol of H.H. Penor Rinpoche's monastery, will take place from Feb. 5 - March 12, 1999 at Tashi Chöling. The total cost of the retreat is $600.00. A brochure came out recently with detailed info which we hope will be helpful. Gyatrul Rinpoche will bestow the prerequisite empowerment of "Vajrasattva's Magical Net" from the 5th through the 7th. The teachings will be from 9:30 - 12:30 each morning and students must attend all sessions. Please remember to write us with your info regarding qualifications if you have not completed ngöndro or are new to Tashi Chöling. To reserve accommodations call Bea Arestad at (541) 482-4551. If you have any questions, call Bruce Newman at (541) 488-0881. Rinpoche is encouraging us to come if we can.
The upcoming annual Tröma Nagmo retreat, usually held during the late winter, has been canceled due to the Guya Gharba retreat. Although this could be disappointing, it gives us time to complete the ngöndro practices in preparation for teachings on Phowa so take heart! The next chöd retreat: March of the year 2000. More details much later...
On Sun., Dec. 13th our Dakini Day tsog, Tröma Nagmo, will be held at 2:00 pm rather than in the evening. There are requests to do a feast or two so bring your texts for both the extensive sadhana and the Four Feasts. Please come early to help with tormas...
The Green Tara pujas continue on Sundays from 2 - 4 pm except for the 13th which is canceled (or rescheduled - ask Ani Baba) due to the Tröma tsog. Please join us.
Bruce Newman's class, `A Spacious Path to Freedom' continues through Dec. on both Wed. and Thurs. from 7:30 - 9:30 pm except for the 24th, 30th and 31st. For info call him at 488-0881. He has added the Wed. night class for those who couldn't make Thurs.
For info on ngöndro preliminary practice classes call Mat Small at 482-3441.
There are still appointments available to see the esteemed Tibetan doctor, Dr. Dickey Nyerongsha, on Friday, Dec. 11 and Sunday Dec. 13. For info call Julie: 488-3009.
So, it seems like it's here to stay: a new section in this letter called...
The Begging Bowl! Here we will ask for donations of items needed by the temple and Sangha...Tashi Chöling asks if anyone would like to donate a bookcase, a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven, and a VCR for students to study video tapes of pujas and teachings. All of these would be greatly appreciated and used with enthusiasm. Also, Jigme Lama is in need of a razor for his mustache. If you can offer any of the above items, please call Nick at 482-3909. Thank you very much.
For those fond of Tibetan Buddhist trivia (how could it be trivial, no way)...
Dec. 10 is the anniversary of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize some years back. Thanks to Les, I hear there is an outstanding book by Khenpo Namdrol available, called Vajrakilaya, which is an in-depth commentary on that profound practice given in Poolesville, Maryland. It's printed by Calverts Press and can be ordered through Dharmakosha at 31-39 Red Church St./London England/E27DJ for 9 lbs.99 in the UK (that's about $16-$18 plus shipping.) On a bizarre note, Christmas eve is considered a day of "nine bad omens occurring together", called Ngenpa Gu Dzom, and Christmas day is called Zangpo Chu Dzom, when "ten auspicious omens occur together". Watch out on the night before, but no surprise about Christmas, as the merry holiday truly commemorates the birth of a great bodhisattva. The best of the season to each and every one.
My most abundant wishes, and I hope to see you at the Holiday Celebration!
Julie Rogers, Asst. Secretary
Contemplation of the Month
Season's Greetings to the Dharma Family, December 1998
After several weeks of being blessed by Rinpoche's presence at Tashi Chöling, I understand again how incredibly fortunate we are to have had the Buddha here in town. When you receive this letter, Rinpoche, Mimi and Sangye will have gone on their way and we will have a big dose of Dharma to heal us during the months (and years) to come. Wow. The teachings and empowerments were transforming. Thank you Precious Teacher, Sangye, and everyone who made this wonderful experience possible.
Everyone please feel cordially and sincerely invited to this year's Sangha Holiday Celebration and Potluck Dinner on Sat., Dec. 12th (see the enclosed invitation ~ flyer!)
