Treasury of Oral Instructions: Ponlop Rinpoche and Pema Chodron

It was the heartfelt wish of the Vidyadhara, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche that the monastic tradition be developed and nurtured in the West. We are therefore delighted that in 2009 Gampo Abbey is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding. With the early guidance and continued blessing of our Abbot, the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche and the direction of the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, the Gampo Acharya Ani Pema Chödrön is leading the monastic community at Gampo Abbey in its deepening exploration of Shambhala monasticism.

Over the past two and a half decades at Gampo Abbey, many precious and significant teachings have been given to the community by major teachers and lineage holders. In recognition of this rich history of teachings, we are offering through our web site this year a "Treasury of Oral Instructions" -- transcripts and MP3 files of selected teachings given at the Abbey since its founding.

These will include teachings by the Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche, our Abbot the Venerable Thrangu Rinpoche, The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, Mingyur Rinpoche, a number of teachings by the Gampo Acharya Ani Pema Chodron, as well as other senior teachers including Acharya Judith Simmer-Brown.

In addition to the teaching by Thrangu Rinpoche that was posted earlier, we are delighted to share the next two outstanding teachings in this series:

Vinaya Beyond Do's and Don't's: A Social Philosophy of Buddhism
by The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche

The Venerable Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche visited Gampo Abbey a number of times in its early years. His first visit was in Septmber of 1990. The Nitartha Institute was founded in 1996 by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche under the guidance of Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche and Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. The Institute was held at Gampo Abbey for its first four years. This teaching was one of the ones given by Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche at Gampo Abbey.

What Is the Most Important Thing?
by Ani Pema Chodron, the Gampo Acharya

Transcript of a teaching given by Ani Pema Chödrön to the residents at Gampo Abbey in March of 2008 in which Ani Pema talks about the rich history of powerful teachings that have been given at the Abbey by many visiting teachers, and how the power of the environment can help you to wake up if you are open to it. She provides instructions on the pause practice which is intended to help cut through our normal preoccupations.

We will also soon be sharing an audio teaching by Ani Pema on what it means to be a Gampo Abbey monastic. Stay tuned for that.

We hope you enjoy these offerings!

Cliffhanger Cabin Is Back!

Gampo Abbey's fabled Cliffhanger solitary retreat cabin has been relocated.



Last spring, parts of the cliff face near the cabin's old location began to give way. At the time, Ngedon, a former resident and monk at Gampo Abbey, was doing a week-long solitary retreat there. One night during his retreat, Ngedon came running into the Abbey after he heard large rocks and sections of earth tumbling down the cliff-side, just outside the cabin. After a round of jokes about Ngedon causing the landslides by shaking the earth with the strength of his meditation practice, inspections of the cabin and its precarious location eventually determined that it was no longer safe for people to do retreat there.

A little over a week ago, a professional construction and relocation crew -- armed with large equipment -- came in and physically picked up Cliffhanger cabin and moved it back from the cliff edge, into the trees nearby. The beloved cabin is now being reconnected to electricity, and will soon be available for solitary retreats once again.

Cliffhanger is back! (But it's no longer hanging precariously over the edge of the cliff.)

Gampo Abbey Open House

On Sunday, Oct 11, we held our annual Open House at Gampo Abbey. Over 130 visitors (and two dogs) came from all over Cape Breton island to enjoy a talk on meditation, socializing and refreshments, and organized walks to sites around the Abbey grounds. Many attendees from the U.S. and beyond were in Cape Breton for the annual Celtic Colors music festival, and heard about the Open House on CBC Radio Canada. In the Main Shrine Room, short talks on meditation were given in both French and English to a packed house.

Shibata Sensei Teaches Kyudo at Gampo Abbey

In early September, Kanjuro Shibata Sensei XX paid a four-day visit to Gampo Abbey, along with Carolyn Kanjuro and two of Sensei's students, and taught an introductory Kyudo program. The visit marked the first time that Gampo Abbey monastics and residents were able to receive formal Kyudo practice training at the Abbey. Since the visit, an ongoing Kyudo practice group has been established.


