habda - fpmt-ldc.org · wheel-turning Buddha in this world. It is said that among the many beneﬁts of worshipping Shakyamuni Buddha, simply reciting his name enables one to purify

~ May 2006 ~ Shabda 1

© LOSANG DRAGPA CENTER Design by WOFS.COM

Buddhists celebrate Wesak to commemorate the day when Shakyamuni Buddha

achieved enlightenment. It is a day of great significance to us all for us to remember Buddha’s great kindness and immense compassion. The way to repay his kindness is by practicing Dharma every moment of our lives that we too may attain Enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings.

This Wesak 2006, we at Losang Drakpa center are incredibly blessed to be able to celebrate this special commemorative day with our very very precious guru. Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, who in spite of a very busy international teaching schedule has included LDC in His itinerary.

WESAK DAY DINNERRinpoche will be at the celebration dinner on May 12th to commemorate Wesak and also the auspicious move to our new center at Section 17 in Petaling Jaya. The dinner will be at the new premises and all members are cordially invited to attend. Please do drop by the center soon to pick up your Invite Cards as entry will be by invitation cards.

Shabda Monthly Newsletter of Losang Dragpa Center

May 2006

KYABJE LAMA ZOPA RINPOCHE12th - 20th May 2006

We have also invited some very special guests who have shown great kindness to our center helping us in various ways and sponsoring the many expenses that have been incurred in the move. To them we say a very big thank you indeed.

welcoming our precious guru to Malaysia

Rejoice!!! Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrives Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1.40 pm on May 9th 2006... bring flowers and kata to give our precious guru a warm welcome…


2 Shabda ~ May 2006 ~

21 TARA DANCEPERFORMANCEThe highlight of the evening will be Rinpoche’s presence and many can use this opportunity to personally welcome Rinpoche to Malaysia and to offer kata. In addition, 21 beautiful lady members will dance the DANCE OF THE 21 TARAS under the direction of Juanita Lee. This is an incredibly beautiful performance when all present can experience the blessings of Mother Tara as we invoke the presence of the beautiful 21 Taras.

The costumes have been specially designed in accordance with the direct advice given by Rinpoche and the dance steps and hand mudras have been learnt from the nuns at Kopan monastery. They very kindly gave a few of us a special performance at the nunnery in December last year, allowed us to video tape the entire dance performance and from there our very own Juanita has skillfully choreographed the dance performance. Care was taken to get all the hand mudras and the dance steps correct.

The dance itself is a prayer and a supplication to Mother Tara. The music and singing that the dance is performed to comes also from Kopan nunnery. Many of you will recognize the words of the accompanying music as these are Praises to the 21 Taras sung in the Tibetan.

So members don’t miss this very special performance. We promise you a truly inspiring and moving performance which is also a wonderful Dharma practice.

BEING INSPIRED BY BUDDHA SHAKYAMUNI Shakyamuni is the founder of Buddhism in this world. It is said His teachings will last for 5,000 years of which more than 2500 of these years have passed. We cannot stop the passage of time but we van and should know that we are all so fortunate to have met Buddhism and have benefited so much from Buddha’s teachings.

Shaykyamuni is the fourth Buddha out of the 1,000 Buddhas who will descend into this world to continually turn the wheel of Dharma. When these 1000 Buddhas were Bodhisattvas, the bodhisattva who was to become Shakyamuni Buddha prayed to descend into our world at the time when the average lifespanof humans would be 100 years and we are the objects of Shaykamuni Buddha’s great compassion. We all have a close karmic connection with this Buddha.

Mahayana teachings tell us that Shakyamuni Buddha achieved Enlightenment after collecting of merit and wisdom over three countless great eons, all of which occurred before he descended to this world. Before descending, it is said that he passed on his crown to Maitreya, thereby installing him as the regent of Tushita



Pure land from where He had come. Maitreya will thus become the next wheel-turning Buddha in this world.

