1may/jun 2013mCI (P) 085/02/2013

Read about Lama Zopa Rinpoches teachings at ABC, March 2013

Especially for you:

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amitabha Buddhist Centre is a centre for the study and practice of mahayana Buddhism, based on the tradition of Lama Tsong Khapa, in the lineage of Lama Thubten yeshe and our Spiritual Director, Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

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SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

RESIDENT TEACHER

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi

PRESIDENT

Tan Hup Cheng

SPIRITUALPROGRAMME COORDINATOR

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme

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Koh Zi Yen

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Alicia LeeDenis Kwan

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amITaBHa BuDDHIST CEnTRE44 Lorong 25a Geylang Road

Singapore 388244Tel: 6745 8547 Fax: 6741 0438

www.fpmtabc.orgcentre@fpmtabc.org

Making OfferingsHow Unbelievably

Precious!From page 3 to 9, we bring you an edited selection of the teachings given by Lama Zopa Rinpoche

at Amitabha Buddhist Centre on 8th and 9th March, beginning with the benefits of making offerings. Rinpoches incredibly precious advice on offering practice is to inspire us to accumulate the greatest merit at any opportunity, advice worth bearing in mind as we celebrate Vesak and the

Tibetan Saka Dawa 15th this May.

Just seeing the portraits or statues of Buddha purifies your mind and plants the seed of enlightenment. Whether a believer or non-believer, you get that benefit, to be free from oceans of samsaric suffering which we have never been free from since beginningless rebirth up till now. It gives the opportunity, so incredibly precious.

Offer one grain of rice, no matter how small the picture is, the statue, stupa or scripture. The incredible benefit is you will achieve the happiness of samsara. You will get that much happiness from beginningless rebirth until now, and that much to be experienced in the future. This is the benefit you get, the person who offers one grain or one tiny flower.

It is mentioned in the Sutra of Piled Flowers, you can achieve that much happiness. That is most amazing! On top of that, ultimate happiness, liberation from samsara, liberation from oceans of samsaric suffering, forever. On top of that, full enlightenment, total cessation of not only the gross, but even subtle obscurations. Because of that, you achieve all the understanding, omniscient mind, full realisations. Even after that, you are able to enlighten numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, numberless human beings, suras, asuras and intermediate state beings, to free them

from oceans of samsaric suffering. You, the one person, can free them from oceans of samsaric suffering and bring them to full enlightenment. All that for the person who offers one grain, one tiny flower to even one tiny picture, statue or stupa.

Can you imagine how precious the holy object is? We think it is just very small, just a statue, and not pay attention to it as something precious. This is from not understanding karma well, the value and the benefits. Even though you may have heard before, I want to remind you how precious it is.

In India, in ancient times, somebody who had nothing offered medicine and food to four ordinary monks. They were not arya beings with direct perception of emptiness. They were fully ordained ordinary monks. A person who had nothing offered them medicine and food only once. As a result, that person was reborn as King Kashyika of India, most powerful, most wealthy. The cause was just offering medicine and food only one time to four ordinary monks.

Now just by seeing a statue or painting of Buddha, you collect a numberless great merit. As I gave in the example, even the medicine and food given one time has a karmic result like that. But just by seeing a picture or statue of Buddha, you

collect a numberless greater merit. The previous example, compared to this, becomes very small. This one, seeing a picture or statue of Buddha, collects unbelievable, numberless great merit. It is mentioned in the Sutra of the Mudra Developing the Power of Devotion, quoted by Shantideva [in the Compendium of Trainings].

Then it is mentioned, if you make offerings of light, incense, prostrations and so forth, you collect numberless greater merit. Now seeing a picture or statue of Buddha becomes small compared to this. How they are so preciousstupas, pictures, statueshow they are unbelievably precious! We should remember with awareness in daily life. Respect and make offerings or prostrations.

Therefore, it is so important to have many holy objects in the house, not only on the altar, not only where you meditate. Maybe in the bathroom where there is a bad smell maybe it is not so good. But in America in Kachoe Dechen Ling, I have one verse written and framed in the bathroom, one quotation from Ling Rinpoche. Rinpoche often recited it so I put it in the bathroom, but I dont get to read it every day, sometimes, but not every day. In the house, there are many rooms full of Lama Chpa pictures, the Thirty-five Buddhas, Medicine Buddhas, many, many. So when you

Teachings by Lama Zopa Rinpoche Especially for You

The much-anticipated visit by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to ABC has come and gone. Over just four days from 7th to 10th March, our precious Guru and Spiritual Director bestowed advice and teachings, granted an initiation and refuge vows, and accepted our offering of the long life puja. Rinpoche delved into a variety of topics, ranging from how to make offerings, to advice on offering service to the centre, to the meaning of going for refuge.

