Sakyadhita Pilgrims: Dusty and Divine in Dharamshala

0:00 It's lovely how Sandra managed to break the ice and get different individuals to talk to each other and introduce themselves. So my name is Cindy and I'll be hosting tonight's RAINS retreat. So I'll start with the announcements. So tonight's speaker is Sandra Henville. She's a meditation teacher. Report an error in the passage at 0:00 Highlight the passage at 0:00

0:23 Please note that no monastics will visit Dhammaloka during rains retreat, which is Vassa, until the 10th of October. Please see our notice board's website for full details for the change to our programs during rains. Our Be Quiet meditation group, which is 18 to 35 years old, has a special event tomorrow morning, visiting Bodhinyana Monastery. Report an error in the passage at 0:23 Highlight the passage at 0:23

0:46 You can meet here at 8.30 or you can meet at Bodhinyana at 10am. If you're meeting here... They will be carpooling to Serpentine. Please bring a plate of food or drink to offer us dharma and that's offering food to the monks. The next introduction to meditation course starts tomorrow, Saturday the 2nd of August at 3pm. Children's Dharma School resumes this Sunday, the 3rd of August. Report an error in the passage at 0:46 Highlight the passage at 0:46

1:13 Please remember no dharma at Dhammaloka during rains. Ajahn Brahm's 74th birthday celebration is this Sunday, the Saturday the 3rd of August at 12.30 at Jana Grove. An online auction is live and a live on-site auction with different items will take place on the day. Fundraising for the Dharma Ditta Sri Lankan Nuns Project. Report an error in the passage at 1:13 Highlight the passage at 1:13

1:42 After Ajahn's birthday celebration at 3pm at Jana Grove, six dedicated Rains retreatants will be shaving their heads to raise funds for the Dharma Dita project. To donate, please see the poster on our notice boards or on our website. There are opportunities for volunteering. BSWA are seeking volunteer Dharma school teachers, a maintenance coordinator, curtain meditation teacher and Rains retreat hosts. Report an error in the passage at 1:42 Highlight the passage at 1:42

2:12 And more parking and patrol volunteers. Please see our website and notice board for more information on these roles. So I'd like to introduce Sandra. Got a little spill about her. So Sandra is a long-time BSWA member who enjoys holding space for group meditations. She has led the spiritual education group here at BSWA and mindfulness meditation sessions at her workplace. Report an error in the passage at 2:12 Highlight the passage at 2:12

2:43 She also enjoys bringing people together for a good yarn and has supported the Kalyana Friendship Group at BSWA. These days, she collaborates with others at the Buddhist Council of WA and volunteers at Sakyadita Australia Perth Chapter. Report an error in the passage at 2:43 Highlight the passage at 2:43

3:04 So without further ado, I'd like to hand over to Sandra who would lead us through a meditation before showing us a... chapter Report an error in the passage at 3:04 Highlight the passage at 3:04

3:13 PowerPoint some photos and start her presentation. Thank you, Sandra. You're welcome, Cindy. Thank you. And I'm so happy for the event that's going to happen on Sunday to raise funds for the Sri Lankan Nuns for Dharma Dita Project. And I was in Malaysia a few weeks ago at the Sakya Dita International Buddhist Women's Conference. Report an error in the passage at 3:13 Highlight the passage at 3:13

3:42 Sakya Dita translates to Daughters of the Buddha. Sakya coming from, you know, Shakyamuni Buddha or the Sakyan clan. So it's a particularly exciting time for women in Buddhism because while we were at the conference, apparently due to a scholarly Western monk and a strategic email, Report an error in the passage at 3:42 Highlight the passage at 3:42

4:11 Sri Lanka has now formally, legally recognised bhikkhunis. Who would have thought that it would take this long? But bhikkhunis, now legally recognised, they can travel with a passport with their venerable name. Report an error in the passage at 4:11 Highlight the passage at 4:11

4:32 It's, you know, a huge step. So I was wondering why does Sri Lankan nun... At the conference was so excited and couldn't contain her excitement and that was why. So just let everyone come into the room and get themselves settled and I am going to show some slides so you might want to just kind of move this way and then you'll be able to see them. Report an error in the passage at 4:32 Highlight the passage at 4:32

5:09 So the most important thing about meditation is to be kind and compassionate to yourself. So make sure that you're comfortable and you're warm. We'll get Garcon to close the door. Report an error in the passage at 5:09 Highlight the passage at 5:09

5:31 Yep. Report an error in the passage at 5:31 Highlight the passage at 5:31

5:36 Yeah, good job. Keep the drafts out. Okay. So making ourselves nice and comfortable. We're sitting down. Report an error in the passage at 5:36 Highlight the passage at 5:36

5:50 You know, you don't have to bust out a lotus position, even a half lotus position. Just be kind to yourself. Report an error in the passage at 5:50 Highlight the passage at 5:50

6:02 And when you're ready... I invite you to just come into the space. And what I mean by that is to feel your body sitting, feel the space around you, and Report an error in the passage at 6:02 Highlight the passage at 6:02

6:27 just check in, where is the mind at right now? Did it come into the room with you? Or did you leave it back home, merrily playing with whatever drama was playing out? Before you arrived here. Report an error in the passage at 6:27 Highlight the passage at 6:27

6:54 And I always like to start meditation by setting a little bit of an intention. So giving myself the grace and the space to just simply relax, to be here now. Report an error in the passage at 6:54 Highlight the passage at 6:54

7:16 And you might want to put that intention into words that are meaningful to you. It doesn't have to be anything super profound. It can be really simple. For the next 30 minutes, I'm going to give myself the gift of peace, of kindness, of gentleness, and relax. So Report an error in the passage at 7:16 Highlight the passage at 7:16

8:02 take a nice, long, deep breath, like it's the first breath you've taken all day, and Report an error in the passage at 8:02 Highlight the passage at 8:02

8:14 release, Report an error in the passage at 8:14 Highlight the passage at 8:14

8:26 feeling your feet on the floor, feeling Report an error in the passage at 8:26 Highlight the passage at 8:26

8:33 the points where your body makes contact with the earth. And Report an error in the passage at 8:33 Highlight the passage at 8:33

8:51 it's very, so peaceful in this Dharma Hall. Report an error in the passage at 8:51 Highlight the passage at 8:51

8:58 You naturally want to relax. And Report an error in the passage at 8:58 Highlight the passage at 8:58

· · · silence, 1 minute

9:48 we know through the four factors of mindfulness, one Report an error in the passage at 9:48 Highlight the passage at 9:48

9:59 of the first and most useful gateways is mindfulness of body. So Report an error in the passage at 9:59 Highlight the passage at 9:59

