Success of the Six-month Dzogchen Lineage Internship

The Six-month Dzogchen Lineage Internship Retreat successfully concluded three weeks ago and was followed by the Dzogchen Winter Retreat, which I also attended. It’s hard to believe that it has been nearly six months since I last posted.

Once the retreat got going and Khen Rinpoche started teaching about the reasons for keeping many details of the retreat confidential while it was underway, I found it challenging to say much of anything in my blog that wouldn’t impinge on these principles, so I decided to go into silent running. Besides, the retreat schedule was such that I really didn’t have time to do anything besides attend the sessions, study, volunteer to keep the retreat going, and get a little rest in. Ah!

It was an amazing, amazing retreat. It changed me in many ways for the better. Now that it’s over I’m excited to say a few things about it and acknowledge a few people.

First I’d like to thank my main sponsors Marina Meyers and Alexia Moore for your substantial financial support over the past year that has made it possible for me to go on tour with Khenpo during the Fall of 2007, participate in the Pilgrimage to Buddha’s holy places and to attend all of the Dzogchen seasonal retreats and the Dzogchen Lineage Internship over the past year and a half. I’ve pretty much lived at the retreat center or otherwise been touring with Khenpo for most of that time. It’s been a wild yet contemplative ride!

Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche is a teacher of boundless Dharma teaching skills and seeming endless energy. I’ve spent over a year of my life with him now, and the more time I spend with him, the more my respect for him grows and the more I grasp the remarkable opportunities I’ve had to receive so many precious teachings. May I do the same for other seekers of truth to the limits of my capabilities.

There is one part of The Buddha Path that has a short Buddhist biography of Khen Rinpoche. One sentence reads, “He has received transmissions and teachings of the Buddhist Sutras, Tantras and Shastras from forty-two different Buddhist masters, as well as specific instructions in the Dzogchen Tantras from his Root Masters—Khenchen Padma Tsewang, Drubchen Chatral Chochyab and Guru Dechen Namdrol.” Whenever I have read that, I thought about how fortunate Khen Rinpoche was to have all those teachers, and wished I could have the same. In an unexpected way, this aspiration has already come true for me.

Besides myself, there were forty-two Interns who both attended all the sessions and received a graduation certificate and title of Upasaka or Upasika Bodhisattva on the final day of the retreat. These students of Dharma are all Buddhist masters in the making. I really rejoice in all these dedicated Buddhist practitioners who were transformed during the internship into Dharma teachers. Toward the end of the internship I had the opportunity to receive teachings from each and every one of them and sincerely consider each of them to be my teacher. It’s amazing how our aspirations can sometimes be fulfilled without much warning.

I was floored when I realized this near the end of the retreat. Khenpo had each of us sit on a throne next to him, wearing the nicest Dharma clothing. Each of us taught all of the Interns and any volunteers who wanted to attend for a couple hours. It made it so clear to me that every person has some wisdom to offer. With a little learning, contemplation and meditation—with the proper Dharma training and practice—anyone can teach Dharma well enough to benefit countless beings. Khenpo also demonstrated to us by this exercise that the activity of teaching Dharma is the best way for one to experience and realize Dharma.

We had an amazing chain of volunteers who worked together to support us throughout the retreat, keeping us supplied and fed. I totally rejoice in their good merit for doing that kind of work voluntarily with no real financial incentive to do so. Our main supply line to the outside world was Kurt Willowmoon, who drove the 60+ winding miles into town and back over 100 times during the retreat and braved the retail world many times during each round-trip. Our kitchen staff of Amy Holbrook, Jarrod Payton, Shelly King, Joanne Kumekawa, Ellen Klowden, and Marc Baldwin are all heroic in their contributions to keep us healthy and happy. The food was amazing in my humble opinion, and there was almost no illness of any kind during the retreat. My hat is off to you all.

Kuenzang Dem provided special support as caregiver for our youngest participant, Sean and Shannon’s baby Emmy. Kuenzang, a native of Bhutan, also gave a wonderful Dharma teaching from the throne and demonstrated not only her profound understanding of guru yoga, but also the remarkable progress she made during the retreat in mastering English.

Dzgochen Geydak Rinpoche was with us for the last few weeks of the retreat and worked tirelessly on consecrating dozens of statues. He helped with many other Dharma activities for Khen Rinpoche including the Drupchen and fire pujas we held. His English has improved dramatically and I think he will be a great teacher for all of us in the West.

Special recognition goes to Kunzang, the Internship Director, who heroically participated as an intern while he simultaneously managed all aspects of the whole retreat. I’m not sure how he did it, but when he asked me to be Internship Director for the next Internship, a three-month retreat starting June 28, 2009, I eventually said yes. So Kunzang, I look to you to teach me how you accomplished that without ever seeming to get upset! You have the equanimity of a Bodhisattva.

I’d love to mention all the other interns and volunteers by name, but no time right now. Nevertheless, I owe a huge thanks to each and every participant in the retreat for your support and help making the retreat an historic success. I can’t thank you all enough.

During the retreat I developed a lot of ideas of what I may do with the rest of my life. I can say for certain that my activities will certainly include a lot of Dharma teaching and music-making. I’ll try to say more about this in the future.

That’s all I have time to write today, sitting here in Bubble Bubble Tea in Portland, but hopefully I’ll be able to get into a groove of keeping the blog fresh as time permits.

Please pray for my long-life and the success of my Dharma activities. Remember that that your positive thinking and positive aspirations have immediate effect throughout all universes. Realize that you are a condition of world peace in every moment you direct your thinking into the five positive thinkings of: renunciation, compassion, faith, love and wisdom.