Gentle Voice Nov 2007

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A NEWSLETTER OF SIDDHARTHA’S INTENT Nov 2007

IN THIS ISSUE

HOW TO LOOK FOR A GURU AND BE A STUDENT

INTERVIEW WITH JETSUN KUSHOLA

NO PROGRESS FOR TIBETAN BHIKSHUNIS

PHOTO DIARY - DZONGSAR MONASTERYTHE FIVE GURU RINPOCHE STATUES

THE DALAI LAMA IN AUSTRALIA



EditorialThis has been a busy year for Buddhism in Australia.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama toured five Australian

states and gave major teachings in Melbourne. Her

Eminence Jetsun Kushola is still on tour at the time of

writing and will be in Australia for two and a half

months and our own teacher, Dzongsar Khyentse

Rinpoche, gave substantial Madhyamika teachings in

Sydney in July. Other lamas are also here or have been

here or are on their way.

Our friends doing three year retreat at Vajradhara Gonpa

are coming to the end of the third year and will be out

early next year. Centres and groups are getting bigger,

new books are coming out, everything is growing.

At the same time we can’t just look at the institutional

level and evaluate the development of the Dharma as

taking place outside of ourselves. In her interview for

this issue, Jetsun Kushola makes the valuable point that

foundations such as mind training must be strong before

advanced practices can have any benefit.

She said, “Everybody gets so many teachings. I think

now they need to practice, more like doing retreat and

more like understanding mind training. People need to

develop patience and to be kind to each other and to

practice on not doing the ten non-virtuous actions. That

is the best thing to do. People have so many jealousies.

They think they are practitioners but they don’t do

exactly what they need to do. So they need to practice

mind training properly and also the basic things have to

develop. They are not developed. They think they don’t

need to develop the basic things and then they jump to

the top level – it doesn’t work that way very well. And

then they increase more hatred and more power –

something like that. It doesn’t work very well for the

mind.”

This is salient advice. The basic things are often the

hardest. The transformation of our own self obsession is

still ongoing work.

Sunyata (Di Cousens)Editor

Contributions of photographs and members’ news are invited.

Contact: [email protected] .au

ContentsHow to Look for a Guru and Be a Student 3

Interview with Jetsun Kushola 5

No Progress for Tibetan Bhikshunis 6

Photo Diary - Dzongsar Monastery 7

The Five Guru Rinpoche Statues 8

The Dalai Lama in Australia 2007 9

Book Review 10

Births, Deaths, Marriages and Retreats 10

Announcements 11

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

will teach on the Uttara Tantra – Buddha Nature

We all possess an unconditioned and unchanging core of

awakening, or Buddha nature, however deep our

confusion and suffering. From the point of view of this

intrinsic nature, there is no difference between the exalted

Buddha and ordinary sentient beings. A nyone who

removes what obscures his or her true nature will become

a Buddha.

The Buddha Maitreya gave the Uttaratantra teaching to

the great Buddhist master Asanga. One of the great

classical texts of Mahayana Buddhism, it is particularly

regarded as a bridge to the V ajrayana teachings,

presenting how Buddha nature exists within us, how it is

approached, and what are the qualities of manifest

Buddhahood.

Dates: 11-20 April 2008 (tentative)

Venue: Byron Bay Buddhists

Enquiries: [email protected]

T: 02 66 851 646

Web: www.siddharthasintent.org

Gentle Voice : page 2

Gentle Voice : November 2007

In This Issue

About Siddhartha’s Intent

Founded in 1989 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche,

Siddhartha's Intent is an international Buddhist

association of non-profit centres, most of which are

nationally registered societies and charities, with the

principal intention of preserving the Buddhist

teachings, as well as increasing an awareness andunderstanding of the many aspects of the Buddhist

teaching, beyond the limits of cultures and traditions.