10:11 that's why I like to feel my feet on the floor, my connection with the earth. And Report an error in the passage at 10:11 Highlight the passage at 10:11

10:23 you might even just wriggle your toes a bit. Report an error in the passage at 10:23 Highlight the passage at 10:23

10:35 Sometimes you need to make a few more coarse movements. Scrunching the feet, wriggling the toes to focus the attention and then gradually you let them relax. Report an error in the passage at 10:35 Highlight the passage at 10:35

11:09 So we can imagine ourselves like a lotus plant. Our feet are like and toes are like the roots making Report an error in the passage at 11:09 Highlight the passage at 11:09

11:30 contact with the earth, Report an error in the passage at 11:30 Highlight the passage at 11:30

11:34 feeling the earth's goodness, Report an error in the passage at 11:34 Highlight the passage at 11:34

11:42 drawing up the good energy. Then Report an error in the passage at 11:42 Highlight the passage at 11:42

11:50 we can move our attention up to the calves. Report an error in the passage at 11:50 Highlight the passage at 11:50

12:02 And again, just moving the calf muscles a bit. Report an error in the passage at 12:02 Highlight the passage at 12:02

12:11 So focusing your attention, becoming mindful of these bodily movements, and Report an error in the passage at 12:11 Highlight the passage at 12:11

12:29 then relaxing. Report an error in the passage at 12:29 Highlight the passage at 12:29

12:36 So if you find it difficult to focus, one thing you can do is, when you breathe in, just tighten the muscles a little bit. Report an error in the passage at 12:36 Highlight the passage at 12:36

12:51 Hold them. Tell your mind, this is what it is to hold on. And then on the out-breath, release and relax. This is what it is to let go. And Report an error in the passage at 12:51 Highlight the passage at 12:51

13:10 you can gradually work your way up the body. So moving up to the thighs and the hips. And Report an error in the passage at 13:10 Highlight the passage at 13:10

13:22 again, it's feeling into the muscles and the bones. And Report an error in the passage at 13:22 Highlight the passage at 13:22

13:39 when you're sitting, you're often tight at first. And gradually the hips relax. The thighs relax. Report an error in the passage at 13:39 Highlight the passage at 13:39

13:59 There's a much more settling, grounding feeling. Report an error in the passage at 13:59 Highlight the passage at 13:59

14:10 One of peace, to Report an error in the passage at 14:10 Highlight the passage at 14:10

14:21 know that you're sitting, to know that you're breathing. And Report an error in the passage at 14:21 Highlight the passage at 14:21

· · · silence, 1 minute

15:10 as you relax, as Report an error in the passage at 15:10 Highlight the passage at 15:10

15:15 you breathe, start to become more aware of the spine. Become Report an error in the passage at 15:15 Highlight the passage at 15:15

15:33 more aware of the ribs and the shoulders. And Report an error in the passage at 15:33 Highlight the passage at 15:33

15:47 this is where the breath's quite useful. It's feeling the movement of the ribs and the shoulders. You Report an error in the passage at 15:47 Highlight the passage at 15:47

16:01 can even imagine yourself. Giving your shoulders a massage from the inside. So Report an error in the passage at 16:01 Highlight the passage at 16:01

16:20 it's a feeling of emerging. Like Report an error in the passage at 16:20 Highlight the passage at 16:20

16:27 the lotus sends its long stem up to the surface of the water. Relax Report an error in the passage at 16:27 Highlight the passage at 16:27

16:51 your arms. You Report an error in the passage at 16:51 Highlight the passage at 16:51

16:58 might even imagine your breath travelling through your arms. Right down to the fingers. So Report an error in the passage at 16:58 Highlight the passage at 16:58

17:20 you're really developing mindfulness of body now. Mindfulness of breath. So Report an error in the passage at 17:20 Highlight the passage at 17:20

17:39 the heart starts to open a little bit more. It Report an error in the passage at 17:39 Highlight the passage at 17:39

17:53 swells like the bud of a flower. And Report an error in the passage at 17:53 Highlight the passage at 17:53

18:03 you might bring a smile to your face. Report an error in the passage at 18:03 Highlight the passage at 18:03

18:09 Soften the eyes. Relax the cheeks. That little space between the eyebrows. Report an error in the passage at 18:09 Highlight the passage at 18:09

18:26 Smiling like you're coming into bloom. Report an error in the passage at 18:26 Highlight the passage at 18:26

18:39 Letting the petals of the lotus open to greet the sun. For warmth, you Report an error in the passage at 18:39 Highlight the passage at 18:39

18:59 might even feel into the space above your head. Report an error in the passage at 18:59 Highlight the passage at 18:59

19:07 Every breath, like a new set of petals opening, like Report an error in the passage at 19:07 Highlight the passage at 19:07

19:20 you're inviting more and more peace, more Report an error in the passage at 19:20 Highlight the passage at 19:20

19:27 and more kindness and gentleness into your heart. Each Report an error in the passage at 19:27 Highlight the passage at 19:27

19:44 in-breath, an invitation to peace, to kindness, to gentleness. Every Report an error in the passage at 19:44 Highlight the passage at 19:44

20:02 out-breath irradiating out to others. Report an error in the passage at 20:02 Highlight the passage at 20:02

20:10 This kindness and gentleness, Report an error in the passage at 20:10 Highlight the passage at 20:10

20:18 everyone breathing together like Report an error in the passage at 20:18 Highlight the passage at 20:18

20:33 we're a whole pond of beautiful lotuses. Report an error in the passage at 20:33 Highlight the passage at 20:33

20:49 Mindfulness of body, mindfulness of breath, the body of breath, Report an error in the passage at 20:49 Highlight the passage at 20:49

21:00 mindfulness of feeling, noticing Report an error in the passage at 21:00 Highlight the passage at 21:00

21:08 feelings of joy, of peace, of Report an error in the passage at 21:08 Highlight the passage at 21:08

21:17 lightness, of light, the Report an error in the passage at 21:17 Highlight the passage at 21:17

21:27 light of a clear and radiant mind, mindfulness Report an error in the passage at 21:27 Highlight the passage at 21:27

21:39 of spaciousness. Report an error in the passage at 21:39 Highlight the passage at 21:39

21:46 Where you just simply bloom, no longer constrained by form. I'll Report an error in the passage at 21:46 Highlight the passage at 21:46

22:16 leave you in this shared peace. And when I talk again, you'll be towards the end of the meditation. What Report an error in the passage at 22:16 Highlight the passage at 22:16

· · · silence, 5 minutes

27:44 does it feel like to be at peace? What Report an error in the passage at 27:44 Highlight the passage at 27:44

· · · silence, 1 minute

28:39 does it feel like to treat yourself with kindness, gentleness, to Report an error in the passage at 28:39 Highlight the passage at 28:39

