Nepal Earthquake - Our help is needed

Bodhanath Stupa  in happier days

Ringu Tulku Rinpoche has longstanding connections with Nepal, some of his family live there, and they have generously provided a place of refuge for many of Rinpoche's students visiting Nepal on pilgrimage, holiday or retreat,  he says that no lives were lost in the family and none  are hurt - news we are really thankful to receive.  Some of you may remember the incredible meal for 50 weary travellers that was offered by his aunt,  mother, uncle, brothers, and sisters in the family house at the end of our pilgrimage with them in 2007, after long days on the road together with the whole family who were on a private journey visiting all the sacred sites in honour of  Rinpoche's  recently deceased father. Their generosity was extraordinary.
Many many of Rinpoche's friends, students,  teachers and colleagues are living in Nepal.  Rinpoche's family's home is close to the Bodhanath Stupa, his brother, R. D. Salga has a thanka painting studio there, Salga's work is unique and very precious, his training was at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, beginning at  a very young age, and he is recognised as a master of his craft and has exquisitely decorated many shrinerooms and gompas in Nepal and Sikkim, including BMC.
The Bodhanath stupa was also damaged in the earthquake, as well as the Sechen Monastery nearby, and because aftershocks may cause buildings that remain standing to collapse, people must live and sleep outside,  it has rained heavily, and the overnight temperature is not yet warm.  The Nepalese infrastructure, which was already hopelessly inadequate is not supporting the current needs, many roads outside Kathmandu are impassible, and so many of the outlying hilly areas closer to the epicentre of the quake are unreachable. As hill villages are located by helicopter they are found to be flattened, and countless more lives are known to be lost. Foodstocks are in short supply, water is running out, there is no electricity and the monsoon is coming, landslides expected, disease will spread quickly.

There are several organisations working to help who are already based in Nepal and connected to monasteries and Tibetan communities,  many of which have also suffered massive damage. These organisations generally do not have massive overheads, and ensure that any money donated will go direct to where it is needed most. So if you would like to make a difference, donating money direct is the best way, but make sure you do the research and go through well established charities as there will be many money-making opportunists.
This well thought through article by Clare Bennett in the UK Guardian is worth reading.
Check out the following links for Buddhist organisations within Nepal who are working to help and accepting donations.

http://karuna-shechen.org/news/help-earthquake-victims-in-nepal/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kagyu-Monlam-Office/303948426320560
http://www.shedrub.org/news
https://www.facebook.com/ROKPA.org?fref=ts
http://www.lionsroar.com/how-you-can-help-nepal-after-the-earthquake/
http://www.karmapausa.com/#!kss-nepal/c1lgw

Irish Connections:
http://www.thejournal.ie/irish-nepal-earthquake-2069567-Apr2015/?utm_source=facebook_short
http://www.bothar.ie/
http://www.idonate.ie/1917_nepal-ireland-society.html

If you can recommend further authentic contacts that would be useful please get in touch and we'll post here.
Thank you

Bodhicharya are planning to build an online archive of Ringu Tulku Rinpoche’s recorded audio and video teachings from over the past 25 years. If you are, or have previously been, the person responsible for recording teachings for a centre or group, please subscribe to our new Archivists Mailing List.

We will use this list to keep in touch with you about developments and how you might contribute recordings which we don’t currently have in the existing archive.

A week long retreat with Donal Creedon July 2015. A few places still available

 Donal's Annual retreat at An Tobar, Navan, Ireland. Runs 4 -11th July 

Theme:   On Being Hurt

"It is probably reasonable to say that all human beings get hurt in the process of growing up. Often the hurt remains as a background and springboard for action and relationship. This matrix of hurt distorts relationships, blights the capacity to joy and leads to bitterness and depression. It is played out on the world stage in violent conflicts between factions who carry and indeed cling to the memories of past grievances.

From the Buddhist viewpoint, carrying this load from the past is as pointless as Sisyphus pushing his boulder up the mythic mountain.
In our retreat we will explore this and other questions in the light of the Mahamudra tradition of discovering total freedom from the past, and living in the open space of natural choiceless awareness".

Details: The week costs €475.00. A deposit of €75 secures your place. This covers a single room and all meals (vegetarian). Balance to be paid by 30th May.  If interested please email  bodhicharya.ireland@gmail.com for more information. 

Donal’s Conditions for Participants

Donal requests that participants attend the whole retreat from beginning to end. Partial or casual attendance is discouraged, as is coming and going during the retreat. Participants should be fully committed to the retreat.

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje USA Teachings 2015

http://kagyuoffice.org/schedule/

His Holiness the 17th Karmapa, Orgyen Trinley Dorje USA Teachings 2015

Berlin 2014                     photo Francois Henrard. 

His Holiness Karmapa is now in the US and embarking on a two month tour of centres, colleges, and Buddhist institutions across the country. On 27th April he will be hosted by the Tergar Community in Madison, to speak on  “The Heart, the Brain, and Society: Buddhist and Scientific Perspectives on the Cultivation of Well-being”  The conference will include a dialogue with renowned neuroscientist Richard Davidson and Sona Dimidjian whose research focuses on  women's mental health, in particular during pregnancy. It will be hosted by Daniel Golman, author of the groundbreaking book, 'Emotional Intelligence'. Seats at the 800 seat auditorium are fully booked, but there are plans to broadcast the teachings live, so do keep an eye on the above link for updates.

The Karmapa will also be visiting 6 institutions of higher education to give talks and have meetings with students, as well as attend lectures himself. 

A lovely message from Rinpoche for the year of the Female Wood Sheep

"The horns of auspiciousness touch the sky.
The wools of prosperity swirl on the ground.
The bleats of happiness resound in the valleys.
The year of Sheep may bring you all goodness"

RINGU TULKU
19th February 2015

Auspicious Losar to everyone!

And in return Rinpoche,  all of us from Bodhicharya Ireland wish you a female sheep year of good health, great wealth, safe travels and students who practise well!!

Rinpoche's Summer Visit to Dublin 2015

Rinpoche in Sri Lanka on Pilgrimage in January

News just in ! Ringu Tulku is preparing his teaching events for 2015; he will be in Dzogchen Beara 3-5th July, and Dublin 27th - 30th July this year, just in time to prime yourself for Summercamp in Portugal 3-9th August, where Rinpoche will be leading a Ngondro retreat. All details for booking are on the Summercamp page 
Rinpoche's itinerary has become even more busy, with even more centres than ever extending an invitation for him to teach.     The programme for his visit to Dublin will be here to view shortly.