Rinpoche at Shambhala

Can you find Rinpoche in this picture?  I took this about an hour and a half ago, 

no effects added.

Preachin' the Dharma

Jetsunma

We rented the Berkeley Shambhala for the weekend to host Rinpoche's first of a series of teachings on the Kunsang Lamai Shelung (tr. as "The Words of My Perfect Teacher") a well-loved book by Patrul Rinpoche on the foundational practices of the Dzogchen tradition.  Rinpoche spoke "pandita" (scholar) style, elucidating each sentence in great detail.  Anne Klein is translating.

He made a key point that it is a mistake for people to think the foundational practices are not dzogchen.  He made an analogy to an airplane.  First you have to build an airplane before you fly it in the sky.  Ngondro is like building the plane, you have to have it built well for it to fly.  But it is an airplane before it takes off as well as while it is in the sky.

I am staffing the sales table.

You will also see a picture above of Jetsunma, our tulku of Yeshe Tsogyal, and the abbess of many nuns in Tibet.   She is said to be one of two women in Tibet today who give empowerment.  In her previous life she was Chime' Wangmo, a Dharma Physician and the daughter of Adzom Drukpa.  She is an excellent scholar, and was nearly complete her Khenpo (Doctorate-like) when forces outside of her control cut off her final year of education at the shedra she was attending.  There are some predictions she will move here to North America, but Rinpoche told me recently that the faith, devotion and practice of the Dharma here are not yet strong enough to warrant it.

Interesting how the picture came out of Rinpoche leaving his throne, above.

Join us tomorrow, starting at 10:30 am.