May 2015 In This Issue

Nepal Earthquake

Friends Scheme

How Things Exist

This Month at Jamyang

Geshe Tashi's column

The Director's Column

His Holiness the Dalai Lama in theUK

Andy Weber Art Weekend

Dagri Rinpoche at Jamyang

Buddha Enlightenment Day

Highlights from the Programme

Peace in the City

MBSR Summer Course

Dying Well Day

Death Cafe

Open Garden Squares

Dharma Bites

Poetry Corner

Become an Interpreter

Opportunities for Service around theFPMT

About FPMT

Your Thoughts for Gentle Voice

Editor's welcome

The stupa at swayambhunath, Nepal (photo JB 2005)

Dear friends,The last week has been filled with news from Nepaldetailing the tragic aftermath of the earthquakethere. We include an article with news from Kopanand various links that you may find useful. Many ofus have strong links with Nepal and Kopan inparticular, so the news has been even morepoignant for all of us. We hope you will all join us inprayers for Nepal as well as offering material help.This edition is peppered with photos taken in Nepalin happier times. May those times return soon.Geshe Tashi starts to teach on Buddha Nature inmid May, so we have included an extract of the coretext he will be using - just to whet your appetite.There is a lot happening on the community front so

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Quick Links

Jamyang Website

Current Programme

Talking Buddhism

The Foundation StudyCourse

The Lamrim Chenmo StudyCourse

FPMT

do read below all about the various activities thatare coming up .We hope you enjoy this edition of Gentle Voice.

Nepal Earthquake

An injured woman is taken to her home after treatment in BhaktapurPhotograph: Niranjan Shrestha/AP

The great earthquake in Nepal has caused widespread destruction and loss ofhuman life and I am sure that you were all as shocked as we were to hear aboutit. Lama Zopa Rinpoche is in Nepal at the moment but we are pleased to reportthat he is fine. He recommends some prayers for us to help the victims of theearthquake and you can find details of these here:Practices Rinpoche is advising to do at this time

There has been some damage to Kopan monastery but not too much. LawudoGompa has also suffered some slight damage but Ani Ngawang Samten (LamaZopa's sister) and those in Lawudo are also fine. Kopan monastery is posting

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daily updates on the situation which you can read about here: Get the latest details from FPMT

The FPMT have set up a new fund to help fund the repairs required at Kopanmonastery and nunnery and other FPMT centres in nepal. Yoy can find details ofhow to donate here Nepal Earthquake Support Fund

We shall be dedicating our Tuesday Tara and Medicine Buddha pujas atJamyang to the victims of the earthquake. Do come along.

All proceeds from Peace in the City on Monday, 4th May, will be donated to theNepal Earthquake Support Fund through FPMT. If you can't come on the day,donations will be added to the total.

We will also host a special yoga class in aid of the disaster relief on Sunday 3rdMay 5:30pm - 6:30pm. All proceeds to Nepal disaster relief. This is GentleHatha Flow and is open to all levels. Contact Sasha@MariposeYoga.comto book your place minimum donation £10. For information about Sasha:http://mariposeyoga.com/

You can also donate to relief efforts through the following charities (or any othersthat you may know of).Disasters Emergency Committee dec.org.ukSave The Children savethechildren.org.ukBritish Red Cross redcross.org.ukOxfam oxfam.org.ukMedecins Sans Frontieres msf.org.uk

Alison Murdoch, ex-director of Jamyang, will be taking part in a discussion aboutthe earthquake on Radio 4's Sunday programme at 7.10 this weekend.

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Become a Friend of Jamyang

Help Jamyang stay afloat with a regular donation to the Jamyang Friendsscheme. A regular donation is the best way to help keep Jamyang going. It'samazing how even modest contributions from a few hundred individuals canmake all the difference.As well as the vast merit you will receive by helping to spread the Dharma, thereare also some more worldly perks on offer, a free quarterly Mandala magazine,discounts, etc. So if you can spare around £15 a month to help us stay afloat wewould be very appreciative. You can find all the information about the FriendsScheme and how to become a member by following this link.Jamyang Friends Sceme

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Buddha statue Khatmandu (photo JB 2005)

Alternatively you can make a one-offdonation by following this link.Donate to Jamyang

Many thanks!

