2018 Fall
On New Year’s Nyung Ney Practice at O.D.D.
Rinpoche is very pleased that the New Year’s Nyung Ney practice is happening at ODD and encourages everyone to come do it if they can.
On New Year’s Nyung Ney Practice at O.D.D.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dinner Invitations and Santa Claus: Instructions on Tsok and Generosity
While channel surfing one morning, Rinpoche was asked, “What is the real essence of tsok?”
Dinner Invitations and Santa Claus
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nobody is the Real Innocent
Rinpoche had this to say today on our constant killing and the need for Vajrasattva practice:
Nobody is the Real Innocent
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Not Being Unhappy
Rinpoche recently gave the following teaching on not being unhappy:
On Not Being Unhappy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Being Human
Rinpoche says, “It is complicated being a human being!” And then he continues….:
On Being Human
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the Passing of His Holiness Getse Rinpoche
Rinpoche had this to say about His Holiness’ passing:
On the Passing of His Holiness Getse Rinpoche
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Real Thank You
A contemplation on the “real thank you” in time for the Thanksgiving holiday:
The Real Thank You
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Money and Cell Phones
Recently, Rinpoche had this to say about money and our cell phones:
On Money and Cell Phones
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Lineage
At the Conclusion of the 2018 Vajrakilaya Retreat at Tashi Choling, Rinpoche gave the following teaching:
On Lineage
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank You to the Vajrakilaya Retreatants
Rinpoche saw some photos of the practice, and preparations for lower activity. He kept giving the thumbs up and saying how wonderful everything looked. When asked if he had any message for the retreatants, he said:
Thank You to the Vajrakilaya Retreatants
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Advice for the Vajrakilaya Retreat
Words of advice from Ven. Gyatrul Rinpoche on the eve of our annual Vajrakilaya Retreat at Tashi Choling:
Advice for the Vajrakilaya Retreat
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Practicing for the Deceased
Rinpoche thanked everyone for practicing for our dharma sister, Melanie Wang, who recently passed away, and says a few words about sangha, temples, and supporting each other in this way in the future:
On Practicing for the Deceased
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Pray for Our Melanie Wang
On hearing that long-time student Melanie Wang was very ill and in the hospital, Rinpoche requested everyone to pray for her and do Vajrasattva mantra:
Pray for Our Melanie Wang
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2018 Spring/Summer
On the Passing of Longtime Student Antal Toth
On hearing that Antal Toth, who had been a student for many years, had passed away, Rinpoche sent the following message to the sangha:
On the Passing of Longtime Student Antal Toth
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Regarding H.H. Dudjom Yangsi’s Visit: Teachings on View and Conduct
On a video call with the students gathered to clean and prepare Orgyen Dorje Den for the upcoming visit of H.H. Dudjom Yangsi, Rinpoche gave the following teaching:
Regarding H.H. Dudjom Yangsi’s Visit: Teachings on View and Conduct
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Buddhanature Relics
When Rinpoche gave the lovely, nearly life-size Guru Rinpoche statue to the Ojai center many years ago, he mentioned at the time that it contained some very precious relics and blessed substances. On a video call with him on June 3rd, the sangha there asked Rinpoche to speak a little about those relics:
Our Buddhanature Relics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Regarding Connecting With the Dudjom Yangsi, Part 2
In early June, Rinpoche met with H.H. Dudjom Yangsi for the first time. A few days later, when discussing the Yangsi’s plan to visit centers in Oregon, Rinpoche gave the following message:
Regarding Connecting With the Dudjom Yangsi, Part 2
Regarding Connecting With the Dudjom Yangsi, Part 1
Several students have contacted Rinpoche about attending the events with the Dudjom Yangsi, or recognized reincarnation of His Holiness Dudjom Rinpoche, and this is what he had to say:
Regarding Connecting With the Dudjom Yangsi, Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank You Regarding the 2018 Saga Dawa Retreats
When Rinpoche heard that all the students were practicing, learning, offering, working, teaching, translating, and helping each other at the recent Tashi Chöling Vajrasattva and Chimed Sok Tig retreats, he was very happy and sent this “Thank You”:
Thank You Regarding the 2018 Saga Dawa Retreats
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On All Buddhas As Vajrasattva
On May 6th, the newly completed Vajrasattva statue was lifted onto the shrine that had been especially constructed for it at Orgyen Dorje Den. Gyatrul Rinpoche came to see the statue and spent more than an hour celebrating with the gathered students. Just before he left, he gave the following teaching:
On All Buddhas As Vajrasattva
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On the Sangha Offering the First Vajrasattva Accumulations: Advice on Practice
Following a request from Rinpoche that everyone do more Vajrasattva practice, students all over the world began accumulating both the long and short Vajrasattva mantras. Rinpoche was very pleased and gave the following instruction on genuine practice:
On the Sangha Offering the First Vajrasattva Accumulations: Advice on Practice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Vajrasattva Retreat Preparations, Part 2: Thanks and Advice
Rinpoche saw videos of the Tashi Chöling sangha cleaning the temple and grounds in preparation for the upcoming Vajrasattva retreat, and made these comments as he watched everyone working (Part 2 of 2):
On Vajrasattva Retreat Preparations, Part 2: Thanks and Advice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Vajrasattva Retreat Preparations, Part 1: Washing the Mind Chandelier and Using the Wisdom Vacuum Cleaner
Rinpoche saw videos of the Tashi Chöling sangha cleaning the temple and grounds in preparation for the upcoming Vajrasattva retreat, and made these comments as he watched everyone working (Part 1 of 2):
On Vajrasattva Retreat Preparations, Part 1: Washing the Mind Chandelier and Using the Wisdom Vacuum Cleaner
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Holding Our Precious Lineages
Rinpoche shared the following advice for how we can support each other to hold our dharma lineages:
On Holding Our Precious Lineages
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Becoming Beautiful Sangha
Spontaneously, Rinpoche asked how the dharma centers and sangha are doing and then sent the following message for everyone:
Becoming Beautiful Sangha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2018 Winter
Our Precious Human Chance: Rock Concert Commentary, Part 2
Rinpoche was watching a crowded Bad Company concert on television one morning and gave the following commentary:
Our Precious Human Chance: Rock Concert Commentary, Part 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Precious Human Chance: Rock Concert Commentary, Part 1
Rinpoche was watching a crowded Bad Company concert on television one morning and gave the following commentary:
Our Precious Human Chance: Rock Concert Commentary, Part 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Evidence of Our Buddhanature
A student asked for advice on understanding buddhanature. Here is what Rinpoche said:
Evidence of Our Buddhanature
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Our Every Day Losar: The Centers and Sangha
Rinpoche’s Losar (Tibetan New Year) message to all:
Our Every Day Losar: The Centers and Sangha
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Message to the Ensenada Sangha Regarding the Tara Statue
Rinpoche recently received wonderful reports that the Ensenada Tara Statue is being cared for, used, and appreciated by people there. Rinpoche is extremely pleased and sends this message to all the Buddhists of Ensenada and all surrounding regions of Mexico:
Message to the Ensenada Sangha Regarding the Tara Statue
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Understanding Phenomena
Rinpoche gave this teaching a few days ago on understanding phenomena:
Understanding Phenomena
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Advice In the New Year
A New Year’s Message from Rinpoche:
Advice In the New Year
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~