Author Archives for Rachel Deeming
March 10, 2022 10:33 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
On Saturday 5 March, we were delighted to host a day of teachings in Bristol with Lama Jampa Thaye. For this first major event of 2022, we welcomed around 100 people from the UK and further afield and it was wonderful to be together again for this joyous occasion. In the morning, Lama Jampa continued with part two of ‘The Instructions to the Emperor’. This famous text was composed by Chogyal Phakpa, the fifth of the five founding teachers of the Sakya tradition, for his disciple Kublai Khan as an introduction to the essential paths of Buddhism. With exemplary lucidity it relates the key points in the development of ethics, meditation and wisdom, the three trainings that comprise the Buddhist path. For this installment, the text covered the second training of meditation, from the practice of settling the mind to looking into mind itself to see if it has any shape, colour, location and so on. Then, we heard about what we should do once we get off our cushion; that is, we should bring our practice into everyday life by recollecting the need to maintain ethical behaviour or virtuous action, so the force of our practice is not dissipated. Finally, Chogyal Phakpa instructs Kublai Khan to seal all practice and activities with the eye of wisdom that sees the true nature of reality, as it is, understanding that all phenomena are empty, arising as they do in dependence on causes and conditions. In the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of the great Sakya master, Sakya Pandita. This initiation comes from the lineage of the 14th century master, Yak Mipham, who saw Sakya Pandita in a vision endowed with the attributes of Manjushri, a meditation deity associated with the development of wisdom. We next welcome Lama Jampa to Bristol…
October 7, 2021 8:09 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
On Saturday 2 October at the Future Inn in Bristol, over 120 people journeyed through the autumn rain to enjoy a day of teachings with Buddhist meditation master and scholar, Lama Jampa Thaye. For the first time in many months, we were joined both by friends from the UK and overseas; it was truly wonderful to receive teachings together again. In the morning, Lama Jampa taught Chogyal Phakpa‘s text, the ‘Instructions to the Emperor’. The emperor in question was none other than Kublai Khan, grandson of the first Great Khan, Gengis. In this elegantly composed letter, Chogyal Phakpa sets out the key points of the Buddhist path, outlining the different vehicles of practice, and the importance of training in morality, meditation and wisdom. He also reminds the Khan, and us, that, even though he may have heard the teachings before, our understanding increases, just as a white building shines whiter in the light of the moon. In the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of the wealth bestowing goddess Vasudhara from the 100 sadhanas of Bari Lotsawa. Her practice, when motivated by the wish to achieve buddhahood for the sake of all beings, creates the beneficial conditions necessary for cultivating the spiritual path. Whilst this day has now ended, we’re already looking forward to meeting again when Lama Jampa returns to continue Chogyal Phakpa’s text on 29th January next year.
December 29, 2020 1:56 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
On Sunday 27 December, our teacher Lama Jampa Thaye gave a rare, live streamed talk on Buddhism. It was particularly precious and welcome, coming at a time when it is difficult to receive teachings on Buddhism in person. The timing was also perfect, taking place between the two great prayer festivals or Mönlams within the Kagyu and Sakya schools of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as setting an auspicious ground for the New Year too. The theme was how to develop authentic, inner wealth through the cultivation of what are known as ‘The Seven Treasures of the Noble Ones’. These are: faith or confidence, moral discipline or ethics, giving, learning, shame and self respect and wisdom. Through cultivating these, we will have a true wealth that will endure throughout this life, the next life and through to buddhahood. The full talk is available here until the end of January 2021.
December 3, 2020 11:16 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
We’re pleased to announce that from Saturday 5 December, Sakya Buddhist Centre Bristol will be hosting face to face Discover Buddhism sessions on Saturday mornings from 10.30 – 11.30am. These will take place weekly from 10.30 – 11.30am and will be hosted in person and on Zoom to enable as many to attend as possible. To attend in person, please email us to book your place at bristol@dechen.org. For the time being, our Tuesday Discover Buddhism sessions will continue on Zoom only – please contact us for the link. The Discover Buddhism sessions include talks and reflection on 20 key Buddhist ideas as well as tranquillity meditation (with full instructions). They will last about an hour and all are welcome (recommended age is 12 and up if you’re wanting to bring along the family!). There is no charge for these sessions but we do encourage donations, which help us to maintain the Sakya Buddhist Centre and its activities. A suggested amount is £5 (£3 for concessions). You can donate here: https://www.sakyabristol.org/donations/ or donate at the Centre itself too. We are following the government’s guidelines for places of worship so that we can open safely. We’ll have hand sanitiser stations available and as well as face coverings, if you need one as these are required in places of worship (unless of course you have a reasonable excuse not to wear one). You can read more about the guidance for places of worship here. We’ll also send you more information on what to expect at the Centre when you book. If you would like further information on the sessions or to book your place for the Saturday sessions, please contact us at bristol@dechen.org.
