On Saturday 3 July Lama Jampa was able to give his first public teaching of 2021 . The event took place at Ashton Gate stadium in Bristol, England and around 100 people came together from all corners of the UK to attend. Unfortunately it was a not possible for sangha from abroad to come due to various government prohibitions.
n the morning Lama Jampa completed the teaching entitled ‘A Garland of Jewels’ by the Sakya master, Chogyal Phakpa. This text was composed for the 13th century Mongol Prince Gibek Timur, and, in 204 verses, it covers the entire Buddhist path, from the level of a beginner to that of full enlightenment. Lama Jampa reminded us of the three paths described in the text – the worldly path of happiness in this and future lives, the path to individual freedom from suffering, and finally journey to the complete enlightenment of a buddha. Chogyal Phakpa also points out that these three paths are actually one, as the first two provide the appropriate basis in ethical behaviour that then enables us to travel further.
In the afternoon, Lama Jampa gave the initiation of Green Tara,’Liberating from All Fears’ from the lineage of the 11th century Indian master, Atisha. Tara is the embodiment of the liberating activity of all the buddhas and is one of the most widely practised meditations in Tibetan Buddhism.
When Tara was a princess prior to her enlightenment, she made the commitment to appear in female form both on the path and as a buddha. This was to demonstrate the possibility of achieving enlightenment in such a form, countering the mistaken ideas that existed around the ability of women to achieve enlightenment.
Continuing this theme, Lama Jampa also outlined the importance of female masters in the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism and encouraged people to read about them in Elisabeth A Benard’s book, ‘The Sakya Jetsunmas: the Hidden World of Tibetan Female Lamas’.
Lama Jampa has agreed to give further teachings in Bristol later in the year.