the electric lotus

Many of you have noticed that for the past couple months, our Spiritual Teacher, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda, has not been posting updates about the Order of Compassion or the Ladrang/Ashram here on Electric Lotus Journal.

The reason for that is that he received seven very hateful and mean-spirited emails and comments from what he calls “a number of cowardly, childish and wicked individuals”, who seem to derive pleasure in attacking our teacher and his work with innuendo and lies. When confronted by Khenpo, and challenged to provide even a shred of evidence to support their insinuations, these cowards disappear conveniently, knowing that many will simply buy into their innuendo and stop supporting our work, regardless of how baseless the accusations are proven to be.

These same hateful individuals reported to Social Security that between the years of 2001-2005, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda was allegedly well enough to continue working, despite the fact that his doctors vehemently disagree. And while Khenpo has always offered to provide complete medical transcripts to anyone who is willing to have their accusations and lies – claiming that he is not really diagnosed with AIDS and Parkinsonism – video taped, along with video footage exposing them as the real liars and hatemongers. Of course, such cowards as Bishop Tony Hash, Fr. Joe Finnegan, Fr. Stephen "Jug-o-Wine” Hoder, and the pathological Terry Villaire like to continue to claim that our dear teacher doesn’t really have AIDS, is not validly ordained, and is somehow living high on the imaginary funds from his students and benefactors, but none of them have accepted Khenpo’s challenge, because they KNOW they will be exposed as the liars themselves.

Imagine if you would, how it would be to try to survive on less than $700 per month, feeding two to three monks, and paying rent, electric, gas and water; covering $79 in prescription co-pays, and somehow even managing to buy groceries. THAT is what our Teacher is forced to try to do each month.

Last month, TWO students sent donations, totaling less than $200. There were NO OTHER DONATIONS… NO OTHER INCOME.

And some scoundrel had the audacity to attach the monks who willingly parted with their personal Tsongkhapa thangka prints, signed by the Dalai Lama, as a means of trying to raise enough money for the security deposit and rent at the new Ladrang! Another coward… this one on LiveJournal… who hasn’t got the guts to provide evidence to support his hateful accusations either.

The bottom line is that Khenpo went for more than a week without groceries in the house, and sold some of the most cherished ordination gifts, priceless books passed down from one lineage holder to the next, and almost all of his devotional artwork, with the exception of one Dorje Setrap thangkha, a murti of Je Tsongkhapa, Green Tara and Sakyamuni, and an ancient Sri Ganesha murti, just to cover August’s rent and utilities.

It’s disgraceful, in my opinion, that our teacher continues to live such a difficult and deprived life, while giving so much of himself, 24 hours a day for the past 31 years; especially since it would only take $220/week to completely support him and his work.

Two thousand students and practitioners download his teachings each month. Two thousand people entered the Dharma stream through his devoted work. And yet only TWO (sometimes three) people have ever bothered supporting him in the past eight months!

That is SICKENING!

And now he is seriously considering having to stop doing the radio program, the Lotus Institute, and the various blogs, because he doesn’t believe the work is being valued enough for his students to support the on-going work.

Twenty-seven monks left the order in the past three months, because Khenpo refuses to accept the ban against the Shugdenpa, or the way in which certain religious “leaders” are encouraging people to stop showing compassion, support and care for the beloved Shugden-devotees, especially the monks, who are being refused medical treatment, food and shelter by the Tibetan people in India. “These monks, from our community, have decided that their allegiance and loyalty belongs first to His Holiness, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, and so they have asked to be released from their guru-chela relationship with me,” Khenpo explained, “And I am compelled to honour their request, because I feel that my loyalty remains with Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang, Kyabje Zong Dorje Chang, H.H. Kyabje Pabongka Dorje Chang, His Holiness the 101st Gaden Trisur Jetsun Lungrik Namgyal Rinpocheand Lama Yeshe and above all, H.H. Kyabje Trijang Rinpoche (the present incarnation of Kyabje Trijang Dorje Chang)… and if that means breaking samaya with H.H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, who may have broken samaya with his own teachers over this matter, then I am willing to face those consequences.”

