After spending the greater part of the summer in Karma Berchen Ling, in the mountains of Greece, and being actively involved in the building-up phase and inauguration of the eight stupas, I returned to my home in Vienna. The strongest impressions from my time there are: thankfulness—space—and joy!
Thankfulness to Lama Ole Nydahl for bringing us to Diamond Way Buddhism.
Thankfulness to Lama Chogdrup Dorje for letting us take part in building the stupas and for sharing so much with us, and thankfulness to all the friends for making everything possible. I am happy and thankful to have had the opportunity (or good karma) to take part in this whole process and to get to know more of the traditional ways.
Joy in understanding how the lamas condense the immense richness of Diamond Way methods and translate them for our Western mind without losing any of their depth. And joy in sharing that precious experience with so many good friends from all over the world.
Space; above all, space. From the location of Karma Berchen Ling with its view to the sea on two sides and the mountains, with the strong elements of wind and clouds, rain and sun, so intense and changing so fast. Being open and relaxed into everything enables mind to experience its own vastness and space. And then comes the sudden understanding that it is space itself that lets the thankfulness and joy emerge and radiate.
This was the sixth stupa project where I was able to help, but this time I was not only occupied with working a lot or being part of the social life around the project. This time I also got a glimpse of the richness and dimensions of all the mandalas that are built up inside the stupas, even inside every tsa-tsa or vase that was put into them.
This time I also understood a bit more how interdependent all things are: The more we open up to—and have trust in—the lama, the more he can give to us.
Before this project, when Lama Chogdrup did the blessing pujas for the tsa-tsas or the vases, it was a time to just enjoy, or to do our own practice. This time we started to be more interested, asking questions and being open, and the Lama gave more explanations about what is going on during such a puja. Suddenly we were doing more than simply enjoying. We became quite active in the whole process. We were all deeply impressed and touched by the complexity of the mandalas and meditations, the energy field that is built up during these ceremonies. Every one of these meditations has many different parts and is a very complex system.
Lama Chogdrup Dorje once said: “Visualization, Mantra and Mudra—this is the specialty of Vajrayana.”
It was quite an experience to use some of these methods:
- First the visualizations, which in themselves were so
complex that we could not really hold all the aspects and details present in mind at the same time. - Then the powerful mantras especially connected with stupas, which we repeated many times.
- And finally, the mudras that the Lama showed us. We tried to copy them as best we could, to move our hands the same way he did; for sure it did not look the same way as with him but nevertheless, it had a strong impact on us. Using body, speech and mind all at the same time increased our concentration a lot.
One of the traditional practices that we might know from empowerments involves creating a frame for the meditation to follow. This includes making wishes in order to get quick development and be able to help beings; paying respect with mental prostrations to all the lamas, yidams and protectors; making offerings to show our thankfulness; and rejoicing in all the good things that the buddhas and bodhisattvas have done.
When purifying our mind, Lama Chogdrup Dorje always emphasized how important it is to take this seriously, because it does not make sense to repeat the same mistakes again and again. We ask all enlightened beings and especially our root lama to enjoy a long life, until samsara is emptied of beings, and to turn the Wheel of Dharma—according to people’s different abilities to understand.
All of this happens while taking Mahayana refuge in the Three Jewels of buddha, dharma and sangha, from now until full enlightenment. At the same time, it leads to—and provides the necessary foundation for—Vajrayana practice: developing the bodhicitta mind by taking the Bodhisattva Promise in the same way as the great bodhisattvas have done, reciting the secret mantras, and requesting the blessing to reach enlightenment for the benefit of all.
After these wishes came the main part, a blessing meditation with the visualization of an immense mandala with many aspects and mantras. We were circling around a big round table where the tsa-tsas or a model of a mandala was built up. We repeated mantras and tried to hold the visualization for hours, with a number of breaks, after which we again made offerings and wishes.