For the benefit of TASHI DELEK readers, we will be featuring a selection of Rinpoches teachings in every issue for the rest of 2013. Starting with this issue, we present teachings by Rinpoche on the benefits of making offerings and important advice from Rinpoche on special mantras that we should recite to ward off sickness and harm. Its all here from page 3 to 9.

Blessings of Buddhas Birth, Enlightenment & Parinirvana

This year, Vesak Day is side by side with the Tibetan date of Saka Dawa 15th. Vesak Day falls on 24th May while 25th May marks the Buddhas deeds of birth, enlightenment and parinirvana in the Tibetan calendar. According to the Vinaya text, Treasure of Quotations and Logic, the 15th day of Saka Dawa (Tibetan for fourth month) is a day when all virtues performed are multiplied by 100 million times!

ABC will be in the midst of our Vesak Celebration 2013 on this merit-multiplying day. Make good use of all the opportunities that we provide to collect heaps of merittake part in pujas, make plentiful offerings and circumambulate the many holy objects on display. Celebrate Vesak and Saka Dawa 15th together! Find details about Vesak Celebration 2013 on the back page.

New Basic Program ModuleFrom 25th June, Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi will begin teaching Module 4 of the Basic ProgramThe Six Perfections and the Heart Sutra. On the topic of the Six Perfections, Khen Rinpoche will continue from where he left off in June 2012 with Module 1: Middling Stages of the Path to Enlightenment. The Heart Sutra will be taught as a separate subject after the Six Perfections.

The Basic Program is an advanced level five-year course which covers the key aspects of Buddhist philosophy that are traditionally taught in the monasteries. For newcomers, please note that students have enrolled in this run of the Basic Program since it started in June 2011. You are welcome to sit in the classes. However, as the material covered can be challenging, it is recommended that one has prior knowledge of Buddhist concepts in order to appreciate the teachings. For the schedule, turn to the May/June calendar on page 14 15.

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open your eyes, wherever you look, it is wow, wow, wow, wow, what merit you collect. But treat them with respect. You cant put them on the floor. Some people keep statues for decoration, not for merit, maybe for business, putting them on the floor. That is not good. We must respect. There is so much negative karma if you dont respect. It pollutes the mind.

All the collections of goodness of samsara and nirvanaAll result from making offerings to the rare Sublime Ones.

In particular, by offering the various offerings, you get different individual benefits.

In the Sutra Clarifying Karma:

First one, in the world you become like the light. Like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, for example: no matter how many people there are, Tibetan lamas, monks or Western-educated people, His Holiness is there like the light. Wherever, among all those people, he is like the light there among the peoplepure in morality, learned, good-hearted, all the qualities. You become like a light in this life and future lives. Not just one life, future lives! For five hundred or one thousand lifetimes, you become like the light in the world.

You achieve clairvoyance, the second benefit. One important benefit of making light offerings is Dharma wisdom. If you want to develop Dharma wisdom, then offer light.

Many people might think if you are

offering light, it is a butter lamp, or many times just a candle, an oil lamp. Only a very limited idea, that you cant offer the other lights in the house, the electric lights. Only offering candles, thinking like that is wrong. Whatever is more clear, dispels darkness, that is the better light. You can offer all the lights in the house. When you do a sadhana, when you do offering practice, you can offer those lights.

By making light offerings, you are able to dispel the darkness of ignorance and achieve wisdom. By offering light, while you are circling in samsara, you are never in darkness. There is always light.

And great wealth: just offering light one time to Buddha, creates karma for many hundred lifetimes, thousand lifetimes, to have wealth.

Next one is being born in a higher rebirth, in a pure land.

You quickly achieve nirvana, not only nirvana but also the great nirvana, enlightenment.

These are the benefits of offering light.

It is mentioned in the Sutra of the Arya Loving Kindness:

If you offer one thousand light offerings, or offer flowers one thousand times, offer one thousand blue utpali flowers to stupas or make statues of Buddha, when Maitreya Buddha shows the holy deeds of enlightenment in this world, you will be born in front of Maitreya Buddha at that time.

