A NEWSLETTER OF SIDDHARTHA’S INTENTApril 2007 HOW TO LOOK FOR A GURU AND BE A STUDENT TENZIN PALMO’S NEW NUNNERY READING ALOUD THE WORD OF THE BUDDHA UPDATE ON THREE YEAR RETREAT IN THIS ISSUE most of which are nationally registered societies and charities. which funds monasteries.org About Siddhartha’s Intent Founded in 1989 by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. has handed over the role to me. We are also a part of the lineage established by the historical Buddha two and a half thousand years ago in India. Date: Address: 15. Many of us have spent time in India visiting the holy places of pilgrimage such as Bodhgaya. a big circle. Venerable Tenzin Palmo at her newly built nunnery. Every year more translations are published. Gentle Voice connects the students of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche with his teachings. including the Khyentse Foundation. an interview with the British nun. Australia Enquiries: (02) 9420 1340 australia@siddharthasintent. with the principal intention of preserving the Buddhist teachings. Lynne Macready.org/about. Siddhartha's Intent is an international Buddhist association of non-profit centres.org Registration: www. beyond the limits of cultures and traditions. We are also linked to Lotus Outreach. I hope I can live up to her fine example. Buddhism is developing in the West at an incredible pace. which is helping to prevent child trafficking in Cambodia and provide vocational training for survivors of trafficking. New developments are taking place all over the world and some of these will also be featured. Much is new but much endures. with his work. and with the world of Buddhism. Though not very long. Editor Gentle Voice : page 2 Contents How to look for a Guru and be a Student Next Three Year Retreat Reading Aloud the Word of the Buddha Realising the Potential of Nuns Announcements Book Review Practice Sessions for Students 3 5 6 7 9 10 12 Teachings by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche The Madhyamakavatara Series 3 Teachings in Sydney This is one of the key philosophical expositions of emptiness and its study has been an essential part of Buddhist training in Tibet for many centuries.htm) . Things change but there is a continuity empowering new growth. with each other. Sunyata (Di Cousens). teachings are given and centres established. Gentle Voice is a publication of Siddhartha’s Intent and is connected to all the other projects of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. This is the third in a series of four annual programs. Siddhartha’s Intent has branches in eight countries including Australia and here we are particularly excited to follow the progress of the three year retreatants at Vajradhara Gonpa in Kyogle. and it is exciting to be a part of it. We are a part of something greater than ourselves as individuals and each one’s contribution expands the whole. (http://www. university chairs. Our spiritual home is the Dzongsar Monastery in Tibet and four other monasteries and retreat centres in India and Bhutan. After many years of outstanding work our Editor.siddharthasintent. scholarships for both monks and lay people and other projects. and I plan to include pictures and stories from these foundational places of inspiration. In this issue we include a further instalment of Dzongsar Khyentse’s teaching on how to look for a guru and be a student.24 June 2007 Fred Hutley Hall North Sydney Council 200 Miller Street North Sydney NSW 2060. a report on the three year retreatants and an account of the transmission of the Buddha’s teachings in Bir.Gentle Voice : April 2007 In This Issue Editorial Welcome to a new edition of Gentle Voice.siddharthasintent. A massive cultural integration is taking place. the text contains complex and subtle arguments in a condensed form. as well as increasing an awareness and understanding of the many aspects of the Buddhist teaching. This is a big mandala. And the teacher must have the motivation to enlighten the student. if you're boiling an egg. is not to think that the method is the dharma. Gentle Voice : page 3 . When we cook an egg. bodhicitta – should not have any difficulty arising within us. a tradition. you will not find a way and it would be unwise to do so. You can cook an egg right on the street. even if one wanted to do without culture. That’s how one loses contact with the dharma. the quintessence of the Mahayana sutras. but there's also a fascination with eastern cultures – with colourful Indian culture. but completely closed. For example. orderly Confucian Chinese culture. If there's anything else. When all the causes and conditions come together. as you can see. There is no ceremony in this. Most of the time. If your Tibetan master prescribes that every day before your meditation you must have a cup of butter tea as some kind of skilful means coming from the master's wisdom and compassion. such as water. fascination with the culture takes over. there are certain causes and conditions you must have. we gain a certain confidence. by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche at his library in Bir. bare. "No nose. It is almost impossible to get the benefit of it without depending on some kind of method. aren't