Happy Losar! - Amitabha Buddhist Centre · Dawa. Ven. S.K. recently completed the Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy, and has returned to the United States. She

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Happy Losar!

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Ven. Sangye Khadro came to Singapore in 1989, sent by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to be resident teacher in the months following ABC’s registration as an official society. Ven. S.K., as all the

students called her, stayed in Singapore until 1999. She was influential in shaping the centre’s spiritual programme throughout our first decade, guiding the members as teacher, retreat leader and spiritual counsellor, and initiating the introduction of our first resident geshe, the late Geshe Dawa. Ven. S.K. recently completed the Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy,

and has returned to the United States. She very kindly gave this interview to TASHI DELEK while preparing to enter a long personal retreat.

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.

OUR VISIONLearn to Be Happy

Courage to cherish allWisdom to see the truthFaith in Buddha’s peace

Follow Our Four-fold PathInspire Connect Learn

Practise

SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR

Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche

RESIDENT TEACHER

Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi

PRESIDENT

Tan Hup Cheng

SPIRITUALPROGRAMME COORDINATOR

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme

CENTRE MANAGER

Koh Zi Yen

OFFICE STAFF

ADMINISTRATION - Alicia LeeOPERATIONS - Denis Kwan

RETAIL - Serene Tan

OFFICE HOURSOpen daily except Mondays

Tuesdays – Saturdays: 10.30 am – 6 pm

Sundays: 10 am – 6 pm(Hours extended to 7.30 pm when evening sessions are scheduled)

amITaBHa BUDDHIST CENTrE44 Lorong 25a Geylang

Singapore 388244Tel: 6745 8547 Fax: 6741 0438

[email protected]

Those Early Years:

A Chat with Ven. Sangye Khadro

When you began to teach at ABC in 1989, did Lama Zopa Rinpoche give any advice about the teaching programme and if so, do you recall what it was?

If I remember correctly, the first time that Lama Zopa Rinpoche visited Singapore after I arrived, I asked him what I should teach, and his advice was to mainly teach subjects such as lam-rim and ‘lojong’ [mind training].

What was it like teaching in the early years? Were there any challenges attracting new students to the early classes or getting them interested in the Dharma?

For the first year I was in Singapore, the centre was located in a bungalow on Butterfly Avenue, in the middle of a housing area, and we were not able to put up a sign mentioning that it was a Buddhist centre. Still, there were quite a few people who would attend the talks and meditation sessions. Most of these people were “old students” who had been attending the teachings of the earlier teachers of ABC—Dieter Kratzer and Ven. Thubten Chodron—but new students began to come as well. Some of them probably heard about ABC through

word-of-mouth, while others came because they attended my talks at the Buddhist Library or at the various Buddhist Societies at NUS, NTU, etc. and were interested to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism.

When we moved from Butterfly Avenue to 494-D Geylang Road, we were able to put up a sign and do more advertising, so the number of people attending our activities greatly increased. So no, I do not recall that there were difficulties in getting people interested in learning and practising the Dharma; on the contrary, I found that there were many people with a lot of interest!

One thing I remember is that we would often hold one-day retreats on public holidays like National Day—starting with taking the Eight Mahayana Precepts early in the morning, then having sessions of meditation or practice all through the day—and the centre was always packed on those days. I was really impressed that people had so much dedication to Dharma practice that they were willing to spend their rare off-days from work engaging in practice.

Did you observe any transformation among the students at the end of your eleven years as ABC’s resident teacher? If so, were there any that were very significant?

Yes, of course, I observed that as people learned more Dharma and did more meditation, they became even more dedicated to the Dharma, as well as happier, more positive, more emotionally balanced. A few became so interested in the Dharma that they decided to become ordained (see “10 Who Went Forth” on page 4 – 5), or to engage in advanced studies such as the Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy.

March is here! Make the most of this incredibly precious month, which can bring you a miraculous treasure of merit… if you know how.

No, I’m not speaking in riddles. It’s Losar, the Tibetan New Year, from 2nd – 16th March. These 15 days of Losar celebrate the 15 days over which Shakyamuni Buddha performed a series of miracles, day after day, in response to being challenged by six ‘tirthikas’ [non-Buddhist adepts]. The 15th day coincided with the full moon and came to be known as the Day of Miracles.

Because of the Buddha’s deeds over the 15 days, this astrological period is extremely powerful—any action that one does during this time, whether virtuous or non-virtuous, is multiplied by 100 million times! There are scriptural references such as those cited in the “Treasure of Quotations and Logic”, a Vinaya text. In the Tibetan tradition, this auspicious 15-day phase of the waxing moon is celebrated as the start of a new year.

We have marked all 15 days of Losar on our March calendar (page 14) to remind you of this immensely significant season. So how will you spend this minefield of time? Consider the consequences: receiving 100 million times worth of merit from doing good, versus an equal amount of lousy karma from doing the opposite.

Here are five ways to make the most of merit-multiplying March:

1) Make offerings to the Three Jewels. Flowers, lights, incense, water bowls, food, music… offer just one or as many as you wish. Easy to do every day and the merits, as our precious guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche has described, are inconceivable.

