Words of appreciation from students attending the January Program with His Eminence

The Vajrayogini program with His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche was an incredibly humbling experience on so many levels.

This time, driving away from the retreat, instead of suffering my usual withdrawals from being so close to my teachers for 3 weeks, I felt super charged, by this particularly explosive creative compassionate energy of a thunderbolt sealed Vajrayogini empowerment. 

I was blown away by the amazing profundity of the teachings and practices we are being offered. I am so touched by the generosity of His Eminence; offering such depth and breadth in the teachings and empowerments, not to mention the immense time and care that went into preparing each of the groups.

It was very obvious just how much time and joyous effort members of the committee and community has put into bring about this auspicious event. Thank you so much. 

I am also touched by and so grateful for the willingness of many senior student sharing what they can with us newbies. 

However, I was humbled by my current absolute under-preparedness for the level of concentration one can develop from these practices.

The retreat was an emotional journey for me, particularly when I had two critically unwell dear pets who I could be caring for. This loaded me up with unrealistic opportunity cost expectations. Cluttering my mind with thinking like I better make this worth sacrificing.  But then I remembered that renunciation is renunciation on the inside not just necessarily on the outside. 

And the quote from an old teaching I heard came to mind: just like how “the wild geese do not intend to cast their reflection, and the lake has no mind to receive their image”, “it is only when we don't get caught up in the words that we can hear.”

This allowed me to accept my current capacity and appreciate that it too is impermanent, and even though I may not have complete faith in my current understanding of the method, I can have faith in the method to discover the true nature of the mind. 
May we inwardly and outwardly free ourselves and others from karma and afflictions. 
David T. (Sydney, NSW)

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When Venerable Dolma called me in Canada with the news that His Eminence was giving teachings in Australia, I instinctively knew that I would be there.  We booked immediately – now where in the world is this Tilba?  Obviously, it was pre-destined when my sister realised that we had relatives living in Dalmeny… (who kindly provided us with accommodation).

Your Eminence, Khenpo la and my new Dharma sisters and brothers of Kamalashila, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.  My experience was everything I had hoped for and so much more.  A new Spiritual home in the land of my birth.
Love always,
Loris (Canada)

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His Eminence makes our hearts sing with joy.  Two old chooks who chatter all day, cannot find words to express our feelings to even make a sentence or two on our experiences.  

Love, gratitude, encouraging, safe and supported – all of this and more.
We have come full circle with Khenpo la, he was the first monk to come to Whyalla and has been at many of our major Dharma Blessings, empowerments and teachings, and many of them organised by him.  Even though we have this distance between us, we feel very close to him, as within the Dharma, there is no distance.  Friends come and go, but we have now found our Dharma brothers and sisters.
Lots of love,
Brenda and Lynda (Whyalla, SA)

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For twelve days I attended Buddhist teachings at Khenpo Ngawang Dhamchoe’s Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre, Tilba.  These teachings were presented by the Sakya Master His Eminence Luding Khen Rinpoche.  As these teachings are at the highest level, for the first few days I found them quite challenging.  However, by the third day I was able to settle down and concentrate.  Realising what I didn’t understand at the time, would go to my heart and if I keep the practice, I will comprehend these teachings in time and no doubt be of great benefit to me in the future. Thank you!
Dharma friend,
Jule (Tuncurry, NSW)

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Given the apparent amount of free time between scheduled sessions during the three weeks of empowerments and teachings, you would think there would have been plenty of time to reflect and formulate a response to your experiences. However, my mind was blank, and it wasn't until I was reading through the Vajrayogini sadhana on the bus back to Sydney that a deeper appreciation of the transformational power of His Eminence's teachings began to coalesce. Of course, it was all the same message about nurturing bodhicitta and developing wisdom, but as always, on the rare occasions when I truly gain a little more understanding, I was shocked by how little I understood before and how transforming this little bit of deeper insight could be. I began to see how the sadhana was a reminder as well as a technique for training the mind. The ritual of the empowerments had been intriguing and fun, but the effects are deeper than conscious awareness.  At least at a superficial level, I understand that I need to keep up the commitments to practise, so that each day and night is increasingly positive and empowering, and to recall the gratitude I owe to Khenpo, His Eminence Kyabje Luding Khen Rinpoche, his Root Guru’s and Lineage Masters.

​Personally, I stepped off the plane in Brisbane and found myself in the Lady Cilento Children's Hospital, surrounded by sick children crying in the night (my two-year-old grandson had had his first asthma attack, but thanks to the hospital and medicine is fine now). Like David, Siv and others, practice was put straight to the test.
Love from
Raelene (Brisbane, Qld)