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How Things Exist - Teachings on Emptiness by Lama ZopaRinpocheChapter 5 Merely Labelled

Recognising the Object to be Refuted

To us, this "I" always appears inherentlyexistent, or real. Everything always appearsinherently existent. Everything alwaysappears as the object to be refuted. Evensaying "this I" is enough to make the objectto be refuted appear. We don't need todescribe true existence or anything else.For most of us, when we simply say "I,"what appears to us, and what we believe itto be, is the truly existent "I".The aggregate of form is not this I, theaggregate of feeling is not this I, theaggregate of recognition is not this I, thecompounding aggregates are not this I andthe aggregate of consciousness is not thisI. The term compounding aggregates, orcompositional mental factors, refers to allfifty one mental factors apart from feeling and recognition. What they compoundis their own result, their own continuation. For example, since today'sconsciousness produces tomorrow's consciousness, it compounds the result,tomorrow's consciousness.Even the whole group of the five aggregates is not the I because it is the base tobe labelled "I". This makes it clear that it is not the I. The I exists nowhere onthese aggregates, neither on the body nor on the mind nor even on the whole

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group of the aggregates. This is a clear way to meditate on emptiness, enablingus to understand the base and the label.However that doesn't mean there is no I. There is I. The reason there's I is thatthere are the aggregates, the association of body and mind. Simply because ofthat, we believe that there's I.Another way to meditate on emptiness is to ask yourself, "what am I doingnow?" You reply, "I'm sitting." Then ask yourself, "Why do I say I'm sitting?""There's no other reason at all to believe that I'm sitting except that my body isdoing the action of sitting." And when you say, "I'm thinking" or "I'm listening toteaching," why do you believe you're thinking or listening to teaching? There'sno other reason at all except that your mind is thinking or listening to teachings.This way of meditating helps us to recognise the object to be refuted. It is onlybecause the aggregates are sitting, standing, eating, drinking or sleeping thatwe believe "I'm sitting", "I'm standing", "I'm eating", "I'm drinking" or "I'msleeping". The I is merely imputed in dependence upon the aggregates and theactions of the aggregates.With this reasoning, there's suddenly a big change in your view of the I. Theconcrete I, the real I, suddenly becomes empty right there. The real I from itsown side that appeared before is not there. When you don't think of thisreasoning, everything comes back, and the I, which is merely imputed, appearsas real.Analysing the nature of the I by using the reason of the existence of theaggregates and its actions helps us to see more and more clearly what theemotional I is. The I that appears to be real from its own side is completelyempty; it doesn't exist. When your mind becomes distracted, look again at howthe I appears and apply the reasoning. When you analyse, again you won't findthat real I, that emotional I. Not being able to find the emotional I is a sign that itdoesn't exist.You are unable to find the I on those aggregates. None of these aggregates isthe I and on these aggregates there's no I. But that doesn't mean that the Idoesn't exist. The I exists. There is I in this temple. During this time that theaggregates are in this temple, we believe "I am here in this temple." Just by that,we believe "I am in this temple." And we believe "I'm listening" or " I'm talking" -or "I'm feeling tired or "I'm sleeping" as this never-ending talk goes on and on!

