Last blog.....

12 August 2016

Dear Dharma friends,

We've had a very rich time Exploring Monastic Life the last 12 days with friends from around the world. Penetrating teachings and discussion questions have had new and older students alike reevaluating our take on everything from "Why I want to ordain," to "What are some of the big and smaller lies I have told in my life?" We've looked into any unresolved issues with our religion of birth, examined our preparedness for our own death, and almost everything in between. It's been rich!

Since arriving at the Abbey last January, I've also been looking at various identities that I've taken on since becoming a monastic as well as places where my practice is tainted with worldly concerns. It's been a humbling exploration, to say the least. I rejoice in receiving the guidance and wisdom of a very skillful older monastic, Venerable Chodron, who doesn't tolerate anything less than 100% integrity and 100% commitment to awakening.

I think that this Blog has served its purpose and this will be my last post. I'm happy to hear from you via email or old fashioned letter writing.

Let me leave you with one last sharing.....https://youtu.be/eoewLdhrO8Y


Your Dharma friend until enlightenment,
Tenzin Tsepal x

Summer at the Abbey...

Hello friends,

This summer at the Abbey has been a very different experience from Queensland summers, enjoying long days of sunlight (4:30am - 9:30pm) and very mild temperatures. Earlier this month we hosted a week long Medicine Buddha retreat that was quite extraordinary in many ways. A double rainbow appeared on the last day. I'm working on two projects most days - in the mornings, I'm editing some talks that Venerable Chodron gave on prayers before and after meals, and I spend most afternoons painting the window trim on Gotami House, the large nuns accommodation, while learning to negotiate tall ladders.

We've finally arrived at the Middle Way Consequence school in our weekly Tenet classes with Jeffry Hopkins and he's leading us through an explanation on the two truths found in Lama Tsong Khapa's Illumination on the Thought that we studied during the Middle way studies. I'm also really enjoying studying Nagarjuna's Precious Garland. I recently lead a review on the two verses that His Holiness asked us to memorize in Brisbane last June [verses 80-1]. I enjoy leading the the occasional review classes here and there, and doing the BBC when asked. Here's one I did today.......

https://youtu.be/Sf3iT9ZOXl4

The longer I'm here, the more I appreciate what a wonderful conducive monastic environment the Abbey provides. Everything here supports seeing the mind, cultivating mindfulness and introspection to counter afflictions, seeing the kindness of others, and waking up! It's a very harmonious group of people genuinely intent on taming the self-grasping and self-cherishing in their minds. We also participate in NVC training twice a month which is such a powerful tool for developing empathy and good communication skills.

It's great to see Venerable Tsultrim from Chenrezig visiting the Abbey for three weeks. [Thanks for the Vegemite and books!] Marissa Brown from Queensland was also just here for a week. And I'm looking forward to a visit from my mother later in September.

I have requested the Shiksamana ordination and training from Venerable Chodron, which is the next step towards taking the Bhikshuni ordination. She has advised me to take my time, to continue observing and participating in the community, and checking to see if this is the right place for me.

I'm feeling very content and happy to be part of the community here at Sravasti Abbey!

Happy to hear from you,
Love, Tsepal x

Hi Friends,

Just a quick hello from Sravasti Abbey. The gardens are quite beautiful this year....

We celebrated Saka Dawa by doing a Nyung Na retreat, and enjoyed teachings with Venerable Chodron on His Holiness' book How to See Yourself As You Really Are over Memorial day weekend. Lately I've beeen involved in various activities from writing letters to inmates, varnishing pillars, collecting teachings on pre and post ordination training, unpacking the kangyur and tengyur that arrived from DFF, as well as doing some informal tutoring on tenets. The days are full of Dharma without much time to waste. Looks like I'll be teaching at an FPMT center in Missoula in October.

Your Dharma friend,
Tsepal

Hello from Sravasti Abbey....

29 April 2016

Dear Dharma friends,

I hope you are well! 

