Gateway To Shambala Pureland
(Donation Drive for Jamdha Monastery)
Dear Brothers and Sisters in the dharma, here is a wonderful and rare opportunity to accumulate meritorious deeds for yourselves, members of your family and friends....
Choose to have your name inscribed on the wall at the main door and/or on the wall inside the 1200 prayer wheels corridor stretching along the perimeter of the monastery.
If you do not wish to choose from the offering list and would like to participate, you are welcome. Any amount is welcome and no amount is too small. We rejoice in all participation.
Contact via Whatsapp
Person to contact in Hong Kong: +852 91243460 (Sandy)
Person to contact in Singapore: +65 98357279 (Gary)
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QINGHAI JAMDHA MONASTERY—BUILDING PROJECT 2016
The second stage of work on “MAIN DOOR TO SHAMBALA PURELAND” has begun!
Our old guru (Khenpo Kunga Sherab Saljay) hope that work can be completed by the end of the year. We need the support from everyone, so please encourage members of your family and friends to join in and support generously in order to let more people share this meritorious deed.
As for the engraving of names (most likely will be on the wall); the arrangement can only be done when the whole project is completed by the end of the year 2017. The inscription will be long lasting and merits accumulated throughout one's lifetime and thereafter.
List of Possible Offerings for Jamhda Monastery:
1) "Main Door to Shambala Pureland"
With each offering of 1,000 RMB (approximately US$150), one individual name will be engraved
2) The golden roof tiles on the building above the main door.
With each offering of 500 RMB (approximately US$75), one individual name will be engraved.
3) The whole length of the wall where 1200 prayer wheels will be installed. Each wheel will be one meter high and containing approximately 10,000,000 mantras inside. The wheels will be turned by the monks from the monastery, as well as the local Tibetans daily.
With each offering of 1,000 RMB (approximately US$150), one individual name will be engraved.
4) The long corridor of prayer wheels.
Any amount as you wish to donate.
To know more about Jonang tradition, please click here: http://jonangfoundation.org/
Organising Unit:
Hong Kong Jonang Foundation
Jonang Jamdha Monastery Kalachakra (HK) Centre
Address: Unit 12, 3/F Shing Win Factory Building, 15-17 Shing Yip Street, Kwun Tong, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Centre's Tel no.: +852 39545856
Bank: The Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank
Account Name: Jonang Foundation Hong Kong Ltd
Account Number: 809-697543-001
Email: kalachakrahc@gmail.com
Official receipt from Jonang Jamdha Monastery will be issued to all monies received.
For donation or enquiry, please contact via Whatsapp / Wechat the following persons:-
1) Kunga Sangpo Tulku Rinpoche (+86 15815587093)
2) Sandy Lam (+852 91243460)
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Below are 2 articles on the Benefits of the Mani Wheel and Merit of Building a Monastery.
The Benefit of the Mani Wheel
Turning the prayer (or Mani) wheel is actualising the essence of all the Buddhas and Boddhisattvas in ten directions. Their essence takes the form of prayer wheel to benefit all sentient beings. We can purify all our negativities, rid ourselves of obstacles and realise the path to enlightenment by turning the prayer wheel.
In Tibet, as long as the place promulgates dharma, there will be the practice of turning the prayer wheel.
This dharma practice lineage started from Arya Nagarjuna, who passed it on to Senge Khadroma (the Lion-face dakini) then to Padmasambava, who then brought it to Tibet.
The Benefit of turning the prayer wheel:
Lama Zopa Rinpoche once said that by turning the prayer wheel once, it equals to reciting all the mantras inside the wheel. Thus within seconds, you have already performed such powerful method of purification and at the same time accumulated so much merit.
One of the benefit is: Turning the wheel once can equal to gathering the accomplishment accumulated from many years of solitary retreat.
All sentient beings (not only human beings, insects included), if they stay in areas where there are turning of the prayer wheels, they can avoid falling into the three lower realms, obtaining a better rebirth or be born in pure land as a result.
Wherever there are turning of the prayer wheels (even the mini ones), the place will be no different from Potala, the pure land of Avalokiteshvara. Due to this dharma practice, the place will be transformed and become peaceful, pleasant and conducive to the mind.
Just by touching or turning a prayer wheel, it will clear away immense amount of negativities and obstacles, bringing unimaginable amount of purification and accumulating unbelievable amount of merits. Therefore by turning the Mani (with Om Mani Padme Hom) wheel 7 billion times it equals to accumulating the merit of reciting the same mantra for 7 billion times.