It is said that among the many benefits of worshipping Shakyamuni Buddha, simply reciting his name enables one to purify 80,000 eons of negative karma. If an image of Buddha is kept in a temple and continuous offerings are made to it, the teachings of Buddha and the Sangha community in that area will flourish.

TEACHING ON IMPERMANENCE Buddha’s passing into Parinirvana was his final teaching on Impermanence - a poignant reminder to us all that death is certain… that we can all be sure of death happening; only the time of death is uncertain. Thus remembering the Four Noble Truths we are reminded to continually create the causes ofhappiness and to abandon the causes of suffering. Then only can we be certain that at the time of death we are free of any regrets. The best way to achieve this is to learn, study, reflect and meditate on the teachings of the Buddha especially the Four Noble Truths, Compassion, Bodhicitta, Wisdom and generating the aspiration to attain Enlightenment for the sake of all beings.

This then is the ultimate reason for our existence, for us personally and also for the existence of LDC, our Buddhist Meditation Center – that we may

collectively create an oasis of peace, a sanctuary where we can all come together to learn, to study, to reflect and to meditate on the stages of the path to Enlightenment.

We are ALL so super lucky to have met such a perfectly qualified guru, who in truth is Buddha Shakyamuni himself manifesting as a humble monk in order to teach us, interact with us and benefit us all with His great kindness. We are all deluded and do not have the purity of mind nor the merit to “see” Buddha in actuality so out of His great compassion he has manifested as our most holy precious guru, Lama Zopa Rinpoche ! Let us rejoice for having met Rinpoche and for having the good karma to receive teachings and initiations from Rinpoche

IF YOU WANT A PRIVATE MEETING WITH RINPOCHEMembers wanting to request a private meeting with Rinpoche please write your request to Rinpoche and hand it in SEALED to LDC Office. Elsie will pass your letter to Ven. Roger Kunsang to be handed to Rinpoche. It will be helpful if you let Rinpoche know what you want to see Him about. Please include your contact details ... In case you are not successful in your request please understand that Rinpoche’s program is very tight but all efforts will be made to make a meeting possible.



RINPOCHE HERE AT WESAKIt is incredibly fortunate that we have Rinpoche with us this Wesak day 2006. Let us make it truly special then. Create the genuine motivation to want to benefi t from Rinpoche’s three days of teachings so that we can generate the Bodhicitta heart and become true Bodhisattvas that we can attain Enlightenment to benefi t all sentient beings.

TEACHINGS & LONG LIFE PUJARinpoche’s teachings begin at 7.30 pm on Tuesday the 16th May and will continue each night for three nights. On Friday morning the 19th May we will be offering a Long Life Puja to Rinpoche. The puja starts at 10.30 am in the morning at LDC new premises. Members and friends can use this opportunity to create eons of merit and to make offerings of kata to Rinpoche. The puja is to give us all the chance to request Rinpoche to live a long life that we may continue to receive teachings from Him until we attain Enlightenment.

MEDICINE BUDDHA INITIATIONLama Zopa Rinpoche has also very kindly agreed to confer Medicine Buddha initiation for members and friends. Those wanting to receive the initiation please do register with LDC offi ce by Friday as the initiation will take place at 7.30 pm on Saturday May 20th May. Please also be

prepared for the initiation to last into the early hours of the morning.There is a commitment for those who take this initiation so please do register and collect your Medicine Buddha initiation package from the offi ce.

VAJRAYOGINI INITIATIONThere will be a VAJRAYOGINI INITIATION on 21ST May Sunday evening at 7.30 pm. This is open only to members who have received a HYT initiation. Registration for this initiation is compulsory at which time we need to record details of any HYT initiation previously received i.e. when received and from whom. There is a commitment for those who take this initiation so please do register and collect your VAJRAYOGINI initiation package from the office. Please also be prepared for the initiation to last into the early hours of the morning.

