Peaceful Land of Joy newsletter - August 2022
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Tibetan Buddhist Society
Peaceful Land of Joy News
August 2022
CONTENTS
PRECIOUS TEACHINGS His Holiness the Dalai Lama • Geshe Loden: Early life in Australia • Geshe Loden: reflections on attaining the Buddha's truth body • Tushita books • Verses on the heart of practice • Current classes
DHARMA BLOGS It’s your karma! • What is bodhichitta? • Topic suggestions
SEE THIS! Geshe Loden photo retrospective
COMMUNITY SPIRIT Niki’s story • My garden practice
RECENT HAPPENINGS Monastery news • Queen’s birthday retreat • TBS community meeting • Vesak prayers and momo feast
A library search and digital technology has enabled TBS to share some special photos from Geshe-la's early period in Australia. The two precious images above of Geshe-la with His Holiness the Dalai Lama were taken in Dharamsala, and then during the His Holiness' first tour of Australia in 1982.
Dear friends,
This edition of the Peaceful Land of Joy News celebrates the early years of our founder and spiritual guide, Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden in Australia.
Geshe-la, like so many Tibetans, lost his own native land. But wasting no time he completed his studies and recognised that Australia was a remarkable country with thousands of Australians having great need for the Dharma. Geshe-la's offering to Australians of wonderful Dharma centres, built within such a short period of time, makes us a lucky country indeed.
It is an enormous tribute to Geshe-la that his Australian seats of learning in Yuroke and other parts of Australia continue to flourish, and that there are people fully devoted to continuing his work so long after his passing. History has shown that many centres disappear after the master has gone.
That this continuation has happened is dependent on so many factors – especially the understanding, wise and careful planning of such a great teacher for the long-term future of the Society, also your wisdom to recognise the precious teacher and all that was offered, and the devotion to do the work.
This and future generations of Dharma practitioners here in Victoria can be ever grateful for that. We have all been bestowed a truly precious opportunity to study and practise the Dharma the best we can.
We hope you enjoy this August edition of the Peaceful Land of Joy News and the many precious, historic images. The 11th anniversary of Geshe-la's passing and equipoise will be marked by three prayer sessions from 24 August to 3 September. Click here for details of the sessions.
Yours in Dharma
Ven Anna Goldstein, on behalf of the Newsletter team
PRECIOUS TEACHINGS
His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama
A kinder, wiser and more peaceful world by Martin Horan
So far, the 2020s have been one of the most unsettled and difficult decades for our planet.
His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama’s guidance and courage give us hope for a better future by showing the path to a kinder, wiser and more peaceful world.
Dharma Activity
His Holiness has continued to give vast and extensive teachings in Dharamsala in 2022. He has taught on holy texts such as Je tsun Tsongkhapa’s ”Concise Stages of the Path to Enlightenment” and “In Praise of Dependent Arising”. He has also conferred the Avalokiteshvara Jinasagara empowerment.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama walking in the Fitzroy Gardens during his visit to Melbourne in 1982
Guidance in difficult times
As the first of the long line of Dalai Lamas to become a global thought leader, His Holiness has continued to provide guidance and hope to humanity in responding to the many and unique difficulties we face in this era. In his comments on Earth Day in April 2022, His Holiness drew on his perspective of universal responsibility and goodwill to convey a uniquely human focused and positive message. Read more
Geshe Loden: Arrival and early days in Australia
Excerpts from the biography of Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden in 'Prayers for the Path of Indivisible Great Bliss and Emptiness' compiled and translated by Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden. Pps 244-246.
In 1976 Lama Thubten Yeshe, the spiritual head of a new Buddhist meditation centre in Australia, requested Geshe-la to accept a teaching position there. By careful reflection Geshe Loden determined that this would be of benefit and sought the advice of his Gurus, His Holiness the Dalai Lama and His Holiness Trijang Rinpoche. His Holiness the Dalai Lama confirmed his finding, advising him to accept the post, stay in Australia for three years and then return to his disciples in India. Read more
Geshe-la with Lama Yeshe (centre) and his translator, Zasep Tulku Rinpoche (left) at Chenrezig Institute. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive. See below for more retrospective images.