November 3, 2020 12:53 am
Published by Rachel Deeming
2018 saw the launch of Lama Jampa Thaye’s insightful and thought provoking book, ‘Wisdom in Exile’ at our fellow Sakya Buddhist Centre in London. This extraordinary book explores our encounter with Buddhism from both the Western cultural perspective and from within the Buddhist tradition itself. Created by members of our sister centre in Los Angeles, ‘Wisdom in Exile Radio’ is a video podcast inspired by the book designed to facilitate discussion and understanding of the role of Buddhism in the West. There is perhaps no better time to make space for Buddhism and it’s ability to clear the fog of confusion and lead to lasting happiness beyond the unpredictable ups and downs of life. The first podcast is embedded above. You can view the other podcasts and subscribe here.
October 6, 2020 8:42 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
On Saturday 3 October, the Sakya Buddhist Centre was delighted to welcome Lama Jampa to give a day of Buddhist teachings at the Paintworks Eventspace in Bristol. This is a new venue for us, and we are especially grateful to them for enabling us to host this event in such a great space, in line with all the government guidance and requirements relating to COVID-19. To enable as many people as possible to attend under the current circumstances, Lama Jampa kindly offered the same teachings twice in one day and it was wonderful to be with the Lama and our Buddhist friends again. Such was the occasion that we even had two tiny mice join us too! ‘A Garland of Jewels’ by Chogyal Phakpa The first part of the session continued with part five of this celebrated text by the great Sakya master, Chogyal Phakpa. It was composed as a manual of instructions for the 13th century Mongol Prince Gibek Timur and, in 204 verses, covers the entire Buddhist path, from the level of a beginner to that of full enlightenment. This instalment of the text continued our journey to the heart of the Mahayana or Great Vehicle of Buddhist practice, firstly describing how the bodhisattva engages in four means of gathering disciples, such as pleasant and truthful speech and acting in accord with the Buddhist teachings. Chogyal Phakpa then explained the signs of progress along the successive paths and stages of practice, from the time that we start to gather merit and wisdom as beginners, to the decisive moment of seeing reality for the first time, face to face, and, finally, the cultivation of this experience until complete buddhahood is attained. The initiation of Red Tara For the second part of each session, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of…
February 27, 2020 2:10 am
Published by Rachel Deeming
Lama Jampa Thaye arrived Sakya Buddhist Centre Bristol on Friday 24 January, accompanied by Dechen Dolma, Kate and the four legged member of the family, Roxie. On Saturday, people came from across the UK to receive further teachings on the mahayana Buddhist path from the great Sakya master, Chogyal Phakpa. This section of the text focussed on the bodhisattva path of the perfections, the paramitayana. Beginning with an explanation of the verses on equalising and exchanging oneself with others, followed by those on each of the six perfections in turn. Knowing the shortcomings of samsara and nirvana do not aspire to either; Through recollecting the qualities of the Buddha, always aspire to that. Lama Jampa concluded the mornings teachings by emphasising the importance of studying what one has received. In the afternoon Lama Jampa bestowed the Initiation of the protector Gönkar (The Great White Lord), the practice of which can increase the necessary material means for the flourishing of the holy dharma. On Sunday, Lama Jampa gave individual advice about practice to many students at Sakya Buddhist Centre. Lama Jampa will return to Bristol in June to teach the next section of the text, beginning with the Four Means of Gathering. This article was originally published by lamajampa.org and is shared here with their kind permission.