Recognising the HallucinationThe different meditations I have mentioned can be used to meditate onemptiness, to see the nature of the I. Look at how things appear to you. Theyappear as real, as existing from their own side. The most important point is tothen think that this is a hallucination, a projection. A camera records variousactivities, such as fighting, and if you have power and a projector you can thenproject the film onto a screen. But what you see there on the screen is not real.You might see thousands of people fighting on a TV screen but there's nobodyreally there on the screen, What appears is not real; it's not true. Exactly like a

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camera recording images on a film, ignorance leaves imprints on our mentalcontinuum and we then project true existence onto the things we experience.The main point to meditate on is that the projection of true existence is ahallucination. When you think of hallucination, the understanding should come inyour heart that these things are empty; they don't exist. It's not that the buildingdoesn't exist, but the truly existent building, the building that appears to existfrom its own side, doesn't exist. That's completely empty. That is the emptiness,or ultimate nature, of the building.Everything else - self, action, object, all the department stores, the whole city - isalso like this. Everything that exists is covered by the hallucination of trueexistence. When you recognise that it is a hallucination, the understandingshould come in your heart that everything is empty. You should then practiceawareness of that emptiness. In your everyday life, not only during meditationbut when you are at work, remember again and again to practice thisawareness. Look at how things appear to you: they all appear as unlabelled,which means that they are projections, hallucinations. They are empty. You don'thave to actually say the word"empty" because when you say that theseunlabelled things are hallucinations, the understanding that they are emptynaturally arises in your heart.With this awareness you can then go shopping. You stand up, put on your shoesand with this awareness go out in your car. When you are walking in the street,you also do it with the recognition that the truly existent things appearing to youare hallucinations. After recognising that the I that appears to be real is ahallucination, you understand that it is empty. This empty I then walks along theempty street to the empty shops. In reality, everything is like this.

Extract from Chapter 5 of "How Things Exist - Teachings on Emptiness" byLama Zopa Rinpoche which is a transcript of a series of talks given by LamaZopa in New York in 1990

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CLASSES AND EVENTS IN MAY AND JUNE AT JAMYANGFull information about these and all our events can be found here on the

Jamyang Website

CLASSES and RETREATS withGESHE TASHI

Enlightenment PotentialTuesdays 12 May to 7 July at 7:30

Buddhist Practice - Step by Step

WEEK DAY EVENINGS ANDAFTERNOONS

Introduction to Meditation11 May 7:30

Buddhist Meditation: Wisdom

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Wednesdays 13 May to 8 July at7:30

Special InsightWeekend 16 and 17 May

Community Dharma17 May (PM)

Buddha Enlightenment DayTuesday 2nd June

VISITING TEACHERS ANDWEEKEND TEACHINGS

Sublime Continuum 2nd weekendwith Andy Wishreich 13, 14 June(can be taken as part of the BasicProgramme)

Don't just do something, sit there!with Nat B and Anne S Saturdays 2and 9 May

Andy Weber Art Weekend 29 - 31May

Lamrim teachings and Green TaraEmpowerment with Dagri RinpocheEvenings 26 - 28 June

PRACTICE GROUPS

Insight Meditation Practice Group 9 and 23 May, 6 and 20 June10.30- 12.30pm Open to all Guhyasamaja Practice GroupSaturdays 9 May, 13 June2 - 5pm for initiates only

Vajrayogini Practice GroupSundays 10, 24, 31 May, 7, 14, 21June For initiates only

Kalachakra Practice Group23 May, 20 June2 - 5pm For initiates only

SPECIAL EVENTS

Peace in the City4 May 1-4pm

Please book for all weekendclasses or retreats other than

Mondays 18 May onwards 7.30.

Buddhist Meditation in Practicewith David Ford Thursdays 7 Mayto 18 June 7.30pm

Silent MeditationThursdays weekly 6.15 - 7.15pm

Tara PujaTuesdays at 4.30pm except 5 May

Medicine Buddha PujaTuesdays at 6pm except 5 May

Lama Choepa 13, 28 May,12, 26June

COMMUNITY

Community DharmaSunday 17 May 2 - 4pm

Dying Well 24 May

Chi Kung and Tai ChiMonday evenings taught by WilliamWalker.For more information and tobook call William (follow the linkabove)

Satyananda Yoga Tuesday evenings taught by JudyWatchmanFor more information and to bookcall Judy (follow the link above)