(http://www.siddharthasintent.org/about.htm)




How to Look for a Guru

and Be a Student by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche


Let's now talk about pure perception and VajrayanaBuddhism. First of all, I’d like to tell you that pure

perception should not be understood as a code of

conduct. That’s really important. Pure perception is not a

rule. Unfortunately, when Vajrayana is taught, it's

sometimes said that a practitioner must have pure

perception towards the vajra master. So it sounds like a

Vajrayana ethic.

You should try to approach pure perception differently.

It should be taken as a practice, meaning that you have

to get used to it. At times, as a beginner, you will lose it.You should remember that you cannot expect to have

completely pure perception right from the beginning. It

doesn’t exist. If you have that kind of expectation, it will

lead you to guilt. Pure perception has caused lots of

guilty feelings. Understand pure perception as something

that you should aspire to; you have to practice pure

perception.

Pure perception comes when you have an appetite for

emptiness. When you as a vessel can accept the idea of

emptiness, pure perception is easier. Understandingemptiness is basically knowing that whatever you see or

experience is your interpretation. It’s only your

perception; it doesn’t exist like that in reality. When you

can accept that, not only intellectually but also

practically, you're getting closer to the understanding of

emptiness. Every time you make a judgment, make a

point of telling yourself, "This is only my perception;

this is my limited idea." If you can do that from the

smallest level, such as a good or bad cup of tea, all the

way up to the vajra master’s appearance, you can get

used to pure perception.

We're not talking about thinking of the vajra master as

Buddha. We're not talking about him as being golden in

colour with extra arms, legs and a third eye. We don’t

have to make believe; we don’t have to create a new

phenomenon and consider it as pure perception. That’s

wrong. Pure perception is when you know whatever you

think, especially about the guru, is your perception.

Accusation, blame and complaint will slowly be

reduced. When these cease, your perception is getting

purer.In Vajrayana Buddhism the guru is not only a being but

the path. The purpose is to recognise that the ultimate

guru is our own wisdom mind. And how do we reveal

this inner wisdom guru? By dismantling the cocoon of

our ego. The outer guru is a person who you hire, after a

lot of analysis and contemplation, to do this job of

deconstructing your ego. That's your primary aim. How

you relate to the guru has to be founded on how much of

the guru's interaction with you undoes this cocoon.

Please keep in mind that the guru’s interest must also be

in destroying the student’s ignorance. Based on that

goal, the guru may tell you to do all kinds of amazing

things. Amazing to what? Amazing to the ego,

unacceptable to the ego. You should do these things as

that is the best treatment.

On top of that, of course, treating the teacher with

etiquette, respect and humility all apply. They're all

ornaments. Without them prostrations and the like are

just another layer of the cocoon that becomes thicker

and thicker, so thick that it needs another kind of

destruction. Everything goes back to the motivation of

wanting to achieve enlightenment. Everything should be

based on that.

There are many misunderstandings about the guru-

disciple relationship. In particular, when a Vajrayana

master tells a student to do whatever he says, this doesn't

represent a theistic, dictatorial situation. It’s a mutual

agreement. As a student you want to unveil the wisdom

and the teacher wants to do that, too. That's the

agreement between you and the teacher and, based onthat, you are working together. If you don’t have that

mutual agreement, it’s very hard.

Dzongsar Rinpoche in S ydney, A pril 2007. Photo by Sunyata.

Continued next page



The terms ‘vajra master’ and ‘root master’ are very

Vajrayana language. Of course, Mahayana does have the

concept of master or preceptor, but the Mahayana guru

is mainly a guide, a tutor or a coach, whereas in

Vajrayana he or she may appear as the coach, but more

as the path itself. Even in the practice it is evident. In the

Mahayana tradition there is never a method of dissolving

oneself into the guru’s heart or of the guru dissolving

into you.