“Whatever is most pleasing to the Guru,

that is the quickest path to Enlightenment”

~By Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche~

Words of Wisdom for May



LDC NEWSWhite Tara statue dedicated for Rinpoche’s long life.During our recent trip to Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, to attend the enthronement of the precious holy child Tenzin Phuntsok Rinpoche (the unmistakable recognized reincarnation of Geshe Lama Konchog), we were very fortunate to be given the opportunity to partly sponsor a life-size White Tara statue dedicated to Rinpoche’s long life. Rinpoche’s private secretary, Ven.Roger Kunsang had checked with Rinpoche’s

gurus to see if there are any obstacles that will affect the health of our precious guru. The advice given was to construct a life-size White Tara statue. Ven Roger very kindly gave us the chance to organize the sponsorship of this statue, and the statue is currently being made as all funds needed have been found. LDC is sponsoring one third, our sister center in Singapore, Amitabha Buddhist Center one third and a western couple, Bobbie and Mark Fisher who recently just met Rinpoche in Kopan. one third.

GESHE LA’S RETURN TO LDCSuch good news to share with members: LDC has successfully obtained a one year professional visa for our resident teacher Geshe Tenzin Deyang. Geshe la returned to LDC on 15th April after attended Monlam teachings from His Holisness the 14th Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, India for 3 weeks.

Despite the complex procedure in obtaining the professional visa from our previous experiences, this time through the great kindness and great help of our committee member MK Sen much of our worry has been lightened as the application proceeded smoothly. With our deepest appreciation, we thank MK very much for all he has done in bringing Geshe la back to us within one month!

Geshe la’s teaching program has been finalized and is ready to start. However Geshe la has advised that it is most auspicious that the first teaching at LDC’s new premises in Section 17 Petaling Jaya should be given by our precious Guru. As such form now until Rinpoche’s arrival, we will be mainly conducting pujas. Reciting mantras, undertaking daily protector pujas and getting the gompa ready fro Wesak and Rinpoche’s arrival.

Anyone wishing to receive private consultations with Geshe la on your Dharma practices, or to clarify any point, or to seek assistance in doing pujas or practices. please feel free to call the center for an appointment with Geshe La.



Those of you who have dropped by to see the new Center have oohed and aahed at the beauty of our new gompas; and this is made possible mainly due to the blessings of our beloved guru and also only through our collective good karma. We have two pieces of good news to share with members..

FIRSTLY… Less than a month after we moved in, one busy afternoon while we unpacking, surprising news came that our throne, parasols, Dharmachakra and deer, and mostly our very beautiful life size statues of Avalokiteshvara, Tara, Guru Rinpoche

BEAUTIFYING OUR GOMPAand Manjushuri all specially made by expert craftsmen and artisans from Kathmandu had arrived at KLIA! We were pleasantly surprised and later discovered that this was due to Ven Nyima Tashi personally going back to Katmandu to ensure the package for LDC indeed left Katmandu. In the midst of the demonstrations in the capital of Nepal during that week, we were indeed fortunate that our statues were not delayed. According Nyima, Katmandu was chaotic and it was better to send the statues without delay. So we really must thank Nyima for his foresight.



Among the statues, there is the most stunning and gorgeous statue of Mother Tara which was given to us by Rinpoche, along with the 21 bronze Taras. Members you really have to see the statue to realize how stunning it is and how kind Rinpoche is to offer it to us. The Statue of Mother Tara is from Rinpoche’s private altar in Kopan monastery.

Then there is the statue of the thousand arms Chenrezig which is so beautiful it takes your breath away. It stands stately and majestic at seven feet tall. We also have three feet high statues of Padmasambava and Manjushri. Our gompa is now is filled with all these wonderful holy objects!

Members please note that these holy objects were specially ordered after seeking Rinpoche’s advice. There are

two more statues to come – one of Maitreya Buddha in seated posture, and one of Lama Yeshe. These two statues will take another three months as a special mould has to be cast.