Shibata Sensei and Carolyn Kanjuro, with Gampo Abbey monastics and residents who took part in the Kyudo training.


Shibata Sensei also shared a special video with residents of the Abbey -- a home video from the 1983 visit to Japan with Sensei, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and approximately 100 Vajradhatu students.



Carolyn Kanjuro, performing a Kyudo ceremony and demonstration for the Gampo Abbey community.


Kanjuro Shibata XX is a longtime friend and teacher to the Shambhala mandala. He is a 20th generation master bowmaker and archer and 3rd generation "Bowmaker to the Emporer of Japan" (retired). He is recognized as a Living National Treasure of Japan.

In 1980, by the invitation of Trungpa Rinpoche, he came to the United States from Japan to teach Kyudo and together with the Vidyadhara, founded Ryuko Kyudojo (Dragon-Tiger Kyudo Practice Hall) in Boulder, Colorado. Since then Shibata Sensei has traveled extensively and established Kyudojos throughout North America and Europe. In 1985 he established permanent residence in Boulder, Colorado.

Yarne Retreat 2010, with Acharya Pema Chodron

Gampo Abbey is pleased to announce....

YARNE RETREAT

DECEMBER 27TH, 2009 to FEBRUARY 15, 2010

Led by Gampo Acharya Pema Chödrön

TEACHINGS ON THE FOUR FOUNDATIONS OF MINDFULNESS



Yarne is the traditional monastic ‘rains season’ retreat. It is open to all ordained monastics, including those of other Buddhist traditions, for no fee. Lay people are also welcome; the program fee for lay persons is $1,500 CDN. Please call the 902 / 224-2752 for more details. The number of spaces for monastics and lay persons is limited; all applications will be placed on a waiting list.

Yarne is an intensive retreat, hence it is open to those who have a good grounding in meditation practice and study.

The boundaries of the retreat are closed, meaning that no one can leave the Abbey except for emergency situations throughout the duration of the retreat.

Yarne participants hold eight precepts. They are:

• Refraining from killing.
• Refraining from stealing.
• Refraining from lying.
• Refraining from sexual activity.
• Refraining from using alcohol or intoxicating drugs.
• Refraining from singing, dancing and wearing jewelry.
• Refraining from sitting or sleeping on high seats or cushions.
• Refraining from eating solid foods after lunch. (This is translated as a dinner of non-chewables, usually rice congee but may include yogurt, apple sauce, soup).

Participation in all aspects of the retreat is mandatory, including all liturgical practices, scheduled periods of meditation, and talks. There will be approximately 6½ hours of meditation per day. We practice silence daily until lunch, and after evening chants at 6pm.

Accommodations may be shared. During your stay you will be assigned a meditation instructor, and will be expected to take part in the kitchen, dish and house chores.

Participants are asked to limit, or better yet, eliminate all communication with the outside world for the duration of the retreat.

[As of October 6th, applications for Yarne Retreat are no longer being accepted.]

Gampo Acharya Pema Chodron Takes Seattle by Storm

The Gampo Acharya Pema Chodron presented teachings on her book "No Time to Lose" (a commentary on Shantideva's classic text "The Way of the Bodhisattva") to an audience of 1,300 people last weekend in Seattle. The program, sponsored by Nalanda West, took place at Seattle's Meany Hall. Check out Elephant Journal for a great article about the weekend with some other beautiful photos. (Photos by Rysiek Frackiewicz, courtesy of Nalanda West.)

Monks at Bat: Canada Day Softball Game 2009

On July 1, Canada Day, the monks, nuns and residents of Gampo Abbey faced off against the local Pleasant Bay volunteer firefighters in our annual softball match. Although the Abbey team did not bring home the trophy this year, everyone had a great time and it was a wonderful opportunity for members of the local community to meet some of the monastics of Gampo Abbey. We hope you enjoy these photos from the game. (Photos courtesy of Regan McAdam)