As a monk of a mere 20 years, I am blessed and awed by Khenpo’s commitment and ethics, honor and dedication to his Bodhisattva Vows.

I plead with all of you to consider doing whatever you can to help us find a way to raise the $220/week needed to keep Our Lady of Wisdom – Sarvodaya Ashram (Ladrang) operating. Our immediate needs are to cover $250 in past due expenses before Tuesday morning. Whatever you can do will be appreciated.

I may very well get some grief from my beloved teacher over posting this, but I could not sit idly by and watch him struggle any more. And I know that he is seriously considering throwing his life-saving medications into the trash, and walking away from his medical coverage, so that he can begin financially supporting the work himself again. The results of doing that, according to his doctors, will be devastating to his health. So this is my attempt, in desperation, to ask you to consider helping us find a better way.

Namaskar!

Tsultrim Tenzin

The Enlightened One taught that even loss and betrayal could bring us awakening. When we think about it, our awakening comes as a direct result of our taking wakeful steps… that is, bringing mindfulness to every experience, regardless of how we might initially perceive that experience or event.

The foolish farmer pays a service to come take his garbage as far away as possible, because he does not want the unpleasant smell of decaying vegetables, plants, and food stuffs. The wise farmer put all of that garbage in a single corner of his field, tilling and tending to it, much like any crop. Then, when it is time, and the Spring has arrived, he spreads the compost and manure that he endured the whole Summer, Fall and Winter long, and plants his crops beneath it. He knows that out of the rich compost, an abundant harvest will rise.

The Anointed One taught that some sow seeds on dry, rocky ground; while others sow seeds in fertile soil. The choice is ours, and we must be mindful, not only at the time when those seeds are sown, but in every wakeful step. Are we cultivating the fertile soil of compassion, enriched by every experience, no matter how much it "stinks", or how unpleasant it "appears"? Or are we cultivating a dry, barren and rocky place? Even then, if we discover that we have not been good stewards of the soil, when we bring mindful intentionality to the moment, we can choose to plant cacti and that soil will become the desert of compassion.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Prince of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2010, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Our practice of compassion is based on the recognition that every sentient being has the right to be free from suffering.

Some have said that true compassion is unbiased, and as such is even generated toward one’s enemies. Taking that a step further, compassion illuminates our perception of the enemy in such a way as to expose that no such thing as an enemy exists.

Transcending all dogma, doctrine, religious and political ideals, compassion bridges the mistaken perception of "otherness", and fosters a safe environment for all fellow-beings, so that the causes of suffering can be addressed and eliminated. And when we engage in the cultivation of genuine compassion, our lives are organically transformed by the practice.

We begin to find ourselves in the midst of amazing people, of whom we can only stand in awe, realising that we are loved and in return become love.

The names, assignations, doctrines and dogma that are used to attempt to quantify, explain and understand compassion are insignificant really. Some are more helpful than others, and some are based on unhealthy perceptions, to be sure. But none of this ultimately matters, as we each traverse the mountain — some taking the gradual path, others engaging the more challenging trails, and still others blazing new paths altogether.

Eventually, we will sit in the Silent Bliss of Enlightenment at the summit, and we will then know that where there appeared to be many on the journey, in the end, there was and is but One.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

Copyright ©2010, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Do you know anyone who might be a successful business person, or owner of a small to medium-sized company, that would benefit from having a talented team of graphic designers and Internet marketing specialists create a fresh, new website presence for them? 

Do you know someone who is a writer, who may have always dreamed of having their works in print?

One of the ways you can help us support the work of Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda, and keep the hermitage, the dharma centre and our charitable works going is to refer folks who might need those services to us.

Right now, we urgently need to cover $300 in upcoming expenses, in order to have the water and electricity turned on at the new hermitage, as well as ensuring that we have Internet and phone service.