Maitreya Buddha will show twelve deeds, as Shakyamuni Buddha did, after enlightenment. Then he will be requested to give teaching. At that time, you will be there. You will receive the very first teaching from Maitreya Buddha. Even offering just one light or a bunch of flowers, or rejoicing in others collecting merit, these people who collect merit, these devas, these human beings who collect merit, will see the completely enlightened Maitreya Buddha. Those who accomplish those merits will be born as the entourage, as Maitreya Buddhas disciples. You will be there, standing before Maitreya Buddha. Your mind will ripen. You will be able to generate the path. You will be free from oceans of samsaric suffering. You will achieve enlightenment.

Offering light is an especially quick way to collect merit and to receive blessings. This creates a special dependent arising. In the Heruka Root Tantra, second chapter, it is mentioned: if you desire attainment then offer a hundred lights. Here [in ABC] it is not only a hundred lights, it is 100,000 light offerings above, and 20,000 lights. Dont think offerings are only what you have at home. Thats very, very limited. You must remember at least at ABC, all the light offerings. So there are 100,000 lights and 20,000 lights. [See Our Offerings Are Your Offerings, page 8.]

If you wish to achieve sublime realisations, marvellous realisations, offer smell, incense, flowers. According to ceremonial prayer you also make offering of a hundred lights. In the root text of Heruka, it mentions offering a hundred lights. If you can, offer as many as possible. For example, you achieve those higher

and higher bodhisattva bhumis and emanate a thousand bodies, hundred thousand bodies, million bodies, as you achieve higher realisations.

Any offering we dowater, flowers, incense, lights, cakeshas ten benefits as explained in the Sutra Clarifying Karma. Each offering has different temporary benefits. Ultimately as soon as it is offered to Buddha, the end is total liberation from oceans of samsaric sufferingsoceans of hell beings sufferings, oceans of hungry ghosts sufferings, oceans of animals sufferings, oceans of human beings sufferings, oceans of sura and asura beings sufferings, intermediate state beings sufferingstotal freedom from all those, nirvana, perfect state of peace.

Offering to Buddha always, always has that benefit, and not only that, total enlightenment. Total cessation of not just the disturbing thought obscuration, the subtle obscuration which interferes with the mind becoming an omniscient mind, full realisation with nothing left to realise, nothing more to understand.

If you offer to the buddhas, the end is full enlightenment. That is what we need to achieve to do perfect service, perfect work for sentient beings, to free them from oceans of samsaric sufferings. The hell beings, to free them oceans of samsaric sufferings, and the numberless hungry ghosts, as well as numberless animals, numberless human beings, then numberless universes. There

are numberless human beings in those worlds. So, numberless human beings, to free them from oceans of samsaric sufferings, suras and asuras, worldly gods, worldly devas, intermediate state beings. To do perfect work, you need omniscient mind, directly understanding the minds of numberless sentient beings in each realm, to be able to read ALL at the same time.

Can you imagine? Can you get the idea? At the same time: all their karma, all their levels of intelligence, directly, and the various methods to free them from suffering and cause them temporary and ultimate happiness, and bring them to full enlightenment. Knowing every single methoddifferent teachings, different adviceknowing exactly the different methods that fit them, ultimately, to bring to enlightenment, knowing everything. Perfect power to reveal the methods according to their karma, manifestation of holy body, holy speech, holy mind, can you imagine? Numberless forms according to the karma of numberless sentient beings, and without any effort, without motivation, naturally. As you achieve enlightenment, it is happening naturally. Amazing, amazing, amazing!

The articles in this issue of TASHI DELEK, of Lama Zopa Rinpoches teachings at ABC, March 2013, (pages 3 to 9) were transcribed and edited by Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim.

In daily life, if you dont practise making offerings you can see how that is a great loss. You are born as a human

being, receive a precious human body, yet you never practise, never make offerings, even for one day you never make offerings, you missthat is a great unbelievable loss.

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Whole Skies of Offerings: Benefits of the Offering Cloud Mantra

Even if you have only one water bowl, if you recite this mantra, it becomes numberless offerings to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. Every offering becomes numberless. If you know this mantra by heart, recite it. You can think the whole sky is filled with offerings, mentally transformed. You actually benefit by reciting this mantra. Unbelievable benefit, what merit you collect that day, that time. There is no comparison with how much money you can make from business in the world. Even a billion dollars of profit is nothing in comparison.

