Despite all the current travel restrictions, Lama Jampa was somehow able to undertake a ten day tour of Dechen and Bodhi Path centres in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. It was a wonderful occasion for all the students who had long anticipated Lama-la’s arrival.
Stuttgart & Renchen Ulm (South Germany)
The more extensive textual teachings took place at the weekends at the Dechen centre in Stuttgart (at the invitation of Wolfgang & Hilde) and the Bodhi Path centre at Renchen Ulm (at the invitation of Sabine). In both cases Lama was pleased to be able to finally complete texts that he had taught in the respective centres over sessions spanning several years.
At Sakya Dechen Ling, Stuttgart, Lama Jampa continued his teachings on the “Triple Vision”, the non-tantric section of the Sakya ‘Lam-Dre’ cycle. This concluding section contained teachings on insight meditation, the merging of calm abiding and insight, and the instructions on the pure vision. On the Sunday he gave the initiation of Manjushri Sakya Pandita, together with the lung for the associated Guru Yoga practice
At Bodhi Path, Renchen Ulm, around 15-20 people stayed in residence over the weekend to receive the remaining sections of the ‘Guide to Zhentong Madyhamaka’ by the great nineteenth century master Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye. In the course of the teaching Lama Jampa explained how the Zhentong view can be combined with everyday life outside of meditation sessions, and he also explained the connection between the Zhentong view and the practice of vajrayana.
Jigme Rinpoche had been teaching at Renchen two weeks earlier and had been staying at the centre subsequently. Thus it so happened that Lama Jampa and Jigme Rinpoche were able to spend some time at the beginning of the weekend, thereby renewing their decades-long friendship.
Bregenz (Austria) / Zurich (Switzerland)
During the mid-week Lama Jampa taught his own text on interdependent origination, ‘Patterns in Emptiness’, at two Bodhi Path centres, Bregenz (as invited by Claudia) and Zurich (as invited by Beat & Toni). The teaching was spread over two sequential evenings with the centres respectively hosting and live-streaming to one another.
Lama Jampa emphasized that interdependent origination is not an obscure philosophical theory, but rather a description of how things arise due to their causal connections, and as such merely confirms the everyday wisdom that farmers understand when they plant their seeds and harvest their crops.
Lama Jampa also remarked on how he was pleased to see students from all the four main schools of Tibetan buddhism attending the events.
Dornach, near Basel (Switzerland)
Lama Jampa stayed three nights in Dornach near Basel at the personal invitation of Andrew & Dolma, who had recently moved to the area.
On the Thursday there was some time for visiting some of the local sites in Dornach, including the world headquarters of the Anthroposophy movement that was founded by Rudolph Steiner in the early twentieth century.
On the Sunday evening Lama Jampa bestowed Medicine buddha initiation upon around 15-20 people in a private gathering of dharma friends, mainly from within Switzerland. During the initiation two students took refuge for the first time, one from Basel and one from Zurich.
Lama Jampa returned to London from Basel airport the following morning with our prayers for his swift return.