Sand mandala creation at the Montana State Capitol
This past Friday, we were traveling through Helena, and as luck would have it, the Tibetan Children’s Education Foundation (TCEF) was sponsoring the creation of a sand mandala in the rotunda of the Montana Capitol Building. TCEF dedicates itself to the preservation of the Tibetan culture through education and assistance, raising awareness of the culture, and by empowering Tibetans to carry out these goals. TCEF is wonderfully staffed by two friends of mine, Karma Tensum and Valerie Hellermann, and the mid-day was marked by being in their graceful presence. When we arrived in...
Read MoreThe Culmination of all our blessings and practice
The July Consecration Retreat has come to an end, and, boy, it we send it off with a bang. We sang, danced, told stories, and enjoyed each other’s company until the wee hours.
Read MoreFinal Sunday morning – Tibetan Procession and speech from Tashi Namgyal
It is bittersweet when something amazing comes to an end. I woke up this morning feeling a bit of melancholy, but upon arriving at the Garden of 1000 Buddhas, these feeling quickly evaporated. The first person I saw was my old friend Karma Tensum for the Tibetan Children’s Foundation. Following a wonderful Tibetan Procession and Dakini Dance, we heard from Tashi Namgyal who represent North American Tibetan for the Government in Exile. Afterwards we posed for a group photo of the entire sangha, guests, lamas, khenpos, and...
Read MoreDancing Dakinis and Tsok – Saturday night equals party night
Dakinis, the female embodiment of enlightenment, danced for us this evening. They danced so gracefully, and I found my attention focused on their hands. Each hands holding a damaru or bell flowed. Following their dance, we engaged tsok that lasted into the wee hours.
Read MoreFlames of the Fire Puja
After lunch on Saturday we, engaged in a Fire Puja, in which we placed the names/images of those who have passed away with intention of aiding the in the purification of any negative karma.
Read MoreFinal consecration and kora of the Garden
Late in the morning, Rinpoche led us in the final elements of the consecration of the Garden of 1000 Buddhas. The circumambulation procession filled the air with bells, conches, banners, and mantra as it paced the entirety of the Garden.
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