Madhyamaka Shedra Course at Gampo Abbey in April

The Vidyadhara Institute at Gampo Abbey would like to invite you to participate in our month-long Shedra course on Madhyamaka. It will give you a very special opportunity of thorough Buddhist studies combined with a taste of monastic life.

Madhyamaka is traditionally taught as the ultimate view. Its study and practice brings us beyond conceptual elaborations, reference points, and extremes and thus leads the way to total freedom. This intensive Buddhist studies course will be taught by Israel Lifshitz, who has been teaching here on a regular basis in the last 3 years and who also teaches at Nitartha Institute.

Course dates: April 2-27, 2012

For more information and an application form, see our website: www.gampoabbey.org or contact Shedra Coordinator Ani Shiwa at: education@gampoabbey.org.


Participants in a recent Shedra class gave talks on Yogachara to the community.

Gampo Abbey welcomes three new monastics

At the request of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche introduced temporary ordination at Gampo Abbey to give Dharma practitioners an opportunity to experience monasticism without making a lifetime commitment. Temporary ordination may be offered after one has been living at the Abbey for three months.

Last week, Gampo Abbey celebrated the ordination of three new temporary monastics. On Thursday evening, the community gathered in the main shrine room for the ceremonial haircutting of the three candidates. The ordination ceremony, conducted by our resident elder monastic Ani Migme Chödrön, took place on Friday morning (which, auspiciously, was the equinox).

During the ceremony, the three candidates embraced what are known as the Upasaka Brahmacharya Vows, which they will hold for as long as they live at Gampo Abbey. These vows include the five main precepts of refraining from taking life, refraining from taking what is not given, refraining from sexual activity, refraining from false speech, and refraining from intoxicants.

The new monastics are now known here by their Buddhist refuge names.


Second from left, Ani Migme, with our three new monastics, Sonam Yangzom, Dawa Lhatso, and Dondub Chödrön.

They were welcomed into the community of lifelong monastics, temporary monastics, and laypeople living at the Abbey.



For more about life as a temporary monastic at Gampo Abbey, visit our website.

New novice monastics

When Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche visited the Abbey last month, he gave novice ordination to three Abbey residents. Novice (shramanera/shramaneri in Sanskrit, getsul/getsulma in Tibetan) ordination is the main entry into the monastic sangha.


Our new novice monastics (in front, with white katas), Ani Drime Shiwa, Loden Nyima, and Ani Söpa Drime; Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche (center); and the life monastics who witnessed the ordination

Previously, the three monastics (known before novice ordination by their Buddhist refuge names as Sangmo, Ziji, and Trime) had received the Parma Rabjung ordination, the first step in lifelong ordination. At the Abbey, Parma Rabjung ordination is taken as a way to enter the lifelong path and have some experience of it before taking novice and eventually full (bhikshu/bhikshuni, gelong/gelongma) ordination as those are bigger commitments and require more training, maturation, and development of gentleness and humor to take and live well.

One of the things that happens with novice ordination is that the ordinees get new names. So Sangmo is now known as Ani Drime Shiwa (or simply Ani Shiwa), Ziji is now known as Loden Nyima, and Trime is now known as Ani Söpa Drime (or simply Ani Drime).

Congratulations to Ani Shiwa, Loden Nyima, and Ani Drime for making this powerful and inspiring commitment!

Thrangu Rinpoche returns to the Abbey

After a seven year absence, the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, the Abbot of Gampo Abbey, returned to the Abbey this August for a 9-day visit.

Thrangu Rinpoche at Gampo Abbey with our elders, Ani Pema Chödrön, Lodrö Sangpo, and Ani Migme Chödrön

Rinpoche was exceptionally generous with his time. He gave teachings on how the Shambhala teachings can support the development of monasticism, teachings on two songs by Khenpo Gangshar ("How to Recite the Mani Mantra" and "How the Six Wisdoms Arise"), and Mahamudra teachings from a song of realization by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche called "The Experiential Song of the View of Luminous Mahamudra Called 'A Symphony of Great Bliss'."



Rinpoche also ordained three new novice monastics, gave refuge and bodhisattva vows, blessed our stupa and the site of a new buddha field, met with various groups, and gave many individual interviews.


Left: Receivers of the refuge vow (new Buddhists!). Right: Receivers of the bodhisattva vow (new Bodhisattvas!).

We are most grateful for Thrangu Rinpoche's radiant presence, his immense wisdom and kindness, and his continuing care and devotion for Gampo Abbey.



For more pictures of Rinpoche's visit, visit this album created by Les Ste Marie.

Bookkeeper position available at Gampo Abbey

Gampo Abbey is looking for a bookkeeper. This is a wonderful opportunity if you have a finance background and an interest in being part of the Gampo Abbey community.

The Abbey

Gampo Abbey is a Western Buddhist monastery in the Shambhala tradition in beautiful Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. Under the spiritual direction of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the spiritual head of Shambhala International, Gampo Abbey is guided by our abbot, the Venerable Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche, and our principal teacher, Acharya Pema Chödrön. The Abbey offers a rare opportunity to practice, study, and work with a strong community in a deeply contemplative environment.

