Sakya Dechen Ling Buddhist Centre
Last weekend Lama Jampa Thaye once again visited Sakya Dechen Ling in Stuttgart, Germany to give precious dharma teachings on karma, the sufferings of samsara and precious human birth.
Public Talk on Karma
On the Friday evening Lama Jampa gave a public talk on Karma, at the Sakya Dechen Ling premises in Alexanderstrasse. Lama Jampa decided to give quite a detailed explanation of Karma, using the Buddha's Abidharma teachings, and going into the finer details of how actions produce results. For newcomers this may have been a lot to take in, but at the same time they were able to see how Lama Jampa's explanations are not based on his own ideas, but are all directly sourced from the sutras and shastras, and are thus totally authentic. For sangha members already involved in studying the Dharma, this explanation of Karma acts as a compliment to the slightly different way Karma is explained in for example the 'Triple Vision', which is currently being taught and studied at Sakya Dechen Ling.
The Core Teaching of the Sakya Tradition - The Path and It's Fruit
On the Saturday Lama Jampa then proceeded to teach the next part of the Triple Vision (Nang Sum in Tibetan), which is the first part of the great 'Path & Fruit' (Lam Dre), which is the core teaching of the Glorious Sakya Tradition, covering as it does the whole path of Mahayana Buddhism from complete beginner right up to full enlightenment. In order to develop renunciation and turn away from worldly life and worldly goals, Lama Jampa taught the section on the pervasiveness of suffering in all aspects of 'samsara'. Suffering takes on many aspects, gross and subtle, and can appear even as happiness, unless carefully examined in the light of the Buddha's wisdom. Lama Jampa then proceeded to teach the rarity of obtaining a human rebirth endowed with all the opportunities and junctures that allow for one to be able to meet with the Holy Dharma and be able, as well as inclined, to practice the path to liberation contained within it. These teachings on the preciousness of human birth help us to cut through complacency and the illusion that it is easy to be born human, and to incite a necessary sense of urgency into our engagement with our practice of the Path.
Vajrayana Teachings on White Dzambhala
On the Sunday Lama Jampa bestowed the Vajrayana transmission of the permission to practice the form of the Buddha called White Dzambhala. He explained that Vajrayana practitioners need to maintain several key elements in order to proceed without obstacle, including the principles of magnetising and enriching, meaning the ability to be be able to extract from one's environment all the factors required for successfully benefiting both self and others. Poverty and the lack of sustenance are obstacles to Mahayana practice, and reliance on the magnetising and enriching properties in the practice of White Dzambhala is one of the special Vajrayana methods to prevent such obstacles. Lama Jampa gave the full transmission of the deity as well as the sadhana for individuals to be able to complete the practice and attain the special 'siddhi' of White Dzambhala.
At the conclusion of the weekend of wondrous, profound and rare Buddha Dharma teachings and practice, Lama Jampa expressed his appreciation of how the Glorious Sakya Tradition is being established in South Germany. On a more sombre note he noted the absence of Erich Heimbach, who passed away in November. Erich was one of the founder trustees of Sakya Dechen Ling, he was a Buddhist for many years, was very knowledgeable and always did a wonderful job of translating Lama Jampa's teachings into German.
Lama Jampa will return again to Stuttgart at the end of June.