EXCELLENT VISIT!

By Gregg Rutter

It’s been a very busy time around KTC Minneapolis lately; the center has been filled with much positive energetic activity! What a delight! The highlight was Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche’s visit over the autumnal equinox.

Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche and translator Lama Yeshe Gyamtso returned to KTC Minneapolis this year for a teaching entitled “Excellent After Death in Tibet” and two empowerments and lungs. They were scheduled to arrive on Wednesday, September 21, in the morning and there was a full schedule planned for them that day, including an afternoon with personal interviews that had been arranged. Their plane arrived over two hours late!

Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche is a resident lama at KTD; he is also founder of the Raktrul Foundation, in Red Hook, NY, whose mission is to support the practice and teachings of the Karma Kagyu lineage worldwide, and support the growth, development and reconstruction of the Raktrul Monastery in Tibet. He teaches regularly at KTD and at KTC centers across the country; he lives right down the road from KTD in Woodstock, NY, with his wife, Sonam Chotso, an accomplished practitioner, and his three daughters. A recently published book, Precious Essence, is the “Inner Autobiography of Terchen Barway Dorje”, the first Bardor Rinpoche and founder of Raktrul Monastery.

Lama Yeshe Gyamtso is an extraordinary translator and intellect. He translated Precious Essence and has served as interpreter and translator for many teachers, including His Holiness the Seventeenth Karmapa, Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, Kalu Rinpoche, and Thrangu Rinpoche. He is married, has a young daughter, and lives near KTD where he frequently teaches and serves as translator.

Lama La and Hal were waiting when we arrived at KTC from the airport and they exchanged stories and caught up on news from KTD over lunch. Rinpoche wanted to go shopping for a house warming gift after lunch for his wife’s cousin, who lives in Minneapolis; so, we ventured out to a little shop on the corner of 44^th and France, Alfred’s Grand Petit Magasin, to pick something out. The storekeepers were surprised to have a Tibetan Rinpoche shopping in their store! We hurried back to the center and, after some slight schedule modifications due to the time delays, Rinpoche spent the next couple of hours doing personal interviews; some with people who had come from Iowa and South Dakota to meet with him.

OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SO HA

Later that afternoon, it was time to prepare for the White Tara empowerment and lung scheduled for that evening. An empowerment is a sacred ceremony where the teacher, in this case Ven Bardor Tulku Rinpoche, actually empowers himself as the deity and then bestows or grants an empowerment to those in attendance so they may then join in the practice; it empowers you to visualize the deity, in this case White Tara, recite the mantra (OM TARE TUTTARE TURE SO HA) and realize yourself as the deity (White Tara). The room where the empowerment is held and the shrine are specially prepared, the shrine is set up with specific tormas and the room is ultimately sealed off.

The essential nature of Tara is primordial wisdom. Tara practice is exceptionally profound. White Tara is referred to as “the Mother of All Buddhas”. Her name literally means, “She who liberates”. There are many forms of Tara, all of which are manifestations of compassion and beneficial activity to relieve suffering; White Tara, in particular, is connected with compassionate activity, purification of negative karma, health and longevity. Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche has said “the practice of White Tara can bring you to complete awakening.” Lama La has devoted a lot of her energy to developing a dedicated group of advanced practitioners to do White Tara and other pujas and practices at KTC, specifically to give access to the benefits of these practices to people who do not do advanced practices for themselves and those they cherish, so this empowerment was especially timely and valuable. The empowerment was followed by the lung, the oral transmission of the liturgy that authorizes you to study and recite the text. Together, the empowerment and lung firmly connect you to the practice through an unbroken pure lineage.

On a relative level, the practice eliminates obstacles to a long life (or untimely death); ultimately, the practice of White Tara can accomplish liberation from samsara. Much merit was accumulated by the fortunate ones who attended the empowerment and lung; there was a genuine compassionate and transformative energetic shift in the shrine room that evening that everyone who was there was aware of and a part of.

All who take part in an empowerment are required to have previously taken Refuge. Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche graciously offered refuge to those who requested it prior to the empowerment.