However, in all the vehicles, especially Mahayana and

Vajrayana, the main guru – make no mistake – is the

wisdom aspect of our mind. In Mahayana the mind is

emphasised more, but in Vajrayana nadi, prana and

bindu are also spoken

about. Loosely translated

these words mean

'channels', 'wind' and

'consciousness'. Thechannels themselves, the

wind that goes through

them and the mind that has

so much influence on them

are inseparable.

Think of it this way: nadi

is a bit like a flute, prana is the wind that goes through

this flute and then there's a blower of the flute, the

bindu. At the moment the flute is rusty and has fungus

growing inside it. Some of the holes are blocked due totoo many hamburgers, too many negative emotions or

too many late nights! All kinds of obscurations have

blocked the whole structure of our body.

So outwardly we try to change that through yoga. The

essence of yoga is sitting straight and assuming a good

posture. By doing that, we try to manipulate the flute.

Then we try to control the prana; however the prana is

very impure. Our perception is very limited – bad, good,

tall, short – because the holes of the flute are blocked

and there is so much fungus growing in it. Therefore, theair that is floating around inside is very shaky. By

cleaning this flute, our perceptions slowly begin to

change.

Let’s take the example of the perception of the guru,

particularly as it's accompanied by your merit.

According to Vajrayana, the guru has manifested in

front of you through merit. Basically, your own wisdom

mind is reflecting the external guru, so there's all the

more reason to obey him. After all, you're obeying your

true nature. The guru, the blower of the flute, is noneother than your wisdom mind.

What do we mean by ‘obey’? We really don’t have to

fear some truly existing vampire outside. It's basically

your own mind’s perception projected out there, which

has been interpreted by a translator called ‘merit’. If

merit is not there, the mind will interpret the person as

some arrogant bastard who is talking about

righteousness and on whom you will not waste your

beautiful weekend.

So what does ‘praying to the guru’ mean in Vajrayana?

It actually means getting in touch with your true nature,

nothing else. Yet we always come back to the one

question, "Is the outer guru necessary?" So let's regard

the guru as a mirror. We use a mirror when putting on

lipstick to see our own

reflection and to be better able

to apply the make-up to our lips.

Similarly, to actually see this

inner wisdom, which is noneother than the true nature of our

mind, we are using the outer

guru as a mirror. That is what’s

happening!

Technically speaking, a vajra

master is someone who gives

you Vajrayana abhisheka or

empowerment, especially the four abhishekas: vase,

secret, wisdom and word. If someone gives you those,

then he's a vajra master for you. But some scholarswould disagree with this, maintaining that the guru is

someone who introduces you to the nature of the mind

and, by doing so, makes you understand that nature.

These days there are so many introducers of the nature

of the mind, but not everybody’s introduction to the

nature of the mind works. It sometimes doesn’t even go

inside the head. A vajra master might say something or

he might not, but it should temporarily make the whole

system stop. Even perhaps for only half a second the

whole system will stop and you will wonder, "What is

the benefit of yesterday, today and tomorrow? Why isthere a yesterday? Why is there a tomorrow? What is a

weekday? What is a weekend?" It’s almost

inexpressible. Everything ceases, but it’s not like an

experience of being drunk or overdosed. You're very

aware of everything, conscious of everything, alive and

vibrant, but the normal system stops. When that happens

then maybe, whether you like it or not, this guy is your

assassin.

(The Gentle Voice thanks Tom Pengelly and Claire

Blaxell for the original transcription. This teaching is

available from Siddhartha's Intent as an MP3. For details

please contact Anna Vlajkovic at [email protected]

or phone 02 9518 1363.)


Every time you make a

judgment, make a point of telling yourself,

"This is only my perception;

this is my limited idea."






H.E. Jetsun Kushola is the older sister of H.H. Sakya

Triziu and a revered lineage holder in the Sakya

tradition.

Q. Jetsunma, you have been living in the West since

1971, how do you feel that the Dharma is developing

over the last 36 years or so?

