Dear Friends,
Today I am asking you all to try and do the best you can to help Berlin Bodhicharya install heating and insulation systems to the already completed main shrine room in Berlin.
Over the past 9 years Berlin Bodhicharya have devised successful strategies to raise over €2.2 million in donations from the German state, charitable institutions, generous private donors and sangha members. Due a combination of situations which were compounded by the global financial crisis unless Berlin Bodhicharya is able to raise at least €100K by October 2012 they will not be able to use the main shrine room for quite sometime.
I do understand that everyone else is also living in difficult financial times, but I appeal to you to consider doing what you can do to help this project now, for three main reasons. Firstly, the completed shrine room in the Berlin centre would help us fulfill our three main objectives; healing, helping and harmony. There is a well established outreach facility already in the Berlin centre and a completed shrine room would strengthen the resolve of those helping the terminally ill. Secondly, the completed shrine room would be the spiritual heart of the Berlin centre where the existing harmony amongst the sangha would be consolidated. Finally, when HH the 17th Karmapa is able to visit us in Europe, as his official personal representative in Europe, I would very much like to invite him to a completed shrine room in Berlin.
We are all part of the wider Bodhicharya family and in these financially difficult times any donation from you would be especially welcome. To help this project please click on the link below which shows how you can help both as an individual or as a group acting together.
Love
Ringu Tulku Rinpoche
Dear all,
I have to inform you that Lama Riga who was in-charge of Rigul School passed away around 5 pm local time on 9th January 2012. He had a stroke and died suddenly.
Lama Riga was the main drive for the establishment and running of the Rigul School. He requested me to build a school when I went there in 2005 and promised me that he will do whatever needs to be done for it as long as he has life in his body. Since then he literally single handedly (he had only one arm as he lost his right arm in an accident) built the school and ran it till now. He took all kinds of responsibilities to rebuild and run the Rigul Monastery since the monastery was allowed to be re-established. Rigul Monastery have lost a very good monk and a very responsible and dedicated person in Lama Riga. The monastery is doing the usual practices for him and all are requested to dedicate some good thoughts and prayers for this simple and dedicated monk.
Khenpo Karma Senge assured me that the monastery is committed to continue to run the school as best as they could and make it even better. Since the school was his dream project I think it would be the best tribute to him to try to make the school continue and to develop it even further. Many children have already been benefitted by the school and all the people in and around Rigul appreciate and thank all who helped to build and run the school. I take this opportunity to thank all those who helped Rigul Trust in UK, Rigul Foundation in Belgium and the team led by Margaret Ford who helped to establish the school and the clinic at Rigul.
With Best wishes,
Ringu Tulku
I am still in Kathmandu. Earthquake in Sikkim was very devastating. So far around 80 people found dead and 300 wounded. Around 2000 buildings damaged some unliveable including the main secretariat building and some monastery buildings also. I heard that Shedra building of Rumtek is also badly damaged. People have died in Tibet, Nepal and some states of India also. It will take some time to restore everything in Sikkim. At the moment shortage of water seems to be a great problem as the water system is damaged.
Love and prayers,
RT
There was a 6.8 earthquake in Sikkim, Nepal and North India which lasted for over 40 seconds the epicentre of which was in Sikkim. The roads to Sikkim are badly damaged. 18 people are so far reported dead and many with injuries. Gangtok is relatively safe and none of my family and friends are affected so far. There were 3 more shocks and people lived outside all night. The extent of damage to life and buildings is not yet known as roads and mobile communication are broken to remote places.
I was going to Gangtok today from Delhi but going to Nepal till roads are open again.
We are all well.
Rinpoche arrived safely in Delhi from South Africa and gave a talk at Delhi University on 14 September. He and Lama Yeten travelled to Dharamsala on 15 September where they spent a couple of days with HH Karmapa. All going well, they hope to travel back to Delhi today (18th) and onwards home to Sikkim on 19 September.
Photo by Francois Henrard.
Rinpoche in South Africa. Photo © Luke Younge
Rinpoche arrived in Cape Town South Africa at 4.30pm on 31st August after a 24 hour journey from Germany. It’s his first trip to Africa. Today he wrote:
‘We had nice sight- seeing yesterday. We saw seals eating fish from hand and were photographed together. We saw Owls nesting and Sun birds. Today we might see whales.
Twenty people took refuge and many people came to the talk. Today we go to country side for the weekend.
All well’.
There will be a retreat at the weekend when over 100 people are expected to attend.
Your loving messages on my birthday
Moved me and encouraged me.
Although a host of great masters taught me
And showered their blessings on me
I remained an idiot just because of my laziness.
If I can bring a slight smell of genuine dharma
In the mind stream of a single individual
I will feel that the efforts of those great teachers
Have not been completely wasted.
Your interest and appreciation of Dharma
Is my strength to live and work in this world.
Ringu Tulku
Gangtok
17.07.11
Dear Friends,
Thank you so very much for the good wishes I have received from all of you. I am impressed and feel grateful for the good wishes that you all have sent me. I spent the day with my family listening to the rhythmic music of the rain on my roof and watching the monsoon clouds shedding off their last burden and disappear in to space.
Love and prayers
RT
Rinpoche finishes his Spring teaching tour in Moscow today, 13 June, and travels home to India. From Moscow, Rinpoche wrote: ‘About 100 people took refuge and they are all very excited’.
In Russia they have also published Rinpoche’s Mind Training book and plan to publish Daring Steps towards Fearlessness by the end of this year. They also want to publish more of his books in the future. While he was in Moscow, a documentary was made about Rinpoche which should be ready in about a month. We don’t yet know if it will be widely available.
Rinpoche would like to thank all the people in the centres and groups in Europe who hosted him and worked so hard to make his visits so successful. He is looking forward to seeing many of his friends and students again in the Summer.
Rinpoche’s Summer teaching schedule can be found at http://www.bodhicharya.org/ringu-tulku/schedule/
