October 15, 2007 - Letter from the Retreat Center

We are writing from the Palyul Ling Retreat Center, the main seat in the United States of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, located in rural upstate New York. It is late Fall. Our retreatant friends from the Tenth Annual Summer Retreat are long packed and returned to their homes, but the echo of their prayers and practices still sweeten the air. The breeze has turned cold, the sky deep blue, and the leaves are wearing their Fall colors of deep red, maroon and saffron. We can’t help but think the trees themselves adopt the vows of the ordained just for a season, imbued with the blessings of our recently completed retreat and inspired by the proximity of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, who spent the months after retreat recuperating in his summer home here, surrounded by his attentive group of monk attendants.

This morning while helping Dorje Lopon Lama Sochuk, the year-round resident lama, add pine fronds to the billowing smoke of the Sang offering piled high on the fireplace outside the temple, we were reminded of His Holinesses teachings about the importance of the support of a Dharma center. The peaceful and tranquil environment, the smoke gently puffing to the clear sky, and Lama Sochuk’s kindly “Woh ya,” telling us we’d piled on enough pine for the moment, was redolent with the possibility that such a peace could arise even in ourselves.

1997: The Search For Land

His Holiness Penor Rinpoche commenced the search for land on which to build a retreat center in the U.S. after well-attended teaching tours in 1995, 1996, and 1997. His goal was to quickly establish a center where American practitioners would be able to follow the same retreat series as offered at Namdroling Monastery in India during the first months of the Tibetan year and be able to receive teachings from Tibetan masters with the qualifications to bestow them.

He chose 280 acres in rural upstate New York, in an area that is not too close to the distractions of modern cities, yet at an equally convenient driving distance from Canada, the Midwest, and major Northeastern U.S. cities. In addition to land, the property consisted of an abandoned dairy farm with a decaying set of barns and crumbling yellow farmhouse that could be used as a residence.

1998: No Delay

Determined to start students eager for the teachings on the path without any delay, His Holiness pushed his monk staff and a handful of volunteers to their limits in order to hold a retreat the first year. Tents were cast for a shrine, kitchen and living quarters; two mobile homes were rented, one for dorms and the other for use as a bathhouse. A small group of thirty-five students gathered for the one-month retreat to receive the Foundation Teachings (Ngondro) and commentaries directly from His Holiness, with translation by Khenchen Tsewang Gyasto Rinpoche.

1999: Construction Begins

Construction began in earnest the following year in 1999, when Palyul Ling was able to raise the funds required to build the temple with its beautiful wide wrap-around porch. Simple rooms to house those not hardy enough to manage living in tents were built, now known as the “East Dorm.” At the conclusion of the 1999 summer retreat, His Holiness gathered with a few of the remaining students from the year’s retreat, apologized that the garden around the temple was not yet planted, and asked “How would you like this temple decorated?” It became clear in that moment this retreat center is, in fact, His Holinesses offering to all practitioners and students. He promised the temple would be hung with paintings and thankgas—and today it is!

2000-2003: Dining Facility and Guest House.

In the year 2000, a new dorm was built and kitchen with a large dining room and plenty of covered outdoor seating. The dining facility also included a bathing facilities for retreatants living in tents. His Holinesses residence was constructed as was a guest house to serve as a residence for Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso and other visiting lamas.

2004 - 2006: New Land, New Construction

In 2004, the original 280 acre tract of land was expanded by the purchase of an additional 200 acres from the adjacent farm on Hollow Road.

In 2006, after being forced to turn away students who hoped to live onsite, construction on a new, two-story dorm commenced. His Holiness also had a new residence built as an offering to His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, the future lineage-holder of Palyul who currently lives in Eastern Tibet overseeing the reconstructed Palyul Monastery there.

His Holiness has expanded the retreat center with a sense of urgency and purpose. And his one purpose is to create an environment suitable for Western students to easily learn and practice the teachings of the Buddha. While we immerse ourselves in the myriad distractions of our hectic daily lives, we should remember this sense of urgency, that now is the time for us to engage in study and practice. As His Holiness has not only taught, but shown us, we need to pursue our chance to practice with that same sense of urgency and purpose as His Holiness has manifested for us. Through the vast vision and generosity of His Holiness, we in America have the opportunity to receive such precious teachings so close to home.

New Construction 2007

This year the center expanded its capacity with the construction of a 34-room two-story dorm which can accommodate up to 80 people. The building includes a two-floor library, gift shop, and office as well as larger rooms for families wishing to stay together. The new dorm will enable us to plan retreats during our colder seasons. Some topics will include The Way of the Life of the Bodhisattva, Nyungne fasting and purification, as well as possibly Tsa Lung/Tummo.