LEARNING TIBETAN

Rinpoche and Yeshe Gyamtso joined Lama La, Hal, Julie Jacob and myself for breakfast on Thursday morning, September 22. We ended up having a spirited discussion with Yeshe about the merits of learning Tibetan, and the best methods for learning the language, especially in terms of reading dharma texts. He strongly emphasized not only the importance, but the necessity, of learning to spell, not just read, the Tibetan texts. Lama La has said many times that her teacher, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, told her to practice spelling everyday in preparation for the three-year retreat, and the reading will come automatically. The spelling practice is what is essential. One of the most important things to know before doing the traditional three-year retreat at Karme Ling is how to read and spell Tibetan, as most of the sadhana texts used are only in Tibetan.

EXCELLENT AFTER DEATH IN TIBET

The teaching began with a period of shamata meditation. The shrine room and the adjoining “shrine room annex” were filled to capacity; KTC Minneapolis was happy to have visitors from Wisconsin, Iowa and South Dakota.

With the new program on the Way of Death and Rebirth in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition scheduled to begin in 2006 at KTC Minneapolis, and the special POWA teaching and retreat being led by Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche at Karme Ling Retreat Center in June of 2006, it was a great blessing to have Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche teach on “Excellent After Death in Tibet”. He started out by telling us that we were going to have a very fun day – seeing as how we were to spend it talking about death! Rinpoche was very light-hearted and funny during his visit, yet he masterfully conveyed authentic and serious teachings, which were infused with humor.

His teaching began with a brief history of Tibet, pre-Buddhist practices in Tibet and what happened to the culture during the introduction of Buddhism in the 6^th and 7^th centuries. He talked about Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche) who tamed the wild & mischievous gods of Tibet and bound the spirits of Tibet so they would not obstruct the teachings of the Buddha.

He went on to explain how Tibetan Buddhism presents a path and provides instruction on how to travel that path; how Tibetan Buddhism is like a map. He said the map of Dharma is very detailed and the starting point is the Refuge Vow. (Note: Rinpoche’s visit to KTC Minneapolis in October of 2004 included a teaching on the Buddhist Vows). A superior aspect of Tibetan Buddhism is the understanding and mapping of the mind, which provides a precise approach to the journey of death – which is also the journey of the mind.

KTC Minneapolis sangha member Sheila Duddy commented: “The path of Dharma will tell us exactly how far to go and the best way to get there.  With extensive meditative experience, contemplation, and study, Tibetan Buddhism is the greatest map ever made!  Bardor Tulku Rinpoche's teaching and Lama Yeshe Gyamtso's translation not only showed us the map but walked us through the streets and point out the landmarks.  They gave me the tools and inspiration to delve even deeper into luminous mind.”

Many of us are familiar with what Bardo is, the period between reaching one’s birth place and death, or the interval between death and rebirth; Rinpoche explained that bardo is a place of confusion and bewilderment. He also said that there are three types of people and that only one type actually experiences the bardo – and that is the average, normal person. The other two types are: Holy Beings, or Enlightened Beings, and people who have accumulated such a vast amount of negative karma that they are immediately cast to a hell realm.

He discussed at length the Enlightened Beings, saying that a Buddha has already abandoned everything there is to abandon and nothing changes in their mind when they die, thus, no confusion or bewilderment, no bardo. Where a normal person would become unconscious at death, a Nirmanakaya Buddha remains in a state of non-conceptual wisdom and thus achieves the Samboghakaya state and is able to grant blessings to their disciples. He talked about what happens to the physical body of an enlightened being when they die, that it can vanish partially or entirely – which is called a “rainbow body” because the course elements of the body dissolve into light; and he gave some examples of specific instances where this has happened, even in our current time.

As an average, normal person, however, Rinpoche told us that if we practice the traditions of our lineage with vigor, we can also realize the ground clear light as lay people, not just monastics and lamas; “Dharma has no owner.” He said, “Most vigor equals most result”. He told us that any man or woman can achieve samadhi at death, and that our culture of origin was irrelevant.

For a Yogi or Yogini, death is not much more of a big deal than going to sleep at night; for a Yogin, it is an opportunity for awakening. While death is a big transition, if you prepare and plan for it, it works out; death does not require the level of fear with which we normally regard it.

He spent a very little time talking about the last group, which he referred to as the “Downward Minority;” if you do very bad things (for instance, the 5 actions of immediate consequence) then there is no bardo, just the express train to hell!

Rinpoche continued with a further discussion about what exactly the definition of “bardo” is, what some of the time elements are, a discussion of POWA and when to perform it, and some of the common practices done at death. These included the Amitabha, Red Chenrezik, Vairochana, and Vajrasattva practices; these are done with a purification ritual for at least the first 3 days or 7 days and preferably for all 49 days after death.