Gentle Vinyassa FlowWednesday 6:00pm to 7:15pm

Hridaya (Heart Centre) YogaTaught by NazWednesday evenings 7.30pmFor more information please callNaz (follow the link above) Chair Yoga Taught by Cathy BrebionTuesdays 10.30am - 11.30am

Meditation and Yoga for Mind andBody Fridays 6.45-7.45PMFor more information pleasecall Nicolette (follow the link above)

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practice groups on-line if you can. If you can't call the office on02078208787 or emailadmin@jamyang.co.uk

You can drop in to all eveningclasses unless we state otherwise

COMING SOON

Death Cafe27 June with Jon Underwood

Summer retreat with Geshe Tashi18 - 26 July

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Geshe Tashi's columnHello Everybody,The terrible earthquake in Nepal has filled mythoughts for the last few days. It is so sad that somany people have been killed and injured, and ofcourse the survivors face a very difficult time withthe destruction of so much of Nepal's infrastructure.It demonstrates just how fragile our life really is. Wethink we can protect ourselves from the future butthis earthquake just shows that we do not have thepower to do this. Normally we think it is justman-made disasters that are a threat; the wars inthe Middle East and the turmoil in so much of theworld. Yet even the earth that we stand on, theearth that we rely upon to support us and sustainus, even the earth is not predictable. Even the earthcan suddenly become a source of great suffering. Itall points to the unpredictable nature of our lives.Life is very fragile and we should remember that and make good use of the timethat we have available.Of course at the moment, with this situation in Nepal, we should offer ourprayers and also practice generosity. We should offer whatever help we can toalleviate the suffering of the people in this region. The practice of generosity isone of the six paramitas, the far reaching attitudes, that describe the practiceson the Mahayana path. We should take this opportunity to practice generositywithout expecting anything back, without expecting a vote of thanks, withoutexpecting any reward of any kind. If we practice generosity in that spirit then weare truly practicing in the Mahayana spirit.

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Director's Column

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The terrible disaster in Nepal is still uppermost in ourminds at the moment. We have such a close connectionwith it. Very good news to hear that Zopa Rinpoche,Tenzin Osel Hita and all at Kopan Monastery andNunnery are fine after the earthquake. There has beensome minor damage in Kopan but it is not bad.Rinpoche's sister, Ani Ngawang Samten, and those inLawudo are also fine although the buildings havesustained some small damage.

We have been asked to please hold all those who have been affected by theearthquake in our prayers. Lama Zopa Rinpoche has given advice onpracticesto do after earthquakes and also always recommends Medicine Buddhapractice.You will find links to all the advice Lama Zopa offers as well as to sites to donateto earthquake relief elsewhere in this newsletter.

We are doing Medicine Buddha Puja's and the recitation of the King of Prayersfor members of the Nepali community here in London who have lost closerelatives as a result of the earthquake and the money raised from our Peace inthe City event this Bank Holiday Monday will be donated to the FPMT's NepalEarthquake Support Fund.

Please do share this information with anyone else that has concerns, is seekingadvice for practice, or wishing to make donations to help Kopan and its widerdependent communities.

As we enter what otherwise should be the merry month of May in our sceptredIsle, this disaster is a huge wake up call to the moment by moment reality of theimpermanence of all things and the unbearable suffering of others.The garden is beginning to come into bloom, we are well on our way with thespring clean of Jamyang's visual identity and online presence so watch out for anew look and hopefully much improved functionality as we move towards thesummer.Krista is returning to Latvia after her three months volunteering here on thehospitality team - she has been a real jewel and will be sorely missed. Gabriellafrom Hungary is replacing her. Ilaria has also recently joined the team - many ofyou will know her from her previous volunteering work on the Community sideand looking after the flower offerings in the main Gompa. Marina from Canadawill be continuing here for most of the rest of this month with Ilaria and Gabriellabefore returning.Maria, our most excellent Café yogini from Spain for the last three months, willbe leaving very shortly for a new volunteer position with the FPMT in Tushita.Tushita Meditation Centre is a centre located on a forested mountain slope at an

