Boatman on the Ganges, Varanasi, India.
‘May those who put to sea in a boat or ship
Attain the ports that they desire,
And may they safely come to shore
And sweetly reunite with their kith and kin.’
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References ‘Way of the Bodhisattva’, Shambhala Dragon Editions: 10th Chapter on Dedication, Stanza 24
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
An original message… beautiful!
There are many prayers and preparations being made at Namgyal Temple in Dharamsala today.
Tomorrow is the great Buddhist celebration of Chökhor Düchen, the first turning of the Wheel of Dharma; the day of Buddha first teaching, The Four Noble Truths, given at Deer Park in Sarnath, India.
Along with the recitation of mantras, the making of prayer flags and the serving of tea, there is a place at the temple where any visitor can leave a message of good wishes and continued birthday sentiments for His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Yellow Post-its are gathering in number for Dalai Lama to enjoy. They are written in Tibetan, English, French, German, and many languages; possibly as many languages as there are visitors here.
It is said that all good wishes and actions, positive and negative, are multiplied 10 million times during this time. So, write on a Post-it in your heart, wish-it with along with us… join us on this special day!
A sampling of messages found at Namgyal Temple today.
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Chökhor Düchen is one of the Four Great Festivals (düchen), during the Tibetan calendar year of 2010-2011, Iron Tiger Year 2137, 4th Tibetan day of the month (western calendar date of July 15, 2010)
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
Green Tara perched in a nook along the stone wall.
Today I have a wish for you!
I wish I could share part of my day after an early morning, misty monsoon rain in Dharamsala, India. The birds all make their sweet noises as they flit about the moistened plants and rocks, and the sharp hawks fly over-head. Tibetans young and old, ordained and lay, make their way around the small hill that has on it’s uppermost parts the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
The view that extends over Kangra Valley is vast and fair and for some moments a person might feel content to focus on the pleasantness of just this time, this day.
On the final part of the clockwise round there is a road, to one’s left the forest below, to the right a stone wall. It becomes increasingly green, lush with moss and plants as monsoon progresses and the Mani Stones placed there brighten as their colors are soaked with the damp. It becomes a gallery of mantra and prayer, each stone placed in faith, an offering to all.
Please come with me and take a look at what is here, so you might enjoy it there wherever you are.
Om Mani Padme Hum!
A line of prayer stones carved with the mantra “Om Mani Padme Hum” are given a place of honor and enjoyment.
Mani stone with a Butter Lamp carved and painted adds extra offerings.
A full prayer carved in Tibetan language, artistic letters based on ancient Sanskrit.
A cascade of green grasses spring from this window of stone and steel bar.
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Om Mani Padme Hum – the mantra of great compassion.
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
Three pink flowers at the base of a Buddha’s lotus seat are graced by roots of the same pink color, Hong Kong.
With a wish to free all beings
I shall always go for refuge
To the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha,
Until I reach full enlightenment.
Enthused by wisdom and compassion,
Today in the Buddha’s presence
I generate the Mind for full Awakening
For the benefit of all sentient beings.
As long as space remains,
As long as sentient beings remain,
Until then, may I too remain
And dispel the miseries of the world.
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References ‘Generating the Mind for Enlightenment’, Traditional verse used when taking Bodhisattva Vows with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, derived and inspired by Shatideva, Bodhisattva’s Way of Life
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
Said to be a sacred pool at ancient ruins in Kangra Valley, Himachael Pradesh, India.
When drops of water fill a vase,
It is not the first drop that fills it,
Nor the last drop or each drop individually;
Through the gathering of dependent factors the vase is filled.
Likewise, when someone experiences joy and suffering – the effects –
This is not due to the first instant of their cause;
Nor is it due to the last instant of their cause.
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References ‘Mind Training: The Wheel of Sharp Weapons’, Attributed to Dharmaraksita, Translated by Thupten Jinpa, 2006, Stanzas 111 & 112 (partial); published by The Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundation, http://www.budaedu.org
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
The gift of a great smile and a “rosy disposition”, open street markets of South India, Karnataka State.