2) Read a sutra. Choose your favourite sutra and recite it while recalling the immeasurable qualities of the Buddha. It takes less than five minutes to recite the “Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra”. For a longer text such as the “Golden Light Sutra”, try reading a chapter or more a day.

3) Liberate some animals. Plenty of ready subjects to be found everywhere! Try liberating the insects and other little creatures that inhabit your home and surroundings. It doesn’t take long to recite a few mantras for the benefit of any animal, to give them the imprints to meet the Dharma as quickly as possible. For example, OM MANI PADME HUM.

4) Prostrate and confess. How about purification practice? One can do full-length prostrations while reciting the names of the “35 Confession Buddhas”. It requires more time and effort, but entirely worthwhile, to clear away the negativities of the past.

5) Take the Eight Mahayana Precepts. Perhaps the best way to be motivated towards virtue all day is to live in the precepts. For those who have received the bodhisattva vow and the eight precepts before, here is the excellent reminder of the promise to benefit all sentient beings.

These are just some ideas. Maybe number one is the easiest and number five is tough. Choose one, all or none. Just think, 15 days times 100 million does add up to A LOT OF MERIT… if you know how.

Happy Losar!

The prayers and practices for Nos. 1, 3, 4 & 5 can be found in the FPMT “Essential Buddhist Prayers” Volumes 1 & 2. The sutras mentioned in No. 2 are available at our free distribution shelves.

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“On 26 February, ABC member Lim Kian Tong received novice monk ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharmasala, India, and was given the name Tenzin Gyurme.”

“How long were you a student of ABC before you became a monk?

I first came to ABC during Vesak of 1993. After that I started attending the lam-rim classes by Ven. Sangye Khadro.

How old were you then?

I was 18.

What do your parents think about your ordination?

I wanted to take ordination much earlier. However my father wanted me to finish university first. This I did in June 1998.

Why did you decide to take ordination?

When I was beginning the study of the lam-rim, I started to have the wish to become a monk although I did not really know why or have the correct motivation. I think it was just a strong imprint from my past lives. The years I spent in the army and the university gave me more time to think about the reasons for wanting to take ordination.

Basically, being ordained means having more time to study and subdue the deluded mind. Also if one keeps the vows, one creates unbelievable merit all the time and one’s virtuous actions have more power. Keeping the vows also lays a strong foundation for spiritual development.

Don’t you find it difficult to give up the normal life of the security of a job, family, etc.?

I did not find it difficult to “give up” the normal life because I kind of lost interest in that after meeting the Dharma. This is not to say that I have renunciation but the thought of having to go through all the fuss to earn lots of money and start a family did not really interest me (I was more of the carefree type). Sometimes when I think of death and impermanence, that one cannot bring one’s family and friends and any of one’s possessions when one dies, then it is quite obvious that all the efforts to bring about the sort of happiness of this life that we all know is a waste of time, isn’t it?”

through special permission from His Holiness’s Private Office. Ven. Palzang taught meditation and lam-rim courses at ABC for about four years.

Ven. Thubten Paldron: “Eng” as everybody calls her, is well known for having adorned ABC’s altars with creative flower arrangements for five years until 2012. Ven. Paldron faithfully took Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice to become a nun even though it meant giving up her family life as wife and mother. In the late Nineties, Tay Siam Eng served on the fundraising committee of ABC’s building project.

Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim: Vivian Seah became Tenzin Tsultrim five years ago through the grace of Lama Zopa Rinpoche and His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Yours truly served on the 2007/2008 Executive Committee and has contributed to the pages of these newsletters and various other forms of publishing and publicity for ABC since 2005.

Ven. Thubten Konchog: Sangye Quek was not your typical

Singaporean teen when he pursued the route to monkhood soon after his PSLE. He received novice ordination from Lama Zopa Rinpoche at the age of twelve in a ceremony held in ABC’s main gompa. Our youngest ordained one, who has just enrolled at the Singapore Polytechnic, has been involved with organising activities for ABC Youths.

Ven. Tenzin Drachom: Animal liberation “champion” and Vice-president, Fred Cheong, is the newest “recruit” into ABC’s Singapore sangha. After taking ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala in September last year, Ven. Drachom headed straight for Sera Je Monastery in south India where he immersed himself in personal practice and retreat. (Read more about Ven. Drachom on page 6.)

For the hundreds, if not thousands, who have made a connection with Amitabha

Buddhist Centre throughout these 25 years, perhaps the majority can testify from personal experience how ABC’s existence in Singapore led them to their spiritual teachers and sparked off their interest in the Dharma. However, there are less than a dozen individuals among those who associated with ABC who not only met the Dharma and their gurus, but chose to take hold of the rare opportunity to step away from the ways of the world and to go forth as monks and nuns.

Since 1994, and up until 2013, ten Singaporeans—five men, four women, and one boy—took ordination as a result of being members or students of ABC. We could venture so far to say that it was entirely by depending on the incomparable kindness, guidance and care of our precious guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche that we were blessed to join the Sangha.