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altitude of 1888m (6190ft) in the Dhauladhar range, above the town of McLeodGanj in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India. We wish her every happiness andsuccess there following her dedicated and selfless devotion to the Cafe here.Like Krista, she really has quietly and mindfully given of her best and it has beenmuch appreciated. Maria is being replaced by Oliver Sanders. Oliver is fromNew Zealand and is coming to us following a period helping to restore stupas inNepal .The cafe is looking for a part-time cook and part-time daily help with the washingup if you live close, have time and are interested in joining the cafe team;contact Ilaria the Cafe Manager by mailing cafe@jamyang.co.uk.Alison Wertheimer is still very kindly doing a splendid job in helping us keep theFriend's Scheme running but we are still looking for someone to take this on fullyand run, promote and develop the scheme for the future.The May programme is already out. Geshe-la is teaching on our EnlightenmentPotential, our Buddha Nature on Tuesday evenings and beginning a course forbeginners on Wednesday evenings entitled Buddhist Practice - Step by Step.This is a great way to find out more about some of the key practices inBuddhism. We are still much looking forward to the possibility of a visit fromDagri Rinpoche at the end of June. Much look forward to seeing many of youhere at Jamyang making the most of what we have on offer over the comingmonth.

Roy

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His Holiness the Dalai Lama in the UK and LZR in Denmark

A reminder that the Dalai Lama is on aflying visit to the UK in June. Book now forthe Dalai Lama's public talk at AldershotFootball Club Monday 29 June 2015 from12.45 - 14.45 organised by BCCUKYes please register for a place at thisWebsite or call 01252 338765

From our brothers and sisters in Denmark:Lama Zopa Rinpoche is Visiting DenmarkJuly 24 @ 19:00 - July 25 @ 00:00

We are very happy to announce that LamaThubten Zopa Rinpoche, will be visitingDenmark and giving the Great MedicineBuddha initiation on Friday 24th andSaturday 25th of July 2015. We are looking

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Rock painting of Indian Mahasiddhi, Everest region,Nepal (photo JB 2007)

very much forward to seeing you for thiswonderful event! Details Here

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Andy Weber Tibetan Art Weekend 29th - 31 MayWe are delighted that Andy Weber will once again lead an art workshop here atJamyang and that he will alsolecture on his extensiveknowledge of symbolism inTibetan art.

Andy will be teaching on thesubject of the Eight Auspicioussymbols (for indoors andoutdoors)A unique opportunity to studythe art techniques and guildsecrets for the creation of theEight Auspicious Symbols inthe painting lineage of thisrevered master. The EightAuspicious symbols are a verypractical method for attracting positive energy into your life and have a longhistory of rich symbolism in Tibetan Buddhism. Having matured over forty yearsof practice Andy is at the peak of his creative potency and is now activelytransmitting his encyclopedic knowledge and creative lineage to his disciples. Be part of a rare and unique creative flow.Andy Weber's chief disciple Dolma Beresford, the highly successful CEO of theworld famous Meridian Trust, will be in attendance. Do connect with her as sheruns regular group practice days in London, designed to embed, support andreinforce what Andy has taught over the weekendIllustrated Lecture 7.30 - 9.30pm Friday 29 MayWeekend art course 30 and 31 May 9am - 6pm each day

Places are limited and this course is very popular so you will need to book viaour website or office to secure a place.

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Dagri Rinpoche at Jamyang

Dagri Rinpoche will visit Jamyang LondonFriday 26 - Sunday 28 June. Please save

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Sunset at Lawudo Gompa, Nepal (photo JB 2007)

the datesWe are very pleased that the DagriRinpoche has agreed to visit JamyangLondon. The visit will take place fromFriday 26 to Sunday 28 June inclusive.

