Warmest spring greetings!

After too long, I am finally able to write something about what Lama Chönam and I have been doing these past few months. As many of you know we lost our most precious root teacher this past winter, Thinley Norbu Rinpoche, yet due to Rinpoche's timeless blessing we have been able to feel his presence as though still with us in a corporeal form.

According to Rinpoche's final instructions we began practicing the Vajrasattva sadhana known as Vajrasattva Guru Yoga, a terma of Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche and holding a practice vigil at our home in Palm Desert. Although it was a hard decision to make, we decided not to accompany the Kudung [term for the deceased body of a high master that means literally 'relic kaya'.] The term 'ku' or' kaya' is honorific for the living and also the deceased but the term 'dung' is only reference to the deceased body as a relic due to faith and devotion. Rather than travel and be distracted we stayed home and just practiced as best we could during the sacred time of Rinpoche's dharmakaya realization.

We have also continued to work on the translation of the Chöd commentary written by the rainbow body disciple of Tragthung Dudjom Lingpa, Pema Lungthog Gyatso. Now we are about one quarter of the way into this remarkable text. It is clearly going to be pivotal for Chöd practitioners and all disciples for that matter as it illuminates the sutra aspect of the Chöd lineage in the initial history and gives us much needed insight into the connection with the Prajnaparamita, the Great Mother herself.

We returned to Tashi Choling several weeks ago and I led our annual Troma retreat here which was well received and a joy to attend. I have to say that these days many of the students are really becoming good practitioners and it was so powerful and engaging to practice and share together for a week.
Now our minds are turned towards the approaching teachings to be given by Khen Rinpoche Namdrol, the final or fifth year of the Treasury of the Genuine Meaning transmission that we are responsible for in terms of offering the entire English translation. Lama Chönam and I have completed the final three chapters to be taught this year and are presently in the editing process with Kay Henry. We will prepare for this until departing for Alameda on May 16th.

If you are not in this teaching then I would highly recommend that you do try to make a connection with Khen Rinpoche Namdrol for the next series of teachings that he will give whenever we know what that will be. The request for Rinpoche to continue teaching will certainly be made and perhaps after a year's break then a new opportunity will emerge.

Stay tuned to LOB's website for more updates and information. In the meantime we want to thank all of you for you interest and support and let you know how much it is appreciated on behalf of all sentient beings!

Sangye Khandro, Tashi Choling, spring 2012

Thank you! We love hearing from our friends!

 

Thanks to all of you who have responded to our 'end of year' email message. It is so nice to hear from you and your generosity is greatly appreciated. We heard from a Light of Berotsana friend from abroad and realized we needed to expand our giving capabilities to include various currency support. We now have a secure PayPal donation option allowing U.S. AND worldwide sangha to support our translations and preservation efforts. Visit our support page.

Year End Message from Light of Berotsana

 Dear Sangha & Dharma Friends,

At the brink of entering the year of 2012, we know this is a time when many believe humanity will see more devastating chaos and suffering among beings, as well as new possibilities for peace and harmony between people and their nations.

When we pause and reflect on what has meaning and value in our lives we can better understand the purpose of our life and how we may be able to contribute to the welfare of mankind as well as helping to ensure that the authentic dharma teachings will not only remain firm in this world but will continue to be translated and available to us in the English language.

These are some of the important reasons we ask you to consider making a year-end donation to the Light of Berotsana Translation Group as now, even more than before, these dedicated and skilled translators need your monetary assistance in order to carry on their work and the hope of sustaining truly qualified translators on in to the future.

We have recently launched a new website. Please take a moment to see what has and is being translated and also how to contribute and become a member of our extended sangha community.

http://www.berotsana.org/

Click here to download a recently translated Supplication Prayer to the Great Heruka Dudjom Lingpa; written by Dudjom Rinpoche and an offering from Light of Berotsana to the Sangha.

http://www.berotsana.org/light-of-berotsana-offering/

If you would like to make a donation online, please click here:

http://www.berotsana.org/support/

There is also the old fashioned way of sending a donation by mail to:

Light of Berotsana

P.O.Box 124

Ashland OR 97520

Thank-you friends and may your new year be filled with blessings.