“May beings destitute of splendor become magnificent and bright.
And those worn down by toil and drudgery acquire great beauty and perfection.”
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References ‘Way of the Bodhisattva’, Shambhala Dragon Editions: 10th Chapter on Meditation, Stanza 29
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
The traditional blessing of saffron water at Tibetan New Year celebrations, Losar at Boudha Stupa in Katmandu, Nepal.
There are five forces for condensing the practice in one lifetime, namely this lifetime. The first force is the intention that we throw ahead of us. We wish, “May I always be able to develop a bodhichitta aim; may I always be able to practice attitude-training; may I always be able to develop the good qualities that will truly enable me to benefit all others.” Throwing ahead the force of our intention is like making a preparation to fulfill these wishes. So, we throw ahead the intention: “I am going to develop in this good direction. Now that I have this opportunity to practice these vast vehicle Mahayana practices, I am going to apply all my force and all my active energies in this direction.”
To do this every day, in the morning we say as we wake up, “Today it is so fortunate that I’ve woken up. I’m alive! I have a precious human life. I’m not going to waste it, but will use all the energies of this precious life today to develop a bodhichitta aim to achieve enlightenment in order to benefit others as much as is possible. So, I am going to have kind thoughts toward all others. I am not going to be angry or have bad thoughts. As much as I can, I will use all my energies to help others, to be of benefit to others.”
It is very important to have this very practical setting of our intention in the morning. Likewise at night, we can examine our actions: “What have I done today? What type of person have I been today: did I help others or did I just use others for my own selfish purposes? Did I get angry; did I develop attachment?” We need to examine our day honestly as to how we actually behaved and what types of attitudes we developed during the day. If we find that during the day we in fact were a kind and warm person, we can rejoice in that, feeling happy and encouraged. But if we acted in a very disturbing manner, we need to feel regret about that, admit we did wrongly, and set a very strong intention: “Tomorrow, I’m not going to act again in such a negative manner.”
If we do this each day, we will gradually improve and learn to sustain it by resolving to “act well” for the next day, month and year.
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Commentary by His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama; Attitude-Training Like the Rays of the Sun – Day Five: Relative Bodhichitta and Deepest Bodhichitta; Conventional Bodhichitta (continued), Developing Love and Compassion: to an audience with many new arrivals from Tibet. Translated by Alexander Berzin [http://www.berzinarchives.com ], Dharamsala, India, May 9–15, 1985
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
Beauty found in the open street markets of Karnataka State, India.
So many others… so many situations in our world… Two Iranian women facing potential execution, the oil continues to surge from the ocean floor in the Gulf of Mexico putting people and nature at sustained and increasing danger, and even those who seem to have so much, but still suffer from their own confused actions not knowing how to move forward without fear.
What is our commonality?
“Like those who journey on the road, who halt and make a pause along the way, beings on the pathways of the world, all halt, and pause, and take their birth.”
What state of mind can we adopt? In what way can we find sense, solace or solution?
“Strive at first to meditate upon the sameness of yourself and others. In joy and sorrow all are equal. Thus be guardian of all, as of yourself.
The hand and other limbs are many and distinct, but all are one – one body to be kept and guarded. Likewise, different beings in their joys and sorrows are, like me, all one in wanting happiness.”
Connected through technology, more aware through communication, we are able to reach out and do something positive. By being informed we have an opportunity to care through our connectivity.
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References ‘Way of the Bodhisattva’, Shambhala Dragon Editions: “Like those who journey…” 8th Chapter on Meditation, Stanza 33; “Strive at first to meditate…” Stanzas 90 and 91
Photograph by C. J. Schake – © Copyright 2010 – all rights reserved, quality prints available on request.
Filed under July 2010
Mahayana Wish 