we? But the cook is actually quite important in this case. you can consider it a bonus. the water. We're reluctant to rely on the cook these days. renunciation. the prayer would not succeed. simple Japanese culture. devotion. you cannot read the Heart Sutra and contemplate the words. especially within Tibetan Buddhism and probably also Japanese Buddhism. Then all that we are supposed to practise – trust. This is why I think the guru is almost a must. a pot and fire. You have been chanting the Prajnaparamita or Heart Sutra. the pot and the other conditions are gathered together. of course. That should be the guru’s main aim. a fascination with the words of Gautama Buddha. condition and effect. the egg itself is the most important thing. then this is a skilful means prescribed for you and it's what you have to do. emptiness is form …" and so on. Unless you are already accomplished (which means you have already been groomed in a certain tradition). Anyway. a culture or teachings. which should be the wish for enlightenment.Gentle Voice : April 2007 How to Look for a Guru and Be a Student I've already said a lot of things about the student’s motivation. though. without depending on a master. which states. The egg will be cooked: there's no choice. The great siddha Saraha defined devotion as trust in cause. There is a fair amount of confusion among students. And when the cook. Yet there is no black-and-white judgement we can make. the Buddha’s words. seeking enlightenment should be the student's primary goal. But not everybody has to learn how to make butter tea just because they are following Tibetan Buddhism. as Patrul Rinpoche said.) Perhaps a kitchen would make it easier. the closest thing to ceremony in it is the prajnaparamita mantra. Of course. even if you prayed for the egg not to be cooked. chaotic Tibetan culture. This fascination with culture and the words of the Buddha can get mixed up. However. There is. Let's talk about devotion. no eyes … form is emptiness. There is no culture in it. isn’t it? (And an egg is such a good example of ourselves: beautiful to look at. what do we have? Devotion. The important point. but it's very uncomfortable and messy and in the process the egg may not be cooked properly unless the cook is skilled. so let's approach it from another angle. In addition to that we have other things like renunciation mind. That’s not going to help you." It’s very true. The Kagyü lineage says. You should not go back home and read your car manual to find out where coffee is mentioned. Why ask too many questions? All this time. Just do it. Devotion is important.Gentle Voice : April 2007 In order to develop this kind of devotion you have to hear the instruction that you need water to cook an egg. that your emotions are destroyable. unshakable devotion towards him. second. some kind of sanity and language ability. The clock is ticking. think about the first kind of devotion: trusting yourself and trusting someone else. especially the first kind. anger. But it should exist after you have finally convinced yourself that the egg is cookable. For instance. That approach also exists. Time-saving devotion comes naturally if you have the first kind of devotion. at least intellectually. they are compounded phenomena. If he says. So if you experience that. so just do it. we should celebrate. I’m talking about two kinds of devotion: the first kind is knowing that you can drive because you have all the attributes to learn to drive and this master can teach you. Depending on how much effort I invest. do it. two feet. That's not so good. Some incredible instructions could be given and this is because of you. by the law of cause." Then develop a sense of trust that. That means a lot. then you can contemplate that and actually perform it yourself. Yet you have one-pointed. that's actually believing in the result – enlightenment itself. Perhaps other driving-school students are wondering what you two are doing. which is meditation. That's not only trusting the path of enlightenment. based on seeking enlightenment. Now just do whatever he says. But along with your abilities come other attributes such as nervousness. Whenever you have a problem with too much renunciation but a lack of trust in yourself. I think this second kind of devotion is the most obvious devotion and it actually overshadows the first kind of devotion a lot. life after life. it's usually better just to believe in the master because you don’t have time. but because they are more eternalist-oriented I also explain the idea Continued on page 11 Gentle Voice : page 4 . it will merely waste your time unnecessarily. during meditation and on the spiritual path in general. Many of my students fall in love. the main aim should be enlightenment. Then you ask someone to teach you how to drive and he does so. They are not inborn nature or permanent. I've noticed that some practitioners lack the first kind of devotion. During the cooking of an egg the main aim is the egg being cooked. you believe that he has the ability to teach you how. they have endless depression. that they can all be destroyed. remember the example of the egg. you have been asking questions and it hasn’t really led you anywhere. I would