Secondly, LDC is playing host to two expert and experienced artists from Kopan Monastery who are here for a holiday and in exchange for our hospitality are helping us paint beautiful images for our gompa.

Why are we going to all this trouble to make our gompa beautiful ? Because we want our



gompa to inspire everyone to be filled with devotion for the holy objects, the scriptural texts and the teachings of Buddha, and to have a beautiful place for all to come to learn, practice and meditate on the Dharma.

We want to share our immense gratitude for all the wonderful people, neighbors and friends who have been coming to the Center to offer food, plants, sound system, furniture and lots of bits and pieces that we need to transform our new premises into a thriving growing Center to benefit the neighborhood and all in need. Our office is up and running now as are our Internet connections and telephone lines, so thank you to Elsie, Shirley and William,

Our altars and our upstairs quarters for Rinpoche has also been nicely fitted out thanks to our wonderful Sangha Ven. Osel la and Ven Dechen la – they are our resident dakinis. And a special thanks to Ven Ang Losang for his expert inputs on setting up the statues and filling the mantras correctly.



“In the past few months LDC has grown progressively in its development. Starting with the purchase of the property at Section 17, PJ, inviting the holy statues and ordering various items from Kathmandu, sourcing for and rearranging in-house furniture and upgrading the Center’s operating systems, all these would not be possible to achieve without the help of many of you who contributed in kind, in monetary means and in all ways of support, needless to mention the most important is the blessing of our precious Guru.

Amidst all these wonderful events that had happened and is still happening, our good karma incessantly bring us such great good fortune: the visit of our most precious Guru to the Wesak Celebration at LDC. In actualizing the event to fulfi ll our Guru’s wishes and benefi ting

people, our team of volunteers work from day to night to ensure every single bit of this event is being well taken care of.

During the Wesak Celebration, we are making the arrangement of 1000 Offerings which consists of water, fl owers, incense, candles, perfume and food, there will also be free vegetarian lunch offer to public. Making offerings during such a special occasion creates so much merit – skies of merit – and it is cause for great rejoicing that we can do this. We continue to want and need your support. Please use this very special time to bring your family, your friends and your colleagues to join in making merit by participating in the 1000 offering events.

ALSO PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE A REPEAT OF THE TARA DANCE PERFORMANCE on SUNDAY 21ST MAY

Reflections of the past month… by Ven. Osel la



Mantra for MayLong Mantra of Amitayus

NAMO RATNA TRA YAYA / OM NAMO BHAGAVATE / APARIMITA AYUR JÑANA / SUPINISH CHITATAYE / JORA JAYA /

TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAK SAM BUDDHAYA / TAD YA THA / OM PUNYE PUNYE / MAHA PUNYE / APARIMITA PUNYE / AYU PUNYE / MAHA PUNYE / AYUR JÑANA / SARVA RUPA SIDDHI /

AYUR JÑANA / KE CHE BHRUM / OM BHRUM / AH BHRUM / SVA BHRUM / HA BHRUM / CHE BHRUM / OM SARVA SAMSKARA

/ PARI SHUDDHA DHARMATE / GAGANA SAMUDGATE / SVABHAVA VISHUDDHE / MAHA NAYA PARIVARA YE SVAHA

Amitayus is a deity of longevity. Reciting Amitayus mantra is not only benefi cial for our own good health, long life and realizations, we should also constantly remember dedicate to the long life of our precious guru.

We are extremly fortunate that our dearest Guru Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche has been manifesting good health. Nonetheless Ven. Trulshik Rinpoche, who is one of Rinpoche’s gurus, has kindly advised that Rinpoche’s students should recite 100,000 long Amitayus mantras to dispel obstacles to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s health. Let us all learn, recite and memorize the mantra and dedicate specifi cally for

Rinpoche’s good health, long life and for the success of all Rinpoche’s holy wishes - and of course do not forget to include in your prayers the usual Mahayana motivation and dedication.