When you are lighting whatever it is, a butter lamp, a candle, or with electricity, remember, generate bodhicitta motivation. Make sure its one hundred per cent. Dedicate the practice to achieve enlightenment for numberless sentient beings: numberless hell beings, hungry ghosts, animals, human beings, suras, asuras and intermediate state beings.

I remember many years ago in the old Kopan Monastery, Lama Lhundrup was outside. He made one butter lamp offering then prayed. He offered one light. It was perfectly done. You could feel how pure it was, so nicely the way he did it. For sure it was done with bodhicitta motivation.

The candle or butter lamp that you lit is not for your happiness but for all sentient beings to be freed from oceans of samsaric suffering, to achieve

Lama Zopa Rinpoche explains that reciting the Offering Cloud Mantra has the power to make any offering numberless and create skies of merit.

enlightenment. You light with that feeling and immediately offer to the root guru, for example His Holiness the Dalai Lama, whoever is your root guru. You collect HIGHEST merit, much more than skies of offerings to numberless Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, numberless statues, stupas, scriptures and relics. That in itself is great, but compared to that, just by offering to the Guru you have collected the highest merit. You can think: Guru is all the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, numberless statues, stupas and scriptures.

If you have time, offer to numberless Buddha, Dharma, Sangha in the ten directions, and numberless statues, stupas, scriptures and relics, who are the Guru. Not only in this universe, but the ten directions

Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, statues, stupas and scriptures manifesting as the Guru. The second time, offer in that way. Wow, wow, wow, wow, the merits! You gain the happiness up to enlightenment not just one time but numberless times! You cant get that from doing business, even if you make a billion dollars each hour. I have to bring up business so you understand this.

With one light, you can visualise that by the power of the mantra, it becomes numberless to the buddhas and bodhisattvas. You visualise whole skies of offerings, numberless lights, mentally transformed. The mantra has the power to increase the offering, filling whole skies, numberless. When you recite the Words of Truth*, you must mentally transform the offerings. Whole skies filled with light, how much you have visualised, that much appears to the buddhas and bodhisattvas, that much they get. Reciting the Words of Truth gives the power.

Buddha has explained in the Kangyur: Those who do not memorise, who do not recite this mantra, you make yourself an extreme fool. Why? You have no opportunity to get the extensive benefit of the mantra.

The first benefit is that the minute you remember this Clouds of Offering mantra, it already becomes an offering to the buddhas. How many buddhas? Equalling the number of the atoms of the sand grains of the

River Ganges. That many number of buddhas, even if you are offering light, one tiny light, even if you are eating durian.

You get the benefit of prostrating at the feet of ALL that many numbers of buddhas.

When you chant this mantra and having made offeringsof flowers, incense, garlands, lights, ornaments, powdered incense, the different robes, umbrellas, banners, flags, seat and the monks seat cloth, divine dress, animals, cakes, and ornamentsyou actually get the benefit of having offered to ALL those buddhas.

Fourth, you are freed from all the negative karmas. You get purification.

Fifth, you get all the virtue.

Six, all the buddhas and bodhisattvas see you and give breath to you. It means they help free you from the sufferings of the lower realms.

Seven, if somebody gives harm to you, it helps to stop that. Smell-eaters, suras, asuras, garudas, de gye (eight worldly protectors or devas that have to do with weather). If you do something wrong, they are unhappy and cause hailstorms,

showers, winds and all sorts of bad weather. They create harm. If they are happy, theres peaceful weather. Kinnaras, mahoragas, Vajrapani and the Four Guardians will always follow and protect you. They always guard you and when there is danger, when there is harm, they hide you.

Eight, after death, you get born in Amitabha Pure Land.

Nine, you get these special qualities, without need of special preparation

Offering Cloud Mantra

OM NAMO BHAGAVATE VAJRA SARA PRAMARDANE / TATHAGATAYA / ARHATE SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA /TADYATHA / OM VAJRE VAJRE / MAHA VAJRE / MAHA TEJA VAJRE / MAHA VIDYA VAJRE / MAHA BODHICHITTA VAJRE / MAHA BODHI MNDO PASAM KRAMANA VAJRE / SARVA KARMA AVARANA VISHO DHANA VAJRE SVAHA

* The Words of Truth which are recited after the Offering Cloud mantra, can be found in the FPMT Essential Buddhist Prayers, Volume 1 on page 172.

and practice, just by offering the mantra, whether one light offering or one hundred light offerings.