To accommodate visiting teachers such as His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche and high lamas and teachers, a seven-bedroom and eightbath guest residence was constructed with sitting room, kitchen and dining areas. In order to satisfy the water needs for the large dorm, a new pump house was built as well as a large leach field. Another leach field is also required for a new bath house for the tent camping area which was expanded to total one hundred tents.

Speaking of the water system, this year we had some specific costs relating with our septic system. During retreat we had to pump out our septic system at a cost of about $25,000. On the other hand, because of the efforts of our resident monk staff and including the help from March through June of a group of volunteer ex-monks who traveled to the center from New York City on weekends, the center was able to save at least $500,000 on contractor and labor costs, possibly more. Still, the total cost of our projects nears $2 million.

Effortlessness and Challenges

Effortlessness
Since His Holiness has made the manifestation of the center seem so easy and effortless, it is difficult to realize just how much effort and work he has put into creating this environment .

Challenges for the Year
This year was particularly challenging as the Kalachakra event drew many more hundreds of practitioners to visit the center. This required us to build more accommodations and infrastructure so we could serve this increased population at the center.

Health
While we are remembering the kindness of our teacher, we thought we'd like to mention, as some of you have asked, His Holiness experienced some health problems in 2007. We wanted to let you all know he had an opportunity to recuperate well at the center in upstate New York prior to departing for Asia, and to thank you all for your well wishes and prayers! He has particularly experienced some difficulties with his eyesight.

The long-term presence of His Holiness in 2007 has brought many blessings to Palyul Ling. His Holiness put a tremendous effort into the programs this year as his health was not as strong as it is normally. He persevered despite these health issues and was able to grant us the Kalachakra Empowerments, powerful practices and prayers for peace in the world. He was also able to teach often at the summer retreat, requesting His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche to assist in giving the empowerments and teachings when needed.

Kalachakra

The Kalachakra empowerment took place in June. In addition to the several hundred full-time attendees of the ceremony, several busloads organized by the Bhutanese, Sherpa and Tibetan communities made the four-hour drive from New York City each day during the main empowerment weekend. A tent was pitched by the parking lot to accommodate meals for everyone who joined the program.

Sand Mandala was poured by monks from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche’s household (Zimkhang), lead by Lama Rapjee Wangchuk, who has been trained at Palyul Monastery, in Kham in Tibet in Sand Mandala techniques. Scraping long, thin metal funnels, tendrils of colored grains of sand were painstakingly laid on a 5’ x 5’ wooden board, following a pattern dictated by the scriptures (pecha) describing its appearance. During the Kalachakra retreat, Khenpo Tenzin Norgey explained the Mandala in great detail, utilizing diagrams on his laptop displayed on a widescreen monitor. At the conclusion of the empowerments on Sunday, July 1, Khenpo Tenzin Norgey conducted the dissolution ceremony.

Ceremonial daggers, called Phurbas, thrust into triangular clay bases were placed around the Mandala. The monks gathered with him around the perimeter, and gently sweeping with white-bristled brushes, they swept the beautiful and complex design into a vase, symbolizing the impermanence of all phenomena. As the setting sun turned the sky to rosy golden hues, the monks and practitioners formed a long procession. Lifting banners and parasols high, accompanied by a traditional Tibetan horn (Gyaling), they walked down the long dirt temple driveway, took a right down Hollow Road and a left onto the smaller side road that leads past lush and leafy trees to a small bridge spanning the creek. Once they reached the creek’s banks, they poured the rainbow-colored sand into the rain-swollen waters, letting the colored swirls of sand drift away and dissolve in the gently lapping current.

The procession made its way back to the temple as one last busload full of Tibetans, Sherpa and Bhutanese, on its way back to New York City, slowly rolled by, all of its inhabitants waving goodbye with wide grins, joyful from the great blessings they’d received, bursting into happy songs. Even the driver himself, a Palestinian immigrant named Mohammed, could not help but feel deeply touched by the energy of love and joy. As his bus rolled slowly down Hollow Road, he sounded the vehicle’s deep and friendly horn in a final farewell.

Yearly Expenses

Thanks to the generous donations we've received in the past three years of fundraising, we were able to raise down payments for some of the new buildings and to cover some of our operating expenses. Here is an outline of our yearly expenses: These costs do not include retreat expenses, but are a simple calculation of what it costs to keep the center running year-round. Needless to say, our retreat costs are even higher!