Rinpoche's programme at Jamyang will bein the evenings from 7 - 10pm. Theprogramme is provisionally as followsFriday 26 June, 7 - 10pm, teachings on thegraded path to enlightenmentSaturday 27 June, 7 - 10pm, Green TaraInitiation (for liberating energy)Sunday 28 June, 7 - 10pm, WhiteMahakala (Gonkar) Initiation (for wealth and experiential richness)

As we get further details we will post them on pages on the website but for nowplease save the dates and book yourself accommodation locally or with friends. Please note that no pages are likely to go up on the website in the next two orthree weeks.

Please note that we cannot provide dormitory accommodation during the visit.

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Buddha Enlightenment Day, 2nd June

Join Geshe Tashi and the Jamyang Community to celebrate the Birth,enlightenment and Parinirvanaof the Buddha Shakyamuni, thefounder of our tradition.Geshe Tashi will give the eightMahayana precepts (these lastfor 24 hours). He also givesrefuge vows and the layprecepts. He may also give anAspiring Bodhicitta ceremony.Day schedule8.00 Motivation and EightMahayana Precepts9.15 Shakyamuni Buddhachanted meditation10.15 Tea break10.30 Vajrasattva purification chanted meditation11.30 Precept lunch made in line with Kriya Tantra dietary restrictions

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Renjo Pass, Nepal (photo JB 2007)

13.00 Possible Refuge, lay vow, Aspiring Bodhicitta ceremonies14.00 Chenrezig Compassion Buddha chanted meditation 15.00 Silent Meditation15.30 Tea break16.00 Green Tara energising meditation and dedications17.00 The end

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Coming up Soon

Corrections.....The Insight Meditation PracticeGroup (IMPG) will be meetingon the 9th May at 10:30.Apologies that this is not in theprinted programme.Come and practice themeditation techniques fromacross a range of Buddhisttraditions that lead you tounderstanding your underlyingnature.

And now for the news.......

The Enlightenment Potential With Geshe Tashi:Tuesdays from the 12th May 7.30 - 9pm. In these classes Geshe Tashi will be explaining the teachings of the UttaraTantra text on Buddha Nature. An extract of the text is reproduced in the'Dharma Bites' section. This class is intended for students with a broadfamiliarity with Tibetan Buddhism

Buddhist Practice Step by Step with Geshe TashiWednesdays from the 13th May 7.30 - 9pm. A guide to the essentials ofBuddhist practice from someone with a life-time of experience.

Special Insight with Geshe Tashi 16 & 17 May Geshe Tashi will be continuing his teaching on Special Insight from the middlelength Lamrim. In these classes, Geshe Tashi is very carefully explaining how toapproach the understanding of emptiness. That is very special indeed. Theclasses will take place over the weekend of the 16 and 17 May.

Buddha Enlightenment Day with Geshe Tashi 2nd June

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Dog Sleeping on top of Gokyo Ri 5400 metres (photo JB2007)

See article above for details

Dagri Rinpoche 26 - 28 JuneSee article above for details

Don't Just do something, sit there!Natascha Bolonkin and Anne SwindellSaturdays 2 and 9 May 10am - 5pm each dayA facilitated course over two days introducing students to the basics ofmeditation through the FPMT Introductory course Meditation 101. In AmericanEnglish '101' means introductory/ for beginners.Nat and Anne promise it will befun, exploratory, creative and sharing journey. Nat is a school teacher and streetperformer and Anne is a fully qualified psychotherapist and landscapegardener. Return to Contents

Peace in the City - Bank Holiday Monday 4th May 1-4pm

Why not enjoy a relaxing afternoonwith all the family? On offer this time will be shiatsumassage, reiki, reflexology,Indian head massage andmeditation sessions, not tomention the ever popular caketherapy! Arrive in good time tobook your therapies.

All proceeds to the NepalDisaster Fund.

Help on reception welcome!

This is a great community occasion and we hope that you will all be able toattend and participate!