You can make a tax-deductible donation below, or refer folks to DigitalAlchemyMedia.com for a look at the professional services now available.

In the Digha Nikaya, one of the early Buddhist texts, Buddha Sakyamuni is recorded as saying, "When these Brahmins teach a path they do not embrace themselves or know, saying, ‘This is the only true path,’ this cannot possibly be so. Just as a line of blind men go on, clinging to each other, and the first one sees nothing, the middle one sees nothing, and the last one sees nothing, so it is with the teachings of these Brahmins." (Digha Nikaya 13.15)

This is resonant with the account in the gospel attributed to Luke, in which Rabbi Jesus says, "Can a blind man guide a blind man? Will not both fall into a pit?" (Luke 6.39-40)

So it is with so many of the popular "new age" teachers. They cleverly package their message as a "secret", knowing that it will sell books, DVDs and workshops, but those who buy those books and tapes, like those who spend hundreds of dollars on the workshops and intensives, might be disappointed to discover that nothing real or substantial was gained from that experience.

When I am teaching the new monastic and lay students of the Living Dharma Community, we talk a lot about mindfulness. It’s a word that is often used in Zen centres, Buddhist classes, and a central point of meditation practice. It has never been a "secret" — never something anyone has had to pay to learn. But it’s often overlooked by those seeking relief from suffering, because it sounds so simple that they cannot perceive it as having much real importance.

Mindfulness goes beyond the description of an "ideal". It becomes, with practice, more than a state of mind. Mindfulness brings one’s attention to the moment — interiorly and exteriorly, until that awareness realises that there is no interior or exterior. Mindfulness notices, without judging, the thoughts that arise at every moment. Mindfulness informs that recognition that these are only thoughts, and thoughts can be changed.

When we are mindful, we find a loosening of the seeming constrictions of life’s stressors. The stressors certainly continue to arise, but because we are mindful of their true nature, we can allow ourselves to notice: "Ah! There is something that is triggering thoughts of stress, or anger, or frustration." The stress doesn’t simply vanish, but it loses its perceived power. Mindfulness alerts us to the motives, fears and unwholesome thoughts that contribute directly to suffering in our experiences, so that we can replace those with wholesome, compassionate and balanced thoughts and perceptions.

When we practice mindfulness regularly, we begin to realise when those to whom we were listening are not really teachers, but are the metaphoric "blind ones" we read about in the beginning of this reflection. We notice that when one begins to tell us not to trust the part of our minds that employs rational thought and reasoning, that person is either misguided or manipulating us. When one tries to convince us that they can unlock the "secret" to our intuition (almost always at a hefty price), we can recognise what’s really going on there. But without mindfulness, we are left to the whims and fancies of the world’s teachers.

Perhaps the greatest reason for mindfulness, however, is that it will always make us aware of the need for compassion, understanding, dialogue, reconciliation, kindness and service. And once we allow our awareness to naturally turn toward these needs, we will eventually train the mind to stay focused on the importance of these things. And where one is mindful and aware of the need for compassion, one will always discover the source of true and lasting peace, calm abiding and unconditional satisfaction.

Namasté!

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Prince of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2010, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

There are several items left to be sold in order to raise the remaining funds for our upcoming relocation of the ladrang (monastic hermitage) from Lancaster to Hummelstown, Pennsylvania.  We’re still about $150 away from having all of the money we need, so the following items must be sold this weekend.

If you know someone who may be interested in one of these items, let us know. (And those interested in simply making a tax-deductible donation, can do so at: http://orderofcompassion.com (the donation widget is at the bottom on the right hand side).

