News from Tenzin Jampa

Hi Buddha House Peoples! I was asked to send a bit of an update on life as it is for me now. Of course like everything, it is in constant motion, and as we all know our reality is created by our own minds. So, what does my life look like? On the external front, I became a nun approx 2 years ago in the holy place of Bodhgaya and since then have been living in a few different FPMT centres. Namely Tushita Dharamsala, Dorje Chang Institute (in Auckland) and now I have the unbelievable privilege of residing and working at the holy Guru Lama Zopa Rinpoche's house in Aptos, California, where I have been since July last year.

Living at Aptos House is like residing in the heart of the whole FPMT mandala. The main function of this house is to make inconceivable merit for all of the FPMT projects, centres, students and benefactors. So this is what we do here. Amongst other things, each day I fill a few hundred water bowls (which takes some hours as many of them are quite large) and tend to the huge garden which has zillions of flowers to keep propagated for offering to the Gurus, Buddhas, Triple Gem etc. There are also 1000's of lights, tormas, incense, tea offerings etc. Rinpoche says everybody is welcome (and encouraged) to use these offerings in their own practice. You just need to imagine making the offerings, even if you haven't physically seen them before, and you will collect extensive merit, it's easy! So I am carrying all these buckets of water everyday for your benefit also!!!

Anyway, that is a small insight into my life at the moment. Hopefully stocking up the merit card for future happiness…

I hope you are all enjoying the unbelievably amazing resource of Dharma that Buddha House is and utilising your very precious human existence as much as possible. It was great to see many BH friends at His Holiness the Dalai Lama's teachings in Sydney last year. I hope to see you again somewhere on the dharma trail.

With much love,
Tenzin Jampa (Ankara)