Before ending the meditations, the Lama led us in a kind of apology for mistakes, in order to increase the merit and the dedication. The Lama would say: “We are sorry for what we have not done well enough, for not having concentrated enough, for not having pronounced the mantras precisely enough, for having made mistakes or not visualized clearly enough.” Then, to purify all these mistakes we repeated the Diamond Mind mantra a couple of times and then the Sanskrit alphabet, in order to fill in all the gaps we might have left during the mantra recitations.
Following the apologies we repeated the multiplying mantra to increase the benefit to all.
Then came a wishing prayer to all the lamas, yidams and protectors: “Please with your love and compassion, never leave us. Protect us from all the simmering emotions and cool them down, so that all the activity that we do is to help the beings.”
We also recited an accomplishment mantra, so that all the wishes we made during the meditation may be fulfilled.
Finally, came the dedication for the benefit of all, with the understanding that the one who is dedicating, what is being dedicated and the one to whom the dedication is made—that these three concepts do not exist on the ultimate level. With this awareness we should then rest in this non-dual state!
Lama Chogdrup Dorje explained that a dedication touched with this wisdom becomes the seed for enlightenment.
These blessing ceremonies—with the wishes in the beginning, the meditation itself, the conclusion and dedication at the end—were always done three days in a row for around ten hours per day. The power of these blessing ceremonies brought exhaustion, but at the same time lots of happiness and clarity.
Another nice traditional moment was the offering of mustard seeds:
Lama Chogdrup Dorje: “We offer the mustard seeds in thankfulness to the Buddha, because he showed us how we can squeeze Buddhahood out of our samsaric conditions in the same way as he did. The same way as mustard is already present in the mustard seed and can be brought out through pressing, so too Buddhahood is in our human nature and we can bring it forward through practice and work.”
But, as Lama Chogdrup Dorje stated repeatedly, we have to put ourselves into the practice. Sometimes we had a lot of fun playing with this idea of “squeezing buddha nature.” In certain moments, we would say to a friend: “Are you squeezing buddhahood out of yourself right now?” or “Should I help you with this squeezing?”
During the preparation of the things used for filling the stupas, we also worked hard: cleaning things, making strings, cutting, sewing, painting, making tormas, making tsa-tsas, and filling vases, among other activities. Sometimes in the evening the Lama explained what is written in the texts about the benefit of building a stupa and how beneficial our work on the stupas is. Whatever we do, working with the items for filling the stupa or with the construction of the stupa, cooking for the friends, cleaning, giving money or whatever it may be, we do to build up good impressions.
During the fillings themselves, the Lama made sure that everyone was involved with putting the items into the stupas. Whenever a chamber was filled completely a lid was put on it; we all touched it and tried to concentrate and make strong wishes for the benefit of all. In one of these moments he said: “Now it is too late.” We all wondered what he meant until he said: “Now it is too late to step back, because now we are all connected until enlightenment.” One can imagine the impression this had on us and how we looked at one another!
During the entire three months of activity, Lama Chogdrup Dorje was always joyful, powerful, active, completely relaxed, creative when it was necessary to solve problems, and above all was always absolutely aware of everyone around him. Very calmly he would often say something meant especially for one person but at the same time very valuable for all of us.
For me his inspiration often reminded me of Hannah: unshakable, resting in himself, working all the time for others, calm and modest but when necessary also very clear and sharp.
“Sit down, be calm and breathe.” The Lama once said this to a friend in a special situation, but it somehow became one of the main teachings for many of us: don’t ask too many questions, just try to be here and now, try to relax into the moment, into the work and at the same time give our best.
During this time, Karma Berchen Ling had the feel of a pure land: We had a wise and compassionate Lama, a big project, and many friends from all over the world who were willing to work, learn and practice! Yes, sometimes we had very different opinions, and even disagreements. But somehow all these difficulties dissolved quickly and completely, and what remains is an immense thankfulness and joy, and the deep wish that everybody might have the chance to take part in such a process.
Sometimes, the Lama had a special gift for us, which touched us deeply. We went for a walk and sat down under some trees. Then he took out his Milarepa book, translated a chapter and sang the song for us!
What to say? We heard the words, and hopefully one day we will also understand their meaning.
