Event : HE Kyabje Zopa Rinpoche Australian Retreat
Date : April 2-30
Website : http://www.lamazopaaustralia.org.au/
Programme :
The Atisha Centre, Thubten Shedrup Ling Monastery and the Great
Stupa of Universal Compassion Bendigo, Australia will be jointly
hosting a month of Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s precious teachings.
Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara - the Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way
of Life will be taught during weeks one and two, followed by the
transmission of the rare Rinjung Gyatsa Initiations during weeks
three and four.
The three neighbouring centres are located a 15 minute drive
North West of Bendigo in Central Victoria, a former rich goldfields
area. We anticipate over 250 people will attend the retreat. Early
registration is recommended, as places will be limited.
Week 1-2
The Bodhicharyavatara is easy to understand and is revered wherever
the Mahayana is studied and practised. It explains the
meaning of all Buddha’s teachings, in particular, all that needs to
be practised by those wishing to train on the bodhisattvas’
vehicle, the six perfections. Of the two aspects of the teachings,
method and wisdom, the lineage of method has two: the extensive and
the powerful. The lineage of extensive method is for those of dull
intellect to train their minds in bodhicitta by first knowing all
sentient beings as having been one’s mother, thinking of their
kindness, repaying their kindness, heart-warming love, compassion,
the special thought, and generating bodhicitta.
The lineage of powerful method is for those of sharp
intellect to train their minds in bodhicitta through the stages of
equalising and exchanging self and others. It includes the stages
of extensive method, but takes the bull by the horns and
immediately deals with the self-cherishing mind, seeing it as the
cause of all troubles and seeing the mind cherishing others as the
cause of all that is good. This way of thinking is very powerful,
and since one engages in the bodhisattva’s conduct with such deep
and incisive thoughts, the lineage is called powerful method.
Buddha taught this lineage to Manjushri, who passed it on to
Shantideva, who expounded it in the Bodhicaryavatara. Eventually
the lineage came to Lama Serlingpa, who passed it to Atisha. All
the Kadampa lamas trained in dependence on these instructions; Lama
Tsongkhapa received them; and they finally reached the two tutors
of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who passed them on to His
Holiness.
Week 3-4 Rinjung Gyatsa Empowerments
In the summers of 1977 and 1978, Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche
and the Tibetan, Nepalese, and Western monks and nuns at Kopan
Monastery received the Rinjung Gyatsa transmissions from the
perfect master, Tsenshab Serkong Rinpoche. In the early eighties,
Lama Zopa Rinpoche offered these transmissions to a great number of
his and Lama Thubten Yeshe’s students at the first two Enlightened
Experience Celebrations in India.
In Australia, Rinpoche plans to give the 305 rinjung gyatsa
transmissions over several years, in combination with continuing
commentary on the Bodhicaryavatara.
The rinjung gyatsa initiations usually begin with Yamantaka
and Vajrayogini initiations, which involve taking bodhisattva and
tantric vows and making a commitment for daily practice and
possibly a retreat according to Rinpoche’s instruction at the
time.
The five general requirements for entry into tantric
practice are to train in the meditations common to the sutra path;
to hold Pratimoksha vows; to take the bodhisattva vows; to study
the Fifty Stanzas on Guru Devotion; to request initiation and have
pure devotion to the initiating master. A strong feeling for
renunciation, bodhicitta, and the wisdom of emptiness is
essential.
Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche has offered to begin the Rinjung Gyatsa
series of initiations with the Highest Yoga Tantra initiations of
Chakrasamvara, Yamantaka, and Guhyasamaja. We have accepted this
amazing offer from Rinpoche, but we cannot guarantee all three
major initiations will be given. The decision of whether to give
them all or not will depend upon Rinpoche’s observation of the
karma of the people at the time. These three initiations alone
require taking tantric vows; the practice commitment will not be
known until the time of the initiations. The
Bodhisattva’s Way of Life teachings are a highly advisable but not
an essential prerequisite for the initiations. Of course, to take
the initiations one has to be well grounded in the Lam Rim practice
and have full understanding of the meaning of tantra. These
initiations are definitely not for beginners.