rather call it ‘time-saving devotion’. I want to stress this because devotion seems to have some kind of negative connotation such as believing whatever the teacher or the path says and not asking questions or analysing. This could lead to pointless. not your feet". he might tell you to drink a cup of coffee before you drive. a mind. I give them my best wishes. condition and effect it can be manipulated. sleepiness or being distracted. You assure yourself that you have two hands. jealousy and pride. They may also think he is taking advantage of you. They also have depression. "These emotions come from causes and conditions. Again. at least through listening in the beginning. Once you have that confidence. but instead of pointless depression. How can you learn that? By reminding yourself again and again. you have to learn. If your good karma leads you to an instructor who thinks you're not alert enough. they can be changed. "Devotion is the head of meditation. When you experience negative emotions such as desire. though. Devotion is so important. get married and come to me for blessings. first you must believe within yourself that you can drive. However. First. "Operate the brake with your hands. more eternalist-oriented students have another problem. Of course. but also what you may call ‘blind devotion’. In our practice. It’s really the fundamental ground. This second kind of devotion seems to have taken over the first kind of devotion too much. drink it. "Drink coffee". let me remind you that this all has to be based on one thing: the wish to seek enlightenment. One should learn that if even ten per cent of what we're planning succeeds. If he says something else like. if you want to learn how to drive. The second kind is really following his instructions even though they're not coming from the textbook. you believe that you can drive. nihilistic depression. no matter how grim the situation seems. not so much because of the teacher. two eyes. but they have some kind of renunciation mind. Vajradhara Gonpa is now accepting expressions of interest for the next three year retreat expected to commence in early 2009. Mani stones at Neten Choling Gonpa. The three year retreat is grateful to the many sangha members who have offered their time and energy as external helpers for the three year retreat and to Byron Bay Buddhists for their assistance in bringing visiting teachers such as Khyentse Jigme Rinpoche and Dzigar Kongrul Rinpoche to the three year retreat. If your application to attend the retreat is approved by Khyentse Rinpoche.siddharthasintent. NSW 2474 Australia Please provide your postal address. Retreats recur on a four year cycle. For more information see www. To request an expression of interest questionnaire. Kyogle Vajradhara Gonpa Now Accepting Expressions of Interest for 2009 Three Year Retreat With about a year remaining before completion of the first three-year retreat. 2. There are no formal prerequisites for this program. Make contact with the three year retreat administrator to request an expression of interest questionnaire and submit the questionnaire to Vajradhara Gonpa. acquire a temporary residence visa (with assistance of retreat staff). postal address: PO Box 345. email: [email protected]. Kyogle. Vajradhara Gonpa is now well established as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche's dedicated three-year retreat facility in the West for both Australian and international students. the three year retreat administrator. 4. Outside the retreat.Gentle Voice : April 2007 Next Three Year Retreat by Steve Cline. The inaugural retreat began in December 2004 with 28 Australian and overseas participants. although a strong ongoing relationship with Khyentse Rinpoche is significant. In addition to these steps it is good if you can discuss your interest with Rinpoche in person.org/VajradharaGonpa. Experience with sitting meditation and the preliminary practices are useful preparation. many sangha members have said they feel much encouraged in their own practice knowing that friends are practising full time in the threeyear retreat. Bir. Selection of participants is at the sole discretion of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. 3. If you are an overseas applicant. You will be notified by the three year retreat administrator whether Khyentse Rinpoche advises that you submit a full application to attend the retreat. The acceptance process is in three or four stages: 1. pay a non-refundable portion of the retreat fee. Gentle Voice : page 5 .htm. Three year retreat at Vajradhara Gonpa is a residential program of strenuous contemplative practice conducted within a formal retreat boundary according to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. The cost of the next retreat is expected to be finalised by July 2007. contact Kate Miller. One may only be accepted into the retreat after completing these steps. which can’t truly be described but only experienced.” And. lifetime after lifetime--there must be so much merit. as well as dharanis for deities such as Vajrapani and Yamantaka. Questions we attendees raised on a daily basis were: ‘What is the Kangyur. ‘May this tiny excerpt from that teaching give you a taste of how significant it is to hear the words of the Buddha and its importance to our practice and understanding of Buddhadharma. empowerment and instruction. Sutra and Abhidharma. During this time Rinpoche gave private and group teachings and interviews. Gentle Voice : page 6 The first Buddhist council was held at the Saptaparni cave near Rajgir.and hosted dinner guests practically every night of the week. Bir conducted numerous planning and development meetings with people from the Khyentse Foundation.Gentle Voice : April 2007 Reading Aloud the Word of the Buddha by Maggie Westhaver. Deer Park and other organisations -. for one. believe that receiving lung has a powerfully transformative effect. 