Short Programs 2007

Weekend Retreats
We also held two short weekend retreats. Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche taught The Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life , a text by Santideva, in April. The retreat was attended by a small group of hardy retreatants who wrapped themselves in thick blankets and bore the icy cold of the upstate retreat center in this frigid time of year. Khenpo Tenzin Norgey lead a Nyungne retreat over Memorial Day weekend. The retreat was carried out in the Tsa Lung hut as the main temple was under renovation in preparation for the Kalachakra empowerments.

Public Programs
During the retreat, the center offered a very well attended public talk by Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche. This talk was web cast and attended by over 70 online participants as well. We also held a series of live web broadcasts of the t e a c h i n g program dur- ing the weekends of 2007. With very little publicity these broadcasts were attended by an audience that included some students who were unable to attend retreat this year—and some who have not been able to attend for many years!

You can find recordings of many of the web casts at the official site for Palyul Ling: www.palyul.org/ broadcast.htm.

Retreat 2007

Our bliss did not end with the Kalachakra retreat, but continued through the practice and summer retreats.

His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche, who is the next lineage holder of the Nam Cho and throneholder of Palyul monastery as well as a Heart Son of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche, joined the retreat this year, flying in from Tibet at Holinesses request. Everyone was struck by the humility and strength with which this young master conducted his responsibilities at the retreat. Upon entering the temple, he did not immediately take his seat on the Dharma Chair.

This was because he did not want to be in a position in which Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche, one of his teachers from Shedra, and other khenpos would prostrate to him. Rather, he stood on the seat, waiting for Khenchen to complete the three prostrations, and then prostrated and took his seat. At that point, the gathered sangha of monks and retreatants could carry through their prostrations, containing all of the precious teachers in their practice.

When we touch our foreheads to the ground and feel the energy of the earth, we take refuge in all that is sacred and we express our commitment to our Good Hearts through the “door” of the physical body. By murmuring a refuge prayer, the commitment is expressed through the “door” of speech. Finally, by maintaining an awareness and reverence for the spiritual practices received in the temple, we express our commitment internally through the “door” of our minds.

Later in the retreat, we were blessed with the presence of the other Heart Sons of His Holiness Penor Rinpoche: His Eminence Khentul Gyangkhang Rinpoche and His Eminence Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche. Khentul Gyangkhang Rinpoche shoulders responsibilities for carrying through the ceremonies at Namdroling Monastery as well as managing the Buddhist College ( Shedra ). Meanwhile Mugsang Kuchen Rinpoche takes care of the main monk population with its elementary school ( Lopdra ) and high school ( Dratsang ). His Holiness Karma Kuchen Rinpoche manages the rebuilt monastery in Palyul Tibet with its large population of monks and nuns, new Shedra and library.

We felt very fortunate that these three Heart Sons were able to take time out of their busy schedules to come to America and share in our retreat. The 2007 summer retreat also was blessed with visits by some of the most knowledgeable khenpos (or Buddhist professors) in the Palyul tradition. Khenchen Tsewang Gyatso Rinpoche continued to carry through the translations of the teachings and lead the Ngondro retreat teachings. Khenpo Tenzin Norgey also translated and assisted with commentaries on the inner heat practice ( Tsa Lung Tummo ). Khenpo Tanisitup, new to our retreat, gave commentaries on the higher classes, including the teachings of the Great Perfection ( Dzogchen ). We were also fortunate to receive a brief visit from Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche, a senior Khenpo from Namdroling Monastery, whom we hope will be able to join us at our upstate retreat center again in the future for a teaching program. Jetsumna Akhon Lhammo, the first Western female tulku, paid a visit to the retreat center twice this year.

Ongoing Expenses

An ongoing expense for the center is the financial support for Khenpo Tenzin Norgey, Dorje Lopon Lama Sochuk, Lama Tsewang Norbu and Lama Kunzang. Khenpo Tenzin Norgey offers teaching programs to the local area, while maintaining the center in New York City. Dorje Lopon Lama Sochuk is responsible for maintaining the shrine and daily practice in the temple, while Lama Tsewang manages the work streams of construction and maintenance of the center year round. Lama Kunsang is our all-around center worker, handling everything from forest clearing, to carpentry, and garbage removal. At the instruction of His Holiness, these building projects were undertaken for our retreat center. An outline of the rough costs is in the following chart.

Construction Costs The new construction was built with a loan of 70% leaving a balance of $1,393,000 that will need to be paid off within 30 years.

Construction Expenses

Construction Costs The new construction was built with a loan of 70% leaving a balance of $1,393,000 that will need to be paid off within 30 years.