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Slide show: Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in Bhutan


Devotion: Part One, Lama Ugyen Shenpen's Home Video of the Lineage [Video: 14:28]


Opening of Thrangu Monastery Canada


Essential CTR Class Two: Meditation Instruction [Audio: 51:32]


Stories from the 1970s [Audio: 20:02]


Phase Two, a community talk from 1972


The Essential CTR, for young adults
Class One: Introduction


Commentary on Mindfulness/Awareness Talk Two
by Robert Walker


Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche in France


KCL's 40th Anniversary: Former directors tell their stories


Work, a community talk from 1972


Stories of the 16th Karmapa


Lineage and Devotion in the Shambhala World
by Peter Volz


Mindfulness & Awareness: Talk Three

Photo by Michael Wood


John Sennhauser on Khyentse Rinpoche and the Yangsi's upcoming visit (video)


A Dowsing Lesson
By Olive Colón


Recollections of Peter Orlovsky
By Tal Varon


Midsummer's Day 2010

Photos by Hudson Shotwell


Cynicism & Warmth,
a community talk by Chogyam Trungpa

Photo by Michael Wood


Disappointment,
a talk from September 1972


The Road to Surmang, 1987-2010,
a blog by Lee Weingrad


Mary Newton on the Celebration in Bhutan


Dear Vajra Dog


Talk Seven:
Study and Sitting


Father Death Slide Show,
A tribute to Peter Orlovsky


Kunga Dawa,
On the Sadhana of Mahamudra (Video)


Ani Pema Chodron on Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (Video)


KCL 40th
anniversary blog

by Tom Bell


Update from Gesar Fund


An interview with
Kanjuro Shibata Sensei


Karme Choling turns 40


Glimpses of
Tail of the Tiger
,
an interview with Jonathan Eric


Yeshe Fuchs is Julia's guest on Dispatches


Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche - TRAILER


James Yensan
,
a video interview
by Bill Scheffel


Cathryn Stein on Dispatches


Richard Arthure
a Bill Scheffel video


Karmapa at KTD


Shechen Kongtrül


Trungpa Rinpoche's Techniques of Mindfulness Seminar: Talk Two


Jyekundo slide show


Finding Your Buffalo, By Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche


Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche: Vision for the 2010 Centennial


Myth of Freedom and the Cosmic Joke, a commentary by Ani Pema Chodron: Part Three


Brief Encounters by Christine Keyser, Hildy Maze, and Joel Wachbrit


A Talk by Trungpa Rinpoche on Milarepa and the Origins of the Kagyu Lineage
(audio: 34 minutes)


Slide show of Trungpa Rinpoche's photographs,
With Andy and Wendy Karr


Jakusho Kwong-roshi on Chogyam Trungpa, Video by Bill Scheffel


Offerings to Chogyam Trungpa: Please post poems, comments, and tributes


Joshua Zim's letter to Trungpa Rinpoche


The Scorpion Seal
(April 1 Edition)


Contemplating the Parinirvana of the Vidyadhara, by Carolyn Gimian


Andy Karr on Dispatches


Trungpa Rinpoche's Training the Mind Seminar: Talk Six


Josh Silberstein and Lodro Rinzler: a community meeting in Halifax


On Shambhala and the Samaya Connection


Martin Janowitz on Dispatches


Trungpa Rinpoche's Training the Mind Seminar: Talk Four


Celebration underway in Kathmandu


Touch and Go: Part Two

Part two of Trungpa Rinpoche's epic escape from Tibet


Famous last words

Trungpa Rinpoche's community talk before leaving for retreat in 1977


Eve Rosenthal on Dispatches


Cheerful Shambhala Day!