I thoroughly enjoyed the 3 month winter retreat here at Sravasti Abbey with this great group of committed monastics! What a luxury to slowly go through the Lamrim Chenmo each day - reading, reflecting, meditating! Pure bliss! I also incorporated some ngondro practices and especially enjoyed doing mandala offerings each day.

Perhaps I was a bit ambitious thinking that I would have time to write a blog while living at Sravasti Abbey! Our highly disciplined day is framed by group prostrations, prayers and practices at 5:30 am and 7 pm. We chant prayers before and or after most meals, and the first half of the meal is in silence.

As there is no paid staff at the Abbey, the monastics offer daily service such as cooking meals, maintaining the buildings, gardens and surrounding forest, as well as taking care of all administration work like program development, PR, guest registration, editing Dharma materials, newsletters and website management. They teach the Dharma in various ways –short and long courses at the Abbey, classes in surrounding towns and prisons, and on YouTube, to name a few. This is in addition to 3 weekly classes in Buddhist philosophy – two with Venerable Chodron and a Skype class on tenets with Jeffrey Hopkins. You might wonder when, but there is also time for personal study and practice. One becomes very efficient about not wasting a moment! :-) 

Each day just before lunch, Venerable Chodron gives a short inspirational talk (called BBC) which I’ve found to be so beneficial to keep the mind in Dharma. When she’s away, the other monastics take turns. Here is a recent one that I did on compassion, if interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ri8pS5QhoM

There is a strong emphasis on monastic training and development at the Abbey. Most of you know that monastic life is not just an easy escape from the turmoil of secular life. Ideally, the simplicity of monastic life provides conducive conditions for overcoming all afflictions through developing qualities like mindfulness, compassion, wisdom, humility and the ability to transform suffering -  no easy feat! Community life brings many opportunities to see the habitual ego-grasping and self-centered thoughts that lead to suffering. Some of the older monastics here exude serenity, peace and confidence from their years of practice, which I find very inspiring!

At the Abbey, there is an emphasis on staying removed from what is distracting about secular life, but without being removed from people and what’s happening in the world. Mindful use of media and electronic devices is key. Although I may have limited time and access to the internet, I am happy to hear from you. Know that you are always in my heart and prayers.

Take a look at the SA teaching lineup this summer and fall. You might like to plan a visit! Venerable Chodron is teaching on His Holiness’s book How to See Yourself as You Really Are at the end of May, and several other retreats this summer. Visiting teachers like Dagri Rinpoche, Geshe Damdul from Emory and Geshe Yeshe Thabkhe are filling out the schedule with various teachings on emptiness.

I’ll keep this short for now, as I'm visiting my family in Oklahoma. 

Sending wishes for happiness and joy to you!

Love, Tsepal

Hello friends,

I arrived in Newport, Washington to two feet of snow and a lovely warm community of monastics and lay people. Sravasti Abbey has an amazing website so please take a look. Who knows....you may see me in a photo or on the Bodhisattva breakfast corner!

The lamrim and ngondro retreat begins on Sunday. Til then, I'm settling in, learning the ropes and overcoming jet lag.

I'll be offline until April, but if you like, please chack the Blog after that time. And please let others know about the Blog, if interested.

Wishing you lasting happiness.
Love, Tsepal x

Tsepal starts a blog......

9 January 2016

Dear Friends,

Welcome to this new experiment with blogging. I thought it might be a fun and efficient way to keep in touch with my Australian friends. 

Next Thursday, 14th of January, I'm heading to Sravasti Abbey in Newport, Washington (pop. 2000) to start a 2 and 1/2 month lam rim and ngondro retreat. During the retreat I will not have any internet access, but will keep begin blogging in ernest when the retreat finishes at the end of March. 

Till then, I hope that your New Year brings the fulfilment of all of your aspirations.

Wishing you much happiness. Sending love,

Tsepal