How to visualise when turning the prayer wheel:
When the practitioner is holding the prayer wheel, he/she must make sure that it is upright as though turning an umbrella. This will result in future rebirth with 5 faculties intact in the body. On the contrary, if the wheel is tilted while being turned or being turned at too quick a speed, it will create obstacles. Recite Om Mani Padme Hom while turning the wheel and at the same time visualise.
There are two methods of visualisation:
The first is to visualise light rays emitting from the garland of mantra from the prayer wheel, illuminating you and rid you of all your sickness and causes of the sickness, your negative thoughts and all remaining karmic imprints.
Then visualise the light shining at all the sentient beings in the 6 realms, purifying all their suffering, karma and ignorance.
The second method is to visualise ten thousand feet of light ray emitting from the garland of mantra, like a vacuum cleaner, it sucks up all the sickness in the body, harm from unseen beings, all causes of illness of the sentient beings, negative actions and samsaric seed. All these being sucked into the prayer wheel, thus purifying and destroying all negativities and distant away from the cause of samsara.
Recite 5 or 10 malas of mantra and you can purify your body and mind with this visualisation.
Then, keep reciting the mantra, at the same time, visualise the light ray coming out from the prayer wheel helping the beings from the 6 realms, clearing all their suffering and obstacles, all these dissolved into the prayer wheel. All sentient beings (including yourself) will be liberated and realised the path of enlightenment, attaining bodhicitta. You may also do the same visualisation while doing circumambulation of a Buddha statue.
The practice of turning prayer wheel to heal sickness:
It does not matter what is the size of prayer wheel, they are all suitable for healing the sick. This is a very practical and meaningful practice. Any sick sentient being, whether they understand dharma or not, can still use the turning of prayer wheel as meditation practice for healing.
If someone is gravely ill, even if it is cancer or AIDS, the patient can spend a few hours daily by turning the prayer wheel and visualise. If a couple of hours per day can be spent on meditating in this way, there will be some positive result. A handful of the sick do recover from last stage of cancer with this method. In the teaching, it is mentioned that by turning the prayer wheel, not only can prevent the harm from spirits and other beings, it also can stop diseases.
Even someone who does not know about Buddhist dharma like; renunciation and law of causality, if he wish to have a peaceful mental state, healthy body and peaceful death, he should use this powerful method of turning of prayer wheel coupled with visualisation as a healing method.
During the moment of death, if there is a prayer wheel next to the person, then Powa(transference of consciousness) is not necessary. Let holding the prayer wheel become the means to transfer the consciousness to pure land. The person, in his death bed only needs to think of the turning of the prayer wheel. This will help him to bring his consciousness to the central channel and leave by the crown chakra, taking rebirth in Amitahba or Avalotekishvara’s pure land.
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The Merit of Building a Monastery
To build or repair a dharma hall, monastery or temples have immeasurable merits which benefits us not only in this very life but in future life as well. This is a brief summary of what were mentioned in various scriptures:-
In “Lotus Sutra” it was mentioned that any devotee intending to sponsor in building an altar or monastery, he/she will be able to reap the following 10 merits:-
1) The negative karma accumulated from beginningless time will be lessen or removed.
2) Always be protected by devas and able to avoid unfortunate accidents.
3) Remove all hindrances and void of the suffering from revenge.
4) Will not be harmed by evil spirits.
5) Rid of afflictions and ignorance.
6) Well provided for in material needs and always be blessed with abundance and good fortune.
7) Whatever his/her speech and action, will be rejoiced by human and devas.
8) Increase the 2 accumulation of merits in virtue and wisdom.
9) Take rebirth in a good realm adorned with perfect features, wisdom and all material wealth.
10)Taking rebirth in countries where dharma are heard, swiftly attaining Buddhahood.
Shakyamuni Buddha in the “Sutra of the Mindfulness” (Tib. Do Drenpa Nyershak) said: The truly fortunate ones are those with great achievement, benefit and power. In a broad sense, men and women will be able to constantly increase their merits even if they are walking, sitting or sleeping. Whoever build a dharma hall/temple, are practicing the top of the 7 kinds of merits. In the Sutra it was also said that, anyone who is defiled or tainted, if in this lifetime wishes to be able to build a stairway linked to upper realm and achieving all good deeds like a wish fulfilling tree, he should build a stupa with Buddha’s relic in a place where there is no Buddhist stupa before. He can also build dharma halls and monasteries for the Sangha, eliminate the duality in dharma, make effort in meditation and bodhicitta. These 4 efforts are the special causes to achieve purification and blessing in this lifetime.
In the first chapter of Commentary on “Abidharma Kosa”, the same was mentioned. It says that amongst all the good deeds, building or repairing a dharma hall has the greatest merit.