Geshe Loden: reflections on attaining the Buddha's truth body by Michael Joseph
In this continuing series, we feature a selected passage from one of Geshe-la’s books, with a senior student then offering points to consider as we read the excerpt. Here, Michael Joseph reflects on Geshe-la’s teachings on attaining the Buddha's truth body from 'The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment'. p97
“The truth body has transcendental bliss because the obstructions to omniscience have been overcome. The obstructions to omniscience are: (1) the subtle latency of the conception of inherent existence, (2) the appearance of inherently existent objects to the six consciousnesses and (3) the stains of apprehending the two truths as different substantial entities.”
The Fundamental Potential for Enlightenment is one of Geshe Loden's nine books from the Society's publishing wing, Tushita Publications. Click here to learn more.
The goal of Mahayana Buddhist practice is, for the benefit of sentient beings, to achieve Buddhahood. So, what is Buddhahood?
What are we aspiring to achieve? One way in which the texts explain Buddhahood is through a discussion of the Buddha’s four bodies. Read more
Compassion: the heart of practice
Verses selected by Venerable Cathy Evans
Hearers and Solitary Realisers are born from Buddhas.
Buddhas are born from Bodhisattvas.
The compassionate mind, non-dual understanding,
And bodhichitta are the causes of Bodhisattvas.
Because this compassion alone is the seed of the Victor’s rich harvest
And like the water for its development,
And the ripening of that to be enjoyed for a long time,
I, therefore, shall praise compassion at the start.
Ven Cathy explained her reason for choosing these verses as follows:
Geshe-la taught on these verses extensively in the early 1990s when he commenced Saturday teachings on this text. I will always remember his explanation and the verses have been a favourite of mine ever since.
The verses are the very famous homage at the beginning of Engaging in the Middle Way: Madhyamakavatara. This text was composed by the great 7th century Indian philosopher, Chandrakirti.
The Indian textural tradition is to normally praise a Buddha or one's guru at the beginning of composing a Dharma text.
Here, however - as Geshe-la explains in the Path to Enlightenment in Tibetan Buddhism (pp 552-554) - Chandrakirti chose to praise compassion to emphasise its importance. It is important to practise compassion at the beginning, the middle and at the end of our Dharma practice.
Chenrezig the Buddha of compassion.
At the beginning of our practice we must turn our mind to the suffering of others. In the middle it helps us develop the six perfections and at the end it is the compassion of Buddhas that empowers them to end the suffering of all living beings.
Classes and Events
To learn about all our 2022 program of classes and the events please visit the Society's new website at tibetanbuddhistsociety.org
DHARMA BLOGS
These following two articles form part of our continued series of Dharma blogs, which are posted on the TBS website. You are welcome to post questions or comments.
It's Your Karma by Jean D'Cruz
It is common these days for people to refer to karma. People say that something is ‘good karma’ or ‘bad karma’ or ‘it’s your karma!’. In general, the idea that your actions have good and bad results beyond the immediate moment is correct, but there are probably a number of misconceptions about the general understanding of karma worth correcting. Read more
A mighty oak grows from a tiny accorn!
What is bodhichitta? by Tim McKibben
What is this extraordinary concept of bodhichitta? It is variously translated as the mind of enlightenment, the spirit of enlightenment and the awakening mind. Maitreya (pictured below) explained bodhichitta in his Ornament for Clear Realisation “bodhichitta means: for the sake of others, wishing to attain complete, perfect enlightenment”.
Bodhichitta has two aspects. The main part is the compassionate mind that naturally and spontaneously wants to relieve the suffering of all fellow living beings without exception - a pure good heart. The second aspect is realising that to help others, we need to awaken our own natural purity of mind and attain enlightenment. We need to wake up from an endless bad dream of ignorance, dissatisfaction, upset, loss and suffering if we are going to be able to support others. After all, if we are neck deep in a swamp, it is hard to pull anyone else out. Read more
SEE THIS!