The Q&A that followed the teaching addressed some more specific things that we can do, including reciting Om Mani Padme Hung or Karmapa Chenno when we see a being die, but to be discreet around people who are antithetical to Buddhism. He also answered questions directly about POWA, or the ejection of consciousness from the body; he said that POWA can be performed via the telephone and one should contact the highest master the deceased was associated with to perform it, and to do so as soon as possible.

Rinpoche addressed the issue of organ donation, saying that as long as you are totally dead (100% certain unrevivable brain-dead) that it is an act of great generosity.

On the topic of euthanasia, he said to allow for a natural death to occur so karma can be completed in this life instead of being interrupted and carried into the bardo and into the next life. He said he is 100% opposed to euthanasia, adding a comment about accumulating the karma of killing by those who are responsible for doing it.

The last question was about the difference between “spirit” and “consciousness”. Rinpoche said that spirit is an imprint of the person whereas consciousness is the mind.

It was a wonderful teaching and we all benefited greatly.

MOMOS AND MORE

In the middle of the teaching, we took a break and went out to lunch at Tibet’s Corner in south Minneapolis, near Hennepin and Lake. Karma and Tashi, the owners of the restaurant, prepared a special authentic Tibetan meal for us and closed the restaurant to the public. We enjoyed momas, thukpa, bo chai and other tasty Tibetan treats! A fun and very special lunch!

OM AMI DEWA HRI

After the teaching was over, Rinpoche immediately began preparations for the Amitabha empowerment and lung. Amitabha, one of the five Dhyani Buddhas, is the principle Buddha of Sukhavati and is the embodiment of enlightened speech; his name means “infinite light”. Again, the shrine room was specially prepared for the empowerment in a similar fashion to what was done for the White Tara empowerment the night before.

Lama La had requested Ven. Bardor Tulku Rinpoche do the Amitabha empowerment and lung so that those who were planning on doing so could attend the special POWA teaching and practice at Karme Ling currently scheduled for June of 2006. One of the prerequisites to attend the POWA retreat is an accumulation of 600,000 Amitabha mantras, and, of course, one must have received the empowerment to do the practice and begin accumulating the mantras. The retreat will be preceded by three days of long Amitabha Puja. The Amitabha practice is also beneficial for those who are planning on participating in KTC Minneapolis’ Way of Death & Rebirth program. Since the Amitabha Empowerment and lung, Lama La has given a teaching on the short Amitabha sadhana and will give a teaching on the long Amitabha sadhana in April of 2006.

Amitabha pujas are one of the most frequently chanted of all Tibetan pujas, and Amitabha is a widely venerated figure in the Buddhism of China, Korea and Japan as well. The practice of Amitabha can have the ultimate result of directly leading one to Sukhavati, Amitabha’s Buddha field, at the time of death; thus allowing one to achieve enlightenment.

“We must aspire to rebirth in a Pure Realm. The only Pure Realm an ordinary being afflicted with kleshas can attain is Sukhavati.” – Machig Labdron

Again, following the empowerment, Rinpoche gave the lung, reciting the long Amitabha sadhana.

AN AMAZING GIFT

It is an amazing gift to receive an empowerment, and even more so, an empowerment and lung together. What was unusual was the fact that Rinpoche gave two empowerments and lungs at KTC this year. It was, indeed, a very energetic visit!

The next morning, Rinpoche and Yeshe were at the airport early to head back to KTD where the Ground Breaking ceremony for the long awaited new monastery building was planned for Saturday.

It is my wish that this brief and inadequate summary of Venerable Bardor Tulku Rinpoche’s visit will provide for some merit to the KTC sangha and in so doing provide benefit to all beings to relieve suffering.

OM AH HUNG!

Click on the Namse Bangdzo graphic near the bottom of KTC's home page and visit the fantastic Namse Bangdzo bookstore through our KTC website to purchase Precious Essence and other books by Bardor Rinpoche, and benefit KTC at the same time. Also, check out Namse Bangdzo's online glossary to look up terms that you are unfamiliar with. Visit it by clicking the Glossary entry in the left column of the Namse Bangdzo home page. Be sure to click the Namse Bangdzo graphic on KTC's web site each time you are on your way to the Namse Bangdzo site.