A. It is very good.

Q. So what is the best part of the way that it has beendeveloping?

A. I think everywhere it is the same thing. All over the

place there are different centres, in Canada and the

United States, as I know.

Q. And what hasn’t been developing sufficiently? How

could it be stronger? Like would it be better if there w as

more translation work or more people ...

A. I haven’t been in other places too much. I think some

centres are going well, some aren’t. It depends on their

group or the lama’s karma and all together.

Q. And in terms of what is needed for the future, do you

think we need special kinds of teachings or programs or

what would be the best way to progress the Dharma?

A. Everybody gets so many teachings. I think now they

need to practice, more like doing retreat and more like

understanding mind training. People need to develop

patience and to be kind to each other and to practice on

not doing the ten non-virtuous actions. That is the best

thing to do. People have so many jealousies. They think

they are practitioners but they don’t do exactly what they

need to do. So they need to practice mind training properly and also the basic things have to develop. They

are not developed. They think they don’t need to develop

the basic things and then they jump to the top level – it

doesn’t work that way very well. And then they increase

more hatred and more power – something like that. Itdoesn’t work very well for the mind.

Q. What are the most basic things people should develop?

A. I think I said it to you just now. People should develop

kindliness and practice patience and that can be learned

from mind training.

Q. And in terms of retreats, what sort of retreats should

people do?

A. Mostly I tell them, first they have to do ngundro

practice – preliminary practice. Also in the West, in

Australia too, people’s minds are too busy. Sometimes people want to do some [Dharma practice] but they don’t

do that. And they get teachings but then mostly their

daily life [takes over]. Of course nobody is so perfect

they can do [all possible Dharma practice] but it can be

adjusted.

Q. What about simple shamatha retreats?

A. Yes, sure, that’s very good. Because the mind is too

busy.

Q. Do you think people should slow down in their life as

well, if their mind is too busy?

A. Yes, of course, if it is enough for the practitioner – the

real practitioner. Some people are taking teachings but

they didn’t really practice them. There is a difference.

The real practitioners say, ‘Enough is enough’, and do

practice now.

Q. What about study? What sort of things should people

be studying? Like full on training in philosophy, that type

of thing?

A. Yes, you can do that too, but mostly you are working

on the mind - studying the mind – doing mind training.

Interview with Jetsun Kushola

by Sunyata, Melbourne

Jetsun Kushola in Melbourne, September 2007.

Photo by Lynn Miller.

In August the young reincarnation of Gyalsay Tulku came to

Australia and visited many states, catching up with old students

as well as making new friends. Photo by Sunyata.





No Progress for Tibetan Bhikshunis

by Bhikshuni Tenzin Palmo, Tashijong

The 1st International Congress on BuddhistWomen's Role in the Sangha was held on 18-20

July 2007 in the pleasant German town of Hamburg.

This was a conference specifically to discuss the

ways of bestowing the bhikshuni or higher

ordination for nuns in the Tibetan tradition. Vinaya

experts from around the Buddhist world came

together to offer the fruits of their considerable

research into this issue. So there was a contagious

atmosphere of expectancy and enthusiasm.

At present nuns in the Tibetan or Mula Sarvastivada

lineage receive ordination only up to the

shramanerika or novice level. Full ordination for

nuns only remains in the Dharmagupta lineage

which exists in China, Taiwan, Korea and Vietnam

where there are presently tens of thousands of

bhikshunis. The main issue is whether this

ordination, which was never brought into Tibet, can

now be introduced so that nuns finally have a

chance to study the Vinaya or monastic texts and participate as full members of the monastic family.

According to the Vinaya texts the bhikshuni

ordination should be bestowed by a dual sangha of

both nuns and monks. Therefore there are basically

two ways that this lineage might be given: either by

a sangha of 10 senior monks in the Mula

Sarvastivada tradition and 10 senior nuns in the

Dharmagupta tradition. Or simply by a sangha of

senior Mula Sarvastivada monks until such time asthe newly-ordained nuns reach seniority and can

comprise a dual ordination platform.

