What We've Been Working On: 2005

In last fall's newsletter (2004), we mentioned our need for more Tibetan teachers to work with in Halifax. This last year has been very fruitful in that regard. We’ve had a wealth of visiting teachers, including several new collaborators.

Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Khenpo Garwang with the Translation Committee

At the beginning of 2005, we met with Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Khenpo Garwang, with whom we reviewed our translation of a Nyingma lineage supplication and a short Avalokiteshvara sadhana by the great Mipham Rinpoche, along with editing a commentary on this by the Sakyong.

Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche. Photo by Marvin Moore.

Soon after, we met with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche during his Vajrakilaya abhisheka and seminar, which was very well-attended and well-received. We focused on the Vajrakilaya abhisheka text, which the Sakyong will use to confer this same abhisheka in the future. For Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s program, we produced a new edition of the Vajrakilaya Sadhana, and soon after we republished the daily practice text and a brief commentary. We also edited and published Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s teachings, entitled Great Splendor Vajrakumara, now available for all tantrikas who have received this abhisheka. After leaving Halifax, Rinpoche gave teachings in Vancouver, for which we produced a reprint of “Intensifying Devotion in One’s Heart: The Supplication ‘Crying to the Gurus from Afar,’ ” which he taught at the Vancouver Shambhala Centre.

When the Vidyadhara was living in England in the mid-1960's, the great teacher and terton Neten Choling requested advice and teachings from him. The Vidyadhara fulfilled this request by sending a letter in the form of a lengthy poem. Just after Shambhala Day this year, Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche offered a spontaneous oral translation of this text during the final talk of his Pema Karpo vajrayana program in Halifax. This provided the catalyst for our translation of "The Seal of Pure Intention, A Spontaneous Song Sent from England in the West," which was prepared with the kind assistance of Khenpo Sönam (see below), and later reviewed with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Karma Senge Rinpoche.

Khenpo Tsering Gyurme and the Translation Committee

During the Shambhala Congress in February, we were delighted to meet and work with Khenpo Tsering Gyurme from Surmang. He was very helpful in reviewing some of the Vidyadhara’s collected works, which included a short pith instruction text, a magnetizing practice of Red Chakrasamvara, practices of Ekajati and Chemchok, and several short feast offerings.

Not long after that, we met with Khenpo Sönam, a very well-trained practitioner from Bhutan, now living in sunny California, who worked with us on some of the texts just listed, as well as others, including "Chökyi Gyatso's Letter to Choling." He traveled to Halifax in the dead of winter with his wife and daughter, hosted by David and Trudy Sable, who provided a very welcoming atmosphere for our work. We look forward to work in the future with both of these new khenpo friends.

What We've Been Working On 2005. . . continued