For many years it has been a tradition that between Christmas and New Year in Benchen Phuntsok Ling the medium-long ritual of Mahakala Dorje Bernagchen is performed to remove obstacles for the coming year.
This is generally done in all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism (Nyingma, Sakya, Gelug, Kagyu). For Vajrayana practitioners, as long as one has not attained enlightenment, it is essential to invoke the protection of lamas, yidams, and protectors to remove obstacles on the path to enlightenment.
Mahakala belongs to the protective deities (Skrt. Dharmapalas, Tibet. Chökyong) that protect the lineage as well as provide protection and help to practitioners. In Tibet, the "five great Mahakalas" are the best known. One of them is Dorje Bernagchen ("Protector with the black coat"). He is the protector of the Karmapas and the Karma Kagyu lineage.
Europe Benchen Phuntsok Ling, Belgium
In a letter to his disciples from 1998 Tenga Rinpoche describes his vision of Benchen Phuntsok Ling:
Following the advice of our venerable teacher Tenga Rinpoche, we will again celebrate the prayer festival Mönlam (tib.: "smon lam") this year for the Tibetan New Year (Losar).
Losar this year falls on February 10, 2024.
"Mönlam" means aspiration prayer. Tibetan Buddhists - monks, nuns and lay people - from around the world will gather at Losar to perform wishing prayers for the benefit of all living beings. Aspiration prayers have a very important meaning as they lay the foundation for our future. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have said countless wishful prayers.
Buddha himself said:
As far as to the ends of the blue sky,
As far as to the ends of sentient beings,
Until the end of karma and afflictions,
This far the ends are of my aspirations.
These are the dates for the Summer Seminar 2024 in Benchen Phuntsok Ling in Allmuthen, Belgium.
Like every year the week before the actual teaching period a three-days Drölkar (White Tara) retreat will happen and after the teaching period a three-days Gönkar (White Mahakala) retreat will take place.
We are looking forward to meeting you all again in Allmuthen!
| White Tara Retreat | Wed. 17.07. | to | Fri. 19.07.2024 | |||
| Teaching | Sat. 20.07. | to | Wed. 31.07.2024 | |||
| White Mahakala Retreat | Thu. 01.08. | to | Sat. 03.08.2024 |
2024 the following five retreats will be offered in Europe Benchen Phuntsok Ling:
"Tara" (tibet. Dölma) means "liberator". There are many different emanations of Tara. The best known manifestations are the White and the Green Tara. The different emanations indicate that the Tara shows herself in various forms depending on the situation and requirements and carries out various healing activities accordingly.
Since she leads countless beings to enlightenment in this way, she is also called "Mother of all Buddhas". The White Tara practice that we are going to perform here aims to achieve enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. Until we have attained enlightenment, it also helps against fear and serves to prolong life and remove obstacles for oneself and others.
The prerequisite for participation in this course is an initiation into the practice of White Tara.
Lama Ngawang Tsultrim will give explanations on the practice of White Tara (Drölkar) and will guide the meditation.
Lama Ngawang Tsultrim will give explanations on the practice of GreenTara and will lead the meditation. It is said that Green Tara protects from all fears.
Part of the daily program in Benchen Phuntsok Ling is the recitation of the Green Tara in the morning which is very common in many monasteries.
| Begin: | Friday, | May 17 | at 2:30 PM | |
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End:
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Monday,
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May 20
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(Whit Monday)
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at noon, no lunch included
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Advice by Lama Ngawang Tsultrim as given in his letter from 2022.
"Dear Sangha,
In the very beginning, on November 8, 1998, when Tenga Rinpoche decided to establish Benchen Phuntsok Ling, he wrote to his students: The intention or goal of buying a center is that everyone who has time can do retreat there for a few weeks or months, and that it will be a permanent place for summer courses in the summer. In the further future, courses on general Buddhist teachings and personal practice are planned, which will include the gradual path of the four preliminary practices, the practice of the creation and completion stages of the yidam (Kyerim/Dzogrim), the six yogas of Naropa, and the path of Mahamudra.By practicing Dharma there, it will be a place of extraordinary benefit to oneself and others.
- Pictures of him as a young man meeting the 16th Karmapa in Rumtek, published in the "DHARMA KING" , a mighty volume dedicated to the memory of HH the 16th Karmapa, early witnesses of Edward's decisiveness to cross the cultural borders of his British education. By his decision to learn Tibetan and act as an interpreter he became one of these early translators almost miraculously appearing when they are needed most.
After a long illness, Hanne Pohlmann passed away on February 20, 2023.
She was a close disciple of venerable Tenga Rinpoche since the late 1970s.
As chairperson of Lotus Direkthilfe e.V. she actively supported the Benchen Phuntsok Dargyeling Monastery in Kathmandu until her last days.
Most of you know Hanne from many years of summer course in Allmuthen.
We will miss you!
On the 31. October 2015 in Allmuthen, a wonderful day, Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's nicely built relic stupa that had been constructed at Benchen Phuntsok Ling was consecrated by Drubwang Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. Many people have gathered on this beautiful occasion. On the following Sunday morning Rinpoche continued the weekend course by giving teachings and in the afternoon concluded it by bestowing the Thousand-Armed Chenresig empowerment. The weekend course has been wonderful and all the participants enjoyed it very much.