The situation is of course far more complex than the

above simple analysis and certain Tibetan scholars

have been 'researching' the matter for over 25 years

without reaching a conclusion.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama attended the last day of

the Congress and again stated that he alone couldnot make a decision since it is a matter of Vinaya

and requires a consensus of the whole sangha. He

also admitted that while he himself is in favour of

this ordination for the nuns, most of his own Geshesand other monks are not. Those Geshes who are

supportive are heavily criticised by the more

conservative elements, even in the Tibetan press.

His Holiness therefore recommended that a meeting

should be arranged in India between higher sangha

members of the Theravadin countries and senior

Geshes and Tibetan Vinaya experts. However since

both parties are known to be strongly against the

introduction of the bhikshuni lineage, presumably

they will agree harmoniously to discuss their unanimous opposition to this higher ordination for

women.

The nuns of the Tibetan tradition have stated that

they would only consider this bhikshuni ordination

if bestowed by His Holiness himself or some great

lamas whom they respect. In the event of His

Holiness bestowing such an ordination there would

surely be an overwhelming response on the part of

the nuns. In the meantime it is necessary for thenuns to understand the implications and importance

of higher ordination. Until the nuns themselves

appreciate the need for the bhikshuni ordination the

issue remains contentious and academic. The need

to educate the nuns on this matter is therefore

paramount. Otherwise many lamas perceive the

subject of nuns' higher ordination as merely Western

feminist interference and do not take it seriously.

For further information see:

http://www.congress-on-buddhist-women.org/Ven. Tenzin Palmo will be in Australia from 10 April to 11

May 2008. Contact: Leona K ieran at

[email protected] : www.gatsal.org

A Tibetan Nun in Dharamsala, May 2006. Photo by Di Cousens.





We reached Dzongar monastery, Kham, in May

2007, on a celebration day. I was travelling with

Namcho, a girl from Amdo. All the people of

Dzongsar were taking part in the offering ceremony.

Each lama sat under a parasol with a specific colour:

Red, Blue, White. Offerings of wood were brought

to them to bless, then of barley ale which was

measured out and blessed, the same for the tsampa.

Then the offering was burnt on small pyres as themusicians sounded their different instruments.

Photo Diary – Dzongsar MonasteryText & Photos by Francesca White, Kham



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One morning in September last year, Dzongsar

Khyentse Rinpoche’s vehicle entered the gate of

his residential complex passing through welcoming

clouds of juniper smoke. Rinpoche sat beside

Phuntsok, the driver. Rinpoche was holding

something in his hands. “What is that?”, I thought.

Rinpoche stepped out of the vehicle wearing what

I would describe as a peculiar look on his face.

Maybe amused. Maybe pleased. I could not make

it out. He went straight to the library and placedthe object on his throne, prostrated and offered a

mandala. Phuntsok whispered to me: “It’s the Guru

Rinpoche statue”. My heart was pounding. This was

the Supreme Statue of Guru Rinpoche, one of five

precious statues made by Guru Rinpoche himself!

After the mandala offering we sat down together in

two straight rows in front of the statue and tea was

served. Rinpoche said, “Well, now, it is finally here.You know those Tibetans are a bit strange. They

think that this statue is the real Guru Rinpoche, so

if you think like that then this is the time for you to

make aspirations for your next life--while sitting

here right in front of Guru Rinpoche himself”.

In awe, no one said much. Rinpoche made the

aspirations for us.

The story of the five statues may not be known to

all of Rinpoche’s students. He explained that these

were created during the time of Prince Ralpacan.

He was sad that his father and grandfather had died.

Just before Guru Rinpoche was about to leave for

the Copper Coloured Mountain he begged him to

stay. Guru Rinpoche said to the prince. “You don’t

have to worry. If you pray to me, I will always be

there. The moment you think of me, I will be there.”