Then there is the prayer [expressing the Words of Truth*]. These clouds of offerings actually performed and mentally transformed, are all expressions of the innate awareness of the mind, expressions of the dharmakaya. These clouds of offerings equalling the sky, offer to all the Gurus, Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, and their holy body, holy

speech and holy mind. Numberless buddhas and bodhisattvas, numberless statues, stupas, scriptures, even relics, all are manifestations of the root guru. You offer to allstatues in the shops, somebody making tsa-tsas of Buddha, anywhere in the worldyou make offering to ALL. If you want happiness, if you do not want suffering, you must put effort into offering to Buddha, Dharma, Sangha.

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For our Vesak celebration, ABC will have 1,000 sets of offerings placed at the Vesak ground from 23 to 25 May. To commemorate Saka Dawa 15th, the date observing Buddhas birth, enlightenment and parinirvana in the Tibetan calendar, another 1,000 sets of offerings will be arranged on the fifth floor of our building. These are set up in conjunction with the four merit-multiplying dates of the year: the Day of Miracles, Saka Dawa 15th, Wheel Turning Day, and Buddhas Descent from the Heaven of Thirty-three. As Saka Dawa 15th falls on 25 May this year, these 1,000 sets of offerings will be displayed for at least the month of May.

Vajra Armour MantraThis mantra will help to not get obstacles, sicknesses, in particular cancer, to not receive harm from other beings. At the end of the session, you blow over water then you drink the water. Thats one way. Then continuously, you blow in the nose after reciting the mantra. Think that all the sicknesses, spirit harms have completely gone away.

OM PDMA SHAWA RI PHAT / NN PAR SHIG / NAGA NN/ TAD YA THA / SARVA BI RI TA / HANA HANA / VAJRE NA RAKSHA RAKSHA SVAHA

Most Secret Hayagriva Mantra

This mantra is incomparable against nagas harms. Cancer is caused by nagas, same as leprosy. Incomparable to stop diseases caused by nagas, spirits called tsen, extremely effective.

HRIH VAJRA KRODHA HAYAGRIVA HULU HULU HUM PHAT

Mantra from The Dharani Called

Possessing the Limbs of All the Buddhas

Whoever recites this mantra for sentient beings every day doesnt experience untimely death. You wont experience bad diseases, like cancer and many other life-threatening diseases. You wont experience death by water,

Mantras to Keep Sickness Away

Lama Zopa Rinpoche has emphasised strongly that there are three very important mantras to recite to protect against sickness and harm. Here are the mantras, with Rinpoches advice from his

teaching on 9th March at ABC.

from a tsunami, by fire, weapons. You wont be harmed by poison.

Rinpoche has mentioned before that the following section of the text is important to recite:

Then the Bhagavan proceeded toward the eastern direction and, abiding there, exhorted all the tathagatas with the sound of a fingersnap and spoke thus: All those tathagata foe-destroyer perfectly complete buddhas who, out of mercy for sentient beings, attained buddhahood in the manifest, complete enlightenment that is unsurpassed and perfectly complete, be my assistants! Then, having been blessed here by the blessings of all the buddhas, I will thoroughly avert untimely death for all sentient beings. I will also turn the second wheel of Dharma that I turned before.

Likewise he exhorted all the tathagatas in the south, west, north, above, and below speaking thus: All tathagata foe-destroyer perfectly complete buddhas, out of mercy for all sentient beings may the buddhas who have manifestly completed the unsurpassed, perfectly complete enlightenment please assist me! Likewise he also spoke thus to those in the intermediate directions in order for life, strength, and complexion to be thoroughly accomplished and for the fear of untimely death to not arise saying: All buddhas please assist me!

Then, the buddha bhagavans filled, like a sesame pod, universes equal

to however much earth constituent exists in the ten directions and appears to the eyes of the buddhas. Having accepted to assist the Tathagata, all the tathagatas spoke thus: TADYATH / CHAL CHAL CHALE / VINATI / SVASTI KE / CHAKRA / ADGATI / PRASHA MANTU / SARVA ROGA / ANTE KUNATE / MAH KUNATE / CHARE CHARERE / HEMA GARI / HEMA GAURI / HEMA NISHUNTI / HEMA SISI / KAURVE KAURVAVE / HE KURARE / KURARE / KUMATI / VISHA SAMANE / SISHUBHI / CHALE CHALE / VICHALE / MVI LAMBA / HUMU HUMU SVH.