Sincerely,

The Translators & Board of Directors of Light of Berotsana

Supplication Prayer to Heruka Dudjom Lingpa, Chariot of Devotion

Greetings!

We just posted a new translation for everyone's enjoyment!

A supplication prayer to Heruka Dudjom Lingpa written by Kyabje Dudjom Rinpoche, entitled Chariot of Devotion...Please check the Light of Berotsana website and enjoy!

New Light of Berotsana website - Coming soon!

Our new website is very close to going live! For your convenience, you will be able to purchase Light of Berotsana translations via credit card or PayPal in a professional and secure way. You'll find complete descriptions and photos of books, and transcripts and CDs of oral teachings; and there will be an easy-to-follow "Order" form to fill out and submit. We'll let you know when it's up and ready to check out.

Warmest summer greetings!

Things have been on full speed here at Tashi Chöling for several weeks now. Kathog Getse Rinpoche has just completed a reading transmission, lung, for the text we are now translating that is Pema Lungtog Gyatso’s Chöd commentary, a word-by-word commentary to the Heart Essence of Saraha, a terma of Dudjom Lingpa. We had the opportunity to read along as Rinpoche gave the lung and, hence, could get a glimpse of what is to come. This is an extraordinary treatise that covers all aspects of the path of Secret Mantra and, in particular, Dzogchen. We will be working on this translation each day now until it is complete, which should be sometime next year if all goes well. I won’t be posting for a while as a short retreat is in store; so in the meantime please feel free to contact Lama Chönam through the info address on this website.

And thank you all again for your continued interest and support. We hope and pray to serve the doctrine and all beings as best we can for all the life’s to come.

Tashi Deleg!

Sangye and Lama Chonam

Happy Summertime!

Dear Friends,


Greetings to everyone and happy summertime! We hope that you are all able to enjoy the outdoors and the many dharma events that are happening all around the globe this summer. We have just returned to Tashi Choling from one such event which seems to get more sublime as the years proceed. Khen Rinpoche Namdrol is now going on the fifth year of teaching the Tsig Don Rinpoche Dzod Treasury of the Genuine Meaning of the seven treasures of Omniscient Longchenpa. This year Light of Berotsana was able to offer a rough draft translation to the recipients so that they could more easily follow along during the teaching. This was greatly appreciated and in fact an indispensable part of the study of such a complex teaching and text.

After consulting with Khen Rinpoche Namdrol we have decided to make a complete translation of this text over the next two years. Although a translation of this text is going to be made available later this year as a part of the translation project to translate all seven of the Treasures headed up by Lotsawa Chokyi Nyima (Richard Barren) we felt that since Khen Rinpoche has been teaching this and the audio files are of course based on our own terminology choices it would be extremely harmonious and congruent for the students of this teaching in particular to have a the text translated in the same way that the teachings have been translated. We also feel that this effort will be an invaluable tool for the translators of LOB and those who are already in the course from other centers and genres to come together and join in a combined effort. So, this project will begin sometime later this fall and we will keep you all informed as to how it is going.

During the teachings this year our translation of Lonchenpas' commentary to the Guhyagarbha Tantra including the root Tantra itself arrived from Snow Lion publications, fresh off the press. This was wonderful timing and we were able to offer the book to Khen Rinpoche. Actually Rinpoche returned with three copies as he is traveling to Bhutan soon and will probably offer one of them to the King of Bhutan. Please go to the Snow Lion website and look under the restricted titles section for the new book entitled The Guhyagarbha Tantra with commentary by Longchen Rabjam.

We are also beginning the translation of the long Chod Commentary from Heruka Dudjom Lingpa's terma revleations collections written by his foremost disciple Pema Lungtog Gyatso. We will post more info about this news as we are hoping to receive the reading transmission for this from Gesei Rinpoche when he visits here at Tashi Choling in late July early August. More news on that to come... The Troma togal text is about to go off for typesetting in the next week as well. That's it for now,

All best wishes

Sangye and Lama Chonam