But the prince said, “I want to see your physical

body”. So Guru Rinpoche grabbed some material

or special sand and out of this sand he supposedly

made his statues.

There were originally five statues. The Supreme

Statue was discovered by Jamyang Khyentse

Wangpo and Chogyur Lingpa. It is in Bir. The

Eastern Pacifying Statue of Guru Rinpoche

disappeared during the Cultural Revolution. The

Southern Increasing Prosperity Statue is with

Rinpoche. The Northern Magnetizing Statue is

with Pewar Rinpoche in Dzongsar in Tibet. The

Wrathful statue is with Rinpoche. It was passed on

to him along with other relics from Chokyi LodroeRinpoche. Guru Rinpoche said that those who see

these statues, if they can have devotion - even if

they do not practice at all - then in seven lifetimes

enlightenment is guaranteed.

On the northwest border of the land of Uddiyana,

On the pistil of a lotus flower and stem,

You attained supreme wondrous siddhi,

Renowned as Padmakara,Surrounded by a retinue of many dakinis,

Following you I reach accomplishment -

Please come and grant your blessings!

Guru Padma Siddhi Hum





When the Dalai Lama comes to Australia everybody

in the country seems to be aware that they are in the presence of one of the great saints of the

contemporary world. Having won the Nobel Peace

Prize in 1989 he also embodies ideas about non-

violence and has an identity as an international man of

peace. About 5000 people came every day to hear

Buddhist lectures in the Rod Laver Arena in

Melbourne where he taught an abstruse philosophical

text by the Indian pandit Nagarjuna. Not everyone

was interested in the content of the text, a lot just

wanted to be there and have contact with him.

There were only 2000 seats available at the blessing

of the Great Stupa site in Bendigo where he also

consecrated a four metre bronze statue of one of the

founders of Buddhism in Tibet, Guru Rinpoche. This

occasion was made more memorable by the dragon

dances of Bendigo’s Chinese community – one of the

oldest Buddhist communities in the country.

Twenty thousand people came to the public talk at

Princes Park in Melbourne and to public talks in

Sydney. At each place the Dalai Lama delivered amessage with three elements. He sought to promote

human values such as compassion, non-violence and

an antidote to the materialism and stress of modern

life. Secondly he wished to promote religious

harmony, an aspiration that all the members of thedifferent religions could live together in peace. The

third part of his message is a campaign for

‘meaningful autonomy’ for Tibetans in the PRC. The

difficulty with this last aspiration may be the elastic

boundaries around the envisaged ‘autonomous’ zone.

The boundaries are not the present day provincial

ones defining the Tibet Autonomous Region, but

would take in ethnic Tibetans in about four other

provinces. Autonomy is also left fairly undefined.

Every day the Dalai Lama teaches he appears onnewspapers and on television, thereby giving

Buddhism in Australia a face. It is a face that is well

known and well loved but his greatest impact is in his

spiritual presence.

The Dalai Lama in Australia 2007 Text & Photos by Diana Cousens

The 10th Sakyadhita International Conference

on Buddhist Women will be held in Ulaan

Bataar, Mongolia, from July 1-5, 2008, with a

temple tour on July 6-7, 2008. Proposals are

being accepted for papers on Buddhist women

and on topics of interest to Buddhist women.

Proposals should be 250-500 words in length.

Proposals should include the sender’s

institutional affiliation and contact information.

Enquiries: [email protected]




Book Review


Births, Deaths, Marriages & Retreats

The Three Boys and Other Folk Tales from Tibet

by Yeshi Dorjee and John Major

University of Hawai’I Press, Honolulu, 2007

ISBN-13:978-0-82458-3079-3.

