Pathgate News

Pathgate Sponsored Second New Building At Namdroling Monastery

The construction of the second of two new 3-storey buildings for the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute at the Namdroling Monastery in India has already been in progress for a few months. Sponsored entirely by Pathgate Institute, the two new buildings will provide much needed floor space and facilities for the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute which at present has 850 students undergoing a nine-year programme of Higher Buddhist Study. This second building is located by the main gate where the shedra canteen used to be. When completed, this building will provide a new home for the STD booth, shedra canteen, milk shop and shedra shop on the ground floor. The second floor will house the offices of Rigzod Editorial Committee, computer room, conference room, book shop and shedra office. The third floor will be used as accommodation for the Khenpos.

The arrival of the second building made it possible for the first building, which started its construction last autumn to be used exclusively for classrooms and accommodation for the shedra students. All seven classrooms in the first building are now being used, while the remaining of the building is approaching final completion. When completed, this building will also provide accommodation for over one hundred monks with good size bathroom facilities on each of the three floors.

The present project of having two brand new buildings concurrently in development began last autumn with a modest program of having one new building constructed for the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute. The proposal for the construction of a new building has been circulated within the monastery for a few years with little progress beyond rounds of discussion due to lack of financial resources. As the need for additional classrooms and student accommodation became increasingly urgent, request for the project to start was made to His Holiness Penor Rinpoche by the faculties of the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute in the autumn of 2007.

Out of compassion for their plight, His Holiness Penor Rinpoche granted them permission for the construction to commence and promised them financial support if they could not secure outside funding for the project. The faculties then approached Lama Dondrup Dorje to enquire his willingness to take on the task of sponsoring the entire cost of construction. With encouragement and blessing from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, Lama Dondrup Dorje managed to raise the full amount as needed for the construction of one building before 2007 came to close. With the finance now firmly in place, the construction of the building progressed speedily in record time. By March 2008, the interior outfitting of the classrooms on the ground floor was completed and were put into use by the beginning of the new academic year.

The proposal for the second building was put forward around March after rounds of meetings and discussion amongst the faculties of the shedra and the monastic officers. It was finally decided it is vital to commence the construction of the second building straight away as the cost of building materials is rising fast and there is a real need for another building to ease the lack of usable space at the monastery. Lama Dondrup Dorje was once again approached by the faculties of the shedra to see if he would take on the task of raising the funds needed for the project. With the blessing of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, Lama Dondrup Dorje finally agreed to take on the task to source the necessary funding for the second building.

The construction of the new buildings for the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute is one of many projects sponsored by the students and friends of Pathgate Institute from around the world. If you wish to support the various on-going projects of Pathgate Institute in propagating Dharma worldwide for the benefit of all sentient beings, you may do so by becoming an active partner in the Pathgate Partnership Programme. For details, please visit the Donation Page.

New Book On Animal Welfare

Tara’s Babies Animal Welfare, a Buddhist no-kill dog and bird rescue and sanctuary, is compiling a book to support animal lovers wanting to explore the option of hospice and palliative care for terminally ill or injured companion animals, instead of the usual practice of euthanasia. The book will provide practical information about the death process, palliative care options and support etc. It will also include stories from people who have made this choice.

If you have a story to share about how you provide hospice and palliative care for an animal, Tara’s Babies Animal Welfare would love to hear from you. The story should chronicle the type of impact this choice had on your animal, your family, your friends, and your life. Please email your submissions (1200 words or less) to info@tarasbabies.org. For more information, you may visit www.tarasbabies.org for suggested topics. Proceeds from the book will support the rescue of animals facing death because they have no home.

A Letter From Mongolia

The Pathgate Institute has for many years maintained an on-going Pathgate Partnership Programme that provides sponsorship on education to many people from around the world enabling them to attend school and university. They include both children and adults from Tibet, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Mongolia and Ethiopia.

One such sponsored child is Erdenehuu who recently sent a letter and some photographs from Mongolia to our office. Erdenehuu, who has two brothers and one sister, has just completed his first year at school and successfully passed all his subjects in the 2nd grade. The subjects he takes at school include Mathematics, Mongolian Language, Human and Environment, Art, Music, and Physical Training. In his first letter to the Pathgate Office, Erdenehuu sends his greetings and thanks to those who have made this possible.

