Three-Year Retreat Begins at Asura Cave

This year, nearly 200 people participated in our traditional fall seminar at Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling monastery in Boudha. Rinpoche taught an amazing text, “Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet,” by Khenpo Gangshar, a teacher of Trungpa Rinpoche as well as Trangu Rinpoche. We all felt extremely blessed by Rinpoche’s lucid commentary. The participants all seemed very serious about practice and a wonderful feeling of support and harmony prevailed among the sangha. On the seminar’s break day, everyone was invited to join the celebrations for the beginning of a new three-year retreat in our monastery in Parphing. Eight monks started this retreat, most of them quite young. Rinpoche mentioned during the seminar that he was very touched that even young monks asked for permission to do a three-year retreat. When Rinpoche inquired if they were sure about this, since it would be three years and not just three weeks or three months, some of the monks started to get tears in their eyes, saying that they would like to do at least one valuable beneficial thing in their life, a three-years retreat! Rinpoche asked us to make aspiration prayers so that their retreat will be successful.
On the day of the celebration in Parphing, the athmosphere in the main temple was amazing and very touching. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche as well as Chokling Rinpoche addressed the retreatants as well as their relatives and friends. Also, Chokling Rinpoche’s wife, Dechen-la, was present and blessed them. Rinpoche often said that Parphing is an especially blessed place, since it was at Asura cave where Guru Rinpoche gained realization through the practice of Vajrakilaya. We are happy to announce that new floors were added to the buildings closest to the hill. Soon there will be more retreat rooms available, built to western standards, including an attached bathroom. Everyone is welcome to use those rooms as soon as they are completed.

--written by Tina Lang