Life is a journey and the monastic path is no different. Some of us began the early days of our Dharma journey as members of ABC. Formerly as laypeople and later on as sangha, we were students who offered service in different ways. As it happens on any journey, some have forged their own paths, whether here in Singapore, or abroad.

Here, in order of the year of ordination, are the sangha members of ABC:

Ven. Thubten Kunkhyab: Lawrence Sim, better known by his refuge name, Yeshe Gyatso, took preliminary ordination in the Chinese tradition at the age of 20, following the advice of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Ordained

for 20 years, Ven. Gyatso has served in FPMT centres in Taiwan and in California, USA. While he continues to travel abroad frequently to receive teachings, Ven. Gyatso remains in contact with ABC whenever he returns to Singapore.

Ven. Tenzin Dekyong: Ven. Dekyong (Lee Wan Nee), together with Ven. Tsomo, ordained soon after they both graduated from university in Singapore. While at ABC, they were both active volunteers in the centre’s spiritual programme. Ven. Dekyong has lived in India since the late Nineties, serving first at Tushita Meditation Centre in Dharamsala and now at Root Institute in Bodhgaya.

Ven. Tenzin Tsomo: Ven. Tsomo (Quek Geok Hoon) has since settled in the United States and serves as Spiritual Programme Coordinator at Land of Medicine Buddha, one of the FPMT centres in California.

Ven. Tenzin Gyurme: ABC’s Spiritual Programme Coordinator, Tibetan language interpreter and Buddhism teacher has been ordained

for 15 years. Ven. Gyurme received ‘gelong’ ordination (full ordination with 253 vows) together with Ven. Rabten and Ven. Palzang from His Holiness the Dalai Lama in 2004. (See “In Print from the Past” for more about Ven. Gyurme’s story.)

Ven. Gyalten Rabten: In the 1990s, Beh Yong Meng served as Treasurer in the Executive Committee. He was ordained in 2002 while living in the USA by Choden Rinpoche, according to advice received from Lama Zopa Rinpoche. He was then working in the FPMT International Office. Ven. Rabten now lives in Sera Je Monastery where he administers the accounts for the Sera Je Food Fund. He also teaches introductory courses and leads pujas at the Choe Khor Sum Ling Study Group in Bangalore.

Ven. Tenzin Palzang: The former C.P. Lam served as ABC’s President from 1996 to 1997. Ven. Palzang received novice and full monk’s ordination from His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the same time—the respective ordinations were held just days apart—a privilege obtained

Who Went Forth by Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim

At Osel Labrang in Sera Je Monastery, India, December 2013, from left to right: Tenzin Tsultrim, Tenzin Drachom, Tenzin Tsomo, Thubten Konchog, Tenzin Dekyong, Yeshe Gyatso, Gyalten Rabten, Tenzin Gyurme

In Print from the Past“Ven. Tenzin Gyurme Gone Forth”

In honour of our 25th anniversary, we bring you another selection from our newsletter archives. Over the years, a tradition developed of interviewing ABC members who had gone forth on the monastic path. One of these early subjects of inquiry was Ven. Tenzin Gyurme, who became a monk at the age of 24. Here is an excerpt from the interview with Ven. Gyurme, conducted by

Ven. Tsomo in Dharamsala and published in “Dharma News”, May – June 1999.

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Spanning five storeys in height, painstakingly assembled and stitched by hand from bolts of carefully chosen fabric, it took one year to create

the magnificent appliqued tapestry that forms this—ABC’s Amitabha Buddha ‘thangka’.

While visiting Singapore at Lunar New Year in 2011, Lama Zopa Rinpoche had advised the Executive Committee to obtain an Amitabha Buddha ‘thangka’ for the centre. Not the usual kind we imagine, but a gigantic one that would cover the entire façade of our seven-storey building! Rinpoche said it would be very beneficial to have this holy object, which could be displayed on special occasions where many people could see and pay homage to it, and thus accumulate vast merits and plant virtuous imprints.

Following our precious Guru’s advice, the Exco went ahead to commission this one-of-a-kind masterpiece from Tibetan artists in the south Indian township of Bylakuppe, the Tibetan settlement where Sera Je Monastery is situated.

Since its completion, the ‘thangka’ has been under wraps in Sera Je Monastery, waiting for the rare golden opportunity to be consecrated by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The wish was fulfilled on 29th December 2013 at the Jangchup Lamrim Teachings when His Holiness blessed the ‘thangka’ alongside an equally enormous one of Guru Rinpoche belonging to Lama Zopa Rinpoche.

Arrangements are being made to ship the ‘thangka’ to Singapore. Very soon, we can all behold this exquisite vision of Amitabha, the embodiment of Rinpoche’s holy wish. And how auspicious that its arrival coincides with our 25th anniversary!