2006 through Feb 14. don’t you think?” Shariputra says. Their merit will surpass the first merit. Good. “Thus it is. Further.000 Root Verses of Prajnaparamita. if you could invite all the Buddhas of the past. Buddha says. reading at the speed of light. Rinpoche gave a pithy teaching. He says. (Photo: Steve Cline) Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche gave the complete Kangyur lung at the Chokyi Lodro College of Dialectics in Chauntra. worked on a book on the subject of karma. During the transmission of the 8.’ ‘With Shariputra. Receiving lung . This was where the teachings of the Buddha were recited from memory for the first time. it was said that Rinpoche was up very early taking care of his own practice commitments. Buddha talks about the importance of hearing these teachings--which is something you should know in case you are wondering why you are sitting here. Before this experience many of us thought that lung was a Tibetan-made formality but now I. stopping for three days only during this time. or of someone who is just accidentally hearing the sound of this and not even contemplating it. “Shariputra. (It’s certainly not just sitting there listening to someone read something in a foreign language--although technically to receive a lung one does have to hear it. 2007.or reading transmission . “But that merit is nothing compared to the merit of someone who is reading this. (Photo: Di Cousens) .is an important part of the Tibetan transmission trilogy. near Bir.”’ Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche giving the Kangyur lung. India from November 19. present and future to lunch and dinner--not just for a day or two but for month after month. anyway?’ ‘What is Rinpoche giving today?’ ‘How can Rinpoche read this fast day after day!’ ‘Why did Rinpoche invite me here?’ The Kangyur is the collection of Shakyamuni Buddha’s words and contains three sections: Vinaya. of course. Good. taking its place between wang and tri.” Buddha continued. and this goes on and on.) You’d think that transmitting the extensive Kangyur lung would be enough—but not for Rinpoche. It includes the root texts of all the Indian tantras such as Hevajra and Chakrasamvara. “Yes. One of the main areas which nuns usually lacked was education and now more and more nunneries are having a philosophical educational program so this is a big leap forward. Since 2004. Well. including the new nuns that are coming in a couple of weeks? A. the number of nuns has increased from about 20 to nearly 60. very scrupulous about not speaking. near Tashijong. They come from Tibet and from Himalayan regions such as Ladakh. Spiti and in particular Kinnaur and in the new intake we have got a number of Bhutanese. As far as the nuns’ development is concerned. Nunnery two parts of their ngöndro By Diana Cousens. so this will be a new departure. Tenzin Palmo at Dongyu Gyatsal Ling Nunnery. Where do the nuns come from. This will be very interesting. Are they all Gelugpa nunneries who are debating? A. They are. September 2006 Gentle Voice first spoke to Ven. At the moment work is continuing on the study centre. Tenzin Palmo in 2001 and then again in 2004.Gentle Voice : April 2007 Realising the Potential of Nuns Interview with Ven. apart from their chanting. including a library. a workshop and a puja hall. This is a really wonderful thing. Ani-la and the staff all have residences on site. Many buildings have been completed and the nuns. Q.G. Q. Q. So now it has become the tradition for the nuns to come together to debate at different nunneries. In the first month they did their prostrations and now they are doing Vajrasattva. Tell me about the retreat. so how does the retreat work? A. the nuns are split in two. Is there anything you’d like to say about the development of the bhikshuni issue or development of higher teachings for nuns? A. Q. it is coming up quite well. Tashijong practice. Tenzin Palmo at D. this year [2006] because we have now got a junior class as well as our senior class. The senior nuns this year are doing Buddha Akshobhya practice which is special for the Drukpa Kagyu. A retreat centre is under construction and when these are completed work will commence on the main traditional temple. In this interview we catch up on the progress of her nunnery and the development of the nun’s education. India. Just recently we got a letter from the Tibetan Religious Office saying that this year’s gathering of the nunneries for the annual debate would be held in Mundgod in the South. but the Nyingma nunneries and the