October 12, 2019 3:08 am
Published by Rachel Deeming
On 5 October, around 100 people from across the UK gathered to hear Lama Jampa Thaye teach part three of ‘A Garland of Jewels’. This text, beautifully written in 204 verses, was composed by the 13th century Sakya master, Chogyal Phakpa for the Mongol Prince Gibek Timur and surveys the whole of the Buddhist path, from a beginner to enlightenment itself. In this part, the text focuses on the practice of the Mahayana, the Great Vehicle, underpinned by the motivation of bodhichitta or the wish to achieve enlightenment for the sake of all beings. The text talks through how to open out, without partiality, to all beings without limit or exclusion through the cultivation of loving kindness and compassion, the recognition of the beginningless nature of mind and the acknowledgment that all beings suffer needlessly, as enlightenment is present in nature of mind itself. Lama Jampa explained that we may think that it is natural to be in samsara, the cycle of birth and death, but actually it is samsara that is wrong, the natural state is the buddhanature. All that is necessary is to clear away the illusions and wake up to our true nature through the path of compassion and wisdom. In the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the vajrayana initiation of Namgyalma (Ushnishavijaya in Sanskrit), one of the three main Buddhist deities of longevity, along with White Tara and Amitayus. She is also associated with the development of transcendental wisdom. Revering and meditating on Namgyalma grants the mundane accomplishment of preserving and strengthening life energy, and the profound accomplishment of transcendental wisdom. The following morning saw a well attended and insightful question and answer session with Lama Jampa at Sakya Buddhist Centre. In just over 45 minutes, we heard advice on topics as diverse as organ donation, climate…
July 7, 2019 10:55 pm
Published by Rachel Deeming
A sunny Sunday 30 June was the setting for our study and meditation day on the second part of Sakya Pandita’s ‘Reply to Nyimo Gomchen’. This study text, written in the 13th century by the Sakya master, Sakya Pandita, contains key points about dharma, clarifying many of the queries we may have about following the path. It takes the form of a written interview between Sakya Pandita and a meditator (Nyimo Gomchen) who asks the kind of searching questions that are still very relevant today. Paul Rogers, a long standing student of Lama Jampa from Sakya Namgyal Ling in Exeter, skilfully took us through questions on what makes someone a lama, how to understand and realise emptiness and how study and meditation work together. A key theme of the text was that focusing on one aspect of the path alone, such as meditation, doesn’t lead to enlightenment as, just like any other journey, we need a range of provisions along the way. In amongst the sessions, there was time for refreshment and conversation as well as a very sociable lunch, all combining to make for a worthwhile and enjoyable day. We’ll continue exploring the text in our weekly study group on Sundays at Sakya Buddhist Centre Bristol from 14 July. With heartfelt thanks too to Paul for travelling to Bristol to lead this day – we hope to see you back at Sakya Buddhist Centre Bristol soon!
June 21, 2019 1:10 am
Published by Rachel Deeming
It is turning out to be a wild, unpredictable and not particularly summery June this year. Fortunately, the weather did not deter over 100 people from coming to Bristol to receive teachings from Lama Jampa Thaye. The day was well worth braving the elements for. In the morning, Lama Jampa gave the second part of a teaching by Chogyal Phakpa, one of the greatest masters in the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Back in the 13th century, Chogyal Phakpa became the principal master of Kublai Khan and many of the Mongol princes, travelling frequently to China to give teachings at court, as well as in the form of written correspondence. This teaching, entitled ‘A Garland of Jewels’, is a letter to one of these princes, Gibek Timor, comprising a wonderful and accessible introduction to the Buddha’s teachings, outlined in 204 verses. It traces the Buddhist path by considering three types of practitioner: the person who wishes for happiness in this life and future lives, secondly, the person who wishes to be free from suffering and finally, the person who wishes to achieve Buddhahood to free all beings from suffering. In part one, Chogyal Phakpa described how to live a good life, focusing on generosity, kindness, contentment and respect. In this part of the teaching, He explains the meaning of taking refuge from suffering in the three jewels: the Buddha, the teachings and the community of practitioners, and how to acquire true wisdom by hearing the teachings, reflecting on them and meditating so they become a lived experience. In these verses, he emphasises the importance of becoming learned so that we have an understanding of the whole path, summarised in the three trainings of moral discipline or ethics, meditation and wisdom. During the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of White Tara…
