March`08 news! Siliguri Gompa


Time has passed very fast since our last communication in late december'07, may this letter update you of our various activities and success since then.
 

 
First of all following our last letter calling for support to cover the cost for the Butterlamps offering, several of you have generously answered and thanks to their help the offering could be completed in due number and form. This 17th Butterlamp retreat has then been successful. Despite the few number of participants from Europe, we were quite a few as for the first time we could say this retreat was being done together with our gompa's own lamas. A total of 16 of them took part actively in the process and for most of them it was a discovery including the teacher Loponla.
 

 
So, together with the supervision of the sangha members we managed to make it happen. Days after days a true feeling a being into retreat could be felt as everybody respected their involvement not to get disturb with outer activities, spending all their time on Gompaland focusing on their practice and the offering, cleaning and filling of the lamps.
 

 
Then came the time to go on pilgrimage to Tashiding together with Amala, 7 lamas and 5 sangha members, plus the cook and all our belonging including the lamps and the Dalda. It was quite an expedition to reach Tashiding and then to carry up all our things. We were very nicely received there and the weather conditions were best, a clear blue sky with the warmth of the sun till the day of our departure when fog came and the weather changed. We managed to offer 10.400 lamps from Tashiding doing our pujahs in the Guru Lakhang and being involved with the lamps from early morning to late at night. On our way back we went to visit the Khandro SangPhuk where we took the time to make the small Rigdzin. We were back to Gompaland on January 13th, to complete the offerings the next day. This last day offering was particularly dedicated to Stephan Jaeger's deceased father, Walter Jaeger who had passed away in December'07.
 

 
Then on January 15th, an auspicious day when all over India the Ganga pujah is performed we went to release several thousands of fishes in the nearby Dam, as well as 30 pigeons and 4 white geese. It was a very enjoyable and moving experience to close our program for this year.
 

 
Soon after we got the school started for all the young lamas, then we got involved into the preparation of Losar and its celebration. In the mean time the 10 rooms Guest House got finally completed, freshly painted and furnished, to be inaugurated on February 4th on the arrival of Olivier and Jacqueline from France and got named " Pillow Below" in memory of our Rinpoche's habit to keep everything under his pillow. Straight after that new visitors came and the first four rooms were already booked. Further details will be given about our "Pillow Below" Guest House in terms of rates and rules and regulations, later on this month, on the website.
 

 
March was dedicated to overall maintenance of the Gompa in which it was found out that termites had invaded all three floors through the walls so that immediate action had to be taken. Much work was also done on the surrounding land, as well as to strengthen existing structures. The other 2 areas of focus were the confirmation of H.H Taklung Tsetrul Rinpochi invitation's to Darnkov this summer, together with the preparation of Tulku Ugen Chencho's program in Malaysia where he has been invited to go give wangs and do practice for 7 days from March 24th to April 2nd, 2008. This is a new beginning for our Rinpoche's teachings and lineage as for the first time they will be given and practiced in South-East Asia. On March 3rd, 2008 four young lamas from here together with Norbu Gyaltshen left gompa to further their studies in Shimla at Taklung Tsetrul Rinpoche Monasteries, so that they learn deeper philosophy and the ways and rituals of the Byangter lineage. This will take them several years before they can come back here to hopefully pass their knowledge to the younger ones here, helping establish this Khordong Byangter Gompa in its own tradition.
 

 
That's it for now, hopefully we shall be able to send you some more news around June, till then we wish you all success in your endeavor and growth in your practice.
 

 
Sarva Mangalam.
 

Tulku Ugen Chencho Lama khordong india <thechhimedrigdzinsociety@yahoo.com>


***03/08 ar