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| AHYMSIN newsletter, issue - June 2011 | ||||||||
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Buddha Purnima at SRSGwith Lama Doboom Tulku Rinpocheby Jagadananda DasMay 18th was Buddha Purnima, which was celebrated with a brief ceremony at the Buddha shrine in the AHYMSIN building. We had a special treat, as Lama Doboom Tulku Rinpoche, former director of Tibet House in Delhi, has been staying at Swami Rama Sadhaka Grama for the past few weeks working on a project. The Lama is a well-known scholar of Tibetan Buddhism and a translator. He is also a long-time friend of Swami Veda Bharati’s and was the head priest when the Buddha statue was consecrated in 2007, bringing a team of monks to assist him on the occasion. The ceremony was short, with Doboom Tulku offering a silken kata1 and some Tibetan prayers. Then the ashram residents joined in a prayer, the Jaya Mangala Gatha2 and bhavatu sabba mangalam3.
In the evening, the Lama consented to answer a few questions in the meditation hall. Having eaten mangoes earlier that day, he said he had chosen to begin by speaking on mangoes, "though I am not a horticulturalist..." He referred to a verse by Nagarjuna in his "letter to a friend" . There Nagarjuna discusses the ripeness and mere appearance of ripeness in mangoes, and advises that in seeking a kalyana-mitra, a noble or spiritual friend, or guru, to seek one who is internally ripe spiritually, and at all costs to avoid those who only make an external show of advancement. He answered questions about the word “tulku”, which he explained as originally meaning the same as the nirmana-kaya of the Buddha, or the form the Buddha takes to appear in the world to benefit all sentient beings. Then later it came to form a tradition in Tibet, where great lamas or monastery heads are thought to reappear again in another body after their death. The custom is wide reaching, he said, so that there are literally thousands of tulkus in Tibet. “I believe that many of the tulkus are genuine, and then there are some, like myself, who are tulkus in name only.” In answer to a question about meditation, he spoke of the three practices of shila, samadhi and prajna (morality, meditation and wisdom), in particular the last two. He gave the example of a strong arm and a hammer. Through meditation, we develop strength in the mind through one pointed concentration. Then we can wield the hammer of wisdom, or direct experience of the highest truth. Another question was asked about personal challenges he has faced in life. Tulkuji laughed and said that one should not think of challenges as challenges at all. One should accept the appearance of difficulties in life as inevitable and foreordained. This does not mean that we should ignore the upaya-paramita, or “skill in means”; in other words, to act appropriately in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, but we should not allow ourselves to be troubled by the idea that there are obstacles before us. The Lama then finished with a blessing in Tibetan. Editor’s notesMore about Lama Doboom Tulku Rinpoche:http://www.loselingmonastery.org/index.php?id=60&type=p Doboom Tulku's Remarks at a Translator's Conference: http://tibetanaltar.blogspot.com/2009/03/doboom-tulkus-remarks-at-translators.html Jagananda Das has a blog: http://jagadanandadas.blogspot.com/ 1 Tibetans have an ancient tradition of presenting a kata as a symbol of pure intention and devotion. They are usually offered to important Lamas, sacred images and holy places prior to requesting a spiritual blessing or the receiving of an initiation. They come in a variety of sizes and colours and can be adorned with auspicious symbols or made from the finest silks. (from http://www.garudashop.com/Tibetan_Katas_s/89.htm) 2 See http://zen4859.blogspot.com/2008/04/buddhist-chanting-jaya-mangala-gatha.html 3 To hear a recording of Bhavatu Sabba Mangalam: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My47zkY6IYY 4 Here is one edition of Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend: with Commentary by Kyabje Kangyur Rinpoche: http://www.snowlionpub.com/pages/N71_12.html
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