Zopa Villager Sa Mp3 Download

[Kandy Swartzel]

LamaKonchog was one of the last true mountain yogis of this century and a mahasiddha, a saint-psychonaut, reportedly capable of advanced yogic self-control such as chulen, or yogic diet, converting nettles and even just the wind into subtle energy to nourish and sustain the body during harsh winters. Or yogic "swift feet", the uncanny ability to rapidly traverse on foot vast and treacherous landscapes in a fraction of the time it takes ordinary folks. There are also reports of Konchog's miracles, spontaneous healings of villagers, prophetic visions of the future, achieving the tantric rainbow body, and manifesting relics after cremation. As Konchog is the root lama of our lineage one can become more familiar with this modern-day Milarepa in this brilliant expos, but it was his boundless compassion that overshadowed even his purported magical prowess.

Now, you might be wondering where I went so wrong. Before coming up to the Tsum Valley, I had just completed my twelve-week course The Crucible. Between that and my pilgrimage to Japan with Geshe-la this October, I had several months earmarked to develop a service project initiative so that we could help raise funds for the World Peace Stupa at Rachen. I thought my coming here would help clarify a path of action, and in a way it has, but not without first dispelling my naive misconceptions.

SERVICE AS SELF-COMPASSION

When Geshe-la told the villagers with urgency, that time is precious and fleeting, drop whatever they are doing, and make an effort, even depositing one handful of sand into the Stupa's foundations, they immediately understood the value of his impassioned call to action. They got the message loud and clear. It was a gesture of Zopa's compassion to benefit the mind streams of the villagers, not a ploy to benefit Rachen. Of course, the Stupa and nuns will ultimately benefit, but first and foremost is appreciating how living in service is a form of cultural self-compassion, a medicinal salve for the habituated self-preoccupation that makes one sick, and the ultimate safe direction or refuge for the soul, lost in the rounds of infinite time and space.

Having not been raised with karmic cosmology, some of us may be working at a disadvantage to wrap our minds around the unparalleled opportunity now. Merit-making is not innately part of our worldview. But we have a chance now to change our mind about service, to see it not as a one-off charity event for the less fortunate or downtrodden, or a chance to pat ourselves on the back for helping others out. The service that Lama Konchog and the Rachen nuns emulate for us, represents a whole new way of life, I call living with the heart turned inside out, healing our soul from the impoverishing forces of materialism, scientific reductionism, and nihilism, which have alienated us while destroying our planet. Life-long service is not attached to the results, expects no rewards or accolades, and is tempered with humility and even invisibility. Through service, we also have a chance to strengthen not only our understanding of infinite consciousness, interdependence, and karmic consequentiality, but also develop guru devotion, the root of the gradual path, universal altruism, the impetus of the path, and correct view of emptiness, the culmination of the path. In other words, how we serve Geshe-la, the Rachen community, and the Stupa, can be a complete Dharma practice in itself, a lifelong karma yoga. Service doesn't have to be a burdensome obligation with hidden strings attached, it can be the very nectar that nourished Konchog in his mountain cave for decades and has kept the nuns buoyant in this remote place at the edge of the world.

These are some parameters to consider when engaging in service based on my observations and conversations during the pilgrimage. I hope they're helpful as you develop our strategy to support the Stupa and Rachen. In the past, I have been in absolute awe about the service projects people initiated to raise funds, including custom mind training (lojong) and lam rim card decks, beautiful handmade malas and tsa tsas, yummy granola, public teaching events, and group dinner parties, etc. Not only did they yield funds, but more importantly they were fun, created community, and galvanized our collective efforts during the dark days of the pandemic. In The Crucible we also discussed personal projects, I called them our moonshots, taking on a seemingly impossible task from the tantric vantage point of already experiencing resultant success. There may be a way for some of you to merge your moonshot project with the Rachen Stupa project.

For example, one of our members will lead a purification retreat that feels like a stretch in her capacity, meanwhile, the proceeds will be donated to the Stupa. It's a win-win. Then there are other avenues that don't involve money raising at all, their value and contribution are inspirational, energetic, educational, and the like. Filmmaker Matthew Freidell's new and riveting film series The Missing Peace free on YouTube, followed our pilgrimage with Geshe-la last year to the Borobudur mandala in Java, exemplifies how one can transform efforts into service without raising a single dollar. Later this year filmmaker Phillip O'Leary likewise will release his compelling documentary and intimate portrait of Geshe-la shot in the Tsum on our 2022 group pilgrimage. The long hours and financial resources both these filmmakers committed to their labor of love teach us all how to live in service without attachment to fame and fortune, but rejoicing in merits and living in virtue. I watched service transform them into better fathers, partners, and human beings.