Geshe Loden photographic retrospective
Collated by Jenny Stone and Ven Anna Goldstein
Guest Photographer is a regular section of the newsletter. This time we are focusing on a wonderful collection of photographs from Geshe-la's early years in Australia. Further photos are found here.
PLEASE NOTE: The annual prayer commemorations for our founder and spiritual guide, Venerable Geshe Acharya Thubten Loden are held from 24 August to 3 September. Details available here.
This beautiful photo of Geshe-la in Fitzroy Gardens first appeared on the front page of The Age on Jan 7, 1988. In those early days, TBS was located nearby in East Melbourne. Photo courtesy of John Lamb/The Age.
Geshe-la and Zasep Tulku Rinpoche at Chenrezig Institute. Photo courtesy of Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive.
Ducky friends following Geshe-la in Yuroke.
A wonderful early photo of our precious teacher.
At Lake Eppalock in Victoria to lead a retreat.
Teaching gardening skills to residents and volunteers at the new centre in Yuroke.
COMMUNITY SPIRIT!
Niki's story by Niki Chaplain
I am originally from the UK and work as an anaesthetic nurse. Dharma is my other passion.
My first visit to the temple and the beautiful 10 acres of grounds was attending a New Year Festival. I felt like I had come home.
I have enjoyed volunteering for the last 20 years and continue to do so.
Catching up with the good friends I have made at TBS is a plus for me, as is meeting new people who visit the temple and helping to make everyone feel welcome.
The work we do as volunteers is varied. It ranges from preparing and serving afternoon tea at the regular meditation classes on Sundays to sorting out (as a team) all that needs to be done for the wonderful retreats that we have on-site on a regular basis.
I believe that volunteering provides a sense of community and for me it is time well spent! Read more
My Garden Practice by Michael Colton
Though my main practice is in the Soto Zen tradition, which has been the foundation of most of my practice experience, I remain still very drawn to and appreciative of the teachings and many other wonderful things that Geshe Loden has given us through TBS.
One aspect that I particularly value has been working in the garden. Though pushing wheel barrows full of mulch may sound like slavery, my association with the work is really more one of freedom. How is that? Read more
Michael Colton clearing up in the garden, and with volunteers for Saturday's relaxation and morning tea.
RECENT HAPPENINGS
Queen's Birthday retreat
Some of the delighted faces at the end of the Queen’s Birthday retreat on the four noble truths led by Martin Horan. We heard that the meditations were exquisite and the teachings wonderful!
Monastery news
Prayers for the return of our spiritual guide
Prayers for the return of our spiritual guide, Loden Rinpoche, were held at Sera Je Monastery in late April. Tibetan Buddhist Society’s centres requested 100,000 prayers of the Twenty-One Taras, and many Mahakala prayers, for this purpose. Read more
May community meeting
Braving the election day, these hardy folk attended the third TBS community meeting held on May 21. Additional members joined via Zoom. It was a productive meeting generating plenty of ideas! Read the minutes here.
Have you any suggestions for future blog topics? Our goal for the blogs is to inform people searching the internet for information on Dharma. Please send ideas to events@tushita.org.
June gathering for prayers and momos
A wonderful event was held in June to mark Vesak - the anniversary of the birth and enlightenment of Shakyamuni Buddha, and celebrate the birthday of His Holiness, the most precious XIVth Dalai Lama of Tibet, who turned 87 years on 6 July.
The prayers were followed by high tea in the temple dining room especially a delicious offering of Tibetan momos, sauce, soup and salad and spicy chai.
Check our website tibetanbuddhistsociety.org for our full program. For more information about the Tibetan Buddhist Society please phone 9333 1770 or email events@tushita.org.
Click here for the TBS community information page.
Please forward this email to anyone who might be interested.