Hospice Care is a WONDERFUL Spiritual Path Kasih Hospice Care Society uses Buddhist principles in patient care. For eight years now we can reaffi rm that Buddha’s teaching is the best and most comprehensive manual for providing holistic care for people with life threatening illnesses. When people are sick with terminal illness, their mind is at its weakest, fi lled with negative emotions such as anxiety, anger, fear, frustration. They feel helpless and hopeless. At that time, Buddha becomes the best doctor, psychiatrist, counselor, nurse and companion.

Many patients we cared for began their spiritual journey, the search for the meaning of life at this critical time of their life, ie when they are dying and death is in the face.

Providing spiritual support Malaysia is a multicultural society. Kasih Hospice Care Society utilize skilful means to serve a community of different faiths through the universal principles of love, compassion, altruistic joy, equanimity, generosity, patience, tolerance, trust, understanding, peace and respect for all life. Our volunteers are taught the following Dharma to provide spiritual support for patients.

1. Precious human rebirth We encourage patients to appreciate their human existence, with its potential and rareness. This helps to eliminate their sense of helplessness. We encourage them to recall virtuous actions done to others and to rejoice on them. The idea is to change their facial expressions from being fearful and anxious to one of peace and calm.

2. The Four Noble TruthsBy applying the teaching of the Four Noble Truths, patients who blame their unfortunate situations begin (i) to acknowledge that no one is free suffering; (ii) to accept that one is responsible to one’s own suffering. (iii) to realise the the truth of cessation of suffering, the state of liberation and enlightenment, and finally (iv) to cultivate the path leading to the cessation of suffering.

Once patients accept the first and second truth of suffering, they have less sorrow and do not blame others. This is particularly obvious among patients dying from HIV/Aids, as they understand the causes of their illness and accept responsibility for their sufferings.

Kasih Hospice…… With compassion, we serve



3. The Three suffering Our patients are faced with the:• Suffering of physical body-

although this can be relieved by medication and nursing care given by hospice team.

• Suffering of change - Patient’s mental and physical state are changing all the time. From feeling well to discomfort and back to wellness. We use to explain that suffering is not permanent.

• Pervasive suffering- it is not easy to share this fact with patients. But, skilfully we tell patients that tour human existence, being unsatisfactory, is not worth being attached to so we encourage them to let go of the craving for material possessions, relative and friends and even the body.

From our experience, we found that people with religion are less fearful of death. They believe there is a brighter future after death, either to be with divine god, and for Buddhists, of better future rebirth, liberation and full enlightenment. Sadly for those without religion, we find they have a lot of fear due to their belief of punishment in hell for everyone without choice 4. Death and Impermanence Our volunteers attend talks on death and impermanence and the nine round death meditations (that death is certain, the time of death is uncertain and at the time of death, the only thing that will

help us is dharma and our spiritual cultivation). Such awareness and conviction is very useful for patients and volunteers, who have to face incidences of death and impermanence.

5. The universal law of cause and effect ie karmaAll volunteers are taught the four principles of karma: that karma is definite, karma increases, you have to do the action to experience the result, and karma will not disappear- to change it you have to purify it. We emphasize that one can still do something to modify the results.

6. Purification The most wonderful thing that we share with patients is the practice of the four opponent powers. By doing the purification practice, we reduce patients’ fear and uncertainty and give them hope and relief. • We advise patients to generate a

deep sense of regret• We encourage patients to rely on

the 3 refuges, • We share with patients antidotes

that can be applied to counter afflictions, such as thought of loving kindness against hatred. If patients are Buddhists, we recite prayers and mantras together.

• We emphasize the importance of vigilantly keeping the promise to refrain from creating negativities.

7. Cultivating loving kindness, compassion and altruistic joy We explain to patients that though



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the body is sick, the mind can be healthy, that one can utter pleasant speech and have good thoughts toward others. One should appreciate the kindness of all others and rejoice on good done by others.

