Losar 2007

Dear Friends,
As I write snow is falling, pouring actually. We are in the middle of a big storm, but the sun is shining through and turning the snowflakes into sparkling rainbow crystals. It's going to be the year of the Fire Boar, and a year of great transformation at Tara Mandala in which the temple and residence buildings will be built. In December we had a wonderful retreat with Adzom Rinpoche thanks to the hard work of our staff.

On the last morning of the retreat with Adzom Rinpoche, we held a fragrant juniper smoke offering (Sang) ceremony at the temple site under blue skies, looking out to the white mountains. The smoke billowed up into the cloudy sky and covered Rinpoche. The movement of the smoke is considered as an augury and going toward the teacher is the most positive sign. It then moved up the hillside to the Tara shrine to our cries of Lha Gyalo! (May the Gods be Victorious!)

After the Sang we made a big circle holding prayer flags, singing mantras, circumambulating the temple site, and stretching the strings of flags between trees above the site. As he was leaving, Rinpoche called the temple the Sang Dzod Lhakhang, 'Temple of the Secret Treasury', the name of the revealed treasure cycle of Adzom Drukpa. He had given it this name in 1999 during his first visit to America. We did not yet bury the treasure vase at the center of the temple because Adzom Rinpoche wanted to send a smaller one to go inside it, which includes very special relics that have been consecrated for weeks by thousands of monks. Next summer in Tibet we will pick this up and hand carry it home. So many people sent offerings for the vase; it was amazing. Thank you all!

We are in the final stages of work with the architects and will begin building as soon as conditions allow in the spring. We'll build all the buildings at once and hope to close them in before the snow flies this fall.

I was born in the year of the Fire Boar, so this is the conclusion of a Tibetan astrological 'century' cycle of sixty years. It feels like a significant year in several ways. While doing research for my new book (Feeding Your Demons, Little Brown, January '08), I realized that Machig Lapdrön gave many teachings, not only Chöd. She taught several lineages: Sutra Tradition, Tantra Tradition and combined Sutra and Tantra traditions. These include practices she received from Tara, her own visionary experiences, Tsa Lung yogic practices, 10 kinds of Phowa (Transference of Consciousness), Mandala of the Five Dakinis and nature of mind teachings as well as Prajna Paramita. I was inspired by this and some experiences I had in retreat and decided to attempt to gather all of her teachings and transmissions here at Tara Mandala and have begun that process in various ways. I have also decided to make a pilgrimage to her sacred sites in Tibet this year when we will begin to receive these transmissions and gather her texts.
We have made a connection with Lama Wangdu who holds this lineage and has a monastery dedicated to it in Katmandu and he will assist in bringing her lineage here. I've been realizing that the vision of Machig that I had in 1981 that lead to finding her biography in Nepal was about more than finding her story; it was about finding and establishing a place for her lineage. Adzom Rinpoche is intimately connected with this process as it is what he has begun to reveal at Tara Mandala. The Kapala Training is the 'outer' part of this process as is the book on Feeding Your Demons.

'Our' baby Mateo, son of the co-directors Charlotte and Pieter, has been an incredible joy to the community this year. He now talks and walks and is very affectionate and funny.
For those of you who haven't experienced the community building, you must come; it's made a huge difference. It's warm and beautiful. A former board member, Prajna Hallstrom, told me she wanted to hug the soft round clay walls. And the deep bath tubs have been a big hit for the staff, many of whom still live in cloth yurts. So a soak on a cold winter night is delightful. We are also eating out of our grow-dome which will provide fresh greens all winter.

We have planned an exciting summer of retreats. For the first time in several years we will do the 'full on' Dakini Retreat and we'll also host Kapala II for the first time. We are also starting to do our own publishing. Claudia Webinger is still living in hermitage but working part time on a book from transcripts of the Prajna Paramita retreats. We published our first book -- a commentary on Green Tara, now available through the book store -- also drawn from transcripts going over all the details of that practice.
Personally, my daughter Aloka's wedding was a highlight of the year. She arrived at the tent in the Kapala meadow in a horse drawn carriage with her father. She looked regal and they were both so happy; they spread the love and magic to every one of the hundred guests.

Our membership drive was very successful; we now have 200 members supporting Tara Mandala every month. I wanted to thank everyone who participates in this commitment, to let you know how important it is, and to encourage you to continue or to join if you haven't. As far as our capital campaign fundraising goes, we now have raised $2.6 million for Phase II but still need $1.4 million to complete it. Thanks to everyone who has helped: 350 people have become temple benefactors. This is really fantastic. We still need to raise a lot to finish the campaign so consider Tara Mandala in your practice of generosity.

May the year of the Fire Boar be one of blessings and may our world become more peaceful and love spread everywhere into even the darkest hearts. And may the blessings of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas swell forth.

Tsultrim