ADVANCED DZOGCHEN RETREAT
(as reported by Ilya Natanzon)
Shuny Hollander presents the mandala offering to Tsoknyi Rinpoche during the concluding ceremony, requesting the teacher to remain as the Vajra Body, Speech, and Mind.
The Advanced Dzogchen Retreat took place in Kibbutz Kadarim, where Rinpoche taught two open retreats in previous years. Rinpoche does not teach every year in Israel, so this year the participants were especially motivated to study and practice what they had already learned, knowing that Rinpoche intended to teach on advanced topics such as differentiation and enhancement. He covered a wide range of topics including cultivating right motivation, sustaining the nature of mind, worldly concerns such as couples relationships, finance, and listening to music. He played recordings from his iPod of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Dudjom Rinpoche, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche so that his students could hear their voices and make a spiritual connection with his Lamas.
Students chanting and making the mandala offering
Rinpoche signs Vajrasattva and Guru Rinpoche thangkas on the backs of each with the Om-Ah-Hung syllables. Tibetan thangka artist Michal Sahaf of the Israeli sangha is pictured here holding the paintings for Rinpoche.
Vitaly Sokhin helps three-year old Shiraz Natanzon offer a kata to Rinpoche, which apparently she likes to do very much.
Just four years ago, it was rare to see children at Israeli Buddhist seminars and retreats. But for the last few years, couples in the sangha have expanded their families. Now, these children are growing up in an environment of Buddhist practice, where various meetings are held daily, weekly, and monthly, with retreats and seminars held on a yearly basis. It seems that these children and their parents have integrated Buddhism in their daily lives. When Tsoknyi Rinpoche visited this past spring, he was requested to give blessings to the new generation, which he did—child by child—saying mantras, sprinkling them with mendrub water, and putting sacred ritual objects on their heads. The children and their parents were extremely happy about this opportunity.
Rita Strauss and little Eden Lhamo
Tsoknyi Rinpoche blesses each child individually outside the wooden retreat hut where he stays.
Merav Elliott and little Tara
Approximately 60 people attended this retreat, which was organized by members of Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Israel, currently managed by Stanislav Tomashpolsky. Heidi Koppl translated.
If you would like to know more about the Gomde Israel Sangha, please visit http://gomde-il-sangha.blogspot.com