Besides the above Dharma knowledge, Kasih Hospice Care volunteers are reminded to set the right motivation i.e. to free all beings from suffering and causes of suffering without personal gain. By inculcate a Bodhicitta mind that me alone create the complete cause to free all beings from suffering and be liberated from samsara.

Volunteers’ own spiritual development Hospice care serves as a platform for volunteers to practice Dharma. The benefits of doing hospice work are tremendous. By constantly

facing death and reflecting on impermanence, volunteers put Dharma practice as a priority in life. Serving the sick is one of the greatest virtuous. Virtuous actions will bring about merit, which can effectively counter delusion and clear obscurations in our spiritual path.

ConclusionSpiritual support is an integral part of hospice care. The universal principles of love, compassion, altruistic joy, equanimity, generosity, patience, tolerance, trust, understanding, peace and respect for all life, freedom from selfishness, hatred and delusion, of truth and wisdom, belong to no particular religions. Through one’s sincerity and genuine wish to free all beings from suffering, the pure motivation can lead both patients and hospice volunteers on the path to higher spiritual attainment.



Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

LDC Dharma Program for May 2006P - Precepts BP - Special Days of Lord Buddha Full Moon New Moon

1 2 3 4 5P 6 7

15 16 17 18P 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27P 28

Guru Puja 7:30pm

22

29 30 31

Lama Zopa Rinpoche arrives KLIA at 1:40pm

Tara Puja 7:30pm

TSOG OFFERINGS

8 9 10 11 12 13P 14

Whole night chanting OMANI PADME HUM

start at 9pm

Wesak Day Celebration DINNER

at 6.30 pm for members & invited

guests only.

Teaching by Rinpoche STAGES OF THE PATH

7.30 pm


7.30 pm


7.30 pm

Long Life Puja for Rinpoche at 10.30 am



Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Hospice Debriefi ng Session

3pm - 6pm

Animal Liberation

11am - 12noon

1 2 3 4 5P 6 7

15 16 17 18P 19 20 21

22 23 24 25 26 27P 28

Guru Puja 7:30pm

7

29 30 31

19 20 21 19 20 21 19 20 21 19 20 21 19 20 21

TSOG OFFERINGS

8 9 10 11 12 13P 14

Wesak Day Celebration Various

activities at LDC

Wesak Day CelebrationCelebrations

Various activities at LDC

Medicine Buddha Initiation7.30 pm

Vajrayogini Initiation for those with HYT

only



CENTER OPERATING HOURS : Monday-Friday :

10:00am - 6:00pm

For donations, please makeall crossed cheques payable to

Losang Dragpa Buddhist Society. Your donation is greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

LOSANG DRAGPA CENTER’S :Address: No.1, Jalan 17/21F,

46400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Eshan, Malaysia.

Telephone Number: Ven. Dechen 017-6088 919 Ven. Osel 019-3022 369 Ven. Ang Losang 017-3274 686 Elsie Ng 016-3363 955 Stanley 012-3021 268 Chung Han 012-6666 308 Shirley 012-3943 051 William 016-2513 070

Email: [email protected] Website: www.fpmt-ldc.org

LDC’S GURU & SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR :Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche

Website dedicated to Rinpoche: www.fpmt.org (look for Spiritual Director)

& www.lamazopa.com

Ven. Dechen 017-6088 919 Ven. Dechen 017-6088 919 Ven. Osel 019-3022 369 Ven. Osel 019-3022 369 Ven. Ang Losang 017-3274 686 Ven. Ang Losang 017-3274 686 Elsie Ng 016-3363 955 Elsie Ng 016-3363 955 Stanley 012-3021 268 Stanley 012-3021 268 Chung Han 012-6666 308 Chung Han 012-6666 308 Shirley 012-3943 051 Shirley 012-3943 051 William 016-2513 070 William 016-2513 070

Documents

habda - fpmt-ldc.org · wheel-turning Buddha in this world. It is said that among the many beneﬁts of worshipping Shakyamuni Buddha, simply reciting his name enables one to purify