29:03 taste the nectar of joy in Report an error in the passage at 29:03 Highlight the passage at 29:03

29:20 coming to the... End of the meditation, I invite you to just bring your hands to your heart. Take in a nice deep long breath. Feel Report an error in the passage at 29:20 Highlight the passage at 29:20

29:41 the expansion in the heart space. Report an error in the passage at 29:41 Highlight the passage at 29:41

29:52 And with reverence and kindness, you might just say a few well wishes to yourself. Report an error in the passage at 29:52 Highlight the passage at 29:52

30:05 You know, may my mind be calm and clear. Report an error in the passage at 30:05 Highlight the passage at 30:05

30:13 May I know the... Sweet happiness of peace. May I know love, to be loved, to give love. Report an error in the passage at 30:13 Highlight the passage at 30:13

30:32 May I walk this path with ease and Report an error in the passage at 30:32 Highlight the passage at 30:32

30:43 invite each of us to just bring someone to mind or some being that might be alive or past in Report an error in the passage at 30:43 Highlight the passage at 30:43

31:01 this lifetime at least. And Report an error in the passage at 31:01 Highlight the passage at 31:01

31:06 just as we all have a deep wish to experience happiness and joy. Send that wish out to them as well. Send the good merits of your practice. May they be happy and well. Report an error in the passage at 31:06 Highlight the passage at 31:06

31:22 May their minds be kind and gentle. May they walk this path with ease. Report an error in the passage at 31:22 Highlight the passage at 31:22

31:36 Sending that out as I begin to ring the bell. And Report an error in the passage at 31:36 Highlight the passage at 31:36

· · · silence, 1 minute

32:22 when you're ready, gently open the eyes. Turn to the person next to you and say thank you. May they be kind and happy. May they walk the path with ease. And thank you for meditating together. Report an error in the passage at 32:22 Highlight the passage at 32:22

32:49 Okay, well, I'll let the people who need to run to the loo or shift do that. If you're leaving, thank you. And if you're staying, maybe just try and come in so you can see the screen and my AV friends will make the light happen. Report an error in the passage at 32:49 Highlight the passage at 32:49

· · · silence, 1 minute

33:46 So recently I joined a group of women from Australia. There was one lady from the US. And together we went on a pilgrimage to Dharamsala. So you might be wondering, why would someone who practices in a Theravadan tradition go to the Tibetan regions? regions and I guess there's a number of reasons why people go on pilgrimage. So for some people it's this real quest to see spiritual places, to hear great teachings. Report an error in the passage at 33:46 Highlight the passage at 33:46

34:30 No, to visit places of spiritual significance. I've had many, Report an error in the passage at 34:30 Highlight the passage at 34:30

34:49 um... You know, it's a chance to leave the mundane, the day-to-day grind, and just go somewhere completely different. So there's always a bit of prep in these things. Report an error in the passage at 34:49 Highlight the passage at 34:49

35:10 So these are my travelling companions. And before we left, we had to change our trip up a bit at the last moment because less than a week before we went. The border dispute flared up between India and Pakistan, so we were actually travelling up to Leh and Ladakh, but we sort of went backwards and forwards and decided that was probably a bit dicey. Report an error in the passage at 35:10 Highlight the passage at 35:10

35:44 The airspace was open, but the issue is that there's really only one way in and out of Leh. And Venerable Chokhi, who you'll meet next week... Report an error in the passage at 35:44 Highlight the passage at 35:44

35:59 She had been in Leh previously when the monsoons came early, and it took them about four days to get out of Leh because of these huge floodwaters. Report an error in the passage at 35:59 Highlight the passage at 35:59

36:12 And sure enough, about a week or so after we got back, there was huge floodwaters. So that would have been quite the adventure. Report an error in the passage at 36:12 Highlight the passage at 36:12

36:24 So we basically, we gathered together in Delhi. And oh my goodness, landing in Delhi, it was 45 degrees. It was about 70 % humidity. It was full on. And I hadn't been to Delhi for about 20 years. So I was worried about Delhi airport because I remember it being pretty hectic last time. Report an error in the passage at 36:24 Highlight the passage at 36:24

36:54 It was an absolute breeze. It was fine. I arrived, I walked out the arrivals doors, there was the driver and it was like this full-on extraction. I was just whisked away in five minutes. And I said, right, I want the front seat. I want the full driving into Delhi experience. And driving into Delhi, it's wild. Report an error in the passage at 36:54 Highlight the passage at 36:54

37:17 I saw a few feeble attempts at flickers that really don't apply. And I guess the thing I noticed about Delhi, My goodness, it's just really changed in 20 years. So many more cars on the road, new roads, new metro, much greener than I remember, half as many rickshaws. Report an error in the passage at 37:17 Highlight the passage at 37:17

37:48 Yeah, it was... I'm just always impressed at the drivers. It just sort of all flows. They miss each other by about five inches, I swear, but it all flows. Report an error in the passage at 37:48 Highlight the passage at 37:48

38:03 And then I got to my hotel, and then it was more quintessential Delhi. I'd found myself at the Hotel Krishna, behind the Hare Krishna temple. So we get there and, of course, can't get through. So driving down these skinny little laneways, we would call them, better roads. Report an error in the passage at 38:03 Highlight the passage at 38:03

38:32 And there's the obligatory cow and there's the ice cream vendor and there's all the tea stalls and the cars and this poor old ice cream vendor. He was stuck in the middle of the road and the wheels had fallen off his cart. So the driver jumped out and someone else jumped out. We put the wheel back on his cart, got him off the road. And that was my introduction to Delhi. And then a few days later... Report an error in the passage at 38:32 Highlight the passage at 38:32

39:02 I met up with my friends and I've just seen, I've sort of set this up as scrapbooks, is to talk to the images. But I remember when Ajahn Brahmali was here and he was talking about his pilgrimage experience to India and he talked about going to visit the relics at the Museum of Delhi. Report an error in the passage at 39:02 Highlight the passage at 39:02

39:35 So I went off and I visited the relics and the little red box there with the gold statue behind it, that's where the Buddhist relics are. Report an error in the passage at 39:35 Highlight the passage at 39:35

39:47 And he's right, they are very bony. You really get a sense of these bones belong to someone who once lived. And I felt such busyness in my heart. It was quite a moment. See these relics. And I've included another little picture at the top. You probably can't really see it that well but I was amazed to see this. Report an error in the passage at 39:47 Highlight the passage at 39:47

40:18 This is the Buddha's mother giving birth to the Buddha. It's the little baby Buddha being taken out of her left side. Report an error in the passage at 40:18 Highlight the passage at 40:18