Big Smiles from Sera JeMore than 150 ABC members attended the Jangchup Lamrim Teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Sera Je Monastery, held from 25th December 2013 to 3rd January 2014. Here is a snapshot of the many Singaporeans (and a few friends), taken after a long life puja offered to Lama Zopa Rinpoche at Drati Khangtsen on 23rd December.

Photograph by courtesy of Ven. Thubten Kunsang

ordained. These 100 days have been extremely different. I am able to experience something that I very rarely experienced before. That morning after ordination, I came out with the fresh vows of a ‘getsul’ and realised suddenly this perfect human rebirth had taken another meaning. I had become a sangha. I felt extremely privileged.

Immediately afterwards, I came to stay in the house of my teacher, Geshe Dawa, in Sera Je Monastery. Before that, I was still working. It seems that in the busy-ness of working, some things did not surface. During the last 100 days, I spent a lot of time on my own. Thoughts started to arise that I didn’t have a lot of time to settle before, thoughts about closure on Cyndi’s death. Then thoughts about becoming a monk, how precious it is, to have met Lama Zopa Rinpoche, to have ordination, receiving pure vows. I met the pure teacher. I am in a pure environment. I really wish to pursue this purity, to live as purely as I can, because I have realised it is something very rare.

These three months of ordination have brought about a new way of looking at things. My life is now about doing retreat and more retreat. I am spending a bit of time reading and recollecting the details and lessons from the Basic Program. I have got this deep desire to benefit all sentient beings, especially the animals. I do make prayers that I can benefit them extensively.

An Inspired New Life

What inspired you to take the monastic path?

Before Cyndi [the late Mrs Fred Cheong] passed on we both talked about my becoming a monk. I did tell her that if she did pass on then probably I would be a monk. It is something I felt deeply inside me since I was young, to become a monk. I remember I would generate some wish, in secondary school, that I would go to the temple and stay there.

I think it’s a ripening of past imprints. Also Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised me to become a monk after Cyndi passed on. That was probably the part that made me really decide to become ordained. It is something extremely precious. And also, to get ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama is something very rare, something extremely privileged.

I felt that after studying in the centre for so many years, to have the opportunity to meet the Dharma, to meet our teachers, especially Lama Zopa Rinpoche, then also to receive pure ordination vows, and now to have the perfect conditions to practise, it must be from some previous life—an incredible ripening of great conditions.

Becoming a monk is quite a simple process. But I was thinking more that after becoming a monk, I would be able to do my practice well. That was part of the inspiration, not just to become a monk but what I would do after that. I am very inspired by the teaching of the Buddha, to be

Introducing Ven. Tenzin Drachom, the newest member of our Singapore sangha. The former Lieutenant-Colonel Fred Cheong speaks candidly about how his life

has transformed since taking robes on 27th September 2013.

able to transform oneself and then to bring extensive benefit to people.

All the great teachers say the best body for practice is in the form of a fully ordained monk and keeping the three sets of vows, and by doing that, you can create the most amount of merit in an extremely short period time. That really inspired me, to try to achieve this, to quickly finish the accumulation of merit. There is some deep sense of purpose to want to do this, to benefit as many beings as I can. I thought by becoming ordained, having more vows, my prayers become more powerful.

How has your life changed in the three months since you became ordained?

It’s more than 100 days since I was

Blessings of Amitabha

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Relying on Taraby Lama Zopa Rinpoche

What Is Dharma?

What is Dharma and why is Dharma practice “the most important thing in life”? Lama Zopa Rinpoche clearly explains in this sample from “The Perfect Human Rebirth”, the latest title in

the FPMT LINEAGE SERIES from Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.

“In sports and in worldly activities, people are always chasing the best and trying to be first in whatever they do. But winning at the Olympics, climbing Mount Everest, whatever people consider to be a great achievement, is really nothing. We have all done this kind of thing innumerable times, in past lives if not in this one, and it certainly hasn’t made us any happier.

In fact, in our countless previous lives we have enjoyed every kind of pleasure innumerable times. We have achieved states we can’t even imagine. There is no new pleasure or experience that we have never had. We have been born in god realms where there is no overt suffering at all. We have achieved great powers of concentration, a concentration so profound that as the great master Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo explains in his commentary on “The Three Principal Aspects of the Path to Enlightenment”, even a big drum beating right next to our ear could not disturb us. And we have even attained high psychic powers such as clairvoyance and the ability to fly. None of this is new. Such things seem special only because we don’t understand reincarnation and therefore don’t realise that in our beginningless previous lives we have done it all over and over again.”

“None of these samsaric things can even last. That is their very nature. To achieve them we undergo much hardship, have them for a short while and then they’re gone, leaving us discontented again. Furthermore, everything of this nature is achieved

through a motivation that longs for the mundane pleasures of this life, which, as we will see, is a non-virtuous motivation and the cause of future suffering.”

“Right now, with this precious human body, we have the perfect conditions to see beyond this external confusion—we can understand what suffering is and how to overcome it and what true happiness is and how to attain it. We have the Dharma.

