Khenpo la’s End of Year Address

At Drogmi Buddhist Institute 2019 AGM
​7 December 2019

As a Buddhist organisation our goal is to help others, others meaning everyone, yet practically we are living in Australia and as everyone is aware this year in a climate point of view we are in drought and so many are suffering, all the farmers out there – we must send good wishes, so I would like to invite everyone to join me in wishing for them that this drought be ended soon.

Secondly, due to the drought, many parts of New South Wales and some parts of Queensland are experiencing many bushfires and have affected most people. As well as all the wild animals are suffering, we can also send kind wishes that they are free from losing their lives and free from danger. I offer my wishes and prayers – may all be free of this danger.

Thirdly, this is our Annual General Meeting of 2019 and planning for 2020. Since the beginning of this year we had a most wonderful visit by His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche over three weeks, a very wonderful program and many people went to the retreat. Then following this the amazing visit of the head of the Sakya lineage, His Holiness the 42nd Sakya Trizin, for a short period of time which was such a great benefit to many people. Following this as normal as last year we completed The Complete Path Course very successfully. As well as our regular weekly meditation days and the running of regular retreats, all being extremely successful, so if we look back from January up to today this has been one of the busiest and most successful times at Kamalashila. This success doesn’t come from mere one or two people’s hard work – this success comes from everyone’s joint efforts.

We are looking forward to working together similarly to have success in the future. Success depends on the organisation, the organisation is run by people, the people depend on the right motivation and right mind. Of course, I am less experienced in running an organisation than many of you, but one thing I have more experience than others is in the running of dharma activities, due to growing up in a dharma environment. This organisation is very different than other organisations, because a normal organisation focuses on mundane success, whereas this organisation is more of spiritual success, meaning the more we evolve in this organisation the less we have a self-cherishing mind – becoming more kind towards each other. Most importantly when one is part of this organisation it’s not about what one is going to get out of it, how can I control things, how I can be in a better position than others. Instead: how can I serve others, how can I make someone feel welcome here at the centre. In the running of the centre we need to remember that when people visit here they have certain expectations, being out in the communities they have particular difficulties and issues in their lives, having stresses in their lives. Due to this they may think if I go to a Buddhist centre it may help me to reduce my stress, it may help me to bring more peace, this is the reason people come here. Therefore, as an organisation we have a responsibility to provide that facility rather than to disturb their minds. This is so very important, as a spiritual organisation we must do our best to have a good environment here. It is impossible to please every single person, this is human nature, but if we look back to January up until now most of the people who have come to the centre, I believe are very satisfied of what we offer. One or two may not be satisfied which is nature and we cannot do anything to change that.

In the future I am not too interested in physical constructions, whereas in some centres organisations are so caught up in physical construction – for which I do say this centre is a place for long-term study, long time retreats, and in order to do that we need to have comfortable accommodation to have enough electricity, water, a comfortable place. At the moment we do not have completely comfortable things to offer others, for example we are having a lot of trouble due to water shortage, as in Grace kindly staying at the centre long-term, she has no water, so we do need to practically focus on developing necessary things for the future as in water, electricity and comfortable accommodation. Once achieving this, I will encourage the centre to have no more constructions done, for if we get too caught up in the material side we will lose the essence of focussing on the Buddhadharma, this is my wish.

Primarily and legally this centre is run by the committee, which I say they have extreme generosity due to it all being voluntarily, they receive nothing – their kindness in their efforts and their professionalism, so from the bottom of my heart I thank all of the committee for working so hard. I, also would like to thank all the general members, due to each member contributing in their own way from January until today, without all of you the trees or plants are not going to do what we need to do, in this way we need humans to help run this centre, so I would like to thank all the members and friends of Kamalashila.

I would like to thank Peter Green who was part of the committee before I came to Australia and have known him since 1994. He is a person without much drama, without hassles, if I ask him to do something, he will immediately attend to it, the reason he does things so fast is because he always practises Tara, he is quick like Tara. After these 25 years he has worked tirelessly as our treasurer, very efficiently and amazingly, and deserves to take a rest from the committee and resigning from the treasurer position, in this way to Peter I say thank you very much for all of your hard work and huge contribution. Yet he only wants one-year rest and hopefully will return as our treasurer by next year. This is the only way I can accept his resignation, if it was forever - I would have to think over again. After 25 years as treasurer it is very acceptable to have a year break.

In conclusion as a team we work together to benefit others. As many of you have heard me say many times also reading many times the greatest happiness comes when you generally help others. All the problems we face comes from individual interest, having a strong tendency and habit working in a normal place, there is ego, selfishness, misunderstandings, but as soon as you are working for the centre, we must remember we are not working in a mundane environment, we work in the dharma. At least if I am not working for others, just not to delude other minds – this being a big responsibility. In this way I invite more people to join, not necessarily in the form of committee but in form of a team, we all can work together to make this place benefit many people throughout the future here.

Finally, now coming to the end of the year, with Christmas and the New Year I wish everyone not only here but everywhere a wonderful holiday, I wish during this time that all beings be safe, to live an enjoyable life and free all nature of suffering such as the bush fires and drought. Thank you very much everyone…
Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe

Khenpo la added information about the 2021 three-year Course:

The main focus is the Buddhadharma, teaching, practice and meditation, this is the main aim. Some people work within the Buddhadharma in a casual way as in our regular Tuesday and Sunday meditation practices and retreats. I also like to run more on the academic reaching out to non-Buddhist people, this has been a long time wish for myself. I feel so lucky now, for I have met some scholars and professors such as Carole, who approached me as to how can she aid to help promote the Buddhadharma. We started talking about this course at the beginning of this year, and up to now she has actively got volunteers to transcribe, for which 80 to 90 pages have been done already, it is advancing so well. Carole is being supported by two other professors, Richard and Gerlese from the ACT National University – all highly experienced professors, we are so lucky as a team to run an education system in 2021 at this centre. I am looking forward to another three-year course. Maybe having an education sub-committee with these three professors. In addition to this team we have Tjenka from Bega and Jane from New Zealand. These five will be a strong team together with this 2021 course. In conclusion I truly would like to thank Carole, she is offering to help the Buddhadharma in this way.