Pathgate News

Archbishop Malkhaz Songulashvili Visited Pathgate Institute

The Archbishop of the Evangelical Baptist Church of Georgia in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, His Excellency Malkhaz Songulashvili, visited Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje in late November on a fact finding mission to learn more about Buddhism. Over the period of two days, Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje spent time with the Archbishop during which informal discussions were held and insights on different topics were exchanged.

Throughout their time together, Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje answered questions from the Archbishop that covered a wide range of subjects such as love and compassion, the development of wisdom, the beginnings of the monastic tradition within Buddhism, the role of the lama, and the growth of Buddhism around the world. Both share the common recognition that the foundation of spiritual practice should begin from the cultivation of being a good person first, and true learning can only come about through the direct experience of actual practice instead of indulging in conceptual speculation without action.

To ensure Archbishop Songulashvili had the opportunity to sample what the Northeast has to offer, trips to various places of interest were arranged which included having dinner in a restaurant housed in the premises of a former Friar Priory which was founded in AD 1239, and a tour of the historic Durham Cathedral, a world heritage site which dates back to AD 1093 and is renowned as the only cathedral in England to retain almost all of its original Norman Romanesque architectural design.

On his last evening in the Northeast, the Archbishop visited the local Pathgate Dharma Centre and on the invitation of Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje gave a talk to the local students. The Archbishop began with an expression of profound gratitude for the warm hospitality he had received during his visit, describing how he had learnt a great deal and felt deeply enriched through his encounter with Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje. The Archbishop then went on to share with the students his personal experience about his journey as a Christian minister. He encouraged the students to leave their comfort zone and care for the wider human family, not just those belonging to a certain religion or people. When the Archbishop’s talk came to an end, Lama Dondrup Dorje reiterated to the students that it is we who separate ourselves from others by labelling others, by judging others and by our desire to take control, creating conflict and even war in the process.

At the banquet given in honour of the Archbishop the following day before his departure, the Archbishop presented a large crystal lotus flower candle holder to Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje as a gift to commemorate their friendship . He then invited Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje to visit him in Georgia, and expressed his wish that the time they had spent together would mark the beginning of a long-lasting relationship between them.

Update of Pathgate Activities in Sydney

Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje has visited Australia regularly over several years. During his recent visit to Sydney, he gave a radio interview to Sophea Jones who works for the FM 89.3 Radio Station which broadcast to the Khmer community in the Sydney area.

Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje also conducted in Sydney the Tse Thar Ceremony: the Practice of Ransom and Life Release. Several hundred native birds of Australian origin and large quantities of other live stocks were released back to their natural habitat at the completion of prayers and blessings.

Tse Thar is highly revered as a great Act of Compassion and as an expedient means of Mind Training by all three Buddhist traditions of Hinayana, Mahayana and Vajrayana. The Great Buddhist Master Nagarjuna deemed Life Release as the supremest of all virtuous activity. Its many benefits and the store of merits it may generate are recorded in numerous sutras and tantras. When performed with the right motivation for the benefit of all sentient beings, it has the power to remove obstacles, repay karmic debts, overcome sickness, promote good health, nurture longevity, create auspicious conditions, increase prosperity, and generate merits for the deceased. The ultimate goal of Tse Thar is to enable one to attain the two-fold fulfilment of lasting benefit for oneself and others.

The Tse Thar ceremony which was attended by many local students and friends was conducted at the construction site of the new shrine room for the Sydney Pathgate Dharma Centre. Preparation for the building foundation commenced in October and by late November had reached an advanced stage of near completion in spite of interruption to the pace of the building work caused by a long period of rain. The new extension which is to house the new shrine room is expected to have the construction of most of the exterior structure of the building completed before the end of December. The new shrine room is earmarked to be used as the base for the future Pathgate Australia Summer School which is scheduled to commence in January 2013.

Tara Blessing Beats Down Syndrome

In March this year, Ven Lama Dondrup Dorje received a request for guidance from an Australian student who was in her thirteenth week of pregnancy. She and her husband were alarmed by the result of the Ultra Sound Scan of her foetus which indicated the sign of a high risk of Down Syndrome for the baby. Wishing to do the right thing for the baby, they immediately turned to Ven Lama Dondrup Dorje for help.

Ven Lama Dondrup Dorje advised the pregnant student that she must do all that she can to take good care of herself and the new life inside of her. He explained to her that children come into our lives as a direct result of our past karmic relationship with them. Regardless of the Ultra Sound Scan's result, she must accept the fruition of her past action and welcome the forthcoming birth with all the motherly love of one who is expecting the arrival of her first child. He reassured her not to worry about what may or may not happen in the future and that she must maintain firm faith that he will do what he can to help her! The student was also instructed to supplicate the protection of Tara by attending Tara Puja practices at her local Pathgate Dharma Centre.

In late September, the baby was born in perfect health with no sign of Down Syndrome and sporting a pair of distinctive thick earlobes. On hearing the news, Ven Lama Dondrup Dorje explained the miraculous turn-around is the result of successful Dharma practices that speed up the earlier ripening of latent positive karmic imprint for the baby, and that the new mother should direct her gratitude to the blessing and protection of Tara.

HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche Gave Empowerment To Pathgate Students In Singapore

HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, the 12th Throne Holder of the Palyul Lineage was in Singapore in November which happened to coincide with one of Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje's regular visits to the city state. In order for the Pathgate students to benefit from the presence of HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje rescheduled his teachings so that local Pathgate students and students who travelled to Singapore from Guam, India, and Thailand were able to attend the Medicine Buddha Empowerment by HH Karma Kunchen Rinpoche on the evening of Saturday the 5th, and teaching on Sunday the 6th, and Monday the 7th November.

Over the course of several private get-togethers, summaries of Pathgate activities and a progress report of the European Palyul ordained sangha who were entrusted to the care of Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje by their Root Guru HH Pema Norbu Rinpoche was presented to HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche who in turn revealed that he is aware of the many Pathgate Dharma activities and gave thanks to Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje for his support of Palyul Centres in different parts of the world. He further stated that he endorsed the method used by Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje in guiding his students with emphasis on discipline and repeated meditative practice. The possibility of future joint project involving HH Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje was also discussed.

Family Reunion in Shanghai

Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje was at a family reunion in China recently to meet up with several family members in Shanghai including his uncle who is in his eighties. The occasion was attended by his cousins from Hong Kong and the UK, as well as friends and students from China and Singapore. Apart from spending time with his family and students in Shanghai and taking an excursion to the world renowned West Lake in the historical city of Hangzhou, Ven. Lama Dondrup Dorje also, on request, gave Dharma teaching and refuge to local students during his stay.