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MBSR Summer Course - Starts 14th May

A few places are left on the morning Mindfulness Stress Reduction Coursewhich begins on Thursday, 14th May with an introductory session. This coursecan really make a difference to your lives and help offer a useful toolbag of

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A yak casts a wary eye on the photographer (JB 2007)

techniques designed to keepstress under control.Concessions available.

Details from the London Centrefor Mindfulness website, ore-mail: jane orvinod@jamyang.co.uk.

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Dying Well 24 May - and the lost DVD

The next Dying Well Day will be on the 24th May starting at 10am.

Join with Sue and Robin for aninformal but informative day,The subjects discussed rangefrom issues around death anddying such as caring for theterminally ill, how to face ourown death, making practicalpreparations, coping withbereavement etc.

The Lost DVDSue Aldam is also trying totrace a dvd about a frenchhospice which she lent tosomeone last year.If you know its whereaboutsplease get in touch with Sue on020 8348 3524 orat susanaldam@tiscali.co.uk

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Stupa at Boudhanath, Nepal. Photoby eneemann@gmail.com copyright reserved

View from the garden of Lama Yeshe's retreat hut,Lawudo (JB 2007)

Death Cafe with Jon Underwood 27 June

At a Death Cafe people come together to discuss death overtea and cake. Death Cafes have taken placein 22 countries and this onewill be here at Jamyang. TheDeath Cafe movement was thebrainchild of ex-JamyangCentre Manager JonUnderwood.Over tea and cake purchasedfrom the Courthouse GardenCafe we will discuss deathwithout agenda or objective.The Death Cafe is open toall.

To find out more about Jon's work listen to the following radio 4 programme inwhich Jon talks a little about the Death cafe Start the Week A Good Death

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Open Garden Squares Weekend Saturday 13th June

Every year as part of the London-wide Open Gardens Weekend, we throw openthe doors to Jamyang and invitepeople in to take a look around.Many are fascinated by thebuilding and the temples so weshow them around.

Would you like to help welcomevisitors to Jamyang courtyardgarden on Saturday, 13thJune? Tea and cake as a 'thank you'!Contact jane@jamyang.co.uk.

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Dharma Bites: The Uttara Tantra Sastra

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In May Geshe Tashi continues his teachings based on the Uttara Tantra text by Maitreya. We thoughtyou might like a preview of the text that he will beexplaining, so here are a few verses from thesection on Buddha Nature.

27. The Buddha-essence is ever-present ineveryone becausethe dharmakaya of perfect buddhahood pervadesall,the suchness is undifferentiated and they have thepotential.

28. It is said that all beings possess buddhahood'sessencesince the buddha-jñana has ever been in them present,also since the immaculate nature is non-dualand the buddha-potential is named after its fruit.

29. The meaning intended by 'the ultimate space'should be known through its nature,cause, result, function, endowments,approach, phases, all-pervasiveness,inalterability and the qualities' inseperability.

30. Like the purity of a jewel, space or waterIt is always undefiled in essence.It emerges through aspiration for dharma,highest prajña, meditation and compassion.

31. Its qualities resemble thoseof a valued gem because it is powerful,of space because it is inalterableand of water because it moistens.

32. Hostility towards the dharma,the view that there is a self-entity,fear of samsara's sufferingsand disregard for benefitting beingsare the four sorts of obscuration

33. Of the desire bound, the mistaken,Sravakas and pratyekabuddhas respectively.The causes of purification are four quailities:

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strong aspiration for dharma and so on.

34. Those whose seed is aspiration for the supreme yaña,whose mother is prajña, originator of the buddha's qualities,for whom meditative stability is a comfortable womband compassion a nanny - these are sons of buddhas born.

35. Its result has transcendental qualitiesof purity, identity, happiness and permanence.Its function is revulsion for sufferingaccompanied by an aspiration, a longing, for peace.

36. In brief the result of theserepresents the remedy to boththe four ways of straying from dharmakayaand to their four antidotes.