The following items must be sold in the next two days, in order for us to cover these up-coming expenses:

Item #1 – Buddha Amitabha Murti (altar statue)

Approximately 4.5”-5” high, this is one of two Amitabha murti’s that have been in use continuously for 27 years in my personal shrines. Donation requested: $110

Item #2 – Rare Ganesh murti

This murti comes from my satguru’s ashram and is at least 75 years old, probably older. Standing about 7” high, it is a beautiful brass representation of Sri Ganesa, the Buddhist and Hindu manifestation of the divine capacity to remove obstacles and attachments. This murti has been in continuous use in shrines in India, Florida, Atlanta and now in my hermitage for more than 75 years.  Requested donation: $215

Item #3 – St. Francis of Assisi statue

This beautiful statue of St. Francis of Assisi comes from the Monastère de Bethléem – a Catholic contemplative community of nuns in France. It is crafted using the local dolomite stone, which is crushed, mixed with resin and cast into each statue they make, then hand-finished by the sisters themselves. It stands over 8” in height and is truly beautiful. Requested donation: $110

Item #4 – St. Francis of Assisi Wall Hanging

Another beautiful example of the work of the sisters, this wonderful wall hanging can be used to mark sacred space, to remind us of the call to peace and forgiveness or to honour the Bodhisattva Francis in your own private shrine or meditation area.  Approximately 14” high Requested donation: $110

Seeing these wonderful and cherished part of our monastic practice leave will be a moment of sadness for all of us, and a reminder of the impermanence of all phenomena, but will go a long way toward helping us create a new, healthier and safer home.

If you are interested in any of these items, email: dharmacharya@dharmadudeunplugged.com and we will send you a PayPal invoice, which you can then pay online, and we’ll get the item(s) off to you ASAP.

Shipping has already been added to each item for anywhere in the Continental U.S. – Outside the U.S., $10 will be added to the invoice.

And once again, if you would like to make a donation, or know someone who may be able to make a corporate sponsorship or donation, they may do so by going to the website for the Contemplative Order of Compassion and clicking on the donation widget at the bottom of that page.

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Prince of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2010, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

There are about fourteen serious students involved in the work of the Contemplative Order of Compassion and the Living Dharma Community – that’s out of about 2700 people who read the blogs and listen to the Dharma talks online each month.

This afternoon, one of them sent me an email and asked why I could not challenge those serious students to take on a new Dharma service challenge, to make it possible for us to move the ladrang (lama’s monastic residence/hermitage) to South Florida, where students are asking us to establish a Dharma Centre and hospice project. She suggested that if each of those fourteen students would make it their personal responsibility to do whatever it takes to raise $200 in the month of July – be that through a bake sale, yard sale, asking for donations, eBay sale or whatever – then it would be possible for us to move to South Florida, and stay with family there for a month or so, until we could find an affordable apartment.

I will admit that the idea makes sense. I did not sleep at all on Thursday or Friday night, because the dreadful little tenement in which we have been forced to live, since our benefactors withdrew their monthly support, is overrun by mice. My immune system is already seriously endangered (with a CD4 count of 134/mm³), so I cannot begin to express how this, in addition to the inadequate heating, cooling and ventilation problems, causes me concern. And thanks to the malicious intent of those who disapprove of my unwillingness to back down in the face of social injustice, intolerance and duplicity – particularly when it comes from those perceived to be enlightened spiritual leaders – my disability benefits have been suspended, which means we no longer have any source of income.

Our only hope is that the company we formed with some of our business partners in South Florida will be able to support us within the next few months, but we are at least three months away from that happening, since every dime of income is going back into research, development and ensuring the future of that company.

I’ll be the first to admit that I am, at this point, emotionally and physically overwhelmed. It’s important for us to get to Florida, both for health reasons and for the purposes of our Dharma work. And I am committed to continuing that work. But at the moment, I don’t see how I will do that, without the community taking some responsibility and ownership, instead of leaving the burden on two or three people who have been the only source of support – all of whom are really not in any financial position to be constantly imposed upon in such a way.