Mipham Rinpoche was quoted in “Gateway to Learning” that; “to build a stupa, to build or repair dharma hall for the Sangha, harmonise and unify the Sangha, practice bodhicitta means abide in the four practices.” That means building a stupa, repairing a temple, Sangha can eliminate the dualities in dharma through listening and contemplating, practicing the four immeasurable, these are the four greatest beneficial practices in this mundane world. To discuss the different views from all the different vehicles, repair or build the halls for Buddha and Bodhisattvas are the superior amongst all defiled wholesome good actions.
When offering a basket of soil during the building of this dharma hall the merit is equal to offering a basket of gold.
Offering and helping the building of dharma hall is a rare opportunity for devotees to plant the seed of liberation, eliminate negative karma and accumulate merits.
From the common Mahayana teaching point of view, Buddhists following the ocean of vows of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas, helping these holy beings fulfilled their wishes in benefitting all beings is actualising the practice aspired by Samantabhadra.
For the Vajrayana practitioners abiding in the triple gems, offering to build a temple is the same as offering to their root guru. This is the true practice of guru yoga whereby one can accumulate swiftly the merits for eons in one lifetime, using the most skillful means to achieve excellent siddhi.
While the Sangha are building the temple/monastery, those who volunteer to support will attain the good root of listening, contemplating and practicing in this hall in the future. When Sangha are repairing the dharma hall, those who rejoice with their body speech and mind will also gain great merit.
When Avalokiteshvara appeared in the form of Guru Pema Siddhi, he said; “When Sangha building a dharma hall, whoever carries a basket of soil equals to carrying a basket of gold.
Why building a monastery has the greatest merit?
Buddha statues and monasteries are the abodes of Buddha’s body, speech and mind. Practitioners are actually helping all sentient beings by practicing the correct dharma, speaking about the truth of the universe, continuing the purity in lineage and leading sentient beings from samsara, when they offer to the building of the monastery. Thus the merit is immeasurable.
By accumulating merits in this way, it gives us unthinkable benefits in this and future life.
Whenever offering with a rejoicing heart, it does not matter what is the amount. It will be like a drop of water going into the ocean. The ocean will not dry up so is this drop of water. This merit is unimaginable. The most important is to offer with pure motivation.
Amongst all the offering, the offering of dharma is the most supreme.
Amongst all the generosity, the giving of dharma is the most supreme.
Amongst all the offerings, the one that pleases your guru most, at the same time making the Buddha and Bodhisattvas rejoice is the offering of dharma.
By building a monastery to let dharma continue forever is the most supreme of offering of dharma.
Within triple gems it is easy to receive blessing. Sow a small insignificant amount and will reap 10,000 times more. Triple gems is the most excellent way of accumulation for merit field for us. I humbly hope those who are compassionate and sincerely wish to help build a monastery, to accomplish the six paramitas and protect the dharma by widely sow the merit field.
Shakyamuni Buddha in the Sutra mentioned above said that; “In the mortal world I will appear in the form of dharma hall and scriptures.
Seeing or building a dharma hall will let numerous sentient beings be liberated from samsara. Offering to dharma hall and scriptures are the same as offering to my physical body. The merit will be inexhaustible.”
Life and death is impermanent. Now that we are so fortunate to come across this opportunity to sow the merit field, it could be our only chance in this life.
If sincerely arise the intention to offer, we do not need to practice asceticism. In this life and future lives we will always receive the benefits.
The benevolence of offering to merit field has immeasurable blessing. In ancient time there is this case of Zi Ru the dharma turning king, who, by offering the Buddha seven peas achieved Buddhahood.
Sculpt a Buddha statue, karmic link with Buddha, perfectly fine features, happiness arise.
Gild one strand of gold, wealth is accumulated, inexhaustible for use, blessing follows.
Erect a pillar and beam, foundation is solidified, incomparable power, career improved.
Donate a piece of stone, accumulate merit, virtue and wisdom increases, road smoothened.
Offer a piece of tile, shelter from wind and rain, cloud cover the Thatagata, self is covered.
Wishing all devotees with karmic link and fellow practitioners arise bodhicitta and establish this good karma. Strongly support Jamdha Monastery Project in Qinghai by donating to the main door, golden roof tiles, prayer wheels and the corridor, to let the sangha have a conducive environment to practice!
May all beings be able to leave the sea of suffering in samsara soon and forever remain in the happy path.
Translated by Rita Sze, Singapore
NOTE: The translator of this passage wishes to humbly apologise for the inadequate knowledge in translation in Buddhist text. Please forgive her for the unintentional mistakes made.
NOTE: The translator of this passage wishes to humbly apologise for the inadequate knowledge in translation in Buddhist text. Please forgive her for the unintentional mistakes made.
Khenpo Kunga Sherab Saljay
Kunga Sangpo Tulku Rinpoche
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