The Dharma is whatever leads us towards happiness and away from suffering; it is whatever destroys the root of suffering—delusion and karma. It is the path we all must take, whether we consider ourselves Buddhist or not. Only by renouncing the causes of suffering, such as attachment, and developing compassion and a correct understanding of the nature of reality can we truly liberate ourselves. This is the new experience we should strive for, not clairvoyance or flying; this is what we have never achieved in the past.

The Dharma is anything that can do that, but it is often specifically used to mean the teachings of the Buddha. It is said that the historical Buddha, Shakyamuni, gave 84,000 teachings in the forty years between his enlightenment in India 2,600 years ago and his death. In Tibetan Buddhism these incredible teachings have been classified into a system that makes them easy to study and actualise—the graduated path to enlightenment, the lam-rim.

Here, the three main areas we need to develop—renunciation of samsara; bodhicitta, the altruistic intention to become enlightened in order to benefit all sentient beings; and right view, the understanding of emptiness—are set out in a progressive series of teachings, from the need for a spiritual guide at the very beginning to the most subtle minds needed for enlightenment at the very end. The lam-rim contains everything we need to take us all the way to the ultimate state of enlightenment.

In fact, I can definitely say that the lam-rim is the very essence of the Dharma. When the great Indian teacher Atisha went to Tibet from the Buddhist university of Vikramashila in India in the tenth century, he condensed everything the Buddha taught into this graduated path, with nothing missing. After that, Tibetan teachers such as Lama Tsong Khapa wrote commentaries on the lam-rim, and to study these commentaries is to see just how the lam-rim presents the whole picture.

The comparison is made to butter. Milk is very nutritious but the very essence of milk is butter. We can use milk to make other things but still, butter is its ultimate essence. The great philosophers and yogis like Lama Tsong Khapa gave incredible teachings based on their own experience. They had a knowledge and an understanding so deep that we can’t even begin to fathom it. From that profound understanding they were able to distil the essence—the butter—and clearly show us the

path we must take from where are now all the way to enlightenment.

Just now we have incredible freedom. We have enough intelligence and leisure and we have the interest to learn. I think if you investigate a little you will see that this is true. Traditional teachings on the perfect human rebirth explain the eight freedoms and ten richnesses. These teachings show us very clearly just how fortunate we are and how rare it is to be in the position in which we now find ourselves. At this moment we have in our hand the means to attain anything we want; we have the means to create the causes for perfect happiness. It is crucial that we don’t waste this precious opportunity.

Without studying the lam-rim it is very difficult to appreciate how rare this chance is and how to make best use of it. Perhaps we try to meditate, perhaps we pray or read sutras; perhaps we even call ourselves a Buddhist, but without a good background in the lam-rim it is very difficult to see how crucial it is not only to practise Dharma but to do

nothing else. Dharma practice is the most important thing in life.

First we should know that without the Dharma there is no happiness at all. No happiness at all. The very definition of Dharma is that which brings happiness. Any tiny happiness that we experience today comes directly from having acted virtuously in the past, and that act was Dharma, whether it was generosity or kindness, patience or right understanding. And all the happiness we will experience in the future is entirely dependent on our creating only virtuous actions from now on, and that is Dharma as well.

To make our life meaningful, we have to do meaningful actions. That means recognising how fortunate we are to have this precious opportunity and determining never to squander it. This is the main thing that allows us to generate the energy we need to undertake the long path ahead of us. This is going to be a long, hard journey and we will need to develop many skills—like a major expedition requires many porters. It will be hard because we have

never made it before and because it is a solely mental trip with many obscurations and hindrances blocking the way. To attain complete freedom from suffering, liberation and enlightenment, we have to destroy all our self-created mental hindrances. Destroying the earth would be easier.

But, this is a great journey we must undertake and the lam-rim is the road map that will take us all the way on the shortest route without getting lost, and it starts from understanding the perfect human rebirth. Therefore, it is very good, at this initial stage of our journey, to have a very clear understanding of what the perfect human rebirth is, its incredible rarity, its fragility and the wonderful benefits it can bring.

Traditionally, in texts such as Lama Tsong Khapa’s “Great Treatise” and Pabongka Dechen Nyingpo’s “Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand”, after an explanation of the lineage of the great teachers that have expounded the lam-rim and their direct link to Shakyamuni Buddha and the importance of the

Lama Zopa Rinpoche with his sister, Ani Samten, at Osel Labrang, Sera Je Monastery, 2013.

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A Rare Offering to the Gurus – The Relics of

Lama AtishaOne of our members, Shirley Lee, unexpectedly found herself in the spotlight when a

photograph of her surfaced on Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s Facebook, revealing that she had offered relics of the great master Lama Atisha to Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the Jangchup Lamrim Teachings in Sera Je Monastery in December 2013. It is rare to come across holy

relics of Buddha or the lineage masters by any means, let alone to be able to make an offering of such to one’s gurus. It was apt and auspicious too, that Shirley could present this sacred gift to Rinpoche during the lam-rim teachings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama in

south India. Lama Atisha was after all, the father of the lam-rim lineage in Tibet.