Sakya Gentle Voice : page 7 . They are very.L. how is it guided? Your nuns go on retreat every year during the rainy season for two months. but they really enjoy it. the Khenpo. So the younger group are now doing the first Ven. We never had Bhutanese before but suddenly we had quite a few applications. They practise together with the two groups in separate rooms and they keep silence the whole time. For a group of teenage girls and girls in their 20s this is quite a challenge. It’s their big dream and they are praying sincerely that they should be able to go into retreat and really practice. Hindus get very confused sometimes when they go into Tibetan temples and there are no statues of the Buddha. Q.com www. So we are endlessly fundraising. the retreat centre. They are a little afraid to debate because the Gelugpas have such a mastery of logic which is not so emphasised in the other traditions.nunnery@yahoo. Contact: dgl. Nunneries don’t normally have any lama who is raising funds for them. Not only had I always intended to do this. Dist. the main figure will be Prajna Paramita (the goddess of the Perfection of Wisdom). Or whether they want to go into a three year retreat and then perhaps further years of practice to become what are called Togdenma [Ed: yoginis]. O. They need the opportunities for developing themselves intellectually and spiritually. Kangra H. but without my saying anything. So therefore the nunneries are usually quite poor. Actually his mother was Drukpa Kagyu so he was brought up knowing some of these Drukpa Kagyu prayers. Two of these nuns are in our nunnery and are teaching the DGL nuns because we want the nuns to have the example of senior nuns to respect. because the Khenpo said.P. Also in Kyabje Penor Rinpoche’s nunnery. That again is a step forward beyond relying on the monks. I was very happy to hear him say so too. Q.com Dongyu Gyatsal Ling Nunnery Village Lower Mutt P. have some senior nuns who have studied for many years in Sarnath Tibetan University and they themselves are now the teachers for the nuns. There is Guru Rinpoche and there are various other deities but there is no Buddha. At the end of those six years they are asked whether they want to carry on and do more studies . In the main temple. Every year the price of building materials skyrockets and so our original estimates are way under. This is the reason why here we give them a training program. Padhiarkar. a number of nuns have graduated and to all extents and purposes should eventually be able to become Khenmos. Most nunneries are too poor for this and so it is a bit difficult. but also you need to pay for a professor. said that we must have Ananda and the Buddha’s aunt. anyway. seeing as it will be more open to the public. it’s very good that so many nunneries now have educational programs. not always the monks. Again there will be Jetsun Drolma and maybe Guru Rinpoche or Buddha Akshobhya. So the projects that are yet to be completed are the study centre. Of course you could get round this by debating subjects that they are not so good at. Well. it’s very difficult. And to have a study program. So he feels very at home. They need to have the opportunities to realise their potential. India . He is a very kind and good Khenpo who believes in the nuns and their future. Yes. not only do you need some building in which to have the studies.tenzinpalmo. So what needs to happen for nuns to realise their potential in the best possible way? A. And of course Mahaprajapati was the first nun. so you can’t best them at logic. are very keen to become Togdenma. the main statue has to be the Buddha Shakyamuni. and on one side will be Jetsun Drolma and on the other side will be Manjushri. To find professors is relatively easy but to find good meditation teachers for nuns is more of a challenge. Well. the monastic college (study centre). Some nunneries. But. especially the Tibetans. I think. For the first six years they do the study program and they do two months every year of strict meditation. Q. One of the problems for nuns is still that monasteries usually have a lama at the head. in the puja hall of the shedra. how is it going with fundraising? Have you got all the funds you need to build all the things you are building? A. And in terms of the development of your nunnery. the Buddha’s stepmother. Even those nunneries which don’t have study programs – want them if they can afford it. Tensil Baijnarth. and one of his functions is to go out and raise funds for the monastery. Q.Gentle Voice : April 2007 nunneries sometimes come as spectators. ‘Where’s Manjushri?’ Also there will be statues of the Venerable Ananda and of Mahaprajapati. and you’re going to build a temple? A.because we hope some of them will become teachers for the future nuns. What statues are you going to put in the temple? A. A number of our nuns. Now we have to deal with the problem of Gentle Voice : page 8 finding qualified teachers for the nuns when they are in retreat. In the retreat centres there will probably be statues of Vajrayogini and maybe Vajrasattva or Vajradhara. But my feeling is truly that it is all in the hands of Jetsun Drolma [Ed: Arya Tara] and if she wants this nunnery then she has to put out her influence and get the funds we need. Dugu Chogyal Gyamtso Rinpoche who had come to advise us on the statues. So gradually things will begin to change for the better. such as Thrangu Rinpoche’s nunnery. 