Pathgate Institute has a long-standing relationship in propagating Buddha Dharma in Mongolia since the 90s. Over the years, ten of thousands of Dharma books published in English, Tibetan and Mongolian language have been distributed free of charge in every province across Mongolia. Funding has also been made available for the construction and renovation of Buddhist temples in Western Choir, Delgar Tsorgt and Gov Sumon. Other sponsorship includes the translation of Tibetan Dharma texts into Mongolian; staging of Mongolian Art Exhibition in London; and financial support for the schooling of numerous Mongolian children. Erdenehuu who is featured in this article is one of many children from a background of poverty and now enjoys the benefit of schooling made possible by the Pathgate Partnership Programme. Anyone who wishes to offer support to any one of the many projects we are undertaking may contact our office by sending an email to contact@pathgate.org. If you wish to make a donation to any one of our projects, please click on Make a Donation.

‘The Compassionate World of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’ in wide screen and 12 Languages

‘The Compassionate World of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’, a film written and directed by Lama Dondrup Dorje has become a big hit among the devotees of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. The film, which has a running time of 40 minutes, was first shown early this year to His Holiness Penor Rinpoche who was very happy with the result. The latest dvd format of this film is now available in wide-screen presentation with sound track of narratives in twelve languages which include Tibetan, Bhutanese, Nepalese, Mandarin, Cantonese, English, French, German, Greek, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian.

Made at the request by the Secretary of the Penor Rinpoche Charity Foundation at the Namdroling Monastery in India, the film offers a rare glimpse into the life and work of the Third Drubwang Penor Norbu Rinpoche that begins from the early days in Tibet and the eventual relocation to India. It depicts how His Holiness Penor Rinpoche transformed Namdroling Monastery from the humble beginning of a small bamboo temple in 1963 to become the Largest Tibetan Nyingma monastery in present day India with an ordained community of over 6000 monks and over 1000 nuns. The film offers viewers the chance to observe the diversity of monastic lives and activities at Namdroling. It also provides coverage of His Holiness's teaching trips to Taiwan, Philippines, Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, England, Germany, North America, Nepal, Bir, Pema Kod, Bodhgaya and Bhutan.

This film can be obtained from the Monastery Office of the Namdroling Monastery in India; the Palyul Retreat Centre in Upstate New York, USA; the Palyul Buddhist Association, in Hsien Tien, Taipei; the Penor Rinpoche Charity Foundation in Hong Kong; the Nyingmapa Palyul Changchub Dargyeling Buddhist Center in Macau; the Palyul Nyingma Buddhist Association in Singapore; the Palyul Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England and from the offices of the Palyul Nyingma Buddhist Association in Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

This film is made for the sole purpose of free distribution and is available post-free worldwide to benefit sentient beings everywhere. If you wish to receive your own copy, please email contact@pathgate.org with details of your name and mailing address. Please state which type of DVD format you need (PAL or NTSC). If you wish to sponsor the cost of free distribution of this film, you may visit Make A Donation. To watch this film now, please visit the Pathgate Theatre.

Mind Training For Mental Health

In June, Lama Dondrup Dorje was invited by the Khmer Workers Forum (KWF) in Sydney, Australia, to give a talk at their monthly meeting. The topic they asked for was “Maintaining Mental Health and Well-being from a Buddhist perspective”. Based at the office of the Cambodian-Australian Welfare Council of NSW, members of the KWF are principally social workers responsible for the welfare of the local Cambodian community. They also function as a network for other agencies to attend and to share

information in connecting with services and resources in serving the needs of the Cambodian community in the Sydney area.

Lama Dondrup Dorje shared with his hosts the benefit of training one’s mind in promoting harmony in the dealing of mental health issues in the community as well as offering a fresh perspective from the Buddhist view point on how to generate greater flexibility and harmony in every day relationships for all concerned.

The next two days of Lama Dondrup Dorje’s stay in Sydney was spent giving Dharma teaching on the ‘Truth About Karma’. He also gave refuge to a group of students at their request, as well as instructing them on how to utilize Classical Qigong practice to eliminate afflictive emotion and karmic energy from the bodily organs associated with the three burners.

