Bodhicharya member Eileen Stevens has been helping to bring the 'Relics Tour' back to Dublin. The collection of relics includes ringsel of many great practitioners, and part of a letter said to have been written by Yeshe Tsogyal, who recorded the teachings of the 8th century Tibetan Saint, Guru Rinpoche [Padmasambhava].

Maitreya Project Relic Tour

RARE BUDDHIST RELICS ONPUBLIC DISPLAY IN DUBLIN

30th, 31st October and 1st November

Times Friday: 5pm: Opening Ceremony ,Saturday and Sunday: 10am to 7pm each day

Venue “Number 11”, no.11 North Great George's Street, Dublin 1

Contact Eileen Stephens, eileen@singsite.com 085 7382954

No entrance charge, donations welcome

A precious collection of sacred relics of the Buddha and many other Buddhist masters is currently touring the world. click here for more information. See also: www.maitrayaproject.org

Mindful Walking in Dublin

Mindfulness Ireland have invited Sister Jina, Abbess of Plum Village, France, to lead a Mindful Walking Meditation, at St Stephen's Green Dublin on Tuesday lunchtime, October 13th at 12.30pm. All are welcome to join in, meet at the bandstand. For details please click here.

Talk from the Environmental Childrens Organisation

click here to here watch Severn Cullis Suzuki of ECO - Environmental Children's Organisation. In 1992 Severn, along with 5 friends, funded themselves to attend a UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janiero conference and present delegates with a slightly different perspective to environmental issues. These words spoken in 1992 are not however out of date, they are perhaps, more relevant and poignant than ever. Many thanks to Albert Harris for sending it on.
Here's an update on Severn from Wikipedia:

Cullis-Suzuki graduated from Yale University in 2002 with a B.Sc. in ecology and evolutionary biology. After Yale, Cullis-Suzuki spent two years traveling. Cullis-Suzuki co-hosted Suzuki's Nature Quest, a children's television series that aired on the Discovery Channel in 2002. In early 2002, she helped launch an Internet-based think tank called The Skyfish Project. Kofi Annan's Special Advisory Panel, she and members of the Skyfish Project brought their first project, a pledge called the "Recognition of Responsibility", to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in August 2002

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On another note - just to remind you to send in any poems or writing you would like to be considered for the HHK publication to Margaret Ford, ( see below) by the end of this week.

Sowa Rigpa is formally recognised as a medical system in India

The following is an article sent by Margaret Richardson of Rigul Trust, after Rinpoche forwarded news of the recent recognition and legalising of Sowa Rigpa as a system of natural healthcare in India, the development of which is one of his visions for his Meditation and Retreat Centre near Rumtek.

Calcutta Telegraph, 14th Sept 2009:

"Cabinet approves recognition of ancient Sowa-Rigpa medical system

New Delhi, Sep 10 (ANI): The Union Cabinet today approved the Indian Medicine Central Council (Amendment) Bill, 2009 for amending the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970.


"Sowa-Rigpa" commonly known as ‘Amchi’ is one of the oldest surviving system of medicine in the world, popular in the Himalayan region of India. In India this system is practiced in Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, Darjeeling (West Bengal), Lahoul and Spiti (Himachal Pradesh) and Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The theory and practices of "Sowa-Rigpa" are similar to Ayurveda, and also include few principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The fundamental text book rgyud-bzi of "Sowa-Rigpa" is believed to have been taught by Buddha himself and is closely linked with Buddhist philosophy. he Government of India has received representations from various quarters to grant recognition to the System of "Sowa-Rigpa" to enable it get a legal status.

To confer legal status to "Sowa-Rigpa" amendments to section 2,3,8,9 and 17 of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act 1970, need to be carried out.

The proposed amendments shall give effect to the inclusion of "Sowa-Rigpa" under sections 2,3,8,9 and 17 of the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 thereby recognizing this system legally.

It is expected that the legal recognition of "Sowa-Rigpa" will lead to the protection and preservation of this ancient system of medicine and will help in its propagation and development. This will also open new vistas leading to collaborative research and scientific validation of the "Sowa-Rigpa" system, besides conservation and protection of the medicinal plants/minerals used in the system.

The recognition of "Sowa-Rigpa" will also lead to the setting up of a mechanism to regulate the education and practice of "Sowa-Rigpa". (ANI)" end.