Job Description

Reporting to the Director and under the guidance of the Chagdzo, the Bookkeeper facilitates the financial operations of the Abbey. We are looking for a two-year commitment. This position provides a salary and benefits.

Duties

• Process accounts receivable
• Prepare daily petty cash balances and daily entries
• Allocate incomes
• Ensure the integrity of the system's data and reports
• Prepare monthly and year-end financial statements
• Provide copies of monthly statements to the Director, Chagdzo, and department heads
• Complete month-end and quarterly reporting requirements
• Prepare bank deposits and bank reconciliation
• Complete monthly reconciliation of balance sheet accounts
• Prepare payroll and remit payroll tax
• Assist with programs and other tasks as assigned
• Maintain and/or establish business relationships with outside vendors, bankers, etc.
• Working with the Chagdzo and the Director, provide support for annual budget preparation and for preparation of quarterly financial reports
• Prepare HST/GST claim forms and other government-related financial forms
• Pay property tax
• Supervise the Abbey's Finance Assistant, whose job is to process accounts payable and donations, allocate costs, file financial documents, and prepare donor letters
  

Qualifications

• Experience performing the duties outlined above
  
• Experience with non-profit organizations
• Ability to work within a community
• Experience working with Simply Accounting and QuickBooks is an asset

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume to Barbara Badessi, Director of Gampo Abbey, at director@gampoabbey.org. Deadline for applications: October 7.

Thank you for your interest!

The 2011 Gampo Abbey Lobster Release!

Each year at the end of the lobster fishing season in this area of Cape Breton, the monastics and residents of Gampo Abbey stage the great Lobster Release, when many caught lobsters are released back into the water. Read on to learn how you can participate.



"Life Release" -- in which captive animals destined to be eaten are, instead, released back into their native habitats -- is a traditional practice for Tibetan Buddhists, especially monastics. The most obvious benefits of the practice are for the sentient beings whose lives are being saved, but it also serves to strengthen the individual practitioner and the sangha as a whole, and to establish an important link with the local environment and culture.

The day after the end of the local Lobster Fishing Season, a fisherman is compensated for his catch and the residents of the Abbey board his boat. The lobsters are blessed with purifying water; a liturgy written by Jamgon Kontrul Rinpoche is read; and finally each person on the boat is encouraged to release a lobster into the water. People who send donations to support the Lobster Release sometimes include a request and these prayers and aspirations are also read aloud at this time.

Gampo Abbey has become a respected part of Cape Breton and open curiosity has developed around the activities of the monastery. The annual Lobster Release, while taking root in the local culture, has served as a powerful means for the residents and donors of Gampo Abbey to connect with this ancient Bodhisattva activity of saving the lives of sentient beings. Each year the Abbey raises funds to support the Lobster Release.

Your tax deductible donation can be sent through the Supporting Gampo Abbey page on our website (select “Lobster Release” under the Gift Designation menu) or you can call our finance office at 902-224-1358 (Mon-Fri, 1:30-5:00pm Atlantic Time). We can provide you with a receipt upon request.

Thank you for your support!

In the spirit of the Great Eastern Sun,

Your friends at Gampo Abbey

Yarne 2011: Pema Chodron's Teachings Now Available

Here at Gampo Abbey we recently completed the 2011 Yarne Retreat: seven weeks of intensive study and practice led by the Gampo Acharya, Pema Chodron. We are delighted that Ani Pema's teachings from this retreat are now available from Great Path Tapes & Books. See below for more information.



Pema Chodron's Teachings on the Four Limitless Ones
Gampo Abbey -- Yarne Retreat 2011

• 8 Talks plus Guided Meditations, Discussions, and Handouts
• 16 CDs: $116.00; 2 MP3 CDs or MP3 Download: $58.00
• The video will be available in a few weeks: $200 or $25/session
• Individual talks available on CD for $14.50 each

Pema Chodron guides us through practicing the four limitless qualities: equanimity, loving-kindness, compassion and rejoicing. These four qualities are intrinsic aspects of our basic goodness. We train in extending these four to all beings without exception. Acknowledging our basic goodness, we can nurture and expand our connection to these four qualities in order to create a more uplifted, caring, and loving society.

Included with this set, in addition to the talks, are the discussions between Pema Chodron and the participants at the retreat, a number of handouts, and guided meditations led by Ani Pema for the practice of each of the four limitless qualities.

• Talk 1: The Root of Suffering
• Talk 2: Cultivating Unconditional Love
• Talk 3: Obstacles to Practicing Loving-Kindness
• Guided Meditation: Loving-Kindness
• Talk 4: Compassion-Tonglen
• Talk 5: Receiving and Sending Compassion
• Talk 6: Rejoicing in Good Fortune
• Talk 7: The Three Difficult Practices
• Talk 8: Bodhicitta: A Call To Action

To order your own copy of these teachings, please visit: http://www.pemachodrontapes.com.

For more information or questions contact Robert and Jill Walker:

Great Path Tapes & Books
Pema Chodron's Archivists
330 E. Van Hoesen Blvd.
Portage, MI 49002 USA
phone: (269) 384-4167
efax: (415) 946-3475
email: greatpath@pemachodrontapes.com
website: http://pemachodrontapes.com