‘Eight Verses of Mind Training’ was the main subject of Dharma teaching in Melbourne while explanation on ‘Joyful Parenthood’ was requested by the students in Phillip Island. Seminars on Classical Qigong practice and meditation were well attended by doctors and other Qigong practitioners from all parts of Australia. As usual, auspicious signs of rainbow and out-of-season rainfall were more abundant than ever during the course of Lama Dondrup Dorje’s stay in Australia. Lama Dondrup Dorje is scheduled to return to Australia in early November.

The Heart-Shrine Relic Tour In Athens

The Heart Shrine Relics Tour of the Maitreya Project, which features a unique collection of sacred Buddhist Relics, arrived in Athens in early July. For three days, the public was able to view for themselves the precious relics that will in the future be on permanent display in the Heart Shrine of a statue of Maitreya Buddha standing 152m high that is to be erected in India at Kushinagar, where Lord Shakyamuni Buddha attained Parinirvana 2500 years ago. Until then, as is the wish of the Spiritual Director of the Maitreya Project, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the collection is travelling around the world to bring the blessings of the Holy Relics and the message of loving-kindness and compassion to people far and wide.

The Relics, which resemble beautiful pearl-like crystals, were found in the cremation ashes of Buddhist masters. It is the belief of Buddhists that the relics are produced as a result of the accomplished qualities of compassion and wisdom of these masters. The Relics in this tour included those of Kasyapa Buddha, Lord Shakyamuni Buddha, Maudgalyayana, Ananda, Sariputra, Kondanna and Rahula, Nagarjuna, Bodhisattva Chophak, Yeshe Tsogyal, Lama Atisha, Milarepa, Geshe Chekhawa, Lama Tsonghpa, Gyalwa Ensapa, His Holiness the First Karmapa, Pabongka Rinpoche, Lama Thubten Yeshe, Gwang-Chin Master, Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche, His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa, Terma Relics, Vajrasattva Sky Relics, Longchempa, Jamyang Chokyi Lodro, Ridgzin Trinley, Chokgyur Lingpa (Choling) Terton, Geshe Lama Konchog, Jigme Phuntsok Rinpoche, Ribur Rinpoche and relics from 500 Arhats.

The Heart Shrine Relics Tour was bought to Athens by the students of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Thubten Dawa Loday and Thubten Dorje Gyaltsen, two resident monks of Lama Dondrup Dorje in Athens, were also invited to help with the organisation of this auspicious event. The opening of the exhibition on the evening of Friday 4th July was very well attended. In the opening speech, Ani Syliana, one of the tour organisers, explained that when one views the relics, one should connect with the loving-kindness and compassion within one’s own heart, at the same time keeping friends and loved ones who did not have the opportunity to attend the exhibition in mind. It is said that just seeing the Holy Relics of Lord Buddha and other great masters purifies an incredible amount of negative karma.

People were then invited to make a Buddha Bath Offering and to view the Holy Relics. They were encouraged to read the verses from the Sutra of Golden Light as they perform circumambulation around the shrine for the purpose of promoting World Peace. They were also invited to write with a gold pen over a feint copy of the Sanghata Sutra in English. Finally, opportunity was available for everyone to receive blessing from having a small stupa containing the relics of Lord Shakyamuni Buddha placed on their crown.

Over the next two days, a constant stream of people came to view the Holy Relics and to receive blessing. Many were visibly affected by the experience with tears welling up in their eyes. Some seemed stunned and sat in the exhibition absorbing the great sense of harmony and peace emitted by the relics. Some reported they had felt a cleansing energy passing through their bodies into the ground. Many in fact returned again numerous times to the exhibition, bringing each time more friends and relatives with them. One young man, who was there on the opening night with a bandage around his injured hand returned on the last day without the bandage, saying that to his amazement his injury had completely healed since the stupa containing Buddha’s Relics was placed on his injury.

Due to the success of the exhibition, the organisers have already set a date for the return of the Holy Relics to Athens in 2009.

Lama Dondrup Dorje gives TV interview in Greece

‘Eleftherotypia’, a Greek national newspaper, interviewed Thubten Dawa Loday, one of Lama Dondrup Dorje’s resident monks in Greece, early this year. A two-page article based on the interview happened to appear on Saturday, the 31st May 2008, which coincided with Lama Dondrup Dorje’s recent visit to Athens.