Could it be that the Dharma path these fourteen students walk is built on such shallow ground that it is unfathomable for them to consider finding creative ways to be able to support our work? Realistically, if those fourteen students each raised $200, and then made a commitment to set aside $20/week – again, either from their personal income or by some creative means of fundraising – they could underwrite the expense of operating the ladrang for the next six months.

If not, it is very possible that I will have to walk away from the medications that keep me healthy, and begin working in the secular sector, with no insurance, no disability benefits, and little chance at beating either of the two diseases that I now battle.  But if that is what it takes, it is what it takes.

I challenge you now, however, to give me some creative input… How would you suggest that we could raise the $2400 needed for the move, or the $1400 needed for monthly expenses (rent, food and utilities)? If this teaching has been of any value to you, I think it is reasonable to ask how you can show your appreciation by taking ownership in the effort, and coming up with constructive and creative ways of helping us to achieve our goals.

What do you say?

Namasté

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda

_____________________________________________

“Chenrezig, Treasure of Objectless Compassion;
Manjushri, Lord of Stainless Wisdom;
Vajrapani, Destroyer of all adversarial forces;
O Je Tsong Khapa – Losang Drakpa —
Crown Prince of the Sages of the Land of Snows,
Humbly at Your Lotus Feet I ask your blessing.”

_____________________________________________

Drawing on the essential teachings of the great spiritual teachers, philosophers and freethinkers throughout time, Khenpo Gurudas Śunyatananda (retired Archbishop Francis-Maria Salvato, O.C.) has been regarded as a provocative, revolutionary “voice of reason” within the field of religion and spirituality, since 1983. Having the distinction of being one of the few openly non-theistic, openly-gay and post-denominational thinkers ever to serve as Bishop-Exarch and spiritual leader of the autocephalic Eastern Catholic Franciscans in North America, Gurudas is the author of more than 600 articles, eight books and currently serves as the spiritual advisor for a non-theistic, intentional spiritual community, The Spiritus Project. He can be reached at: http://dharmadudeunplugged.com

Copyright ©2010, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda (The Most Reverend Dr. F. Francis-Maria G. Salvato, M.Sc., O.C.). All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

Namasté, my friends and Sangha!

Well, I must say that I was surprised to log in and find so many private responses to my inquiry as to the reasons most of you have registered for the Living Dharma Community site, but neither visit it to read the posts, nor participate by blogging or commenting on anyone else’s blog. I was not surprised that most of you found the site to be less user-friendly than our Ning Site, but was very surprised to learn that more than half of you expressed that you "wish we would have stayed at Ning".

We would have stayed, if the community would have taken ownership in the situation and covered the $29/month to do that. But I was unable to continue bankrolling all of the websites, blogs and services we offer, and could not take on another expense. We are facing a bit of a financial crisis, as most of you know, and are working on relocating the ladrang and monastic training institute to South Florida. That is a priority right now, not subscribing to Ning’s overpriced blogging platform.

However, I am listening and after speaking with five of you on this afternoon’s impromptu chat session, I have agreed to do all I can to make things simpler. Here is a synopsis of our plans:

1. We are creating a brand new interface for the Lotus Institute – Center for Quantum Healing & Noetic Sciences. The Lotus Institute is our non-profit education centre, and will eventually underwrite the operations of the Open-Heart, Open-Mind  Dharma Centre, and the Dorje Setrap Monastic Institute (which will provide the monastic studies program for our next generation of monks). This new interface is beautiful, simple, and very easy to use. It will allow me to upload videos, Dharma talks and articles, and will instantly archive them in an easy-to-find format, so that no matter when someone decides to start a course, they can be directed to the right place and progress at their own pace. To see the new Lotus Institute portal, visit: http://orderofcompassion.com/lotus
2. We will resume the weekly "Talking Dharma" radio programme, but with a new, more professional format. Each episode will include a 15-20 minute Dharma talk, a reading from a noteworthy Dharma teacher, and will conclude with a five minute meditation. This will significantly increase the number of classes required to complete the Lam Rim Cheno course, but many of you have told me that covering one section each show is just too much information, due to the cultural differences between Tibet and the West. So I will present each section in "bite-sized" pieces. I am grateful for the feedback about this as well. We will no longer have a dial-in format, and all questions will be covered in The Living Dharma Discussion Group portion of our site.
3. Our weekly Dharma talks will be available through iTunes as podcasts every week, so those who are unable to listen to the show live. This means you can download them to an iPod, iPhone, iPad or mp3 player, as well as to any computer, and listen to them at your convenience.
4. Integrated seamlessly with the new Lotus Institute is our new discussion group and blogging portal — The Living Dharma Discussion Group. Not only is this group a place where members will be encouraged to share their ideas, their questions, and their journeys, but it will also mean that each of you will have a place of your own to blog. The Living Dharma Discussion Group will use Multiply.com as its platform, which requires you to have a personal Multiply.com account. And that account (which is free, of course) allows you to blog, post note/links (which can be cross-posted on Twitter and Facebook if you wish), and even load some of your favourite Dharma videos, music, etc. to share with others. So instead of blogging your weekly assignments in the The Living Dharma Discussion Group, where your assignments could be seen by everyone, you will be able to post them on your personal blog. And then YOU have the control over who sees them. (You would, of course, want to add me as a contact — my username is dharmadude — and then I will be able to keep track of your posts. You can also add anyone you want to "network" with, and with each post you can choose to let everyone see it, just me, or even keep some posts private "for your eyes only". I think this will dramatically improve the level of participation in the class.

So what does that mean about the livingdharma.spruz.com and original Lotus Institute websites?

It means that they become a lesson and reminder for us that all phenomena are impermanent. Fortunately, the money that was spent on the original Lotus Institute back-end installation has been kindly applied as a credit for the new installation (which was a great deal, because he wanted twice as much to install that for us originally… but now he’s a student, so I am grateful for his kindness and understanding).  The original Lotus Institute page will eventually link right into the presently under-construction site. And the spruz.com site will be left up, but will be inactive. So please don’t post questions to me there, since I won’t see them. If you want to interact with me as a Spiritual Teacher or mentor, the proper place to do that is on the The Living Dharma Discussion Group. So head over, sign up (it takes five minutes, and every time you do that a Buddha gets his wings! LOL! Sorry, I always wanted to say something like that!) Seriously, it only takes a few minutes, and many of you already have Multiply.com sites, so you just have to go to: http://spiritusproject.multiply.com and join the group.

You can log into the new Lotus Institute site, where you will find some initial material already in place. That site will continue to become better and better in the weeks to come. I hope you find it as useful and easy to use as I believe it will be. (If you don’t we have to find a short bus, I’m afraid, and send you to a special program for the technologically-disadvantaged!)

I hope this makes things easier for everyone, and hope to see you there! As always, we ask that you remember that we rely on the generosity of our benefactors and students to continue the work we do. If you know of a business or organisation who may be interested in becoming a benefactor or sponsor, please have them get in touch with us. The new system will also allow me to offer premium banner space in the Institute, so that our sponsors will get some additional temporal benefits, in addition to accumulating great karmic merit!

Finally, thank you to everyone who sent their warm sentiments in remembrance of Dean Sandoval’s passing from this mortal coil, five years ago. My commitment made to him on his death-bed was that I would not stop trying until we succeeded in creating the Dean Sandoval Centre for Compassionate Care — a respite and hospice, and support centre for those living with life-threatening and serious dis-ease. That remains a long-term goal for us, and is one of the major reasons we are relocating to South Florida. Keep Dean’s mom, brother and step-dad in your thoughts, as this time of year is especially painful for them.

Much love to you all, and we’ll see you at our new site!

khenpo gurudas sunyatananda, oc
The Contemplative Order of Compassion
http://orderofcompassion.com/lotus

Our beloved teacher, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda announced this afternoon that there are still openings for the upcoming virtual course on the timeless Lam Rim Chenmo – the classic presentation of the gradual steps to awakening, from the Great Je Tsongkhapa.