For the benefit of fellow ABC members and friends, Shirley agreed to disclose the amazing details that led to her rare offering of Lama Atisha’s holy ashes to her gurus in this TASHI

DELEK exclusive.spiritual teacher, the guru, the main body of the lam-rim teachings is divided into two:

Øpersuading your mind to take the essence from your perfect human rebirth

Øhow to extract the essence from your perfect human rebirth—the actual method

The actual method is the rest of the entire path to enlightenment, so you can see that in this great store of teachings, the perfect human rebirth is at its very core; it is the foundation.”

“The meaning of the Sanskrit word Dharma is “that which saves.” Dharma is whatever saves sentient beings from all forms of suffering and the causes of suffering. This is completely inclusive. A sentient being is any unenlightened being that has sentience—a mind that can function and therefore naturally wants to have happiness and avoid suffering—and suffering is anything undesirable, from the worst suffering of the hot hells to the most subtle pervasive suffering a god experiences.

Say we are slipping down a steep

cliff face, with the rocks way down below waiting to smash us to pieces. The only thing that can save us is a rope at the edge of the cliff. Holding onto that rope is the most important thing we can do; that is what can save our life. That is what the Dharma is. It is that which saves us from falling into suffering. Thus we can say that Dharma is whatever leads us to happiness and allows us to eliminate suffering. The analogy of the rope is a good one because it also shows that we are the ones who need to make the effort. The rope is there to help us but we ourselves must hold on to it and pull ourselves out of danger.

Once, Lama Atisha’s disciple Dromtönpa asked him to explain the results of actions done with what Buddhism calls the three poisons—ignorance, anger and attachment—and of actions done without these attitudes. Lama Atisha answered,

Actions done with ignorance, anger and attachment bring rebirth in the lower realms as a suffering transmigratory being. Greed causes rebirth in the hungry ghost realm, hatred causes rebirth in the hell realm, ignorance causes rebirth in the animal realm and so forth. Actions done with an attitude not possessed by the three poisonous minds bring the result of rebirth as a happy transmigratory being [in one of the three upper realms].

Here, Lama Atisha clearly delineates between what is Dharma and what is not Dharma, what is a worldly action. Just as actions that arise from delusions result in suffering, actions that arise from a virtuous mind, Dharma actions, are the source of all happiness.

If we want to be happy, the very first thing we need to know is what actions will make us happy and cultivate those, and what actions will bring us suffering and avoid those. This is the very essence of Dharma practice. When we investigate, we will see that any action stained with the deluded minds of ignorance, anger and attachment and the many, many other delusions that derive from these three will create suffering, and any action done with a virtuous motivation, one of love, kindness, generosity and

so forth, will bring a happy result. This is definite. In fact, this is the fundamental fact about karma.

We can easily see that hatred, jealousy and so forth are negative and bring all sorts of problems, but so too does attachment. Simple actions like eating, reading and walking, when stained by attachment, are non-virtuous and the cause of future suffering. Any action motivated by self-interest and attachment is non-virtuous. We can say prayers for hours every day, we can meditate or make offerings, we can read countless Dharma books—but if those actions are motivated by attachment, such as the wish for a good reputation, then those seemingly good actions are in fact non-virtuous. They may look like Dharma but they are not Dharma; we may look like a Dharma practitioner but we are not a Dharma practitioner.

We need to be very clear about this. It is not the action but the mind behind the action, the motivation that creates it, that determines whether it is positive or negative, whether it is Dharma or non-Dharma. Eating, sleeping or working can just as easily be unstained by the mind clinging to the happiness of this life, and hence be virtuous Dharma actions, as reciting mantras can be non-virtuous when done with greed or anger. The action might seem similar, but the difference in the result of happiness or suffering it brings is like that between earth and sky.

Whether the motivation is virtuous or non-virtuous determines whether the action that results is virtuous or non-virtuous.”

It has almost been a year since the start of a series of events that led to my eventual offering of Great

Master Atisha Dipamkara’s relics to my gurus.

Around February 2013, through a casual conversation with Ven. Gyurme, I mentioned that I had previously worked in Dhaka in Bangladesh, and he pointed out to me that Lama Atisha’s remains were kept in Dharmarajika Buddhist Monastery in Dhaka. I was pleasantly surprised as I had been to Dhaka several times but had never been told that a Buddhist temple existed in the predominantly Muslim city. I immediately contacted my former work associates there and they confirmed that Dharmarajika Buddhist Monastery was in fact in Dhaka city and that Lama Atisha’s birthplace, Bajrayogini of Bikrampur under Munshigonj district, was only a two-hour drive from the monastery.

Apparently, during the revolution period the Chinese government had brought the relics to Beijing. From around 1963, the Bangladesh Bouddha Kristi Prachar Sangha (BBKPS), the former and current

abbots, with the support of the Bangladeshi government, started pursuing China for the return of Lama Atisha’s remains. Eventually they succeeded, and part of the relics together with some manuscripts, were brought back to Bangladesh on 28th June 1978. Both of these invaluable objects have been preserved with much care at this monastery.