By the way, I did grab a handful of stones, thought of you, prayed deeply, and placed them into the foundations of the Stupa. I hope we all stay connected with each other, through this special place, and all it stands for.

GesheLama Konchog studied in Sera Monastery in Tibet from the age of 7 to 32(1934-1959). Although the monks were not allowed to take tantricinitiations and teachings until after they completed their Geshestudies, Geshe-la used to sneak out to attend initiations and teachingsby such Lamas as Pabongka Rinpoche, Trijang Rinpoche and Pari Rinpoche.He also completed the short retreats of the deities he was initiatedinto, staying in the labrangs of these Lamas. He completed his Geshestudies and was about to take his final exams in 1959, but had toescape Tibet. He left Tibet with only the robes he was wearing, asheepskin and some texts from all four traditions. Along the way he metsomeone who said that the weather was warm in Nepal and he wouldn'tneed the sheepskin, so he sold it for a small amount of money. But hestill had another small piece of sheepskin.

At first he went to Tsum in Nepal and left histexts with someone there, then went to Kathmandu with the intention ofgoing to Buxa. He met his Guru Trijang Rinpoche in Kathmandu, who toldhim not to go to Buxa but to return to the mountains to meditate. ButGeshe-la really wanted to go to Buxa, so he did not accept his Guru'sadvice, but went to India. While travelling on a train with a friendwho wanted to visit Varanasi, Geshe-la met Trijang Rinpoche on the sametrain. Trijang Rinpoche asked him what he was doing in India, and toldhim to go back to the mountains in Nepal to meditate. This timeGeshe-la did, he went straight back to Tsum, collected his texts fromthe people he had left them with and went up into the mountains withouttelling anyone where he was going. He had only his texts, his one setof robes, the small piece of sheepskin and a leaky pot. He found a cavehigh above the village, which happened to be a cave where Milarepa hadmeditated, and where Milarepa's sister offered him cloth for robes.Geshe-la stayed there for 10 years without leaving or seeing anyone. Hewas very strong and didn't sleep at night but did prostrations allnight. He lived on nettles that grew around the cave. (Tenzin Zopa onceasked a local meditator, Rinchen Wangchug, who knew Geshe-la duringthis time, what Geshe la lived on and this meditator said that Geshe-ladid chu-len during those 10 years, but when TenzinZopa asked Geshe-la about this, he didn't confirm it.) Geshe-la saidthis was the happiest time of his life....

Afterstaying there for 10 years, some villagers who went up into themountains with their sheep happened to see him. He must have lookedrather frightening at that time! They told him that they would give himhuman food if he would come down to the village and recite texts forthem, but he refused, saying that he had the best food. But thevillagers continued to disturb him so he decided to leave the cave andlive someone where else. He found another cave, but it wasn't as goodas the first one – it was only a half-cave, so he had to buildit up with stones.

The people in the village belowthis cave (this was the village Tenzin Zopa is from) had lots ofproblems with spirits and with rain not falling at the right time andso forth, and Geshe-la helped them. His mantras were incrediblyeffective to eliminate these problems, so the villagers came to dependon him, and Geshe-la was very compassionate, always helping whoeverasked for help. He continued to do retreats and would help the peoplein between retreats. The villages called him "Grandfather Lama" andregarded him as very precious. In time, monks and nuns in the area (whowere mostly from the Kargyu tradition) requested Geshe-la to be theirabbot and requested teachings from him. Geshe-la gave them sutra andtantra teachings – he was learned in all four traditions.

Soaltogether Geshe-la was in the mountains in retreat for 26 years. Hehad come to Kathmandu a few times and met Lama Yeshe, his old friendfrom Sera, and although Lama Yeshe requested him several times to stayat Kopan, Geshe-la did not accept but always returned to Tsum. Therewas one time when Geshe-la accompanied Lama Yeshe to the airport inKathmandu when Lama was leaving on a visit overseas and on the waysomeone offered Lama a pair of shoes. Geshe-la felt very sad because hethought that he would not see Lama again... Finally in 1985, one yearafter Lama Yeshe passed away, Geshe-la came to stay at Kopan. Whenasked by Tenzin Zopa how it happened that he came to Kopan, Geshe-laonly said that Lama Zopa Rinpoche did a Chokyong (Dharma Protector)puja to "hook" him into helping Kopan and FPMT. Perhaps Lama ZopaRinpoche could provide more information on this point!

3a8082e126