[April 20, 2008]

Today, nine people from GGBC went up to our sister center in San Francisco to take Refuge Vows and/or Lay Vows from Geshe Ngawang Dakpa, the resident lama at Tse Chen Ling. There were at least that many more people from Tse Chen Ling's own community taking vows at the same time.

The Refuge Vow is a formal step in deciding to follow the Buddhist path, i.e., to depend on the Three Jewels--Buddha, Dharma, Sangha--to guide one's life. There are 5 lay vows, or rather 5 bases of the lay vow, that one can take on top of refuge; a promise to avoid 1) killing, 2) stealing, 3) sexual misconduct, 4) lying, and 5) intoxication. Geshe Dakpa allowed the vow-takers to decide which and how many of those five they wanted to promise.

Tenzin Lama translated the whole thing into English as we went along. The GGBC students were well-prepared to recite the vows after Geshe-la because they had been practicing some of the vocabulary in advance. So they were ready to shout "Lekso!" ("Excellent") at the end.

At the conclusion, everyone had a chance to go up and offer a kata (offering scarf). Those who were just taking refuge for the first time received Tibetan Dharma names. All the names start with "Ngawang" which is part of Geshe-la's own name.

Ven. Chökyi handed out booklets about how to keep the refuge vows and blessing strings that had been blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

After the two-hour ceremony, we had lunch together Tse Chen Ling's book cafe. Then some of the participants went downstairs to have a look at the headquarters of Liberation Prison Project, which we had heard about last week when Ven. Robina was teaching at our center.

[March 26, 2008]

What are we supposed to do about the situation in Tibet?

Message from FPMT International Office:

Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s advice is to recite the Golden Light Sutra for peace in Tibet and in the world. Please go to http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/peace.asp to read Rinpoche’s words about the benefits of reciting this powerful sutra.

[This web page says:] Even reciting one page a day is of great benefit, and it adds up. Read and recite alone or with others. We want to keep a tally of the number of complete recitations. Whenever you finish the sutra, report your recitation.

We will report any recitations done as a group, but if you recite the sutra on your own, go ahead and report it directly on the FPMT website at: http://www.fpmt.org/golden_light_sutra/contact.asp?Contact=Reporting

Saturday, April 5th is already scheduled for sutra recitation at GGBC during the 5:00pm puja time. We have been working our way through the sutra as a group by reciting as much as we can once-a-month. If we get a good-sized group together, we can divide it up and get through the whole thing in one session.

The sutra is available for free download in various languages at http://www.fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/goldenlight.asp .

[March 21, 2008]

Pilgrimage Detoured

Several of our members were on their way to Tibet this month, but with the unrest in Lhasa all entry permits were canceled, so they have taken a detour and are spending their time safely in Nepal, visiting such holy places as Kopan Monastery. We hope to hear about their adventures when they return at the beginning of April.

[February 17, 2008]

A Story about Our New Center in the San Jose Mercury News

Local Tibetan Buddhists find a new home

PERMANENT CENTER MEANS AN END TO MEETING IN HOUSES

By Jessie Mangaliman
Mercury News
Article Launched: 02/17/2008 01:42:00 AM PST

For 10 years, followers of Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center did not have a home, shuttling from living room to living room, libraries and community centers. And like many Silicon Valley companies, it existed virtually - a dot-org known mostly to West Valley residents who practice Buddhism in the tradition of the Dalai Lama.

But on Saturday, Campbell's first Tibetan Buddhist center - one of a handful in the Bay Area - celebrated its first real home. Located in a nondescript two-story office building behind a small strip mall on San Tomas Aquino Road, it is right next door to a technology company.

The resident teacher, the Ven. Losang Drimay, a Buddhist nun, stood outside the entrance to the new dharma center, her maroon robe flapping in the afternoon breeze. She pointed to the blue eight-paneled banner hanging above the door with the eight auspicious symbols of Buddhism that she sewed together just days ago.

"People can now understand who we are," she said.

Saturday's open house marked an important passage for a group of less than 100 South Bay Tibetan Buddhists without a permanent home.

Every week for a decade, followers toted the accouterments of their faith in the trunk of a car: a plastic tub filled with teaching materials; cushions to sit on; a statue of the Buddha; candles and incense for the portable altar.

Laura Schaub, the new center's registrar, was quite aware of how often the locations changed because she carried around equipment Advertisement in her car's trunk. "We've got to have a place for people to come," she said.

Inside, a yoga instructor was lecturing about 20 people sitting on cushions on the carpeted floor and facing an altar bearing reliquary objects, offering bowls and Tibetan thangkas, or paintings.

"It's core for us to be able to grow," Schaub said.

The new dharma center, Drimay said, will also be a place for followers to study and practice puja - prayers and meditations.

"My connection is here," said Gay Bachmann, the center's director. "I hope others will find that here."

Drimay said the center hopes to appeal to Silicon Valley's international residents.

Up on the wood-shingled awning over the center door, a long string of yellow, green, red, white and blue prayer flags fluttered. One prayer, apropos for the occasion and location, was for "swift accomplishment of wishes."

http://www.mercurynews.com/religion/ci_8287946

[December 12, 2007]

A Heartfelt Message Of Gratitude From The Director

My message to you as we near the end of 2007 is a simple thank you.

Thank you to Venerable Losang Drimay, our resident teacher, and Emily Hsu, our Basic Program teacher. How fortunate and happy we are that we have such wonderful and inspiring teachers!

Thank you to our hard working and dedicated all volunteer staff, especially Donna Babuska our Spiritual Program Coordinator, Laura Schaub our former SPC, our Board of Directors, and to the many dedicated volunteers who help with so many things. How fortunate and happy we are that we have such a wonderful group of volunteers!

Thank you to all of you who financially support GGBC and our teachers. GGBC is completely supported by your generous donations and is currently operating in the red. Your continued financial support allows us to offer useful and meaningful classes. How fortunate and happy we are that we are supported by so many wonderful contributors!

Thank you to everyone who came together to make the dream of a physical center a reality. Our Door to the Dharma was only made possible due to all of you who contributed money, time and all the many things needed to set up our beautiful space. How fortunate and happy we are that we have been able to open our doors to our center!

Thank you to all who have come into our lives sharing blessings. Thank you to all who have left us with their teachings. Thank you to those who are yet to find us, who will enrich us with unique views and talents. Thank you to those who will support us with their time and donations. How fortunate and happy we are that we have so many people to share the Dharma with!

A final thank you to everyone who works for FPMT, and especially to our precious guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche, our Spiritual Director. Rinpoche recently wrote about how meaningful it is that we have Dharma centers so that we can help so many sentient beings. He wrote "How fortunate and happy I am! How fortunate and happy we are!" I am sure he will not mind that I have shared his sentiments with you.

As 2007 comes to a close and we look forward to 2008, I am filled with gratitude. Gratitude for what has brought us to where we are today. Gratitude for the blessings that will allow GGBC to grow to serve more sentient beings. Gratitude for all of you.

Thank you for your continued and generous support of Gyalwa Gyatso Buddhist Center and our teachers.

Love, Gay Bachmann, Director