The day after my associates confirmed the monastery’s location, I made arrangements for them to send some offerings of flowers and fruits there. Upon their arrival, my contacts informed me that the King and Queen of Bhutan were also in Dhaka, and a new stupa and statue were to be constructed by the patronage of the king and

other donors. They were there to pay respects and consecrate the land for construction. I felt that this was wonderfully coincidental and especially auspicious. Together with my associates, we offered some help for the construction of the bronze statue of Lama Atisha at the new stupa building and also aided the renovation of the temple. The temple also requested for some double-decker beds and study tables for its orphanage, housing approximately 700 boys. We were able to build the furniture and offer it to them. The abbot, the Venerable Sanghanayaka, was very pleased. He sent several invitations for me to attend their Dharma festivities though I was unable to go.

In mid 2013, I requested the abbot for a small portion of the relics to offer to Lama Zopa Rinpoche. By then, the abbot had heard of Rinpoche’s vast Dharma activities worldwide and instantly agreed on condition that Rinpoche must visit them personally with five disciples and with auspicious ceremony, he would release the relics. After a couple of weeks of deliberation, the abbot eventually said that since my associates and I had been sincere

This is a great journey

we must undertake

and the lam-rim is

the road map that

will take us all the

way on the shortest

route without getting

lost, and it starts from

understanding the

perfect human rebirth.

The above excerpt was taken from Chapter One of “The Perfect Human Rebirth”, published by Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive, 2013. ABC will be offering copies of the book for free distribution during Vesak Celebration 2014 in May. Sponsorship for ABC’s free publications is welcome and can be dropped off in the donation boxes at Levels 2 and 4.

Photograph by courtesy of Ven. Roger Kunsang

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in helping his monastery, he would allow me to bring the relics to Lama Zopa Rinpoche on my visit to Sera Je Monastery in December. The abbot gave me a date to visit Dhaka, 18th October, a full moon day coinciding with a Dharma festival known as Prabarana Purnima, a day where all the devotees from the Buddhist town congregate at the monastery to pay respects.

Before I made the trip to Dhaka, I sought Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s approval in collecting the relics. Rinpoche was very happy. He said that the relics would be very beneficial and gave some advice

Lama Zopa Rinpoche on Lama Atisha:

“Atisha spread the pure Mahayana teaching like the rising sun, and all conflict, ignorance, and wrong conceptions were destroyed. Atisha did great work and brought so much benefit to India and Tibet. In India he destroyed many followers of other religions, wrong paths and wrong conceptions. He did great work.

This great bodhisattva, Atisha, lived in discipline, and had the realisation of moral conduct. He kept the 253 precepts purely, and on the basis of that, the bodhisattva’s precepts, the moral conduct precepts and the Vajrayana precepts. He had unshakeable, firm, one-pointed concentration that could last for years—even if hundreds of rockets were flying nearby they couldn’t disturb or shake his meditation. He had perfect realisation of shunyata, the absolute nature, and he achieved high tantric realisations, seeing himself in the form of deities.”

Extracted from Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s explanation of Lama Atisha’s life and work at the 9th Kopan Course, 1976, courtesy of lamayeshe.com

on how I should receive it. I was mindful of Rinpoche’s words and followed the instructions closely. Along the way I also prayed to Tara for assistance to clear all obstacles. The main obstacle prevailing was the political strike in Dhaka, which was on the verge of breaking out around the time I went. It finally broke out on 25th October after my return to Singapore. Fortunately, everything was smooth sailing for me during my three-day visit. The abbot, his entourage of committee members, and a group of policemen very kindly accompanied me to Lama Atisha’s birthplace. I received two stupas containing the ashes of

Lama Atisha. I offered the main one to Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the second one I divided into parts for my other teachers.

I consider myself very fortunate to have the rare opportunity to study the lam-rim, and I feel immensely privileged to have been able to offer these holy objects to my gurus during the Jangchup Lamrim Teaching event. This would not have been possible without the kindness of the various people who supported my pursuit. The main purpose of this action is to benefit others, as Rinpoche has constantly advocated and emphasised.

I dedicate all the merits generated to H.H. the Dalai Lama, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Khen Rinpoche, Dagri Rinpoche and all my spiritual guides for their good health and longevity, for all their teachings to flourish and for all their holy projects, especially the Maitreya Project, to succeed.

As Shirley looked on, the holy ashes (with one tiny crystal relic) of Lama

Atisha were carefully transferred into small receptacles and then placed in two small stupas. Let’s celebrate the Day of Miracles together!

Join us for an

Extensive Shakyamuni Buddha Puja

with 1,000 Offerings

and accumulate oceans of merit on this merit-multiplying day

Sunday 16 March 2014, 2 – 5 pm

Qing Ming with 100 Torma Offerings

A ritual of remembrance to repay the kindness of ancestors and departed loved ones

Sunday 6 April 2014, 2 – 4.30 pmPerformed by Khen Rinpoche Geshe Chonyi and ABC Sangha

The Day of Miracles marks the first full moon 15th of Losar, the Tibetan New Year. It celebrates the culmination of Shakyamuni Buddha’s triumphant display of 15 days of miracles in response to a challenge made by six tirthikas [non-Buddhist adepts].

