the electric lotus

TALKING DHARMA

This week, Khenpo Gurudas Sunyatananda announced that Bishop Craig Bergland, whom many of us got to know and respect through his appearances on the Talking Dharma radio program, had agreed to co-host the show with him. “We felt it was important to have someone on the show who could balance my more Tibetan influence with another perspective,” the Khenpo told the community, “Our good friend, John Pappas, has his hands full with juggling a very demanding schedule, so he’s been unable to consistently make it to serve in that capacity, and we just felt Bishop Bergland was a natural fit.”

Bishop Bergland’s “Christ Enlight” program is gaining momentum, and helping to illuminate the Dharma teachings of Rav Yeshua ben Yusef (Jesus the Anointed One).

This decision to add a host from a more Christian background comes at a time when the Khenpo has expressed a firm commitment to not let those who have suggested that syncretism and post-denominationalism is something to be ashamed of. A time when alleged gurus are criticizing the diverse background and honorable religious offices our abbot holds as “collecting spiritual costumes”, presumably because they’re threatened by the influence Khenpo has already had with her students. Others are backing away because they were scandalised to learn that for 24 years, Khenpo supported all of our work by teaching several top-performing, direct sales companies how to grow their businesses using Dharma principles, rather than the typically shady money-grubbing approach. As a result, he was earning $24K/month for the community… and for some reason, that is seen by these ill-formed and questionable “pillars” of the dharma community as “improper for a monk”.

“People will always have their opinions,” Khenpo told the monks last night, “Some will lack the balls to admit that they’re allowing the crowd to influence their decision, and they will make excuses for backing away. So what? Others will become confrontational or spread rumours. So what? Did you become a contemplative to win a popularity contest? Or are you seriously interested in helping folks move beyond the attachments and fears that cause suffering toward freedom and Awareness?”

NEW TIME!

Talking Dharma will now be broadcast live on Mondays at 1 PM Eastern Time, allowing folks on the East Coast to listen during their lunch break, while folks on the West Coast tune in during their mid-morning coffee break (and the folks in Kuala Lampur… well, it’s 2 AM Tuesday for you, so I don’t expect to many dial-ins!)

ITEMS FOR SALE

Because financial support has all but dried up, and there have been no takers in the Khenpo’s offer to do whatever copywriting, web design, graphic design or other projects he could for students and friends of the Order, he announced that the Order would have to begin selling off some of the items left in the temple/chapel area in order to cover the rent and bills. The following items are now for sale:

Tabernacle

Hand-crafted by Robert Smith, this beautifully designed tabernacle features a relief cross on the front, and is made of blonde wood, with a lovely satin finish. Large enough for two large ciboria and three stackable hospital ciboria. May also be used as a suitable tabernacle for the Altar of Repose, or as an aumbry.  $200 + shipping.

St. Francis of Assisi Statue

Made by the French nuns at The Monastère de Bethléem, this beautiful statue is cast from crushed dolomite stones and resin, then hand-painted and finished by the nuns themselves. It measures 11”, and shows the patronal saint in the “thanksgiving mudra” (see picture). $180 + $15 shipping. (Note: these regularly sell for $238 from the monastery itself)

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(RARE!) Lama Tsongkhapa Thangka Poster “The Gelugpa Tree”

– signed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

This beautiful Tibetan print, signed by the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, depicts the lineage of Lama Tsongkhapa as transmitted to the Gelugpa School of Buddhism.  A beautiful addition to a meditation room, Dharma Centre or your personal collection.

Approximately 18” x 30” – $145 + $10 shipping.

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Those interested in any of these items should contact the office at: development@dharmadudeunplugged.com immediately to arrange for payment and delivery.

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!

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

Copyright ©2008, 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.

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 21st, 2010 at 2:27 pm and is filed under Weekly updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.