Also all the Lords of the Secret, however many exist, having sat down beside all the tathagatas, said: HUM HUM SISI SVH. They spoke thus and all the tathagatas vanished.

Then, Great King Vaishravana replied thus to the Bhagavan: Bhagavan, I too will protect them with the blessings of the tathagatas. I will avert untimely death. TADYATH / SHVETE / SHVETE / SHVETE / LE LILI. Also Virudhaka said: MTAM GE MTAM GE / MTAM GINI / SHUM SHUMU. Also Dhritarshta said: CHARE CHARERE SVH. Also Virupaksha said: BALIM BABA.

The excerpt of The Dharani Called Possessing the Limbs of All the Buddhas is taken from the FPMT edition translated by Ven. Joan Nicell.

Our Offerings Are Your OfferingsWe welcome you to use the abundant offerings at ABC for your daily offering practice to accumulate skies of merit.

Lama Zopa Rinpoche: You must remember at least at ABC, all the light offerings. There are 100,000 lights and 20,000 lights. Rinpoche was referring to the 100,000 LED lights that illuminate the sixth and seventh floors of the building (shown on the right), and the additional 20,000 lights decorating the altars of the prayer halls on the second and third floors, including Rinpoches room (picture above).

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see Rinpoche do this with such determination. In the hospital immediately after the stroke, Rinpoche commented and also explained to His Holiness the Dalai Lama how sad he was that he couldnt do even one prostration any more or even bring both hands to the mudra of prostration at his heart to respect the Three Jewels. But now up to twelve long prostrations alone thats progress! Rinpoche is going in his own way at his own pace.

From Life on the Road with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, at www.mandalamagazine.org

Prostrating with Every Cell, Every Atom

Like a Hard-Shelled Tortoise to the Finish Line:

My nose to ground journey with prostrationsby Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim

Many who attended Lama Zopa Rinpoches teachings at ABC in March witnessed a miracle. Each time before ascending the teaching throne, Rinpoche made three full-length prostrations. Only this year, beginning with his visit to Taiwan, has Rinpoche started doing full-length prostrations again. Since manifesting a stroke two years ago, it was not certain whether or when Rinpoche would be

physically able to prostrate. But he has!

In a recent blog, Ven. Roger Kunsang, CEO of the FPMT and Rinpoches assistant, described his experience of watching Rinpoche prostrate. Here is an excerpt:

Rinpoche stood with his hands in the mudra of prostration before a very large thangka of Chenresig. Rinpoche gradually leaned forward, slowly going to the ground, his stronger left arm reached for the ground, fingers contacted the floor. Gradually, Rinpoche put weight on the arm as his body leaned forward cautiously. The left knee moved towards the ground and made contact. Now the hard part: the right arm reached out to touch the ground with Rinpoche trying to spread his fingers so they landed open and stretched out on the floor.

Gradually, Rinpoche lowered his body

forward awkwardly, always the left side taking most of the weight. Watching Rinpoche making this kind of effort is very moving. I can see others moved and feeling emotional. The whole hall is very quiet while Rinpoche is making such an effort to do a full-length prostration to all the Buddhas.

It wasnt so long ago that Rinpoche couldnt do this alone and it was dangerous as he would sometimes feel dizzy when his head went below the waist (not a good sign when you have problems with blood pressure and you have had a stroke!)

Its very inspiring and moving to

Taking on a practice commitment is all about keeping it, even if it proves to be challenging. Perhaps it is less about the practice, and more about the person trying to practise.

In thirty days, as I write this, I will have completed 100,000 full-length prostrations. There are less than 2,000 to go, to cross the finish line.

Among all the preliminary practices in our tradition, prostrations are the most physically demanding. This is obvious if one has ever seen diligent prostrators in actionslide down, stand up, slide down, stand up, over and over again. It is a wonderful form of offering, laying down all the atoms of the body on the ground in homage to the Three Jewels, surrendering with refuge to Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, physical motion synchronised with a strong mental attitude. For those endowed with virtuous determination, able bodies and time to spare, finishing 100,000 or more prostrations within a short period of time is an attainable goal.

I can name a few outstanding examples. The late Cyndi Yee quit her job to spend more time on her practice. She finished 200,000 prostrations, mostly on the verandah of her apartment. She could do thousands of prostrations a day.

A fellow nun, an American who lives in India, completed 100,000 prostrations in less than three months at the mature age of sixty-four. I also know a Singaporean monk who did 900,000 prostrations! It seems Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised him

to complete a very big number so he went ahead to do it.