According to the Vinaya text, “Treasure of Quotations and Logic”, all virtue accumulated on this special day is magnified by 100 million times! Some sutras further mention that the merit increases by ONE BILLION times!

Here is one Sunday practice you don’t want to miss! Join us on this auspicious occasion to venerate the Buddha with a meaningful practice of making extensive offerings, heartfelt requests and strongly dedicating the vast oceans of merit for all our holy and ordinary wishes to be fulfilled.

Take part in a ritual of compassionate giving to the 12 types of guests and dedicate the merits accumulated to your ancestors and deceased family members. By dedicating in this way to those who are connected by blood ties, your prayers work to sweep away their negative karma

and assist them towards good rebirths.

Generating the vast compassion of Chenresig [Guan Yin] and with bodhicitta motivation, Dzambhala-blessed water and specially prepared dough balls are offered to the invited

guests, including worldly beings, sentient beings of the six realms, and intermediate state beings. Through this 100 Torma Offering Ritual [Tibetan: torma gyatsa] we accumulate the merit of having pleased the respective guests by our generosity.

• Dedications can be made for the benefit of all persons, living or deceased.

• Donations are voluntary. Any amount is welcome.

• Dedications / donations can be made at our office from 6 March onwards, or at L1 Reception on 6 April by 2 pm.

• All present will get to sip the water blessed by the Dzambhala wealth deities.

All are welcome!

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april 2014march 2014

Guru puja 7.30pm

Losar, the Tibetan New Year, arrives this year on 2 March, Sunday. Come celebrate the first day of this merit-multiplying season with us.

Palden Lhamo Puja, 4 am: Following our annual tradition, Khen Rinpoche together with ABC Sangha will perform the extensive puja of Palden Lhamo. Early risers are welcome to attend and ring in the early hours of the Year of

the Horse (according to the Tibetan calendar).

Medicine Buddha Puja, 4 pm: This March, our monthly Medicine Buddha puja coincides with the auspicious start of Losar. Don’t miss the opportunity to join in this group practice of making offerings, prayers and requests to Medicine Buddha on a day where all merit is increased 100 million times.

Stay ConnectedTASHI DELEK is a free publication of Amitabha Buddhist Centre. To subscribe, call our office at 6745 8547. It can also be downloaded from our website at www.fpmtabc.org.Other ways to receive the latest updates on ABC’s activities and events:• Visitwww.fpmtabc.org• JoinusonFacebookat www.facebook.com/fpmtabc• Orcallusat67458547to subscribe to our e-mail or SMS updates

Editor Ven. Tenzin Tsultrim (Vivian Seah)

Spiritual Programme Ven. Tenzin Gyurme

Design & Layout Kennedy Koh

PhotographyVen. Gyalten RabtenVen. Ngawang SangyeVen. Tenzin DrachomVen. Tenzin TsultrimShirley LeeLow Yuet Mew

PrinterHighlight Printing Services

TASHI DELEK editorial team

中文佛法班 - 快乐的阶梯1.30pm

Tara puja 4pm

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds (Discussion) 1.30pm中文佛法班 - 快乐的阶梯1.30pmTara Puja 4pm

Animal Liberation 10am


Tara Puja 4pm

Dharma for Seniors 10.30am

Qing Ming with 100 Torma Offerings 2-4.30pm

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds 7.30pm








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Merit, Purification and Blessing 11am (3/10)

Stages of the Path to Enlightenment – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand 2.30pm





Merit, Purification and Blessing 11am (6/10)Meditation for Beginners 2.30pm (1/6)Stages of the Path to Enlightenment – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand 2.30pm

Tibetan New Year - Losar (100 Million Merit Multiplying Day)

(100 Million Merit Multiplying Day)
















Tsog Offering 9pm


Tsog Offering 9pm






JINPA for Our Community 9.30amMerit, Purification and Blessing 11am (7/10)Meditation for Beginners 2.30pm (2/6)Stages of the Path to Enlightenment – Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand 2.30pm

Extensive Shakyamuni Buddha Puja with 1,000 Offerings 2-5pm

Animal Liberation 10amDharma for Seniors 10.30am中文佛法班 - 快乐的阶梯1.30pmTara Puja 4pm

Basic Program - Engaging in the Bodhisattva Deeds (Discussion) 1.30pm


Tara Puja 4pm


Tara Puja 4pm


Meditation for Beginners 2.30pm (3/6)










Palden Lhamo Puja 4am

Medicine Buddha Puja 4pm

AN AusPicious WeLcoMe for LosAr

Guru puja 7.30pm


Documents

Happy Losar! - Amitabha Buddhist Centre · Dawa. Ven. S.K. recently completed the Masters Program at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa in Italy, and has returned to the United States. She