India seems to think it is a good idea for long term tourists to scram every six months, for at least two months. So off I went to Nepal I spent a day in Boudhanath. Then I headed up to Pharphing, which Tibetan Buddhists know as Yanglesho. I stayed the Nyingma Palyul Retreat Center which… Continue reading Two months in Nepal
So, like many before me, I’ve moved over to wordpress.com. I’d like to know what you think of the design and what else you’d like to see here. Clearly I still have some work to do on it, since I haven’t posted a blogroll yet, among other things. For those of you who subscribe, there… Continue reading Same blog, new host site
Students in their seventh year of shedra have a special task during the ‘rainy season retreat’. They must explain a passage of Mipham’s spyi don ‘od gsal snying po (available in English as Luminous Essence) and then answer questions. The student does not get to pick what she will explain. The student’s name is drawn.… Continue reading The oral examinaton
Teacher: Repeat after me: May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering. Students: May all sentient beings be free from suffering and the classes of suffering. Teacher: You want to be free from the classes of suffering? Fine, you may leave.
Since my last post, back in April, I’ve been attending class and going to debate– just like every other year. Now that we are studying tantra, though, it is like being in first year again. There is a lot of new terminology to learn, not to mention an extremely profound view of the universe. Unlike… Continue reading Tantric kindergarten
School has been in session for just more than a week now. My first subject this year is Luminous Presence (spyi don ‘od gsal snyingpo) – Mipham’s overview of the Guhyagarbha Tantra based on Longchenpa’s Dispelling Darkness in the Ten Directions (phyogs bcu mun sel). Before I started shedra – I looked at the curriculum… Continue reading Seventh year begins
Greetings from the airport in Saskatoon. In about 36 hours I should be arriving at Namdroling Monastery, India. Since my last post I’ve done three more talks, bringing the final total for this trip to seven. These three were all at the University of Saskatchewan. Two were about the path of Mahayana and one —… Continue reading From the airport
I am happy to say I survived this last week. It was really something – four speaking engagements and two parties. It started at the Unitarian Universalist Center with a talk on Buddhist Mind Training last Sunday. Then I gave an introduction to Buddhism at the Avenue Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity. (I basically… Continue reading Talks
A month ago, I finished writing my sixth year exams. I wrote two exams on Abhisamayalankarakarika by Maitreya, one on Haribhadra’s commentary and the other on Paltrul Rinpoche’s commentary. I also wrote an exam on the third chapter of Dharmakirti’s Pramanavartika, with Mipham’s commentary, one on the last two chapters of Dudjom’s history, and one… Continue reading Oh yeah that blog thingy, I knew I was forgetting something.
Pema Chodron: “Ani Damchoe Wangmo! One four three!” Me: (thinking a moment) “I love you, too.” Ngawang Sherab: “ga re za?” Pema Chodron: “One zer na I, four zer na love, three zer na you.” (from the balcony outside) Lobsang Palmo*: Damchoe Wangmo! One four three! Me: “Khyerang la one four three lo!” *** Tibetan… Continue reading Funny Conversations 3
Me: “How much is a ticket to Kolkata? Ticket Agent/Coffee bean retailer: “You want to go to Kolkata with a K or Calcutta with a C?” Me: “They are the same place.” Agent: “They are the same place?” Me: “You’re asking me?” — in Kushalnagar village
“Don’t ask questions to the exam supervisors. You’ve had a whole year to learn these things. And besides, it has been so many years since we’ve studied these things – we’ve forgotten everything.” –a Lopon speaking at the shedra meeting on ‘How to write final exams’
Hogwarts is a castle. Namdroling is comprised of a few dozen buildings, centered around four temples – which are somewhat castle-like. Hogwarts is divided into Houses. Namdroling’s charter forbids the formation of organizations based on race, views, because these could lead to schisms in the Sangha… like the rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Hogwarts has… Continue reading Howarts vs. Namdroling Monastery
Sometimes I wonder if I should post moving Dharma teachings, or photos of great masters, or discuss Buddhism related events in the media… or even (gag, choke, choke) talk about my practice, but that just isn’t what this blog is about. I am writing this blog as a reflection of my thoughts and my life,… Continue reading What this blog isn’t
1. attend class, try to pay attention, possibly even take notes in class2. for oh lets say the first month of the school year – study after class, debate about what was taught that same day3. then yarne starts – spend the time out of class spazing about debating exams4. after yarne – the fear… Continue reading How I get through exams, in 18 steps
When we complete the study of a text we make offerings to the three jewels and to our teacher. Yesterday we lit 108 butter lamps in our classroom. These lamps were special because half of them were filled not from the semi-solid butter substitute we usually use, but with regular cooking oil. From the moment… Continue reading Why my class shouldn’t be trusted with butter lamps
We are nearing the end of another year of studies here at Namdroling. My last class will be next Monday morning, which is the Buddhist holy day Lhabab Duchen and thus a very auspicious day to complete our endeavors. There will then be eleven days of break and perhaps pujas for His Holiness’ swift rebirth.… Continue reading End of another year
This afternoon I spent about an hour fruitlessly paging through Mipham’s Pramanavartika commentary (legs bshad snang ba’i gter) looking for the line “gzhal bya rang mtshan gcig kho na*” in root text by Dharmakirti. At debate I asked my classmates about this often quoted line, they assured me: “It is there! Look on page 46.”… Continue reading Pramana rant
What was once: Is now: And now we see: Which is hopefully laying the ground for:Instead of:Although… Hmmm…. The last two images are courtesy of the Library of Congress Archives.
Not long ago we began studying the 3rd chapter of Mipham’s commentary on tshad ma rnam ‘grel aka pramanavartika. We study its four chapters over four years. Last year was awfully difficult. It was only through great effort, debate, and classroom discussion that we were able to figure out what Mipham and Dharmakirti were attempting… Continue reading What we’re studying now
damchoe's nun sense 