Dear Dharma Friends, January 1999

You may get this letter a bit early, so the New Year is upon us. Impermanence with a date, so that you can really notice it. A lot is coming up for us to work with. Right off, thanks to the LaCoste's for opening their lovely home to the Sangha for our holiday potluck, which was wonderful. We had at least 50 folks come, including Jigme Lama, Dr. Dickey Nyerongsha and her very delightful mother. What a feast! Thanks as well to Steph, Mat and Nick for RSVP and set-up help. It was a family affair.
Please take time to read the important enclosed message from Gyatrul Rinpoche.
To start 1999, here is a message from the officers of Tashi Chöling. Having been involved with the center in this capacity for 15 months now, we have been able to take stock of the situation, and of our own capacities. It has become clear (as in the past) that there is a tremendous amount of work necessary to support Rinpoche's vision for Tashi Chöling. Here we have an opportunity to create a place of refuge for our children, future practitioners, and to provide a functional center where we can all practice, do retreats, and serve sentient beings and the Three Jewels. In the past, with the help of Kathleen McLeary, we established the Buddha Families, which are a potentially successful way to organize ourselves into groups in order to achieve our aims. For these groups to function we must all make a commitment to persevere in our efforts. There are a handful of folks at Tashi Chöling and in town who work very hard to help maintain the center, but we have come face to face with the fact that more people's efforts are needed.
Historically, the same folks work too hard for too long and burn out. The officers are no exception, but to change history we must change ourselves. Therefore we are sincerely asking for each person who reads this letter to look deeply into your personal priorities, your values, and discover the time and energy hidden there by other things, time that could be dedicated to helping establish Tashi Chöling, one of the most blessed and sacred Dharma centers in the world. This is no lie. The officers are in the process of deciding which projects can be delegated to others, which projects on the back burner we can begin to look into, and how we will work with all that is already in our laps. Please come to the Sangha meetings. Please contact any of us with your readiness to help, which could be anything from cleaning the temple to working on building projects, computer work, gardening in the good weather, and more. Please take this to heart. Let us know. Thanks.
Here we go with the news...
The Guya Gharba retreat's Dec. 15th pre-registration deadline (including a $100.00 deposit) has passed. However, if you have special circumstances, you may still contact Nick O'Connor at (541) 482-3909 to discuss attendance. 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. If you have any questions, call Bruce Newman at (541) 488-0881. An update concerning this retreat is included in this mailing, stating that the empowerment required for the event, known as "The Magical Net of the Peaceful and Wrathful Wisdom Deities", which was previously planned to be offered at the onset of the retreat will not take place at Tashi Chöling on the already publicized dates. Now Ven. Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and Ven. Khenpo Tsewang Dongyal Rinpoche will offer the empowerment on Fri. -Sun., Jan. 8, 9, & 10 at Orgyen Dorje Den Center in Oakland. For more specific info. please contact the Orgyen Dorje Den Information Phone Line at (510) 839-3136. (cont.)
Everyone please come to a Sangha meeting on Sun. the 17th from 12:00 - 2:00 pm at the temple. Help us plan the Guya Gharba retreat. Bring a sack lunch if it works for you. We'll be glad to see you! Our next Sangha meeting will be Sun., April 18.
We will try something new on the new moon in January, and do the Vajrakilaya sadhana and tsog instead of Yeshe Tsogyal on Sun. the 17th. As well, this puja will happen at 2:00 pm, following the Sangha meeting at 12:00. Let's clear some energy for the new year and come together for this practice. It was thought that it would be beneficial to have the monthly tsogs that fall on weekend days in the afternoons, to make for safer driving conditions. If folks prefer the change, we'll go with it. Let us know.
Once in a blue moon applies to this month, which means two full moon
Amitabha tsogs. The Amitabha practice on Sun., the 31st will be held at 2:00 pm instead
of 7:00 for the previously mentioned reason. Texts for all our tsogs are available.
Green Tara pujas continue on Sundays from 2 - 4 pm except for the 17th and the
31st which will be rescheduled - ask Ani Baba - due to the meeting and pujas.
Ngöndro preliminary practice classes may resume in the spring. At that time you can call Mat Small at 482-3441 for information.
Bruce Newman will offer two new classes this month - see the enclosed flyers.
Our own Ani Baba requests help cleaning the temple and residence this month, both to prepare for Losar in February and for the upcoming Guya Gharba retreat. Please call her and leave a message with your name and number at 488-0477 to offer your time and expert (or aspiring) cleaning abilities. We all appreciate this and thanks much!
General labor is being requested by the Building and Grounds guys who need help right now and in the near future. Weekends are good, or whenever. Come on out.
Join Neal King's E-Mail String to get the scoop on Dharma happenings! If you would like to be very "in the know", write to Neal King by E-Mail and let him know you want to be on with 52 or more Yeshe Nyingpo Sangha members; receive updated info. on events, post your own news, advertise, etc. Write to: nealjking@hotmail.com!
Tashi Chöling's Dharma School began creating a photo display years ago featuring pictures of our kids. There are several holes that need to be filled so if you'd like, please send snapshots of your tots, (young and old) to Julie Rogers, POB 885, Ashland, OR,
97520 and we can complete this sweet portrait which will someday hang at the center.
The esteemed Tibetan doctor, Dr. Dickey Nyerongsha, will return to Ashland the 2nd weekend in April, the 9th, 10th and 11th. If you would mark your 1999 calendars, you can make an appointment by calling Julie AFTER March 15th at 488-3009. Thanks.
The Begging Bowl! Donations of items needed by the temple and Sangha...once again 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. (Also, Jigme Lama is no longer in need of a razor for his mustache, though he still has it, humm.) If you can offer any of the above items, please call Nick at 482-3909. Thank you!
On a Dharma note...The book by Khenpo Namdrol called Vajrakilaya, which is the in-depth commentary on that profound practice mentioned last month is also available through Zigi catalog of Boulder, Colo. for $12.95 + shipping; call toll-free: 800-565-8470 OR
rumor has it - Les Collins may have them available for sale at the Guya Gharba retreat.
So, best wishes to all for the new year! Thanks for being.
Julie Rogers, Asst. Sec't.

Contemplation of the Month

Why do people who know the least know it the loudest?