As for me, I didnt take a three-month holiday and jet off to Bodhgaya. I opted for the tortoise lane where I could work at a slow but steady pace to 100,000. Maybe if I could simply choose at will which of the preliminary practices to do, I would have conveniently left out prostrations! However, I was following the first piece of advice that came out of my first personal consultation with Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Not only was I very fortunate to have consulted Rinpoche about my life practices, I was relieved that I did not receive too elaborate a list with alarming numbers to fulfil. There are people who hesitate to ask Rinpoche about what practices to do because Rinpoche sometimes prescribes very lengthy life practices, according to ones karma.

From Rinpoches divination, I should do 100,000 prostrations while reciting the names of the Thirty-five Confession Buddhas. This was six years ago. My thought then was: Karma willing, I should start on my bucket list while I had the life and leisure to. More inclined towards climbing Bukit Timah Hill than Mount Everest, metaphorically speaking, I decided that rather than leap like a hare, I would shuffle like a tortoise.

I set out on my journey to complete 100,000 prostrations on 23rd April 2008. With baby steps, I thought, I would surely reach the goal. I began with a modest thirty-nine

prostrations a day. Occasionally, I did short retreats to focus on chalking up a higher figure. I made it up to 500 a day. Besides the Thirty-five Buddhas names, I also recite the names of the Medicine Buddhas, a practice which Rinpoche recommends.

Eventually, I settled into a routine of fifty prostrations every day. It takes just ten minutes to do. However, an acquired resistance towards physical exertion means that I typically postpone this daily nose to ground appointment until I have finished my other prayers and practices.

In spite of being lazy and not always being able to conjure up a perfect motivation, I have stuck by my commitment. Wherever I have been in the past five years, whatever the mood or condition, I have prostrated. I recall times when I was ill, with fever, nausea and terrible headaches, lying in bed weak and exhausted, yet somehow by the end of that day I would have summoned up the strength to complete at least thirty-five prostrations.

I have prostrated wherever I have travelled. Sometimes I would pack a yoga mat so that I could prostrate in hotel or hostel rooms. But later on I discovered that it was possible to prostrate on most beds. I just had to find the right balance on the mattress so I didnt topple over!

When I visited Tibet in 2010, my group and I camped outdoors at Chkorgye, a mostly ruined monastery close to Lhamo La Tso, the oracle lake where predictions about the reincarnations of the Dalai Lamas are obtained. The lake

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any practice, is not about the numbers. Without generating devotion to the guru, having refuge in the Three Jewels, regretting the countless eons of negative karma accumulated, or a thought to benefit others, it is questionable whether it is worthwhile to prostrate at all. Without some Dharma motivation, I would have just wasted five years performing an apparently impressive series of mechanical movements.

When I close the gap to the finish line a month from now, it will be a personal victory to have lasted the distance, kept my word, and honoured my precious gurus advice. Will that be the end of prostrating for me? Perhaps not, if I understand by now what it means to practise. I remember a poem by Robert Frost which says:

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep, And miles to go before I sleep.

To gurus dwelling in the three times and ten directions, The Three Supreme Jewels, and all

worthy of homage:With faith, conviction, and an ocean of lyric praise, I prostrate, manifesting as many bodies as atoms in all the worlds.

is sacred and so are its surrounding mountains, including the place where we camped, 4,000 metres above sea level. It was late afternoon, the sun was setting and there was a light drizzle. While the others were settling into their tents, I spread out my yoga mat on a carpet of damp grass and wildflowers before the ruins of Chkorgye and began my prostrations. Besides a fine rain, there was also an occasional breeze which would blow my yoga mat over now and then so I had to keep my eye on it. It must have looked strange, a foreign nun prostrating on a desolate hillside in cold wet weather. But it was also magical.

One definite advantage of working 365 days a year through this practice is I have benefited enormously from all the merit-multiplying days on the calendar, including those auspicious days when all virtues collected are increased 100 million times. Those special days would fire me up with an extra spurt of motivation to strive and carry on.

Admittedly there were times when I felt weighed down by despondency and fatigue, when lifes demands seemed overwhelming with too much piled on my plate. I would wonder whether that would be the time to stop, so I could rest. Thankfully, it was mind over matter. It was the thought of death and impermanence which prompted me

to dive into this ngndro, and it was through thinking about death and impermanence that I did not give up.