176081. Because Ananda was the one who persuaded the Buddha to allow women into the order. Our Khenpo Tsering is from Dzongsar Institute and so he is Sakya but very ris-med (non-sectarian) in attitude. they wanted to do something. Marriages and Retreats His Eminence Chogye Trichen Rinpoche was born in Shigatse. history and Buddhist metaphysics as well as a highly accomplished poet. NSW. She is the most eminent woman lama in the world. The Tree of Enlightenment. For more than twenty-five years Dr. He had a number of publications including including Nagarjuna's Letter to King Gautamiputra (Delhi 1978 & 1982). and the musical accompaniment of the rituals.au They are running monthly Children’s Day programs at the Southern Cross University in Lismore. even resisting the offerings at a Christmas party! They raised $511 for Lotus Outreach’s Girls Access to Education program in Cambodia. Deaths.sakya. Tara and Talia went without food. for showing us how to put compassion into action! Contact meg@lotusoutreach. For two days. Births. Email: [email protected]. had students in many different countries and travelled widely. At the age of 12 His Eminence was enthroned at the Phenpo Nalendra Monastery in Central Tibet from where he completed his studies and mastered the monastic scriptural rituals. (Contributions to this section are invited from readers. These have focused on developing qualities such as generosity and patience. For details of her program go to: http://www. Dr Peter Della Santina passed away on 16 October 2006. To help support the girls’ education and raise . please email hugocroci@optusnet. Kyogle. Many emails are returned or automatically placed in “Spam Folders” because we often send to large groups.O. He was the head of Tsharpa branch of the Sakya Tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.com. Hawaii 1986).org or anna@culturalshapeshifters. Tara and Talia. Madhyamaka Schools in India (Delhi1986) and Madhyamaka and Modern Western Philosophy (Philosophy East and West. changed your email address or would like to be placed on our list.au) are on your list to be accepted. poetry. they decided to go on a fast. If you have dropped off our list.Gentle Voice : April 2007 Announcements His Holiness the Dalai Lama will tour Australia from 6 June to 16 June.org.org Lotus Outreach When Kyogle teenagers Tara Thomas and Talia Wallace heard that young Cambodian girls their age were trafficked and forced into prostitution.au/hejkl/index. Tsog Days Dakini Day (25th) Saturday 12 May Sunday 10 June Monday 9 July Wednesday 8 August Thursday 6 September Friday 5 October Guru Rinpoche Day (10th) Saturday 26 May Monday 25 June Tuesday 24 July Thursday 23 August Friday 21 September Sunday 21 October awareness of their suffering. 2474 (02) 66 331257 [email protected]. His widely read book. Box 520. Enquiries: The Siddhartha School P. the rituals of mandala.com for more information on how to support Lotus Outreach’s work.au) Gentle Voice : page 9 Siddhartha’s Intent Southern Door email list If you are on our email list please ensure that Siddhartha’s Intent Southern Door (australia@siddharthasintent. See http://www.com.html or call Sakya Tharpa Ling on (02) 9745 1888.org. Her Eminence Jetsun Kushola will visit Australia from 30 August to 18 November.au/ or call (03) 9579 7955. Santina had been a student of His Holiness Sakya Trizin.au School News The Siddhartha School is now a tax deductible gift recipient and has a new website at www.thesiddharthaschool. head of the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Tibet in 1920 and passed away on 22 January 2007. serves as a basic guide for those new to Buddhism and the Mahayana and Vajrayana Traditions. His Eminence was a master of both Sutrayana and Mantrayana teachings and a great scholar of literature. Thank you.org and flux@optusnet. India. You may know the end. but you still want to find out how it was discovered. Madhya Pradesh. For instance. Second this book is good read as it brings vividly to life the different actors in this drama. It’s not so much a dry factual account as a kind of mystery story in which the author shows how the story of the Buddha’s life and the history of Buddhism in India was discovered. This then is the story of the people who rediscovered the Indian origins of Buddhism as they explored India. La Trobe University of this story in Sacred Traces: British Explorations of Buddhism in South Asia (Ashgate 2003) and the Indian scholar Upinder Singh has written an excellent book focusing on Indian archaeology as part of the development of modern archaeology in The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginning of Archaeology (Permanent Black 2004). (Photo: Di Cousens) Gentle Voice : page 10 . his understanding of the history of modern Buddhism is a bit rough at the edges. or that there had ever been a teacher called the Buddha. More recently the American art historian Janice Leoshko has written a scholarly account Buddha statue at Sanchi. John Murray (Publishers) London. he states that