40:29 So there's many ways you can take a pilgrimage. You can go on pilgrimage and in some ways the meditation experience feels like pilgrimage to me. Going and visiting the artefacts and working your way through the museum collection, which is beautifully curated, feels like pilgrimage. But what I hadn't, I mean, I did, I promised myself that I'd approach this pilgrimage without expectation. Report an error in the passage at 40:29 Highlight the passage at 40:29

41:07 Because, you know, things arise and pass. You can't grasp hold of them. And I've seen other travellers, when they grasp hold of something, they lose the experience. Report an error in the passage at 41:07 Highlight the passage at 41:07

41:22 So I was determined not to do this. And one of the most beautiful experiences was going to see the Nicholas Rorick exhibition. So those beautiful pictures there with the pink clouds. Report an error in the passage at 41:22 Highlight the passage at 41:22

41:39 They're painted by a man named Nicholas Rorick who you've probably never heard of. But he's quite an important character because Nicholas Rorick, he was a Russian philosopher and artist and he was responsible for the preservation of a lot of cultural sites during the years of war. Report an error in the passage at 41:39 Highlight the passage at 41:39

42:00 So wherever you see three little dots stacked on top of each other, they're... Cultural sites of significance that have been, you know, spared from bombing and destruction. Going through this exhibition, it was like a spiritual experience. The slide really doesn't do it justice, but they're painted with egg tempura and these paintings, they radiate. Report an error in the passage at 42:00 Highlight the passage at 42:00

42:29 So we didn't get to lay all the dark, but I felt like I'd been there through these artworks. So from New Delhi, we went... We travelled up to Shimla and Shimla is the old British summer palace, the site of the British summer palace where the Viceroy lived and so what was amazing was you go, the big building at the top is the palace and you go into this palace and there's all these pictures of Report an error in the passage at 42:29 Highlight the passage at 42:29

43:14 Modi and various dignitaries and the Viceroy. The Viceroy and his wife were fairly saucy characters. Report an error in the passage at 43:14 Highlight the passage at 43:14

43:27 And there's a wooden table and it's the most ordinary looking table but that's where the men of power smashed out the partition agreement between India and Pakistan. Report an error in the passage at 43:27 Highlight the passage at 43:27

43:42 It just blows my mind that this decision made on this table It's had such huge ramifications. So we spent a bit of time around Shimla and probably wanted to... The things you see in Shimla is the old colonial architecture but also the giant Hanuman statue which is that huge red monkey there. So Report an error in the passage at 43:42 Highlight the passage at 43:42

44:19 from Shimla... You know, once we'd acclimatised a bit, because the other thing that surprised me was it was so hot. It was about mid-30s and very humid. I was expecting snow-capped mountains, but people tell me it hasn't really snowed there in about five years, probably due to climate change. Report an error in the passage at 44:19 Highlight the passage at 44:19

44:48 But from Shimla, we went to a place called Rewalsa, or Sopemo. And this is where it really gets pretty magical and mystical. And lately I've just had the most vivid dreams of this place. It just really settles in. So to get this right, I'll just look at my notes. But the reason why this is such an important site for Vajrayana Buddhism is because this is the place Report an error in the passage at 44:48 Highlight the passage at 44:48

45:29 of Padmasambhava, who is said to be the reincarnation of the Shakyamuni Buddha. That's one interpretation. So the story goes, Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche, he is the quintessential archetypal Vajrayana guru who established Buddhism in Tibet. So this story is very well known to Tibetans. Report an error in the passage at 45:29 Highlight the passage at 45:29

46:02 So the story is that Guru Rinpoche was providing teachings and initiations to the daughter of the resident king. And anyway, the king found out about this and accused him of seducing his daughter, the princess Mandarava, and he was ordered to be burnt upon a pyre. Report an error in the passage at 46:02 Highlight the passage at 46:02

46:28 So they took him off, stoked up the pyre, Report an error in the passage at 46:28 Highlight the passage at 46:28

46:35 And the story goes that the fires of passion that fueled the pyre were soon transmuted as Guru Rinpoche performed a sudden miracle to transform the flames of the funeral pyre into a lake. Report an error in the passage at 46:35 Highlight the passage at 46:35

46:58 So you've got to suspend belief a lot when you visit these places. It's just so magical and mystical. mystical. So the pyre. Report an error in the passage at 46:58 Highlight the passage at 46:58

47:13 was soon transformed into a lake. And when the people returned, there was Guru Rinpoche who'd performed a sudden miracle to appear sitting in a lotus on the lake. Report an error in the passage at 47:13 Highlight the passage at 47:13

47:31 And so the explanation is, you know, Guru Rinpoche was entirely innocent. He hadn't seduced the king's daughter. And he arose with innocence and purity of mind. upon a lotus and the raging fires miraculously started burning upside down and around the lake. thereby symbolizing the controlled manifestation of the passions So the king was obviously impressed by this. So with due respect, he then received Guru Rinpoche at his palace, made offerings, and having had a change of heart, Report an error in the passage at 47:31 Highlight the passage at 47:31

48:20 Princess Mandiratha out of the dark hole where she had been imprisoned. And this is the legend of Sopema Lake. And all of this is supposedly, well, you know, Tibetans, Buddhists, Vajrayana Buddhists, truly believe this happened around 1300 years ago. So when you go to Sopema, you see people from all throughout the Himalayan region. Report an error in the passage at 48:20 Highlight the passage at 48:20

48:52 Come together and they circumambulate the lake. They call it a kora. So in the evening it's really beautiful. You'll see people, monks, nuns, lay people, all people walking around the lake. Report an error in the passage at 48:52 Highlight the passage at 48:52

49:12 And as you go around the lake there's prayer wheels and lots and lots of prayer flags. It really is like a magical place. Report an error in the passage at 49:12 Highlight the passage at 49:12

49:26 Then on the map you can also see that there are caves in the hills and these are the caves where Guru Rinpoche meditated. So we went and visited one of these caves and I really wasn't prepared for this. And you go into this cave and Report an error in the passage at 49:26 Highlight the passage at 49:26

49:55 there's not really words that can describe it. So you can see us sitting in the cave there on the top right and I'm sitting between Venerable Choki and this beautiful lama who I can't remember his name and we're just sitting there meditating, chanting Om Mani Padme Hum, Om Mani Padme Hum. It's quite transcendent and I find myself waking up remembering this experience. Report an error in the passage at 49:55 Highlight the passage at 49:55

50:37 So we, and it was funny, you know, because my mind had been quite, oh, I didn't realise it was quite so jittery. And my friend told me I was being a bit Pollyanna because I was throwing myself at every experience. I'm just feeling such joy. And I just found this real quietness came over me after visiting the caves. It was very beautiful. Report an error in the passage at 50:37 Highlight the passage at 50:37