When Lama Zopa Rinpoche manifested a stroke two years ago, I brimmed over with sorrow remembering how much dedication and energy Rinpoche put into making even one single prostration. At that time, realising that Rinpoche could not prostrate, I developed a greater appreciation for having a serviceable body to prostrate with. It strengthened my resolve to make each prostration count, because who knew what tomorrow would bring.

Fast forward to recently seeing Rinpoche gather up such tremendous effort into prostrating once again, despite the physical difficulty involved. Clearly, in the pure practice of Dharma, one never gives up.

The difference between racing on a fast track and taking a stroll is having the time to check the scenery. My five-year journey with prostrations gave me ample time to chew over the purpose, meaning and motivation for my practice, and to chip away a little of my hard-shelled resistance.

Even as I approach my target, I know full well that this practice,

From Lama Chpa

Reaching out to those in Need

Great Turnout for 1st JINPA for Our

CommunityABCs first food distribution project to the needy was launched on 13th April with an enthusiastic response from our members and friends. 216 volunteers, including families with children, took part in our community service project that was organised with the Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC). Our volunteers fanned out in a fleet of 51 cars to deliver necessities such as rice, cooking oil and beverages to 203 households all over Singapore. Each household received $80 worth of groceries with funds donated by ABC and individual sponsors.

Khen Rinpoche greeted the assembly of drivers and despatch passengers with a motivational message before they set off on their goodwill mission that Saturday morning. He encouraged participants to focus on the altruistic intention of giving when making their deliveries, rather than the thought of expecting in return.

With the warm outpouring of support from volunteers and sponsors, including the many newcomers who joined us, we can look forward to more rounds of Joy in Practising Altruism for Our Community. According to the CDAC representative, ABCs volunteer turnout is the largest that they have encountered so far.

Heaps of groceries to give away!

A family event where even the kids can volunteer.

A despatch crew ready to set off with their deliveries.

1,000 Offerings for Charity

Our regular displays of 1,000 sets of offerings on the fifth floor are arranged in conjunction with the four main auspicious dates of the Buddha, providing our members and students with bountiful offerings with which to accumulate the highest merit (see Our Offerings Are Your Offerings, page 8). However, since the displays are temporary, what happens to the offerings when its time to pack them up?

For the past one year, ABC has donated the contents of our on-going series of offerings to charity. Every 1,000 sets of offerings comprising 84 cartons of bottled water, 140kg of rice, and 2,000 rice crackers have gone to the following beneficiaries:

Green Avenue Home for theElderly

LionsHomefortheElderly

Star Shelter (Singapore Councilof Womens Organisations)

SunloveHome

Lets rejoice that besides serving to help us accumulate merit in our offering practice, our 1,000 offerings are also providing for those in need.

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Three joyful days filled with precious opportunities for you to accumulate great merit, make extensive offerings and receive the countless blessings of the Three Jewels.

ReceiveRefugeandthe5Preceptsfrom the Abbot of Kopan Monastery Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi

Light offering andcircumambulation for everyone

On display: 8-ft WhiteDzambhala Wealth Deity statue & 20-ft Maitreya Buddha statue

White Dzambhala wealth vasesfor sponsorship

Sponsor and dedicate auspiciouspujas for long life, health and success

Thursday 23 May

4.00 pm Tara Puja 5.30 pm Blessing for the public by Khen Rinpoche7.30 pm Recitation of OM MANI PADME HUM with Khen Rinpoche 8.30 pm Light offering and circumambulation

Friday 24 May

6.00 am Taking the 8 Mahayana Precepts with Khen Rinpoche8.00 am Bath Offering Ceremony9.00 am 1,000 Offerings to Shakyamuni Buddha 11.00 am Blessing for the public12.00 pm Free vegetarian lunch

2.30 pm White Dzambhala Wealth Deity Puja4.00 pm Blessing for public by Khen Rinpoche7.30 pm Taking Refuge & 5 Precepts with Khen Rinpoche8.30 pm Light offering and circumambulation

Saturday 25 May

9.00 am Medicine Buddha Puja & Vajravidarana Puja for Purifying Sickness and Obstacles11.30 am Blessings for the public by Khen Rinpoche2.00 pm 1,000 Offerings to Namgyalma4.00pm Grand dedication of merit

Come celebrate the Buddhas birth, enlightenment and parinirvana with ABC.

To sponsor any of the pujas, please visit our office before 23 May. From 23 May, you can offer your sponsorship at our Vesak ground.