Participation in these classes simply requires registering, which is done in two simple steps. The first step is to become part of the Living Dharma Network at: http://livingdharma.spruz.com  and then, you’ll find an article about the LOTUS Institute (formerly the Lojong Institute for Dharma Studies) . Follow the directions in that article, or just visit the Lotus Institute online at:
http://orderofcompassion.com/lojonginstitute and enroll for the course.

We are very fortunate to have our precious lama willing to share this beautiful wisdom in a way that will make it both relevant and accessible to the the Western world, without the cultural accretions, superstitions and religious overtones often found in sectarian Buddhist teachings.

Things continue to be very difficult for Khenpo and Jampal Choden. They have not recovered the $1000 owed to the ladrang by the business man who paid for web services with a worthless cheque. As a result literally hundreds of dollars in bounced cheques have ruined the financial situation for the ladrang. Our attempts to sell off the beautiful Tsongkhapa thangka prints were not successful, although some donations came in and eliminated the immediate threat of eviction. We’ve still got a long way to go.

Khenpo also announced that he and some of the monks will be relocating to South Florida as soon as it is financially feasible to do so. This will both lower the monthly expenses, and relocate the ladrang in an area that is more supportive of and conducive to Dharma Centre work. The original ladrang was in Fort Lauderdale, in 1983, so everyone is happy to return to their "home”.

Blog Talk Radio Program Changes

Earlier this week, Khenpo announced that the usual talk-show format for Talking Dharma will no longer be the direction that show takes. He is very grateful to his wonderful co-host, Bishop Craig Bergland for “making the show real, and bringing a fresh perspective from the non-sectarian perspective of a disciple of the Christ-Dharma”.  The show will now become a weekly “teaching platform” with a dharma talk or lecture, occasional related guests, and will directly interact with the LOTUS Institute’s classes.

The next 26 weeks will feature a series on the Lam Rim Chenmo.

Would You Like to Help?

As a special show of support and appreciation, the Sangha has arranged to offer a very special, limited offer to those wishing to support the ladrang. For the next week, we will be happy to send the following, beautiful Buddha murti (devotional statue) to every person who donates $75 or more, via the convenient donation link at the bottom of this page.  The statue is approximately 2.5” tall and crafted by artisans near Bodhgaya. (Each figure is slightly different, so yours may vary from the image shown to a small degree). These figures were used during the celebration of Vesaka and Saga Dawa Duchen, and have each been used by H.E. the Dharm’acharya Gurudas Sunyatananda during puja at least once.

Thank you in advance for your love and support.

Om Shanti!

Chökyi Senge
Communications Division
Office of the Dharm’acharya Gurudas Sunyatananda
Lojong Ladrang

Copyright ©2008, Office of His Eminence Dharmacharya Gurudas Sunyatananda. All rights reserved. This material may be reproduced, blogged, quoted or distributed, provided the entire copyright including contact information remain intact. It may NOT be altered in any way, without express written permission.

WE STILL HAVE ONE OF THESE PRINTS LEFT… IF YOU ARE INTERESTED, PLEASE CONTACT US RIGHT AWAY.

Due to the extreme suffering caused by a fraudulent cheque sent in to the ladrang, for $1000.00, for services rendered in April (by our webdesign and multimedia firm), the monks have asked us to sell off the TWO very rare, limited edition prints of the beautiful Tibetan Thangka paintings (approximately 17” x 24”), signed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and ready for framing.

The image below (without the Dalai Lama’s signature is the original scan of the print itself).

We are asking a $125 donation for each of these two prints. If you wish to order one (or both) please contact us (dharmacharya@dharmadudeunplugged.com) instructions. Your donation will be tax deductible.

Thank you, and please help spread the word.

- Chökyi Senge
Communications Division
Posted with permission from Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda – Lojong Ladrang