Angarika Dharmapala was responsible for the revival of meditation practice in Budhism (p. the British and European administrators.Gentle Voice : April 2007 Book Review The Buddha and the Sahibs: The men who discovered India’s lost religion by Charles Allen. reviving meditation practice was not one of them. 2002 Reviewed by Dr Peter Friedlander. Nowadays it’s hard to imagine a time when most Westerners did not even know that such a thing as Buddhism existed. But two hundred years ago in the West knowledge of Asian religious traditions was still very sketchy and it was only gradually during the 19th century that this changed. scholars and eccentrics who pieced together the story. Overall this is an excellent book on an important topic and very well worth reading. This book tells the tale of how Buddhism was discovered by the West during the 19th century. With so many books on this topic what makes Allen’s book special? It’s the engaging manner in which this is written which catches the attention first and keeps you turning the pages like a detective mystery. This book in some senses covers much of the ground told in the classic 1981 book India Discovered by John Keay (Harper Collins 2001) which set the story of the 19th century British discovery of Buddhism within the context of the broader picture of the British rediscovery of ancient India. 255) and whilst Dharmapala was responsible for many things. One aspect of Allen’s book is occasionally a bit irritating. Then you try to put a second strawberry on top of the first one. Remember that the Heart Sutra says. of course. Reaching the second bhumi is nothing but undoing the knot of the first bhumi. no decrease…" This actually means enlightenment is not a result. While enlightenment should be the fundamental ground. it's not only an obstacle but it attracts obstacles. we should celebrate. I think in our lives we try to gather a lot of things like relationships with family and friends. Then you dismantle the second bhumi and reach the third bhumi. influence. it sits well by itself. Gentle Voice : page 11 . Victoria is being consecrated in April. Korean. they are fifty or sixty years old. practice. making some eternalists believe that this will happen one day. well-aged. I have been telling you that enlightenment should be our aim. It's so sad really because there's not much time for celebration. (The Gentle Voice thanks Tom Pengelly and Claire Blaxell for this transcription. I guess it’s conveniently called ‘enlightenment’.com or phone 02 9518 1363) The 2550th Birthday of the Buddha was celebrated by all Victorian Buddhist communities at the Melbourne Town Hall. This will form the nucleus of an anticipated Australian reproduction of the Great Stupa of Gyantse in Tibet. There's a little bit of hardship without glue or toothpicks. it will hinder you. Tibetan. That's difficult. just like wine. This is what I call endless depression. is nothing external. But eternalists like to celebrate when the third strawberry is on top of the second one. Five thousand people attended and the event was organised by the Buddhist Council of Victoria. as an MP3. Cambodian. "Nothing to gain. even the second one falls off. A large crane was used to turn the four metre high bronze statue upside down. Laotian. However. money and so on. First you have one strawberry and." The ‘devil’ in this case is. Thai and Japanese traditions. While trying to position the third strawberry. For details please contact Anna Vlajkovic at annavlaj@yahoo. The master Götsangpa said. It’s not a result. But eternalists just believe that one day the third strawberry will sit on the second. that longing for a result is the sound of a devil knocking on the door. Over 500 art works were displayed in an exhibition that included contributions from the Chinese. (Painting of Ksitigarbha by Katie Munson) Guru Rinpoche Statue Consecration Australia’s largest Guru Rinpoche statue. Being resultoriented is actually one of the main obstacles. Burmese. but an obstacle. Instead. but it might work. When you undo the knot of the tenth bhumi. One should learn that if even ten per cent of what we're planning succeeds. If enlightenment is labelled a ‘result’. That's a very big lesson to learn. subtle obstacles. Sri Lankan.it ferments your path and produces very strong. the third strawberry will not sit easily on top of the second. it's part of your true nature. nothing to lose … no increase. Once it is filled it will be gilded with gold leaf and a shrine room build around it. When they wake up after trying millions of times and experiencing many nasty things. Longing for a result in meditation or whatever you do is goal-oriented. as a student you must also learn not to look for a result.Gentle Voice : April 2007 How to Look for a Guru and Be a Student (continued) of the three strawberries. of course. leaving the base open for filling with consecrated texts and other precious objects. The sad thing is that many movies and books talk about the third strawberry being on top of the second strawberry. looking for a result is like a magnet to obstacles . In fact. Southern Door. but the third strawberry is still not on the second one. Vietnamese. 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