51:10 So after Sopama, Report an error in the passage at 51:10 Highlight the passage at 51:10

51:14 We went to, we started our way, our journey to Dharamshala and Report an error in the passage at 51:14 Highlight the passage at 51:14

51:24 this is interesting actually. So on the way we went through a place called Mandi and we visited this temple which is actually a Hindu temple and maybe someone in the audience remembers the name because it's just escaped me and Report an error in the passage at 51:24 Highlight the passage at 51:24

51:46 that when we were there it was this Beautiful, sunny, hot environment. And a few weeks later there's been massive storms and raging rivers and apparently that temple regularly gets submerged. Report an error in the passage at 51:46 Highlight the passage at 51:46

52:06 But the thing that amazed me about... So I work with engineers so I was constantly amazed at the quality of concrete and water infrastructure and things like that. Report an error in the passage at 52:06 Highlight the passage at 52:06

52:19 But... You might see it better in the next photo, or maybe not, but the mountains are so steep and it's just such density of housing. So when there is big floods or quakes, you see a lot of destruction. It's a really precarious kind of existence. Report an error in the passage at 52:19 Highlight the passage at 52:19

52:56 So from Mandi we made our way up to the nunneries and this is where it got really interesting. So we stopped at this little place, Chokling Monastery, and I don't know how many of you have seen a film called The Cup. I remember it doing the rounds at the festivals when we used to have Revelation Film Festival. Pretty sure it's still running in Perth. Report an error in the passage at 52:56 Highlight the passage at 52:56

53:24 But it's the story of some young monks who desperately want to see the World Cup and they managed to commandeer a TV and put it on top of the temple and watch the game. Report an error in the passage at 53:24 Highlight the passage at 53:24

53:35 So we went and visited this temple and it was quite funny because it seemed like there was an international scouts group that were visiting the temple so Choki took the opportunity to give them a teaching. Report an error in the passage at 53:35 Highlight the passage at 53:35

53:54 And then we went to the monastery Dongyu Gatsoling Nunnery. So this is the nunnery that was established by Tenzin Palmo. So it was established in 1999 by Tenzin Palmo. And if you don't know who Jetsuma Tenzin Palmo is, you might have remembered seeing a book. called Cave in the Snow where I think she was one of the very early western Buddhist nuns who went to the Himalayan region and just as it says she meditated in a cave in the snow for more than 12 years and I think when I read the book she'd been in deep meditation Report an error in the passage at 53:54 Highlight the passage at 53:54

54:59 In meditation for 12 years, in this tradition, they sleep in a box. So she'd been meditating for all this time. And finally, one day there was a knock on the door. Her visa had expired. And she had to leave the country. Report an error in the passage at 54:59 Highlight the passage at 54:59

55:27 But she is an incredible woman, Tenzin Palmo. I met her. At the Sakyadita Conference in Malaysia, her and another lady come and lecture. And when you see these women, they're like what I'd imagine Arahants to be. They float. It's like their feet don't touch the ground. They just walk with such a lightness of being and such grace. Report an error in the passage at 55:27 Highlight the passage at 55:27

55:56 They're just pure beauty. But what she's established there is really quite remarkable. So she established this monastery, Nunnery, in 1999 under the guidance of His Eminence the 9th Kamtrul Rinpoche Chetrap Niyama. I'm not saying that right, Chetrap Niyama. And the name of the monastery translates to Garden of the Authentic Lineage. Report an error in the passage at 55:56 Highlight the passage at 55:56

56:31 And it pays homage to Dongyu Niyama, who's the previous... who was Jetson Palmer's personal teacher. So she oversaw the establishment of this nunnery in dedication to her teacher, which is amazing. And when you walk into this monastery, you can just, I was going to say it, you can tell it's a place run by women. It is just so calm, so peaceful, so organised. Report an error in the passage at 56:31 Highlight the passage at 56:31

57:11 It's incredible. Report an error in the passage at 57:11 Highlight the passage at 57:11

57:15 And we met these, it was closed for the summer holidays, but there was a group of very young nuns who you can see in the bottom corner. These are young girls that have come from the Himalayan regions from very far away. It was too far for them to go home, so they stayed at the monastery. Report an error in the passage at 57:15 Highlight the passage at 57:15

57:39 And today there's more than... a hundred nuns who call this nunnery home and in the words of Jetsuma herself, my feeling is that well trained nuns will have an increasingly important role to play in upholding the sacred dharma. So some of the nuns at this monastery, they had just completed 16 years of retreat in the Togdenma lineage. Report an error in the passage at 57:39 Highlight the passage at 57:39

58:06 So I don't know if you've ever seen pictures of the... Talked to him as, talked to him, um... The ones that have the very long hair and lots of dreadlocks and my friend tells me, who used to live at this monastery years ago, she's seen them. And they have such, you know, peace of mind, such mastery that they can jump cross-legged. Report an error in the passage at 58:06 Highlight the passage at 58:06

58:43 On a concrete floor and jump back up again. It's just extraordinary. So these women have been in retreat for about 16 years. Report an error in the passage at 58:43 Highlight the passage at 58:43

58:57 So what these nunneries are doing, they're reviving a lot of the old traditions because unfortunately a bit like in Theravāda, some of the female lineages, they died out. Report an error in the passage at 58:57 Highlight the passage at 58:57

59:18 When they'd been lost. So people like Tenzin Pamo and Karma Lecture are re-establishing those traditions. Report an error in the passage at 59:18 Highlight the passage at 59:18

59:32 So the young girls who after so many centuries of being denied can now reach their spiritual and academic potential. So when I was at the conference in Malaysia, we were hearing stories about the struggle of women and I just... Report an error in the passage at 59:32 Highlight the passage at 59:32

59:55 I just didn't realise just how deep those struggles were. So we have a beautiful monastery here. This is such a rare thing in Australia, in the world, where we have the monastic men, the monastic women, lay women, lay men, the fourfold saṅgha is intact. We come together on a Friday night, we enjoy talks. That's incredibly rare. Report an error in the passage at 59:55 Highlight the passage at 59:55

1:00:31 For many of these young girls it's not necessarily their choice to enter a monastic life. Their parents may be very poor or they come from very poor backgrounds and so they enter the monastery some as young as five or six and that's all they know. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:31 Highlight the passage at 1:00:31

1:00:56 So what was happening was that they were entering the monastery But the nunneries are very much still under control of the men. And I think that's what Tenzin Palmo and Karma Lecture are trying to break down. So it's really quite important that they not only receive a good monastic education, but also a regular education. Report an error in the passage at 1:00:56 Highlight the passage at 1:00:56

1:01:32 Because once they get to a certain age, they can make a choice whether they stay or they go. And what was happening is, like, women were leaving the monastery, they go out into the world, and the only jobs they, you know, seem to be qualified for is working in hospitality. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:32 Highlight the passage at 1:01:32

