Pathgate News

New Bond Of Friendship In Australia

During the month of December, Lama Dondrup Dorje spent two weeks teaching in Australia. This was his fourth visit to the land of the Aussie in 2007. Sydney, at which Lama Dondrup Dorje has strong support from the students of the Asian community was the first stop, followed by Melbourne, Philip Island, Upwey and finally Adelaide. New bonds of friendship were formed with teachers and students at all these places.

At Melbourne, Lama Dondrup Dorje was invited to visit the Odiyana Centre, which is affiliated with the Shechen Tennyi Dargye Ling – the monastery founded by the late Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche in Nepal. Headed by Lama David Christensen who started his journey on the Dharma Path with Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, the Odiyana Centre has a live-in sangha and a range of teaching programmes for Dharma students. Lama Dondrup Dorje has since been invited to give teaching at the Odiyana Centre on his next visit.

Philip Island, renowned throughout Australia for its Penguin colony, extended an enthusiastic reception to the first visit of Lama Dondrup Dorje to their town. Even the hotel at which he stayed insisted on offering the room for his use free of charge. At the next stop in Upwey, Lama Dondrup Dorje gave two teachings to the teachers and students of the Chan Academy, which is the Regional Centre of The World Fellowship of Buddhism and an Associated Institution of the World Buddhist University.

Apart from giving two Dharma teachings as requested, Lama Dondrup Dorje also gave an interview to the World Buddhist Radio, which broadcasts Buddhist news and Dharma teaching every Sunday across the State of Victoria in Australia.

In Adelaide, Lama Dondrup Dorje arrived just in time to attend his nephew’s graduation as a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Adelaide. During the course of the next two days, he gave teachings on Meditation and Qigong at the local town hall. His approach on teaching was well received by the local students. A Pathgate Study Group is due to be established in Adelaide in early 2008.

New Resident Spiritual Advisor For Singapore

On a recent trip to Singapore in December, Lama Dondrup Dorje paid a visit to his long time friend Khenpo Tashi Dhargay to congratulate him on his new appointment by HH Penor Rinpoche to succeed Khenpo Jurme Kunzang as the new resident Spiritual Advisor of the Palyul Nyingma Buddhist Association in Singapore. Khenpo Tashi Dhargay attained outstanding academic achievement during his nine years study at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute of Namdroling Monastery. Upon graduation, he was appointed as a Discipline Teacher and also taught at the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute for five years.

Khenpo Jurme Kunzang, who served for many years as the resident Spiritual Advisor of the Palyul Nyingma Buddhist Association in Singapore, has been granted the permission by HH Penor Rinpoche to resign from the centre so that he could travel to Bhutan to care for his father. During his stay in Singapore, Khenpo Jurme Kunzang was the main force behind the fund raising and the acquisition of the new centre at 731 Geylang Road.

Construction of a new Shedra building at Namdroling Monastery

At Namdroling Monastery construction work has already commenced on a new 3-storey building on the campus of the Ngagyur Nyingma Institute; which at present has over 800 students undergoing a nine year programme of Higher Buddhist Study. The new building will offer much needed classrooms, staff rooms and dormitories for the fast expanding Institute. Although the building work has already begun, funding for the project has not yet been secured. During his recent visit to Namdroling Monastery, Lama Dondrup Dorje was approached and asked if he could support the project.

Lama Dondrup Dorje has now sought permission from H.H. Penor Rinpoche to sponsor the entire building, and Pathgate Institute is seeking to raise funds in order to sponsor both the construction of the building and the subsequent installation of equipment and furniture needed to make the building into a working extension to the Ngagyur Nyingma Shedra at Namdroling Monastery. If you wish to support this new project, please visit the Donations page.

Tibetan Prayer and Mantra

The collection of audio and text prayers available on the Tibetan Prayer and Mantra page has been further expanded to include prayers recited by Khenpo Tsewang Gyatso, Khenpo Sangye Wangdi, Khenpo Nyima Dondrup, Lopen Pasang, Lama Dorje Gondpo and Lama Tashi, as well as an extract of a Dharma CD provided courtesy of PBC Co. Inc.

New additions to the collection include, Refuge and Bodhicitta, Seven Branch Offering Prayer, Long Mandala Offering, Food Offering Prayer, the Heart Sutra, Dulga, Sinha Mukha, Twenty-One Homages to Tara, Request To Remain Firm, and Short Dedication of Merit Prayer. To listen to these new prayers, click on Tibetan Prayer and Mantra.

The Passing Of Venerable Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche

On the morning of the 3rd October in Hong Kong, the Venerable Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche, seated in a full lotus meditative posture in his room at the Hong Kong Palyul Dharma Centre, entered beyond this world into the pure realm. He was ninety years of age.

The Venerable Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche was born in the region of Dege, the cultural centre of Kham in Eastern Tibet. He was recognised at age seven as the incarnation of the mind aspect of Pema Töndrup. After recovering from a serious bout of ill health at age ten, he embarked upon diligent studies of Tibetan Medicine and Astrology. Soon after he received Novice Ordination of Getshul Vows at Minling Monastery, he went into retreat for three years and eight months during which he completed the required accumulation of preliminary Ngondro practice and the accomplishment of the Three Root practices.

