Fourth Guru Bhumtsok in Australia
Twenty Geshes, monks and nuns joined the gathering of around 100 students for the fourth Australian Guru Bhumtsok which after two years of planning, was held at Langri Tangpa Centre over the first weekend in September, under the skilful leadership of umdze Geshe Tenzin Zopa and vajra master Geshe Rabten from Atisha Centre accompanied by Geshe Tsultrim from Chenrezig Institute and Geshe Choden from the local Tibetan community.
Generously hosted by Langri Tangpa Centre, Lama Zopa Rinpoche advised FPMT in Australia to regularly organize this national event to bring Australian FPMT centers together in celebration, harmony and friendship, dedicating heartfelt prayers for world peace, an end to outer and inner conflict everywhere, and enlightenment for all sentient beings. At this time, we also dedicated prayers for all those impacted by the Nepal-Tibet floods, especially keeping in mind family and friends of the Kopan community.
Guru Bhumtsok is an ancient ritual that is built on centuries of spiritual and musical tradition to create harmony, and dispel the negative forces that lead to destruction in the world. Coming together in this practice has immense benefits and is just like the Tibetans would practice. In the words of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche ‘Whenever you generate faith in Padmasambhava he is there’.
As Geshe Zopa reminded us: ‘It is said when there are four sangha coming together, one is definitely an arhat.’ Whether the Dharma exists depends on the vinaya. Whether the vinaya exists depends on the sangha. All the sangha coming together here is your service to the preservation of the vinaya. Honoring the Sangha as a community, all the lay practitioners, all the centres, all the organisations making extensive offerings with the gesture of so much respect physically and verbally. Then with all the rest of the practices, you are contributing to the preservation of the Sangha who are preserving the vinaya, therefore you are contributing to the preservation of the Dharma. How amazing, rejoice!
It was a wonderful occasion of coming together, renewing friendship, renewing the FPMT family feeling, generating huge energy, sharing possibilities for future gatherings and collaborations.
Over 101, 000 tsok offerings were made to Guru Rinpoche with utter devotion and dedicated to the swift return of the unmistaken yangsi of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche and the long lives of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and all our precious teachers.
We dedicated as well for the continuance of the vast visions of Lama Yeshe and Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche for the preservation and flourishing of the Mahayana Dharma through the philosophical studies, lamrim, lojong, and the limitless pith instructions Rinpoche offered. Rinpoche’s entire teachings are pith instructions for all of us to follow.
This practice is especially needed in this time when the world is going through so much conflict, natural disasters, diseases and our coming together to dedicate the practice for the peace and happiness in the world. We look forward to the next Guru Bhumtsok event with joy in our hearts.