1:01:58 So they're working these long hours, very poor pay, open to abuse, and... Some fairly sad endings. So these two monasteries that I'll talk about, the one Tosam Ling, I get them all mixed up. Report an error in the passage at 1:01:58 Highlight the passage at 1:01:58

1:02:28 The monasteries like Donggyu Katsoling, they give those women a pathway and a chance which they were not getting before. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:28 Highlight the passage at 1:02:28

1:02:48 So the monks have the cup. The nuns have the cave in the snow. Moving along, we eventually did get to Dharamsala. And as soon as you say, oh, we went to Dharamsala, everyone will say, did you meet the Dalai Lama? Well, we didn't because we were sort of there in between time. I mean, he turned 90 recently and there was huge celebrations in Dharamsala. We were there. Report an error in the passage at 1:02:48 Highlight the passage at 1:02:48

1:03:21 He only really gives audiences a couple of times a month and we were just there at the wrong time. But for me, you know, this trip was all about meeting these amazing women. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:21 Highlight the passage at 1:03:21

1:03:37 So the place where we stayed, if you go to Dharamsala, we stayed at the Tushita, not Tushita, we stayed at Norbalinka. There's a lot of meditation centres around Dharamshala and those top pictures there are of Tushita Meditation Centre. They run so many fabulous programs and you can go and stay there. There's a lot of Westerners staying there. Report an error in the passage at 1:03:37 Highlight the passage at 1:03:37

1:04:12 The other inspiring place we went, and this is kind of a tale of two schools, we visited the Tibetan Children's Village. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:12 Highlight the passage at 1:04:12

1:04:25 You'll see there a DVD cover of Amala written on it. Amala is the Dalai Lama's sister and she was given the mission of setting up a Tibetan children's village to care for all the children who had basically become exiled from Tibet. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:25 Highlight the passage at 1:04:25

1:04:48 And you can't really see it there, is it? Report an error in the passage at 1:04:48 Highlight the passage at 1:04:48

1:04:57 see it, but there's this really strong ethic of service. Report an error in the passage at 1:04:57 Highlight the passage at 1:04:57

1:05:03 You know, learn to serve, basically. And I guess that plays to this notion of the bodhisattva. purifying ourselves, doing the very best we can in order to help others. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:03 Highlight the passage at 1:05:03

1:05:23 achieve enlightenment Report an error in the passage at 1:05:23 Highlight the passage at 1:05:23

1:05:27 So, when we were chatting to... Report an error in the passage at 1:05:27 Highlight the passage at 1:05:27

1:05:34 This lady down in the bottom. She is one of the teachers at Tibetan Children's Village. And she said nowadays they don't have so many children coming to the village because the security and the satellite technology in the Himalayas is such that it's very hard to make the journey undetected. Report an error in the passage at 1:05:34 Highlight the passage at 1:05:34

1:06:04 So nowadays... The children in Tibet will more than likely go to schools which are not Tibetan. So they will go to Chinese schools, they'll learn Mandarin. So there's kind of a sadness that they're becoming parted from their culture. But an incredible school. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:04 Highlight the passage at 1:06:04

1:06:29 And then the little school on the left is a government school. And our driver really wanted us to see it. ...and wanted us to help pay for the painting of their roof. So we went and met all the kids and it's a pretty rudimentary little school. It's very basic, concrete floors. The kids get fed every day. Report an error in the passage at 1:06:29 Highlight the passage at 1:06:29

1:07:01 It's sort of like kajari, like rice and dal. But we help to pay for them. I said to them, what's the one thing that would really help? You know, what can we do that's tangible that will really help? And they said, help us paint the roof. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:01 Highlight the passage at 1:07:01

1:07:17 Because in winter it leaks and the kids' school books get all wet, they're cold. Some of them walk for five or six kilometres to get to school each day. It's, yeah, it was quite the eye-opener. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:17 Highlight the passage at 1:07:17

1:07:38 So where we were staying at Norbalinka Institute, there's a range of nunneries just behind the institute, including Tosamling and Dormaling monasteries. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:38 Highlight the passage at 1:07:38

1:07:58 And while we were there, we met a number of Western nuns. And to be a Western nun in this area is incredibly hard. And it's... Like Karma Lecture explained it, so when the, you know, young girls, they go into the nunneries, they're like, you know, soft clay can be moulded. But the older women who are choosing the path later in life, you know, we're like pots and vases, we're already formed and need a bit more support. Report an error in the passage at 1:07:58 Highlight the passage at 1:07:58

1:08:47 So what was tending to happen is these women, they're making a very courageous step to go and practice in the local nunneries. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:47 Highlight the passage at 1:08:47

1:08:58 And it's often made with great devotion and sacrifice, but the difficulties you expect, like learning a new language, fitting into a new culture, dealing with isolation and homesickness, that only begins to describe their experience. Report an error in the passage at 1:08:58 Highlight the passage at 1:08:58

1:09:20 I was going to come back on the 5th of September for another talk. There's a wonderful documentary that's been put together by a Russian nun called Flowers of Dharma, and she describes the experience, meaning quite often the nuns who are living... Report an error in the passage at 1:09:20 Highlight the passage at 1:09:20

1:09:46 Living in Dharamshala, they're renting like a small room and a guest house. They're not actually... Up until these monasteries were really established, there wasn't really anywhere for them to go. So it was quite difficult for them. Report an error in the passage at 1:09:46 Highlight the passage at 1:09:46

1:10:07 Meaning they had relatively little daily support. And as a consequence, you know, many become dispirited and disrobed. So it was... It's probably about an 80 to 90 % disrobing rate. It's just really hard yards. So with To Sum Ling, which is the pictures at the top, the nuns are now much better supported with access to good teachings and daily practices. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:07 Highlight the passage at 1:10:07

1:10:40 And it opens its doors to laywomen, so if anyone wants to go and spend some time there, the door is open. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:40 Highlight the passage at 1:10:40

1:10:52 And it doesn't have to... You don't have to be on a path to ordain. You might just want to go and experience what it's like. So that invitation is extended to Western women. Report an error in the passage at 1:10:52 Highlight the passage at 1:10:52

1:11:14 The other beautiful thing, experience I had was at Norbalinka, I got to meet these young artists who paint tankas. So tankas are the beautiful artworks that you see with the Buddha and, you know, Quite often in temples you'll see a big mandala depicting the wheel of life. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:14 Highlight the passage at 1:11:14

1:11:42 So these young boys, and I didn't see any girls, it was pretty much all boys, I think what I heard is that they do around a seven year apprenticeship to learn how to paint these artworks. And they're exquisite. And all those pigments you see, they're all derived from soil. There's one that isn't. But they're all hand-ground and you go into these big rooms. Report an error in the passage at 1:11:42 Highlight the passage at 1:11:42

