Ah, Pullahari! Our home monastery, in Kathmandu, Nepal is especially glorious in springtime, handily earning its name, which means “the place of flowers.” We are delighted to rejoin our Dharma family and friends here after more than five years away due to the COVID pandemic.
This year, the Rigpe Dorje Institute meditation retreat focuses on instructions for the practice of Amitabha, Buddha of Infinite Light, particularly aimed at attaining rebirth in Sukhavati, the Pure Land of Great Bliss.
CREATION & COMPLETION STAGES OF MEDITATION
in the VAJRAYANA PRACTICE OF AMITABHA BUDDHA
Taught by Very Ven. Drupon Khenpo Lodro Namgyal
with live translations into Chinese, English, and Spanish
March 31 to April 11, 2025 (Nepal time)
IN PERSON AT PULLAHARI MONASTERY, NEPAL
VIA ZOOM ONLINE
Recordings access for registrants only
The Sukhavati pure realm is a natural outgrowth of Amitabha Buddha’s boundless compassion, generated by the spontaneous power of his steadfast aspiration over countless eons as a bodhisattva. Investing his own merit, Amitabha imbued his awe-inspiring vow with immense power:
If, when I am on the threshold of buddhahood, sentient beings in the lands of the ten directions who, having merely heard my name, bring to mind my realm, plant roots of virtue, and dedicate their merit toward rebirth in my realm with sincerity and earnest desire to be born there should not fulfill that wish, may I not attain perfect enlightenment.
— Amitabhavyuha Sutra
Sukhavati is lavish, to say the least. The ground is lapis laced with gold, soft, smooth, and even. Flowers never wither or die. Trees are made of jewels, with leaves of silk and auspicious symbols for fruit. Rainbow hued clouds shower flowers onto the land, covered with all one could want. Beings are all bodhisattvas.
To the contemporary mindset, this can sound like pie in the sky, or promises of heavenly paradises akin to other religions. Suspicion itches to dismiss it as myth, a palliative make-believe for those who cower before the spectre of death. Curiosity and inquiry, however, reveal a marvelous mystery of sophisticated spiritual practice that honors the intricate efficacy of cause and effect.
Sukhavati is not merely a land of immense beauty, comfort, and plenty, a feast for the senses where no suffering occurs. It is above all a realm rich in Dharma, where countless buddhas and bodhisattvas teach without cease, songbirds chorus the teachings, and the Dharma drum resounds in all directions. Thus, the “great bliss” of Sukhavati lies in its profusion of conditions for sustained happiness along the entirety of the Mahayana path up to the perfect and complete enlightenment of buddhahood.
In that sense, Sukhavati should not be confined in our understanding to a beatific, fictitious dimension. Beyond location and attributes, Sukhavati is the vivid experience of mind utterly transformed, such that it receives everything as conducive to fulfilling the utmost promise of our buddhanature. This is the timbre of Sukhavati’s magic—finding paradise amidst the most mundane or even hellish of experiences, not to mention the bold and the beautiful.
Known as the most accessible of the pure realms, Sukhavati is within reach of ordinary beings who have not attained realization. It is prized as a practice of particular benefit to beginners. Yet, it is not altogether effortless.
The sadhana (liturgy ritual) of Amitabha in the Mind Treasure of Sky Dharma revelation of the great terton Mingyur Dorje provides a full practice to facilitate rebirth in Sukhavati, by cultivating an intimate connection with Amitabha Buddha here and now, in the crucible of humility, aspiration, and dedication.
This is the sadhana practice that we will be learning and practicing during this retreat. Lama Yeshe will be translating the teachings from Tibetan. Lama Zopa will be leading group meditation practices for in-person attendees and assisting Zoom participants. Live translation is also available into Chinese and Spanish.
Do join us, March 31 to April 11, 2025 (Nepal time), either in person or online.
Our conduct of Dharma
Our latest episode of the Prajna Sparks podcast dropped this weekend, rounding out a three part series on View, Meditation, and Conduct. The third installment focuses on conduct, challenging us to investigate the power of our actions and the impact of the integrity that comes of the harmonious alignment of view, meditation, and conduct on and off the cushion.
A firm understanding of our agency in our spiritual lives—how we conduct the symphony that is our own individual path to enlightenment—is an invaluable tool for setting enthusiasm aflame and sustaining its glow.
Stay tuned for more Prajna Fire offerings after our return to Santa Fe in May.
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Warmly,
Yeshe & Zopa