The following day,Vana Prentza, a reporter from Alpha TV, a national TV station in Greece, who having read the newspaper article contacted Thubten Dawa Loday and expressed her interest to interview him. When Dawa replied that his teacher Lama Dondrup Dorje was teaching at that moment in the Pathgate Dharma Centre in Athens and suggested to her that it would be far better for her to interview his teacher instead, she was very happy to comply.

The filmed interview lasted for over half an hour and covered a range of subjects that spanned both local and international concerns, from a Buddhist perspective. When asked about what the problems were in Athens and how the Buddhist practice could help, Lama Dondrup Dorje replied that Athens was “a most precious place for practice because with so many people, the conditions can be very challenging; so a place like this is a perfect place to practise compassion, patience and generosity.” He explained that problems are a matter of perspective and to a Buddhist practitioner with the right view; these problems are in fact an opportunity to apply the teaching and improve one’s Dharma practice.

Lama Dondrup Dorje was also asked to talk about the recent natural disasters of earthquake in China and cyclone in Burma, as well as other afflictions affecting the world as a whole and the remedies to these afflictions. To read the transcript of the TV interview, click here.

After the interview, the reporter, Vana Prentza, commented that Lama Dondrup Dorje’s smile was an expression of the peace and joy within him, and that she had really enjoyed listening to Lama Dondrup Dorje and could listen to him for hours. Seeing that the Pathgate Institute Summer Retreat will be taking place in Greece from 28 July to 8 August, her wish could become reality. To know more about the Pathgate Institute Summer Retreat, click here. To read the Newspaper article, ‘A Buddhist Monk In Athens’, click here.

Milan Welcomes Lama Dondrup Dorje

Lama Dondrup Dorje visited Milan, Italy in early June to give a two-day seminar that included Dharma teaching, Meditation and Qigong. The event was scheduled to finish each day at five pm but due to the enthusiasm of the students, and Lama Dondrup Dorje’s compassionate response to their requests, the seminar continued till 8.30pm in the evening on both days.

The students which came from a diversity of backgrounds that include Buddhists, Taiji teachers, Karate World Champion, banker, musician, film maker and other vocations, were keen to put forward their questions to Lama Dondrup Dorje throughout the course of the day. Regardless the nature of their questions, all were satisfied beyond expectation with the explanations they received. As a result of their request, Lama Dondrup Dorje has agreed to return to Milan in September to give further teaching. For latest information on seminar schedule, click here.

Shower of Blessing in Spain

Lama Dondrup Dorje was invited to Seville in Spain during the weekend of the 16th to 18th of May to give a series of teaching on Dharma topics, Meditation and Qigong. The three day event was held at a convention centre which was once a Christian monastery outside the centre of Seville.

The arrival of Lama Dondrup Dorje at the convention centre on Friday was greeted by an auspicious welcome of a sudden rain shower, which surprised the local Spanish students as it was an uncommon phenomenon for that time of the year. Clear weather then returned for the next two days right until the time of the last teaching on Sunday evening when the sky suddenly opened up again with a burst of heavy rain, followed by the appearance of a rainbow overlooking the venue. It was not to be the last sighting of a rainbow. The following morning, another rainbow appeared in the sky throughout the best part of a car journey when Lama Dondrup Dorje was driven from Seville to Malaga to catch a flight back to England.

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has explained that the appearances of shower and rainbow during the proceeding of Dharma activities are auspicious signs that the Nagas, which control the elementary forces of weather, and other local deities, are rejoicing that Dharma activities are being propagated. To many students of Pathgate Institute, the sighting of such phenomena are quite common whenever Dharma teachings are being given by Lama Dondrup Dorje, whether it is at the Summer Retreat in Greece or elsewhere at other locations around the world.

The teaching given by Lama Dondrup Dorje on his visit to Seville was well received by not only the local students but also by many others who travelled there from other parts of Spain and from further afield. Touched by their enthusiastic response and the sincerity of their request, Lama Dondrup Dorje has agreed to return to Seville to give further teaching and to lend support to the setting up of a Pathgate Study Group for the local students. Prayer books with Spanish translation had already been prepared and distributed to those students who wish to follow a daily practice schedule. Lama Dondrup Dorje’s next visit to Seville will take place on the weekend of 11th to 13th of July. For details, please visit Teaching Schedule.

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