Pilgrimage, a blog by Carolyn Rose Gimian


On the Mamos, the Dharmapala Principle and Mahakali Vetali, By Dorje Loppon Lodro Dorje


Mark Nowakowski on dons, mamos, and the don days
(audio: 15 minutes)


Interview with
Khandro Rinpoche:
Part Two


Fifty years ago,
January 24, 1960:
Chogyam Trungpa arrives in India

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Letters of support

The Druk Sakyong Wangmo, Lady Diana Mukpo

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche



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Some memories of Prajna (continued from previous page)

by Kusung Dapön Noel McLellan

(continued from previous page)

"Last night, the Sakyong had a dream of the Dorje Dradul wearing royal robes and a gold and orange crown. The Dorje Dradul removed the crown and placed it on the Sakyong's head. This morning, although only a few kasung were present, the Court had the feeling of a great meditation hall filled with yogis. The kusung reported that Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche had arisen at dawn and was practicing and reading a number of his sacred texts. He had called for Nyima Sangpo [David Brown], his loyal secretary, and they had been alone together for hours.

That afternoon, Rinpoche conducted seventy dokusans with new Vajrayana students and then returned to his bedroom at Prajna with his secretary. For the next few days, all was quiet. It felt as though something important had occurred, but there were no clues as to what it had been. The Sakyong seemed quite relaxed, so I dared to say, "Sir, I think you're up to something," to which he replied, "Oh?"

In the afternoon, he gave transmission. Later that evening, he commanded that a five-coloured cord be run from the lotus of the tsokshing in the Great Stupa to the throne in the Tenno Tent. The cord must not touch the ground or cross any roads and needed to be ready by 1pm the next day. Numerous hours were spent weaving the cord and threading it over a mile through trees, across the body of Marpa Point, around the road to Prajna and to the center of Rinpoche's gold vajra. It was ready just two hours late. After returning from a lunch meeting with delegates from Mongolia, Rinpoche did several hours of guru yoga practice in the Tenno tent."

A few days later the Rigden ngondro was given to the Seminary. I wrote:

"A special gathering was announced for the evening. All were to dress up and assemble in the Main Shrine Tent. The air was electric and clear that day. The clouds gathered and dispersed in white, purple, and black. Occasional thundershowers occurred. To everyone's surprise, a rich meal was served, as well as sake. After that, the Sakyong entered, dressed in an Imperial Yellow brocade jacket. He was escorted by the Makpön, dressed in a black, high collar uniform, carrying a sword. Although he is somewhat short, the Makpön was dashing. A Colour Party, of which the Kusung Dapön and I were a part, then posted the flags to the stirring cry of the pipes. The Kusung Dapön had chain-mail on his epaulettes. The sergeant wore a rather fancy highland uniform. Although his voice cracked when he called present arms, it was altogether stunning.

A rare lhasang was then conducted. The President appeared dressed in a white chuba lined with fur. With great humility he knelt before the Sakyong and requested him to bestow the wisdom of the lineage. Everyone was perplexed that he prefaced his supplication with a long story from the Hindu tradition. Nevertheless, Rinpoche then prepared to speak..."

Aside from these highpoints however, the memories of Prajna that I have the most feeling about are the many quiet ones when the Sakyong would stroll into the tall grass of the field below the house or simply sit or stand on the back porch, and one would relax into the feeling of his being, with its confluence of contentment and aloneness. On one such evening after giving a long talk, he was standing on the porch in the early evening as the day began to cool, sipping a beer. He asked me to get the secretary on duty, and when she arrived he dictated this poem:

Summer Flower

A drink from mountain stream—
Lost water comes to haunt me.
Surrounding loneliness,
Mind peers into vast blue sky.
A distant yogin's love song plays upon my ears.
The silence of this valley
Sings the cry of liberation

Mind paces like a caged tiger.
Heart drowns in inexpressible chasm.
Let us bring it all to the path of bodhi.
Let us climb this mountain of uncertainty.
Look!
Look again!
The sun is rising.
Its golden-orange hue commands us to exhale.

26 July 1999
Shambhala Mountain Center




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