1:12:15 It's like an artist colony of all these people painting tangkas. It's just the most beautiful thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:15 Highlight the passage at 1:12:15

1:12:25 So this is the golden flowers of dharma I was telling you about. So before we left Dharamshala, we headed out to a place called Bangra. To reconnect with a young nun, Venerable Tenzin Lekson, and she's at the Jamyong Choling Institute. And this is on the initiative of Karma Lecture, and she had the vision of educating Tibetan and Himalayan Buddhist nuns and lay women. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:25 Highlight the passage at 1:12:25

1:12:59 So as I was explaining before, the girls enter the monastery at a very young age, and this... And establishing this monastery, it was only fairly recent, in 1989, has given them much more opportunity. And there are some incredible achievements being made. Report an error in the passage at 1:12:59 Highlight the passage at 1:12:59

1:13:20 So Venerable Tenzin Lekson, she is the lady standing next to me in the bottom left with the sunglasses, she went over to the monastery to volunteer as a science teacher. Nowadays they have five teachers and well over 100 girls there. Report an error in the passage at 1:13:20 Highlight the passage at 1:13:20

1:13:37 And she ended up staying on. And so today, come a lecture, retired in 2000, but the institute accommodates five teachers and 145 students, so they're quite big centres. The age range, according to their website, is 12 to 65, but I've certainly met some younger nuns there. And they come from all over the Himalayan region. And some of the... Report an error in the passage at 1:13:37 Highlight the passage at 1:13:37

1:14:09 Students have now completed over 17 years of intense study to complete a master's degree in Buddhist philosophy. And that's quite impressive because less than 10 years ago, Tibetan nuns made history by graduating with a Geshena degree, which is a very high level of learning. And up until 2012, that was only open to men. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:09 Highlight the passage at 1:14:09

1:14:39 So these are very recent developments. And yeah, it did blow me away a bit at the Psyche Theatre Conference in Malaysia, the level of education amongst the women. Incredibly erudite women giving presentations and really standing up as leaders in their community. Report an error in the passage at 1:14:39 Highlight the passage at 1:14:39

1:15:02 And we were just constantly inspired by the power of these. These women to really make a change. So even this year in February, Nayan Geshe-ma had graduated from a year-long tantric studies program at the Tantric Uni near Dolma Ling. So again, that was teachings and study that was previously only available to men. So it's, you know, the wheel is turning. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:02 Highlight the passage at 1:15:02

1:15:45 And now I'll... Just show you some fun little videos because while we were there it was Sakudawa which is kind of like our Vesak and this is a picture of some traditional Tibetan dancing on the way to the monastery. It's quite fun so I'll play this for you. Report an error in the passage at 1:15:45 Highlight the passage at 1:15:45

1:16:25 Everywhere you go there's prayer flags and dancing in the evening. Quite beautiful. This Report an error in the passage at 1:16:25 Highlight the passage at 1:16:25

1:16:43 is another one. Report an error in the passage at 1:16:43 Highlight the passage at 1:16:43

1:16:58 It's way harder than it looks. I got up and tried. I was horribly uncoordinated. These Report an error in the passage at 1:16:58 Highlight the passage at 1:16:58

1:17:15 little videos, these are some of the nuns I was telling you about. And they were chanting all night for Sakadawa. Report an error in the passage at 1:17:15 Highlight the passage at 1:17:15

1:17:39 Yeah, chanting. I Report an error in the passage at 1:17:39 Highlight the passage at 1:17:39

1:17:59 love watching this little nun at the front. Back to Report an error in the passage at 1:17:59 Highlight the passage at 1:17:59

1:18:07 where it needs to go. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:07 Highlight the passage at 1:18:07

1:18:23 Sounds cut out. Let's try that again. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:23 Highlight the passage at 1:18:23

1:18:40 Okay, that's a shame, but I'll try the next one. Report an error in the passage at 1:18:40 Highlight the passage at 1:18:40

1:19:05 Then the other thing that we got to witness, which was really special, was Report an error in the passage at 1:19:05 Highlight the passage at 1:19:05

1:19:16 the nuns debating. I'm not sure what's going on there, but yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:16 Highlight the passage at 1:19:16

1:19:25 So the way the debating works, I'm told, is that... During the day, these nuns were part of the dialectics institute, so they were all studying for degrees. And the way the debating works, it's not so much, you know, I debate against you. It's more they form groups of three, or sometimes two, and the two nuns standing up, they are, you know, making their points. Report an error in the passage at 1:19:25 Highlight the passage at 1:19:25

1:19:57 And the nun sitting down is helping them. to articulate their points and they go like this so they make their point and so it's like the nun who's sitting down is coaching them along so it's more of a shared debate it's quite magical to watch we just sat there for a good hour or more just watching them all debate and Report an error in the passage at 1:19:57 Highlight the passage at 1:19:57

1:20:24 so it's pretty rowdy yeah Report an error in the passage at 1:20:24 Highlight the passage at 1:20:24

1:20:35 yeah Report an error in the passage at 1:20:35 Highlight the passage at 1:20:35

1:20:56 yeah they do they do it gets it can be Chokey calls it a full body contact sport. You've seen it obviously. I could talk for ages about the nuns and the monasteries we went to but we're kind of running out of time and I love this picture because sport. I really... Report an error in the passage at 1:20:56 Highlight the passage at 1:20:56

1:21:27 You know, we started the pilgrimage looking so bright and sparky and by the time we got to the end of it, we were stuffed. So this is us on the last day where we drove down to Amritsar. It was so hot. It was 45 or something and oh my Lord. But the Golden Temple is truly an amazing thing. The pictures don't really do it justice but You know, there would have been several thousand people there. And the Sikhs have this wonderful tradition of feeding the community. So we went into what they call the Great Kitchen. Report an error in the passage at 1:21:27 Highlight the passage at 1:21:27

1:22:11 And I forget the numbers, but they feed something like 100,000 people a day. It's quite phenomenal. And in the kitchen is the world's greatest chapati maker. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:11 Highlight the passage at 1:22:11

1:22:23 And this mechanised chapati maker can spin out... Something like 25,000 Japadis an hour. It's quite the thing. But that's my attempt at rolling Japadis and I'm told a light roll and lots of flour is the key and then they turn themselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:23 Highlight the passage at 1:22:23

1:22:47 So that concludes my little slideshow. I hope you got just a little bit of a taste of what another... themselves. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:47 Highlight the passage at 1:22:47