These tales, half of which are drawn from the

eleventh century Indian collection known as the

Vetalapancavimsati, the Twenty Five Corpse Tales,

are partly intended to serve as a guide to

appropriate human behaviour. In the complex background to the early tales, a servant of the

philosopher Nagarjuna has to carry a zombie corpse

from a cemetery to the Buddhist master in absolute

silence. However the skilled zombie tells tales

which always elicit an expression of compassion,

concern or pain from the servant, with the result

that at each exclamation the zombie returns to the

cemetery tree from which he hangs until the next

attempt to remove him.

The wide-ranging stories presented here come from

an oral tradition and the ‘Corpse Stories’ differ

from their more orthodox textual version. The

translator Yeshe Dorjee heard these oral versions as

a servant to older monks in South India in the

1970s and 80s and presents us with seven of the

‘Corpse Stories’ and 8 folk tales. In all of them he

captures something of their original free spirit.

Through them we enter a world of spiritual

transformation, greed, selflessness, karma, faith,

dreams and zombie corpses - a world better by far

than that of Buffy the Vampire Slayer!

John Major’s Introduction to the tales is of interest,

placing them into a setting. However he is in error imagining that they are part of a Tibetan Buddhist

cultural setting. Indeed it is unlikely that a monk

would recite such tales to the public,

“…accompanying himself on a stringed instrument”

as he suggests. These stories are rather part of the

family ritual of lay people, in which they are told,

re-told and commented on around the fire at night.

Their message might be Buddhist but they are

basically rollicking yarns with a moral overlay. The

book also contains a useful introduction to each

story as well as helpful suggestion for further

readings. It is highly recommended as an

introduction to the wonderful world of Tibetan folk

literature.

Reviewed by David Templeman, Monash University

Lama Tashi Namgyal died on 8 August 2007 in Bir,

India. He was the attendant to

Jamyang Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö

from a very young age and was

amongst those Khyentse Chökyi

Lodrö took on the 3-year long

pilgrimage from Kham to central

Tibet that finally ended in

Sikkim in the mid-fifties.

Khyentse Chökyi Lodrö,

Khandro Tsering Chödrön andtheir whole party remained as guests of the Chogyal of

Sikkim at the Palace Monastery in Gangtok because it

was too dangerous to return to Tibet. After Khyentse

Chökyi Lodrö's death in 1959 Lama Tashi Namgyal

remained in Gangtok for the rest of his life and became

attendant to the young incarnation of his master,

Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.

Ann Hentz passed away on 31st of December, 2006. She

was 85 and a member of Rinpoche’s Canadian sangha.

Ann contributed to the Dharma in many ways, most

notably through making spoken word recordings of

Dharma books for those with problems with their vision.

Recent recordings included the Bodhichayavatara andWhat Makes You Not a Buddhist. She became a student

of Rinpoche’s in 1990 in Kalimpong and undertook

many retreats.





Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings and primary activities in Australia will now take place in

Northern New South Wales. Siddhartha’s Intent

Southern Door will now be known as Byron Bay

Buddhists - Siddhartha’s Intent Australia and be

based in Byron Bay. Rinpoche has nominated a new

executive and working committees for both Byron

Bay Buddhists – Siddhartha’s Intent Australia and

Vajradhara Gonpa. Rinpoche has merged these

committees into one management structure so as to

simplify the management of both organizations.

Administrative Director: Paula Raymond-Yacoub

Secretary: Christina Peebles

Treasurer: Hugo Croci

Committee Members:

Phil Pidcock, Karen Henry, Meg Hart

Contact: 61 2 66 882 055

[email protected]

News from Vajradhara Gonpa Three-Year RetreatCentre

Vajradhara Gonpa is now accepting expressions of

interest for the next three-year retreat, which will

commence in early 2009. Please enquire by email to

[email protected] or by post to Vajradhara

Gonpa, PO Box 345, Kyogle NSW 2474 Australia.

For more details see:

www.siddharthasintent.org/VajradharaGonpa.htm

The current three-year retreat will culminate with a

practice intensive (drubchen) based on the “Heart

Essence of Deathless Arya Tara” (Chime Phagma

Nyingtig), a treasure of Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo.