However in the UK and accross Europe a new law is in the pipeline, the 'Codex Alimentarius' restricting the use of herbal supplements, vitamins and mineral food supplements to 'prescription only', using guidelines from the WHO and UN, and thus rendering them inaccessible without the approval of a GP.
Click to see the petition which is now closed but regular updates are available.
See also Rahima's article below on the Sowa Rigpa project in Sikkim.

A Poetic Offering

Bodhicharya Publications are planning to gather poetry , writing, photographs and drawings etc. by Bodhicharya students and friends to put into a small publication as a gift for His Holiness Karmapa which will be be presented by Ringu Tulku during the 17th Karmapa's first visit to Europe. It will be an edited selection, and anything not chosen this time may be kept for another publication with permission of the author.
If you have anything you would like to contribute for selection please email up to 5 suitable poems, aspirational songs, prayers, or short written pieces and images to Margaret Ford at mgtfrd@aol.com or click here.
If you are a non native English speaker and prefer to write in your mother tongue, please make or have made, an initial translation of your poetry into English. This may also be further edited in english by an editing team, in conjunction with and permission of the author. Poems will then be published in the original language as well as in English. Closing date for submissions is 30th September 2009.

News from Rinpoche's Monastery in Rigul.

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche is the Abbot of Rigul Monastery, in Eastern Tibet. He has just heard news of the new Shedra (studies programme) from Khenpo Wangpel, of Rigul.
Rinpoche writes:
"The Shedra of Rigul has now started. There was a big inauguration with Dulmo Choje Rinpoche as the Chief Guest. Over 800 monks and nuns attended the opening ceremony including high Rinpoches, Khenpos and Lamas. Thousands of people came for the teachings and blessings. The shedra buildings are complete with a hall which can accomodate around 1500 people. The old Temple is also fully renovated and both were inuagurated and blessed.
photo, Khenpo Dulmo Chöje Rinpoche who visited Samye Ling and Holy Island in 2006 and led the Guru Rinpoche Drupchen.

'Khenpo Zopa will be the main Khenpo, he is a learned Geshe from Kirti Monastery. The Shedra has started with 54 students. They have constituted a Shedra Committee with 15 monks. There will be a common kitchen and all students will be offered free food, lodging and education. They have started a shop to help finance the Shedra.
'This is fulfilling one of my dreams for a long time. We will soon receive some photos from Karsing and Lama Desing. Lama Desing is an old monk of Rigul Monastery who lives in Dehradun and Karsing is my uncle who has been visiting Rigul during this time.
We hope they will return safely".

Rinpoche adds: "The school and Clinic are both running very well. 14 students from the school joined the Shedra. Of 54 students, 32 are from Rigul Monastery and the rest are from nearby monasteries including the Sakya Monastery across from Rigul."

I send my best wishes and love and prayers,
RT

For more information and photographs on Rigul Monastery, click here.
If you would like to make an offering for the monks, the students and the monastary to help commemorate this UK taxpayers may have their donation gift aidedauspicious occasion please feel free to make a payment through Rigul Trust
For this, please contact David, the treasurer, at info@rigultrust.org

Bodhicharya Summercamp 2009

The 4th International Bodhicharya Summercamp took place last week at La Petite Pierre, near Strasbourg, hosted by Bodhicharya France. During two sessions each day, Rinpoche completed his commentary on 'Pointing out the Dharmakaya', a short text on Mahamudra by Wangchuk Dorje, the 9th Karmapa, this year he taught on the 'pointing out instructions'.

click on the photos to enlarge them

This deeply serious topic provoked a lot of laughter as we teased out with Rinpoche,
'what it is not', as well as what it is: 'too easy, too good, too close, too deep'.

Lama Tsering Paldron from Portugal tanslated brilliantly for the french speakers.

Rinpoche taught for four hours each day, to an audience of 130 students from France, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Ireland, UK, Belgium, Holland, Portugal, Italy, USA.

We enjoyed hot sunshine for most of the week, early morning meditation, evening chenrezig practice, long walks and live music, as well as the twice daily teachings.

At the end of the week participants presented Rinpoche with a dramatic offering of a 'human mandala'. (above) Lama Tsultrim of Bodhicharya France, Ringu Tulku, and Lama Soga watching on.

The Mighty General with 64 Special Accomplishments

The completed Mandala.

Ringu Tulku blesses participants before leaving for Brussels.