The Guya Gharba retreat's mandatory Dec. 15th pre-registration deadline (including a $100.00 deposit) is quickly approaching. This rare event, taught by Khenpo Namdrol of H.H. Penor Rinpoche's monastery, will take place from Feb. 5 - March 12, 1999 at Tashi Chöling. The total cost of the retreat is $600.00. A brochure came out recently with detailed info which we hope will be helpful. Gyatrul Rinpoche will bestow the prerequisite empowerment of "Vajrasattva's Magical Net" from the 5th through the 7th. The teachings will be from 9:30 - 12:30 each morning and students must attend all sessions. Please remember to write us with your info regarding qualifications if you have not completed ngöndro or are new to Tashi Chöling. To reserve accommodations call Bea Arestad at (541) 482-4551. If you have any questions, call Bruce Newman at (541) 488-0881. Rinpoche is encouraging us to come if we can.
The upcoming annual Tröma Nagmo retreat, usually held during the late winter, has been canceled due to the Guya Gharba retreat. Although this could be disappointing, it gives us time to complete the ngöndro practices in preparation for teachings on Phowa so take heart! The next chöd retreat: March of the year 2000. More details much later...
On Sun., Dec. 13th our Dakini Day tsog, Tröma Nagmo, will be held at 2:00 pm rather than in the evening. There are requests to do a feast or two so bring your texts for both the extensive sadhana and the Four Feasts. Please come early to help with tormas...
The Green Tara pujas continue on Sundays from 2 - 4 pm except for the 13th which is canceled (or rescheduled - ask Ani Baba) due to the Tröma tsog. Please join us.
Bruce Newman's class, `A Spacious Path to Freedom' continues through Dec. on both Wed. and Thurs. from 7:30 - 9:30 pm except for the 24th, 30th and 31st. For info call him at 488-0881. He has added the Wed. night class for those who couldn't make Thurs.
For info on ngöndro preliminary practice classes call Mat Small at 482-3441.
There are still appointments available to see the esteemed Tibetan doctor, Dr. Dickey Nyerongsha, on Friday, Dec. 11 and Sunday Dec. 13. For info call Julie: 488-3009.
So, it seems like it's here to stay: a new section in this letter called...
The Begging Bowl! Here we will ask for donations of items needed by the temple and Sangha...Tashi Chöling asks if anyone would like to donate a bookcase, a vacuum cleaner, a microwave oven, and a VCR for students to study video tapes of pujas and teachings. All of these would be greatly appreciated and used with enthusiasm. Also, Jigme Lama is in need of a razor for his mustache. If you can offer any of the above items, please call Nick at 482-3909. Thank you very much.
For those fond of Tibetan Buddhist trivia (how could it be trivial, no way)...
Dec. 10 is the anniversary of H.H. the 14th Dalai Lama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize some years back. Thanks to Les, I hear there is an outstanding book by Khenpo Namdrol available, called Vajrakilaya, which is an in-depth commentary on that profound practice given in Poolesville, Maryland. It's printed by Calverts Press and can be ordered through Dharmakosha at 31-39 Red Church St./London England/E27DJ for 9 lbs.99 in the UK (that's about $16-$18 plus shipping.) On a bizarre note, Christmas eve is considered a day of "nine bad omens occurring together", called Ngenpa Gu Dzom, and Christmas day is called Zangpo Chu Dzom, when "ten auspicious omens occur together". Watch out on the night before, but no surprise about Christmas, as the merry holiday truly commemorates the birth of a great bodhisattva. The best of the season to each and every one.
My most abundant wishes, and I hope to see you at the Holiday Celebration!
Julie Rogers, Asst. Secretary
Contemplation of the Month
Each and every one is invited to the annual...
Sangha Holiday Celebration
] and Potluck Dinner [
Come mingle with the family
and enjoy our friends so rare,
bring your own table setting
and a delightful dish to share
and we'll offer it up to all sentient beings
in a feast beyond compare!
Saturday, December 12 at 6:00 p.m.
at the home of Mark, Lisbeth and Keith LaCoste,
5301 Highway 66, Ashland,
near Emigrant Lake.
sssssssssss
Take Hwy. 66 out of Ashland toward Klamath Falls. Just .2 miles past mile-marker 4
notice a green sign that says `Emigrant Lake 1/2 mile', at which point you'll cross
a small bridge. Then immediately turn left onto a dirt driveway where you'll see a
small sign that says `Hancock'. Continue on for .8 miles to the house at the very end
of the road. Parking is limited, so please carpool if possible.
Please bring an entree, side~dish, dessert or libation of the holiday variety!
PLEASE R.S.V.P to Stephanie Cole
at 482-1620 by Wed., Dec. 9th!