1:22:59 Buddhist tradition looks like and yeah, a bit of an idea of just how far these women have come. So I need to thank my fellow pilgrims, especially Vikas Kumar and all the team at Ekno Travels who took us on the journey. So if you ever want to do a pilgrimage, they're your people. Very posh bus. Very nice. All the photos, they've been, a lot of them are taken by myself, but also by my friends. Report an error in the passage at 1:22:59 Highlight the passage at 1:22:59

1:23:37 So Vikas Kumar, Helen Richardson, Sharon Froop, Cathy Uno, Jian McKenzie, and Venerable Choki. We all travelled together on the first 15th of June. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:37 Highlight the passage at 1:23:37

1:23:51 Yeah. And if you'd like to look at those DVDs or books, the references are just there. So I'll wind that up. You never know when you're showing someone your travel photos just how interesting that really is. So I hope that this was at least a little bit colourful and interesting and for those who come from India or Tibet, I hope it just was a little glimpse of home. Yeah. Yeah, so any questions, feel free to ask away. Report an error in the passage at 1:23:51 Highlight the passage at 1:23:51

1:24:35 We've got a... Report an error in the passage at 1:24:35 Highlight the passage at 1:24:35

1:24:40 I'm not entirely sure, but I'd imagine there would be some, you know, central organisation, like whether that comes from the... The Dalai Lama's temple itself, I've got the feeling it does. I don't think they're completely autonomous. I know some of the nuns were presented their certificates by the Dalai Lama, so I get the sense that it is a coordinated academic effort. Report an error in the passage at 1:24:40 Highlight the passage at 1:24:40

1:25:24 Yeah, that's the idea. They can become teachers in their communities. Leaders in their communities, give them more options. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:24 Highlight the passage at 1:25:24

1:25:40 Social workers, community workers. Report an error in the passage at 1:25:40 Highlight the passage at 1:25:40

1:25:48 Hopefully see a few more Geshimas come to Australia to teach here. Choki is on a mission. Are Report an error in the passage at 1:25:48 Highlight the passage at 1:25:48

1:26:02 there any other questions for Sandra? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:02 Highlight the passage at 1:26:02

1:26:07 Sandra, I've got a question. You've been involved in so many meaningful initiatives. Such as teaching workplace meditation or meditation at your workplace as well as organizing and chairing KFG. What has been the most meaningful, I guess, moment in your time in Buddhism and in the work that you do in the community? Report an error in the passage at 1:26:07 Highlight the passage at 1:26:07

1:26:33 Gee, that's a big question. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:33 Highlight the passage at 1:26:33

1:26:38 You know, it's funny. I recently changed jobs. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:38 Highlight the passage at 1:26:38

1:26:47 I've been working for one corporation for more than a decade and I took the opportunity to go and work for another organisation for a couple of years and I had to make a call as to whether I was going to stay or go. Report an error in the passage at 1:26:47 Highlight the passage at 1:26:47

1:27:07 And you know, when it came down to the crunch, I thought something that's very special to me is community and belonging. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:07 Highlight the passage at 1:27:07

1:27:19 And I've been... Teaching the class at my workplace for about eight years now. And when I close my eyes and I think about what's meaningful, it's that group of meditators. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:19 Highlight the passage at 1:27:19

1:27:32 I just love the fact that we have sat together for eight years. Not always the same people, they ebb and flow. And they're quite hilarious because there's about 200 people on that list who want to know about the meditation class. I'm likely to meet about 15 % of them. It's a 20. But they just like to know it's there. So it's just a really curious thing. Report an error in the passage at 1:27:32 Highlight the passage at 1:27:32

1:28:02 But in terms of meaningful moments, it's when I close my eyes and when I'm meditating with a group of people and I see the peace wash over them and they leave the room just a little bit lighter. That's what's meaningful to me. So it's the little things. Not necessarily the... But I've got to say sitting in that cave in Sopema was otherworldly. Report an error in the passage at 1:28:02 Highlight the passage at 1:28:02

1:28:43 I'm intrigued to know where you two are from. You've got such beautiful smiles and I could see you could relate to a lot of the photos. Are you from Sri Lanka? Report an error in the passage at 1:28:43 Highlight the passage at 1:28:43

1:29:09 Oh, Sinhala Chittagpala. I only speak very little, if any. It was a long time ago. And yourself? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:09 Highlight the passage at 1:29:09

1:29:23 You're from Bhutan, I thought so. Yeah, yeah. One of the joys of joining the Buddhist Council of WA is that we get to visit all of the different temples. So I've been to a few Bhutanese temples now and I just love the whole ceremony. Which one are you at? Report an error in the passage at 1:29:23 Highlight the passage at 1:29:23

1:29:46 Ah, I'd love to visit Bhutan. Yeah, yeah. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:46 Highlight the passage at 1:29:46

1:29:57 It's kind of different. Report an error in the passage at 1:29:57 Highlight the passage at 1:29:57

1:30:01 Same lineage, but it's a different view, isn't it? Report an error in the passage at 1:30:01 Highlight the passage at 1:30:01

1:30:12 Yeah, yeah, Report an error in the passage at 1:30:12 Highlight the passage at 1:30:12

1:30:22 yeah. When Chokhi comes next week, ask her, and she will be far more erudite in explaining the difference. Because she is a... Report an error in the passage at 1:30:22 Highlight the passage at 1:30:22

1:30:37 Western Tibetan nun in the Vajrayana tradition. Report an error in the passage at 1:30:37 Highlight the passage at 1:30:37

1:30:44 Yeah, yeah, Guru Rinpoche. Yeah, he's the one who took the teachings to Tibet from India, didn't he? The way I understand it. Wrap Report an error in the passage at 1:30:44 Highlight the passage at 1:30:44

1:31:02 up tonight's presentation. If you'd like to join me and thank Sandra with three sadhus for her time and photos, please join me. And Report an error in the passage at 1:31:02 Highlight the passage at 1:31:02

1:31:17 sadhu, sadhu, sadhu for all of you. A big sadhu to the AV team. I was not quite sure how this was going to unfold, because I used my work computer and there's a lot of cyber security, and then I couldn't get the presentation off, but we solved it. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:17 Highlight the passage at 1:31:17

1:31:38 On behalf of the RAINS retreat program, I have a small token for you. Oh, sweetness, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for joining us tonight. I hope you have a wonderful evening and safe travels home. If you'd like to join myself and Sandra to pay homage to the Lord Buddha. Oh, yes. Before we do that, I meant to say it's a pretty big moment for Bhutanese nuns come November when there's a first lot of ordinations. Report an error in the passage at 1:31:38 Highlight the passage at 1:31:38

1:32:18 Yeah, yeah, amazing. Okay, let's play, play, play. Whoops. to the Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha. Whoops. Report an error in the passage at 1:32:18 Highlight the passage at 1:32:18