37. This is purity because its nature is pureand all karmic impurities have been removed.It is true identity because all complications of 'self'or 'no-self ' have been absolutely quelled.

38. It is happiness through the five aggregates',which are of a mental nature, and also their causes' demise.It is permanence since the sameness,of samsara and nirvana, has been realised.

39. Those of compassionate love have, with prajña,completely cut through all self-cherishing.They will nt want to enter personal nirvanabecause they dearly care for every being.Hence by reliance upon these meansto enlightenment - wisdom and compassion -the deeply-realised are neither insamsara nor personal nirvana's quiescence.

Extract from 'The Changeless Nature' Mahayana Uttara Tantra Sastra, by AryaMaitreya & Acarya Asanga translated by Ken and Katia Holmes. (available fromWisdom-Books)

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Poetry CornerEndless Ages

Through endless ages, the mind has never changed

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Statue of Bodhidharma, Hoi An, Vietnamphoto by JB 2014

It has not lived or died, come or gone,gained or lost.It isn't pure or tainted, good or bad, past orfuture.true or false, male or female. It isn'treserved formonks or lay people, elders to youths,masters oridiots, the enlightened or unenlightened.It isn't bound by cause and effect anddoesn'tstruggle for liberation. Like space, it has noform.You can't own it and you can't lose it.Mountains,rivers or walls can't impede it. But this mindisineffable and difficult to experience. It is notthemind of the senses. So many are lookingfor thismind, yet it already animates their bodies.It is theirs, yet they don't realize it.

- BodhidharmaFrom: The Wisdom of the Zen MastersEdited: Timothy Freke Return to Contents

Would You Like to Become an Interpreter?

We received the following communication from the FPMT interpreter trainingprogramme. You may be interested, have time and a love of language.... If soplease contact Yaron via his email below.

Dear Directors and SPCs,

Nice to virtually meet you all, my name is Yaron and I am the new director of theLotsawa Rinchen Zangpo Translator program in Dharmsala, India.

Our sixth course finished few months ago and now we are about to open theregistration for the next one which is scheduled to start at 4th of October 2015.

As you know, we train the future interpreters for FPMT centers around the world

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Gokyo Lake, Nepal (JB 2007)

in order to bring the wisdom of theBuddhadharma wherever it is needed byqualified Geshes. So if you are consideringhosting a resident Geshe in the future, orneed to add to your current interpreterteam, we offer to train your center'sinterpreter. So we encourage you toconsider whether there is a suitablestudent/students you would like to perhapssponsor to train as an interpreter for yourcenter.

The course will take place in Rato Labrangin Dharmasla (the same place of LRZTP 5and 6). It will two years program in Indiaand for students affiliated with FPMT,another two years in an FPMT center.

We are fortunate to have as the mainteacher of the course Franziska Oertle,who brings to the course years of experience in teaching Tibetan to westerners.Also we will have Mr Gavin Kilty and Tica teaching in the second year.

The registration for the program will open soon, and there will be moreinformation about the program on the website.

If you have any questions about the next LRZTP please contact me- lrztp108@gmail.com

On behalf of LRZTP team: Yaron Bahir

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Opportunities Around the FPMT

There are work and volunteer opportunities in many of the FPMTCentres around the world. You can find details of these on the FPMT website.

There are also volunteer opportunities in France, India, Australia, NewZealand............................ And especially here at Jamyang, London!

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FPMT

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Jamyang is affiliated with FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation ofthe Mahayana Tradition) and is one of more than 150 centers andprojects worldwide.

FPMT is based on the Gelugpa tradition of Lama Tsongkhapa of Tibetas taught by our founder, Lama Thubten Yeshe and spiritual director, LamaZopa Rinpoche. If you would like to receive FPMT's monthly newsletters pleasesubscribe here.

Your ThoughtsWhat do you want to see in Gentle Voice? We would love to hear your ideasand comments about Gentle Voice, please contact Johnat: admin@jamyang.co.uk

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