In 1961, he was advised by Dudjom Rinpoche to relocate to the Mysore district of India. There, at the newly established Tibetan settlement of Bylakuppe, he received the Full Ordination of Gelong Vows from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche. Under the guidance of Penor Rinpoche, he continued to study all the major teachings of the Nyingmapa, he also played an instrumental role in acquiring land from the Indian government – the land upon which Namdroling Monastery was to be built. For nine years, he was responsible for the running of the medical clinics at the monastery as well as serving as the medical advisor to His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.

In 1991, Chodak Gyatso Rinopche was appointed by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche to take charge of the Palyul Dharma Centre in Hong Kong. He also assisted His Holiness in the establishing of Palyul Dharma Centres in Singapore, the Philippines and Macau. Over the years, Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche has tirelessly supported many Dharma activities at the Namdroling Monastery for the sake of all sentient beings. He was the principal sponsor of the three-month Rinchen Terzod Empowerment and transmission in 2001 and the transmission of Nyingthig Yab Zhi early this year. Renowned as a Master of Chöd practice, his compassionate presence will be missed by all his students who valued his spiritual advice and guidance.

On hearing of the passing of Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche, His Holiness Talung Tselung Rinpoche advised the students in Hong Kong that they need not perform Phowa (transference of consciousness) for their beloved teacher because Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche was a very accomplished lama who was capable of transferring his own consciousness to the Pure Land of Dewachen.

For the sake of students who wished to pay their respect to the Venerable Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche, a brief ceremony was held on the 6th October at the Universal Funeral Parlour in Hung Hom, Kowloon.

In accordance with the instruction of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, the body of Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche has been transported back to Namdroling Monastery in India. A two-day puja was held, attended by the entire ordained sangha of the Namdroling monastery and the Ani Gompa. Shindro puja were conducted daily until the 21st November which is the 49th day since the passing of Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche. The body of Chodak Gyatso Rinpoche has been placed in a specially prepared room at Namdroling Monastery where it will remain undisturbed for 2 years, as instructed by His Holiness Penor Rinpoche.

Lama Dondrup Dorje on Radio Australia

Lama Dondrup Dorje was a guest of Radio Australia of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation during his recent teaching tour in Australia. He was invited by Muntha Crowe, a broadcaster of the Khmer Language Service in Melbourne to speak on her radio programme, which caters to the Khmer language speaking audience in Australia and Cambodia. Lama Dondrup Dorje gave some timely advice on a range of challenging conditions from a Buddhist perspective, which was welcomed by the seasoned broadcaster who then expressed her wishes to edit the interview into a series of segments to be aired over several shows.

In Melbourne Lama Dondrup Dorje gave a series of public teachings, and visited the Chan Academy in Upwey where he was invited by the resident Abbot to consider giving teaching at their centre. At his next stop in Sydney, Lama Dondrup Dorje was a guest of the Asian community of Cabramatta, which has a population largely composed of immigrants from Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Due to the enthusiastic responses he received, Lama Dondrup Dorje will return to Melbourne and Sydney to give further teaching on Buddhadharma and Classical Buddhist Qigong. For his autumn schedule, Lama Dondrup Dorje will also visit Hong Kong, Singapore, Dublin, Athens, Portugal and India. To know more, please visit the Teaching Schedule.

Medical Team From Taiwan At Namdroling

A team of doctors, dentists and medical students from Taiwan recently visited Namdroling Monastery in India to conduct a range of medical check ups, clinics, and health education seminars for the monks and nuns there. Comprising three dentists, one eye specialist, one ENT (Eye, Nose, and Throat) specialist, two Dermatologists and forty medical students, from National Taiwan University, National Yang-Ming University and Taipei Medical University, the trip was organised by the International Action and Cooperation Team (IACT) and sponsored by the Global Youth Service, Rotary Club, and Ministry of Education of R.O.C. of Taiwan.

Their medical service was also extended to the local communities of Tibetans and was warmly welcomed by everyone. During their stay, they gave free talks, conducted medical check-ups and offered follow-up patient care. Health education classes with posters, booklets and DVDs were distributed to the representatives and teachers of the Namling Tsepal Tobkyed Hospital, Ngagyur Nyingma Institute, the Yeshe Wodsal Sherab Raldriling Junior High School, the Dratsang, and the Tsogyal Shedrub Dargyeling Nunnery. As their visit came to an end, representatives of the Namdroling Monastery were given a presentation of work-reports to which Lama Dondrup Dorje was also invited. Everyone agreed that the visit has been a resounding success. Bonding of friendship were made between staffs of the monastery and members of the medical team, of whom many have expressed their wishes to return in the not too distant future.

Palyul Lineage Holders

The Pathgate Gallery has been expanded to include a collection of thangkas depicting the Lineage Holders of the Palyul Tradition, from Mahasiddha Karma Chagmed Rinpoche to the current throne holder, His Holiness the Third Drubwang Penor Norbu Rinpoche.

Each thangka is linked to a biography of the throne holder, giving a concise introduction to the history of the Palyul Lineage from the beginning to the present day. The thangkas were commissioned by Lama Dondrup Dorje and were created by the joint effort of the Pathgate Sangha. His Holiness Penor Rinpoche has already seen the finished artwork and was very pleased with the result.

To view the new gallery of thangkas and read biographies of the Palyul Lineage Holders, please click on the Palyul Lineage Holders Gallery.

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