Scheduled to take place 2-9 April 2008, the

drubchen will be performed entirely in English for

the first time. You are invited to express your

interest in attending. As numbers are limited for the

drubchen, Rinpoche will select participants from

amongst the applicants. Rinpoche invites everyoneto attend the ceremony for the opening of the three-

year retreat boundary on April 9th. Please enquire

by email to: [email protected].

Work as Practice Program. Come and experiencethe joy of being in the retreat atmosphere and

pristine natural beauty of the Gonpa environment.

Between June 2008 and January 2009 a Work as

Practice Program will be offered. The program will

focus on application of mindfulness and

accumulation of merit through preparation of the

retreat centre for the next three-year retreat.

Included will be daily meditation sessions supported

by three-year retreat staff. Practitioners with skills in

construction, repairs and maintenance, such as

carpentry, electrical, plumbing, mechanical,

painting, landscaping and general labour, are invited

to express their interest, as are those who can

support these efforts by cooking and caring for the

facilities. There is no charge for the program and

basic accommodation and meals will be provided.

Participation will be by invitation. Please submit an

expression of interest to

[email protected]

Highlights from Southern Cross University,

Australia:

• Southern Cross University conferred an Honorary

Doctorate on His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV in

Melbourne on 8 June 2007 in recognition of His

Holiness’ global peace efforts;

• The University signed an MOU with Byron Bay

Buddhists - Siddhartha’s Intent Australia to develop

and enhance collaborative endeavours in the future,especially aligned with the activities of the

University’s Centre for Peace and Social Justice

(CPSJ);

• The CPSJ invited Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche

to launch The Buddhist Perspectives Series on 15

June 2007 at our Lismore campus and Rinpoche

delighted a capacity crowd on his topic, ‘Buddhism,

Technology and Media, with a Commentary on

Education’. (the mp3 file is available on theCentre’s website www.scu.edu.au/research/cpsj)

• The University is considering offering new and

innovative Buddhist programs.

Announcements



Practice Sessions for Students

Byron Bay

1/22 Fawcett Street

Brunswick Heads NSW 2483

Contact: Paula Raymond-Yacoub

[email protected]

02 66 851 646

Regular Practice Sessions

Wednesday evenings Shamatha meditationMonthly Tsa Sum Dril Drup tsog practice on Guru

Rinpoche Day

Monthly Longchen Nyingthik Ngöndro practice,

third Sunday of each month

Sydney

Contact: Chantal Gebbie or Tanya Gebbie

[email protected]

Chantal 0412 763 037/ Tanya 0402 258 230

Regular Practice SessionsFortnightly Wednesday evenings, Shamatha

meditation and Madhyamakavatara Revision

Guru Rinpoche Day, Tsa Sum Dril Drup tsog

offering practice

Dakini Day, Chime Phagma Nyingthik tsog

offering practice

2nd Monthly half-day Longchen Nyingthik

Ngöndro practice

Blue Mountains

28 Fletcher Street, Wentworth Falls

Contact: Hugo Croci

[email protected]

02 4757 2339

Regular Practice Sessions

Monday evenings, Shamatha meditation &

Madhyamakavatara study group

AdelaideContact: Tineke Adolphus

08 8362 7553

Auckland, New Zealand

Contact: Buddha Aotearoa

09 424 3334

[email protected]

PLEASE NOTE:Because of its sacred content, please treat this newsletter with respect. Should you need to dispose of it, please

burn it, rather than throwing it away.

A N E W S L E T T E R

O F S I D D H A R T H A ’ S

I N T E N T

P O B o x 1 5 5

S u f f o l k P a r k

N S W 2 4 8 1 A u s t r a l i a

Cover photo of Dzongsar Monastery by Francesca White.

N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 7

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Gentle Voice Nov 2007